Skateboarding Culture Essay

As a Filipino-American sometimes I find myself judging Filipino-American food as either authentic or unauthentic not simply to criticize, but to make a statement that this food either accurately or inaccurately represents my culture. Skateboarding is similar to this because by labeling skaters, skateboarding brands, and even skateboarding attire as authentic or unauthentic skaters decide what they feel represents their subculture. Disagreement among skaters, a group of individualistic rebels, is extremely common but important to the subculture. Authenticity is choice and respect by fellow skaters within the subculture. Authenticity is a tool that is important to the skating subculture that sets, but not limits, standards, values, and a public …show more content…
“Arguably the most important factor affecting a company 's success is whether or not the owner understands the skateboard culture”(Beal, Weidman 346) Companies sell an image that screams authentic to skateboarders but often times the modern day struggle of companies is expanding the audience and targeting skating apparel to nonskaters. If a skateboarding brand does not seem authentic the company will not survive, unless they can reach out to the other demographic which sees skateboarding simply as a style. The way skateboarding companies sell their products is by selling values “that are to some degree defined in opposition to, or at least as an alternative to, those of mainstream adult society.” (Buckingham 2) It can difficult for young skaters to truly feel and be perceived as authentic because of the market pushing and shaping ideas of authentic, many can often not afford to be considered such. “In fact, authenticity is arguably the single most important factor determining admittance into the subculture.”(Beal, Weidman 351) While skateboarding prides itself on being anti-establishment, unfortunately their culture often falls victim to the manipulation of