FIRST OF ALL,
I have to say, Luke Spud is doing God's work for this sport, exposing the masses to downhill and freeride. He's really got the mainstream exposure on lock and I'm really appreciative. Plus his content is honestly, sick. BUT...
Do you think it's bad for the sport to have people promoting outlaws and ripping on highly trafficked public roads?
Personally, I think any attention is good attention, but I don't want people getting hurt, OR the public seeing downhill skateboarding as an issue. I don't want it the same way that some Karens see street skating as an issue, because of the actions of the minority of skaters causing issues with the public.
Outlaws, and cutting up with cars, are not the same.
I disagree personally that all attention is good attention. I feel people already know what downhill skating is as a concept, and just think we are crazy, I think the attention that we are missing is a connection between "I know what downhill skating is" and "I can downhill skate and if I don't push the limit I can do it just fine" which this content broadens the gap on, not closes.
I also have been enjoying the fact I havn't been kicked out by cops in forever, instead of every few sesh's which I'm guessing is in part, because of less bad new on skaters in the media.
The guy in your example: I skated a outlaw he was at before seeing any vid's and he seemed cool.
I don't think vids like this reach the Karen side of the internet ngl. No harm no foul.
Imo these types of vids are great for exposure but fall into the category of so dangerous people would never try it, and it probably won't bring many new people into the sport. I also don't particularly like the cutting up in traffic like that cause it endangers other drivers but it still makes for a great vid.
This is Colombia, right? I don't think that this will have any effect here.
I feel like peak posting-harmful-content was early 2010s caliber stuff (no helmet, lane chops, swerving at cars).
Though I will say that recent Lisa Peters video where she names the road in malibu, chops lane like 70% of the time, tucks behind a truck, and then wrong lane void pendies was a bad video and shouldn't have been posted.
@Hayden Bean your right, this is one of those "stunt" or "people are awesome" viral videos. Which raises a new question, does Viral media have any positive or negative effect on the area of interest it is demonstrating? For example, does a two hundred person stunt sky dive effect whether or not people want to skydive? I'd say no? But if something catastrophic happens because of the stunt and shows what can happen worst case scenario when performing said sport or activity then I say yes it negatively impacts the sport.
Dodging and weaving traffic is cool and all but the moment there's a crash it will negatively alter peoples perception of it. So these videos need to be "performed by professionals, do not attempt" labeled at least.. figuratively speaking.
I definitely think that promoting outlaws / other events is generally a net positive for the community (provided the events are run reasonably well). I think that as good as Luke Spud's videos are, and how well rcv'd by the DH community they are, the recent "mainstream viral media" for DH longboarding just really hasn't happened since The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and it may be because people don't see the appeal and only see the danger of DH.
@David Serate I love well run outlaws, so much.
I agree that its hard to get dh in the mainstream more, IMO that is in part, because people want to see something new and more crazy, and we're at a point where that level, can seem very very unreachable. IDK.
Also not saying it can't be done.
Cole Trotta is a big example of someone with a non-skate following based around him skating.
I think Cole Trotta has cracked the code on a lot of the "shortform" content that is popular on a lot of platforms. I feel that as fast as DH is, it happens REALLY slowly sometimes, especially compared to traditional trick skating, so it's not as reels/tiktok optimized.
As dope as a medellin highway run is, it takes a lot longer than 7 seconds
@Teplitzskate this raises a really good point. Now don't get me wrong I love outlaw events, but it does feel kind of rude when you have to ask locals/people minding their own businesses that they can't walk up this hill/trail/road/etc. I also can't imagine that drivers/motorists are too happy about being needing to be extra cautious, or accidentally injuring someine during a downhill run. Ofc this is moreso about high volume roads.
I remember some biker made a complaint against how longboarders carve as a cruise style, and couldn't predict which direction we go (even though it's p simple) which might be something we're unaware of non skaters don't like about us.
@Gabriel Fockler what's the name of the vid, I wanna see her take dumb lines haha.
@Alex Campos https://youtu.be/TxgzpoDqJVk?si=Kz7tgAxdyAjo83v0
So many party fouls in one run lmao
@Gabriel Fockler Jesus, yeah that's just plain reckless. Thanks for sharing!
You guys are trippin. Any time they chopped it was pretty obvious they could see through the corner.
Like, I know we usually stress "stay in your lane" but that's mostly for beginners. If you've been doing this long enough it's not hard to know when you can get away with chopping and when you can't
@Josh Gaudon counterpoint:
@Gabriel Fockler in the corner before the one you screenshotted, there's a pretty massive gap in the trees that would be pretty easy to spot this corner through
She re-enters her lane under 2 seconds between death and the seen results. 2 seconds between death and not is not a good margin of error imo for something like that.
If a spotter said I was good to go on that line and then I came within 2 seconds of dying (could have been less if the car was speeding btw) I would not talk to spotter person ever again on the nicer spectrum of reactions.
@Josh Gaudon this is not an acceptable way to skate. Why did she:
Blow lane like 10 times
Tuck behind a car
Wrong lane void drift while passing the car
Generally not be able to clearly corner in her lane
It's like 15 kinds of sus and there is no way to explain away this screenshot as good skating.
I mean the video is pretty rad, like any sport with risk. I think most outsiders only see "crazy" or "danger" whether that's true or not doesn't usually matter. If people were regularly hurting property or people or themselves then it becomes a problem.
My opinion is that exposure is good, but that these types of videos do not generate more participants. They are eye candy for people to go "OMG! THAT'S INSANE!" but there is no path for a skater who is learning to push around on pathways to link with this level of DH skating.
The reality of DH skating is there will be cars on the roads. Though I'm not a proponent of people purposefully messing with cars or drivers, I think it's naive to think you will be able to skate a lot of the great roads on earth without there being some interactions with cars. If you're just cutting it up in traffic as safely as you're able without being out of control, it's fine. I have fond memories of bombing highways in Canada drafting semi trucks, people towing boats, and other random traffic, just made sure to pass with plenty of clearance and I don't think that's an issue.
