In case you weren’t aware, CCS—the longest running, most recognizable mailorder in the skate game—was acquired by Foot Locker in 2008. That’s old news. What’s new is that the refs at Foot Locker just blew the whistle on CCS, ostensibly calling it a wrap. As of today, CCS employees are quitting and getting laid off as CCS will be phased out entirely. Customers will now be directed to Eastbay for their skate product needs.
So what does that really mean other than the fact that you will no longer be getting catalogs mailed to you with four hundred pages of sneakers and two of actual skateboards? Not much really, as the importance of CCS to the average skateboarder is at an all time low, but that’s another big declaration about where skateboarding is headed in the weird ass year of 2014.
I know you’re saying, “Who gives a shit?” as your small brand board snaps another no comply. But aside from the hit the CCS riders and employees are taking, it does reinforce the idea that skateboarders ARE rapidly becoming athletes. Wait, I just talked about small brands and creative skateboarding and said we’re athletes? Huh? Just give me a second.
By shifting CCS, such an iconic brand—albeit now largely irrelevant to the true pulse of skateboarding—from their own home to Eastbay’s blanket, a part of skateboarding has symbolically just become just another sports category. Yup, you’ll now be able to see skateboarding slotted next to rugby, volleyball, and lacrosse, because… well… to the world at large it’s just another sport.
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June 26, 2014 7:45 pm
I will just say this about those who say “support your local skate shop.” When the only skate shop within 100 miles of anywhere does not have skate shoes and the mall stores, discount stores, and online stores are the only ones to go to, where can you buy from?
June 26, 2014 11:47 pm
thank you.
June 27, 2014 1:21 am
I would just like to take this time to point out that there are MANY small shops around the country that sell online that aren’t owned by Foot Locker. If the closest shop to you doesn’t, find the closest one that does or just one you think seems legit.
July 2, 2014 5:30 am
Hell yeah. We own a skate shop in New Zealand. We started with a corner store but needed to grow to survive so moved into a mall. We now have an online store and a second high street location. Do we sell Nike? Yes. Do we also sell a shit tonne of Deluxe, Black Box (RIP), Magenta, Polar, and other brands? YES.
The reality is we have to pay the bills so sell some mainstream product but we are skate shop. We grip boards, sponsor kids and help get parks built. That’s what being a local skate shop is about.
June 26, 2014 8:02 pm
Phelps: “What does CCS stand for?”
Ryan Smith: “California CheapSkates”
June 26, 2014 9:34 pm
Wow, I just bought some discounted SBs from them a few days ago. And I don’t really think it’s a big deal if companies/marketers consider skateboarding a “sport”, because at the end of the day it’s not about what non-skaters think about skating, it’s about how we define it and use it to express ourselves.
June 26, 2014 10:05 pm
I really dont see a need for ccs unless u live in a place without skateshops. My local skateshops are always putting on sick events and pushing skating in our comunity. I just dont get why ccs is important.
June 26, 2014 10:11 pm
Because sometimes you want a shoe in your size, on sale.