Which surfers would do best in a big box discount retailer?
Tony Hawk, the older skateboarder who became famous by stealing skate moves from Australians, just inked a historic deal with Arkansas superstore Walmart!
Walmarts are known, the world over, as places that offer ridiculously cheap prices on consumer goods. They are also known, the world over, as places that do not smell very good. They are also known, the world over, as places not to work. Human Rights Watch says:
“Walmart denies basic human rights to its employees.”
Tony Hawk says:
“In my many visits to Canada on skate tours, I am consistently humbled by the response that Canadians have given to me, the Tony Hawk brand and skateboarding in general. I will be fully committed to the success of this launch through my social media, marketing, and appearances. It’s going to be a great ride!”
?
But it makes me wonder, which surfer (outside Laird and Kelly) would have the strongest big box superstore middle America appeal? If, say, Taj Burrow launched a line of Taj by Taj boardshorts would they do well? If Gabriel Medina released a series of Gab by Gab rashguards would you see them dotting the Great Lakes next summer? If Mick Fanning licensed an “I fought the shark and I won” t-shirt would it sell?
Which surfer (outside Laird and Kelly) is crazy marketable?

none, because the mid-west don’t surf. They do skate, however.
Gabs for sure. That clean shaved chest, those puppy dog eyes, international appeal all spell success for Wally World.
i would like to spin 900 and kick ol’ tony right in the dick hole
OH WAIT: Bethany Hamilton
great to see Sam’s son ,Tony,in Walmart , maybe the son of Midget farrelly would do well?
How about Dustin Barca. He could sell muscle milk and bandaids, too.
Isn’t the question who do overweight McDonald’s craving kids from fuck knows where in America that have probably never even seen the ocean want to be like? The answer is circa 2010 chunky Taj…
Looks like Chas and Tony Hawk were separated at birth.
Dane & JJF. Duh.
But no way! This is exactly what I’m talking about. Dane and JJF do not at all appeal to non-surfers. They have zero, and I mean, absolutely zero, marketability outside of the core core. I love them. You love them. Middle America doesn’t know who they are and never will.
What about your handsome friends from instagram (not skindog and slater) – you know the guys who aren’t talking to each other anymore ?
Oh those boys? Maybe not them too! I think to appeal at Walmart you have to have a special blend of turkey magic. Tony H. has it to a tee. An undeniable blend of vanilla and bland wrapped in a tortilla of faux accomplishment.
Vanilla and bland yet so brutal when it came to his advancement over those Pappas boys. Cruel.
Has there been a more cruel story in all action sport?
Tonya Harding v Nancy Kerrigan?
Or: has there ever been a more misrepresented story in all action sports…? It’s an interesting read….
http://www.jenkemmag.com/ho…
Yeah, the meth and needles’ recurring mise en abyme in the story of drug-related death after drug-related death after…
Watching the Pappas Bro. story is up there.. Goddamn at the end of the movie when Tas was box jumping on to table and jumping rope you could see how serious he had become.. And the pièce de ré·sis·tance was his kid on his shoulders smoking it down the street. Awesome ending.
Hawk’s def vanilla and bland, and he may have bitten some tricks from other skaters, but he ranks among the greatest ever. Faux accomplishment? More like fait accompli. Still, anyone who throws his name behind Walmart loses a lot of cred.
Hows your greeting skills?
Welcome to Walmart, sir. Adult diapers can be found on aisle 8.
Clean-up on aisle 8.
I quit.
Mindblowing the income made off the hawk name these last 30 years…
Alana.
Isn’t Kelly sucking at Pottery Barn?
Isn’t Kolohe and Carissa already doing this with Target?
Julian Wilson and JJF