MINDING THE GAPS #6
In the previous chapter, I explained the two boom and bust cycles of skateboarding during the 1960s and 70s. In this chapter, I want to explore how different cohorts respond when things break down and why SkateGeezers are uniquely positioned. Not only can they deal with gaps and help fix things, but they also grow from these turndowns. In order to explain this, I need to dive more deeply into the book The Fourth Turning.
The authors state that four different archetypes have cycled through history.
Where you fit in the cycle is based on your year of birth. In my case, I am in an odd situation. I am technically a “baby boomer” because I was born in 1964, but I seem to have a great deal more in common with Generation X (who were born from 1965 to 1980). The reasons are easy to explain: I wasn’t even born when John Kennedy was assassinated, and at five years of age, I did not head out to the Woodstock Festival. But I can recall with absolute clarity John Lennon’s murder back in December 1980 and LiveAid in July of 1985.
Enter the Nomads & Generation Jones
During the first turning (from 1946 to 1966), Baby Boomers experienced something the authors call a “high.” There was a great deal of confidence about the future. The economy in the USA and Canada was on fire. But after the high comes the “awakening.” And this is where Nomads (Generation X) enter the scene. By the time this cohort hits their teens, life is much different than the baby boomers experienced. For example, there are rising divorce rates and societal shifts from institutional to individual solutions. The 70s were called “The Me Decade,” and it explains why kids like me developed self-reliance and adaptability. A lot of adults were focused on other things. I remember being dropped off at the ski hill at 9 am and picked up at 5 pm. Growing up in the mid-70s, all I needed to know was to be back home for dinner at 6 pm.
There is a cohort that straddles these two different groups. They have been dubbed “Generation Jones” and are a micro-generation that spans from 1954 to 1965. The term was coined by Jonathan Pontell in 1999 to describe this distinct cohort that had been previously lumped in with Baby Boomers but experienced significantly different formative influences.
Interestingly, many skate legends from the 70s are part of this cohort. Here’s a brief list of skaters born between 1954 and 1965: Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, Shogo Kubo, Jay Adams, Waldo Autry, Tom Inouye and Ty Page.
Generation Jones didn’t experience “duck and cover” and the Cold War panic. Instead, we saw how diplomacy led to a detente between superpowers. During the 70s, there wasn’t an economic boom like there had been in the previous decades. Instead, there was an energy crisis and stagflation.
Adding to this was that very few people who grew up from 1954 to 1965 were involved in counter-cultural movements. Unless your parents took you to an anti-war protest, chances are you were at home, at the playground or in elementary school. This cohort saw the aftermath of protest movements and realized many didn’t match their expectations. The very radical Jerry Rubin went from hippie to yuppie. The hypocrisy was both confusing and unsettling for many of Generation Jones.
The unique thing about bridging two generations is that you sometimes blend characteristics of both. For example, I can be both an idealist (like some baby boomers) and a pragmatist (like many Gen Xers). Although I grew up in an analog world, I used computers in 1985. I am fascinated and overjoyed by tactile things like records, books, and magazines, and I also like discovering new technologies. For example, I had one of the first skateboarding websites back in 1995.
Juggling Between Two Worldviews
Sometimes, it can be difficult to juggle these two mindsets, but more often than not, I seem to move quite deftly between the two distinct cohorts. Oftentimes, I see myself as a translator helping Boomers understand Gen X and vice versa. Each group has different values and mindsets, and being in the middle gives one a unique perspective.
The authors of the Fourth Turning say that people like me from the Nomad cohort developed a healthy skepticism towards institutions. Many of us have individualistic problem-solving capabilities. We had to look after ourselves and think independently. My love of punk rock and a do-it-yourself attitude has never faded. I am pragmatic and resilient. I always like to have a plan b and have a healthy suspicion of authority. I also work better alone and don’t call myself a “team player.” On top of all this, due to five decades of skating, I have a high tolerance for risk. I am comfortable with uncertainty, and I am willing to explore. I get curious quite often and delight in things many have overlooked. I never fit into the corporate world but enjoyed being an entrepreneur.
While I wasn’t around to skate in the 1960s, I am confident I would have kept going, even after the crash. Why do I say this? Because that’s precisely the behaviour that took place in the late 70s when I was 15 and kept skateboarding. When skateparks closed, pragmatic skaters built backyard ramps in the early 80s. When the skate magazines closed or turned into Action Now, they created fanzines. For many skaters of that time, the focus was on survival and adaptation.
All this work helped develop a thriving scene that would eventually create an enormous boom in the mid-80s. Nomad generations typically express themselves through cultural products that blend cynicism with practicality. Skate graphics are a perfect example of using art and the medium of a skateboard deck to spread a message and create a culture. Skaters’ desire to pick up an instrument and start a band also significantly increased. It wasn’t about making money – it was about being authentic in a time when only a core group of people cared.
While it can be a massive pain in the ass when skateboarding implodes, it’s not the end of the world. Unless, of course, skateboarding is your full-time job. I started to experience an economic downturn in 2017 and watched as my business started to implode. Things got terrible, and I developed a case of severe writer’s block. This led to me selling the magazine and stepping away entirely from the skateboard industry.
No “Hail Mary”- Just Ingenuity
The silver lining was that I knew the history of skateboarding and I knew that the good times didn’t always last. Thankfully, I was able to put some money aside. I also knew it would have been foolish to throw away a ton of money for some “Hail Mary” resuscitation to save the magazine. Sometimes, it’s more prudent to bow out and wait for the next opportunity in business.
Remember, it’s not what life throws at you, it’s how you handle what life throws at you. When the economic meltdown hits and the world implodes, just remember how your fellow skaters have reacted.
The Nomad archetype represents a crucial adaptive force in society. They are pragmatists who navigate uncertainty with resourcefulness, skepticism, and an ability to survive and thrive amid decay. When the shit hits the fan, we have a plan b and, more than likely, a plan c. What we lack in money, we make up for in creativity and ingenuity.