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march 25, 2013 by martinb. | 4:24 pm

As some of you might heard before this weekend and in Berlin this weekend, there are some changes at Blackriver-Ramps. The company diminishs the personnel.
And because of all the rumors, Thomas Hansen posted a statement about his future @ Blackriver on facebook:

“In 2009 I was able to turn one of my all time favorite spare time activities into a real job, when Martin and Denise offered me a job at BRR! A dream come true! I will always be thankful for this opportunity!!!
Just like skateboarding fingerboarding goes in waves and and it is no surprise to anyone who has any business connections to hear skateboarding/fingerboarding is on a downswing.
Sweatshop products are flooting the market and the small and real skateshops die!
Like a selfprofilling prophecy my „intro“ text from issue 4 of Fingerboarder Magazine speaks for itself!
Wether we like it or not (and we don`t!!), the economic situation takes its toll and some jobs will have to be dropped.
Unfortunatelly one of the positions is mine so by the beginning of May I will have to find a new path jobwise!
I will always love fingerboarding, but I will not be able to always answer your questions regarding orders, events, and a lot more any longer – I will turn into a simple BRR teamrider and I no doubt will have to find a new approach towards fingerboarding.
I will stay in the area (BRR city) and the Steig will always stay the Steig!!
I would like to thank everyone I met during my job at BRR! You guys rock and most of my colleagues are also close friends and this will not change! :-)
I really hope the downswing will end soon opening new doors for all the countless ideas, events and other cultural projects that temporary have to end up in the BRR drawer!
See you soon!! :-)

„There were never any good old days, they are today – they are tomorrow!“”

I dont know who else will leave Blackriver and in my opinion this situation makes me really sad. Fingerboarding is getting smaller and sometimes companies need an economic adjustment.

I think this is another proof for my last “the hype is over” post. And as I said, support your supporter, buy stuff and be active in the scene!

This sucks!

I thought fingerboarding was growing?

China companies are growing ..

Which means fingerboarding is slowly dying.


Stop the cancer! Support companies with values.

Sucks... Didn't think someone could get laid off from making decks and stuff, or customer service or whatever he did. Hopefully he can find a similar job.

Mikkel S wrote:

China companies are growing ..

Which means fingerboarding is slowly dying.


Stop the cancer! Support companies with values.

Amen.
It seems like every few weeks there's a new "company" trying to push their china bs on the "company updates" board.

Damn, this really sucks to hear

hey brr
stop making your shit so god damn expensive and people will buy. Then you wont have to go through this.

^That is also true.. Sad but true.

https://www.blackriver-shop.com/obstacles/rampen/blackriver-ramps-box-1.html

Like this, just a simple box for 10 euros exc. S&H!
"But it's from BRR so it's good quality!"
Yeah true, but it's still overpriced, I made myself a box, with coping and stuff and that is also good quality.
I bought the wood and coping for less than 10 euros...

It's just to damn overpriced/expensive..

Bobbernaut wrote:

https://www.blackriver-shop.com/obstacles/rampen/blackriver-ramps-box-1.html

Like this, just a simple box for 10 euros exc. S&H!
"But it's from BRR so it's good quality!"
Yeah true, but it's still overpriced, I made myself a box, with coping and stuff and that is also good quality.
I bought the wood and coping for less than 10 euros...

It's just to damn overpriced/expensive..

There's no doubt about the quality, because the quality is great.
It's just that BRR is the high-end fingerboarding brand that's more of a status symbol, and people are willing to pay for that, which is crazy.

I agree that maybe the prices can be lowered, but maybe with them keeping the prices high comes a sense of pride that pushes them to keep delivering the high-quality product that they do.
I'm not saying if they lowered the cost that quality would diminish, but what if?

you're forgetting about somethign guys, the money doesn't all go to brr, first of all, not all brr obstacles are good quality, Danny can prove, but most are ok, so you're paying for the obstacle and the quality, lets say brr actually gets 5€ from that box, some of it goes to their workers and other part goes to the scene guys, keeping the brr store open and organising events Like BATH isn't free as I bet you know, although yes that doesn't excuse all of the prices
as of Thomas, i'm really sad to see him go he's one of the nicestriders BRR has for his skills and personality, lets hope he still keeps the spirit alive

brr is to proud to lower there prices, but the good thing is there is alot of stuff that has amazing quality for much cheaper now. Brr made their bed now they can lie in it. Woodywood Fvcker trucks are professional trucks for only 40USD and the quality is amazing. I got some of those china lathed wheels and they honestly roll better then my winklers and they were 12 bucks. Any of the deck companies on the top banner are amazing quality at a lower price. Brr had their run, now people are smartening up about their spending I think. If brr doesnt lower there prices it will be more than a few people losing there job, it will be everyone. Hopefully this is a wake up call for them.

Yeah like, BRT's are 50!

actually 65 plus like 10 dollars shipping. Woodywood fvckers also have way more expensive packaging than cardboard the packaging is plexiaglass and wood and they are still cheaper with cheaper shipping.

Oh yes they are 50 pounds (or quids right? haha)

what ever it is it works out to about 75 usd after shipping.

appleyard14 wrote:

actually 65 plus like 10 dollars shipping. Woodywood fvckers also have way more expensive packaging than cardboard the packaging is plexiaglass and wood and they are still cheaper with cheaper shipping.

When was the last time Woody put on BATH? Or sent the crazy sponsor package that Harry got for Meet Up North. If BRR lowers it's prices, then it stops supporting the scene and only supports itself. You can't have it both ways. Also, you know what? Margins are high. They're ALWAYS going to be high. Coffee, for example, has an average mark up of 1000%. But from your 'profit' you have to minus operations costs such as labour, lighting, electricity, rent, etc. name one company that does as much for fingerboarding around the world, or one that supports it's local scene as much as BRR, THEN tell me it's stuff is overpriced.

well put seamus i agree

That is also true..

SeamusMcFlurry wrote:

appleyard14 wrote:

actually 65 plus like 10 dollars shipping. Woodywood fvckers also have way more expensive packaging than cardboard the packaging is plexiaglass and wood and they are still cheaper with cheaper shipping.

When was the last time Woody put on BATH? Or sent the crazy sponsor package that Harry got for Meet Up North. If BRR lowers it's prices, then it stops supporting the scene and only supports itself. You can't have it both ways. Also, you know what? Margins are high. They're ALWAYS going to be high. Coffee, for example, has an average mark up of 1000%. But from your 'profit' you have to minus operations costs such as labour, lighting, electricity, rent, etc. name one company that does as much for fingerboarding around the world, or one that supports it's local scene as much as BRR, THEN tell me it's stuff is overpriced.

Well the comment about overhead and operations costs are irrelevant. As I said Woodywood Fvcker has those costs as well and there packaging is handmade plexiglass and wood casing to ensure the trucks safety when shipped. Its not like Woodywood Fvckers are free to make by any means. As for events, I could care less, they've never had a canadian one so why would I give a shit about events? Is it my resonsibility to pay a couple grand to get to whereever BATH is? Well thats not happening. I could care less about what they do for the scene, cause they dont do ANYTHING for my scene. Thats all great if you live somewhere where they do but here in canada they are just overpriced con artists with such a good reputation that there name just cant seem to be tarnished. Have fun being a brr zombie.

Yeah, BRR used to have amazing quality! The last two obstacles that I've bought from them have had defects though, one of them could actually be considered dangerous, lmao. They aren't what they used to be :/

Although the Quarter High that I got from Meet up North is brilliant quality, perhaps it's just the smaller obstacles that don't get the TLC?

IMO, yes, BRR makes good obstacles, yes, they support the scene. But $75 (give or take) for trucks is pretty absurd. Also, I imagine they're making a profit at the BRR stores. If BRR would lower their prices, I would be way more inclined to buy their stuff.

Its sad to see BRR in this state but I agree with appleyard there stuff is overpriced.Also I agree with Chris H because WoodyWood doesn't do nearly as much as what BRR does

^maybe it's because woody wood cannot afford to give trucks away lol. They are from Indonesia (I think) and will most likely support events in Indonesia. I agree with appleyard completely. Brr prices are fucking stupid.

I don't even own a box one,its too much for me when I could buy a china deck of that price!BRR is good quality but the prices are ridiculous.1500 euros for a park? puh-lease I could buy an apple mac of that price.