Blader Digest: Something About Don

Apparently, something happened with Don Bambrick and Razors.

Some crime was committed involving a hot tub, and no, I’m not talking about the movie Hot Tub Time Machine.

But everything seemed fine earlier this week.

From the Razors site on Monday.

And then something happened. Maybe.

Same site, later in the week.

And there seems to be a name also missing from this:

Then again, it couldn’t have been anything major because as of Monday morning, this was still the home page for the Razors’ website.

I mean, if something major did happen, we’d expect to hear about it, right? I mean, officially, and not outside rumors and gossip and such. Because if the rumors were true and Don no longer is welcome to ride for Razors anymore, you wouldn’t think there’d be an image of him on the home page with his pro skates. So nothing big could have happened, right?

Then again, if you collect skate memorabilia, owning the Razors Don Bambrick pro model that he had when he was kicked off the Razors team while it was still available would be pretty awesome. So, yeah, there are skates to sell, right?

Then again, I did hear something about some episode of MTV Cribs that didn’t make the cut to air on cable, but it was still was good enough for Vibralux’s Adam Johnson to host:

There are a lot of things going around at the reasons why this was such a big deal:

1. It was filmed while SDSF was going on.

2. It “disrespected” the Razors house.

3. It was a VX edit that featured a Razors’ ad.

4. There was the N-bomb dropped a few times.

Yes, Don Bambrick no longer rides for Razors. Will there ever be anything official stated about it from Razors? Doubt it. The best we can hope for is a one-sided Q&A article in either Be-Mag or ONE. Will anyone — and I mean the companies, not the skaters killing their professional careers by talking shit on people who pay their bills — ever announce anything official other than leaving the reputation of their company riding on idiots writing on the internet (myself included)?

No. Skating companies decide to never say anything about anything when someone either quits their teams or is kicked off. Yes, there are announcements for people being added and when a new pro skate drops, but never on the adverse side of the thing. Basically, we — you know, the people that fund blading — are only given bits of gossip and nothing official.

New pro = money to be made.

Pro leaving under bad circumstances = money lost.

We, the majority of rollerbladers with absolutely no financial stake in rollerblading other than deciding what company’s new skates to buy, have to survive on rumors and conjecture merely because that’s the status quo and no one wants to throw salt in fresh wounds. Or something lame like that.

However, we are supposed to buy the skates with our favorite pros’ names on them and support companies that support them, but when it comes to legitimate information into people we all look up to and may even revere as gods we are left wandering blindly on the side of the information highway like some date rape victim who just pulled herself out of a ditch.

Apparently, this is part of what made Don, as it was stated on the Vibralux site under the post SDSF’d Up Right?, “the biggest free agent in rollerblading since LeBron James…” As if there wasn’t enough talk all over about what happened, you need to check out their post just for the comments alone.

Still, one of the funniest things to come from all this was what was going on inside — and later outside — of a thread on Be-Mag.

Apparently, some kid likes to hate on Bakerized Skate Shop. And in doing so, he gets called out by Bakerized’s owner not just on Be-Mag, but also on the Bakerized Facebook page:

Now, while I’m no small business owner, I can grasp the concept of being protective of your business and your customer base. So, I’m not sure of taking online shit-talking to the next level (which has since been deleted from the Bakerized Facebook page) is different than protecting your business, but then again, I have no business. I don’t know. I’ve never tried to make a buck off blading.

I’m not sure there are internet laws, but I think taking an argument from one forum and taking it to something else might constitute a crime over state lines or something. Then again, crossing over is what Bakerized does, I guess. They now sell skateboarding stuff, too.

But, it’s unfair to highlight one only one shop posts for all to see in the most public forum in the history of mankind. Let’s see what other active shops were up to this week:

Then again, worse crimes have been committed:

Oh, and before I go away for another seven days, he’s my obligatory mention of Kevin Dowling.

Oh, one more thing… since that was my needed segue into “passion.”

As in passion for blading and playing with knives.

If you haven’t already, check out Our Boy Obe on Rollernews in his Carson Love edit with his buddies.  And if you haven’t yet, check out Chef Obe’s column he’s writing for us called Food for Feet.

Blade or Die,

Brian Krans

7 Comments

  • Zac Hutchings wrote:

    Awesome I really liked that first food for feet article.
    But with this Don Bambrick thing it just sounds so stupid i mean sure he wasnt at the SDSF but then that means neither were chris farmer and sean kelso?? i think it was them playing pool anyways… cant remember but yeah he didnt do anything he just got videoed it was all AJ

  • Very nice. Great read as always.

  • Nice use of the word “conjecture” in a sentence.

  • Cool, but if this had been a scandal involving Valo and not Razors, would you have even mentioned a word about it? I mean, you didn’t even talk about Cullen pulling the Inri Feinberg section off of Vimeo, so I’m thinking you only gossip about people you’re not friends with. Way to remain unbiased.

  • bladeordie wrote:

    Yeah, we’re all still really confused at how Krans and Cullen are friends. Actually, when Krans reviewed RIP SF for the Examiner, Cullen was pissed. He got some hateful emails from his “agent.” They are not friends.

    And, yes, Krans mentioned the Cullen/Feinberg thing a few weeks ago. The conspiracy was brought to light.

    And the part about the one-sided pieces in Be-Mag was actually a comment about the whole Oli Short/Valo thing. We’ll make sure Krans is more specific next time.

    — Blade or Die Management

  • […] but I’m pretty fucking sure it was to all the people who have been hating on Razors lately. You could put me in that category, but I wouldn’t agree — that’s business. That’s something completely […]

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