I suggest everyone talking about Forum google Joshua Schoonover the patent lawyer aka Trademark Troll that got the Forum, Special Blend, and Four Square trademarks. Look what he did with Special Blend/Four Square
www.specialblendusa.com and tell me you think this is any different. Love JJ, Mack Dawg, and PL, and I'll support them, but I don't trust this fuckstick from Oceanside as far as I can throw him. My thinking is at some point after he doesn't get his bankroll back or isn't making the cash he wants this shit ends up direct on Amazon like SB and 4Square. He has a history of it. As some have pointed out Forum has failed twice, is the third time a charm?
Hell when I was searching what trademarks he owns from buying them after they died it's 4 pages of some weird ass shit. Dudes just doing a cash grab. I want to think Jeremy and the gang are going to be revolutionary; but 10 years is a long time and a lot has changed in that time span. Look at the culture of snowboarding now and where it is and ask yourself if anyone over the age of 45 has really revolutionized snowboarding marketing to the point that it's been a game changer.
Check out Jeremy's Airtime Podcast at the 1 hour 5 minute mark:
Air Time Podcast | A Snowboard Podcast
They have no team, they have just enough cash to get boards from the Mothership, and they aren't doing nostalgic cash grab graphics. This is a huge uphill battle. Look at what brands are crushing the market right now and who is doing what. They're competing against Nideckers mega hold on the industry, K2/Ride's ability to make quality product, Capita owning their own factory and being revolutionary with pushing innovation, Mervin basically being the T.Rice/Austin Sweetin/ Phil Hansen/ Gnu team marketing and Natural Selection, and a zeitgeist that doesn't have Snowboarder and Transworld as gatekeepers. Slush isn't doing shit and who the hell knows what Snowboard Mag is doing. Method has there thing but it feels dated. Curator isn't doing a new issue. Torment concentrates on social causes and young bloods. No team = no one on check the feed regularly. I'll ride the boards if they want to send them to me, but my guess is they'll be open molded stuff that's either Capita, DC, maybe an old IPP and probably not anything new. I know I'll probably like the ride, but still.
They will have to keep it lean for about 3 seasons, they need to do something revolutionary and I'm not sure Caleb Flowers (rumor I heard he's doing the marketing) will be able to pull it off. Their loading online thing reminds me of old Seth Huot Volcom team movie marketing from 8 to 10 years ago. JP's chilling with Santa Cruz (still can't believe this is a snowboard brand) and the Forum second wave guys that build up That. Forum or Against Them are all having kids and riding out the twilight of their careers. Pat Moore isn't going to leave K2 and Andreas is off being super dad/male model/Norwegian power house. John Jackson is over on Sims which is yet another brand that is doing the nostalgic return and yet every shop I talk to says the same thing "boards are sick, teams sick, but everyone still associates it with being a pricepoint Sports Authority brand".
Ask yourself did Forum stand on its product or did it stand on its marketing and I'm not talking the last 3 years or so under Burton, because we know that shit was solid. Well except the Holy Moly, fuck that thing second worst board I've ever ridden. I can remember being in high school in the late 90's and hand flexing a Forum in the shop and the die cut just popped out. I watched one of the younger kids than me who was about all of 120lbs ollie a picnic table and do a tail slap and the damn thing just separated. He was on a 154 and had just bought it an hour earlier. Quality was not there strong suit. But my god did they have killer marketing. Who wore a visor beanie or had XXL pants because of these guys?
