The skate industry has been facing unprecedented challenges since the start of the pandemic. If you’ve visited a skate shop recently, you might have noticed the shelves are often bare, with boards, trucks, wheels, and bearings frequently out of stock. This isn’t just a local problem; it’s a global issue affecting the entire supply chain, from manufacturers to retailers. The increased demand for skate hardgoods, coupled with pandemic-related disruptions, has created a perfect storm, leaving skaters and shops scrambling for gear.
The Initial Impact of COVID-19 on Skate Manufacturing
The pandemic’s impact on skate hardgoods began when COVID-19 hit Tijuana in April 2020. Grant Burns, owner of BBS Manufacturing, contracted the virus, leading to immediate concerns among his staff. Baja California had already declared that employees with pre-existing conditions should be allowed paid time off, and Burns gave the same option to the rest of his employees. While most of his staff chose to continue working, the government soon ordered the shop and other non-essential businesses to close, leaving skate brands that relied on BBS without a manufacturer and the supply of decks dwindled across the skate ecosystem.
When BBS reopened in May 2020, it implemented strict safety protocols including doubling the number of buses to transport workers to limit capacity, adding a disinfectant tunnel, and doubling its workforce by hiring more doctors and nurses. Before the shutdown, BBS pressed an average of 7,000 decks a day. Now, they’re averaging 10,000 decks daily, double what they were producing four years ago. Despite this increased output, demand continues to outpace production. “Since we’ve been back up and running,” Burns noted, “we’ve never produced as many boards as we’re producing now, and our customers have never shipped as many boards as they are right now.”
BBS Manufacturing factory interior
BBS is not alone in this struggle. While many skateboard parts factories were caught off guard by the pandemic, most have resumed operations and are working to catch up. However, the inconsistencies in stock remain noticeable, with some shops struggling to keep even essential items like trucks and wheels available for sale.
Navigating the Hardgoods Drought: Strategies and Challenges
The hardgoods shortage led some skate shops to adopt unconventional tactics to stay afloat. Kasper Bejoian, owner of Tenant skate shop in Brooklyn, resorted to buying gear directly from sponsored skaters. He stated, “I was literally buying product off my sponsored friends, for a good deal.” This method, while helpful, was not sufficient to meet the rapidly growing demand fueled by the skate boom in the spring. Shops were selling out of completes faster than ever, and many were unable to fulfill customer requests for full setups due to lacking one or two crucial parts.
Tenant skate shop display with skateboards
The distribution channels also faced challenges. Tenant, for example, didn’t have a direct account with Deluxe Distribution, which meant they had to rely on the gray market or third-party distributors to acquire brands like Spitfire, Thunder, and Venture. Third-party distributors like Eastern Skate Supply, who typically streamline the ordering process, had to limit orders to manage inventory fairly among their network of shops. “You can’t please everybody—we learned that a long time ago—but we’re doing our best to please as many customers as we can,” said Eastern’s president, Reggie Barnes. Eastern also stopped accepting new accounts and focused on coordinating sales with existing shops to distribute inventory fairly.
The Global Supply Chain and Manufacturing Hurdles
The situation is similar at NHS, home of brands such as Independent, OJ, and Santa Cruz. They’ve been dealing with a constant rotation of products selling out, from decks to bearings, trucks, and wheels. Many factories are located in China, where manufacturing was initially disrupted in early 2020 and further impacted as the pandemic spread to North America. COVID-19 safety protocols have also reduced production capacity. “I’ve gone down to our warehouse and seen not a box of Indys,” said Jeff Kendall from NHS. “I’ve never seen that before.”
Empty shelves in a skate shop
However, manufacturers in North America were able to scale up production faster. Bones Wheels, located in Central California, managed to proceed with their scheduled factory relocation during the lockdown and quickly ramped up their production. “We were manufacturing it, we were shipping it out,” explained Rob Washburn, brand manager at Bones. “We had that luxury because we’re here in the USA.”
Signs of Recovery and a Look Ahead
After struggling through the spring and summer, some skate shops are starting to see a more stable supply. FTC Skateshop in San Francisco is comfortably stocked according to manager Chris Gurinsky. The decrease in tourism has also eased some of the demand. Surprisingly, despite the challenges, many shops reported a profitable year. “Straight up, even with the drought, we’re probably making more money than ever,” said Gurinsky.
The industry as a whole seems to be experiencing a similar trend. “It’s a drag that no manufacturer can really supply the demand right now,” Jeff Kendall said. “But the upside is that we’re all selling quite a bit more than we did last year at this time. Our production facilities are producing quite a bit more. It just caught everyone off guard. I hate the phrase ‘perfect storm’, but that’s what it was.” NHS estimates that it will be able to meet demand fully between April and June of 2021.
A skater riding a longboard
While the skate hardgoods shortage has been a challenging period for the industry, it has also highlighted the resilience and adaptability of skaters and shops. Despite the disruptions, the industry is seeing strong sales and increased production, suggesting that the situation will improve.
The demand for skate hardgoods continues to remain strong, but manufacturers are working hard to meet it. While some product shortages may still persist, the future looks promising for both skaters and the industry as a whole.
