Growing footbag by being more like skateboarding

Iron Clad Ben · Post by **Iron Clad Ben** » 01 Dec 2010 17:06

Alright guys, I know there have been some discussions about this. But seriously, it's time to face reality and acknowledge the facts. If we want to get the recognition we deserve and popularize our awesome sport, we need to get our act together. We need to be more like skateboarding. Did you see that video with Honza, Clavens and The Silencer? It's our ticket to cool.

Here are some things we need to start doing:

1) Grinds. We've got to figure out a way to get this into footbag guys. We've got some smart, creative people in this sport I know we can come up with something. Even if this means sliding down the banister with a bag on your shoe. Face it: People love GRINDS. BMX, snowboarding, and inline have all copied it from skateboarding and are all way bigger than footbag. Heck, even Tom Mosher brought it to fixed-gear biking and FIXIES ARE HUGE now. We need GRINDS, guys. Somehow, someway, we need them.

2) Injuries sections at the end of videos, but COOLER injuries. I'm serious. Have you ever watched a skate video and they have all the bails at the end? Guys cut up their hands or fracture their legs in cool/dangerous ways and go to the hospital and get stitches. It's rad, it's impressive and it's gutsy.

Conversely, if you go over and look at the Health & Injuries section on modified it's freakin' pathetic. 95% of the posts are about pussy ass injuries like shin splints, twisted ankles and knee pain. I seriously want to just go in and reply in ALL CAPS: HEY RUB SOME VAGISIL ON IT AND QUIT CRYING!!

We need some gnarly injuries guys and it's getting to the point where someone's going to have to take one for the team. I'm all about bringing a baseball bat to the next jam and just randomly taking out the first person who calls 'the' on a barfly. Or, maybe at Vegas Jam we can get Jeff Overbo to just punch someone in the face really hard. Guys like Zeb Jackson and Eric Chang have the video editing skills to make it look like it happened through footbag.

3) Graffiti. We need more of it. That Tina video was awesome, remember? If you want to get street cred you've got to be filming your video in rundown urban areas with lots of graffiti. Like that Canadian video in an abandoned warehouse a few years back, that was COOL. If I see another video filmed in a garage or someone's parent's basement (cuz it's so coooold in Canada/Rochester/where-ever waaahh cry me a river) I am going to just chug 5 gallons of water and jump in a Finnish sauna with Jay and Anz. You guys are seriously lame.

4) Chicks. And I don't mean chicks who play footbag necessarily. I just mean we seriously need to get some more chicks. Preferably hot ones. In videos. Do I need to explain this any more?

5) Cooler clothes. As if you didn't notice. I was happy when Fourkast said they would do a clothing line but was thoroughly disappointed when it was the same fruity short-shorts that everyone is already wearing. LAME, guys. Is it any wonder #4 is a problem? We need denim, tattoos and piercings like skateboarding. Time to give your Umbros to Goodwill, they stopped being cool in like 1994.

6) MAYHEM. We've got to start breaking A LOT more shit guys. In skate videos they destroy stuff all the time. Like check out this one with a giant explosion:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZvvHx1d1wc[/youtube]

It's SHRED guys. Do a PS Whirl on some wooden boxes or just go apeshit with a sledgehammer somewhere, I don't care. But we gotta be more destructive to show that we're badasses. If I see anyone ever mention anything about carbon offsets for traveling overseas to worlds next year I will seriously punch a hole through my monitor and throw it out the window. Then I'll do a mobius and catch it all on tape.

7) Punk Rock & Heavy Metal music some of you listen to some seriously fru-fru ass music like Death Cab for Cutie. That needs to stop showing up in videos. If it has a piano, more than a few chord progressions or whines about some chick that doesn't love you back it's time to switch to the poetry club or get the hell out of footbag. We need in-your-face music guys. Jorden and a few other people get this. The rest of you need to get on board.

What do you think? Who's in?

cd · Post by cd » 01 Dec 2010 19:50

lol

8.) We should put wheels on our shoes

edit: I do agree there aren't enough explosions in footbag.

thatoneguy402 · Post by **thatoneguy402** » 02 Dec 2010 01:27

[Mod Edit: No multiple accounts. -Moxie]

WyrmFyre · Post by **WyrmFyre** » 02 Dec 2010 01:46

thatoneguy402 wrote:do you think this is a joke chris?

I think the OP is a little tongue in cheek, but its a great post full of great ideas.

Clothes especially. Id like to see more hoodies and combat trousers in videos. I cant recall the vid but theres a great one of Vasek beatboxing and shredding in a hooded jacket. It looks awesome. It looks "street". All of y'all have got great legs, but yes, lets see a little more creativity in the wardrobe department.

Graffiti, yes. Bleak urban environments, yes. Theres not a lot like that around my area but ill certainly try to find some. In fact, ill make it my new years resolution to not put a single piece of footage on youtube that was shot within the confines of my own house.

Wheels on our shoes? Hmmm....

Im off to mod a pair of Heelys.

PoisonTaffy · Post by **PoisonTaffy** » 02 Dec 2010 03:13

Stitchers should definitely incorporate more skulls into their work somehow.

Corey · Post by **Corey** » 02 Dec 2010 03:17

Grinds? Really?! 1,2,6, and 7 are the dumbest ideas ever.

WyrmFyre · Post by **WyrmFyre** » 02 Dec 2010 03:46

Take "Grinds" literally and it might not seem such a good idea, but turn it into "using the environment around you" and its plausible

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNpHoOLYUwY[/youtube]

Anz · Post by **Anz** » 02 Dec 2010 05:04

It's hard to tell if you really were serious with all that, but the stereotypes I have of Texas just got stronger.

h0ag3yb3atZ · Post by **h0ag3yb3atZ** » 02 Dec 2010 05:34

footbag has seriously been over looked for too long and this is a great idea.

footbag sucks. I'm about to break stuff.

Iron Clad Ben · Post by **Iron Clad Ben** » 02 Dec 2010 06:31

Footbagger007 wrote: Grinds? Really?! 1,2,6, and 7 are the dumbest ideas ever.

Dude, the next tournament we're both at I'll have my Louisville Slugger. Sometimes my flip eggbeaters are a little thin. Just watch out, you could be starring in a #2 section of a video...

Elliott · Post by **Elliott** » 02 Dec 2010 10:14

if you want the general population to think footbag is cool, i'm afraid you're gonna need a time machine my friend.

DimitriFrazao · Post by **DimitriFrazao** » 02 Dec 2010 14:37

Exploding lavers on wheels......... maybe?

CKY/Jackass version of footbag............NOoo...

Hot European chicks drinking beer n mud wrestling.........YES!

Corey · Post by **Corey** » 02 Dec 2010 17:02

Ok. Right after I make a video of me sliding down rails with a bag in clipper position with hot girls, death metal, jeans, and graffiti in the background. Then the finale will be me getting bloody noses trying blazing nuclear zulu. If I am really feeling it maybe Ill try ps whirl down stairs and break an ankle or something. Sound good? Oh and then Ill slash some tires and break some windows.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 02 Dec 2010 19:37

Anz wrote:It's hard to tell if you really were serious with all that, but the stereotypes I have of Texas just got stronger.

Fade2black · Post by **Fade2black** » 02 Dec 2010 20:17

I dont think we need to twist footbag into something else to make people think its cool.

The best we can do is expose it to as many people as possible, and pull out the people who appreciate it as much as we do from the masses who dont.

Asmus · Post by **Asmus** » 03 Dec 2010 01:02

We also need fights! Fights with security guards and random people on the street.

PoisonTaffy · Post by **PoisonTaffy** » 03 Dec 2010 04:58

Yes. Forum fights don't count

C-Fan · Post by **C-Fan** » 03 Dec 2010 08:49

I laughed so hard. Thanks for that Ben. This makes me want to see video of your standup.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 03 Dec 2010 12:18

Asmus wrote:We also need fights! Fights with security guards and random people on the street.

Hell yes. You seriously need to come to Chicago sometime.

habitat · Post by **habitat** » 03 Dec 2010 14:58

Hall of Fame!

Anz wrote:It's hard to tell if you really were serious with all that, but the stereotypes I have of Texas just got stronger.

Douche. You're just mad because you were thinking of actually using these ideas, god damn euroPEEIN elitist.