Growing up, there were only two options when it came to skateboarding: hopefully, you had the kind of parents with the extra money to drop on high-quality boards. If you didn't, you were likely forced to deal with the store-brand boards...which just aren't the same.
So, why do companies sell such low-quality boards? Well, it's simple: the price. A good starting price for a full board set is roughly $150 - Walmart, on the other hand, only charges about $30 for its boards - you get what you pay for, so to speak.
Then again, without proper testing, who can say that Walmart's boards aren't worth the money? Well, Chris Joslin - a pro skater - took a few out for a test run. Spoiler: it didn't go well.
Even for just $30, most people would assume the board works. Surprisingly enough, that's just not the case: the wheels barely spin, the whole thing is astoundingly fragile, and after just a few jumps, the entire board starts to fall apart.
Again, it doesn't exactly seem safe: sure, kids probably aren't going to start with such a big drop, but if the board can't even survive the impact, is it really worth selling them?
And, for those of you questioning Chris Joslin's skill, take a look at this:
In the first video, Joslin was having trouble getting off the ground. In the second, he's doing things with a board that most people wouldn't think possible. Clearly, it's not the skater - it's the board.
