Your Questions Answered

American Demographics, Oct 1, 2002 by John Fetto

Byline: JOHN FETTO

SKATE OR DIE, DUDE

To the Editors of American Demographics:

Do you have some demographic and psychographic information on kids who skateboard? Ann Rogers WVEU-TV New Orleans, La.

Dear Ann:

There's so much to tell you about skateboarders, I'm not quite sure where to begin. Let's start with the basics: According to market research firm American Sports Data, Inc. (ASD), there are 12.5 million skateboarders today, up an astounding 60 percent from 1999, when there were a mere 7.8 million of them on the nation's sidewalks and streets. It's no surprise that skateboarders are predominantly young and predominantly male. According to ASD, 85 percent of those who have used a skateboard in the past year are under age 18, of those, 74 percent are boys.

For the sake of simplicity, we'll conduct our psychographic analysis on skateboarders who are 12- to 17-years-old and use data from Simmons Market Research Bureau's latest in-depth survey of 3,237 teens conducted from April 2000 to May 2001. Because there are often distinct psychological differences between casual skateboarders and die-hard board-heads, we will also differentiate between the 15 percent of teens who said they skateboard once in a while or sometimes and the 8 percent who said they skate every chance they get.

At first glance, skateboarders seem to fall in line with what is deemed stereotypical of the skateboarding culture. According to Simmons, avid skateboarders (those who say they skate every chance they get) are significantly less likely than their peers to agree with the statement "I get along with my parents." While 74 percent of non-skating kids ages 12 to 17 and 70 percent of casual skaters of the same age say they get along with their parents, only 62 percent of avid teen skateboarders say the same. Perhaps that's because many skaters (69 percent of avid skaters and 56 percent of occasional board riders) say their ideas are "very different" from those of their parents; 45 percent of non-skateboarding teens feel their ideas are similarly divergent.

But individualistic thinking doesn't necessarily translate into a slacker attitude so commonly assumed to be held by skateboarding teens. According to Simmons, teens who skate are just as likely as those who don't to say "it's important to work hard at school" and that they "enjoy going to school." They're also generally on par with other teens when it comes to seeking higher education: 86 percent of casual skaters and 83 percent of avid board-heads say they would like to go to college, compared with 86 percent of non-skaters who say the same.

Whatever you do, don't call skaters conformists. The survey suggests that many of today's trendsetters and early adopters may have been board-heads in their youth. Simmons reports that avid skaters are 32 percent more likely than the average teen to say they are always the first to try new things and 58 percent more likely to consider themselves experts in new technology.

Indeed, skaters - casual and avid alike - are more likely than other teens to own a MiniDisc player, a Digital Compact Cassette player, a digital audio tape player and a pager or beeper. Furthermore, 52 percent of avid skaters say they are very stylish and 31 percent say they like to stand out in a crowd, compared with 45 percent and 24 percent, respectively, of all teens.

And just where do skaters turn for the latest standout fashions? Specialty stores - not the mall - are the hippest places to find skater garb. According to Board-Trac, a Trabuco Canyon, Calif.-based research firm specializing in marketing to young people who participate in board sports, 59 percent of skaters say they go to specialty stores when shopping for clothing, shoes and accessories, compared with 5 percent of all teens. Still, business at such stores must be good. Board-Trac reports that the typical teenage male avid skater spends about $95 a month on clothes, and the teen female avid skater spends even more: $109. Even on the halfpipe, women outspend the fellas.

AND THE WINNER IS...

To the Editors of American Demographics:

Can you help me find a list of the top televised events in the United States every year - events such as the Superbowl, Oscars, Grammys, etc.? Jenny Ferguson Overland Park, Kan.

Dear Jenny:

If you looked at only the top five broadcast television events of last year, you would find that four of them were sporting events, be it the Super Bowl or a World Series game or a playoff match. Only the Academy Awards would earn a spot in the exclusive top five. So, to paint a more interesting picture of the top televised events, we decided to show you the leading events in each of five categories (see chart above): beauty pageants; music awards; awards for television, stage and screen; ethnic awards and, of course, sporting events.

HOW TO REACH US: Fax: (917) 981-2927 E-mail: jfetto@mediacentral.com Address: 470 Park Avenue South, 8th Floor North, New York, NY 10016

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