San Clemente-based GrindMedia LLC will shut down the regular print edition of its Skateboarder Magazine after nearly 50 years and shift to a free digital publication.
Skateboarder also plans to issue special editions six times a year—about the same frequency its print edition had been.
The special editions are billed as collectibles and will be available only at skateboarding retailers. They will feature a new horizontal format similar to an iPad screen and be published on the same schedule as the digital edition.
Skateboarder Publisher Jamey Stone said the move to digital as a main method of distribution follows a 186% increase in traffic to the publication’s website since 2011, when it drew more than 57,630 monthly visitors.
“More Accessible”
“It’s about being more accessible and knowing where our viewers are,” Stone said. “Youth of today is Internet driven. There are 25 million skateboarders worldwide. We want to be where they are.”
Skateboarder had a circulation of 57,000 for its print edition, with 29,000 paid subscribers.
The decision to shift to digital comes as many publications are charging readers for access to their websites after years of making content available for free. Daily newspapers, including the Orange County Register, have recently latched onto the trend of so-called paywalls as a way to boost circulation revenue amid steady declines of subscribers and ad revenue for print editions.
Skateboarder is out to turn a different trick.
“Our potential is way larger this way,” Stone said. “To give away 29,000 (subscriptions) is nothing compared to what we’ll gain by giving the content free on the Web. For us, it’s about reach and sharing the world of skateboarding globally. We don’t want to limit that by asking them to pay.”
Advertisers
The publication is making the move with advertisers in mind.
“This fits into their overall brand mix,” Stone said. “They’ll be able to make a deeper, richer connection to their audience.”
The magazine discussed the shift to digital with key advertisers, including Orange County-based surfwear brands Volcom and Vans.
“We are very excited with Skateboarder’s plans to launch a new digital version of the magazine,” said Steve Stratton, director of skateboarding at Volcom of Costa Mesa, which is owned by Paris-based PPR SA. “This will allow them to take their unique content to a much broader global audience with no subscriber cost to the viewer.”
Some of Skateboarder’s competitors—a field that includes San Francisco-based Thrasher and Transworld Skateboarding in Carlsbad, among others—already feature digital editions.
The technology behind Skateboarder’s digital edition will stand out, Stone said, with an iPad/iPhone application that will allow readers to access embedded videos and interactive flip books. “Buy now” links will connect the consumer directly to online retailers, enabling instant purchases, while interactive social media feeds will provide real-time updates.
The move is a bid to build on the publication’s heritage with a new generation of readers, Stone said.
“We were the first to bring skateboarding to media, and we are the first to introduce the new platform,” he said, referring to the application.
“Excited”
The magazine has a rich history of showcasing some of the most iconic skaters, tricks and locations that have defined skateboarding, according to Editor Jaime Owens. The magazine’s staff is “excited about continuing that experience for our readers in this new digital format,” he said. “We live and breathe skateboarding—nothing’s changed there. It’s all about looking forward while never forgetting our past.”
Skateboarder is one of several magazines owned by GrindMedia, which has various titles and television programming, such as Surfer, Surfing, Snowboarder, Powder, Bike, Canoe & Kayak, SUP-Standup Paddler, Dirt Rider, ATV Rider and Paved.
GrindMedia is a unit of Bonita Springs, Fla.-based Source Interlink Cos., which counts about $1.1 billion in revenue from marketing and publishing operations. GrindMedia’s other magazines include various enthusiast titles in the automotive, lifestyle and consumer electronics segments, among others.
