The abundance and availability of online information often challenges contemporary print publications, such as newspapers and magazines. Indeed, the Internet allows any smartphone-holder to easily access news, celebrity gossip, sports updates, local arts and culture events, and newly-released scientific discoveries. Apart from actual verbal information, the Web displays a variety of colourful and visually stunning images, which makes it that much more useful. Yet there are people who continue to prize print media over electronic, or simply devote their time to both in relatively equal amounts. An estimated 81% of Canadians prefer print books over electronic ones; however, only about 34% buy a magazine at least once a month. While some people support the growing dominance of internet journalism, claiming that print publications are becoming outdated, others believe that engagement with a physical magazine is a much more rewarding experience than online reading.
Michael Brooke, founder and Editor-in-Chief of Toronto-based publication, Concrete Wave Magazine, is a firm believer in print publications as he has been publishing these carefully assembled journals since 1999. Concrete Wave is devoted to the art of skateboarding, featuring innovative longboard equipment, skateboard-themed artworks, and compelling stories from international skateboard enthusiasts. There are six issues released throughout the year, with annual subscriptions available. This shows how strongly Brooke advocates for print publications and believes that there is still a demand for this journalistic medium.
For Brooke, skateboarding is a truly inspiring and highly artistic experience. The beauty of skateboarding derives from a boarder’s journey without a precise destination. The magazine introduces a multitude of perspectives. For example, in this year’s fall issue skateboarder Mike “Smooth Chicken” McGown treats this activity as a dance form, claiming that, “In essence, we’re dancing with our board, or with the road, depending on how you look at it.” McGown points out that while skateboarders ride on different equipment and come from different places, they all share a common passion for this journey, “a spark that makes each of us smile.”
Brooke has also dedicated his time to the development of the Longboarding for Peace Movement, “A global movement of peace, balance, and justice powered by longboarders.” The fall 2015 issue featured an account by Edward David Hernandez, who noted the program’s beneficial effects on children after the Monterreal Longboard Fest event in Mexico. “The kids were excited about the visits,” he states, “mostly because they have never known people from outside the country.” The program is now effective in over a dozen countries including Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, Jamaica, Canada, and the United States. The Longboarding for Peace Movement further shows the power journalism can have in advocacy, which is a major tenet of journalism—bringing to light certain subjects in order to make the public socially aware of current issues.
While Brooke is quite pleased with the progress that Concrete Wave has made in the past 16 years, he is interested in the journal’s constant development. One of his current goals is to increase the recognition of female skateboarders, since this activity is often perceived as male-dominated. The cover of the summer issue this year featured a female boarder, something quite revolutionary for the skateboarders’ community. Brooke’s journey as a publisher calls our attention towards other independent magazines, and manifests the potential of the published medium even in an age of rapid electronic developments.
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