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See the first they roll around and their bills they cannot pay / So some be trappin', some be dyin', bow our heads and let us pray / Amen

Sep 09, 2025

The name of the game is Skateboard Apparel Manufacturers this week on The War Report, including skater-owned footwear, pants, and hoodies for you Small Business Loving Asses. Blondey bunted his way into Soldier of the Week, and Mike McDaniel should be fired for dressing like an asshole and coaching even worse.

TUESDAY MEANS WAR

TACTICAL UPDATES

UPPER UNIFORM

Reversible Flannel Hoodie by Yardsale

Yardsale has been putting out great skate videos, sponsoring Elite Style Soldiers, and producing top class garms for over a decade. They mix their London roots with heavy 80s LA vibrations to bring something truly unique to the boring skateboarding marketplace. Another win for the dreaded Globalism, Yardsale may have been relegated to only Real London Soldiers if not for modern advancements in technology (i.e. social media). The apparel has always stood out from the pack, thanks largely to this LondonLosAngelesWavy80sHeatTypeBeat they carry deep within them. Pants are always fitting perfectly and they’re paired with grungy and grimy tops, like this reversible flannel hoodie that looks straight out of the pit at a London Nirvana show. It’s also another win for Team Zip Hoodie, a garm as Utilitarian as it is Stylish. Once again showing an eye for things most people don’t yet know, the rest of our Comrades will catch on to Yardsale soon.

LOWER UNIFORM

Straight Denim Pants by Dime

The Great Trouser Tightening of The Mid Twenty Twenties is officially upon us. Dime, purveyors of some of the finest quality bottoms in the entire world, has unleashed Straight Denim to the fight. If there was ever a sign of where things are headed, this is it. No, it’s not time to pack up your JNCOs and Big Boys (actually, you should’ve packed up your Big Boys a couple years ago…) just yet. But it is a clear sign that pants, just like wallets, are slimming in the back half of The Covid Decade. Dime has long been one of The War Report’s Top Clothiers, consistently producing high-quality garms at fair prices along with delivering a fucking Feeling to the people. Their clothing designs are so cracking because the people designing them care about making great shit and having a good time. TWR Canadian Correspondent Nick Ploeg gave us the intel on these straight from the (potato) field - they’re Nice! If you know many of our Northern Brethren, this is about as high as the praise can get. We’ve worn many different styles of Dime pants to battle and have never been let down, so these get the TWR backing just like all the rest. Knowers know.

FOOTWEAR

KSL 3 by Emerica

We say this type of hyperbolic Shit a lot, but Kevin ‘Spanky’ Long might be the actual blueprint for a Real Soldier of The War Effort. Sure, he dresses really well and has great style and taste and he’s an ultra-skilled skateboarder with a full understanding of the bond between his board and his body. But what really makes Kevin Long so fucking Real is that he has lived life’s ups and downs in the public eye and emerged on the otherside with a clear vision for his life. And he is making the most of every opportunity he’s afforded thanks to the perspective he’s gained through the years - REAL SOLDIER SHIT! His recent appearance on The Mostly Skateboarding Podcast was a lesson in Soldier 101: he’s humble, self-aware, confident, creative, and really fucking Tasteful. TWR has not paid attention to Emerica since the Reynolds 3, but we’ve been curious about the KSL 3 since photos first started coming out. It certainly connects to Spanky’s long lineage in green, but feels a bit fresher from everything else. Sure enough, he mentioned on the pod that he intentionally wanted to set this shoe apart from the rest of the Emerica lineup. He also took inspiration from a true street classic, the Reebok Club C, which explains why it hit so hard when we first saw it. Mix in a collab with Peter Sutherland and lots of footage to come, is Spanky dragging Emerica all the way Back?

FIELD NOTES

SOLDIER OF THE WEEK

Blondey McCoy

We’ve reported our support for Blondey in the past, so this should come as no surprise. Still, even we were surprised to be welcomed back to The Bunt, expecting to hear a few witticisms and anecdotes from the man behind Thames, only to be treated to an unfiltered Dressing Down of skateboard industry BullShit and Tomfoolery. We’ve long wondered where things went south with Palace, and Blondey delivered the story (and more!) as if we were all down the pub together. This was Blondey being Blondey, unafraid to do or say what he believes and standing firmly behind it all. He was self-aware, vulnerable, and just the right side of the confident/arrogant line. The skate-focused era of Thames, building on a solid foundation of Interesting Garms and Accessories, will definitely be exciting to watch. Extra shout out to The Bunt boys for always bringing us The Real Shit!

ENEMY OF THE WEEK

Mike McDaniel

It was a tough call this week between two candidates for EOTW. First was Mike McDaniel, stepping onto the Miami Dolphins sideline looking about as Miami as it gets - white tights under grey joggers (both pulled up as highwaters) paired white AF1s and no-show socks. On the other hand, we considered Complex for describing McDaniel’s atrocious outfit as “swagged out,” presumably because the AF1s aren’t just run of the mill Foot Locker jawns, they’re Louis Vuitton. Ultimately we had to go with McDaniel for waking up in the morning, putting that shit on, and stepping out in front of millions of people looking like 40-year-old frat pledge. Perhaps The Universe did it’s job by delivering him a 33-8 beatdown while wearing that get up.

You’re now up to speed on the latest from the battlefield. Use this intel wisely and pass it on to others who may need our guidance. We can’t win the war unless we’re in it together.