Throwback Thursday: Scion x Baker Skateboards: Drift x Skate Collab
There was a time when my worlds collided and I never knew, until now.
There was a period of time where I was more comfortable pushing a skateboard than walking. Skating has been, and will always be a big passion of mine, even if I will always be terrible at it. Similarly, I’m a car-crazed fool. I own too many, and spend way too much money on them. Hopeless, I know.
Scion’s branding and advertising strategy was always a lifestyle pitch. See how Scion plays into the lives of young, active people. This ad, dated from January 2016, is one I have never seen before. Featuring Baker Skateboards, and its team of pro skaters, this ad shows the crew using Scions as part of a weekend road trip.
First stop: Buttonwillow Raceway Park, my home track. I have run a lot of laps around BRP, and it happens to be one of my favorite tracks in California. The ad features Ken Gushi, who at the time was racing with Scion in Formula D, drifting an FR-S RS 1.0 around the track. At the same time, the Baker boys manage to find stuff to skate at Buttonwillow.
From there, a road trip to San Francisco, 250 miles away, in the Scion iM hatchback. The practical hatch is the perfect road-tripper to pack all the homies in and hit the pavement. After the drive up North, the Baker team proceeds to throw down at a number of street spots and skate parks. How do they wrap it up? a 380 mile trip back to Baker HQ in Los Angeles in the Scion iM, naturally.
