Culture
Culture plays a massive role in shaping who we become and what we believe we can achieve. When I talk about culture, I don’t mean society at large, but rather the environment you surround yourself with and the things you choose to immerse yourself in. These influences often have a far greater impact on who you become and how you move through life than the country or society you were born into.
This might sound self-proclaimed, but I’ve always seen myself as someone who sits on the outskirts of what might be considered regular society, especially here in the UK. A lot of that comes from growing up riding bikes. Mid-90s BMX was a tiny scene, very much the discarded remains of what had once been a booming 80s phenomenon. It was by no means popular, so if you were doing it, you were doing it because you were obsessed not because it was the cool thing to do.
What it lacked in popularity was more than made up for by an overwhelming sense of DIY mentality. There were hardly any skateparks to ride, good bike parts were hard to come by, especially for a 13-year-old with no money, and if you were looking for encouragement from anyone outside the world of BMX, you could forget it. But as I type this now, framing it as some kind of hardship, it barely even registers. It wasn’t a thought back then. I’d spend hours with the kid who lived a street over, trying to get our bikes working so we could make it to the skatepark, using shitty tools and mismatched parts just to get rolling. Butter was naively used in place of grease on more than one occasion.
Creativity was another thing that oozed out of this early bike culture. People had small T-shirt brands, made zines, filmed on camcorders, and shot photos. Most of it was pretty rough, but it was the creative determination and willingness to try that made it so cool. None of the people doing this had been to college or had mentors who came before them; they were simply inspired by the bike culture around them and felt empowered to have a go at creating something themselves.
Although I’m not really talking about societal culture in general, I will say that the UK doesn’t exactly promote a “can-do” attitude. You only have to look at the bike space we exist in, how many independent brands do you see here compared to the U.S.? It’s not that people here aren’t creative or full of good ideas; culturally, we just don’t always encourage people to try something outside the average path. Don’t get me wrong, I love the UK, and I’m proud to be British, but having grown up here and spent a decent chunk of time in the U.S., it’s clear there isn’t the same level of support or enthusiasm for chasing a personal dream.
Rune is built and operates from an influence and culture I will always be grateful for. It has inspired creativity in me and given me the drive to follow my passion, no matter the hurdles that arise. It’s born from a culture of self-belief and DIY mentality, something we strive to share with anyone who is looking for the same kind of challenge and inspiration to sink their teeth into.