On Wednesday, with Nike 6.0, Nike became the newest company to create a branded community on the action-sports network Loop'd, joining the likes of Oakley and PacSun. In the Nike 6.0 community, members can set up profiles, share photos and videos, compete for sponsorship and interact with other users. Additionally, Nike 6.0 has launched a mash-up campaign; members can mix 'n match favorite videos, photos and Nike content to share on their Loop'd profiles as well as other social network sites like MySpace and Facebook. Sounds cool. But Nike's relationship with the BMX/surfing/boarding set hasn't always been that way.

Nike’s entrance into extreme sports has always been met with some resistance. In March 2002, almost twenty years after skateboarding companies began emerging commercially, Nike finally launched a line of skateboarding products. After failing four times to gain cred in this market, Nike succeeded in 2007 with Nike SB, its skateboarding division. It manipulated the demand for shoes by limiting production (which allowed retail outlets to jack up prices) and it signed multiple well-known skateboarders.

However, critics contend that this increased demand came from "sneakerheads" (who, yes, have stuck around since the ‘80s). As usual, the critics have a lot to say. They question Nike’s motives for its interest in extreme sports. Shortly after Nike SB arrived on the scene, Consolidated Skateboards started the "Don’t Do It Army" campaign, claiming that Nike was only "cashing in" on the movement’s rising popularity.

But the Nike army, a formidable force in its own right, pressed on.

Extreme sports are undeniably married to punk counterculture. Recognizing this, Nike produced a flyer for its 2005 East Coast demo tour, which was later criticized by Ian MacKaye (owner of independent punk label Dischord Records, guitarist and vocalist for Fugazi and The Evens, and frontman of Minor Threat). He admonished the flyers for appropriating imagery and text from Minor Threat’s self-titled album. Exactly three years ago today, Nike SB issued an apology online. Nike defended itself by claiming that the flyers had been created by skateboarders and fans out of appreciation for the band. Who knows the truth? The dispute was settled out of court and its details never fully disclosed.

The DIY ethic is central to this movement, which resisted commercialization and appropriation from the beginning.

But is it realistic to expect this community to eschew the corporate world forever? Or can Nike claim new, remodeled authority and authenticity? On Loop’d, Nike provides a platform for emerging athletes and extreme-sports fans to connect, create, re-create and share—aiding enthusiasts as they do it themselves. Again, the relationship is symbiotic: by helping this community of athletes, Nike gains more authority to attach its brand. I know Nike is more hip-hop than punk-rock, but it’s not an either-or situation. So, what’s the harm in branching out?