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Brick Harbor, a digital home for the skateboarding industry, was launched on Tuesday with clear intent to carve out a niche in both e-comerce and taste-making culture commentary. Brick Harbor is just the next round of action sports infiltration of the social media and digital content realm. Leading the charge is Red Bull Media House which was founded as an advertising arm, but has grown into a profitable business that rivals the company's beverage sales.

While Red Bull's media efforts have spread across all action sports, from snowboarding to surfing to stock car racing, Brick Harbor is a hub for an all-fronts social media campaign for skateboarding in particular. The Web site is designed to integrate seamlessly with Facebook (News - Alert), Twitter and Instagram, with Pinterest support coming soon.

Brick Harbor firmly believes in the power of social media for grass-roots marketing. Backed by KarmaLoop.com, an established urban fashion site, Brick Harbor ought to have some fashion and design chops that many of its competitors lack.

Brick Harbor should notice it is stepping into a space with quite a few existing competitors. In addition to Red Bull Media House, YouTube (News - Alert) recently announced an Action Sports Channel in partnership with Tony Hawk, the man who turned skateboarding into a mainstream sport. The upstarts all share similar goals and ought to coordinate to cross pollinate their audiences for the greatest impact.

It seems as though Brick Harbor is leaning most heavily on its e-commerce arm for revenue, though sponsored reviews and advertising is likely part of the equation as well. The skate enthusiast boasts a diverse line of products and co-brands, including shoes, boards and apparel from manufacturers like Adidas and Vans.