Michael Schwab (son of investment firm founder Charles Schwab) and managing director (and only partner) of Big Sky Partners says he began investing in what he loves at the age of 36, according to an essay posted on CSQ.com. He calls it “adventure capitalism.”
So far his adventure capital investments have included a couple surf resorts, Kelly Slater Wave Co., Travis Rice’sNatural Selection Tour, and Meriwether Companies, the company that is planning a “wellness resort community” around Kelly’s La Quinta, California wave pool called Coral Mountain. This is his explanation:
The shift to investing in sports-related startups is unique because not a lot of large funds have touched it to date. It’s been kind of a fringe idea that has been looked at as dangerous or unapproachable, and I want to make it more mainstream. If you asked most people if they are into action/adventure sports, they would say no. I want to change that. I call what I am doing adventure capitalism. But, like any business, the risk is failure and loss of capital. I am investing alongside friends and family, and we are all passionate about the work and believe in the future of surfing, wellness, and adventure sports.
People who invest using other people’s money always seem to figure out a way to come out ahead on the deal, but seriously, we can’t imagine any of these “investments” returning much more than a few good, fake waves and some heli time. Then again, if Charles Schwab is your dad what kind of return on “adventure” investing do you really need?
Just a little reminder: don’t let the demise of corporate action sporting magazines get you down. A quality snowboard print magazine still exists. It’s hand-crafted (or at least published) in the heart of Bellingham, Washington under the long, morning shadow of Mt. Baker. That’s right, it’s The Snowboarder’s Journal. And volume 18, number 2 is shipping right now.
The new issue features an interview with Austin Smith, a profile of Kennedi Deck, a Stephan Jende gallery, plus Wyoming, Newfoundland, and much more. to subscribe and, while you’re there, gift a subscription to someone you love.
On Saturday, November 14, 2020 a solid crew of surf world dignitaries, friends, and family gathered at Agate Street in Laguna Beach, California to celebrate the life of Gotcha co-founder and creative genius Michael Tomson. Tomson, who died from throat cancer on October 8, 2020, will be remembered for his hard charging, no apologies, grip on life in general and surfing style in particular. For more images of the paddle out from photographer Jack English, please click the link.
Jake Burton Carpenter’s final personal project was called Mine 77. With it he reportedly got to build, design, and create products for himself without thinking about the market, or Burton’s customers, or anything else that gets in the way of personal creativity. At least that’s the brand story.
Burton just dropped the latest collection (in commemoration of Jake) and it includes this rocket Gore-Tex 11-Pocket Coverall. Here’s what Timi Carpenter says about it:
We pulled out all the stops – Gore-Tex fabric, strategic durability patches, and a long list of features. Every detail has a purpose — that was always a big thing with my dad. He also loved pockets and this one has a shitload of them. 11 to be exact including one that’s insulated to protect you phone. Some pockets have magnetic closures for easy access while others are zipped for locking down your valuables.
Pull this on over a base layer and you’re good to go for all day powder blasting. No snow down the butt, no belly gap. Just all over function, warmth, and steez. Click the link to buy one before they’re gone (smalls and mediums are already sold out).
USA Skateboarding has hired Miki Vuckovich as director of development and Andrew Nicolaus as men’s team manager. Good people for skateboarding’s Olympic push. Josh Friedberg, USA Skateboarding’s CEO agrees.
“I cannot think of a better person to fill the Director of Development role. Miki’s love for skateboarding and experience in the industry are perfect to help us further support the culture that brought skateboarding to the Olympic Games,” Friedberg said. “We had a ton of highly-qualified applicants for the Men’s Team Manager position. Andrew’s passion for helping skateboarders perform at the highest level put him over the top. I’m incredibly excited to wrap up this challenging year with these two amazing additions to our team.”
For all the details on both skaters and what they’ll be adding to USA Skateboarding, please follow the jump.
It’s actually a “duo solo” show for former snowboarder and Gucci Ghoster Trevor Andrew and Britain’s Phillip Colbert at Modern Art Museum Shanghai. Titled Neo Golden Age the show features a whole mess of bright colors, huge sculptures, large paintings, and installations of all kinds, according to a story on The Up Coming.
Neo Golden Age will be the pair’s largest solo show to date as they return to Shanghai. Utilising a wide array of forms, the maximalist space sparks a dialogue between the intertwined motifs of Colbert’s Lobster Land and Andrew’s The Real Big Deal. Packed with monumental lobsters, inflatable cacti and factory-like settings, Neo Golden Age engages with a unique, immersive presentation method, inviting viewers to step into a world of amplified pop culture and consumerism.
Modern art, dog. Modern art. Half the genius is in the explanation, right? Check it out.
You have to be happy for James Jabbia, right? He borrows a logo, opens a shop, puts the logo on a bunch of stuff and builds a multi-billion dollar fashion house out of it. Pure marketing at its most fluid, frictionless, and fun. Amazing.
The question, however, is what is VF Corp getting for all this money? A large collection of often red and white collabs, a formerly rabid fan base, and the elimination of a minor competitor? Yes, but they’re also getting Jabbia who will reportedly stay on with the brand as it continues to be headquartered in NYC.
VF Corp CEO Steve Rendle has. . .
. . .described the acquisition of Supreme as validation of the company’s strategy to evolve VF Corp’s brand portfolio in line with the market opportunities driving the apparel and footwear sector. At the same time the company can leverage its scale to sustain Supreme’s long-term growth and expand its global footprint. This will open up revenue growth of 8-10% over the coming five years believes Roe.
So there’s that, plus close to $500 million to add to annual VF sales. VF has been a good steward for Vans, so it’s very possible they will do the same with Supreme. The biggest question of all is will Supreme’s loyal fan base go along with artificially constrained product drops from a mega-corp that could just as easily make an unlimited supply of each item. Only time will tell.
Mike Basich’s241 warehouse in Northern California went up in flames on November 2, 2020 due to a faulty clothing dryer. The warehouse was his maker headquarters and home to his large collection of snowboard memorabilia — most of which (including his photographs, old contest banner, jerseys, trophies, magazine, video, etc. . .) was destroyed in the fire. Sadder still, Mike’s insurance company cancelled his fire coverage last year.
There is a way to help Mike out. Mason Dotto has created a GoFundMe for Mike with 100% of the proceeds going directly to Mike to help rebuild his warehouse. For all the details please click the link.
