There’s a question we asked ourselves, while watching The Ultimate Surfer — Is this the pinnacle of surf entertainment? Was merging a group of washed and ok surfers with Survivor the best idea ever conceived by a man formerly employed by Oprah? Then we asked a followup: if we can seriously consider the first question, then what business do we have choosing stories for a long list of important action sporting news? The answer to the second question was is easy. We have no business. None whatsoever. Enjoy!
The Snowsports Industries of America announced today (September 8, 2021) that they officially “postponed” the 2021 Snowbound Festivals in Denver and Boston until 2022 due to COVID-19. Obviously, this means the events have been cancelled, but cancel is such a loaded term these days.
Over the last year, the Snowbound team has been working to run the festivals as planned and we all believed that we were nearing the end of the pandemic. In reviewing the latest public health guidelines and the most recent health and safety protocols, we felt that even with mask mandates and proof of vaccine or a negative COVID test requirement, we could not guarantee a completely risk-free environment for winter enthusiasts of all ages.
One more bummer to throw on the pandemic dumpster fire. For the official word from SIA, please follow the jump.
The Boardroom International Surfboard Show presented by US Blanks will broadcast a livestream of their Del Mar, California show on Surfline.com September 25-26, 2021. They’re calling it Boardroom Live and it will be powered by Boardshaper.com and Keyedin Solutions.
“We will again have thousands of attendees and exhibitors at the show, and everyone is very excited,” explained Executive Director Scott Bass. “For years I’ve been receiving emails from surfers around the globe who want to check out the show. With the livestream broadcast presented by Boardshaper, our global audience will be able to experience the core of the surf industry. I’m excited to partner with BoardShaper because I’ve been using their App, and the versatility and mobility is what my small business needs. I update contact notes, push out invoices and take care of project tasks all while checking the surf at Swamis.”
To buy tickets for the in-person show. Click here. For all the official info, please follow the jump.
Pro skater Terry Kennedy, 36, was reportedly arrested on July 27, 2021 in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois for allegedly “violently attacking a man at the motel” and “threatening to kill police” according to a story on TMZ.
During the booking process, though, the spokesperson says the skater became aggressive toward cops. . . Kennedy allegedly threatened to murder officers NINE different times … with the spokesperson saying Kennedy told cops, “I will kill one of you police. We kill police where I’m from.” . . .The spokesperson says Kennedy then referenced a 2017 cop-killing incident in Whittier, CA. … claiming the skateboarder said, “We killed ya’ll in Whittier, California. We killed ya’ll bitch ass.”
Kennedy was reportedly out on bail for a previous arrest when this arrest happened and is now in jail after apparently not posting a $100,000 bond. Sounds like things aren’t going as well as they should be for the talented skateboarder and we hope he’s able to sort things out.
[Update August 1. 2021: the man Kennedy allegedly attacked, 23-year-old Josiah Kassahun (an acquaintance of Kennedy’s), died from his injuries on Saturday, July 31, 2021, according to a new story on TMZ.]
Prosecutors say Terry Kennedy, Josiah Kassahun, and Kennedy’s ex-girlfriend checked out of a room at the Comfort Suites Motel just after 11 a.m. on July 27 and were walking to the ex-girlfriend’s car when Kennedy became enraged for no apparent reason.
Kassahun told Kennedy to calm down, and Kennedy punched him in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement, prosecutors said. Kennedy then allegedly kicked Kassahun before fleeing in the ex-girlfriend’s car.
With all the talk lately about Olympic surfing and skateboarding we thought it was time for a little reminder that snowboarding still exists, and is happening even now, in July. Check out Academy Snowboard’s camp at Copper Mountain for a little late July snow fix!
Twenty-twenty-one is a huge year for skateboarding and surfing. If you haven’t heard both are now Summer Olympic sports (Thanks, Fernando). And because of this, news coverage will blast far and wide over the next three weeks. Before that happens we’d like to clear our news throats and put down one last news list before all hell breaks loose. Enjoy.
To SoCal surfers of a certain age there was no better sound to hear on a morning drive to Newport or Huntington Beach than Rockin’ Fig’s surf report on KROQ. His reassuring voice let us all know that whatever else was going on in the world, things were going to be much better once we reached the beach.
For decades no Huntington Beach surf event went off without Fig on the mic. His smooth, sing-song vocal stylings came to typify what a surfer sounded like and few who hold a surf mic today would deny the influence Fig had on their announcing style. Sadly, Fignetti died of a heart attack on Friday, July 16, 2021. He was 64 years old.
Laylan Connelly has a great rememberance of Fig in the Orange County Register. We will all miss him greatly. Our thoughts are especially with his girlfriend Andrea Roberson.
What do you do if you’re a creative agency with a bunch of snowboard sport clients and there’s nowhere to place the amazing print pieces you’re creating?
Well, if you’re Jeff Baker and Mike Basher of Axis Media you reanimate your old brand with a little help from the former publishers at Storm Mountain Media.
“I’m excited to connect Axis Media and SNOWBOARD and resume the title’s previous success,” says Baker. “Being able to work with an independent brand, and assemble a team of some of the best media talents in our space, is an incredible opportunity…” Baker elaborates. “The media landscape has gone through some tough changes these past years, but with that comes the opportunity to get back to our roots and allow independent media to bring back the excitement that’s been lost through all of the corporate acquisitions and closures.”
We still love print, and snowboarding, and Draplin, and their whole crew so we’re stoked. You should be, too. For all the details, please follow the jump.
What do you do if you’re a creative agency with a bunch of snowboard sport clients and there’s nowhere to place the amazing print pieces you’re creating?
