MERGE4 has collaborated with Salman Agah on a new pair of socks that feature a collection of Pizzanista’s iconic logo boosts from all your favorite skate brands.
The Pizzanista! sock features . . . combed cotton, a terry loped foot, self-adjusting welt cuff, reinforced heel and toe, and elastic arch support, this awesome y-heel sock is athletic ribbed for performance (or for tip-toeing to the fridge in the middle of a night for that cold slice you’ve been dreaming about). . . “I’m constantly looking for relevant ways to communicate Pizzanista’s brand and teaming up with MERGE4 was a great way for us to do that,” said Agah, “Now everybody’s feet can also be ‘powered by Pizzanista!’”
Developers in San Diego, California (home to some of the best surf in the world) have announced plans to turn an old drive-in movie theatre turned swap-meet into a Wave Garden surfing pool. Yes, it’s a 15 minute bike ride to the Oceanside Pier, yes, it’s a 35 minute drive to Trestles, but developers are chasing the same dream that has sidetracked many developers in the past — perfect waves all the time, according to a story in the San Diego Reader.
The Oceanside Swap Meet, launched in 1971, held its last weekend event April 28 Its 90 acres on Mission Avenue in the San Luis Rey Valley, was originally built as a four-screen drive-in movie attraction. It was purchased by Zephyr Partners for an undisclosed sum. . . Weiss says the early plans offered by Zephyr call for 35 acres to be devoted to the wave park and accompanying restaurants, businesses and hotel rooms that would all be aimed at the surf culture. Another 20 acres would be set aside for open space, while the remainder 35 acres would be devoted to residential homes, public roads, and other public needs.
Let’s just say we’re looking forward to seeing it completed, but we’re not expecting much.
You might expect someone who inherited a massive fortune to be more frivolous with their money, you know, like blowing it on fringe sporting leagues, or building surf ponds on hot, dusty Central Californian farm land, but not the backer of a certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production (mostly surfing sport). No, Dirk Ziff is a savvy businessman who knows when to call it quits, and that’s exactly what his organization did with their plans for a wave pond in West Palm Beach, Florida recently.
More importantly Ziff is wise enough not to harm the rest of his surf interests by admitting in the press that his wave pond business model is terminally flawed. No, when Mr. Ziff pulls the plug on a project, he does what many businessmen have done before him, he blames the location. Here are the details in a story posted on Florida Today.
“The WSL is disappointed to confirm our decision to cancel the development of the wave basin planned for West Palm Beach, Florida. . . .The nature of this site, including the extremely high water table, exposed unforeseen challenges that made the decision around this unique project clear. These projects are complex and, in many ways, without precedent, and we have learned important lessons in this process.”
Seems the local “water table” would have been the first thing wave pool planners would have investigated, however, often times the majority of the benefit of a project like a wave pool is the press announcement that it will be built, not on building it, or losing money running it. We’re bearish on the Dirk Ziff wave pond model in general. Let us know if they build another one anywhere in the world.
This is the list of the news stories we didn’t have time to read, comment on, and/or pass on to you in a more visually pleasing format. Follow the link and enjoy! If you read something you like, leave a comment. It’s certainly okay to speak your mind every now and again.
Today we’re highlighting an amazingly bland new product you don’t need, from a company we don’t like because, well, we got a press release from said company and putting up a press release is far easier than creating original content especially when all we’re interested in doing is fooling Google Ads into thinking we’re still posting content on this site so our rankings will continue to soar.
This banal new product is of course made in China and features several prominently placed logos from the company— both on the front, the back, the top, and the sides. In fact, this product features nine logos (if you count the one on the label). By moving this product around in the physical world you are acting as a sign spinner for this private equity funded zombie brand. You’re adding your youth, energy, and all around sexiness to their brand by being associated with it. Only difference is the sign spinner is getting paid $25 a hour and you’re getting nothing, aside from the pride you feel from sporting a logo that says you paid way more than you should have for this Bangladesh made product. Wait, did we say China before… sorry, same difference.
We’d highlight several of the features that set this product apart from all the other products available to you in this category and encourage you to purchase it, however, there’s nothing about this product that makes it standout from a similar product that can be purchased much more economically at one of the big box retailers.
That said, this product is being promoted as part of a “limited edition” collection which means you’ll be forced to visit one of the brand’s mall-based “flagship stores” or order it online directly from the brand because they don’t want to drop this product in the same massive chain stores where they dump the rest of their product because they’re charging more for this and that means they want you to have to work even harder to find it. As a value add this means you’ll have a product that your lazier, more thrifty friends won’t. And that makes you a big winner.
For more information on this product please visit the brand’s website where you can get the “product narrative” directly from their poorly paid marketing wizards. We’re guessing they’ll offer free shipping and returns so what have you got to lose? Shop, buy, consume. Repeat.
Kelly Slater talks about how nothing good comes from using drugs and alcohol. Oddly, the hamster perched lightly on his right shoulder doesn’t say a whole lot. It, like us, must be in total agreement with everything Mr. Slater says.
It’s official, Jamie Slater and his Authentic Brands Group of zombie brands (which now include Volcom, Airwalk, Vision Street Wear, and 47 others) has purchased the softcore skin and sports magazine brand Sports Illustrated from Meredith Corp for $110 million dollars, according to a story on Variety.com.
Under terms of the deal, Authentic Brands acquires the rights to market, develop and license Sports Illustrated and its kids’ edition as well as its swimsuit and “Sportsperson of the Year” franchises, along with the magazine’s photo archive. Meredith will pay a licensing fee to operate the editorial operations of Sports Illustrated in print and in digital for a minimum of two years. Editor Chris Stone and Publisher Danny Lee will continue to lead Sports Illustrated at Meredith.
So, Meredith is selling the brand and then paying to run the print magazine into the ground while ABG gets to re-animate Sports Illustrated by slapping it on all kinds of products until no one remembers what SI was all about in the first place. Chalk that up as another win-win for ABG.
We were saddened to learn that pro snowboarder and all-around smile maker Jason “J2” Rasmus died surrounded by family and friends on May 26, 2019 following a battle with cancer. He was 46.
Designer Aaron Draplin visited him near the end and offered up many good words about Tooz’s life and times. Here are a few of them.
A solid, affordable, good looking tide watch is hard to come by in these time of massively clunky GPS fitness watches, but Casio has one and it’s a G-Shock — Kanoa Igarashi’s G-Shock in fact.
The new watch is based on the G-LIDE GLX5600 which features a tide graph, an indispensable tool for surfers. The thin, square shape of the watch ensures that it does not obstruct the wrist while surfing. The GLX5600KI-7 features a semi-transparent body that evokes the ocean and is paired with a mirror finish face that gives the watch a simple, cool look. Igarashi’s “Kanoa” signature is inscribed on the upper center of the watch face and on the strap keeper and case back, as well as in illumination when the backlight is turned on.
The G-Lide also features 29 times zone, stop watch, countdown timer, two alarms, and is water resistant to 200 meters. It’s going to cost $130 and will be available in July at select jewelers, the G-SHOCK Soho Store and at gshock.com. For all the details, please follow the jump.
