by The Editors on January 26, 2011
New York based fund manager Royce & Associates, LLC. filed a form 13G today (January 26 2011) with the SEC stating that they own 7.67% of Volcom common stock (1.8 million shares) and that these shares are not:
. . . held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.
Good to know. Not sure why, but it’s good.
[Link: SEC]
by The Editors on January 26, 2011
Intrawest, the former majority owner of Whistler-Blackcomb and Mammoth Mountain, and current owner of six resort properties (including Steamboat, Winter Park, and Stratton), apparently announced that after getting out from under Whistler in October they’re moving their corporate offices to Colorado, according to a story in the Vancouver Sun.
An an internal memo circulated Tuesday evening and obtained by The Vancouver Sun, CEO Bill Jensen told employees that the company, the former owner of Whistler Blackcomb, will move its headquarters to Colorado from Vancouver by the end of this year. . . He said the move to a more geographically central location will be more efficient for overall business. . . “With shared services and Intrawest’s two largest resorts already in Colorado, this relocation is the logical next step to the continued growth of Intrawest, and is consistent with the company’s long-term business strategy,” he said.
It’s so good to hear stories of Intrawest doing things that make sense.
[Link: Vancouver Sun]
by The Editors on January 26, 2011
According to a report from Deutsche Bank Australia, Billabong could be a prime target for a takeover, according to a story in The Australian.
Retail analyst Alexi Baker-McLennan said in a note to clients: “We think Billabong could be an attractive LBO (leveraged buyout) target. . . “The company is trading 30 per cent below 12-month highs, highlighting that the stock could be taken out below this level with a reasonable premium. . . “An LBO of Billabong would not be for the faint-hearted. Billabong is midway through integrating a number of acquisitions, it is rolling out retail stores requiring significant further investment, it remains heavily exposed to currency and the category is undergoing significant structural change.
What a nice way to help bump up a stock price. Analysts are good that way.
[Link: The Australian]
by The Editors on January 26, 2011
The East Coast is finally getting an ASP World Tour stop as Quiksilver puts up a $1 million purse for The Quiksilver Pro New York September 4-15, 2011. It will be the sixth stop on the 2011 tour (click here for full schedule).
“We are beyond excited to host the biggest pro surf event in the world on Long Island this September,” said Bob McKnight, CEO of Quiksilver. “There has always been a huge contingent of dedicated surfers and surf enthusiasts on the East Coast and they will now get a chance to watch the world’s best surfers in Long Beach. We are also bringing the best and brightest Quiksilver, Roxy and DC athletes to New York City, the largest media arena in the world, for twelve days of surf, skate, BMX, fashion, art and music that will bring incredible global attention to these phenomenal athletes and the action sports culture and lifestyle.”
Finally, a good reason to visit New York. Follow the jump for all the details.
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by The Editors on January 25, 2011
Looks like Geoff Rowley has signed up for another year overseeing the design of Maloof Money Cup courses (which have grown to include an event in South Africa).
Rowley will lead the design team of pro skateboarders and experts alongside Joe Ciaglia from California Skateparks, whose company has built all four Maloof Money Cup courses since its beginning in 2008. . . “I really respect the Maloofs and what they’ve accomplished with this contest,” said Rowley. “Out of all the contests out there, the Maloof Money Cup is the only one that really delivers on giving the skaters and fans what they are looking for,” said Rowley.
Rowley definitely knows what makes spectacular skate terrain no doubt. Follow the jump for all the details.
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by The Editors on January 21, 2011
In past years our policy has always been to roam the SIA Snow Show and see what catches our eyes or ears. While this create epic moments of serendipitous discovery it also means that we often miss some really cool shit.
This year we won’t have that problem because the SIA has created an iPhone app (and Blackberry and Android apps for those sad lonely, beaten down workers forced to use shoddy tools). It’s called SIA 2011 and was created by Core Apps.
Use the SIA Snow Show App to navigate the Show with interactive floor plans, exhibitor lists, twitter feeds, events schedules, listings for Denver bars and restaurants and create your own Show schedule.
The digital map is reason enough to download the app, but add to that a searchable exhibitor list (with booth numbers and full contact info), an events schedule (which has not been updated yet), Twitter feed, Denver Guide, and contact info for all the speakers at SIA and it is a mandatory piece of software for anyone attending the show. One of the coolest bits is that exhibitors in the list can be starred and or checked off the list and later viewed in an “exhibitors visited list.” Keeping track of who to see and who we’ve seen has never been easier.
After years of being at SIA adrift and unguided, the SIA Snow Show app comes like a light in the darkness. Click this link for the iPhone version. You other smartphone heathens are on your own.
For the latest on the 2011 SIA Show follow the jump.
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by The Editors on January 21, 2011
After complaints about Quiksilver’s use of their old “If you can’t rock ‘n’ roll, don’t fucken come” tagline on a newsletter sign-up page on their Australian website reached New Zealand’s Advertising Standards Authority they weren’t too happy about it, according to a story on the National Business Review.
A complainant said the foul language is “unacceptable”, particularly as the brand is well-known among youth in New Zealand. . . However, the Complaints Board upheld the complaint, saying the brand appealed to under-18s and that the move to add in asterisks would not suffice to alter the meaning of the term.
Quiksilver complied and changed the image on the sign up page to a much more pleasant “Sign Up Now.” For the entire December 2010 decision and a peek into New Zealand rather silly advertising rules, follow the jump.
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by The Editors on January 21, 2011
When we heard first heart that Chris Cole was leaving Fallen Footwear for DC Shoes we were a little confused. Sure, there would be the increased paycheck, the increased promotion and pop-cultural visibility, but what about Jamie Thomas?
How could Chris Cole do that to his longtime friend and boss? More importantly, how could Thomas let him go? After reading the recent Zero Skateboards press release about how Chris Cole has become a “shareholder” it all makes sense.
“Cole’s loyalty and support have been an integral part of Zero’s success for the past decade. I’ve always included him in important decisions and brand direction, so it’s exciting to know that we’ll get to work together for the life of the brand. I couldn’t imagine a better partner,” says Jamie Thomas, founder and president of Zero Skateboards and Black Box Distribution.
We knew Jamie Thomas would figure out a way to get a piece of Cole’s DC cash.
[Link: Blackbox via ThrasherMag]
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by The Editors on January 11, 2011
The Association of Magazine Media (formerly known as the Magazine Publishers of America) has announced magazine advertising results for Q4 (October through December 2010) and things are looking up (at least vs. 2009) at action sports only tracked titles, Transworld Media.
2010 2009 %CHG 2008
TRANSWORLD MOTOCROSS 282.94 276.76 2.2 368.66
TRANSWORLD RIDE BMX 160.75 47.24 240.3 153.99
TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING 320.64 293.67 9.2 404.06
TRANSWORLD SNOWBOARDING 362.32 322.45 12.4 435.54
TRANSWORLD SURF 203.98 181.04 12.7 270.08
TRANSWORLD WAKEBOARDING 66.50 66.32 0.3 134.74
If we look back to Q4 2008 we can see there is still a ways to go before things are really back, but moving in the right direction is a great start, at least at Transworld.
[Link: Association of Magazine Media]
by The Editors on January 11, 2011
And now for the old news department: Yes, the rumor we’ve been sitting on for nearly a month is true: The La Jolla Group has handed the . . . Lost clothing license back to co-owners Matt Biolos and Joel Cooper, according to a story on ApparelNews.net.
“There was a disparity between the clothing and the boards,” Biolos told the trade publication. “The two parts of the business didn’t relate to each other. Taking the apparel back [in-house] gives us a chance to do our own thing. We want our vibe to be consistent.”
“Disparity” is such a nice way of saying it. We’re pretty sure there is no great love lost between the “edgy” surf brand and the main stream fashion licensing corporation. It will be good to see Biolos and crew back to creating some authentic surf/skate fashion on their own with no apologies.
[Link: ApparelNews.net]
New York based fund manager Royce & Associates, LLC. filed a form 13G today (January 26 2011) with the SEC stating that they own 7.67% of Volcom common stock (1.8 million shares) and that these shares are not:
