by The Editors on July 9, 2010
In a classic example of just how rumors get laundered Apparel News retail editor Andrew Asch spins out a three page story titled Could RVCA Be Next in Billabong’s Buying Spree in which he adds absolutely no new information on the topic. Here’s the crux of his story:
Billabong . . . is widely rumored to be buying celebrated Costa Mesa, Calif.–based fashion brand RVCA. After several surf-industry publications and websites speculated on the rumor in the past couple of weeks, both Billabong and RVCA remain mum on the possible acquisition. (Neither company responded to requests for comment.)
That didn’t, however, stop Asch from rounding up few recycled conference call quotes from Billabong CEO Derek O’Neill, comments from Macquarie analyst Greg Dring, and a few lines from BRA’s Melissa Clary, and turning out a story so good that it almost makes us believe the Billabong buyout is a done deal.
But then what about Nike? We hear they’re the deep pockets with room for RVCA. After all, the Nike Open is right around the corner and you can’t exactly expect skaters to wear Hurley with their Cons.
[Link: Apparel News]
by The Editors on July 7, 2010
Few have been more dedicated to successfully mixing art, commerce, mainstream media, and action sports than Fuel TV General Manager CJ Olivares.
In seven years Olivares has taken what was basically a couple action sports event shows on Fox Sports and turned them into a compelling “network” of quality TV programming that has remained surprisingly true to the core of the sports it covers.
Fuel TV is only available in 30 million households (small in cable channel terms) but as CJ points out they’re getting millions of downloads each month in the iTunes store.
“We have 4 million downloads a month from the iTunes store,” C.J. Olivares, Fuel’s general manager, said Wednesday during an interview in his office, which sports a collection of surfboards, skateboards, guitars and a Batman mask. . . According to media consulting firm SNL Kagan, Fuel’s revenues have increased at least 20% nearly every year since its launch, and it should rake in $71.4 million in 2010. SNL Kagan estimates the channel’s cash flow at $20 million, amounting to a nearly 30% margin.
In the interview LA Times’ writer Meg James asks Olivares about being part of the Murdoch Media family, going through a potential sale, and growing a brand in the increasingly shattering media world. Follow the link for the rest of the interview.
[Link: LA Times via @JennGoodman]
by The Editors on July 7, 2010
Zumiez’s June net sales increased 16.4 percent to $37.2 million and June 2010 comps increased 10.9 percent. And the crowd goes wild. But what does it really mean? Only that they did better than last month (and much better than June 2009 when comps dropped 19.3%). At least they’re clawing in the proper direction, right? [click to continue…]
by The Editors on July 7, 2010
by The Editors on July 5, 2010
After all his talk about how competitive skateboarding has never been done correctly, it was a bit of shock to find out on Friday, (July 2, 2010) that Rob Dyrdek had signed a two-year DC/Monster Energy Drink Street League deal with ESPN, the company many blame for doing things wrong in skateboarding for years.
In an interview with ESPN/Action’s Micah Abrams (Dyrdek is already working the hype machine) Rob explains exactly why a long-term television deal is important for skateboarding and the Street League.
I want to build an elite property, and TV is a part of that. It needs to be built with partners who believe in the long term; it couldn’t just be someone who wanted to put it on TV. That’s why I chose a multiyear deal as opposed to just going out and getting the thing on TV.
Read the rest of the interview for the details of P-Rod and Chris Cole not appearing in the X Games, but skating on ESPN for the Street League. The ESPN TV deal seems a little messy, but guess those are the kinds of deals to make if the goal is turning skateboarding into Supercross? One one thing we can be certain of–Dyrdek will get paid.
Click the link for the interview or follow the jump for the entire Street League/ESPN press release.
[Link: ESPN/Action]
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on July 2, 2010
The old Corona Del Mar Becker Surf Shop is on it’s way to becoming a Hobie retail store, but a mural that was recently completed on the side of the building has been met with some criticism, according to a story on Corona Del Mar Today.
Vandals covered a brand-new mural with four-letter words, five-letter words and pejoratives . . . The mural, which was completed less than two weeks ago, is part of a makeover of the old Becker Surf Shop. Painters spent days on the project, which turned out so well that families had begun using it as a backdrop to snap photos of their kids.The graffiti was on all areas of the wall and also on the front of the store. By 9 a.m., however, a worker was using rags and cleaning solvents to remove the paint.
Apparently, someone thought new colors and geometric designs were very “gay.”
[Link: Corona del Mar Today]
by The Editors on July 1, 2010
As of tomorrow DC Shoes, the brand built in San Diego’s North County, will reportedly be officially vacated from its Vista, California headquarters and officially moved to the Huntington Beach offices of its corporate parent Quiksilver.
It is definitely the end of an era, then again, DC Shoes is just one more brand in the Quik mix, right?
by The Editors on June 30, 2010
Orange 21, the parent company of Spy Optic today announced the creation of their newest division: music. And Fran Richards finally gets to put his enormous CD/music collection to work.
No other subculture has the amazing power to communicate and permeate so many different types of hearts and minds as music,” says Stone Douglass, CEO. “Investing in the Music Division completes a circle in our portfolio of lifestyle brands and we expect it to be a great fit.” . . . Orange 21 has appointed Fran Richards, current VP of Marketing for Orange 21, to the new position of Vice President of Business Development and head of the new Music Division.
Fran has already hooked up a joint partner ship with Mary J Blige and Interscope Geffen A&M Records‘ Jimmy Iovine (the guy behind Monster’s Beats by Dr. Dre headphones) for Melodies by MJB which he says is “a luxurious range of high-end acetate and metal frames inspired by Mary’s own passion for sunglasses.”
Ms. Blige does appear to wear them well. . . follow the jump for all the details.
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by The Editors on June 30, 2010
Here we thought Billabong was busy buying RVCA and then they announce that they’ve just purchased West 49, the Canadian action mall retailer (the Zumiez of Canada) for $94.3 million, according to a story on Reuters.
The company said the acquisition of the 138 primarily mall-based retail outlets operated by West 49 will help boost its earnings in 2011. . . .”West 49 is a complementary business and promises to be an ideal Canadian distribution platform for Billabong to showcase its brands and extend its reach,” Billabong Chief Executive Derek O’Neill said in a statement.
In a Globe & Mail story West 49 CEO Sam Baio explained the sale like this:
“It makes sense today for powerful brands like Billabong to own retail stores,” Mr. Baio, who will remain chief executive officer of West 49, said in an interview. “I think we could safely say that we would want to grow the exposure of Billabong stores. We would definitely expand the Billabong concept into markets we’re not in yet.”
Way to own the channel. . .To recap Billabong’s retail march they now own: Beach Works, Honolua Surf Company, most of Australia’s Surfstitch.com, all of Swell.com, Becker Surf, plus their Billabong branded stores.
[Link: Reuters via Sports One Source and Globe & Mail]
by The Editors on June 25, 2010
Tony Hawk is reportedly suing the makers of the Tony Hawk Helmet Cam for $115,000 plus punitive damages according to a story on TMZ.com.
In the suit, Hawk alleges when he signed the deal in 2005, Prime Entertainment “had no intention” of actually paying the guy what they promised. Instead, Hawk states he only received $35k of the $150k he was owed.
Lawsuits are just the way businessmen negotiate, right?
[Link: TMZ]
In a classic example of just how rumors get laundered Apparel News retail editor Andrew Asch spins out a three page story titled Could RVCA Be Next in Billabong’s Buying Spree in which he adds absolutely no new information on the topic. Here’s the crux of his story:
