by The Editors on December 11, 2009
Richard McKee, a political activist from Huntington Beach, California is suing the The Huntington Beach Marketing and Visitors Bureau and the Huntington Beach Hotel/Motel Business Improvement District because he says the money they spent in their legal battle with Noland’s on the Wharf and Shoreline Surf Shop in Santa Cruz over rights to the term “Surf City USA” may have been a wasted of taxpayer’s money, according to a story in the Orange County Register.
He alleges in the October suit that the groups are public agencies and must respond to his public records requests about a confidential January 2008 settlement concerning the Surf City USA logo. McKee said the settlement documents could prove that a lawsuit between the bureau and a Santa Cruz shop owner was not necessary because the moniker used before and after the suit is almost identical.
McKee says the public has the right to know.
[Link: The OC Register]
by The Editors on December 11, 2009
The DC Shoes website seems to be missing a few belts, wallets, and other accessories that featured the DC logo. And there appears to be what one friend called “a distinct lack of snowboards” on the DC Snowboarding website. Strange, no?
According to sources, Chanel, which makes a few belts, wallets, snowboards, and other sporting equipment of their own, has reportedly sent DC a cease and desist letter requesting that DC stop producing several items featuring the Chanel-like intertwined DC letters. From the looks of the DC websites it appears that Quiksilver legal is cooperating with the request and then some.
Those who follow along may remember a similar skirmish between the brands in the 90s when DC founders Ken Block and Damon Way reportedly made a deal suggesting that since DC was “just a small skateboard company” that Chanel would allow DC to use the logo on skate shoes and some apparel. Now that DC is part of a billion dollar fashion label it appears that Chanel is looking at their products a little more carefully and it would appear that at least a few logo changes may be on the horizon at DC.
Requests for comment to both Chanel and Quiksilver have not been returned.
by The Editors on December 10, 2009
Source Interlink Media, the parent company of Surfer, Surfing, Snowboarder, and Skateboarder magazine’s Action Sports Group is apparently doing to reorganization within the company.
Those reportedly no longer with the company include the former ASG President and SVP Group Publisher at Source Interlink Media Al Crolius and the director of Source Interlink Media Ken Lockwood.
Interim personnel are reportedly filling in during reorganization.
by The Editors on December 10, 2009
The dying days of print have been a boon for TransWorld Media’s parent company Bonnier Corp. as they apparently see bargains everywhere.
Most recently the company has purchased Weldon Owen, an Australia publisher of “illustrated reference, lifestyle, and educational books,” according to a story on Foliomag.com.
Bonnier said adding Weldon Owen will allow the company to expand its existing magazine brands and content into book publishing projects. The company said it is considering bookazines, collectible yearbooks and other book products for sale on newsstands and online.
They’re obviously not letting anything get in the way of their quest for print domination.
[Link: Folio via Mediapost]
by The Editors on December 9, 2009
Yesterday, at the surfy-swank Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach PacSun’s CEO Gary Schoenfeld reportedly filled his suppliers ears with words of “belief and passion for action sports brands” like a drowning man espousing the virtues of life rafts.
Okay, we made that last part up. We weren’t there. But luckily, Shop-eat-surf.com‘s Tiffany Montgomery had a front row seat and was kind enough to post a wonderful slideshow filled with photos of people so desperately hoping to sell more screen-printed T-shirts in America’s malls that they were willing to sit in a small room and listen to Mr. Schoenfeld for an entire hour.
[Link: Shop-Eat-Surf.com]
by The Editors on December 8, 2009
A contract dispute over who has rights to distribute Billabong in Indonesia is stalled in Australian court, according to a story on Goldcoast.com.au.
One Indonesian employee is currently on trial for alleged embezzlement of Billabong-branded advertising ‘light boxes’ while Gold Coast man Chris James is confined to Australia after an Interpol alert based on the same charge was issued for him by Indonesia earlier this year.
The contract dispute case was going to be heard December 8, 2009, in Supreme Court in Brisbane however, Bali-based Suzi Suweda’s barrister was not available, the story says. “Billabong is seeking a court declaration that the contract with Mrs Suwenda’s company was legally terminated.”
[Link: Goldcoast.com.au]
by The Editors on December 7, 2009
Whistler sure seems to be having fun with its lift towers lately. On Sunday December 6, 2009, the Big Red Express lift was stopped and 100 people were evacuated after “a device on one of the towers fell off,” according to a story on The Province.
Here’s what Dave Brownlie, president of the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort said:
“We had lift maintenance personnel inspect the situation,” Brownlie told The Province. “They determined that it was then safe to run the people off the line. . . He described the broken part as “a compression mechanism” that is installed on some towers to keep pressure on the top of the cable as it passes over rollers on the tower.
This is just the latest in a series of lift problems at the mountain over the past year. A drive motor failure on the Peak 2 Peak last April caused an unscheduled closure, a “broken bolt” stopped Blackcomb’s Harmony lift last February, and a “partial lift tower collapse” on Whistler Blackcomb’s Excalibur Gondola in December of 2008 resulted in several minor injuries.
Maybe this is what happens when the company that runs the resort is flailing. Good thing those Olympics are right around the corner.
[Link: The Province]
by The Editors on December 7, 2009
Nope. It’s not another story on Tony Hawk. This Investors.com interview is with former pro skateboarder Jeff Thompson about how he used all the lessons he learned in skateboarding to build a successful internet service provider business in Rhode Island.
To compete and gain sponsors, I had to skate four to six hours a day. It took passion. When you don’t feel like practicing, you can’t say no. You need that same dedication with an emerging technology to get from zero revenue to the Nasdaq. . . If you worry too much about the whole routine as you drop into your first ramp, it can add to your anxiety. It’s better to focus on one trick at a time and do it right.
So that’s the secret. . .
[Link: Investors.com]
by The Editors on December 7, 2009
On Friday December 5, 2009 Agenda co-founder Aaron Levant and The Berrics co-founder Steve Berra announced (not without some hyperbole) a “revolutionary partnership” in which a “brand new section dedicated to skateboard brands” would be added to the January 8-9, 2009 Agenda Show in Huntington Beach. Agenda promised to “travel and accommodations” to all 61 shops listed on the Berrics Unified skate shop listing.
Then this morning (December 7, 2009), Blackbox Distribution owner Jamie Thomas announced (not without some hyperbole) a press release in which the Crossroads Retail Show and ASR have teamed up to present the “ultimate skate focused retail show” which will be added to the February 3-4, 2009 ASR Show only it will be held outside in the parking lot of Petco Park. Without promising “travel and accommodations” Crossroads is “committed to making sure that 100 of the nation’s key retailers. And what do you know, “space is limited.”
We have to wonder what happens to the entire trade show business model when they have to pay retailers to attend. Lord knows retailers need to be treated well these days, but it still seems to bring us back to the question that’s been plaguing the boardsports business for several years: are trade shows even relevant anymore?
Follow the jump for both press releases.
[Editors’ Note: Turns no one said Jamie’s press release was “all-encompassing statement.” We have removed the erroneously attributed quote from the above post.]
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on December 4, 2009
In a meeting with employees yesterday (December 3, 2009) in the offices of DC Shoes in Vista, California the parent company Quiksilver announced that they are moving the entire DC Shoe business to Huntington Beach, California according to sources familiar with company. The move will reportedly happen in the next six months.
This news has many San Diego County employees wondering how or if they’re going to be able to make the hour and a half commute once the move is complete. And to think, the new vert ramp that Colin McKay and the boys designed is only weeks away from being complete.
We’re sure there will be more to this stories. We’ll keep our ear to the grind and let you know.
Richard McKee, a political activist from Huntington Beach, California is suing the The Huntington Beach Marketing and Visitors Bureau and the Huntington Beach Hotel/Motel Business Improvement District because he says the money they spent in their legal battle with Noland’s on the Wharf and Shoreline Surf Shop in Santa Cruz over rights to the term “Surf City USA” may have been a wasted of taxpayer’s money, according to a story in the Orange County Register.
