by The Editors on December 15, 2008
City of South Lake Tahoe officials swarmed Marc Frank Montoya’s The Block Hotel last Thursday (December 11, 2008) and shut the place down until the hotel can pay up on more than $100,000 in back taxes it owes the city.
Customers who occupied the hotel (Thursday) were allowed to stay, but the hotels will remain closed until the TOT is paid,” City Attorney Catherine DiCamillo said Friday. . . . The Block failed to pay TOT between January 2007 and January 2008, and owed penalties and interest from September and December 2006, according to the police statement. . . . Managing partner of the hotels — 37-year-old Las Vegas resident Eneliko Smith — appealed Vuletich’s decision to City Manager David Jinkens, who upheld the finance director’s decision on Nov. 21.
Smith said that the back taxes had not been paid because “financial records detailing the unpaid takes were lost.” Nice of the city to close the hotel right before the holidays, but it shouldn’t have been a surprise to Smith as he was arrested in September over the same issue.
The biggest bummer is for all the shreds who invested in this place and trusted Smith to run the business.
[Link: Tahoe Daily Tribune]
by The Editors on December 15, 2008
Unless the action sports magazine category can buck a major media trend, 2009 could be pretty rough. And that comes on the heels of what Media Daily News is calling “the worst year in decades for magazines.”
Through the middle of December, consumer magazines are down 9.4% from last year, according to MIN Online; this compares with a 7.8% drop in 2001. Worse, magazines do not appear to be headed for a quick rebound like the last recession. . . . At this rate, 2008’s losses will almost certainly be compounded in 2009–bringing two straight years of declines, which will result in more magazine closures and layoffs.
We’ll keep you posted.
[Link: Media Daily News via I Want Media]
by The Editors on December 15, 2008
Looking for a last minute gift item for the snowboarder in your life? Sam’s Club has a great selection of Burton Snowboards. The prices aren’t that great but they’ll ship them right to you and they are covered by Sam’s Club Member Satisfaction Guarantee. How rad is that?
[Link: Sam’s Club via Tackled-Box]
by The Editors on December 14, 2008
James Strong, 64, the chariman of the board at Rip Curl resigned from the board on November 20, 2008 but the company only just told the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on Friday, according to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald.
He will remain on the boards of Woolworths and Insurance Australia Group – he is chairman of both – and Qantas. He also plans to keep his small stake in Rip Curl. . . .His decision to step down from the Victorian company comes amid turbulent times for surfwear retailers. Billabong is suffering from a slowdown in global sales, and some US analysts say Quiksilver may have to put itself up for sale because of its hefty debt load.
[Link: Sydney Morning Herald]
by The Editors on December 11, 2008
For old shreds who used to go through 15 rolls of duct tape a season trying to get a little heel hold in their old Sorel Caribous this news will bring a chuckle. Sorel, a brand now owned by the giant Columbia Sportswear Company has just signed a sponsorship deal to be the “official boot sponsor” of the U.S. Snowboarding team.
Sorel will outfit athletes, event staff, volunteers, on-air talent and VIPs with Sorel footwear, including the original Caribou boot, which was introduced in 1972 and has become one of the leading winter boots of alltime. . . . “USSA is excited to be partnering with Sorel around U.S. Snowboarding and several of our competitions,” said Ted Morris, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association vice president, sales and marketing. “Our athletes, staff andspecial guests will have warm, dry feet no matter what the weather is like at our events in the mountains where winter can bring varying elements. It’s a privilege to be working with a brand like Sorel.”
The company’s failure to capitalize on snowboarding in the late 80s is still one of the greatest marketing fumbles in action sports’ history. Welcome back, Sorel.
[Link: International Business Times]
by The Editors on December 10, 2008
The U.K.’s largest outdoor gear retailer Blacks Leisure Group Plc, has agreed to give the U.K. distribution of O’Neill products back to O’Neill Europe according to a story on Bloomberg.com.
O’Neill Europe will take over the British wholesale business by the end of May, Northampton, England-based Blacks said today in a statement. The entire current sales force will transfer as well, it shows. . . . The retailer runs 57 Freespirit and O’Neill board-sports shops as well as 260 Millets stores and 110 outlets carrying its own name. Blacks aims to remain a “key retail partner” for O’Neill after the wholesale transfer, the statement shows.
[Link: Bloomberg]
by The Editors on December 10, 2008
Tom Kennedy, the guy responsible for PacSun’s merchandising, design, and marketing has apparently left the company to “pursue other interests,” according to a story on Women’s Wear Daily.
His duties will be reassigned to other members of the management team. . . . In a statement, Pacific Sunwear’s chairman and chief executive Sally Frame Kasaks, said: “We very much appreciate Tom’s contributions to the business during his tenure, and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
According to sources at the company this departure will have absolutely no effect on PacSun’s core marketing efforts.
[Link: WWD Business]
by The Editors on December 8, 2008
How core is this? While Quiksilver and a other action brands are slashing prices in their stores, the “evil empire” of A&F has decided they’re not going to discount anything, according to a story in The Wall Street Journal. Why? “To protect its margins and hip reputation.” Wall Street, however, is worried.
“We hear your concerns,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Jeffries in an earnings call with analysts last month, but “promotions are a short-term solution with dreadful long-term effects.” Marking down clothes now could lead to the brand being seen as something cheap, he explained.
Wise words from a fashion retail mastermind.
[Link: The Wall Street Journal]
by The Editors on December 5, 2008
Not getting enough of action sports super-agent Steve Astephen darting here and there in front of the TV cameras with a cellphone to his ear? Well then, Entrepreneur.com has just want you’re looking for in the Entrepreneur Insider: Marketing That Takes Flight.
Steve Astephen’s legacy is everywhere. It’s in the oceans. It’s in the mountains. It’s on the street. But more than anywhere, it’s in the air, where his clients’ exploits inspire the next generation of action sports stars. Ten years ago, Astephen revolutionized the action sports industry when he recognized the marketability of its larger-than-life athletes and created an agency focused on turning them into brands. He has since partnered with Wasserman Media Group and become one of the biggest names in the game, but he still remembers when his biggest asset was the sort of infectious energy that comes only from someone eager to break the mold.
Not sure “revolutionized” is the right word, but he certainly brought a circus-tent load of commercialism. We just hope Steve’s “legacy” doesn’t run us over the next time we go outside; ’cause that thing is apparently everywhere.
[Link: Entrepreneur.com]
by The Editors on December 5, 2008
The Burton Corp. announced today that they are moving Forum, Foursquare, and Special Blend (aka The Program) to their Vermont HQ. It’s a move that had been rumored ever since the snowboard giant first purchased the SoCal-based brands back in the summer of 2004. Seems cold weather makes people work harder.
In tough times like these, we need to be very strategic and efficient so we can continue to invest in our core strengths like product development and marketing, and this move allows us to do just that,” says The Program General Manager Sam Paschel. “In Burlington, The Program will benefit from over 30 years of Burton’s product development, sales and operations expertise while enjoying easy access to Burton’s shared services. And it will be great to have the company close to the mountains where we can easily test product on snow.”
And the surf industry breathes a oh-so-tiny sigh of relief as the invasion slows.
For the entire press release follow the jump.
[click to continue…]
City of South Lake Tahoe officials swarmed Marc Frank Montoya’s The Block Hotel last Thursday (December 11, 2008) and shut the place down until the hotel can pay up on more than $100,000 in back taxes it owes the city.
