by The Editors on May 1, 2017
The Summit Daily News newspaper (which covers Summit County, Colorado) has an amazing series of articles titled White Death, in which they try to “uncover the human toll of Colorado’s ski industry.” This collection of stories illustrates the way big business resort industry seems to do its best to squash any information related to deaths on their slopes and how difficult it was for the newspaper to get details on the 137 people who have died in accidents at Colorado resorts since the winter of 2006-7. Click the link for the rest of the story.
[Link: White Death]
by The Editors on April 27, 2017
Shaun White is on a bi-coastal home dumping spree. He’s selling his beach pad in Encinitas, California, his mod home in the Hollywood Hills, and now, according to a story in the New York Post, he’s selling his “NYC Penthouse,” though we’re not sure it’s a proper penthouse, as it’s offered up for only $2.79 million (the cheapest of his homes by far).
The two-bedroom, 2½-bathroom unit is 1,174 square feet. It comes with floor-to-ceiling windows, 12-foot ceilings and stunning skyline views. . . The eight-story building, built in 2006, features a rooftop deck with a 50-foot lap pool, wet bar and BBQ, along with a gym and a 24-hour doorman.
All told Shaun has $17.69 million of homes currently on the market. Not a bad action sports exit. Wonder what he needs the money for?
[Link: New York Post]
by The Editors on April 26, 2017
In a presidency that becomes more absurd with each day, the Trump administration is now moving to review all of the United State’s National Monuments and Patagonia’s CEO Rose Marcario doesn’t like it one bit. She says:
Our National Monuments were established after extensive public input because they provide unique and irreplaceable cultural, ecological, economic and recreational value worth protecting for our children and our grandchildren. As stewards of America’s federal public lands, the Trump administration has an obligation to protect these most special wild places. Unfortunately, it seems clear they intend to do the opposite.
In a statement released today (Wednesday, April 26, 2017) Marcario urges everyone who loves America’s public lands to contact their members of Congress and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to “express outrage at the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back National Monument protections.” For the official statement from Marcario, please follow the jump.
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by The Editors on April 12, 2017
Mammoth has always wanted to be Aspen. And now, it appears their wish has finally come true. Two days after picking up Intrawest for a reported $1.5 billion, the Denver, Colorado based Aspen Skiing Co./KSL partnership has picked up Mammoth, June, Snow Summit, and Bear Mountain for an undisclosed sum according to a Jason Blevins story in the Denver Post.
Rusty Gregory, the longtime manager and chief executive of Mammoth Resorts, in a statement called the move “the next logical chapter in the story of Mammoth. . . This new platform, built around a collective passion for the mountains and our commitment to the people who visit, work and live there, is exactly what the ski resort business needs.
We’re not sure that having every single resort in the USA owned by two companies is exactly what the ski resort business needs, but we’re pretty certain it won’t change much for the average shred. That Aspen leaf in the logo always did look like two tusks and a trunk to us anyway.
[Link: Denver Post]
by The Editors on April 10, 2017
Resort consolidation ratchets up a notch as Aspen Skiing Co. and private equity firm KSL Capital Partners have paid a reported $1.5 billion for Intrawest. In the deal Aspen/KSL picks up Steamboat, Winter Park, Tremblant, Stratton, Snowshoe, Blue Mountain and (through partnership with KSL) Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, according to a story in the Denver Post.
Intrawest once ruled the resort real estate game, but has fallen on hard times recently. Guess, this is as good a deal as they could have hoped for and as far as we can tell it rarely matter who owns the resorts we ride. Mountains are mountains.
[Link: Denver Post]
by The Editors on March 30, 2017
Seems not everyone in Florida is stoked about the possibility of a Kelly Slater Wave Co. pool getting built in Palm Beach, Florida, according to a story in the Palm Beach Post. They fear what happened in the Austin, Texas wave park could happen to them.
Jupiter Farms residents and others from different parts of the county fear a replay of that failure, which they say could threaten the water supply from the nearby Pine Glades Natural Area. “I urge you to nip this in the bud and deny the zoning changes rather than using valuable staff time on this,” Boynton Beach resident Chris Lockhart wrote to county commissioners. “If you do not, I ask that you direct staff to consider the impacts to Pine Glades Natural Area and other adjacent and nearby conservation lands, impacts on our water resources, etc.”
We’re still wondering who really wants to surf an unchangingly perfect wave in dirty pool water on the edge of an industrial park every day? Anyone? Florida surf is bad, sure, but really?
[Link: Palm Beach Post]
by The Editors on March 17, 2017
Burton Snowboards has reportedly decided to outsource their creative direction to their former creative director Greg Dacyshyn. Confused? Don’t be. It’s what corporations, city governments, and nations have been doing for awhile now. Here’s how Jake Burton explains it:
“Greg has been with me and Burton for over 20 years. In that time, he worked his way up from an entry-level position to Chief Creative Officer. He ultimately assumed responsibility for the look and feel of every product and marketing piece in our line,” Burton says. “He has always delivered a creative look that I have been comfortable with and (more importantly) that has been well received in the market. Under this new structure, Greg will continue to have the impact that he has had in the past while giving our VP of Product, Chris Cunningham and our Chief Marketing Officer, Anne-Marie Dacyshyn, the opportunity to execute and assume direct and complete responsibility for our product and marketing.”
Sounds like a perfect gig. Do all the fun stuff, while letting your wife take responsibility. Yessssss. For the official word from Burton, please follow the jump.
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by The Editors on March 8, 2017
Today (March 8, 2017) the corporation formerly known as Quiksilver has officially changed its name to Boardriders, Inc.
“The renaming of our company signifies the beginning of a new day at Boardriders. Our teams around the world have been building our resurgence brick-by-brick. Their passion and tireless execution, along with the loyalty of our customers, suppliers, and partners, has allowed us to complete the restructuring phase of our turnaround and to begin shifting our focus to growth,” said Pierre Agnes, Chief Executive Officer of Boardriders.
So, Quiksilver, Roxy, and DC Shoes are now owned by Boardriders, Inc. What a wonderful way to separate their businesses from the struggling brand (and a not-so-pretty recent financial fiasco). To read the official release, please follow the jump.
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by The Editors on February 23, 2017
So, today Billabong announces they’re selling the Tigerlilly fashion brand. And while we couldn’t care less about the news, what we always find comical in these transactions is what the company says about the transaction and how it fits right in with the company’s fiscal plans (plans that are always in direct opposition to the reasons the company bought the brand in the first place).
For example, in December of 2007 when Billabong bought Tigerlilly then CEO Derek O’Niell said: ”We have been seeking to expand our girls business and Tigerlily, with its accent on swim, is very complementary to our Billabong Girls brand.”
Now, seven years later, while selling the brand Billabong says: “The transaction is in line with Billabong’s strategy to simplify its brand portfolio.”
See what they did there? In an odd twist (at least for Billabong) this sale will reportedly generate more revenue than the company originally paid for the brand. The sale will reportedly generate $60 million and they only paid $5.8 million for seven years ago. Usually, it’s the other way around. Follow the jump for the official release.
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by The Editors on February 21, 2017
It’s getting harder and harder to spend a dollar at a snowboard resort without that dollar going to Vail Resorts, Incorporated. And today, it just became even more difficult as Vail took its first bite out East with the purchase of Stowe Mountain Resort from the Mr. Mansfield Company, Inc. for $50 million.
“We’re thrilled to add Stowe Mountain Resort to our family of world-class mountain resorts. With the investments in both mountain infrastructure and base area facilities that AIG has made over the years, Stowe Mountain Resort has become the premier, high-end resort for East Coast skiers and snowboarders. We look forward to working with AIG to continue enhancing the guest experience and to ensure the resort’s long-term success,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.
In the deal Vail Resorts is acquiring “all of the assets related to the mountain operations of the resort, including base area skier services (food and beverage, retail and rental, lift ticket offices and ski and snowboard school facilities) at Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak.” Mt. Mansfield Company is keeping the Stowe Mountain Lodge, Stowe Mountain Club, Stowe Country Club, and a couple other pieces of land they’re hoping to develop in the future.
Vail’s quiver of resorts now includes, Stowe, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Whistler Blackcomb, Perisher in Australia; and little resorts like Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin, Afton Alps in Minnesota, and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Boom. For the official word from Vail, please follow the jump.
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