by The Editors on February 24, 2009
Waialua, Hawaii resident Clinton Patterson fell from his electric skateboard in July 2008 and died five days later from his injuries. Now his wife Jennifer is suing the “California-based motorized skateboard manufacturer and its Hawai’i distributor,” according to a story in the Honolulu Advertiser.
The lawsuit alleges that the wheels of the board came in contact with Patterson’s feet or the board, causing an abrupt change in speed and direction, effectively throwing him off the skateboard. The suit claims that the board was poorly designed and built. . . .The electric skateboards are manufactured and sold by Chase Boards LLC in Orange County, Calif. The lawsuit also named Bionic Wheels LLC, a Honolulu-based distributor of the product, as a defendant.
Sad story all the way around.
[Link: Honolulu Advertiser]
by The Editors on February 23, 2009
by The Editors on February 22, 2009
SkateDaily.net just reminded us that Thrasher Magazine has put year two up on their website in it’s entirety. They’re just scans (so they don’t Google well) but every page from every mag is there. The kids can laugh and the old guys can re-live the glory days of 1982.
[Link: Thrasher Magazine via SkateDaily.net]
by The Editors on February 21, 2009
Simon Evans is a former pro skateboarder who wrote for the British skateboard mag R.a,D. in the early 90s. Now he is an artist with a new show which opened last night (February 20, 2009) at the James Cohan Gallery in New York City. Here is the logic behind the show:
. . . these days he’s expressing himself in scotch tape, pencil shavings, colored pencil and white-out. He uses everyday materials to create vivid stories through collages. For a new show at the James Cohan Gallery in Chelsea, he’s tells the story of Robinson Crusoe, creating the things Caruso used to keep himself alive when stranded on a desert island. Evans said he was hoping to bring text and visual art together.
The show runs through April 4, 2009, but you can check it online right here.
[Link: James Cohan Gallery via WYNC.org]
by The Editors on February 20, 2009
On March 6, 2009 the Hibbleton Gallery will present a new show entitled “Spare Change,” featuring work by Russ Pope, Andy Jenkins, Mike Myers, Chris Pastras, and Chris Yormick—all legendary figures in the Skateboard art and design world. The opening reception is Friday, March 6, 2009 from 7-11pm. It would probably be a good idea to be there.
Hibbleton Gallery 112 W. Wilshire Ave, Fullerton, California.
[Link: Hibbleton]
by The Editors on February 20, 2009
Cody Behrns, 15, is a skater who is already running his own retail business out of an old train caboose in Pittsford, New York, according to a story in the Democrat and Chronicle.
Cody has managed Small Town Skate Shop for a year, and while the Pittsford Sutherland High School freshman says business has been slow during the winter, he expects sales to increase as the weather improves. . . . He’s planning a new venture for the spring: a line of sweatshirts sporting his company’s logo. The sweatshirts will be in six different colors priced at about $35. He said it’s more cost-effective as a business owner to sell some items that aren’t a national or international brand to eliminate paying a distributor and other fees.
In the business for one year and already he’s seeing the value of going private label? Sounds like Cody is on the road to success.
[Link: Democrat and Chronicle]
by The Editors on February 19, 2009
It would be easy to say that the Berrics is just Eric Koston and Steve Berra’s private TF. But with the website (which may be the most popular skate site on the web) and the people who roll through, the Berrics has become a holy place to skateboarders around the world.
Who better to send in to check it out than porno reviewer and master of “writing about whatever I want no matter what the assignment was” Chris Nieratko. That’s what ESPN Actions Sports did. It goes a little something like this:
The Berrics is the marriage of two names and two pro skaters Eric Koston and Steve Berra, thus The Berrics. They are both fantastic skaters in talent and in personality but as much as they are equal partners on paper and in bank debt it is Steve Berra that greets you at the door with velvet suit and top hat, swinging his cane and scaring the Sugar-Honey-Iced-Tea out of you with talk of Wangdoodles and Snozwangers. He is friends with aliens. He flies around in a spaceship. He lined the ceiling of the building in space-age polymers so that no infrared helicopter camera can locate the warehouse’s whereabouts. Oh and the warehouse moves like the island on Lost.
You getting the picture? Follow the link for the rest.
[Link: ESPN.com/ActionSports]
by The Editors on February 19, 2009
Billabong profits are down 7.1 percent in the “first half” thanks to the US economy, according to a story on News.com.au. Not knowing all the much about currency markets it’s always funny to hear companies saying things like this:
“While the company has experienced margin erosion in its biggest division, the Americas, the effect is being partially offset by strong appreciation in the US dollar against the Australian dollar,” Billabong chief executive Derek O’Neill.
So, if we’re hearing this properly, sales in the US are down, but luckily for Billabong the Australian dollar is going all to hell. Good times in international business, huh?
[Link: News.com.au]
by The Editors on February 19, 2009
The economy didn’t seem to pull Volcom down too much last year according to their 2008 Q4 and full year results released this afternoon. Total consolidated revenues for 2008 were up 25 percent, and probably the best news: “the company generated $24.7 Million in operating cash flow,” has $79.6 in the bank with absolutely no long-term debt. Wooly explains it:
“While the ongoing global macroeconomic turmoil affected our results for the 2008 fourth quarter and full year, the underlying strength of Volcom is well intact,” said Richard Woolcott, Volcom’s chairman and chief executive officer. “In the face of this economic uncertainty, we are working to maintain a healthy balance between being aggressive when we see opportunities and pulling back where we can, including reducing our cost structure. We have a solid cash position and a strong global brand with a devout following. Further, we believe that our product line-up for 2009 is one of our best ever. We plan to approach the year with discipline, commitment and focus, and we remain confident in our ability to ride this period out and prevail as an even stronger company.”
According to the OC Business Journal, however, moving into 2009 things aren’t going so well. Volcom “warned of a big shortfall in profits and sales for the current quarter” . . . projecting “a profit of $3.1 million to $3.9 million for the current quarter, well below the $6.3 million analysts had been forecasting.” That may explain why they cut eight percent of their employees and are giving many others reduced pay.
We would have listened to today’s conference call, but apparently the Volcom audio server doesn’t like Macs, or maybe it’s just us.
For all the press release details follow the jump, or click here for a complete transcript of the call from Seeking Alpha.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on February 19, 2009
Looks like Sole Tech can’t keep a good thing state-side: Etnies moves the GVR to Eindhoven’s, The Netherlands on March 21, 2009 at the in indoor skatepark, Area 51.
Riders from more than 10 countries have already confirmed (UK, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Holland, Germany, Finland, France, Portugal and Switzerland) including Phil Zwijssen (winner European Skateboard Championships 2008), Axel Cruysberghs (winner Simple Session Estonia 2009), Dutch champion 2008 Nelson Mosikili, Rob Maatman (winner AmsterDamn Am) Alex Mizurov (winner Game of SKATE Pro finale 2006).
Sounds like a great reason to visit The Netherlands.
[Link: etnies]
