by The Editors on October 16, 2008
Props Snowboard and Skateboard Shop in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada went up in flames in the early hours of October 15, 2008, according to a story in the Winnipeg Sun.
I would say an early damage estimate would be in the region of $500,000,” said Det. Darryl Drewniak, of the arson strike force, who was among the first investigators on scene. “There is substantial damage to the property.”
It would appear that arson was suspected in the “mysterious fire.”
[Link: Winnipeg Sun]
by The Editors on October 15, 2008
Ray’s Apparel and Split Clothing will be no longer in 60 days according to an Adam Sullivan story on Transworld Business.
“Rays Apparel has always been a very profitable company,” explains Ray’s Apparel president Jim Stark. “We got into mid-2008, probably about May, and started running into the same economic woes and problems that our competitors have been having. And for the past four or five months, we’ve been losing money. And it certainly looks that way for the balance of the year.”
While more than 60 employees will reportedly be out of a job, Stark says Split will “continue shipping product into 2009.” The Split brand, however, is up for sale. . . seems like it would be a perfect for one of the mall chain stores. PacSun? Buckle? Zumiez? Anyone?
[Link: Transworld Business]
by The Editors on October 15, 2008
Tony Hawk has apparently purchased Birdhouse Skateboards from Blitz Distribution according to a press release posted on Transworld Business.
Tony Hawk and Per Welinder, business partners for the past 15 years, reached a definitive agreement whereby Tony Hawk has acquired all interest in the Birdhouse Skateboards brand from Blitz Distribution, Inc. . . . By purchasing the brand, Tony Hawk will initiate integrating Birdhouse into his overall activities and his business, Tony Hawk, Inc. Full ownership will also give Tony increased oversight and involvement to his biggest priority, the Birdhouse team riders.
Hard to believe this hadn’t happened sooner (especially considering the mainstream marketing power of Tony and Shaun White). No one does better with Tony’s brand than Tony. And maybe those new THPS controllers will be Birdhouse decks.
[Link: Transworld Business]
by The Editors on October 15, 2008
The next version of Activision’s Tony Hawk Pro Skater could ship with a new kind of controller thanks to the success of Guitar Hero, according to a story on Ars Technica.
“We believe that the extra year of development time and the opportunity for consumers to shake off franchise fatigue could contribute to better unit sales than the franchise (Tony Hawk) has enjoyed in recent years,” analyst Doug Creutz said while speaking to investors. “We also view it as highly likely that the game will include some sort of skateboard peripheral with all SKUs when it ships, given the massive success (and higher price points and profitability) of Activision Blizzard’s Guitar Hero franchise.”
At a certain point, you might as well just go outside and skateboard, right?
[Link: Ars Technica]
by The Editors on October 14, 2008
UK artist Oliver Bishop-Young has taken dumpsters (apparently called “skips” in Britain) and turned them into all kinds of cool things, including a pool, a lawn, and more importantly a mini-ramp.
Mr Bishop-Young designed his ‘skip art’ as playgrounds for youngsters. But he also hopes the works will help encourage people to share their useful rubbish – such as old furniture and clothes – with friends and neighbours. . . . ‘It’s something an individual can do to make their impact on the city,’ he said.
One man’s skip. . .
[Link: Metro.co.uk]
by The Editors on October 11, 2008
Just a little reminder to check out the action live on the web.
[Link: Skateboard.com]
by The Editors on October 10, 2008
One of the green tickers up in the right hand corner this afternoon was Volcom even though it took what the Orange County Business Journal called “a wild ride” today. They’re saying VeeCo closed this Friday up because of a report by an analyst who said:
Volcom is in a position of strength boasting a balance sheet with no debt, approximately $80 million in cash and clean inventory levels,” Gallacher wrote. “While orders are weak from a shrinking addressable market, Volcom is one brand that continues to gain market share.”
Then again, the only companies in the space to not finish up today were PacSun, Billabong, and Globe. So maybe it had more to do with the market than with what Caris & Co. analyst Claire Gallacher had to say about it.
[Link: Orange County Business Journal]
by The Editors on October 10, 2008
WizzardX.tv is a new “site” created by podcast host Wizzard Media under the direction of a guy named Skip Fredricks. Here’s how they describe this new action sports video site in their press release:
WizzardX host, Emily Dickinson, will bring the tightest shots, gnarliest crashes and sweetest moves to life each week as the channel grows to include over 20 of the top podcast shows in the action sports genre. This week, Emily promotes four anchor shows, Dirt, Street, Snow and Water featuring some of the top professionals in their respective sport.
Okay, correct us if we are wrong, but there aren’t even 10 action sports podcasts worth watching and yet, WizzardX is going to include over 20?
Watching Wizzard X is like walking into some shady action sports past. All the footage is old, the events irrelevant, and the shows mostly unwatchable. The site seems to follow the idea that by throwing enough crap out on the web someone will eventually watch it.
Our big question: who do they think they’re going to fool with this? Certainly not the kids.
[Link: Wizzzardx.tv via Marketwatch]
by The Editors on October 10, 2008
Falling stocks really aren’t news these days, but we still have fun looking at the charts like this one from Quiksilver’s last year. With it’s $2.79 price today Quik has hit its lowest stock price since 1998.
We hate to admit it, but even to us it’s beginning to look like a bargain.
[Link: Yahoo! Finance]
by The Editors on October 10, 2008
Llewellyn Werner, the chairman of the Los Angeles, California based Customized Cooperative Capital LLC, announced in April that he would be spending a half-billion dollars building “a massive U.S.-style amusement park” in downtown Baghdad on the grounds of the old Baghdad Zoo, according to a story in the Globe and Mail.
Phase one of that project is to introduce skateboarding to Iraqi youth according to a story in Denver’s Westword. Werner plans to install “pocket parks” from Freshparks in neighborhoods around Baghdad and equip them with free skateboards thanks to help from Globe.
Werner estimates that he’ll spend a million dollars on the pocket parks and boards, which will be available to Iraqis free of charge. He considers that amount a relatively low-cost “down-payment” that will allow him to solicit support for BZEE, his multimillion-dollar entertainment zone. If he can show skeptical investors and wary locals that something as brazenly Western as a skateboard park can be successful in Iraq, then why not an American-style amusement park? But the rides and attractions themselves are just an incentive for something larger: the real estate around the park that Werner retains the rights to develop under his lease with the city.
The first skatepark has been set up for over a month, however, no one used it thanks to the Muslim holiday Ramadan and “daytime temperatures into the 110s.” But the park is scheduled to have it’s grand opening this week. It will be interesting to see how that goes.
Skateboarding will definitely give Iraqi kids a reason to look forward to tomorrow.
[Link: Westword]
Props Snowboard and Skateboard Shop in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada went up in flames in the early hours of October 15, 2008, according to a story in the Winnipeg Sun.
