by The Editors on January 26, 2008
It’s always fun to read America’s Favorite City’s media coverage of their own twice-annual action sports spectacle, so here it is: they say we’ve all grown up.
Surf and skate fashions aren’t just for kids anymore. . . . Big-name brands looking to tap into an older, more affluent market are offering clothing lines with more muted tones and more sophisticated fits – a big contrast from the bright colors and ’80s silhouettes that are in vogue for the younger action sports set.
We think they may have missed the VeeCo booth.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on January 26, 2008
In the world of action sports Bnqt.com has been a bit of an outsider. Founded by a former AOL Sports-man, the site featured viral video of action sports along with a user-generated content community. Though the site never gained any traction, recognition, or significant traffic, it was still acquired by USA Today for an undisclosed amount of money.
“USA TODAY’s acquisition of Banquet is another example of the innovative ways we are trying to diversify our audience,” said Craig Moon, president and publisher of USA TODAY. “We believe that action sports are a dynamic and exciting category and that we have found an excellent stand alone brand which truly resonates with the youth audience.”
This purchase shows how desperate old media is to get involved with “the kids.” And to think, Time Warner sold their “action sports” sites a little less than a year ago. Then again, this certainly gives us hope. . .
[Link: CNNMoney.com]
by The Editors on January 26, 2008
The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that skateboarding could make it’s Olympic debut in 2016:
Recent indications suggest 2016 is more likely for skateboarding to make its Olympic debut, but the crux of the issue remains the same: Should skateboarding be thrust into the spotlight the Olympics would offer?
When the subject first was broached, some believed the sport that had stayed underground for so long finally was getting its due props.
Many skateboarders, though, especially of the old-school variety, don’t see it that way despite support for the Olympics plan from legend Tony Hawk.
Follow the link for the rest of the story.
[Link: Rocky Mountain News]
by The Editors on January 26, 2008
by The Editors on January 23, 2008
Go Skateboarding Day lives. And yes, it is still June 21. No fear. And because we’re telling you about it today, you’ll have time to plan.
Just ask IASC or follow the jump for the entire press release.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on January 23, 2008
Surfermagazine.com editor Zach Weisberg gets the chance to interview Richard Woolcott about Volcom’s recent purchase of Electric Visual and he only asks three questions. . . really Zach? And you’re calling that an exclusive? Here’s the answer to the first question:
Electric is a company that we have always felt would be a good fit for Volcom when the time was right. When Electric approached us that they were interested in looking for a strategic partner, we rolled up our sleeves and went to work. We believed we were the right company for them and fortunately everything worked out for both of us.
Click the link for the other two insightful, probing questions.
[Link: Surfermagazine.com]
by The Editors on January 23, 2008
Apparently all those rumors about Shaun White leaving Volcom just might be true if this press release on Transworldsnowboarding.com is correct:
Target today announces the future Shaun White for Target collection. The line will feature clothing for young men and boys and will be available in late July. . . This collection will build on a significant relationship between Target and Shaun, as he has been riding for Target for nearly six years. A professional skateboarder and snowboarder, Shaun is considered by many to be the most recognizable athlete in action sports.
Hell, why not.
[Link: Transworldsnowboarding.com]
by The Editors on January 23, 2008
Skate and Annoy was nice enough to link up everything we need for an overview of Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park. It’s about skateboarding and being kids and hopping trains and a death. Check it.
[Link: Skate and Annoy]
by The Editors on January 22, 2008
While the San Francisco Zoo had a tiger break of of his pen, the Hillcrest Park Zoo, in Clovis, New Mexico is having the opposite problem. It appears that some skateboarders broke into the zoo to skate a “culvert” that zoo officials say “is perfect for skateboarding.”
Hillcrest Park Zoo Director Herschel Arnold said Friday when employees discovered a full length cut in the 8-foot perimeter fence on the back side of the zoo, they quickly surmised skateboarders had gone through the fence to get to a concrete culvert on the other side. . . “It’s got a cement ramp that is just perfect for skateboarders and they took advantage of it,” he said.
Officials fixed the fence and were glad that none of the animals were molested.
[Link: CNJ Online]
by The Editors on January 22, 2008
Kevin Connolly was born with no legs. He is three-feet one-inch tall and is a film student at Montana State University. He has a new art show called The Rolling Exhibition featuring photographs he’s taken of people staring down at him as he rolled around on his skateboard.
Connolly feels he’s just as able-bodied as anyone. But he never quite adjusted to people’s stares. . . On a European trip last year he got tired of it. In what he admits to being a passive-aggressive response, Connolly looked the other way, held his camera at hip-level, and snapped a starer’s photo. . . . “I wanted to stare back at that guy, to let him know that, ‘Yeah, I catch you looking,'” he says. “And the way I did that was with my camera.” . . . Afterward when Connolly looked at the photo, blurred from both the movement of the camera and the movement of the man, he was surprised to find he liked what he saw. And the seed was planted for a major creative project.
This Christian Science Monitor story is probably the best one we’ve seen on Kevin and his art project. Check it out.
[Link: Christian Science Monitor and The Rolling Exhitibition]
It’s always fun to read America’s Favorite City’s media coverage of their own twice-annual action sports spectacle, so here it is: they say we’ve all grown up.
