Looks like those whirling blades of sticks and poles may get their shot at Olympic glory as the FIS has apparently approved the concept of ski halfpipe for the 2014 Olympics. All that is missing now is IOC approval.
A U.S. and French proposal to submit ski halfpipe to the International Olympic Committee for consideration as early as 2014 was approved without dissent as the International Ski Federation concluded its biennial FIS Congress Friday in Antalya, Turkey. The Congress also unanimously passed proposals from the USA and other nations to accept both snowboarding slopestyle and team snowboardcross into the FIS World Snowboard Championships.
Skiers have copied everything else snowboarding has done lately, so they might as well get a medal for it. Follow the jump for the entire release [click to continue…]
Shaun White has reportedly left his long-time agent Mark Ervin and IMG and made the move to Hollywood’s uber-huge Creative Artists Agency, according to a Tripp Mickel story in the Sports Business Journal.
After eight years of working together, White last week dropped Ervin and IMG for CAA. He now is represented by a team of CAA agents who will work to develop marketing partnerships, appearances and television, music and motion picture opportunities for the 23-year-old.
Creative Artist Agency represents pretty much every A-lister in the business including (but not limited to) Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Ashton Kutcher, David Beckham, LeBron James, and of course, Tony Hawk.
Meadowlands SnowPark is “more than just a ski slope…it’s an Alpine resort,” the website reads. Kirkos calls it a “tourist magnet.” SnowPark will feature skiing, snowboarding, novice slopes, lessons and a snowplay area for kids. The 800-foot-long indoor snow facility is the first in North America, according to the site. The SnowPark will feature a quad chairlift, magic carpets for beginners and a platter lift. . . .New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) officials are working with Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross and his Related Companies in hopes of an investment of the $500-700 million necessary to move the stalled project forward. . . .
Hard to believe that anyone would think they would see a return on that kind of investment.
Yesterday, (Tuesday, June 1, 2010) the California State Senate approved Senate Bill 880 which would require everyone under 18 to wear helmets while snowboarding or skiing, according to a story in the Fresno Bee.
Senate Bill 880 by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, was approved by a 21-13 vote, mostly along party lines. . . Sen. Dave Cox, R-Fair Oaks, split with most of his Republican colleagues and voted for the bill. Yee gave Cox a helmet to thank him for the vote.
Apparently, resorts are not required to enforce the new law, but local law enforcement will with $25 fines to parents who allow their kids to ride without helmets. One more reason to be an outlaw. The bill still has to clear the State Assembly before being signed into law by Mr. Schwarzenegger.
It’s been quite a while since we’ve mentioned Jamie Salter, but the guy who took snowboarding public on May 6, 1994 (when Ride Snowboards hit the NASDAQ) is still going strong with his company Authentic Brands Group, LLC.
In fact, he just landed a “$250 million equity capital raise with Green Equity Investors V, L.P an affiliate of Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. (“LGP”), Knight’s Bridge Capital Partners Inc. (“Knight’s Bridge”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Counsel Corporation,” according to news released today.
The deal reportedly brings him back together with former Gen-X partner Kenneth Finkelstein. Together the two owned, operated, and/or were closely involved with Ride Snowboards, Airwalk, Sims, Duffs, and a host of other second tier action brands like Lamar, LTD Snowboards etc. Finkelstein’s Knight’s Bridge Capital currently owns the Poloroid brand.
“I am very excited to embark on this new venture with my partners at LGP and Knight’s Bridge. LGP is among the world’s most experienced private equity investors in the retail and branded consumer products industries and Knight’s Bridge will provide its own exceptional investment and brand licensing expertise,” Mr. Salter said. “Our collective experiences will enable Authentic Brands Group to acquire and grow a global portfolio of world renowned brands.”
Currently ABG manages the Bob Marley brand and is looking to “actively acquire and manage iconic consumer brands in the apparel, sporting goods, action sports, home, celebrity, entertainment and consumer electronics segments.” That $250 million war chest can’t hurt. Wonder who they’re going to buy first?
When a action sports clothing company (Comune) refers to its own promotional snowboard film as “avant-garde” and uses an infamous 1960s anti-establishment art colony in Colorado (Drop City) as its main inspiration to help it move product through the malls of America (Urban Outfitters, Pac Sun) it’s difficult not to chuckle.
When the title of that black and white film is as pretentious as “Black Holes and Invisible Forces Bending Time Through Particle Deformations Creating Infinite Freedom in the Garden on the Moon,” it almost becomes farcical.
That said, the new Comune teaser Burn The Witch is fun to watch no matter we look at it.
Building bindings is a pain in the ass, especially when you have to recall 3,120 of them because they are too dangerous to ride.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety CommissionRome Snowboards is officially recalling the 2010 United binding (pictured above) because “the base plates can break at cold temperatures,” which sadly is pretty much the only time they are used.
The snowboard bindings were sold at snow sports retailers from September 2009 through December 2009 for about $160. . . Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled snowboard bindings and contact Rome Snowboards for free replacement bindings.
Damn, those China bindings. . . Luckily, no injuries have been reported and Rome will be replacing them—all 3,120 of them.
Wonder what kind of gentlemen’s agreement Tony Hawk and Shaun White have regarding video games? Because Tony’s new game Shred is rumored to possible get into a little snow and surf and Shaun’s new game Skateboarding (scheduled to arrive this fall) is not exactly a snowboard game.
Are the two monster boarding icons going head-to-head in the isles of the big box stores this Christmas? Looks probable.
The December 2008 Issue won a Silver Eddie for overall editorial excellence in the “Consumer Sports Full Issue” category and the 2009 Buyer’s Guide took the Bronze Ozzie Award in the “Best Supplemental Annual or One-Shot” category.
“Snowboarding looks easy until you try to drop in on one of those Superpipes, the same might be said about making snowboarding magazines,” said TransWorld SNOWboarding’s Editor-in-Chief, Annie Fast. “We work hard to make it look easy, so we’re especially honored by the recognition of the greater magazine world with a silver and bronze—it’s like winning our own magazine Olympics!”
Kevin Pearce was on NBC’s The Today Show this morning (May 4, 2010). And it’s so good to see him back home, back communicating, and apparently on his way to a full recovery.
Looks like those whirling blades of sticks and poles may get their shot at Olympic glory as the FIS has apparently approved the concept of ski halfpipe for the 2014 Olympics. All that is missing now is IOC approval.
