The DC Shoes website seems to be missing a few belts, wallets, and other accessories that featured the DC logo. And there appears to be what one friend called “a distinct lack of snowboards” on the DC Snowboarding website. Strange, no?
According to sources, Chanel, which makes a few belts, wallets, snowboards, and other sporting equipment of their own, has reportedly sent DC a cease and desist letter requesting that DC stop producing several items featuring the Chanel-like intertwined DC letters. From the looks of the DC websites it appears that Quiksilver legal is cooperating with the request and then some.
Those who follow along may remember a similar skirmish between the brands in the 90s when DC founders Ken Block and Damon Way reportedly made a deal suggesting that since DC was “just a small skateboard company” that Chanel would allow DC to use the logo on skate shoes and some apparel. Now that DC is part of a billion dollar fashion label it appears that Chanel is looking at their products a little more carefully and it would appear that at least a few logo changes may be on the horizon at DC.
Requests for comment to both Chanel and Quiksilver have not been returned.
In a six-page (get your clicking finger ready) story in Denver’s Westword writer Colin Bane dives deeply into the whole night-before-the-Olympics US Grand Prix scene using Steve Fisher as his muse.
Yes, that Steve Fisher: the amazingly talented rider who competes in a black balaclava that often leaves him looking more like a lost Minnesota hunter than one of the best pipe jocks in snowboarding. The guy who may forever live in the shadow of Shaun White’s pop-cultural zeitgeist.
But Bane doesn’t really mention any of that, or of the strange place less marketable athletes like Fisher occupy in the high-fashion world of advertising-driven board sports. Bane plays the story of Fisher’s Olympic hopes straight and the result is a lot like Steve Fisher himself: really good, but not all that intriguing.
Then again, snowboarding can probably use all the down-to-earthiness it can get before the five-ring hype storm rolls in off the coast.
Jeremy Jones discusses his idea behind Deeper, a snowboard film two years in the making. And yes, we’re sure seeing Deeper will make us feel a little less macho while making resort laps through the park. Luckily, the movie doesn’t come out until the fall of 2010 so we an entire season to nut up and ride like men.
Tomorrow (December 10, 2009), on the snowy slopes of the recently soldCopper Mountain Resort in the heart of Summit County Colorado, the big show kicks off with women’s halfpipe qualifiers.
As never before snowboarders are well aware (thank you Shaun White) of what the Olympics can mean for fame, fortune, and everything that goes with it. And for United States halfpipe riders there’s only one way to get into the rings: The US Snowboard Grand Prix.
Top halfpipe riders will get five chances to show their skills: one at Copper Mountain this weekend, two at Mammoth January 4-10, 2010, and the final two at Park City January 20-23, 2010 (click resort names for event info). Then the team is chosen and it’s on to Vancouver.
Follow the jump for the full schedule of Copper Mountain events: [click to continue…]
The Burton sponsored back-in-the-day snowboarding retrospective web series Power & Rails is back for season two on VBS.com.
The second season of “Powder & Rails” will features Tom Sims, Jamie Lynn, Shawn Farmer, Noah Salasnek, Chris Roach, Mike Ranquet, and Circe Wallace. Some repeat offenders from Season 1 (Shaun White, Damian Sanders, Jerry Dugan, Mike Hatchett, Tom Burt, Dave Seoane, and Jeff Brushie) will also be making appearances.
There’s nothing like look back to make us all feel old.
Wonder how Quiksilver shareholders (and former employees) feel about this little line from a Globe and Mail story on how Rossignol has pulled their company back from the brink of bankruptcy.
For a company that has shed 20 per cent of its work force and narrowly escaped bankruptcy, opening a glitzy new headquarters might look like corporate vanity. . . Not so for Skis Rossignol SA, says new chief executive officer Bruno Cercley, who hopes the glass-fronted new building will motivate staff as the 100-year old company tries to turn the page on recession by focusing on core ski brands.
Guess that page turning thing is easier to do after letting another company take the fall for you. . .
When a Japanese company (Phoenix’s X-Nix) purchased the rights to dress the 1998 United States Olympic Snowboard Team Burton Snowboards thought that the whole idea of a “uniform” for snowboarders was a terrible idea. In fact, they said that it went against everything that snowboarding stood for.
Now that Burton is been the official snowboard team supplier for a second Olympics things are a quite different, according to a story in the New York Times.
“Board sports, for the most part, are about expressing individuality — that’s what makes them cool,” said Greg Dacyshyn, the company’s creative director. “So the whole uniform thing, you know, it’s a sensitive subject.” . . . “The inspiration was sort of that classic Americana look: the plaid blazer and old jeans,” Dacyshyn said. “Yeah, it’s a uniform, but it’s also an anti-uniform at the same time.”
But more importantly, the uniforms now sport a couple Burton logos. One thing is for sure: these uniforms are going to look real smooth behind gold medals.
The Euro snowboard season kicks off this weekend in Innsbruck with the Billabong Air & Style. Tune in December 5, 2009 for live coverage form Bergisel Stadium in Innsbruck, Austria on Freecaster.tv. Should be a rocking good show with The Hives and K.I.Z. and Peetu Piiroinen and Travis Rice kicking down some stadium rock snowboarding.
It appears the cool kids stay cool for ever. Take former shred star Ali Goulet for instance. Thanks to a blown ACL in 2001 he faded away from snowboarding just when it was getting blown out. So what’s the coolest thing going right now? Some would argue it’s Cyclocross. And guess who is dominating the 35+ US Gran Prix of Cyclocross series? According to a story in Velonews it’s, Ali Goulet.
Not only is leading the series, but he is dominating it with four wins and two podium finishes. He also won his first cyclocross state championship in Utah this year, beating Cannondale-Monavie’s Bart Gillespie. . . “When I turned 35 I wanted to race the USGP and do my best to try to win it over all. I wanted to have one year to try it and if it didn’t work out, oh well,” he said. “Then I need to get back to taking care of the kid — trying not to be so selfish.”
Looks like plan A is going quite well for Goulet. How cool is that?
The DC Shoes website seems to be missing a few belts, wallets, and other accessories that featured the DC logo. And there appears to be what one friend called “a distinct lack of snowboards” on the DC Snowboarding website. Strange, no?
