by The Editors on January 18, 2008
The athletes are probably saying it’s about time, but ESPN has decided to reward the athletes with a little more than nation TV exposure this year as they up the prize purse to $1 million, according to a story in the Aspen Times.
The overall prize purse is up 38 percent from last year’s, and the total purse for all X Games competitions to be held in 2008 exceeds $3 million. This year, X Games events will be held in Aspen, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Dubai and two other international markets yet to be announced. . . . “ESPN is committed to ensuring that the best action sports athletes in the world compete on action sports’ grandest stage – the X Games,” said Rick Alessandri, senior vice president and managing director, X Games franchise.
One meeelllioooon dollars, yes. They better get paid.
[Link: Aspen Times]
by The Editors on January 18, 2008
Here is a classic case of conflict of interest: ESPN the Magazine is covering The X Games, a wholly-owned product of Disney/ABC/ESPN as an actual sporting event when, in fact, it is a made-for-TV action sports spectacle.
We’re glad that Gretchen Bleiler can get this kind of coverage (she’s only the fourth woman ever to be featured on the magazine’s cover), and she looks great on the cover, but please, isn’t ESPN doing enough self-promotion for their X Games brand already? Obviously, no one cares about any of this because all the coverage helps move product. Then why aren’t we happy about it? We’ll get back to you on that.
[Link: Center Daily]
by The Editors on January 18, 2008
Volcom is blaming a “weak retail environment” for causing it to lower it’s 2008 financial outlook.
The apparel company now says 10 percent earnings growth and 18 percent revenue growth “are achievable” in 2008. It previously forecast 20 percent growth for profit and sales. . . . Volcom now expects to report fourth-quarter earnings of 29 cents or 30 cents per-share on revenue of $67 million to $68 million. Volcom earlier estimated profit of 30 cents to 32 cents per share and sales of $70 million to $73 million.
[Link: CNNMoney.com]
by The Editors on January 16, 2008
It’s been rumored forever and denied forever, yet strangely today it was officially announced that Volcom, the big, powerful, publicly traded company has purchased tiny, core, eyewear company Electric Visual for $25.5 million in cash. Wooly is happy about it.
Culturally, Electric is a perfect fit for our company,” Woolcott continued. “We’ve known the Electric team for a long time, and we recognize they share the same passion and love for action sports as we do here at Volcom. Our companies are very much on the same wavelength, sharing similarities in product distribution, marketing efforts and a strong commitment to quality and innovation. Everyone here is stoked to welcome Electric into the Volcom family.”
Bruce Beach, who continually denied any such thing likes the idea as well (not surprisingly).
We believe this partnership will enable us to take the Electric brand to the next level,” said Bruce Beach, co-president and chief executive officer of Electric. “We are very excited about working closely with the Volcom team to grow our existing eyewear business and further expand into new product categories. Additionally, this partnership will enable us to grow our retail relationships and to continue to strengthen our operational capabilities.”
And we’re happy because it means we know at least four more millionaires. . . and they’re good people to know.
[Link: BusinessWire]
by The Editors on January 15, 2008
Daniel James Hedlund, 30, of New Zealand died January 9, 2008 in an avalanche at Tignes in the French Alps. Hedlund was living in France and on his day off from his job as chef at the Alpaka Hotel when he got caught in a slide.
He went snowboarding with two friends. He jumped off a small cliff, and was was buried under about 1.5m of snow by an avalanche. . . One of the men he was with tried to dig him out with a shovel, while the other went to get help. . . ski patrol used a heart defibrillator on Mr Hedlund, but could not revive him. . . A doctor was flown to the scene by helicopter but Mr Hedlund died 45 minutes later.
According to police, the group was properly equipped with beacons and shovels.
[Link: New Zealand Herald]
by The Editors on January 14, 2008
Every year Zumiez has big part for all the people who moved more than 100k in product. This year’s party was held at Keystone, Colorado and the winner sold $600k in gear. Her name is Jennifer Huynh. She got buried in prizes handed out by two-thirds of the boarding trifecta: Kelly Slater and Tony Hawk. If only someone at T-Dub could have mentioned what shop she was from. Follow the link for all the photos.
[Link: TransWorld Snowboarding]
by The Editors on January 13, 2008
by The Editors on January 13, 2008
Two Boise, Idaho men, Robert Carl Befort, 26, and Jacob Jay Eller, 20, were arrested and charged in the thefts of two snowboards on Tuesday, Dec. 8th.
The men had reportedly taken two snowboards from Idaho’s Bogus Basin, however, the owners of the snowboards were able to give police a good description of the car and license plate. Meth makes kids do stupid things. Then again, maybe these boys at risk never had the Burton Chill experience.
by The Editors on January 12, 2008
The media world never seems to tire of first person stories about old dogs trying new tricks. In this installment of that premise, the New York Times sends Harry Hurt III, a 57-year-old “executive” to Lake Placid to take up that rabble-rousing sport of snowboarding. You know, like the kids are doing. And you know, it’s like they speak a completely different language.
Despite my losing battles against age and gravity, I eventually remained upright long enough to experience a few fleeting moments of extreme joy. On Day 2, I put together a sequence of toe turns and heel turns that lasted about 100 yards. On Day 3, something possessed me to attempt a trick known as stomping the box. The box was an eight-foot-long plastic-topped girder that resembled a sidewalk curb. I was supposed to stomp on my board with downward weight pressure so that it remained flat. On my third and final attempt, I rode seven feet along the box before I did a Superman.
Figures.
[Link: New York Times]
by The Editors on January 11, 2008
It’s been nearly a week since Michael George and Kyle Kerschen two 27-year-old snowboarders who went missing at Colorado’s Wolf Creek Ski Resort, but at least one helicopter is still looking for them.
Their car was found in the ski area’s parking lot [on January 5, 2008]. . . Mineral County Sheriff Fred Hosselkus asked anyone who may have seen the men before they disappeared to contact authorities. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Sandy Kroll said missing-person fliers were being distributed in surrounding communities, and skiers and others were asked to look for any sign of them. . . . Kroll said Hosselkus has not said how long the search would continue. The men’s families have asked authorities to keep looking.
[Link: Summit Daily]
