Snowboarding

The Expanding Art Universe of Trevor Andrew

by The Editors on September 6, 2023

A great snowboarder who became the darling of the art world. How did Trevor Andrew do it? If you’ve always wanted to know the story behind Gucci Ghost, he explains it right here in an interview with Art Plugged.

With skateboarding and snowboarding, my mom worked at the little local ski hill in Nova Scotia, and I went there every day after school and then started competing, and those older guys started bringing me around to contest. Then I left home at like 15, dropped out of school and just went for it. I was committed to making it work. There was no plan B.

Apparently, he has applied the same all-in method to music and art. Click the link for the entire interview.

[Link: Art Plugged]

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Jamie Salter Closes on Boardriders Purchase

by The Editors on September 1, 2023

Authentic Brands Group has officially completed its purchase of Boardriders (parent company to most every action sports brand you remember from your youth) for the alleged sale price of $1.25 billion and added a reported $1.4 billion to its annual sales totals, according to a blurb in Women’s Wear Daily.

In March, the brand development, marketing and entertainment firm inked a deal to acquire Boardriders, the parent of Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, VonZipper, Honolua and Boardriders, for a reported $1.25 billion. At the time, Authentic had sales of $27.6 billion. . . The company said it would shortly begin to orchestrate its plan to “announce a roster of best-in-class partners around the world to help drive the brands in their next stage of growth.”

And to think, it all started for Jamie Salter with a little company called Kemper Snowboards. Ah, those were the days, weren’t they?

[Link: WWD]

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Ultimate Snowboard Pad Sells For $32 Million

by The Editors on August 1, 2023

The most expensive house in Whistler just sold for $32 million, according to a story in Pique Newsmagazine. What more is there to say? Not a bad looking place, but what a hassle to keep clean.

The [8,700-square-foot “architectural masterpiece”] residence features a curved, floating staircase suspended by cables that doubles as an art installation, a 25-metre pool cantilevered over the cliff edge it’s built into, in addition to three fireplaces, a wine cellar, grotto spa, floor-to-ceiling windows and an elevator. 

Remind us to be a little more motivated (and evil) next time around.

[Link: Pique Magazine]

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Snowboard Coach Talked Into Gender Brawl

by The Editors on July 27, 2023

David Bloch, the founder of the Woodstock Union High School snowboarding team in Woodstock, Vermont found out what can happen when teachers discuss gender and athletic competition with their students, according to a story in the New York Post.

[Bloch] lost his job in early February, a day after having a three-minute discussion with some of his athletes, during which he said that biological males have a physical advantage over female-born athletes.

Now, Bloch is suing his former employer and giving everyone on both sides of the gender identification debate ammo for days. If you’re interested in the ins and outs of the gender ground war circa 2023 please click the link.

[Link: New York Post]

[Editors Update March 6, 2024: David Bloch settles suit and gets $75,000 from school district.]

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Another Indy Resort Bites The Dust

by The Editors on June 1, 2023

The old dream of riding a local, independent mountain took another hit today (June 1, 2023) as uber resort conglomerate Alterra Mountain Company announced their pending purchase of Northern Idaho’s OG hill Schweitzer. Of course the business people are ecstatic about the purchase and how great it will be for everyone involved.

“Since becoming an Ikon Pass partner in 2021, we’ve had the good fortune of learning how Alterra Mountain Company has quickly evolved into an industry leader,” said Tom Chasse, President and CEO of Schweitzer. “The company’s commitment to preserving the authenticity of their mountain communities while investing in the overall mountain experience is what we’re most looking forward to as the newest member of the Alterra family.”

Just a reminder. Monopolies are always bad. They limit consumer choice. They stifle innovation. And they mean higher prices for worse service. But, it’s very difficult to slow the machine. We just had some of the best days of our season at Mammoth Mountain, so we’re as guilty as anyone when we encourage you to support your local independent hill.

For the official word, follow the jump.

[click to continue…]

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Trevor Jacob Pleads Guilty To Obstruction

by The Editors on May 11, 2023

Remember that time former pro snowboarder Trevor Jacob posted a video in which he ditched his airplane by jumping out with a parachute and let the plane crash somewhere in the Los Padres National Forest near Lompoc, California? Remember how aviation experts called bullshit on his needing to ditch the plane that glides so well? Apparently, the United States Attorney’s Office of Central District of California never forgot. They stayed after him and now Trevor has decided to plead guilty (click the link to read it) to the “intent to obstruct a federal investigation, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1519,” according to a story on Court House News.

A felony count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Obviously, he would not agree to enter a plea if he was going to get the maximum sentence, so hopefully he’ll get out from under this with a minimum of prison time. He’s asked for less than two years, so we will see. Neither Jacob nor the government commented on the case.

[Link: Court House News]

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Shaun White: Auto Glass Convention Speaker

by The Editors on May 9, 2023

There are many ways to monetize your fame. One of them is public speaking. One of the saddest is speaking to a room full of sweaty-assed, drunk men in logo’d polo shirts. And if there is anything worse than that, it is being the keynote speaker for an automobile glass sellers convention. No doubt, Auto Glass Week is excited to have noted Hollywood star-dater Shaun White speak. But what is Auto Glass Week you ask? Here, let them explain:

Auto Glass Week 2023 will showcase advancements and innovations in the OE and aftermarket auto glass repair, replacement and calibration industry and forge new professional connections. With new products launches, an expanding market, customers in high demand and an overflow of creativity, the potential in this industry is unmatched.

Exciting, no? Obviously, Shaun White is not afraid to speak to whomever is paying him. Let’s just hope they’re paying him six digits.

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Black Diamond Recalls Avy Transceivers

by The Editors on April 27, 2023

If you’re depending on a Black Diamond Recon LT avalanche transceiver to save your life when you get buried on your next backcountry trip, you might want to update the firmware immediately. Apparently, they can, on occasion, NOT WORK AT ALL.

The recalled transceivers can unexpectedly enter search mode due to interference from other beacons. If this occurs, the device could fail to transmit the position of survivors of an avalanche, resulting in delayed search and rescue operations, which could result in severe bodily harm or death if the skier is buried under snow.

So, don’t use it. Update the firmware, and then pray that the new firmware works better than the last. Side note: this doesn’t appear to be anything new for Black Diamond. They appear to have avalanche beacon recalls every year.

[Link: Consumer Product Safety Commission]

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Gretchen Bleiler Talks The Middle Zone

by The Editors on April 18, 2023

What do you do with an athlete, when they stop being an athlete? Especially if they’ve had serious injuries to body and brain? Former olympic snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler is helping others answer those questions, while dealing with many questions of her own in this profile in The Aspen Times.

“It’s such a sad end-of-life story. These athletes who we were all so inspired by, who made the impossible possible, their mental and physical health can be so deteriorated and debilitating. Their life can become tragic. It should never be like this,” said Bleiler. . . “No one knows how to treat CTE. So many people are not talking about what they are going through. It’s shameful and isolating by yourself. And there’s delayed changes, many times years later. It’s confusing, what is happening to my personality, why is this happening, am I going crazy?” . . . To rebuild the pillars in her life, Bleiler began that deeper journey she had ultimately been craving. She had already received her mediation certification in 2014 through the Chopra Center. She was ready for more.

It’s great to hear that she’s getting things all sorted. For the rest of her mid-life story, please click the link.

[Link: The Aspen Times]

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Requiem For The Surf Industry

by The Editors on April 3, 2023

In one fell swoop, the entire surf industrial complex has disappeared from the world. Poof! All the stories, all the late-night parking lot parties and premieres, and all the dreams of kids from the dusty streets of middle America who longed to reach for the beach. Today, Jamie Salter’s oxymoronically named Authentic Brand Group has agreed to buy Boardriders (Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, DC Shoes, RVCA, Element, VonZipper, Surf Dive & Ski, and Honolua) from Oaktree Capital for a reported $1.28 billion, according to stories in the Chain Store Age and the Australian Financial Review. Here’s how Mr. Salter spins it:

Along with the great brands and impressive global reach that will come with this acquisition, we see Boardriders’ potential as a thriving online marketplace under Authentic’s ownership,” said Jamie Salter, founder, chairman and CEO of Authentic, whose brands include Reebok, Eddie Bauer, Nautica and many more. “With Boardriders’ proven retail playbook, we also see tremendous opportunities to accelerate the expansion of its shop-in-shops, branded retail stores, wholesale and e-commerce worldwide.”

By far the funniest quote is from Boardriders CEO Arne Arens:

We are proud of our deep connection to the global action sports community, industry-leading brands and world-class teams,” said Arne Arens, CEO of Boardriders. “Under Authentic’s ownership, Boardriders will be uniquely positioned to expand the reach of our iconic brands to millions of consumers, capture market share in our core categories and grow white spaces, including premium athleisure, training and lifestyle.”

We know Mr. Arens has to say this, but does anyone really believe it? We don’t. In the meantime, make sure you buy from. . . well, authentically authentic action sports brands that are privately owned and funded. If you know of any, please help us out and leave them in the comments.

[Link: Chain Store Age and Australian Financial Review]

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