We really haven’t followed Shaun White’s thoughts or career for years. Yes, he’s a great snowboarder, and he’s sold some pretty cool houses, but that’s about our only interest. If you’re interested in more than that, like his thoughts on fashion for instance, or more specifically his new line Whitespace then you might enjoy this interview with Footwear News.
Speaking with FN last month, White said that as he enters the next phase of his life, he has big aspirations for the business. “I’m a competitor, it’s what I do, and it’s every little thing I can do to make better products,” he said. “That’s the sort of attitude I took to my sporting career. It’s this endless pursuit of progression.”
Strange. Didn’t think he was making shoes. Oh well, if you find anything interesting in this interview please let us know in the comments, because this story has been linked, not read.
A popular snowboarding brand has just released a promotional video featuring a solid crew of young snowboarders hitting rails in scenic street locations.
The music is just right for the mood, the snowboarding is solid, and the dreamy establishing shots of pristine snow-covered villages about to be shredded by the crew are wistfully beautiful. The cinematography is also top notch, with all the proper angles. It is obvious that the filmmakers and snowboarders worked diligently on this project and for that they should be proud of their work.
We were so impressed with this work that we would joyfully bro-hug every one of the people involved with the production of this content if we could. Thanks for creating such a great addition to the snowboarding media landscape. We look forward to much more of the exact, same thing, over and over again as the season rolls on.
We haven’t even begun to process this yet, but Ken Block, action sports visionary, DC Shoes co-founder, rally car driver, Hoonigan co-founder, and all-around incredible person, husband, and father died today (Monday, January 2, 2023) in Wasatch County, Utah when the snowmobile he was riding reportedly flipped on top of him, according to TMZ Sports. Ken was 55.
According to the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office, Block was riding a snowmobile at around 2 PM on a steep slope when the vehicle suddenly upended and landed on top of him. . . “Mr. Block was riding with a group but was alone when the accident occurred,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Officials say he was pronounced dead on scene due to injuries he suffered during the accident.
We are completely gutted. Our thoughts are with his wife Lucy and his three kids. (The photo above was the Block Family Christmas photo from their recent trip to Baldface Lodge.)
Honestly, we haven’t been paying much attention to the action sports media space lately, because there really aren’t any action sports media in the space (yeah, props to Thrasher, always). But, someone sent us a link to Emerald’s Shopping Blog and a story about A360 selling the old TransWorld Media and Surfer Publications titles (along with Men’s Journal) to The Arena Group, the current owners of Sports Illustrated, The Street, and Parade for close to $29 million dollars. The purchase includes the brands Skateboarding, Skateboarder, Snowboarder, Surfer, Powder, and Bike.
“For years, consumers have trusted Men’s Journal for exclusive lifestyle content and guidance on travel, gear, the outdoors, style, food & drink and more,” said Ross Levinsohn, chairman and CEO of The Arena Group. “Additionally, the titles within the Adventure Network have long stood for excellence with passionate enthusiasts within the Ski, Surf, Biking and Skateboarding communities. There are natural synergies between these brands and our existing audiences we can leverage and enhance through integration, distribution and our playbook, driving incremental value, growth and profitability. This strategic investment underscores our commitment to diversifying and devoting resources to opportunities where we see the most value across The Arena Group.”
As we all know, online media sites aren’t exactly killing it these days, but apparently The Arena Group (Where The Action Is™) knows some secret to getting paid. But as one industry insider told us, “Honestly, this seems like more bad media consolidation. Just stacking lots of money-losing things together rarely results in making money. They seem like they’re just building towards an acquisition by Hatchette or Condé Nast or someone bigger.” It doesn’t look like this insider is alone. Arena’s stock dropped 11 percent on today’s news. (Or was it that half percent rate hike.) You be the judge. For the official word from The Arena Group please follow the jump.
The consolidation of California’s smaller ski resorts moved forward today as Invision Capital, owners of Mountain High and Dodge Ridge, announced that they had purchased the Fresno adjacent China Peak from long time owner Tim Cohee.
“As of Friday I have completed the sale of China Peak Mountain Resort to Private Equity firm, Invision Capital, based in Chicago,” said Cohee. “I have agreed to remain General Manager for the foreseeable future. We weren’t anxious sellers but Karl and Invision were very interested in having a resort group that covers most of California’s market geographically.”
We’re big fans of resorts that are not part of the “super mega pass” industrial complex so we’re not sure if this is good news exactly. Bundling smaller resorts into larger bites makes it easier for the big guys to hoover them up, but until then this is a great little group of California resorts to spend some time with. For all the official details please follow the jump.
There was a time when Mason Aguirre was one of the highest paid snowboarders in the world. His smooth-flowing, rock star halfpipe style made him a standout in any terrain. Few snowboarders have had more raw natural talent. And during the first decade of the new millennium it seemed like Mason was everywhere (including placing fourth in the 2006 Torino Olympics).
Then, in what seemed like a minute, he was gone. The Bomb Hole Podcast gets Mason’s entire back story. What he went though and how he made it back. It is a cautionary tale. Thankfully, the same skills that put Mason to the top in snowboarding, helped him get back to sobriety, happiness, and success.
If we’re going to get advice regarding charging out into the backcountry and riding the big walls, we’d probably put Jeremy Jones at the top of our ask list. And now, thanks to his new book The Art of Shralpinism, we won’t need to waste any of Mr. Jones’ time with our dumb questions, because he’s put it all down on paper.
Here’s how the book is described:
Shralpinism is a compendium of lessons hard won: quick tips, sound advice, and impactful stories. Learn which aspects of avalanche training are most crucial to absorb, ways to anticipate slope behavior or recognize clean lines, how to cut a cornice or develop safety protocols, how to build a fitness routine, the art of the turn, and keys to developing terrain and skills progression. Jones discusses the importance of mentors, the necessity and intensity of practice, the nature of risk, and the shape of failure.
Looks like a pretty good overview of some of the things we all need to know. The 288-page book is currently available on Amazon.com for $29. For all the official details, please follow the jump.
After decades of spending money on their action sporting franchise, ESPN has finally found an exit to the X Games by selling “a majority interest” in the brand to a private equity firm called MSP Sports Capital (owners of McLaren Racing and more.)
“We are bringing our deep-rooted sports expertise to continue the progression and excitement around athletes, competition, fans, and X Games partners,” said Jahm Najafi, Founder and Chairman, MSP Sports Capital, and Founder and CEO, The Najafi Companies.
MSP founder Jahm Najafi, a billionaire who (aside from owning a large piece of the Phoenix Suns basketball team and entertainment company STX Entertainment,) also has investment dealings through Najafi Companies with Shaun Neff. Remember his first brand Neff Headwear?
We’ve never understood the calculus behind PE/VCs interest in action sports. Rarely have the numbers worked for anyone (Jamie Salter is an obvious exception), yet the “sexiness” of boardsports seems to keep the money managers flocking like vultures. They’ve enlisted Tony Hawk as “a brand steward,” and that’s not a bad first move. But the only real synergy the X Games brand ever had was ESPN’s somewhat aging TV/Internet distribution system, so it will be interesting to see what MSP does with the brand outside of that. Najafi is obviously a business genius, so this should be good.
For the official word from MSP, please follow the jump.
Nothing makes us feel older than a 30 year retrospective of pretty much anything. In this case it’s Ride Snowboards. For their new docco Rough Around The Edges they put a who’s who list of OG shreds from the 90s into a Corbusier and let them run. Every single somebody from the era is represented. Can’t wait to see the entire thing.
Lenders have been given the legal go-ahead to sue Quiksilver and Billabong’s parent company Boardriders after the lenders accused the company of “unfairly” benefitting from a rescue financing deal back in 2020, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal.
A New York judge said Tuesday (October 18, 2022) that loan funds managed by Intermediate Capital Group PLC and other investment firms can move ahead with claims against Boardriders Inc. and another group of lenders over a 2020 debt transaction that provided $110 million in capital to the company.
The lenders seem to be bothered because they believe Boardriders got a better piece of the $110 million than they should have. Apparently, they posit that more of said money should have gone to paying them back. We’d read the rest of the story, but we don’t have access to WSJ Pro. If you do, let us know what it all means.
We haven’t even begun to process this yet, but 
Honestly, we haven’t been paying much attention to the action sports media space lately, because there really aren’t any action sports media in the space (yeah, props to Thrasher, always). But, someone sent us a link to 
The consolidation of California’s smaller ski resorts moved forward today as Invision Capital, owners of Mountain High and Dodge Ridge, announced that they had purchased the Fresno adjacent China Peak from long time owner Tim Cohee.
If we’re going to get advice regarding charging out into the backcountry and riding the big walls, we’d probably put Jeremy Jones at the top of our ask list. And now, thanks to his new book 
After decades of spending money on their action sporting franchise, ESPN has finally found an exit to the 
Lenders have been given the legal go-ahead to sue Quiksilver and Billabong’s parent company 
