by The Editors on March 26, 2025
No, we haven’t talked to Matt Biolos. Nor have we tried. It’s quicker to just post a link to TMZ and call it a day.
Lost International is suing Lady Gaga for trademark infringement for her “Mayhem” album … claiming they own the rights to the term as used in the surf company’s distinctive logo and that Lady Gaga’s use is basically identical. . . In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Lost says they’ve been slapping a stylized version of “Mayhem” on their surfboards and merch for over a decade … and Gaga ripped off the design for her latest album.
Gotta protect what’s yours. Right?
[Editors’ Sidenote: The list of other people and/or brands we did not check in with for this post include the band Mayhem, Men of Mayhem, Mayhem Wheels, Mayhem Security, Mayhem Nation, Liquid Mayhem, Musky Mayhem, Mayhem Theater Company, Mayhem Wines, Mayhem Datil Pepper Farms, Heaven Mayhem, and the Farmer’s Insurance Mayhem guy. Oddly, the word itself is beginning to look totally wrong to us.]
[Link: TMZ]
by The Editors on February 12, 2024
It’s not often that a rad, little resort in Vermont makes the pages of The New Yorker Magazine, especially in a story featuring hundreds of millions in potentially mishandled funds. But that’s exactly the position Jay Peak and former resort manager Bill Stenger are in this month with a story titled “The Rural Ski Slope Caught Up in an International Scam,” by Sheelah Kolhatkare.
The crux of the story revolves around how Stenger and a business partner raised money for development at the resort and what they actually did with the money they raised. Here’s the how:
He [Stenger] raised money using the EB-5 visa program, which aimed to channel foreign investments into businesses that created jobs for Americans, especially in rural or economically depressed parts of the country. For five hundred thousand dollars (the amount has since risen to nine hundred thousand), foreign investors and their families became eligible for green cards, so long as that money succeeded in creating at least ten jobs.
As for what they did with all the money, you’ll have to read the story. In the end, it goes to show that running a resort isn’t always about keeping the snow guns blowing and the cats repaired. There is much, much, more involved. And sometimes it even a little prison time. Click the link for the rest of the story.
[Link: The New Yorker]
by The Editors on December 11, 2023
In a story you rarely see, Miguel Vega, 33, of Corona, CA, a former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, was just sent to federal prison for two years for “violating the civil rights” of a skateboarder at the Compton skate park by “improperly detaining him and then acting to cover up his actions,” according to a story on MyNewsLA.
Vega pleaded guilty in September to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, a crime that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. He admitted to having falsely imprisoned the 23-year-old skateboarder in his patrol car, which crashed during a subsequent chase, leaving the man injured. He also admitted filing false reports to cover up his and his partner’s unlawful conduct. . . Vega’s former partner, Christopher Hernandez, 37, pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy. A sentencing hearing is set in Los Angeles federal court for Jan. 8, at which time he will face up to five years in federal prison.
Bad cop, go to prison. Skateboarding finally wins one. We’ll keep you posted.
[Link: MyNewsLA]
by The Editors on December 4, 2023
Trevor Jacob the talented snowboarder, skateboarder, pilot, and Youtuber who crashed his small airplane for views back in November of 2021 has reportedly been sentenced to six months in prison according to a story on Courthouse New Service.
Trevor Jacob, 30, was spared the 12-month prison term prosecutors sought at his sentencing Monday in downtown Los Angeles. . . “I apologize from the bottom of my heart,” Jacob said in a tearful plea for leniency at Monday’s hearing. “I look back in complete shame on my conduct.” . . . U.S. District Judge John Walter, while acknowledging that Jacob’s regret for the Nov. 24, 2021, stunt was sincere, said the offense required a prison sentence and not just probation, as his attorney had suggested.
Yeah, we’re bummed for him, but just think of the stories he’ll have to tell when he’s back out and on the tubes.
[Link: Courthouse News Service]
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]
by The Editors on March 5, 2023
Pro skateboarder Terry Kennedy will be spending the few years in prison after being found guilty of “aggravated battery” in the death of 23-year-old skateboarder Josiah Kassahun. Kennedy also plead guilty to one count of threatening a public official which comes with an additional five-year sentence as well bringing the sentence to 10 years total, according to a story in The Daily Herald.
Kennedy must serve at least 50% of each sentence before being eligible for parole. He received credit for the more than 1½ years he has spent in jail awaiting trial and sentencing.
Guess that means he only has three and half more to go before a possible parole. Would be cool if he could make that work.
[Link: The Daily Herald]
by The Editors on February 3, 2023
A group of female Alpine snowboarders has sued former coach Peter Foley, along with the US Ski Snowboard organization, its former CEO and others for “sex trafficking, harassment, and enabling and covering up repeated acts of sexual assault and misconduct,” according to a story on ESPN.com.
Three-time Olympian Rosey Fletcher, 2010 Olympian Callan Chythlook-Sifsof and former national team member Erin O’Malley alleged in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles that Foley, the national federation, its longtime CEO Gale “Tiger” Shaw and the USOPC “conspired and acted in concert with one another to commit unlawful acts.”
No one from the defense has weighed in on this most recent lawsuit. Previously, Foley’s lawyer Howard Jacobs stated that all the allegations were false. For all the details, please click the link.
[Link: ESPN.com]
by The Editors on January 18, 2023
Mark “Gator” Rogowski, the pro skateboarder who has spent the last 30 years in prison for the 1991 rape and murder of Jessica Bergsten will not be paroled. The parole board voted to approve his release on June 14, 2022, however, California Governor Gavin Newsom has reversed Rogowski’s parole for the second time, according to a story on CBS8.com.
On November 4, 2022, Governor Newsom once again rescinded Rogowski’s parole. . . While citing Rogowski’s work to reform himself, Newsom wrote that Rogowski has “made efforts at self-improvement,” having participated in “significant self-help programming, including substance abuse prevention, anger management, and sex offense desistence courses,” [however] “Despite the constructive steps,” Newsom said a recent verbal disagreement with another prisoner and Rogowski’s inability to understand what caused him to act in such a violent way are reasons for his decision to repeal the parole board’s decision.”
Gator, who is currently serving a 31-years-to-life sentence, comes up for parole again in December 2023.
by The Editors on July 25, 2022
Walmart, the massive, big box, retailer, and obesity promoter, is a hulking bag of putrescence for so many reasons that it’s not worth listing any of them. But here’s one anyway. Back in February 2022 we mentioned a story about Vans filing a lawsuit against the monster retailer for knocking off most of Vans shoes.
Vans won an injunction against the company in March 2022 that required Walmart to stop selling the infringing shoes. But did Walmart follow that injunction? Of course not, according to a story on Reuters.
Vans told the court Friday that Walmart was “doubling down” with new shoes that are “even more similar” to its designs. It also said that Walmart was still selling other shoes that had been banned by the order. . . Vans’ court filing said Walmart has told the company it would stop selling the infringing shoes but “has not shown that it is actually putting its words into action.”
Vans wants Walmart to be fined $3,000 a day until they stop selling the shoes. But that probably won’t even stop the retail whale from continuing to plow ahead through the waters of copyright infringement, because why should they stop? They’re making boatloads of money. And they do the same thing in almost every category they sell in.
[Link: Reuters]
by The Editors on June 15, 2022
Former pro skateboarder 
