by The Editors on March 4, 2009
Last month we mentioned that the US Army Corp of Engineers was doing some clean up on two New Jersey beaches. According to a story in Press of Atlantic City, they found exactly what they were looking for.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Tuesday that a cleanup of munitions on beaches starting Jan. 26 has unearthed 453 potentially explosive items – almost half of what was previously found since a beachfill project was completed more than two years ago. On Feb. 10, the Army Corps said it had found only 20 items. By March 3, that number had increased more than 20 times.
The Mayor of Surf City is glad the explosives are being removed, but hope the Army can finish up before summer. “I’m glad they’re here doing this, but I just want them to get it done. They only have a few months’ window,” Mike Parascandolo said. “Memorial Day weekend is a good weekend, and they should be out of here – that’s what they say.”
[Link: PressofAtlanticCity]
by The Editors on March 4, 2009
British surfer and freelance writer Alex Wade, the author of the book Surf Nation, has been nominated for the UK’s “Sports Journalists’ Association Sports Feature Writer of the Year award” according to a story in This Is Cornwall.
Alex, who was shortlisted for three stories, two on surfing and one on boxing, says he was ‘stoked’ to be nominated. . . “I’d forgotten all about the awards, and didn’t for a moment think I’d be nominated,” he said. “But it’s also true to say that this year there were a record number of entries for the awards, owing to the number of staff journos having been laid off thanks to the credit crunch.
Wade is up for a national writing award and the local paper still puts his stoked in quotes. . . classic.
[Link: This Is Cornwall]
by The Editors on March 3, 2009
You’d think a guy who wanted to create “a landmark statue” of Kelly Slater for Cocoa Beach would have thought a little about funding it before getting started. Not Sam Drazich. According to a story on Florida Today the statue is going to cost $100,000 and Sam has raised nothing so far.
“I guess we’ve probably raised about 30 or 40 bucks,” laughed Drazich, a weekend surfer whose family grew up in the city. “I’m just hoping someone is going to come through, big. The next stage will probably require a loan.”. . . At 6 tonight at Rusty’s Seafood Restaurant at Port Canaveral, a fund-raiser will take place, with free hors d’oeuvres, drink specials, entertainment and surf art by Bruce Reynolds, who will donate part of his sales.
Someone, please help Sam out.
[Link: Florida Today]
by The Editors on March 3, 2009
He was described as a “whizkid Gold Coast lawyer who made his fortune in the public float of the Billabong surfwear group” but yesterday Matthew Perrin (pictured right in a 1996 photo) “filed for personal bankruptcy with Insolvency Trustee Service of Australia” according to as story in The Australian.
Mr Perrin and his family, which includes three children, live in a double-block mansion at the exclusive Cronin Island on the Gold Coast, worth more than $10 million, which is not included in the list of his assets. . . .”The house is not in this,” Mr Starkey said, noting that “most solicitors put their houses in their wife’s name”. . . .A statement issued yesterday by Mr Perrin’s solicitors, Minter Ellison, said the bankruptcy had been triggered by “the significant investment made by Mr Perrin and those entities that he controls in a supermarket and property group located in the Xian and Hunan provinces in China over a period of more than three years.”
Looks like Mr. “Noexcuses” has a couple pretty good ones now. It is nice to know that this time his financial foibles have nothing to do with Billabong.
[Link: The Australian and Herald Sun]
by The Editors on March 2, 2009
Artist, photographer, filmmaker Thomas Campbell’s newest surf film The Present will be premiering Friday March 6 & 7, 2009 at the world famous La Paloma Theater in Encinitas, California with two showings each night at 7 and 9 PM with special musical guests The Mattson 2 & Ray Barbee.
Featured sliders include Patagonia ambassadors Dan Malloy, Chris Malloy, Fletcher Chouinard and Devon Howard, with Dave Rastovich, Chelsea Georgenson Hedges, Michel Junod, Joel Tudor, Kassia Meador, Alex Knost, Rob Machado, Dane Reynolds and others.
Tickets are available at the Patagonia store in Cardiff, CA. For more dates on the North American moive tour click the link.
[Link: Trim Your Life Away via Surflne]
by The Editors on March 2, 2009
Reality TV casting site Reality Wanted posted a casting call notice today for the “ultimate California surfer family.”
Are you a “California Surf Family”? Can dad “hang 10” just as well as junior? Can mom rip it with the kids from high school? We are looking for you! If you live in the Southern California area and everyone in the family surfs, get in touch with us ASAP. Hit TV series is looking for you.
The Reality Wanted site looks pretty shady so be warned. We an see it now: Real wives of the OC meets North Shore Boarding House.
[Link: Reality Wanted]
by The Editors on March 2, 2009
We think of Wingnut every time we put on sunscreen (yes, it’s our cross to bear). Something to do with putting it on so it doesn’t loosen the skin around the eyes and cause early aging. It hasn’t worked all that well for us, but it seems to be working fine for Robert “Wingnut” Weaver.
The only reason we bring this up is that Santa Cruz Surfboards has just announced that they’ve hired Wingnut as their manager of sales. Here’s what Jeff Kendall, VP of NHS had to say:
Wingnut has proven his credibility as a consultant over the course of the last year, demonstrating exceptional industry knowledge and a tireless work ethic. With Wingnut at the helm, NHS is in a better position than ever to service the surf channel and grow Santa Cruz’s surfboard, Cruzer, and apparel presence.”
Congrats, Wingnut. . . and remember: dab it, don’t rub it.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on March 2, 2009
Malakye.com, the action sports job site that is difficult to pronounce and even more difficult to spell has an interview with Shop-Eat-Surf.com founder Tiffany Montgomery in their Industry Profile section. Here’s a little bit of the story behind the site:
The site started as an experiment. Given the cutbacks at newspapers and in journalism in general, I thought there was room for a news site. Originally, I planned to write about the business of retail, the business of restaurants and the business of the surf industry based in Orange County – basically, what I covered in my last reporting beat at the paper. That’s why the site has a strange name. . . . The surf and larger action sports industry was so responsive from the get go, I quickly dropped the other topics. And, I liked the stories in the surf industry the best. I still am amazed that this group of people with basically no business experience was able to build a globally influential industry by following their passion.
Ms. Montgomery is obviously an avid and skilled reporter who keeps very close tabs on what goes on behind Orange County’s Velcro Curtain. The site is updated hourly and is a much needed source for industry news. She does it all so politely and professionally, however, that we rarely find anything compelling to read.
[Link: Malakye.com]
by The Editors on March 2, 2009
After three shark attacks in Sydney, Australia in the past few weeks sales of Paul Lunn’s Shark Shield have increased by 50 percent, according to as story in The Australian.
SeaChange Technology, the Adelaide company that produces the electronic “Shark Shield”, says inquiries have tripled over the past two months and sales have increased by 50 per cent. “We cannot keep up with production. Twice in the past two months we’ve increased our production line only to find immediately that we have to do it again,” SeaChange Technology co-founder Paul Lunn said. The device, which costs between $600 and $700 depending on the model, weighs 80 grams and can fit into the palm of a mans hand.
And what a perfect sales pitch: is your leg, arm, or life worth $700 AUS?
[Link: The Australian]
by The Editors on March 1, 2009
A stand-up paddle surfer who was cruising the edges of the Roxy Pro Surf contest at Duranbah(which got started today) was hit and injured today by a runaway jetski, according to a story in the Couriermail.com.au.
The surfer, aged in his 40s, was taken to hospital with a badly broken leg after the incident at Duranbah Beach about 9.30am. . . . He was riding a stand-up paddleboard beyond the break when he was struck by the riderless ski. . . .A lifeguard patrolling the break for Roxy Pro organisers had been knocked off the ski by a wave, but the machine kept going.
The surfer, in his 40s, was taken by ambulance to Tweed Heads Hospital according to the story.
[Link: Couriermail.com.au]
