A snowboarder named Wetzler discovers an entirely new board sport while on vacation in Hawaii, in this post on A Good Read.
The people (I call them “waterboarders”) paddle their boards out to the surf lying on top them (the good ones duck under the waves) where they wait for a wave to come. When a wave does come they paddle like crazy to get in just the right spot and when the wave breaks it forms a slope steep enough to propel them along and allow them to stand up on the board. Voila! It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. Snowboarding on the ocean. Except better!
Yep, snowboarding on the ocean. . .and he’s even got four reasons why he thinks this new sport will catch on.
On a trip back to the US after playing Korea with Metallica, Tool’s Adam Jones was in the Honolulu airport when he felt a tap on his shoulder according to an interview in Guitar World’s April 20, 2009 issue.
After we landed, I was getting my luggage and I felt this tap on my shoulder. It was Kirk [Hammett, Metallica’s guitarist], and he said, ‘Are you the guitarist in Tool? I love your band. Would you like to come to dinner?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah!'” . . . “He lent me a long board and took me out to this spot where all the old-timers surf. I’m from California, so I’ve never had to paddle 30 minutes anywhere. [laughs] And you have to go out real far in Waikiki to catch the good waves. My arms were getting so tired, and I was so worried I was gonna look like a pussy!”
We all know the feeling Adam, we just never talk about it.
Notice all the rad surfing by gnarly surfers in this savage surf clip? Oh wait, no surfing? Whoops, guess this clip is all about fashion. Say it ain’t so Joe. . .
You give a guy a medal from the Queen of England and look what happens: Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew announces he’s going to retire as President of the Association of Surfing Professionals:
“After deep consideration, I have decided not to seek a fifth term as ASP President,” Bartholomew said. “I depart from ASP with nothing but positive feelings. After 36 years in the engine room of the sport, the timing of this decision is of the utmost importance to me. I feel the time is right. I leave at the height of my effectiveness perhaps I could say the height of my popularity in the surfing world.”
Anyone think he’ll will be able to coast off into the retirement sunset any time soon.
With all the rumor mongering going on about Quiksilver selling this or being bought by that, it is interesting to see that there is at least one analyst out there who is still rating Quiksilver a buy thanks to the company eliminating 200 jobs and a possible debt restructuring in February.
However, KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Brandon J. Ferro said the news means “an outright sale of Quiksilver or one of its brands is much less likely now than it was when we initiated coverage in early December 2008, as it helps to indicate the Company has made significant progress in resolving near-term liquidity issues.”
We really don’t know who to believe at this point.
Last night when we said that Tuesday January 27, 2009 was “bring a box to work day” at Quiksilver we had no idea that so many boxes would be required.
Now that we’ve seen the press release on the Quiksilver site we better understand what was meant when we were told “the list is so long Bob doesn’t even want to look at the names.”
The company will eliminate 200 positions as part of the plan, including a reduction-in-force of approximately 150 employees which is expected to account for roughly one-third of the annual cost reductions. Quiksilver expects to record a charge of approximately $5 million in its first fiscal quarter as a result of these actions. . . Robert B. McKnight, Jr., commented, “All levels of our organization are affected by these actions as nearly 20 percent of the employees involved in the reduction hold manager-level titles or higher.
Now it sounds more like “bring a box to work week.” The worst part of all of this is that most of the people going to work tomorrow at Quiksilver have no idea if or when they will be called into HR, laid off, and given an exit interview.
Follow the jump for the entire press release and Bob McKnight’s memo to Quiksilver employees. [click to continue…]
We’re guilty. Like many others we spent most of Friday standing around in the isles of the ASR Show talking about how bad things are, how much worse they’re going to get, and whether buying or selling Quiksilver stock is a good idea. The opinions on the later were mixed, regardless of what personalized license plates may have been telling us.
Mixed in with all the gloom, however, were some words of encouragement. Ocean Minded CEO Gary Ward was walking the isles with his lovely daughter Shannon and when we hit him with the “how bad is it” question he set us straight directly.
“Let’s put it this way,” he said. “It’s ten times better than we thought it would be. This industry is a family and no one is stopping this family.”
We wondered if the “family members” who committed to the January ASR show might be benefiting a little from the fact that many of their larger competitors weren’t showing. “Are you kidding? Nauds is laughing right now,” he said of Billabong’s Paul Naude. “He’s had a great year and look at their booths; they are packed. For sure, the people who stuck it out are reaping the benefits.”
Thanks to his work to promote surfing and the environment ASP President Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew has been named a Member of the Order of Australia, according to a story on Goldcoast.com.au.
Bartholomew said the honour was ‘quite remarkable’ and a ‘very, very pleasant surprise’. . . . “Just to think that all the work you’ve done has made a positive contribution and that you’ve been recognised by the country,” he said. . . . “On a personal level it is the highest distinction I have ever received and it does make you feel that your body of work has made a difference to the community of the Gold Coast and Australia.”
