by The Editors on January 23, 2009
The New York Times Hawai’i specialist Matt Higgins turns in another story on how a group of tough surfers control the waves on Hawai’i’s North Shore with Kala Alexander as the center piece. Surprise!
They are known as the Wolfpak or simply “the boys.” They use fear and their fists to command respect in the surf along the North Shore of Oahu, a seven-mile stretch of some of the world’s most renowned waves. At the celebrated Banzai Pipeline, they determine which waves go to whom, and punish those who breach their code of respect for local residents and the waves.
While there is nothing new in this story it may help build more subscribers to Kala’s E-Newsletter and possibly create more interest in the soon-to-be-launched Wolf Pak fan club.
[Link: The New York Times]
by The Editors on January 22, 2009
We’re not saying that this is all of the January ASR Show, but it certainly is most of it. The space felt really small, but the mood was actually up considering the economy. It may not look like it, but there were quite a few people in the isles.
Follow the jump to view more photos from the floor the morning of day one.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on January 21, 2009
Thanks to a government sand pumping operation gone wrong the “once epic” waves at Australia’s Kirra have “dwindled and a “nearby marine reef has been destroyed.” That’s why Mick Fanning, Stephanie Gilmore, Joel Parkinson, and Mark Occhilupo will be joining hundreds of other activists on Australia Day in a paddle out to protest the destruction, according to a story on HearldSun.
More recently, the beach itself has been dubbed the “Great Southern Desert”. Sand build-up means visitors have to walk 400 metres across hot sand to get to the water, a prospect that has cut tourism and weakened local business, event organisers say. . . . Coastal Alliance’s Phil Arnott said the cost to the local community was in the millions each year. . . . “Kirra, may it rest in peace, was once one of the most epic waves on the planet,” he said. . . “Now the beach is getting wider, there’s no surf, it’s just a barren, desolate island. Kirra is dead and we need to get it back.”
[Link: News.com.au]
by The Editors on January 21, 2009
Amidst the Industry sponsored docu-mercials that usually pack the X Dance Film Festival (which ended yesterday) is Whitewash, a documentary about the history of back surfers produced by Ted Woods, a white guy from the Midwest, according to a story in the Park Record.
“Whitewash” engages experts in discussions on swimming, surfing and sport history, recounting stories of discrimination and the struggle to get the black population back to the water. An interview on the basketball courts of New York City shows African American youth laughing at the notion of them swimming, unaware that history, not biology, was guiding the stereotype.
The film is narrated by Ben Harper and featured music by The Roots, Erykah Badu and others. We’re looking forward to checking it out.
[Link: Park Record and Trespassproductions]
by The Editors on January 20, 2009
How long have we all waited for something like this? Way, way, too long.
[Link: Skate And Annoy]
by The Editors on January 20, 2009
Roy Poblete (left) and Derek Smith (right) saved the life of surfer George Romero last Sunday while all three were surfing SoCal’s Seal Beach according to a column in the OC Register. Now the three have been reunited.
By Smith’s guess, Romero had been under water anywhere between 45 seconds and a minute before he was able to reach Romero’s lifeless body. He pulled his head up from the water to see Romero’s eyes rolled back, foam coming out of his mouth. His body was going into convulsions, and he wasn’t breathing. . . . Smith – even at a hefty 6-foot 4-inches and 235 pounds – had trouble keeping Romero above water. He called out for help, and tried to get Romero on his board. Poblete quickly paddled over to see what was happening. . . Then the sets came in, three in a row. They dived Romero under the first wave, then Smith cut his leash to get his board out of the way, so he could hang on tight to George. Smith would submerge underwater, to push up on Romero’s body to keep his head from going under so he wouldn’t take in more water. . . “I knew if I let you go, you would have gone,” he tells Romero. “I was just thinking ‘hold onto this guy, hold onto this guy’.”
Thankfully, Smith held on.
[Link: OC Register]
by The Editors on January 20, 2009
In an effort to cut costs, Quiksilver released info today that it was reducing the salaries of top executives by five percent, according to a story on Reuters.
The current reductions, effective Feb. 1, are in addition to earlier pay cuts implemented in February last year, the company said in a regulatory filing dated Jan. 20. . . .Annual base salaries for the chief financial officer and the chief administrative officer have gone down by 8 percent and 10 percent respectively.
Damn shame. CEO Bob McKnight’s salary is now down 16 percent meaning he’s only going to make $903,000 this year. Hopefully, he can make it through.
[Link: Reuters]
by The Editors on January 20, 2009
Dave Gatto is leaving VF Corporation as part of a reorganization according to a story in the News Record.
VF said its Outdoor Americas unit will include the North Face, JanSport and Eagle Creek brands. It will be overseen by Steve Rendle, 49, currently president of The North Face. . . . The second unit, action sports Americas, will include Vans and Reef brands. It will be led by current Vans president Stephen Murray, 48.
Wonder if this is in preparation for any footwear acquisitions.
[Link: News Record]
by The Editors on January 20, 2009
by The Editors on January 19, 2009
We’re never been big fans of GrindTV, but apparently they are moving from El Sugundo to Aliso Viejo’s TechSpace to be closer to potential sources of action sports revenue, according to a story in the Orange County Business Journal.
“We work with a lot of folks in the action sports industry who are headquartered in Orange County and it made sense for us to bring GrindTV to Orange County,” said Erik Hawkins, the company’s chief executive.
Yeah, the move makes sense. The GrindTV site? It is actually getting much better lately. We’re kind of surprised.
[Link: Orange County Business Journal]
