by The Editors on October 28, 2008
It’s being described as the first book by the best big wave surfer in the world. Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul (And, of Course, Surfing) is Laird Hamilton’s story on everything. It’s a how-to for life:
It’s not about chasing trophies or accolades or cash. It’s about quality over quantity and being true to your physical, mental, and spiritual roots. Not only is it possible to thrive in the modern world without adopting its harmful habits: it’s essential. And not only has Hamilton mastered this balance, he makes a compelling and articulate case that anyone who wants to can do the same.
If he can tell us how to get paid for everything (And, of Course, taking a dump) then we are so in. Click the link to by the book right now!
[Link: Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul (And, of Course, Surfing)]
by The Editors on October 27, 2008
We just saw the header from a McCain/Palin email that horrifyingly features surfers (shown below) and it reminded us of something Reef Co-founder Fernando Aguerre said in a recent email:
The plans of McPain are the same as the ones of this administration for every key area of government policy.
The “deregulated” system, pushed down the throat of every emerging country by the IMF and World Bank for decades, has finally reached the American shores.
Not surprisingly, the economic result experienced by most nations that followed their advise has repeated itself: Recession, unemployment, jobs going overseas, and the generalized lowering of the living standards of the majority of the populations. I grew up in Argentina under “deregulation” mirages…
Deregulation is the fox in charge of the chicken cage: The result will always be the same: Fat happy foxes and scared, very poor or dead chicken.
While a MoPain administration is scary, what should scared the shit out of every citizen is the prospect of a witch doctor intern being a heart beat away from running this country and the world, as if the world were a fun hockey match…
We need a change.
The world needs a change.
All the best,
Fernando
PS: It won’t be bad to have a surfer in the White House… “Obama Surfs”…
We couldn’t agree more.
by The Editors on October 24, 2008
by The Editors on October 23, 2008
Publication of Water Magazine, the print surf publication founded by Steve Zeldin and then sold to Surfline in July of 2007, has been officially suspended “in print for now,” according to sources at Surfline.com.
The good news is that apparently no one lost their jobs. It seems the staff was getting more milage out of the content they were putting online, without all the effort of printing a magazine. Guess it didn’t hurt that former editor Joel Patterson left for Surfer Magazine in late August.
To view an all digital Fall 2008 issue of the magazine online click the link.
[Link: Water Magazine]
by The Editors on October 20, 2008
Earlier today reports of Miami-based action sports mall retailer Adrenalina putting out a $293 million buyout out offer to Pacific Sunwear have now turned into stories of the whole deal being tabled according to a report on Just-style.com.
Original reports quoted Adrenalina CEO Ilia Lekach saying the following:
This action represents our confidence that Adrenalina can reinvigorate PacSun – a powerful brand name whose underlying retail concept has grown stale – by applying our innovative approach of fusing an exceptional product mix to an exciting entertainment destination,” Lekach said in a news release.
The Motley Fool has already called bullshit on the deal.
While the surf-and-skatewear company could use a lift — its stock is off about 80% from its 52-week high — this looks like little more than a publicity stunt or a bid to boost Adrenalina’s own stock price. That’s because its chairman and CEO is Ilia Lekach, who has a rich history of playing such games.
Adrenalina stock got a 40 percent bounce this morning all the way up to $1.70. So maybe the offer was enough.
[Link: Just-Style and Business Journal and The Motley Fool]
by The Editors on October 20, 2008
Santa Cruz, California’s woman-owned shop Paradise Surf Shop has a new owner according to a story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Anna Macken, 26, saw a post on Craigslist and bought the shop.
“I have always known that I wasn’t interested in pursuing a high-powered career in, say, the financial district,” she said. “I was wondering which direction to take my life in, I knew I wanted to be able to surf and hang out with my son after he gets out of school and I came across a posting for the shop and pursued it.”
Macken is a single mom with a 6-year-old son and a degree from Mills college. According to the story she is currently working on a master’s in business administration there. There’s nothing like running a surf shop to introduce people to the realities of retail; especially in these times.
[Link: Santa Cruz Sentinel]
by The Editors on October 20, 2008
Lewis Samuels’ interview with Andy Irons was only up for two days before Surfline Editor Marcus Sanders had to shut the comments board down at 500 messages saying, “Thanks for all your comments; Andy’s seen some of ’em, and is taking the next month away from the spotlight. We’re closing down comments now, but stay tuned for more.. ”
Andy, unlike many professional surfers, says it exactly the way he see it no matter what. And that attitude is a magnetic attractor of opinions of all kinds. It’s difficult not to want to comment when a surfer says something like this:
No one really said shit when I was winning about how I acted. Now that I have a bad year, everyone is asking me to change, so let me tell you guys this: I have been on tour for the past 12 years. I have won 3 titles, and come runner-up who fuckin cares how many times. Do any of you people ever think about how draining it is to travel all year long, going to the exact same places, when the waves seem to almost always be shitty, trying to keep a winning attitude? You don’t see anyone giving Bruce shit about going off tour or losing in France with a 2, but that’s ’cause he never acted like he cared. Figure that shit out… You are on tour to win, and anyone who is on tour that says they don’t want to win is just saying that to make themselves feel better about losing. Dane might be an exception, ’cause he’s a little weird like that, but aside from him everyone cares. Saying they don’t is just a disclaimer.
This interview is great for so many reasons, mostly because it is so rare to read an honest interview in action sports. It obviously can cause problem for athletes when they do it, but we just want to say, “Thanks, Andy.”
[Link: Surfline]
by The Editors on October 15, 2008
Ray’s Apparel and Split Clothing will be no longer in 60 days according to an Adam Sullivan story on Transworld Business.
“Rays Apparel has always been a very profitable company,” explains Ray’s Apparel president Jim Stark. “We got into mid-2008, probably about May, and started running into the same economic woes and problems that our competitors have been having. And for the past four or five months, we’ve been losing money. And it certainly looks that way for the balance of the year.”
While more than 60 employees will reportedly be out of a job, Stark says Split will “continue shipping product into 2009.” The Split brand, however, is up for sale. . . seems like it would be a perfect for one of the mall chain stores. PacSun? Buckle? Zumiez? Anyone?
[Link: Transworld Business]
by The Editors on October 15, 2008
Beat-down Australian clothing brand Mambo is apparently hoping to relaunch itself back into the world of authentic surf with the help of Taj Burrow’s ex-girlfriend Cheyenne Tozzi and professional surfer Dayyan Neve, according to a story in Business Day .
Angus Kingsmill, who is part of a consortium that bought the brand in January, said the loud shirts that made the brand famous – but also contributed to it falling off the radar for trendy teens – would not make a comeback, though a modern incarnation of its farting dog T-shirt would. “We have to modernise the elements of music, art and humour but not walk away from them, as they are what made it great,” he said.
Sadly, the history of dead surf brand reanimation is loaded with mutilated corpses. Keith Curtain, publisher of the magazine Australian Surf Business, is right when he says that “the future success for Mambo will be rebuilding relationships with surf shops, door-by-door, brick-by-brick, sale-by-sale.” But the truth is it probably never will never make it back.
[Link: Business Day]
by The Editors on October 13, 2008
By edging Silvana Lima of Brazil in the final of the 2008 Beachley Classic 14-year-old Australian Tyler Wright became the youngest woman ever to win an event on the Women ASP.
In winning the final 13.64 to 12.84, Wright beat the record of Stephanie Gilmore who won the Roxy Pro Gold Coast in 2005 at the age of 17 . . . She emulated Gilmore’s 2006 effort of winning the Beachley Classic after grabbing the wildcard spot in the main draw by winning the trials. . . . “I wanted to win the trials and get into the main event, but when I went to the main event I wanted to go all the way just as Steph did in 2006,” Wright said.
Congrats, Tyler. Way to rock the old crew.
[Link: Livenews.com.au]
It’s being described as the first book by the best big wave surfer in the world. Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul (And, of Course, Surfing) is Laird Hamilton’s story on everything. It’s a how-to for life:
