by The Editors on October 6, 2008
These are the kinds of stories we don’t really think about all that much as we don’t obsessively follow pro ball sports like most industry marketing and sales dudes (they need something to talk about while sniffing each others asses).
Leo Maxam of the San Jose Mercury News wonders: with Kelly Slater’s 9th world title is he now officially in the running as the “most dominant athlete” in the world?
The “most dominant athlete” debate is a regular item on the agenda inside sports bars and on ESPN. The discussion invariably includes a small handful of usual suspects like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong and now Michael Phelps.
Truthfully, we couldn’t care less. If you do, click the link.
[Link: San Jose Mercury News]
by The Editors on October 6, 2008
Surfer Dave Carr, 40, had the pleasure of landing Volusia County Florida’s world record breaking shark attack as he was hit by a three foot shark while surfing at Bethune Beach on Sunday, October 5, 2008.
David Logan, a 44-year-old surfer from Jupiter, was initially thought to have been on the receiving end of the bite that broke the 2001 record of 22 bites in a single year. Since Logan was bitten shortly after noon Sunday, a good hour after Carr was bitten, he’s the latest victim.
Phew, would hate to have that honor go to the wrong guy. The bar is now raised to 24 and we still have three months to go.
[Link: News Journal Online]
by The Editors on October 4, 2008
CJ Hobgood slipped in a last minute wave against Joel Parkinson in three foot barrelling waves to win his first WCT event since 2004. The victory moves him up to the number six position on the ASP World Top rankings.
[Link: Billabong Pro]
by The Editors on October 3, 2008
Thanks to “a new mezzanine and high-tech, three-level pick module designed and implemented by Tompkins Associates, Sole Technology is utilizing vertical space, and this “vertical change” has doubled the company’s capacity while increasing processing volume and lowering labor costs” at it’s 315,000 distribution center. God, what a mouthful of business blather that was.
Working with Tompkins Associates, we were able to design and implement a brand new distribution center in 12 months,” added Theo Song, vice president of supply chain at Sole Technology. “The new facility is helping us support our growth needs, as well as better satisfy our customer requirements. The overall process, or implementation, was actually quite smooth, and the new DC is performing well beyond our expectations.”
That warehouse looks pretty impressive, no? We’re guessing these Tompkins Associates people could work wonders with our garage as well. Maybe we should call them.
[Link: Supply & Demand Chain]
by The Editors on October 3, 2008
When Irish surfer Fergal Smith, 21 of County Mayo caught and epic left while surfing two miles off the coast of Perth, Western Australia he had no idea that a great white was shadowing him down the wave.
Only after looking at one of Phil Gallagher’s photos did he see that there was a lot more than glassy face on his wave: like a huge great white shark.
Contributors to Australia’s Surfing Life magazine have awarded the Irishman the “Euro surf-dude of the month” award. . . . Its website read: “Just imagine being in the barrel and looking at a massive shark like you’re at the bloody aquarium or something. . . . “Hats off to you Fergal Smith, you’re our Euro surf-dude of the month.”
One more reminder why surfing West Oz really is the wild, wild, west.
[Link: Telegraph.co.uk]
by The Editors on October 3, 2008
Though Kelly Slater and everyone else has denied it over the past two years, we lovebelieving the rumor that Quiksilver is going to give Kelly a $10 million bonus if he wins a 10th ASP world title
Slater showed no signs of pressure in the world title deciding heat, tactical as ever against local Basque surfer Eneko Acero (EUK) winning the round three Billabong Pro Mundaka heat to once again rewrite the sports history books. . . . Thirty-one year old Acero opened quickly for an early heat lead in the 1.5 metre (4-6ft) river-mouth waves before a relaxed Slater took control midway and claimed his ninth crown with the heat win.
Now that he’s slayed number 9, number 10 doesn’t seem like all that big of a hurdle. And yeah, we have no problem saying that. It’s all going to depend on whether Kelly wants it or not.
[Link: Billabong Pro]
by The Editors on October 2, 2008
You know things are tough when a story gets written about a magazine insert because it has 18 advertisers. But that’s why Media Daily News just wrote up EXPN magazine.
One reason that EXPN may be prospering is its 12- to-29-year-old male target, which seems to have disposable income during the economic downturn. “They’re as unaffected by this as you can be,” said Steven Binder, vice president of ad sales at ESPN The Magazine.
Unaffected? Sounds like something only a VP of ad sales could say. You know, someone riding high on 18 “pospering” pages of advertising.
[Link: Media Daily News]
by The Editors on October 1, 2008
The Burton Corp wants to sell Analog product so badly they’re willing to exploit a homeless man’s genitalia.
In the October 2008 issue of Blisss magazine, Analog’s ad features a homeless man laying on the front steps of what looks like a church with his pants undone and his penis out. To Analog this is apparently hilarious. “Please Use Buttons,” they joke.
They really should be nicer to him. He’s probably one of the few people in the world who would wear Analog without getting paid.
by The Editors on October 1, 2008
Volcom and Snow Team Ambassador, Artist, & Musician Jamie Lynn teamed up to create a piece to help raise awareness for Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC). One dollar from each piece sold from this collaborative collection is donated to B4BC.
[Link: Boarding for Breast Cancer]
by The Editors on October 1, 2008
So, it’s kind of a drag that so many of the top surfers are out of the Billabong Pro Mundaka, or that the surf has been pretty poor all week. That shouldn’t stop anyone from recognizing one small fact: if Kelly Slater wins his first heat in Round 3, he will be the ASP World Champion again, according to a story in the LA Times.
I hadn’t really thought about it that much until I was out there in the water, but I don’t want to deal with the emotions of worrying about it anymore,” said Slater, who defeated Carlsbad’s Taylor Knox and Britain’s Reubyn Ash in the first round. “I just want to try to win one more heat and get it done.”
For Taj Burrow to keep his hopes alive Kelly has to lose in round three and Taj has to win the contest. We were at Trestles so we know he can do the winning part, but Kelly losing in round three? We don’t think so. Sorry, Taj.
[Link: LA Times]
