Economic correspondent Paul Solman reports on an American-born product hit hard by globalization: the surfboard. In Southern California, U.S.-based manufacturers fear they will soon be wiped out by competing, foreign companies due to discrepancies in labor costs and duty taxes.
Probably one of the best bits we’ve seen on explaining the ins and outs of free trade. For even more on the story including why it might be a bad idea to fight back, click here.
Surf photographer Jack English has curated a collection of over 50,000 surf photos that has been licensed by magazines, ad agencies and Fortune 500 hundred companies for years. Now these same photos are available for the rest of us to purchase as murals, prints, and/or posters on SurfImages.com.
“By selling our surfing murals, prints and posters, we wanted to give our consumers the opportunity to own a unique, tangible piece of artwork,” said Surf Images owner Jack English. “We have big brands licensing our work every day, but now we are giving everyone the opportunity to own a beautiful piece of artwork that they can enjoy in their home or office.”
If you need some images to surf up your personal space click the link to check it out or follow the jump for the official word. [click to continue…]
Former Billabong CEO Matthew Perrin, 40, is back in court after pleading not guilty to defrauding the Commonwealth Bank of AUS$13.5 million, according to a story in The Australian.
It’s alleged Perrin forged his former wife Nicole Bricknell’s signature on documents, enabling him to use the value of a jointly-owned house on the Gold Coast to obtain a loan of $13.5 million from the bank in 2008.
Anyone who has ever watched the now classic episodes of Surfer Magazine TV (with host Sonny Miller) will remember the Opper Sports Productions name. Over the years founder Ira Opper (pictured right with Wingnut and a cameraman) has created loads and loads of action sports television programming. And now, the Del Mar Times has profiled Opper.
He was an early pioneer bringing beach volleyball and the concept of action sports to ESPN. He was one of the producers behind the first regional sports cable network that eventually became Fox Sports Prime Ticket. He has the largest surf film archive in the world — and he’s lived in Solana Beach for more than 30 years.
Orange County, California orthopedic surgeon Jack Chen died Friday, March 22, 2013 while surfing at El Sunzal beach in El Salvador, according to a story in the Orange County Register.
It was the biggest swell El Salvador has seen this season, perhaps in years, with waves of 15 feet and larger, said Edward Smith, an employee at Roca Sunzal Hotel, which sits directly in front of where Chen was pulled underwater. “The surf was so big and the current was pulling so strong,” Smith said. Chen had been surfing at the beach town Playa El Tunco at the surf spot Sunzal, a break known as a popular place to learn to surf, which usually produces mellow right-hand waves suitable for longboarders. . . But on Friday, the waves, current and winds were so strong that even Smith, a native Hawaiian who has surfed 20 years, said he hesitated to go out. . . The current pulled Chen toward a big, iconic rock at Bocanita that sits out in the ocean south of the surf break, and after his leash snapped and his board broke away, Chen attempted to hang onto the rock. Locals from the shore shouted at him to let go, hoping that the ocean’s current would eventually pull him to shore, Smith said.
After a wave slammed into the rock Chen reportedly disappeared. His body was found Monday morning March 25, 2013 three miles east of the beach. Our thoughts are with Chen’s family and friends.
Yes, it appears the Alana Surfer Girl train is showing no signs of stopping. Here we see Alana Blanchard work out, talk about working out, and go surfing.
Hawaii’s Carissa Moore defeated current ASP number one Tyler Wright at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro to take her first ASP win of 2013 season and move Moore into second place in the world rankings.
“I’m feeling really, really amazing right now!” said Moore. “I’m stoked to walk away with the win and to be up on the podium again. I didn’t win an event last year, and it was hard for me, but it definitely fired me up. It’s only been two events and it’s already looking like it will be a close ASP Women’s World Title race, but there are girls who didn’t make it to the final day who are capable of causing upsets and winning events. It will be really interesting to see how it all pans out.”
Mophie Outride cameras will be getting a work out at Bells Beach as the 2013 Rip Curl Pro kicks off on March 27, 2013. The Outride cameras turn Apple iPhones into completely protected action POV cameras and Mophie as signed on as an official sponsor of the vent.
“The Rip Curl is an iconic platform for us to gain global exposure for the OutRide iPhone mounting system and add international footage to the community sharing video using the OUTRIDE app,” said Ross Howe, vice president of marketing, mophie. “Our company has grown up in the surf community of southern California and it’s fitting that we have a presence at this legendary event.”
We haven’t tried the Outride yet, but from the looks of the set-up it could be really cool. Follow the jump for the official word from mophie. [click to continue…]
Valhalla Design & Conquer’s Action Logo March Madness is down to the elite eight. In this round it’s Adidas vs. Vans, Powell vs. Element, Burton vs. Santa Cruz, and Volcom vs. Quiksilver.
Only you can help decide which of these logos makes it into the final four and eventually on to the finals of Champion Action Logo of 2013. Click the link to make your vote count.
The 2013 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards season has officially closed. And now all that’s left to do is get out the measuring sticks and try to figure out exactly who rode the biggest wave of the year so they can be presented with an award at Anaheim, California’s The Grove Theater on Friday, May 3, 2013.
“This has been yet another extraordinary year for the XXL Awards,” said Event Director Bill Sharp, “the boundaries of performance continue to be pushed back. The number of serious, successful tube rides in huge waves – especially when paddled in to instead of towed in – is completely unprecedented. Some of the entries you have to watch over and over to make sure they are real.”
To check out some of the entries click here. Or follow the jump for the official word from Billabong. [click to continue…]
