by The Editors on February 14, 2021
Dropped in on Danny Fuller once at Rocky Rights. First time on the North Shore. Been trying for a wave for an hour in perfectly warm, small surf. Finally got one. Popped up thinking “oh, this is deep.” Looked back to make sure and someone was already pulled in, grabbing rail, and blasting down the line. Got out of the way just in time. Apologized. He laughed, said “No worries,” and paddled back out to do it again. A friend said, “You know who that was, right? Danny Fuller.” Ah, of course. Liked him ever since.
The reason we bring this up is that Danny has a collection of photos coming out in a 208-page book from Rizzoli titled, Liquid Horizon: Meditations on the Surf and Sea.
Fuller’s nocturnal seascapes of the worlds most savage and beautiful waves, all captured exclusively by moonlight with slow exposures, share the soulful beauty of the ocean, in meditative, painterly studies of subtle changes of light and color. In the tradition of artists drawn to the sea for inspiration, Fuller expresses a surfer’s deep spiritual connection to the ocean and to the meaning of consequence in surfing. The sensual allure of blue mixed with the ominous presence of water, whose scale is epic, reminds us just how minuscule and insignificant we are relative to the powers of the sea.
The book, with a forward by Julian Schnabel and Gerry Lopez, drops February 16, 2021 and can be purchased for $55 from Rizzoli by clicking this link right here.
[Link: Hypebeast]
by The Editors on January 28, 2021
Vans cofounder Paul Van Doren, 90, has decided to tell his side of the Vans story in a new book titled Authentic: A Memoir. The book, which drops on April 27, 2021 tell the story of how he went from a 14-year-old school drop out to helping create the coolest shoe company in the world, according to a story on Forbes.
“When I was approached to write the book, I wondered how I could explain my life as a series of tidy lessons,” Van Doren tells Fortune. “Eventually I realized that what I would offer is less formula and more whatever the opposite of formula is—let’s call it fluidity. Because the truth is the boundaries between my personal and professional lives have always been blurred.”
Looking forward to slipping into this one for sure. For more info, or to purchase a copy, click the link.
[Link: Forbes]
by The Editors on December 15, 2020
Top of Mason, is professional skater Walker Ryan’s new, self-published first novel. We’re looking forward to reading it, here’s what Walker says:
“I like to think that this is the first novel set in the world of modern professional skateboarding. But it isn’t really about skateboarding. It’s an adventure story about a guy trying to get over a break up—intersecting the worlds of skateboarding, contemporary celebrity, and homelessness—all the while dealing with a late-twenties identity crisis. All the characters are fictional, but it’s inspired by my love for San Francisco and my appreciation for the many unique individuals I’ve met through skateboarding.”
The cover was designed by Sebo Walker and $1 from the sale of each book is going to Glide in San Francisco offering meals and shelter services to those in need. To get a copy of Top of Mason, check the Old Friends site. For an interview with Walker by Michael Sieben check out Thrasher.
[Link: Old Friends]
by The Editors on October 3, 2020
[Editors’ Note: Okay, just for historicity sake here goes the media story that we hinted we weren’t all that interested in covering because you don’t hold funerals for zombies.]
Today (October 3, 2020) it was announced that the Bible of the Sport of surfing, Surfer Magazine has been shuttered by what remains of American Media Inc. (now called A360 Media). The 60 year old chronicle of the surfing life will live no longer. Longtime Photo Editor Pete Taras said it this way on Instagram:
It’s with great sadness that I write that today was my last day at SURFER. Between Transworld SURF, SURFER, and SURFING, that was half my life. 21 years between the three. It’s really hard for me to put into words right now the feelings. I’m a weepy mess. I taught. I was taught. I cared so much for all the creatives I worked with over the years. We were family. Thank you @fijichili for providing that 16-year old film when I needed it. @chriscote , Marc Hostetter, @the_check_republic and Joel Patterson, you took a chance hiring me as a 23 year old Photo Editor. @eslate you gave me confidence to go full bore with my visual vision. @chatoaganza , you were always the creative guiding light. @jimmicane you always brought the heat! @todprod you taught me patience and professionalism. Lastly, I want to thank my wife @grettygt123 for having to deal with it all through thick and thin. With much love – Peter
Taras (and the rest of the Surfer Magazine staff) were only the first wave of “furloughs.” The employees in the Carlsbad, California offices who survived the first round will reportedly stay on the payroll until November 20, 2020. Then they too will be out of a job. Happy Thanksgiving to them and to you all.
Bike, Snowboarder, and Powder magazines are also being put to rest: RIP. Oh, and David Pecker remains true to his name, one more time.
For those who still read and subscribe to magazines now would be the perfect time to subscribe to The Surfer’s Journal, and/or The Snowboarder’s Journal.
by The Editors on March 26, 2020
You really shouldn’t let any of the free time you have these days get gobbled up by your electronic devices. No, now more than ever analog is the solution. The Snowboarder’s Journal is sliding out their back issues (by volume) so you can checkout the ones you missed, and replace the issues that got worn out or lost. For a limited time you can pick up an entire back volumes of The Snowboarders Journal for only $40. Also makes a perfect gift.
To purchase back issues (or to buy a subscription) click the link. It’s that easy.
[Link: The Snowboarder’s Journal]
by The Editors on December 9, 2019
Shop Eat Surf founder Tiffany Montgomery announced today (December 9, 2019) that she has sold her industry focused website to trade show and events company Emerald X for what is likely, not a whole lot, because, hey, she’d probably like a more consistent paycheck and better health insurance (wouldn’t we all).
“We are proud of what we have accomplished as a stand-alone, bootstrapped start-up in a rapidly evolving media environment,” Montgomery said in a post announcing the sale. “What started as an experiment 12 years ago has turned into a news service that is read by industry leaders around the world.”
We always hated the site’s name. We also felt that Montgomery was an opportunistic, interloping, outsider looking to feast on what was left of the rotting corpse of the action sports industry, but turns out she is a talented, likable, honest journalist who took seriously what we often write jokes about. So, nice work Tiffany. Sad to see you go.
[Editors’ Note: We’re posting this news a long time after the actual sale and in light of current events it seems like Montgomery had perfect timing.]
[Link: SGB Online]
by The Editors on October 31, 2019
Leave it to the skiers to properly appreciate the work of a snowboarder. In Flylow’s most recent video profile we get the best, most succinct explanation of the Snowboard Journal, Funny Feelings LLC, and its co-founder Jeff Galbraith that we’ve seen yet.
As the founder and publisher of three print titles, based in Bellingham, Washington, Galbraith has provided endless pages of high-quality content, including top storytelling and world-class imagery, during an era when everyone else has said that print is dead. He’s out to prove them all wrong. All three magazines celebrate the rich history and culture of their respective sports, as well as look to the future.
Anarchy indeed.
[Link: Flylow]
by The Editors on April 30, 2019
In the continuing saga of strange zombie brand shenanigans, it is being reported that Authentic Brands, the company that just purchased Volcom is very seriously considering purchasing Sports Illustrated, the fading print magazine known most widely for it’s annual bikini issue, for $110 million, according to a story on Pitchbook.com.
If Authentic Brands ultimately wins the auction, it would keep SI’s print product alive for at least another two years, per retail-focused website WWD. But its bigger play would be licensing SI’s brand, which could reportedly include launching kids’ sports camps and injury rehab clinics. That sort of cross promotion is what Authentic Brands has specialized in while building consumer brands for celebrities such as retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neil and ex-pro golfer Greg Norman. Here’s to hoping this strategy could produce a viable business model to preserve SI’s journalistic aspirations.
ABG has enough women’s wear brands to pack that bikini issue, and when you look at print advertising costs, it may be cheaper to just buy the magazine. We’ve said it as a joke before, but it’s looking more and more like Jamie Salter really will own everything soon.
[Link: Pitchbook]
by The Editors on April 18, 2019
American Media LLC, the company that purchased a gutted Adventure Sports Network in January 2019 has apparently sold the National Enquirer (and a couple other tabloids) to Hudson Media. for $100 million, according to a story on WWD.
James Cohen, part of the family that founded Hudson News Distributors, is buying the U.S. and U.K versions of the gossip magazine from David Pecker’s American Media LLC (recently renamed from American Media Inc.), which acquired the title 20 years ago. The $100 million deal also includes two other tabloids, Globe and National Examiner. . . Pecker — whose friendship with President Donald Trump and the use of the Enquirer’s coverage to aid Trump’s candidacy and perhaps even his personal vendettas has come under intense scrutinyover the last year — wrote in a statement that the group of magazines actually pull in $30 million in profit annually.
Not sure what this really means other than Snowboarder, Skateboarding, and Surfer Magazine are no longer siblings of the politically embroiled gossip rags and AMI is a little less in debt — only $355 million now. Ouch.
[Link: WWD]
by The Editors on March 26, 2019
In a keynote address yesterday (March 25, 2019), Apple’s Tim Cook mentioned that their newly launched News+ app is like having an “entire newsstand on your iPhone,” but for us, not so much. First, as we’ve been saying lately there aren’t many surf, snow, or skate magazines left, and second, the only one that made it onto the Apple app is Surfer Magazine. The new “Netflix for magazines” app charges users $9.99 a month for unlimited magazine viewing from at least 300 different magazine titles.
For the olds who enjoy reading The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The Week, and Surfer, this new subscription model might not be terrible, but spending $120 a year for magazines that can only be read on iPhones, iPads, or Apple computers, doesn’t seem like the best deal when a Surfer Magazine subscription can be purchased online for $14. For more info on Apple News+ please click the link.
[Link: News+]
