by The Editors on March 3, 2008
When Condé Nast’s Portfolio.com was looking for cool job of the week they went straight to Mike Parsons and his job of “Professional Big Wave Surfer.”
“It’s the best job in the world, for sure,” says the 43-year-old surfing legend. “Surfing big waves is the ultimate challenge for a waterman and surfer. When you’re doing it, you can’t think about anything else, you’re so involved in the elements.”
Parsons spends his days trying to find the biggest waves in the world, traveling to them, and attempting to ride them. Recently, he may have scored a place in the record books.
They didn’t even mention that he is also one of the best surf contest commentators in the business. Maybe that’s next week.
[Link: Portfolio.com]
by The Editors on March 3, 2008
According to a story in Australian’s The Age Kelly Slater has announced that he’s not going to surf the Rip Curl Bells event.
The former world No.1 has ruled out competing in the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach later this month, a move which would put his campaign to dethrone Aussie world champion Mick Fanning behind the eight ball.
But Slater’s frequent talk of missing events is wearing thin on rivals who dismiss his claims as nothing more than gamesmanship. . . . But his fiercest rival, fellow American and former triple world champ Andy Irons, said he’d take Slater’s words with a grain of salt.
“I’ll believe it when the first heat goes out … until then I’ll believe he’s in every event,” Irons said after his easy round three win over American Ben Bourgeois.
So will we.
[Link: The Age]
by The Editors on March 3, 2008
Volcom is up to six retail stores with the December opening of their Telegraph Ave. store in Berkeley, California “just a stone’s throw from the Cal Berkeley campus.” But they waited until last Friday night to have a grand opening party.
People filled the Volcom store on Telegraph Avenue Friday night to celebrate its grand opening with an all-ages party complete with free beer, free pizza and live music.
Although the boardsports-oriented clothing store officially opened its doors for business in December, they wanted the community to become more familiar with their products.
“We just want to introduce ourselves to the community and let everyone know we’re in town,” said Jeff Roberts, vice president of retail for Volcom.
And the Stone marches on.
[Link: The Daily Californian]
by The Editors on March 2, 2008
Stephen Koch, 39, is still snowboarding, but after riding the highest mountain on every content (the Seven Summits) and being the first to snowboard the Grand, Middle and South Tetons, he’s now focusing on family, Real Estate, and the lecture circuit according to a story in the Jackson Hole Star Tribune.
His closest brush with death came in 1998 when an avalanche swallowed him up on his first attempt at a solo summit and snowboard descent of Mount Owen, one of the most difficult peaks to climb in the Teton Range. He was hit with a wall of snow that sent him tumbling down the mountain. He could hear ligaments snapping in each knee as he was tossed violently down the slope. When the avalanche stopped he was lucky enough to be able to crawl out of the snow. Not knowing his back was broken, he painfully inched his way down the mountain, scooting part of the way on his backside. He battled hypothermia through the night until he was rescued.
Sounds like an interesting lecture. . . on what not to do.
[Link: Jackson Hole Star Tribune]
by The Editors on March 2, 2008
According to BusinessWire:
Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ:ZUMZ) today announced that the Company’s conference call to discuss fourth quarter fiscal 2007 financial results will be broadcast live over the Internet on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time and may be accessed at http://ir.zumiez.com. To listen to the webcast, please go to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the start time to register and download any necessary software.
[Link: BusinessWire]
by The Editors on March 2, 2008
2008 ASP World Champion Mick Fanning’s fiancee Karissa Dalton is one of the top 15 hotties in Banana Boat’s Search for Summer 2008, an Australian modeling contest. If her power moves on the catwalk are anything like her man’s on the water, then she should have no problem.
The girl who takes out the contest will win a bounty including $3000 cash and an all-expenses paid trip to Miami Beach Fashion Week in Florida. . . . She will also be given the opportunity to star in a new print and television advertising campaign for sun-protection brand Banana Boat, which is sponsoring the event.
“For summer, this is a really high-profile competition,” said Ms Dalton. “It is judged on your catwalk abilities and on your stage presence (and also) … your personality and interviewing skills.”
We can tell from the photo that she’s got a great personality and a hypnotic stage presence. No doubt.
[Link: Goldcoast.com.au]
by The Editors on March 1, 2008
Jordy Smith knows what happens to surfers who are sponsored by mainstream brands (Mr. Price for example). So while we were a little surprised back when he signed with O’Niell we had no idea how much he turned down from Nike, or what the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that he turned down.
Jordy Smith took a phone call from Tiger Woods. He received an email from Michael Jordan. He was sent the shoe that Ronaldo used to kick a goal in a World Cup final. Nike offered him $5.3 million a year … but he knocked them all back. . . . But then he signed with Californian company O’Neill, basically because it was a traditional surfing brand. It was still a seven-figure deal, making him one of the top five highest earners on the tour before he had even entered it. But he had to be content with about $3 million less a year. He’ll survive.
Impressive.
[Link: Sydney Morning Herald]
by The Editors on March 1, 2008
The New York Times features an interview with filmmaker Gus Van Sant by Blake Nelson, the author of the book the Paranoid Park is based on. The story (if you haven’t heard already) is about a skateboarder who accidentally kills a security guard and then goes on the deal with all the feelings that go along with that. Van Sant talks a bit about skateboarding:
I had been a skateboarder in the ’60s, which was a long time ago, but I didn’t think that it was so much different. I worked on a film, “Skateboard,” in 1978, so I met the skaters of that time. That type of culture almost gets like gang culture or surf culture, territorial. I didn’t think it connected with the characters in the “Paranoid” story. They go to a skate park where the hard-core skaters are, but the real lifer skate people were only an inspiration to your characters.
Click the link for the rest.
[Link: The New York Times]
