August 2009

Secrets Of Skateboarding Finally Exposed

by The Editors on August 14, 2009

Skate SecretsTony Waters has followed all the online marketing tips to move his skateboarding trick tips video. He holds a secret truth:

I’m coming out from the underground after months of developing methods and techniques to reveal to you real, proven ways to effortlessly learn tricks and land them higher, smoother, and more consistently.

He’s got a personal testimonial:

Well, you probably haven’t heard of me, so here’s my story: . . . I started skating in 2003 in hopes of going pro. Back then, I had a cheap Wal-Mart board with plastic trucks. I practiced almost every day and finally learned the Ollie after 5 or 6 weeks. . . . For my next birthday, my parents bought me a pretty decent complete deck. I vowed to work hard and learn all the tricks. I practiced around 4 times a week for 6 months until I landed my first Kickflip- well, kinda. My Kickflips back then always bounced off the ground. . . . So after about 7 months of skating almost daily, I could land two tricks- an Ollie and a sketchy Kickflip. So much for going pro.

He teases:

This is just a taste of the juicy techniques you’ll find in Secrets of Skateboarding. There’s much more and the best thing about it is that it’s laid out in a simple step-by-step guide that absolutely anyone can follow… even if you’ve never landed a single trick in your life!

And best of all, he got a “Special Offer Limited Time Only” offer:

For a Very Limited Time, You Can Get The Secrets of Skateboarding Master Guide For Only… $87 $27! . . . That’s An Instant Savings Of $60! . . Take Advantage Of This Special Price Now!

It almost sounds too good to be true. . .

[Link: Secrets of Skateboarding]

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Dorset’s Artificial Reef Almost Done

by The Editors on August 14, 2009

 44804282 Surfreefartistsimpr226An artificial reef that will reportedly create “waves of up to 13ft” off Boscombe, Bournemouth, UK is supposed to be completed in September 2009 according to a story from the BBC. The reef is made out of “55 sand-filled geotextile bags which cover the area the size of a football pitch.”

Shaw Mead, technical director, said: “Like any major construction project, there are extensive checks to be undertaken before we can say the project is complete. “We are now starting to make all those checks thoroughly and according to the agreed specification, and I remain confident that we will finish in September as scheduled.”

Will be interesting to see if this one actually works.

[Link: BBC via @thisisdorset]

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Swell Launches Core Shops Direct

by The Editors on August 13, 2009

CoreshopslogoWe always thought that Swell.com was missing out on a large piece of the action sports fashion business by not setting up white-label sites that would allow smaller brands to easily sell direct by jumping on Swell.com’s quality distribution system.

They still haven’t done that, but with Coreshops by Swell they are branching out into an equally cool and potentially large side business, according to an interview with Swell.com CEO Stacy Clark on Shop-Eat-Surf.com.

CoreShops by Swell is doing two things: one, it is aggregating the branded apparel from these shops and offering it for sale on Swell.com. (Want a Whalebone Surf Shop T-shirt from Nags Head, NC? Click here); and two, it pulls together an easy to search listing of core shops from around the US that makes it easy for anyone to find a nearby core shop, event, or promotion.

This works out well for shops and for Swell.com according to Clark.

Yes, it will generate revenue for the shops as well as Swell. What we are most excited about is that it’s a brand differentiator that also helps strengthen a very important industry distribution channel that we do not compete in. Oversaturation by leading industry brands has forced us to think differently about how we partner to do business and create a unique customer experience online.

Truth is, there is really nothing more core in “surf fashion” than T-shirts from local surf shops and shapers. For the rest of the story and the press release, follow the link.

[Link: Shop-Eat-Surf.com]

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Lucas Magoon In Serious Condition

by The Editors on August 13, 2009

LucasmagoonSnowboard rail slayer Lucas Magoon is in what officials call “serious condition, but stable” in the ICU of Reno, Nevada’s Renow Health Hospital after what is being reported as a fall while skateboarding.

A spokesperson for Renown Health said that Magoon is “not in a medically induced coma,” as was reported on Twitter earlier today. The hospital could not release any other information on Lucas without the proper password. . . which we didn’t have.

Other reports have Lucas in a coma, but say that the internal bleeding has stopped. We’re hoping for the best. . .

[Link: YoBeat.com]

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Site Relaunches: 686 vs. Burton

by The Editors on August 13, 2009

686Vsburton

Two snowboarding companies relaunched their websites today: 686 and Burton. The sites both feature black backgrounds with red accents, both use Flash, both feature a lot of product, and yet they are perfect examples of completely different user interface philosophies.

One is a simple, clean, attractive, easy-to-navigate blog with all the social tools built right in. The other is an overly complex, heavily “designed” monster, that offers up spinning logos and new menus at every turn, and looks more like a CD-Rom game from 1996 than a website for 2010.

We’ll let you decide which is which.

[Link: 686 vs. Burton]

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Surfrider.org In Good Magazine

by The Editors on August 13, 2009

22222HeaderSurfrider.org’s Matt McClain explains why he does the work he does in Good Magazine‘s The Water Issue with a story titled Wave Goodbye.

However, the more I studied the ocean, the more attuned I became to the peril in which we have placed it. I now work full time to protect our seas, waves, and beaches. I do it to honor my father, a native Hawaiian who introduced me to the sea when I was very young, and to honor all the others who have come before me. I do it for the benefit of those who will come after. But most of all, I do it to in some small way repay all the gifts that Mother Ocean has given, and continues to give.

“Well said,” we say typing one-handed while wiping a tear from our face.

[Link: Good Magazine]

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Sheckler Keeps On Milking It

by The Editors on August 13, 2009

Sheckler MilkWe’re big fans of milk. So is Ryan Sheckler, apparently. We know thanks to his new “celebrity widget” which is basically a clever name for a 300×250 advertisement that America’s Milk Processors think kids will put up all over the web for free a.k.a. social advertising.

Kick flips, grinds and manuals – that’s just another day at the skate park for action sports phenom Ryan Sheckler. But to get serious air, Sheckler knows it takes training, determination and good nutrition to take home the gold. That’s why after training Ryan adds a glass of lowfat or fat free milk to his diet.

Wait, we’re nearly getting milked ourselves. . .

[Link: Body By Milk via The Tackled Box]

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Spohn Ranch Moves Up Inc. 5000 List

by The Editors on August 13, 2009

Inc5000When financial magazine Inc. released their recent list of the top 5,000 fastest growing private companies in America, skatepark builder Spohn Ranch Skateparks bumped up nearly 2,000 spots on the list to number 2,950, according to the Spohn Ranch blog.

“Being recognized by Inc. Magazine is a great accomplishment, but getting today’s youth off the couch and into safe, engaging recreational facilities is the true reward, “said Kirsten Bradford, CEO of Spohn Ranch. “It’s great to see that even in an economic recession, cities are still committing funds to recreational facilities for the kids.”

The company did $4.8 million in revenue in 2008 with 25 employees. How is that for getting all respectable? Nice work.

[Link: Inc. via Spohn Ranch Skateparks]

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Corey Duffel’s Free Lunch

by The Editors on August 12, 2009

Sewer trouble, b-b guns, and getting pissed on with Corey Duffel. Don’t know what it is, but we’ve always liked the guy. Got one of his boards under our feet right now watching some Cataclismic Abyss.

[Link: Shred or Die via Thrashermag]

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Quiksilver And Roxy Go Virtual With X Box

by The Editors on August 12, 2009

Quik-LogoThere is nothing that reduces marketing down to its purest level than selling a virtual, infinitely reproducible product. And that’s exactly what Quiksilver and Roxy are doing with their new deal with the X Box Live’s Avatar Marketplace. Users of X Box Live will be able to dress their online personifications with virtual clothing paid for with real money.

Now those people can buy and download special clothing and props for their Little Computer People. For 80 or 160 MS Points — that’s $1 or $2 in real money — you can buy your fake self a shirt by Adidas or sweater by Quiksilver.

While some would argue that the low cost of manufacturing in China has already turned the fashion business into a “virtual economy” there still is nothing quite as efficient as selling products made out of bits, not atoms.

[Link: IndyStar.com and Transworld Business]

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