On the heels of the news that Transworld Skateboarding scribe Ben Kelly (pictured right) was promoted to the position of editor, comes the announcement that former ESPN Skateboard blogger Josh Brooks has been hired as associate editor.
Ben Kelly rolls into the promotion after working as acting editor since the death of Transworld Skateboarding editor Eric Stricker in September 2009.
“I am honored to carry the torch for former editor and dear friend Eric Stricker, and am excited for the new challenges that lay in front of me with this transition,” said Kelly. This new role enables me to engage in new opportunities through strategic edit planning, while maintaining a strong connection to our reader through the various content projects in which I am involved.”
Brooks, a former employee of drug maker Genentech, is apparently happy about his move to Transworld.
“It’s gone through many changes, but TransWorld SKATEboarding—started in 1983—has had a long history in skateboarding,” said Brooks. “It has always covered all facets of skating. . . . I’m honored to work with Skin Phillips, Ben Kelly and the rest of the edit crew to carry on that history, bring a new perspective to the amazing skate photos in the mag and improve the content on the web.”
Follow the jump for more details.TRANSWORLD MEDIA PROMOTES BEN KELLY TO EDITOR OF
TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING
March 2, 2010 – Carlsbad, CA – TransWorld Media is proud to announce the promotion of Ben Kelly to editor of TransWorld SKATEboarding. Prior to acting as the editor of TransWorld SKATEboarding, Kelly started as an associate editor for the magazine in 2006 and was promoted to managing editor in early 2009.
“I am honored to carry the torch for former editor and dear friend Eric Stricker, and am excited for the new challenges that lay in front of me with this transition,” said Kelly. This new role enables me to engage in new opportunities through strategic edit planning, while maintaining a strong connection to our reader through the various content projects in which I am involved.”
Dedicating much of his life to skateboarding and being an avid skater himself for the past 15 years, it seemed to be a natural progression for Kelly’s career to evolve with the world’s largest skateboarding magazine. His words have graced the magazine for the past four years, and he has been an integral figure in shaping skateboarding’s latest talent. Kelly has also had a profound impact on creating some of the best content in the world that has truly captured the essence of the skateboarding culture and gained a loyal readership. Kelly will continue to report to Skin Phillips, Editor-in-Chief.
“Ben has already proved to be a valuable contributor to TransWorld SKATEboarding through his dedication and loyalty to the magazine, and he will surely be a greater part of its progress,” said Phillips. We are confident his new role as editor will assist the edit crew in taking TransWorld SKATEboarding to that next level. “Ben Kelly is a skateboarder—his drive and experience in the industry, combined with TransWorld’s vision will definitely allow the property to exceed expectations. We are committed to improving the title and building a team that encompasses the landscape of true skateboarding,” continued Phillips. “Kelly is a great piece to this new structure.”
“Losing Stricker was a tragedy that’s affected us all deeply, said Phillips. I’ve never lost anyone so close so quickly. 2009 was a tough year in many ways, but we’ve adjusted and are continuing to move on. Eric wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
Kelly will oversee the day-to-day direction and overall content for both the print and digital versions of TransWorld SKATEboarding, and will work closely with Phillips on developing strategies to retain and grow readership by producing creative content and relevant relationships and properties such as, TransWorld SKATEboarding’s – Skate and Create.
Originally from Corona, California, but now calls North County home, Kelly graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Communications.
TRANSWORLD MEDIA ANNOUNCES JOSH BROOKS AS NEW ASSOCIATE EDITOR FOR TRANSWORLD SKATEBOARDING
March 4, 2010 – Carlsbad, CA – TransWorld Media is proud to announce the addition of Josh Brooks as associate editor to the TransWorld SKATEboarding edit team. Prior to assuming this role, Brooks acted as a writer, blogger and correspondent for the ESPN skate site and was published in Thrasher, Skateboarder and other publications.
“It’s gone through many changes, but TransWorld SKATEboarding—started in 1983—has had a long history in skateboarding,” said Brooks. “It has always covered all facets of skating and has a lineage of iconic photographers and videos, like Feedback, Sight Unseen, In Bloom and Free Your Mind, among others. I’m honored to work with Skin Phillips, Ben Kelly and the rest of the edit crew to carry on that history, bring a new perspective to the amazing skate photos in the mag and improve the content on the web.”
Brooks will work with skaters, contributors and advertisers as one of the faces of TransWorld SKATEboarding and will help write in print and digital, contributing to the overall creative direction of the mag. He will also shoot photos and video of skate-related events and assist in planning contests and events for the magazine. Brooks reports to Ben Kelly, Editor, TransWorld SKATEboarding.
“Brooks is a valuable addition to the edit team as we strive to take the magazine to a new level by providing quality content and photography that inspire skateboarders to push their limits,” said Phillips, Editor-in-Chief. “Not only does he have the drive and vision, but he has the skateboarding talent to back it up.”
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, raised in Madison, Wisconsin and now a resident of Long Beach, Brooks has always been an avid skater, involved in the skate scenes of Boulder, Colorado, Madison, Wisconsin and Santiago, Chile (while studying abroad for a year).
He graduated from the University of Colorado with a BA in Biology, with a focus on pre-med. After working for nearly two years doing experiments on nicotinic pathways in mice and their associations with Parkinson’s disease in humans, Brooks headed west to assist in producing the cancer drug Avastin. During that time he started writing for skate publications and since then has come full circle to his true passion, skateboarding and writing.
well, skateboarding is a drug, so I can see the fit!
Comments on this entry are closed.