When Canadian Alpine racer Ross Rebagliati won the world’s first snowboarding Olympic gold medal in Nagano Japan in 1996 it was kind of funny that he immediately tested positive for marijuana. Of course, snowboarders are pot heads. All that.
But Ross said recently, in an interview with CBC News, that when he was being held in Japan on the drug issue he decided that “I am going to fight for this plant for the rest of my life, start a cannabis company and show everybody what cannabis is really all about.” And it appears he’s done something close. . maybe.
And while he took on other jobs to fund his dreams, he kept at it, founding medical marijuana dispensary Ross’ Gold in 2013. And on Feb. 8, 2023 — 25 years to the day since he won gold in Nagano — Ross’ Gold products started being sold in licensed dispensaries, a moment Rebagliati said gave him as much pride as his Olympic victory.
Way to stick to it, Ross. Still doing snowboarding proud after all these years. For all the details from an audio interview with Ross, please click the link.
A new exhibition titled Skateboard at the London Design Museum investigates the roll skateboarding has played in the world of youth culture, fashion design, and sports in general. Currated by Jonathan Olivares, the show is sponsored by Converse and will feature a book by Phaidon (Paul ‘The Professor’ Schmitt wrote the intro).
Skateboard examines the fundamentality of its namesake device. The show is an object study at its core; it tracks the backstory of the board across generations’ worth of iterations (one 2000’s deck features baroque squiggles called “money shapes” on its edge, for instance). Yet it also provides a crisp, clear flow of the world-building that has occurred around the apparatus. . . Over 100 chronologically advancing decks, their widely varied graphics, images sourced from over 40 photographers in multiple decades, and spin-off ephemera (such as zines and decals) illustrate this rise of skateboarding not only as an athletic discipline but also as an aspirational lifestyle. A 1960s-era Life cover, for example, shows a woman in neat white trousers riding against a big blue sky–while doing a handstand on her board, no less.
For more info on the show which opens October 20, 2023 (and how to visit if you’re in London town) please click the link.
Shaun White’s ascent from snowboarder to cultural zeitgeist is perfectly represented in his new book from Rizzoli titled Airborne. See photos from when he was just a SoCal kid who loved skateboarding and snowboarding. Watch as the fame machine grabs hold of him and sends him into the orbit of rockstars, fashionistas, and Hollywood girlfriends. Here’s how Rizzoli sets the scene:
Some of the world’s best action-sports photographers capture White performing his extreme snowboarding and skating tricks around the world–from his groundbreaking aerial maneuvers such as his Double McTwist 1260 on Olympic half pipes, to his radical skating tricks such as his Frontside 540 Sky Hook at the X Games. White exceeded the imaginable limits of snowboarding and raised the bar for other snowboarding competitors to try to keep up with him. Narrated by White with detailed commentary throughout, this book is an autobiography in images and an intimate glimpse into the life of a celebrity athlete: training, competing, on the road and in the spotlight.
It’s obviously another Shaun White celebrity product, but if you’re a fan then this is the book for you. Click here to buy it.
There really is no escape from the ski business gobbling monster known as Alterra Mountain Company. They’ve just added world famous Mike Wiegele Heliski to their growing porfolio two short years after the founder’s death in 2021, according to a story that appeared everywhere, but we’ll link to Ski Area Management.
“Alterra is the ideal partner to celebrate and preserve the legacy that Mike Wiegele left behind,” said Elias Ortner, general manager of MWHS. “This will propel this operation to new heights, allowing us to enhance the guest experience further and deepen our existing community and loyal guest partnerships.”
We’re happy for at least some of the Wiegele family, sad for everyone else. Monopolies are bad. Don’t mind us. We’ll just keep saying that. . . over and over and over.
From the “wonder what The Arena Group is going to do with all their zombie magazine brands” files comes news that Arena has partnered with AcTVe to launch five FAST (stands for free, ad-supported television) “channels” with their action sporting brands, according to story on Deadline.com.
Powder Mag, Surfer Magazine, Transworld Skateboarding, Bike Mag and Snowboarder will provide the backbones for the new channels, which will debut globally this fall. The channels will be available on free, ad-supported streaming platforms like SportsTribal, FreeMovies+ and FreeCast, as well as via Roku, Vizio and Samsung. More distribution platforms will be added in 2024, the companies said.
We have absolutely no idea what these “platforms” are, who watches them, or what this means for the brands. Nor, do we believe they will spend any real money on content. So what is going to be on the channels (aside from paid advertising against no viewers)? If you understand any of this, please let us know in the comments.
The Navajo Nation was host to The Modern Matriarch Skate Jam on September 23, 2023 at the Two Grey Hills Skatepark. This first of its kind all-woman skate comp was a showcase for women’s skateboarding in general and specifically provided inspirational mentorship and clinics for Indigenous women.
“The Modern Matriarch Skate Jam was an incredible success thanks to the support of our sponsors, partner brands, and most importantly the women who competed and the community that came out to support them,” said 4KINSHIP Founder Amy Denet Deal. “It was such a joy to see young women joined by Navajo Nation Vice President Richelle Montoya. We were honored to have the first woman elected to the executive office of Navajo Nation join our celebration. We’re looking forward to making this an annual event and being able to continue to support our young matriarchs as they rise in power in this sport.~ Amy Denet Deal, Founder of 4KINSHIP, auntie of Diné Skate Garden Project.
For full results and the official word from 4Kinship and Diné Skate arden Project, please follow the jump.
Today (September 27, 2023), Jamie Salter’s Authentic Brands Group announced that they have chosen Costa Mesa’s Liberated Brands as the licensee for several of their recently purchased Boardriders brands.
In the deal, Liberated will run retail and e-commerce ops for Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, Honolua and Boardriders in the US and Canada. They will also act as the official licensee for the Billabong, RVCA, and Honolua brands. The press release makes it seem like they’ve reached outside Authentic Brands to do a licensing deal, when it’s actually more of an inside play. ABG owns a rather large chunk (officially a “minority stake”) of Liberated Brands so they’re basically licensing the brands to themselves while building in a little distance. Here’s how Nick Woodhouse explains it:
“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Liberated,” said Nick Woodhouse, President and CMO at Authentic. “As evidenced by their focus on the growth of Volcom and Spyder, Liberated’s unwavering commitment to innovation and community engagement makes them the ideal partner to take on Billabong, RVCA and Honolua, as well as the retail operations for the best lifestyle brands inspired by skate, surf and snow. Together, we look forward to implementing our strategic vision for growth and expanding the brands’ presence in the US and Canada.”
Yes, your own business usually makes a great “partner.” Sorting out the facts of this announcement are well above our pay grade, but let’s just say it is always entertaining to see how these businesses shuffle things around. Side note: if you’re a graphic designer, Liberated is looking for a few good people to shape the vision for the brands moving forward. For the official release, click the link.
Admit it. This Strip Mall Surfer Phantom Flyer kit is the raddest, funnest skateboard you’ve seen in years. Wide board, squared off, narrow tucks, Clay Pigeon wheels, round wheel wells. . . what more could you ask for when surfin’ the ditches? And it’s all new from Blockhead Skateboards. Click the link for all the details.
Legendary skate and music photographer Glen E. Friedman has a new collection of images coming out in book form from Akashic books on October 3, 2023 titled: Just a Minor Threat.
JUST A MINOR THREAT is a book of Glen E. Friedman’s most outstanding photographs of the Washington, DC, band Minor Threat, one of the most influential hardcore punk bands in music history. While the book offers Friedman’s best-known photographs of the band, most of the pictures in this volume, shot in 1982 and ’83, have never been seen before. . . The book has writing by Jello Biafra, Alec MacKaye, Guy Picciotto, Zack de la Rocha, Jamie Shanahan, and Ian F. Svenonius. Friedman’s own introduction explains how he initially met the band, and the lifelong friendships that grew from there.
If you are a fan of Minor Threat or just someone who collects rock photo books, click here to buy one and get all the info.
Shaun White’s ascent from snowboarder to cultural zeitgeist is perfectly represented in his new book from Rizzoli titled 
There really is no escape from the ski business gobbling monster known as Alterra Mountain Company. They’ve just added world famous Mike Wiegele Heliski to their growing porfolio two short years after the 
From the “wonder what 
Today (September 27, 2023), Jamie Salter’s Authentic Brands Group announced that they have chosen Costa Mesa’s 
