686 is proud to announce the addition of iconic snowboarder Gigi Rüf to the team.
Gigi brings his own unique approach to snowboarding and will complement the entire global 686 team including snowboarders Forest Bailey, Sammy Luebke, Phil Jacques, Victor Daviet, Matt Belzile and Mary Rand. . . and more.
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Next week (December 13, 2018) Tony Hawk’s mobile game (created by Maple Media) hits the Apple and Google Play stores. It’s called SkateJam and we don’t really know much aside from what we read on 9 to 5 Mac. Here are a few details:
The action-packed mobile experience, available for pre-order now and free to download worldwide on the App Store® beginning on December 13th, captures the essence of Hawk’s legacy – his unmistakable style, influences, and tricks are prevalent throughout the game. Developed by Maple Media, a Los Angeles-based mobile media, advertising and technology company, Tony Hawk’s Skate Jam will set a new bar for authentic tricks, controls and music in a mobile skate game thanks to Tony himself. The game will also feature, Classic Career Mode, Global Skate Jam tournaments, Street, park and vert skate disciplines and dozens of Birdhouse skateboards to collect.
Sounds like everything we need in an mobile skateboarding game. For more info click the link.
[Link: SkateJam]
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The U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association sent out a press release today to remind everyone that they exist and still matter to snowboarding. Even though the Beijing Winter Olmpics aren’t until 2022 US Ski & Snowboard and USASA believe they’re still relevant to the sport. For instance:
One hundred percent of the regional snowboard events and 82 percent of the regional freeski events are produced by USASA. USASA produces more than 500 events at 120 resorts through their 32 unique series that engage the culture and community of both sports. In addition to the hosting of events, USASA also provides an education structure for the development of coaches, officials and judges in the U.S. hosted through in-person clinics and social outreach.
What they didn’t mention, but is also true, is that US Ski & Snowboard has nothing to do with the now bankrupt USA Gymnastics. For more information on exactly what U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the USASA do for snowboarders, snowboarding, and the entire industry please follow the jump.
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We were planning on doing these super list news link updates on the weekly, but last month seemed a bit shorter and our slow typing fingers failed the task. Take this as a catch up on all the news that caught our eye lately. we’ll attempt to do better moving forward. . . or not. Follow the jump for all the stories. Happy Friday.
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Vans just signed South African pro surfer Michael February to their global footwear and apparel team.
Recently featured in Vans’ surf film Can’t Steal Our Vibe alongside fellow teammates the Gudauskas brothers, February has been a driving force in Vans’ philanthropic initiative to inspire at-risk youth in South Africa through surfing. In partnership with Waves for Change, February helped to collect over 750 surfboards for local South Africa townships, helping kids heal through surfing.
For the official word from Vans, please follow the jump.
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Writer and former pro surfer Jamie Brisick has a story in The New Yorker, sadly, he had to lose his home to the Malibu fire to make it happen. In his Personal History story A Surfer’s Perspective on Malibu In Flames he explains what it was like to go back in during the evacuation to check on things. Here’s a piece.
The homes leading up to mine were gone, and so were the homes across the street. I pulled into the gravel driveway and got out of my car. The burning smell was like a punch in the face. There was nothing left of the front house, a ranch-style home where my neighbors—a husband, wife, twin thirteen-year-old daughters, and two loud dogs—had lived. I followed the winding concrete footpath back to my guesthouse. It used to be shaded by a canopy of trees, but the trees were no longer. Ditto the surfboard rack that held a half-dozen prized boards. I’d never seen a burned surfboard before. The foam had disintegrated, but the fibreglass husks remained. They resembled shed skin, or cocoons.
For the rest of his story, please click the link. Brisick’s perspective has much more to do with his being a great writer, than it does with being a surfer, but those East Coasties seem to have a thing for surfers who can write.
[Link: The New Yorker]
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Sadly, nothing in this Volcom + Hot Wheels collab comes in adult sizes. Guess we’ll all be forced into vicarious buying sprees. Come on now, V-Co.
[Link: Volcom]
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Tony Hawk announced today (November 14, 2018) that he is dropping in on the “agency” business model with D/CAL a “hybrid brand consultancy and creative agency based in Detroit and California, get it? Hawk is co-founding the business with partners Adam Wilson (Carhartt, McGarryBowen), Jared Prindle (Tony Hawk Inc., 900 Films), and Ryan Maconochie (Arc, Leo Burnett, Trisect). Katherine Huber is director of client services.
“I’ve worked with many brands and their agencies over the years and even as a relative outsider looking in, I understand the challenges between clients and agencies. Our approach is unique, with an emphasis on authenticity,” added Hawk.
D/CAL says current clients include: Michigan-based DROUGHT, and HoMedics, San Diego-based Tony Hawk Foundation, and Chicago-based CityBase. For the official word from D/CAL please follow the jump.
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Can you think of anything worse than selling your soul and then not getting paid? That’s the position 2John Florence has put himself in according to a lawsuit he filed against Monster Energy in May of 2018, according to a story in the New York Post.
According to the 26-year-old Florence. . . he and Monster cut a three-year marketing deal beginning in January 2017. . . Under the deal, Florence . . . agreed to promote Monster drinks for $350,000 a year plus $150,000 toward a marketing production that recounted his pursuit of his world surfing title, court records show. . . Nevertheless, Monster “has refused to pay any amount whatsoever under the 2017 agreement,” according to the suit, which has managed to stay under the media radar despite getting filed in California state court in May.
Monster claims that Florence hid “material facts” from the company during those contract negotiations. Florence says his dealings with Monster have been a series of broken promises and last minute changes to his contract. And, yeah, $350,000 in missing money is a pretty big deal. We hope 2John has learned his lesson when it comes to energy drinks–especially a brand with copious lawsuit experience.
Sidetone: if you’re in the Inland Empire today (November 14, 2018) you can stop by the Riverside, California superior courthouse and drop in on a conference hearing between the lawyers.
[Link: NY Post]
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Zombie brand extraordinaire, Airwalk, is hoping to ride the 90s wave of nostalgia right back to the top of the footwear game with the launch their latest “global ad campaign,” according to current owner Authentic Brands Group (Jamie Salter is the CEO, remember him?) The new campaign is titled Teen Spirit. Can you smell it? Here’s how they pitch it.
Returning to the brand’s roots, the 2018 campaign embraces the spirit of the Southern California teen that established Airwalk’s place in 90s culture. It gives consumers a candid look into the individuality, self-expression, and free-spirit that has shaped Airwalk’s identity for more than 30 years. . . .The campaign features The One, the Bloc, the Random, the Jim Lo, the Vic, and the Prototype. This assortment highlights Airwalk’s best sellers and a peek into what’s to come for the brand.
This just makes us miss footwear marketing/design genius Sinisa Egelja all the more. Hard to believe it has been nine years since his death on October 26, 2009. For the official word from Authentic Brand Group (which also owns Vision Street Wear), please follow the jump.
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