This week the March Logo Madness moves out of surf (last week’s winner was Thalia Surf Shop) and into skate with the face-offs shown above. Click the link, vote, and let your voice be heard above the logo raving masses. For the official word from Valhalla Design & Conquer, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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Our favorite logo battle returns this March for 2014 as Scott Hultgren hits us back with Valhalla’s March Logo Madness.
The bracket competition takes its cues from the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament but instead of a bunch of guys running around for three hours, logos from brands like Quiksilver, Volcom, Indpendent Trucks, Girl, Burton, Nike, Adidas and Obey go head to head for a day. Whoever gets the most votes moves on to the next day to battle the next logo.
And who wins this contest is completely decided by online voters. That’s you! If you’d like to take part, click here for the first week’s battle, then tune back in each day during the month for another round of competition. This year’s madness kicks off with Surfing, following each week by skateboarding, snowboarding, lifestyle, and the Grand Royale winner take all battle the last week of March. For the official rules (and to vote) click th [click to continue…]
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Remember all those companies Quiksilver started and/or bought or licensed over the years because it was reportedly good for the stability of their business? Brands like Mervin Manufacturing, Hawk, Moskova, and Maui & Sons. Well, it now seems like the secret to Quik’s “profit improvement plan” is to sell them all. Mervin is already gone and most of the money they got for it is already spent.
“These transactions represent additional milestones in executing our multi-year profit improvement plan,” said Andy Mooney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quiksilver, Inc. “We used a portion of the Mervin proceeds to invest in our high-growth subsidiaries in Mexico and Brazil, and we now own 100 percent of our operations in both countries. The remaining proceeds from the Mervin sale, combined with the new European credit facility, enhance our financial flexibility and add greater stability to our liquidity. . . Divesting Mervin and the other non-core businesses will allow management to focus on expanding our three core brands – Quiksilver, Roxy, and DC Shoes – along with driving additional operational efficiencies.”
Hey, whatever makes the market think “Hey, they’re making the right moves” is apparently the right move. Follow the jump for the full press release.
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Last night (November 7, 2013) Mervin Manufacturing (parent company of Gnu and Lib Tech) released the official news that they have been purchased by Altamont Capital Partners (guess that whole Extreme Holdings, Inc. thing was short-term).
Under Altamont’s ownership, Mervin will operate as an independent, standalone company. There will be continuity across all areas of the company, including leadership and staffing, manufacturing, sales and marketing. Mervin has entered in to a license agreement with Quiksilver to produce and distribute Roxy branded snowboards, bindings and skateboards. The relationship will work similarly to how it has in the past, with Roxy sharing brand marketing and athletes and Mervin designing and building the snowboards in the USA, near Canada.
Reports put that sale at around $51 million. Not bad for a company that was once exchanged for a Volkswagon transmission. For the official word from Mervin (and co-founder Mike Olson) follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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Want a quick refresher course on some stories every real snowboard should know? Then Onboard’s collection of “38 iconic moments” is a great place to start. Beginning with the Bunker Board 1939 and rolling right through Peetu Piiroinen winning his 4th TTR Title and you have a pretty straight (if not Onboard/Euro focused) list of events you should have at least heard of if not witnessed. Dive in and enjoy.
For more stories to discuss and debate follow the jump for The History of Snowboarding: A 30 Year Time Line [click to continue…]
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Mike Olson and Pete Saari (pictured right), the co-founders of Mervin Manufacturing, once again have new owners to stun and amaze as Quiksilver announced today that it had sold their Washington State based snowboard and surfboard manufacturing company to Extreme Holdings, Inc. “an entity advised by Altamont Capital Partners.”
Steve Brownlie, Principal at Altamont, said, “Mervin Manufacturing represents an opportunity to invest in a special company with two of the industry’s finest action sports brands in Lib Tech and GNU along with a passionate team, including first-rate leadership in Ryan, Mike and Pete. We look forward to building on Mervin’s strong brand position of authenticity, premium products and service and its history of driving innovation that advances the sports of snowboarding, skiing, skateboarding and surfing.”
And yeah, Altamont is the private equity firm that wanted to buy Billabong and did buy Dakine in July 2013. This should be interesting. For the official word from Quik, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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The Mavericks Invitational has a new title sponsor now that Body Glove has announced a “multi-year” deal with the big wave surfing contest.
“We are thrilled to work with the community of Half Moon Bay to make the Body Glove Mavericks Invitational the premier event that it deserves to be,” states Robbie Meistrell, CEO of Body Glove International. “Body Glove has had an extensive history of involvement in surf competitions in the last 60 years and is proud to say that it has launched many careers of today’s surfing elite. It’s only natural that we partner with Mavericks Invitational, an event that is the absolute pinnacle of adrenaline, fueled by big wave riding. We look forward to having a long lasting and prosperous relationship.”
This should help keep the Mavericks contest on some firm footing for a while. For the official word from Body Glove, follow the jump.
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Freewaters, the makers of our favorite flips (the Thermarest Scamps) have now announced a collab with filmmaker Bruce Brown and his classic surf dock The Endless Summer.
“Bruce, Robert and Mike helped open the world’s eyes to the amazing waves, people and culture of South Africa almost 50 years ago,” says Freewaters Ambassador, Robert Wingnut Weaver, who starred in the sequel The Endless Summer II. “Now to be partnering The Endless Summer with Freewaters and their clean drinking water projects in Africa, it has really come full circle. I’m proud to be a part of both brands.”
Looks like we’ll have to make room for another pair. For the official word from Freewaters, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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Anyone who has ever watched the now classic episodes of Surfer Magazine TV (with host Sonny Miller) will remember the Opper Sports Productions name. Over the years founder Ira Opper (pictured right with Wingnut and a cameraman) has created loads and loads of action sports television programming. And now, the Del Mar Times has profiled Opper.
He was an early pioneer bringing beach volleyball and the concept of action sports to ESPN. He was one of the producers behind the first regional sports cable network that eventually became Fox Sports Prime Ticket. He has the largest surf film archive in the world — and he’s lived in Solana Beach for more than 30 years.
For the rest of the Opper story, click the link.
[Link: Del Mar Times]
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When The Boardroom International Surfboard Show rolls into the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, California this weekend (October 6-7, 2012) four-time World Champion Mark Richards will be honored as the “ultimate surfer/shaper” during the Icons of Foam shaping Tribute.
The sensational and stylistic MR firmly stamped his mark on surfing history by winning the ASP world title four-times. One of only two world champions to shape and compete on his own handcrafted surfboards (PT), the legendary MR will be at The Boardroom to watch six shapers replicate a classic MR twin fin. A board that MR shaped, sprayed, glassed, and sanded all by himself. And oh yeah, then Richards went out and won the Mainstay Magnum 500 (South Africa 1982) ASP event on the board.
Follow the jump for all the official details, ticket prices, live webcast info, and more. [click to continue…]
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