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.
It’s good to know that the snowboard industry isn’t going to take all the economic gloom and doom laying down. . . in the sun. . . with a drink their tanned, relaxed hands.
No, with the help of the Snow Industries of America they took action and jetted off to Palm Springs this week to get some winter problems solved the old fashioned way: meetings, powerpoint presentations, poolside drinking, tanning, and good old bro-ing down, all under the auspices of The Committee of Snowboard Brands. Committee Chairman Mike West of 686 explains:
“From company founders to CEO’s, it was an honor to have key players from the snowboard community come together to discuss some major issues within the industry,” said Mike West, founder of 686, chairman of the SIA Snowboard Committee and member of the SIA Board of Directors. “Our discussions have led to taking the next steps on increasing participation through retention and allocating our resources towards increasing healthier sales in retail. Our goal is to work ON snowboarding instead of working IN snowboarding.”
For the complete list of industry problem solvers and the additional committees they’re going to form to solve even more snowboarding industry problems, please follow the jump. [click to continue…]
On Saturday, April 13, 2013 Lib Technologies will host their “international gathering of creativity and flow” at Japan’s Mt. Tanigawa Tenjindaira Snow Resort.
A heavy cast of North American riders including Jamie Lynn, Forest Bailey, Scotty Wittlake, Chris Beresford, Scott Blum, Austin Hironaka and Jesse Burtner will strap in next to an equally impressive crew of Japanese riders including Kohei Kudo, Masashi 247 Nishina, Shuji Kjiura, Takaharu Nakai, Ruiki Masuda, Yosuke Nishida and Goro Komatsu. . . An after-party will follow the event and feature an amazing live set from snowboarding legend, amazing musician and Lib Tech Ripper, Wes Makepeace.
For the official word on one of snowboarding’s coolest snowboarding events, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
If you haven’t seen video from the Japanese bowl riding scene, click here and watch some because this is the kind of flow that will be going down April 14, 2012 at Lib Tech’s Holy Bowly at the Happoone Resort in Hakuba, Japan.
This “International gathering of creativity and flow” is a collective effort with some of the most respected snow bowl builders in Japan as well as some of the most respected riders in the world all coming together for a common goal of showcasing another option in the future of freestyle snowboarding and park design. . . Japanese snow bowl builders Hayato “Bubbles” Maruyama, Goro Komatsu and Shuji Kajiura joined by Mervin Mfg.’s Krush Kulesza and a crew of dedicated volunteers and Happoone staff look to give the pros and the public an amazing day of progression, high-fives and lasting memories.
For more details, including a complete list of riders, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Mervin Manufacturing co-founder Mike Olson has been weird sciencing the snowboard world for nearly three decades. Some would argue (us included) that Olson (along with partner Peter Saari and Steven Cobb) responsible for more design advancements in snowboard and ski technology than any other living person. Beginning with the carving snowboard, parabolic sidecut, and cap construction, and continuing on with reverse camber, and augmented snowboard edge shapes, Olson has been going against conventional wisdom for his entire career. For the past two years Olson has been working exclusively on a new project involving what he calls “waterboards” or what the rest of us call surfboards.
Jeff Henderson, Mike Olson, Pete Saari and the new Lib Tech waterboards.
We’ve been hearing about these new surfboards for a while but we’d never seen any, most likely because he’s purposefully been keeping them out of the line-ups of Southern California breaks. Then during the Agenda Show in Long Beach we got into a late-night elevator at the Hyatt and ran into a crew from Mervin Manufacturing. They had four of the new surfboards and were taking them up to their room. We were so blown away by the boards and so interested in feeling, squeezing, and holding them that we forgot to even take a picture. We didn’t know it at the time, but in typical Mervin Manufacturing strategy Mike decided to present the surfboards to the world at the Snowsports Industries of America Show in Denver, Colorado last week where very few of the attendees would even know enough about surfing to be impressed.
We couldn’t believe what we were seeing, it’s game-changing. As much as we can say from only holding them, the boards live up to the hype. They are light, well-shaped, and (after seeing four knocked to the floor) unbelievable durable. We had some questions, and luckily Mike Olson was there to answer them in excruciating detail.
Halfway through our interview PR maven Lora Bodmer cut in to make sure Olson wasn’t giving away any trade secrets, but other than that we got 28 minutes of the straight scoop.
From the official news released today it would appear that Mike “Chief” Nusenow has a new boss of sorts, and someone who shares his SVP, winter sports title at Quiksilver.
Clark Gundlach, the former (wait, it’s a really, really long title) “Senior Vice President leading Sales, National Accounts, Sales Operations, Licensed Store Platforms, and Multi-Channel Distribution in North America and the Southern Hemisphere for Burton, RED and Anon brands” has been named Senior Vice President and General Manager of Winter Sports at Quiksilver, Americas.
“Clark, Chief, and the rest of the snow team in the Americas, along with athletes like Travis Rice and Torah Bright, are going to take our brands and our business to new places,” stated Rob Colby, President of Quiksilver Americas. “I couldn’t be happier with this crew.”
Gundlach will report directly to Colby and Nusenow will report to Gundlach. If Quik wants to make inroads into the heart of the winter sports market there’s no better way than by hiring one more person away from the leader in the category. Follow the jump for the official word from Quik. [click to continue…]
Maxx von Marbod has curated a collection of classic snowboards for a gallery showing at Evo in Seattle this Friday night (October 21, 2011).
The show, being held in conduction with retailer Evo’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, will feature snowboards from: Liberace Technologies, Gnu Slope Tools, Ride Snowboards, K2 Snowboarding, Capita Super Corporation, and Burton.
You’ll see:
– An example of each of Craig Kelly’s pro models starting with the first Mystery Air (rumored to be making a comeback…)
– Weird creations from Mervin’s mad scientists
– Kidwell, Cummins, Lamar, Ranquet and Palmer’s finest offerrings
– Unlikely Pro models, 1st runs, and One-off’s from the Capita Closet
– Boards of “questionable Legality” from Ride’s archives… along with other gems you wish you still had!
It’s hard to believe that even though Jamie Anderson has been winning pretty much everything she’s entered since she was 10 years old, that she just signed on as a “guest pro” for Gnu Snowboards (she’s been riding their boards for a while).
The South Lake Tahoe, CA-local is signing with GNU as the brand’s first “Guest Pro.” As a celebrity guest Jamie will enjoy all of the perks of Gnu pro status including fabulous photo shoots and parties in her honor. She’ll also have the ability to work closely with Gnu’s leading design teams in Carlsborg, WA to develop new snowboards that fit her style and make riding even more fun. . . “I love Gnu boards! They’re the best!” exclaims Anderson. Fellow Gnu rider Danny Kass says of Anderson, “Jamie’s a one-of-a-kind rider. She’s fearless on all terrain and pushing the boundaries of park riding for women around the world.”
On Saturday, April 24, 2010, Shane Wallace invited a few people to Rancho Cucamonga, California for the soft-launch opening of OK Skate’s first retail showroom. It was a chance to show everyone what he and the OK Skate crew have been working on for the past six months.
Located on a frontage street near Interstate 15 just North of Interstate 10, the warehouse/ office/ showroom combo is in that strange zone between the Eastern edge of Los Angeles sprawl and the Western front of the Inland Empire. The business park that houses OK Skate is a few blocks from the nearest retail center, but signs on the upstairs windows are visible from the southbound lanes of the freeway. Commuters who continue further south can’t help but notice the large Active Ride Shop warehouse on the opposite side of the 15. The location is likely no accident, though Shane says it was chosen based on “area demographics.”
OK Skate marks Wallace’s return to retail after the Active Ride Shop bankruptcy and subsequent sale pulled the rug out from under much of the industry last March. Between greeting friends at the door, putting final tweaks on the POS system, and watching kids skate the showroom’s mini ramp, Shane had time to sneak upstairs to his office above the shop for a short interview to discuss what OK Skate is, how it came about, and what they have planned for the future.
Follow the jump for photos and the entire interview.
[Editors’ Note April 30, 2010: After reading the interview for the first time online, Shane had a few things to add. We have placed those comments at the end of the interview.] [click to continue…]
Quiksilver today announced that they are selling off most of their non-Roxy bikini brands including Raisins, Raisins Girls, Leilani, Island Soul, and Island Escape to New York-based Breaking Waves International, a unit of AOM Holdings LLC, according to a story in the Orange County Business Journal. A press released posted on Global Surf News featured the following:
Craig Stevenson, President of Quiksilver Americas, stated, “As we review our operating priorities we are keenly focused on our core businesses of Quiksilver, Roxy, DC and, increasingly, Mervin. . . . In that context, and after evaluating opportunities for our other women’s swim brands, we felt the best course of action for our shareholders, our customers and our employees was to sell these women’s swim brands to AOM Holdings, who came forward with an attractive offer. AOM has extensive experience in the swim category and we are pleased that they have expressed their intent to continue to operate these brands within their existing channels of distribution.”
Oddly, no mention of Quik’s Radio Fiji line was made. Maybe no one wanted that one.
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.
