Timbaland breaks down the world of pop cultural business success like no one else in this interview with Ebro and Rosenberg from Hot97. We don’t pretend to know a thing about the music, or the beats, or the scene, but the wisdom he conveys on what hits are, how they come about, and how to play the hit business game — especially his theories on the rise of “programmers over producers” and his own six-year cycle (26:40) — apply to every angle of action sports business.
As part of their 50th Anniversary celebration Vans is kicking down 50 different colorways on the Sk8-Hi (our favorite shoe of all time).
The Sk8-Hi serves as a canvas for new color offerings, vibrant prints and premium material upgrades, while its timeless form provides a framework for design enhancements including deconstructed uppers, zip back detailing and slim sole construction. Each new enhancement stands alongside the original Sk8-Hi colorways that were first introduced almost 40 years ago.
What a great way to celebrate. For the official word from Vans, please follow the jump.
Oaktree Capital Management, the deep pockets that saved Billabong, is hoping to take Quiksilver private when it emerges from bankruptcy, according to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Oaktree Capital Management will own more than 90 per cent of the shares in Quiksilver and will take the company private if a US court approves a $US600 million ($853 million) refinancing proposal, new details of which emerged this week. . . The US-based private equity firm owns 18.7 per cent of Billabong International following a similar $350 million refinancing of the Gold Coast-based company two years ago.
It’s all good. Logos are logos. Clothes are clothes.
Elm Company is taking over the Denver, Colorado’s Black Book Gallery on January 27, 2016 for their Lost & Found – The Story of Adventure photo exhibition.
Join Elm Company as we explore a cultural mix of photographers from around the world in a one night how. The photographers document the lifestyle that we live and breathe, brining together the effort, action and environment to one location where the viewer can too participate in the simplicity of being outside. In this collection we bring together outdoors, snow, and adventure.
The show features the works of Tim Peare, Shaun Daley, Pascale Shirley, Ben Gaveled, Sean Kerrick Sullivan, Mike Yoshida, Ryan Hughes, Chris Wellhausen, Andrew Miller, and Frode Sandbeck. The show begins at 7 PM January 27, 2016. The Black Book Gallery is located at 304 Elati St., in Denver, Colorado.
Vans is proud to announce promoting 19-year-old amateur skateboard phenom Daan Van Der Linden up to their global skateboarding team.
“Daan’s remarkable talent is undeniable, but it’s his easygoing personality that charmed the whole Vans team. We couldn’t be more stoked to grow our relationship with Daan and elevate him to the ranks of Vans global skateboarding team.” —Justin Regan, Vans Global Skate Marketing
Nixon announced today (December 17, 2015) the opening of their first New York City retail location on Prince St., right in the heart of Soho.
Built with award-winning design features, the SoHo location will bring to life the brand’s action sports heritage. The store will showcase Nixon’s signature watch table: featuring open-merchandising of watches in the shape of an undulating wave. The watch table invites consumers to try on and experience product first hand. Anchoring the store is Nixon’s customization bar, which allows customers the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind watches. The new space will also give Nixon the opportunity to spotlight its limited-edition offerings, including its new automatic, Swiss-made RSVP collection.
Nixon SoHo is located at 122 Prince Street, between Wooster and Greene Street, and is open daily from 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. The shop can be reached at 917.262.0560.
Kering, Volcom’s Paris, France based owner, has apparently decided they need someone from the home office in charge. So they’ve moved out longtime CEO Jason Steris and consolidated Volcom’s (and Electric’s) leadership under Kering’s chief executive of the Action Sports Brands Todd Hymel (right), according to a story in Orange County Business.
Hymel, a 41-year-old U.S.-French national, moved to Orange County in May to take on “a more active role in the development, expansion and performance of the Volcom and Electric brands worldwide.” He joined Kering in 2008 as deputy director of mergers and acquisitions and was appointed chief operating officer of its Sport and Lifestyle Division in 2012.
See, the new owners always move their people in eventually. Seems Kering was just a little more polite about it, waiting a full four and a half years before officially putting the company under the control of someone fluent in French.
Who wouldn’t be down for some Vans Sk8-Hi tops covered in white, wintery skull-flakes? No one, that’s who. And what about some Era’s with poinsettia and holly berries? Happy Holidays indeed. For the official word from Vans, follow the jump.
It’s been decades since Oakley has designed a pair of sunglasses that a skateboarder would wear. Their Frogskins were about it and they were released in 1985. Now, thanks to some input from skateboarders Eric Koston, Sean Malto, Curran Caples and skate photog Atiba Jefferson Oakley has a pretty smooth set of shades that not only look good, but come with some needed function for anyone who has ever clipped their glasses over the neck of their T-shirt. They’re called the Oakley Latch.
“It was just amazing to team up with three skate legends and see this frame come to life,” said Jefferson. “We collaborated with the Oakley design team on all elements – from frame shape to logo placement – to develop a truly signature product that I know we’re all really proud of.”
The “latch” is located behind the hinge on each side of the glasses and allows the glasses to be locked on to the neck of a T-shirt. We had a little trouble latching the shades to the shirt (it often took two hands), but once the latch is attached our days of spilling our sunglasses onto the street were over.
The Latch retails starting at $130 and can be purchased online at Oakley. For the official word from Oakley, follow the jump.
The duck boot-inspired Sk8-Hi Del Pato MTE features all of the weather-defying advantages of the Vans Mountain Edition technology including an innovative vulcanized lug outsole for maximum traction and a water-resistant build. This hybrid silhouette debuts in two colorways – black/black and ginger/navy – that are outfitted in pig suede materials and reinforced with a tech tuff-coated mudguard.
The shoes are winter ready with Scotchgard®-treated uppers, warm linings and a heat retention layer between sockliner and outsole. Keep those piggies toasty for certain.
For an up close look at the rest of the goodness, please follow the jump.
Oaktree Capital Management, the deep pockets that saved 
Vans is proud to announce promoting 19-year-old amateur skateboard phenom 
