by The Editors on April 8, 2024
Kelly Slater has a rental property that he would like you to consider buying. Not really a surf-out-front house, but on the water and not too shabby. The only problem? He wants $20 million for it, according to My San Antonio.
Built in 2001, the retreatlike residence is on just over a half-acre. There are ocean views throughout, with soaring ceilings and equally high glass doors. . . There are six bedrooms and seven bathrooms spread across a main home and two guesthouses. Organic influences are also apparent: Wood factors prominently throughout the design in several living and sitting areas. . .An infinity pool and a hot tub are surrounded by mature tropical landscaping, and the beach is just behind the house. . . The listing calls the pad “an exclusive showcase of nature’s splendor, and every moment spent in the gardens feels like an escape to a personal retreat.”
Slater apparently purchased the home in 2017 for $7.8 million. $12 million profit for seven years of not doing much doesn’t sound so bad. Way to let your money work for you, Kelly! Click the link for all the details.
[Link: Realtor.com]
by The Editors on March 26, 2024
So the 90s really are back. Are we sure we want to do this all over again?
According to a post to Venice, California based Sidewalk Skateboard Distribution’s Instagram, Steve Rocco, founder of World Industries, Big Brother Magazine, et. al. is officially back in skateboarding. (Click the image for all the details.)
Here’s how he explains it:
After flooding the market with worthless cartoon characters, I sold the company and walked away, believing my mission was accomplished. It has, however, come to my attention that skateboarding is still alive. But Barely. . . Therefore, I would like to announce that I am joining Sidewalk Distribution to finish off skateboarding once and for all. Then everyone can rest and enjoy their lives once again.
Is it the return of big pants that got him re-interested? Or does he just have money to burn. On that note: Mr. Rocco if you’d like to pay way too much for a pristine set of years 1-4 of Big Brother, please hit us up. We’d like to buy a new Duffy Boat.
[Link: Sidewalk Skateboard Distribution]
by The Editors on February 22, 2024
We wondered what plans Jamie Slater aka Athentic Brands Group had for Quiksilver, Billabong, et. al. when he purchased the Boardrider Group back on September 1, 2023, so we’re not surprised to see him begin selling it off in little pieces to whomever is interested. The first piece of Boardriders is reportedly going to French group Beaunamoir, according to a story on Fashion Network. The company, which owns a load of fashion brands you’ve likely never heard of, has reportedly “entered into exclusive negotiations . . . to buy the Western European activities of the Boardriders Group made up of Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, DC Shoes, Element and RVCA.”
Roland Beaumanoir, the group’s CEO, believes that this takeover “would develop the Beaumanoir Group’s expertise in the lifestyle segment, which is doing well. The Boardriders brands are emblematic and offer a lifestyle that is both relaxed and driven by a passion for outdoor sports. We would therefore be delighted to take on the challenge of promoting these brands on the European market.” Details of the countries covered by the agreement have not yet been released.
Brands are brands and apparently they have value long after they’ve died. If Jamie knows anything, it’s Zombie brands. So we’re going to just trust him to do the right thing for his wallet.
[Link: Fashion Network]
by The Editors on February 12, 2024
It’s not often that a rad, little resort in Vermont makes the pages of The New Yorker Magazine, especially in a story featuring hundreds of millions in potentially mishandled funds. But that’s exactly the position Jay Peak and former resort manager Bill Stenger are in this month with a story titled “The Rural Ski Slope Caught Up in an International Scam,” by Sheelah Kolhatkare.
The crux of the story revolves around how Stenger and a business partner raised money for development at the resort and what they actually did with the money they raised. Here’s the how:
He [Stenger] raised money using the EB-5 visa program, which aimed to channel foreign investments into businesses that created jobs for Americans, especially in rural or economically depressed parts of the country. For five hundred thousand dollars (the amount has since risen to nine hundred thousand), foreign investors and their families became eligible for green cards, so long as that money succeeded in creating at least ten jobs.
As for what they did with all the money, you’ll have to read the story. In the end, it goes to show that running a resort isn’t always about keeping the snow guns blowing and the cats repaired. There is much, much, more involved. And sometimes it even a little prison time. Click the link for the rest of the story.
[Link: The New Yorker]
by The Editors on January 5, 2024
The thing that no one ever mentions about Westbeach (and Lululemon) founder Chip Wilson is that the guy can dance. Put on some swing music and he will drag the most uncoordinated person out on the floor and make them look like Willa Ma Ricker. This vision keeps coming back to us as we’ve watched Wilson negotiate all kinds of business successes and snafus over the years. But now, as a guy with a reportedly $7 billion wallet and a large chunk of Atomic and Salomon parent company Amer Sport some are wondering what he’s been up to lately. Forbes finds out.
Wilson, who famously stepped away from the yoga-inspired fashion brand he started in 2013 after landing in hot water for blaming an issue with see-through leggings on “some women’s bodies,” specifically those with thicker thighs, has spent a good chunk of the past year opening up about his disease, a rare form of muscular dystrophy that slowly eats away at muscle strength in the upper body and shoulders. Though he was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) over 30 years ago, more than a decade before he started Lululemon in 1998, it wasn’t until last year that he revealed his diagnosis and launched a full-scale assault on FSHD, which impacts an estimated 870,000 people around the world. Citing his likely need for a wheelchair in the next few years, the Vancouver-based billionaire in March 2022 pledged the equivalent of $75 million to a new organization he set up to stamp out FSHD by 2027.
For the rest of the interview, please click the link and if you don’t have a subscription to Forbes, you can just turn javascript off in your browser and read it for free.
[Link: Forbes]
by The Editors on December 6, 2023
Apparently, Josh Harris and David Blitzer (the owners of the Philadelphia 76ers and NJ Devils sporting teams) have purchased the Mt. Hood snowboard camp conglomerate known as We Are Camp. They’re saying they purchased it in partnership with the one and only snowboarder/business man Shaun White according to a story on TMZ Sports.
“I’m honored to officially partner with We Are Camp along with Josh and David. I’m excited to step in and help elevate a place that’s so special to me, so come June, you’ll know where to find me!”
Shaun White is just the icing on the cake. Looks like We Are Camp got a wonderful exit and now the sports guys can pour money into it for a while. They’ve for sure made money easier ways than running snowboard camps. How long do you think it will take them to flip the camps to the next round of PE bros?
[Link: TMZ Sports]
by The Editors on November 28, 2023
The Arena Group, the company who ended up with Surfer, Snowboarder, TransWorld Skateboarding, Powder and Bike magazine titles after the last round of brand swapping has been accused of using “fake AI writers” to write fake AI generated stories at their flagship title Sports Illustrated, according to a story on Futurism. They’re running zombie titles, why not hire a hoard zombie writers?
“There’s a lot,” they told us of the fake authors. “I was like, what are they? This is ridiculous. This person does not exist.” . . . “At the bottom [of the page] there would be a photo of a person and some fake description of them like, ‘oh, John lives in Houston, Texas. He loves yard games and hanging out with his dog, Sam.’ Stuff like that,” they continued. “It’s just crazy.”
Futurism says that as soon as they asked Arena about it, the stories and writers were gone from the site. None of this is surprising to anyone who has been following along. Arena did eventually claim that the content was provided by a third party who uses real writers to write real stories but sometimes under pseudonyms. But we don’t believe them.
Just so you know, although he may look like an AI generated handsome man, Blair Alley actually exists. . . but Justin Leveille? We’re not so sure about that guy.
[Link: Futurism]
by The Editors on October 21, 2023
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.
[Link: CBC News]
by The Editors on October 12, 2023
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.
[Link: Ski Area Management]
by The Editors on October 4, 2023
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.
[Link: Deadline.com]
