We’ve collected a monster page full of all the news that is news. We’d like to apologize in advance for all the COVID-19 stories. Personally, we been skipping the news lately as an act of self preservation, but please feel free to dive in. Hope you’re all safe and well. Really.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Vans is doing their part to help small businesses around the world with their new Foot The Bill custom shoe designs initiative.
To support our extended Vans Family, Vans has committed to helping 80 small, independent businesses including skate and specialty shops, restaurants, music venues and community- driven spaces by offering their custom-made designs available for purchase on Vans Customs with net proceeds going directly to these vital partners. . . “My father Paul Van Doren always said that we were a people company that made shoes. Now, more than ever, it’s important to support the people that provide spaces for communities around the world to be creative and come together,” said Steve Van Doren, son of Vans’ founder and Vans’ Vice President of Events and Promotions. “We were once a small business and wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of these partners. We hope to rally together with our consumers to lend a helping hand to those that are in need.”
The program will expand to include additional independent skate shops, surf shops, restaurants, music venues and community driven spaces over the next month and will be available on Vans.com in Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, the Netherlands, United States and United Kingdom. For all the details, including a list of retailers please follow the jump.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
While we’re blown away (with the rest of you) by how fast our world can change, and have little wisdom and no panacea for the current time, here is a short collection of news stories that have caught our attention over the past month or so. Follow the jump for the full list.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Ryan Adams and Matt Eversole, the guys behind SellerDoor.com have decided to open their online skateboarding marketplace to skateboard shops free of charge during these rough times of forced closure. That’s means, shops can put their merchandise online, quickly without having to set much up. Here’s the deal:
We are putting it on the table here. We want to help skateboard shops during these insane times of the Coronavirus. We provide skateboarders an online marketplace to sell to other skateboarders. We have talked to some of our friends that own shops and asked if they could benefit from selling things on our platform. Indeed they could use our help. That being said, we have decided to give brick and mortar skate shops the opportunity to utilize our platform with no fees until their doors are back open and the dust has settled.
For more info and to check out the SellerDoor.com marketplace, please click the link.
[Link: SellerDoor.com]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Dave McCoy the eternally stoked, kind-hearted, ski coach, mountain biker, motocrosser, photographer, ski industry titan, and founder of Mammoth Mountain has died, according to a post on the Mammoth Mountain website and a story in the LA Times. He was 104.
The mountain is saying “Thank You, Dave McCoy. 1915 to 2020.” Sometime we’ll list all the ways Dave directly helped shape our lives, but for right now, in sadness, we’ll just say thanks, Dave. Rest in Peace. Our thoughts are with the entire family. For the complete McCoy Mammoth Mountain story click the link.
[Link: LA Times]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Shop Eat Surf founder Tiffany Montgomery announced today (December 9, 2019) that she has sold her industry focused website to trade show and events company Emerald X for what is likely, not a whole lot, because, hey, she’d probably like a more consistent paycheck and better health insurance (wouldn’t we all).
“We are proud of what we have accomplished as a stand-alone, bootstrapped start-up in a rapidly evolving media environment,” Montgomery said in a post announcing the sale. “What started as an experiment 12 years ago has turned into a news service that is read by industry leaders around the world.”
We always hated the site’s name. We also felt that Montgomery was an opportunistic, interloping, outsider looking to feast on what was left of the rotting corpse of the action sports industry, but turns out she is a talented, likable, honest journalist who took seriously what we often write jokes about. So, nice work Tiffany. Sad to see you go.
[Editors’ Note: We’re posting this news a long time after the actual sale and in light of current events it seems like Montgomery had perfect timing.]
[Link: SGB Online]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Call it a beacon of laziness, or a blinding neon sign of boredom, but we’re still at it. Putting up a list of headlines for stories we might have read over the past who knows how many days.
It takes us back to when we were just starting out. Each week we built an HTML page of links with a bit of commentary. Then the commentary took over, and now, it looks like we’re back to just blasting out an occasional list of links for you to chew through all by your lonesome. Just the ebbs and flows of action sporting news dissemination. Enjoy.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
We are saddened learn that Columbia Sportswear’s guiding force of nature Gert Boyle died today (Sunday morning, November 3, 2019), according to a story in the Oregonian. She was 95.
Boyle’s dedicated work with product and more importantly her full embrace of quality advertising and willingness to be the face of her company inspired thousands.
A resilient, demanding, charismatic woman in what was long an outdoorsman’s world, Boyle ran Columbia Sportswear from 1970 to 1988, firmly establishing the company’s brand. . . Before her son, Tim, took charge as president and CEO, Gert inspired the 1984 ad campaign, “One Tough Mother,” a catch phrase that also graces her 2005 autobiography.
Seeing her at the old SIA Shows will remain one of the highlights of our time on the show floor. Our thoughts are with the entire Boyle family.
[Link: The Oregonian]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Leave it to the skiers to properly appreciate the work of a snowboarder. In Flylow’s most recent video profile we get the best, most succinct explanation of the Snowboard Journal, Funny Feelings LLC, and its co-founder Jeff Galbraith that we’ve seen yet.
As the founder and publisher of three print titles, based in Bellingham, Washington, Galbraith has provided endless pages of high-quality content, including top storytelling and world-class imagery, during an era when everyone else has said that print is dead. He’s out to prove them all wrong. All three magazines celebrate the rich history and culture of their respective sports, as well as look to the future.
Anarchy indeed.
[Link: Flylow]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
After 17 years with their pinkie toe dipped into the surf industry wading pool, Nike has finally jettisoned Hurley out into zombie brand land by selling it to Bluestar Alliance for an undisclosed sum on October 29, 2019. Bluestar, owners of other zombie labels like bebe, Brookstone, and yak pak, seem very excited about the licensing opportunities ahead.
“We have always admired the Hurley brand as it has maintained its leadership role and premium positioning in the surf world,” stated Joey Gabbay, CEO of Bluestar Alliance. “This is a transformative acquisition for Bluestar as Hurley’s international footprint will enhance Bluestar’s reach around the world. We look forward to building upon the existing Hurley network and expanding to additional countries with the deep relationships that already exist within the Bluestar portfolio of brands. We see Hurley continuing to evolve into a 360-degree lifestyle brand, with action sports playing a key role.”
We see this as one more reason to never, ever, name your startup after yourself (not saying that fellow OCers Paul Frank, Shawn Stussy, and Mossimo aren’t great Zombie company for Bob and the boys). For the official word from Bluestar Alliance, please follow the jump.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
