by The Editors on August 27, 2008
Twice a year at Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida, SPoTlight Productions builds a monster mini-ramp with all kinds of add-ons and Volcom kicks down $10,000 to be distributed to the kids (and pro/open ams) who compete. And each year we wish we were there to see it.
This year on September 12-14 it’s on again. Here is the schedule if you happen to be in Hurricane Alley then. here is the schedule:
Friday – Best Trick Contest & Demos – Am Contest Skaters and Pros Only
– 10:30am – 11:30am – Demo
– 1:30pm – 2:30pm – Demo
– 4pm – 6pm – Best Trick Contest – $2,000 Purse to be Given Out for Great Skating, Tricks, Slams, etc.
Saturday – Am Contest
– $8,000 Purse
– 11am – Practice
– 12pm – Contest
Sunday – Demos – Am Contest Skaters and Pros Only
– 11am – 12pm
– 1:30pm – 3pm
Don’t say you weren’t warned. Registration or details please contact Rob@skateparkoftampa.com
[Link: Surf Expo]
by The Editors on August 27, 2008
The teen retail marketplace has been plummeting lately, and when PacSun announced their numbers last week Volcom got pulled down pretty hard. Now, Jeffrey P. Klinefelter of Piper Jaffray has written saying that Volcom management “remains confident that it’s bookings at major retailers are intact.”
We continue to recognize the strong authenticity of the brand as well as its solid execution in rolling out its new European strategy,” Klinefelter wrote.
Maybe that’s why the stock is up today.
[Link: Forbes.com]
by The Editors on August 27, 2008
River Front Times pulled together a list of ‘Lil Wayne quotes from all his best interviews and here is one of our favorites.
I love a nigga who do what the fuck he want, just like I told you, Martin Luther King said we can do what the fuck we want, he do what the fuck he want, him and Bam Margera. What will Bam do next? Whatever the fuck they want…that’s one of my favorite shows.” — Lil Wayne from an interview in Complex.
Yes, these hip hop poets certainly do mix it up well, don’t they?
[Link: Riverfront Times]
by The Editors on August 27, 2008
Skater/artist Andy Howell has launched a multi-disciplanary, all encompassing, arts and culture site on the web called Artsprojekt (in partnership with zazzle.com). Like much that Andy does this one is difficult to describe or completely understand, leading us to believe it’s will to be a lot like his book Art, Skateboarding and Life in that it will encompass everything that Andy is into.
Here’s a little about what we mean from the press release.
ARTSPROJEKT will also represent and manage artists, as well as host exhibitions curated by some of the best artists in the world, create limited and open edition reproductions of its artists’ works for sale worldwide, and establish working and collaborative relationships with major media brands. At launch, ARTSPROJEKT artists and brands include Lil Jon, Shepard Fairey / OBEY, Santa Cruz Skateboards, legendary skateboard artist Jim Phillips, Skateboarding Is Not A Crime, Bullet, Crooks & Castles, Blood Is The New Black, Hellz Bellz, Guttersnipe, legendary skateboard pro and artist Steve Caballero, Mars-1, Alex Pardee, and DALEK.
The site will also be “the first to utilize new printing technologies for one-off custom skateboard decks.” At worst it sounds like an amazing little online store for cool art stuff (ala Fecalface), at best it could be the site that pushes the entire movement to the next levels of synergy and creativity. We’ll wade through it and get back to you. Press release after the jump.
[Link: Artsprojekt.com]
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by The Editors on August 27, 2008
The AST Dew Tour is touting the fact that they had a “record TV audience” on Sunday August 24, 2008 with a 2.7 overnight rating for live coverage of the Wendy’s Invitational from Portland, OR.
This marks the highest rated Dew Tour broadcast in its four-year history along with being the highest rated daytime action sports broadcast in history. Sunday’s broadcast benefited from an NBC Olympic broadcast “lead-in,” the final day of the Beijing Olympic Games.
The Olympic lead-in probably would have delivered similar ratings to a documentary about watching paint dry if NBC had decided to program it, but thanks to the Dew Tour a lot of older American’s are now saying, “those BMX kids are amazing.”
by The Editors on August 25, 2008
Leave it to the comedians at the San Elijo Hills Visitor Center. You can die or you can skateboard, but apparently both are illegal in San Marcos, California.
by The Editors on August 25, 2008
Shaun White recently appeared on Fox Sports list of Top two-sport Athletes of all time. He was sandwiched right in there ahead of “Bullet Bob” Hayes “the world’s fastest human in the 1960s” right behind Deion Sanders “the flashy, brash, and cocky” footballer and baseballer.
Not bad company if you’re stoked on team sports. We’re not, but luckily the Skateworks blog keeps track of that stuff for us.
[Link: Fox Sports via Skateworks]
by The Editors on August 22, 2008
While we seem to think skateboards work fine just the way they are, there is no end to the monstrosities that get built in the search of creating skateboards that ride like something else.
Enter the SoulArc. A skateboard designed to give riders the sloppy, floating feel of surfing on the street.
SoulArc Boards are designed to enhance the senses of surfing, creating transference from the wave to concrete. SoulArc Boards presents Shapes by Mitch, a dynamic style backed by proven unique engineered design; demanding precision handling and an aggressive attitude to ride.
Lucky for them SoulArc will be showing their new product at the ASR Show in San Deigo in two weeks. That way we can all laugh at them in person, rather than behind their backs.
[Link: Soularcboards via Core77]
by The Editors on August 22, 2008
In an email sent out at 4:20 PM yesterday, August 21, 2008 Skateboarder Magazine Publisher Roger Harrell announced to the skateboard industry that:
Today is my last day at Skateboarder magazine. . . Thanks for all your help and support. Roger Harrell.”
Some who had spoken with Roger earlier in the day said that there was no hint that anything was up. Word is the position will not be filled.
by The Editors on August 21, 2008
Teen retailers and especially mall retailers have had a tough year this year and Zumiez has has not escaped, however in the second quarter conference call held at 2 PM PST on August 21, 2008 CEO Rick Brooks and CFO Trevor Lang believe the company is doing very well compared to competitors.
Total net sales for the second quarter (13 weeks) ended August 2, 2008 increased by 12.5% to $92.3 million from $82.0 million reported in the second quarter ended August 4, 2007 (13 weeks). The company posted net income for the quarter of $2.7 million or $0.09 per diluted share versus $3.1 million or $0.11 per diluted share in the second quarter of the prior fiscal year. Comparable store sales decreased 1.7% for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 compared to an 11.6% increase in the second quarter of fiscal 2007.
Rick Brooks, President and Chief Executive Officer of Zumiez Inc., stated: “We continue to make positive strides in our ongoing efforts to give our customers a unique specialty retail experience, while controlling costs and effectively managing inventories during this very difficult operating environment. Due to this focus, we exceeded our earnings projection for the first six months of this year. We have opened 39 stores this year and continue to make the investments necessary to build the Zumiez chain to our goal of 800 stores.”
And here are some of the notes we pulled from the call:
- The thing thing that surprised us most is not news to anyone who follows the Zumiez stock. The company has no debt. None.
- Zumiez is focused on remaining true to the brand. “Our business model has the strength of being a branded business model,” Rick Brooks said. “We work with our brands to leverage inventories. We work very closely with the brands . . . we have a very dynamic process of moving product to where it is selling strongest.”
- “This is a very promotional environment,” Rick continued. “This macro economic climate is tough. That is making it much more price point. While I’m not going to comment on specific brand performance, this is how we see it: Those brands that we are carrying that are focusing on distribution in core shop are doing very well.. . . On the other hand there are other brands that have wider distribution outside the core retailers, brands that we’re finding are being price promoted by our competitors in the mall outside the core, and on those we’re having to be price promotional. The places we have to be promotional are with the brands that are in our non-core competitors.”
- The company believes that opening more stores is still the best use of its cash. They are completely focused on the 800 stores target and will open 57 new stores in the fiscal year.
- Performance in the stores was broken up regionally. “California, Nevada, Arizona, was rough. Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin performed nicely for us.”
- “I just want to be clear with the investment community that we feel very good with the returns that we are getting on our stores,” CFO Trevor Lang said.
- eCommerce was up 75 percent in the second quarter and 65 percent year to date. “Our ecommerce business is very strong, yet it is still a very small part of our business,” Brooks said. “We believe that there is a big opportunity to build that business over the next five years. We’re starting to do a number of things along that front.”
- Snowboard business still plays a major roll in quarter four. In October it is about 11 percent of sales and goes to 18 percent by the end of the quarter: “We’ve been doing the snowboard business for a long time,” Brooks said. “Over the last number of years we have taken the strategy that we buy well below what we think we’re going to sell. We chase the weather. Where it snows is where we move the product. Based on the results last year. We are going after the technology driven products at the high end. And at the other end we have shipped more pricepoint driven packages as we get into the season were we can move on some in the price issue.”
- There are no plans to de-emphasize snowboarding.
- Zumiez sales percentages breakdown: footwear 18%, accessory 18%, hardgoods (skate and snow) 14%, men’s apparel 33%, junior 15%, boys 2% percent.
- Investing in information technology organization, is high on the list. Zumiez thinks there are some strategic investments we will make there.
- The company is working to get better deals on real estate on a landlord-by-landlord basis. “We are one of the few growing retailers,” Brooks said. “I think we are a very attractive tenant for the landlords and we try to look at our landlords are partners. We are doing deals with the landlords that value our position and ability to generate sales.
- Sales per square foot is currently running at about $470 versus $500 last year. “We look at total flow through on the business,” Lang said. “We’ll look at our high-volume stores that do more than 800 spsf and we expand them so the sales per square foot may go down but the profitability goes up.
- Regarding the tough economic retail climate: “What we need is for the consumer to feel better,” Brook said. “And when that happens we’ll be doing better.”
And just as Brooks and Lang were about to answer a question regarding employee retention and turnover the Internet broadcast crashed mid response. The operator apologized and we disconnected.
[Link: Zumiez]
Twice a year at Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida, SPoTlight Productions builds a monster mini-ramp with all kinds of add-ons and Volcom kicks down $10,000 to be distributed to the kids (and pro/open ams) who compete. And each year we wish we were there to see it.
