Last night when we said that Tuesday January 27, 2009 was “bring a box to work day” at Quiksilver we had no idea that so many boxes would be required.
Now that we’ve seen the press release on the Quiksilver site we better understand what was meant when we were told “the list is so long Bob doesn’t even want to look at the names.”
The company will eliminate 200 positions as part of the plan, including a reduction-in-force of approximately 150 employees which is expected to account for roughly one-third of the annual cost reductions. Quiksilver expects to record a charge of approximately $5 million in its first fiscal quarter as a result of these actions. . . Robert B. McKnight, Jr., commented, “All levels of our organization are affected by these actions as nearly 20 percent of the employees involved in the reduction hold manager-level titles or higher.
Now it sounds more like “bring a box to work week.” The worst part of all of this is that most of the people going to work tomorrow at Quiksilver have no idea if or when they will be called into HR, laid off, and given an exit interview.
Follow the jump for the entire press release and Bob McKnight’s memo to Quiksilver employees. [click to continue…]
Fall Line Films epic snowboard movie Snowboarders in Exile has been liberated by the fiends at VBS.tv. Thanks to Vice, we can all reminisce and enjoy Damian Sanders, Steve Graham, Dave Seoane, and others in all their day-glow glory right here on the web; in its entirety. Jerry Dugan should be proud. To see what Jerry (and others) thinks about the film now click here.
Wouldn’t you know it: right when everyone is packing to head to the desert (i.e. Las Vegas for SIA) Mammoth gets the best dump of new snow it’s had all season.
A massive winter storm pounded Mammoth Mountain, dumping nearly five feet of fresh snow at Main Lodge in the last four days. . . . After unseasonably warm temperatures earlier this month, this storm delivered exactly what Mammoth needed. Although it was a warm storm, precipitation was all snow at Main Lodge (elevation 8,953ft). On Saturday, temperatures dropped significantly and by Monday morning when the skies cleared, temperatures were down in the teens, leaving . . . snowboarders with a perfect bluebird powder day.
We apparently live in caring times as more and more professional snowboarders are using their notoriety to help raise money for charitable causes, according to a Jason Blevins story in the Denver Post.
Steve Fisher promotes prostate cancer awareness, Andreas Wiig helps out a Boys and Girls Club in California; Kelly Clark set up a scholarship program for snowboarders who hope to attend a mountain school; Hannah Teter is supporting a small African village; and Gretchen Bleiler donates money for global-warming education and products made of recycled and recyclable materials.
And what is X Games slayer Shaun White doing to give back? We don’t know because it wasn’t mentioned in this story.
We used to say the X Games were best watched on TV, but we don’t even do that any more. Now, according to a story in the Aspen Daily News, we discover that the onsite attendance for Winter X 13 was down to its lowest point in five years.
ESPN officials are “very pleased” about the four-day total of 68,100 spectators, more than 4,000 fewer than last year’s total of 72,500 and well short of the record 2007 attendance of 76,150. . . Despite all the weather and rain people stood out there for four or five hours,” said Amy Lupo, a marketing director for ESPN. “Every final is the absolute biggest event with all the cheering and the crowds.”
When you factory in the economy, getting 68,100 people to stand around in the snow for hours on end seems like a pretty amazing feat to us.
Shaun White won his ninth X Games event last night (14 total medals) in a close Superpipe final over Kevin Pierce. Immediately there was talk about Shaun getting pushed, but ESPN blogger Tracy Anderson breaks it down pretty cleanly on his post titled White Gold.
White beats Pearce by one point. A 91.66 to Pearce’s 90.66. White becomes the first athlete in X Games history to win back-to-back pipe golds. The crowd goes crazy. End of story. . . Not so fast. Complaints began immediately. ESPN’s X Games announcer Todd Richards said on live TV he didn’t think White’s run deserved gold. Several pro snowboarders watching—standing next to me—said Pearce’s run looked better, bigger.
Anderson then includes the trick by trick breakdown and Shaun had one more hit and an extra spin. We’re reminded that controversy just makes better TV.
This is apparently the eighth time Shaun White has one the top golden prize on this TV show. They’re saying it’s some kind of record. He looks damn good in this clip. Flawless even.
We’re not saying that this is all of the January ASR Show, but it certainly is most of it. The space felt really small, but the mood was actually up considering the economy. It may not look like it, but there were quite a few people in the isles.
Follow the jump to view more photos from the floor the morning of day one. [click to continue…]
Honest exit interviews in action sports industry are rare. But apparently Dave Appel is one of those rare honest guys. Last October, Dave was cut when Burton moved The Program back to home base in Burlington. And now, in an interview on YoBeat.com, he lays it down so straight it gives us the chills. Here is a slice:
“For the record”…I don’t think I was a product of the economic downturn at all. I was a product of piss-poor management. When I started at Forum, snowboards made up less than 50% of the hardgoods department and when I left, it made up 67%, not too mention my category had the highest grossing margin at The Program. Also, for the first time in Forum’s history, they won 4 Goodwood awards, 2 years in a row while I was there. In regards to the way the boards ride and hold up, I was a one-man show. The graphics of course were done by the artists we all know and love. So, “They” “downsized” and relocated my department from one person (me) to a team of 8 people. It was complete and utter bullshit.
For the rest of one of the best industry interviews we’ve read all year, click the link.
Last night when we said that Tuesday January 27, 2009 was “bring a box to work day” at Quiksilver we had no idea that so many boxes would be required.
