by The Editors on April 30, 2026
A Kelly Slater affiliated Austin, Texas wave pool development appears to have hit a snag recently as seven contractors have filed $4.6 million in liens against the project, according to a story in The Austin American Statesman.
Publicly available filings indicate seven companies claim they were not paid for work completed in late 2025 and early 2026. . . That work includes water treatment, plumbing and control systems, HVAC systems, aquatic filtration materials and equipment, engineering, concrete, sand and rock, among other items. . . The claims come as the project’s ownership group, Austin Surf Club Venture LP, confirmed to the American-Statesman that construction work is pausing for now.
The project is a redevelopment of a previous wave pool failure, NLand Surf Park which closed in 2016 due to reported regulatory issues. The new development was said to feature muli-million dollar homes around the wave and has reportedly attracted purchases from Tony Hawk, Drew Brees, and Matthew McConaughey.
The development’s promotional website at the Discovery Land Company, however, appears to have been removed. Not the best sign.
Is living by the actual ocean so hard? We never will understand much of the whole wave pool business model, but stay tuned as we continue to stumble along.
[Link: The Statesman & Austin Business Journal]
by The Editors on April 20, 2026
After a ridiculous tariff policy that he didn’t even understand, Felon 47 gets to watch as $166 billion of that money goes right back to the importers it was stolen from in the first place thanks to a new online portal from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to a story on Gizmodo.
Now, CBP said in court filings that importers paid roughly $166 billion in tariffs under Trump’s unconstitutional policy. . . The agency says it will process refunds in phases, according to its website. The first round will focus on tariffs that have been paid but not yet finalized because they’re still under federal review, as well as some that are within 80 days of finalization. Later phases will handle older, fully finalized tariffs.
There are so many business owners who voted for the clown. Hopefully, after this they’ll at least think about it before making more bad decisions in the future.
[Link: Gizmodo]
by The Editors on April 17, 2026
It just couldn’t happen to a better company, but over 2,000 current and former ski and snowboard instructors have joined a “collective action Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuit” against Vail Resorts according to a story in Ski Area Management.
Quint et al. v. Vail Resorts, Inc., was first filed in 2020 by three Beaver Creek employees, two ski instructors and one lift ticket scanner, who allege Vail Resorts violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by not paying snowsports instructors for time spent traveling between work sites, putting on and taking off gear and equipment, and attending training, as well as not being reimbursed for costs of work-related equipment purchases and cell phone use.
Apparently, 24,000 employees were eligible to join the suit, but the deadline to join was April 15, 2026 so if you’re not in on it you’re out. Good luck to the employees. The days of ripping off seasonal workers need to end. Especially now that resort workers don’t really have many options when it comes to where they can work.
[Link: SAM]
by The Editors on April 8, 2026
John Lacy, the CEO of Burton Snowboards is reportedly leaving the company after 29 years, according to story on MSN.com.
A Burton spokesperson confirmed Lacy’s planned departure, saying: “John and Donna have come to a mutual decision that it is time for John to pursue his next chapter beyond his role as CEO. He will remain with Burton through the end of June to support a smooth transition.
Donna Carpenter will apparently step in as interim CEO, as she does. And hey, with AI here, who really needs an extra person on the payroll?
[Link: MSN.com]
by The Editors on March 29, 2026
Core mall retailer Zumiez (aka “trendy clothing chain”) is responding to the failing health of malls by closing 25 stores in 2026, according to a story on KTLA5.
Last year, Zumiez shuttered 17 stores, and CEO Richard Brooks told investors the company plans to close another 25 locations in 2026, 20 of them in the United States. . . He said the closures aren’t a reflection of slowing demand, but rather a strategic shift away from underperforming shopping malls, many of which have struggled to recover foot traffic lost during the pandemic and amid the continued growth of online shopping.
With around 700 more stores to go Zumiez has room to contract for a while before anything gets too worrisome. After all, Tom Campion and Gary Haakenson started with only one store.
[Link: KTLA5]
by The Editors on March 25, 2026
The two corporations who own the global snow resort business with their Super-Mega Passes (Alterra Mountain Company and Vail Resorts Inc.) have been sued (again), this time in the U.S. District Court of the District of Colorado, according to a story in KDVR News.
The lawsuit was filed against Vail Resorts, Inc. and Alterra Mountain Company, alleging the companies unfairly increased prices and used bundling tactics with their multi-mountain season passes. . . “For years, skiers have been told that soaring lift‑ticket prices, reduced choice, and overcrowding are simply the new reality. Our complaint alleges that these outcomes are not the result of healthy competition, but of exclusionary conduct by two companies that dominate access to the most desirable destinations,” said Greg Asciolla, Chair of DiCello Levitt’s Antitrust and Competition Litigation Practice.
The suit basically alleges everything that we called out in our old post “The Sinister Plot Behind The Super Mega Pass,” and. . . no duh.
Vail Resorts, of course, disagrees saying in a statement that: “We believe these claims are without merit. We launched the Epic Pass in 2008 to make skiing and riding more accessible, reducing the price of a season pass by 60%. We’re proud that 18 years later, it’s still one of the best values in the industry, especially following our further 20% price reduction in 2021.”
Vail’s math on value, while arguable, is in reality quite wrong. The discounts only appear if you use both inflated daily lift tickets prices and inflated skier days into the equation. If you can’t tell, we hope DeCello Levitt wins this lawsuit, however unlikely that may be, because there should be a cost to ruining the resort experience for everyone worldwide.
For a deeper dive into the lawsuit check out Stuart Winchester’s breakdown on The Storm Ski Journal and Podcast substack.
[Link: KDVR.com]
by The Editors on March 24, 2026
Having told Paul Naude no at least once in our past we can say that it didn’t turn out well for us. Obviously, Rip Curl owner KMD Brands has not yet had this experience and they are about to see how it goes now that they’ve turned down Stokehouse’s offer to buy Rip Curl, according to a story on SGB Media.
“This proposed ownership structure is misaligned with the earnings delivered by the Stokehouse and Rip Curl businesses, given Stokehouse’s immaterial contribution to combined EBITDA and would unfairly dilute KMD Brands shareholders,” the Group said in the Monday media release. “In addition, Mr. Naude, the current CEO of Stokehouse, would be Chief Executive of the combined business, and he would lead the business from California.”
Personally, we’d love to see Mr. Naude in charge of Rip Curl in California. But, in the near term it looks like that is not going to happen. Follow the jump for the full release.
[Link: SGB Media]
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by The Editors on January 16, 2026
Matt George, a guy who some will remember as an Action Now cover model with his brother Sam, is reportedly in the works to create a surf film (Bali Hai) financed in part by Blink 182’s Tom DeLonge, according to story on Deadline.
Set to shoot in Bali in Q4 2026, the film follows two estranged brothers who travel to Bali for an international surf competition, confronting long-buried wounds while immersed in one of the world’s most iconic surf destinations.
You may remember Matt from his previous surf film In God’s Hands. We’ll watch anything surf related, but it seems the whole “surf competition” thing has been done, redone, and undone. For all the details, please click the link.
[Link: Deadline]
by The Editors on December 3, 2025
World Industries, the skate brand that keeps on keeping on, is diving in on a new apparel partnership deal with action mall monster Zumiez.
“World Industries shaped skate culture, graphics, and style in a way few brands ever have,” said John Dickinson, CEO SeaJack llc., owner of World Industries. “Partnering with Zumiez allows us to share that legacy with today’s skaters while building the next chapter of our story. It’s an exciting moment for everyone who remembers Flame Boy and Wet Willy, has ever pushed a board, or simply loves authentic skate culture.”
Love us some Wet Willy and Flame Boy. Thanks, Marc! For the official word from Zumiez, please follow the jump.
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by The Editors on October 22, 2025
Jim Jannard, action sporting’s first billionaire founder of Oakley and Red, recently sold his last piece of Hanalei Bay for $32.25 million, according to a story in Pacific Business News.
An entity owned by James Jannard, the founder of Oakley Inc. eyewear, sold the last of his four beachfront homes on Kauai’s North Shore last week for $32.25 million, which was just under the combined sale price of the other three properties which was $36.75 million, according to public records.
According to the story, the buyer of the property is “Extra Time LLC, according to public records, but the listed San Francisco address is linked to Iconiq Capital, a global investment firm whose clients reportedly include Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Reid Hoffman, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Reynolds” et al.
Jannard appears to be one billionaire who needs less ocean front property. It was only 10 years ago that he began buying houses on Kauai’s north shore. Wonder what he sees coming?
[Link via Beachgrit]
