We always thought of Larry Gordon as a skateboard manufacturer. Gordon’s Fibreflex skateboards were some of the first quality boards we ever rolled, but his roots in surfing are what made him a household name. Gordon died in his San Diego, California home on Friday, January 1, 2016, according to story in the San Diego Union Tribune. He was 76.
“He was about quality and performance,” said his daughter Debbie Gordon, who now manages Gordon & Smith Surfboards and Skateboards with her brother. “You get the best surfers out there on the board. They’ll give you feedback. . . He was an incredible surfer as well,” she said of her father, who in his latter years suffered from Parkinson’s disease. . . Before he’d ask you anything else, he’d say, ‘Did you surf today?’”
Gordon will be missed, but all the work he did to help the business and creative side of skateboarding and surfing and the brand he created will never be forgotten.
We know this is late, but now that the backwash has settled and all the details have been leaked on Kelly Slater’s epically perfect Lemoore, California wave pool (thanks, Swellnet and Reddit) the big question becomes: would you surf in Kelly’s foamy, brown water?
We’d definitely stop each time we made a run up I-5 and get thrown over the falls a couple times even if it was in a pond filled with industrial farming run off because the wave is just that beautiful.
Skaters in Llanera, Asturias, Spain got together with artist Okuda San Miguel and created an art project that is a skatepark. Sadly, the colored cow was involved, however, you should check it out anyway.
Thursday, December 17, 2015 was a good day for Brazil on Oahu’s North Shore. Adrian de Souza won The Pipeline Masters In Memory of Andy Irons and the 2015 World Title. While Gabriel Medina lost to de Souza in the Pipeline final, he became the first Brazilian to win the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.
“It’s an incredible feeling and so special in dedication to my good friend Ricardo dos Santos,” de Souza said. “I have this tattoo in memory of him — he had the same tattoo that said ‘Strength, Balance and Love,’ and that’s all I needed to win this World Title. This is all in dedication to my brother as well, who bought me my first surfboard for seven dollars and now I’m on top of the world. What a dream to be a Pipeline Champion Master like Jamie [O’Brien] and Kelly [Slater] and Bede Durbidge, just so many names going through my brain now. There’s no words to describe how I’m feeling right now.”
For the official word from the content creation company behind the event, please follow the jump.
Nixon announced today (December 17, 2015) the opening of their first New York City retail location on Prince St., right in the heart of Soho.
Built with award-winning design features, the SoHo location will bring to life the brand’s action sports heritage. The store will showcase Nixon’s signature watch table: featuring open-merchandising of watches in the shape of an undulating wave. The watch table invites consumers to try on and experience product first hand. Anchoring the store is Nixon’s customization bar, which allows customers the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind watches. The new space will also give Nixon the opportunity to spotlight its limited-edition offerings, including its new automatic, Swiss-made RSVP collection.
Nixon SoHo is located at 122 Prince Street, between Wooster and Greene Street, and is open daily from 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. The shop can be reached at 917.262.0560.
The skate helmet brand of choice for legions of skateboarders, Pro-Tec announced this week that they have been sold by their parent paintball company Dye Precision, Inc. to zombie skate brand collector Bravo Sports Corp. for an undisclosed amount.
Bravo Sports plans to continue Pro-Tec’s legacy by supporting and protecting riders around the world, from sidewalks to the slopes. Famous for classic styling and innovative protective gear, Pro-Tec’s helmets, pads, guards and other products have protected skate, bike, water, and snow athletes of all ages for more than four decades. With the company’s action sports heritage and proven success, athletes have come to rely on Pro-Tec products.
Pro-Tec will be in good company with other Bravo brands like Darkstar, Maple, SpeedDemon, Kryptonics, Variflex (see what we mean by “zombie”), and many more. For the official word from Bravo, please follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Newell Rubbermaid, a company that sounds more like a fetish doll manufacturer than a consumer brands company, has just purchased K2 and Ride Snowboard’s parent company Jarden today (December 14, 2015) in a deal worth more than $15 billion according to a story on Forbes.com.
The deal will create a combined firm with $16 billion in annual revenue, owning brands ranging from Sharpie, Paper Mate and Graco strollers to Coleman, Sunbeam, Oster and Marmot. . . . Jarden shareholders will receive $21 a share in cash and 0.862 shares of Newell Rubbermaid. Combining Jarden with Newell Rubbermaid will fund the deal with cash on hand and new debt, levering itself to 3.0 to 3.5 times, but maintaining investment grade credit ratings. The acquisition is forecast to immediately bolster Newell’s earnings per share by double digits when it closes, expected in mid-2016.
Those who love corporate snowboarding should take this as a cue to buy more K2 and Ride products as soon as possible. Maybe even for Christmas.
Whenever someone proclaims, “You Can’t Script This,” as a certain action sporting content creation company recently did regarding the 2015 world title race, our first thought is always, “Wait, they’re going to script this.” While judging can occasionally be scripted, The Pipeline, itself follows never follows anyone else’s script, ever. And, yesterday (December 10, 2015) The Pipeline flipped the script for round 1 of the Pipeline Masters In Memory of Andy Irons and launched surprises for everyone.
Follow the jump for the official word, or click here to watch round 2 eliminations live.
Wanna get waxed up for the one you love this Holiday Season?
For the next three days (December 11 – 14, 2015) Sticky Bumps is cutting prices on everything they sell online by 40 percent and throwing in free shipping (in the USA). All you have to do is use the code “LASTCHANCE” during checkout.
This deal includes wax, traction, board bags, candles, stickers, shirts, etc. . . Why are we telling you this? Because we feel so bad about not doing our annual 12 Days Of Gifts feature, that’s why. Remember, the code word is “LASTCHANCE.” Click the link and wax it all.
Kering, Volcom’s Paris, France based owner, has apparently decided they need someone from the home office in charge. So they’ve moved out longtime CEO Jason Steris and consolidated Volcom’s (and Electric’s) leadership under Kering’s chief executive of the Action Sports Brands Todd Hymel (right), according to a story in Orange County Business.
Hymel, a 41-year-old U.S.-French national, moved to Orange County in May to take on “a more active role in the development, expansion and performance of the Volcom and Electric brands worldwide.” He joined Kering in 2008 as deputy director of mergers and acquisitions and was appointed chief operating officer of its Sport and Lifestyle Division in 2012.
See, the new owners always move their people in eventually. Seems Kering was just a little more polite about it, waiting a full four and a half years before officially putting the company under the control of someone fluent in French.
Newell Rubbermaid, a company that sounds more like a fetish doll manufacturer than a consumer brands company, has just purchased K2 and Ride Snowboard’s parent company Jarden today (December 14, 2015) in a deal worth more than $15 billion according to a story on 
Wanna get waxed up for the one you love this Holiday Season?
