New Yorker Magazine writer Malcolm Gladwell popularized the theory that anyone can become world class at anything if they dedicate 10,000 hours to practicing. While we don’t necessarily believe that, it was cool to check out what Mike Boyd could learn in just under six hours. It gives us hope on some flip tricks of our own, but most importantly, it means that the only thing standing between you and an SLS Final are a few thousand hours.
[Link: Boing Boing]
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We haven’t been watching the Weekend Buzz all that much lately, but last week’s chat with Lizzie Armando and Allysha Le was a beerless breath of fresh air. For real. Check it. And then follow the jump to see Part 2.
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The SnowSports Industries of America has created a video series to help communicate what they feel is the current “State of The Industry.” The above edit is the snowboard version. Here’s their pitch:
“We understand people are short on time and the State of the Industry Video Series provides a quick snapshot of last season. We focus on the stats that mean the most to all snow sports professionals – be it retail sales, marketing or manufacturing — to help everyone make sound business decisions in the year ahead,” commented Kelly Davis, director of research for SIA.
What do you think? Are they on target? We’d tell you what we thought, but that would means watching the video and really, who has time for that?
[Link: SIA]
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The new Vans Rowley Solos are arriving in new colors just in time for the Holidays (and to curb those sore heels).
Inspired by the original Vans Era, one of the first shoe models ever built by skateboarders for skateboarding, the new Vans [ROWLEY] SOLOS transform the legendary Vans silhouette to create a revolutionary model that performs even better, featuring Vans’ DURACAP reinforced natural canvas textiles and premium suede uppers with Vans’ ULTRACUSH HD high-impact polyurethane cushioning, all grounded on Vans’ ORIGINAL WAFFLE outsole.
For the official word from Vans, please follow the jump.
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Surf photographer Jack English, proprietor of SurfImages.com Surfing Stock Agency, has just launched a line of wall clocks that are a nice reminder of what we really should be doing instead of checking the time.
The new line of wall clocks will feature dramatic photography from Jack English, as well as collaborations with noted graphic artists Corrine Lan Franco and Dylan Quirk. Spotlighting some of the world’s most photogenic locations including Waimea Bay, Hawaii; North Shore, Oahu; Tahiti; and Australia, the wall clocks will be a striking addition to any home or office.
For the official word from Jack, please follow the jump.
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Join Dave B and the old school Blockhead Skateboards crew in Oceanside, California on Saturday night November 7, 2015 for their 30th Anniversary Reunion Party Art Show. The party will features classic photos by Grant Brittain, O, Spike Jonze, Michael Blanchard, Steve Sherman, Mark Waters, Tobin Yelland, Hunter Kimball, Luke Ogden, Christian Kline and more, plus the art of Ron Cameron, Dave Bergthold, Ron Lemon, Andy Jenkins, and Jeremy Wray.
The party begins at 7 PM at Link Soul Gallery at 530 S. Coast Highway in Oceanside, California. For all the details, please follow the jump.
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Reef adds another chapter to the bible of backsides with this 2016 Reef Calendar Girl video.
For this year’s Miss Reef calendar, the young, nomadic photographer Kate Bellm was unleashed into the jungles of Costa Allegre for her wanderlust interpretation of Just Passing Through. She took an edgy perspective but retained the mystery of Miss Reef. The final result was twelve months worth of youth culture-driven pop art of Miss Reef in cerulean lagoons and lush tropical woodlands of the Pacific Mexican coast, all with Miss Reef falling into Bellm’s brand of mischief and adventure.
And it’s not sexist because they had a girl shoot the photos.
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Don’t lie. You own a soft top and so do your friends. At the beach on the weekends it seems everyone is on one. Most of these boards are coming from the same place: CostCo. Bloomberg Business has the story behind one of the biggest shifts in surfing hardgoods ever.
Since its debut in 2007, Wavestorm has become the most popular surfboard in the U.S., with about half a million sold. Novices and veterans have embraced the mass-produced soft-foam boards, which cost much less than competing products. Entry-level soft boards typically sell for around $300, and hand-shaped long boards can go for upwards of $1,000. . . Unlike just about every other surfboard brand, Wavestorm wasn’t started by a revered “shaper” (board designer) or surfer. It’s the brainchild of Matt Zilinskas, a onetime hockey player from landlocked Waterloo, Ont., and John Yeh, a Taiwanese businessman.
Zilinskas shoots straighter than anyone in the surf industry when he explains his business model:
“We don’t want to mess around collecting money from little surf shops and sporting goods stores. Margins are slim at Costco, but we pump out volume and get paid on time.”
Yep, it’s apparently the future of board sporting. And, the boards are popular for similar reasons: they’re cheap, fun, indestructible, and most importantly, a great excuse for sucking at surfing. Seriously, who expects you to rip on one of those foam boats?
[Link: Bloomberg Business]
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Alec Cooke, the 59-year-old Hawaiian big wave surfer known as “Ace Cool” was reported missing by his girlfriend on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 after he failed to return from a surf session on Tuesday afternoon, according to a story on Hawaii News Now.
Investigators say Cooke was last seen Tuesday, when he left his home in Waialua about 4 p.m. to go surfing on the North Shore. Cooke’s girlfriend reported him missing the next morning when he didn’t return. . . Early Wednesday, investigators found Cooke’s truck in the parking lot of Missions of St. Peter near Waimea Bay. His dog and keys were still inside.
Our thoughts are with Cooke’s family and friends.
[Update Nov. 1, 2015: Coast Guard calls off search for Alec Cooke. CNN]
[Link: Hawaii News Now]
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Tillman, the action sporting English bull dog who showed the world how much fun a dog could have on boards of all kinds, died Tuesday October 27, 2015, according to a story on NBC News. He was 10 years old (or 70 in dog years).
“He was my best friend, my brother and my shadow, and when it was show time, it was amazing. He made millions and millions of people smile throughout the world,” owner Ron Davis said of his pooch. “He was a little 60-pound butterball of inspiration for a lot of people.”
Tillman’s original Youtube video has been viewed over 20 million times and he was the star on an early Apple iPhone commercial. He will be missed.
[Link: NBC News]
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