Billionaires certainly do love the idea of wave pools even if very few of them have shown the ability to turn much of a profit. A new pool may be going into livable, lovable El Segundo, California if Toba Capital gets their way, according to a story on Costar.com.
A company tied to billionaire Vinny Smith’s Toba Capital has spent $54 million for a 9-acre slice of the former Raytheon Technologies Campus at 100 Nash in the city adjacent to Los Angeles, according to CoStar data. . . The firm is expected to build a surf park, a type of mixed-use real estate that is gaining traction across the globe with improvements in artificial wave technology and consumer demand for experiences in the wake of the pandemic.
You may remember Mr. Smith from his first pool venture, the Palm Springs Surf Club. Again, if a billionaire just wants to throw a couple ten millions around and get not much in return, we know of a great website they could buy. It’s surf adjacent, has a small, dedicated following, and could make those millions disappear in a myriad of fun ways.
It’s official. Kelly Slater has topped Hulk Hogan, Buzz Aldrin, and model Kate Upton as the favorite celebrity of Brevard County Florida according to the readers of Florida Today.
A one-time underwear model for Versace, Slater has graced the cover of many magazines and was once named one of the “100 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine. He’s also appeared in several commercials and TV shows including “Baywatch.”
Congrats, Kelly. Your home town still loves you more than they love that Gawker killer Hulk Hogan. . . RIP.
So, Tony Hawk’s 900 garage sale auction hosted at Julien’s Actions closed on September 23, 2025, and wow, did it bring in a ton of cash. The unofficial total (we added it up with Gemini’s help) was $1,759,290.00 for 99 items. Tony says “a portion” of the proceeds from this sale will go to The Skatepark Project so win-win all around.
Some highlights from the sale:
The 900 Board: $1,152,000
The 900 Helmet: $115,200
The 900 Adio Shoes (worn out): $64,000
The Sweaty 900 Kneepads: $57,600
Del Mar Skatepark Staff Shirt (our favorite item): $896
Signed Frosted Flakes Cereal Box: $512
Nixon Skateboard Watch: $5,120
Tony’s Richmond Skate Ranch ID Card: $2,880
So, the big question: who paid $1.15 million for a skateboard? Any guesses?
It also has come to our attention that when it comes to selling off old junk celebrity pays!. Mr. Hawk is a little ahead of us on our lifetime action sporting eBay sales, but we still have time. We have yet to tap into our complete Big Brother Magazine collection, nor our original set of Skateboarder Magazine from Volume 2 through Action Now. Maybe we should check with Julien first. . .
Neftalie Williams, the director of the Center for Skateboarding, Actions Sports, and Social Change, will moderate the discussions with Steve Van Doren & skateboarder Bryce Wettstein as part of a four-day celebration of action sports and culture at San Diego State University October 9-12, 2025.
“We are thrilled to welcome Steve Van Doren and explore the incredible legacy of Vans across skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, music, and virtually every facet of youth culture,” said Williams. “His insights will help students understand how to build and sustain a culturally relevant business across generations. As the perfect complement Bryce Wettstein will share her journey as an Olympian, professional skateboarder, and college student — offering a powerful perspective that will inspire students and highlight the intersection of skateboarding, business, media, and culture.”
By this coming weekend, many rad parents around the board sports world will have dropped their kids off at college for the first time. As if any parents need another reason to cry, check out this heartfelt poetic clip from Jones Snowboards. It’s Jeremy and his daughter Mia on one last spring backcountry trip.
Former pro skater and longtime entrepreneur Erik Ellington is settling in to brew some non-alcoholic beer. It’s called, Easy Does It Brew, according to a profile on MyBurbank.com.
Eleven years sober, he created the non-alcoholic brew company with a clear mission: to encourage people to moderate their drinking while maintaining their social connections. The inspiration struck in 2022 when Ellington tried a non-alcoholic beer while quarantined with friends who had COVID. “Something happened where I felt like I was part of the party. I was participating in it when it wasn’t anything having to do with the alcohol. It all had to do with socialization.”
Sober skaters deserve your support. Click the link for the rest of the story.
Fecesblaster? Poop is really funny, isn’t it? Poop. There we’re laughing again. Butthole, poop, poop. Their product on the one hand, defecation on the other. Product. Fart. Placement. Fart. Fart. Shart. Oh, few things in life are funnier than a thick, bearded man trying to complete his morning constitutional. Fart. Oh, we’re crying from laughing so hard. Bowel movement. Ha! Poop.
This is a year old interview with Sam McIntosh? Maybe. We’d never seen it. Came up in the feed today thanks to BeachGrit via that Derek fellow. Watch it if you want. Especially if you ever loved putting magazines together. Sam McIntosh obviously did. . . and does?
The developers of a proposed surfpark in Jacksonville, Florida have discovered that new estimates on the park’s construction costs may mean no surf park, according to a story in the Jacksonville Daily Record.
The city is seeking to offer a $4.6 million incentive for the proposed Jacksonville Surf Park after its developer, Aventuur Inc., said new cost estimates have put the overall project in jeopardy. . . . The 5.5-acre park, part of a larger, 45-acre space, is planned in the eTown development in South Jacksonville. It has an estimated capital investment of $100 million.
So nice when City government chip in on private businesses isn’t it? See, socialism works for big business all the time. Would love to get a $5 million incentive from anyone at this point. Sidenote, if you have an example of a sustainable, profitable, stand alone wave pool built anywhere, please let us know.
Ron Jon Surf Shop founder Ron DiMenna died on September 6, 2025, according to a story on Florida Today. He was 88.
“Ron was revolutionary,” said Jack A. Kirschenbaum, a retired Cocoa Beach attorney and avid surfer who was a close friend of DiMenna and last saw him in August. “He turned surfing, which was a nomadic, fringe sport practiced by kids into a mainstream retail juggernaut. He saw what no one else saw. He will be sorely missed,” said Kirschenbaum, adding that DiMenna’s grand vision appealed to hardcore surfers and tourists alike, turning the giant Cocoa Beach store into another must-see Florida destination.
Our thoughts are with the DiMenna family. For the rest of the story, please click the link.
