by The Editors on September 20, 2013
To be honest, we’ve recently lacked the rigor required to stay up-to-date on the constantly changing story of Billabong debt, its pending demise, and who they’re going to depend on to save them. The most recent news is that company has landed a refinancing deal with Centerbridge Partners and Oaktree Capital (brave investors) to the tune of $386 million, according to a story in The Australian.
Private equity firm, Altamont Capital Partners, which only months earlier had agreed to recapitalize the group, has been shown the door. . . While Centerbridge and Oaktree, and their affiliates, have not bid to buy the business outright, the consortium will emerge from the deal, if approved by shareholders, with significant control. . . In addition to controlling most of the company’s senior debt, an accompanying $135m equity placement will see it owning up to 40.8 per cent of Billabong’s shares. It will also have the right to install three representatives on Billabong’s board and has brought a new chief executive to the table.
Oh, and Billabong is reportedly completely out of Nixon. That’s likely old news to you, but let us remind you of that rigor thing. Click the link of the rest of the story. Or, if you want to know what Jeff Harbaugh things about it, click here.
[Link: The Australian]
by The Editors on September 20, 2013
If it’s fall then that means it time for the 10th Annual Hot Dawgs and Hand Rails event at Southern California’s Bear Mountain. Forty of the world’s top rail slayers will congregate in Big Bear, California on Saturday September 21, 2013 to help kick off the 2013-14 winter season.
The men’s first place winner will be awarded $10,000 and the women’s first place will take home $1,000. The jibber with the best trick will take home $500. Both men and women’s first place finishers and the best trick winner will be presented with one-of-a-kind, customized iPad Minis, which will serve as their digital trophy. Provided courtesy of Fusion of Ideas, the iPad Minis will display the digital checks and head shots of winners. These winners will also take home go-pro cameras customized by Fusion of Ideas.
The event is free to the public. Gates open at 9 AM and the comp starts at 2 PM. Bear Mountain is located at 43101 Goldmine Drive
Big Bear Lake, California. Check out our photos from the 2011 event click here to see a little about what you have to look forward to tomorrow. For the official word from Bear Mountain follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on September 20, 2013
To kick off a new season of Every Third Thursday, Dave Lee and the Signal Snowboards crew decided to do something really silly. Build a snowboard at the bottom of the ocean. Why? Because, apparently.
[Link: Signal Snowboards]
by The Editors on September 18, 2013
How’s this for johnny-on-the-spot reporting? Apparently, Taj Burrow won the 2013 Hurley Pro at Trestles over Julian Wilson on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, in what was described as two to four foot surf. And that’s nice because Burrow been runner up there twice and he wanted a win. Boy is he stoked.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Burrow said. “I really put so much effort in to this event and it just feels so incredible when it unfolds and goes your way. I felt like the good waves came my way and I was just in the zone. I was hoping to get things snowballing and I never felt like I put together my best surfing. I was just finding my feet more and more each heat. My board kept getting better and better and it felt great towards the end. That’s how you want to win an event, peak at the right time. I knew Julian (Wilson) would be tough. Even if I saw a wedged out close out I would have taken it if I had priority because I know what he can do. I surfed as smart as I possibly could. I thought I made a couple of errors, but they ended up playing out.”
Julian would have rather won it.
“It’s a great result and I would have rather gone one better,” Wilson said. “It was pretty tricky out there and I made too many mistakes and wasn’t in rhythm. Strategy was really important, but also, I want to go big and I wasn’t looking for the perfect wave. I thought I could do something big on something that wasn’t that perfect. Overall, it’s a good result and I had a good day. I want to keep moving up and win the next one.”
For the official word from the ASP, including results and (Mick Fanning on top of the ASP rankings) follow the jump.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on September 18, 2013
Surf Expo says they had more buyers at their fall show than they’ve ever had before with 8,000. Sounds like a good show.
“Buyer attendance was up fourteen percent compared to last September’s show and even eclipsed our record-breaking January 2013 show by four percent,” says Show Director Roy Turner. “More buyers than ever before put their trust in Surf Expo to offer the most diverse array of product categories and brands under one roof.”
We’ve never been to Surf Expo, but don’t feel sorry for us. We just watch it all on video. Like this. Follow the jump for the official word from Surf Expo and nearly everyone who attended follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on September 16, 2013
San Diego County’s Wall Of Fog rolled well onshore during the evening hours and by the time the first heats of the 2013 Hurley Pro at Trestles paddled out on Sunday morning, September 15, 2013 it was difficult to even see the waves, but that didn’t slow anyone down on the classic two-to-four foot Lowers surf.
Hungtington Beach, California’s Brett Simpson (pictured above) may have had the toughest heat of the day when he got tag teamed by the Quiksilver dynamic duo of Kelly Slater and Dane Reynolds, but he survived.
“I’m stoked, it was a gnarly heat but I was just trying to do my own thing because Kelly (Slater) and Dane (Reynolds) were going to do what they do,” Simpson said. “I was just excited for that heat and I knew that was a heat I could win because I surf a lot more freely when maybe it’s a heat I’m not supposed to win. I just focused on myself and with all my family down here, it’s a big win. Anytime you beat Slater, whether it’s man-on-man or three-man, it’s a big win.”
The Hurley Pro continues today (under another layer of dense fog). For the official word from the ASP and complete follow the jump. For a video recap of Day 1, click here. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on September 13, 2013
![Flyer-Central-America-Premier-Ca-Brixton[1]](http://www.boardistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Flyer-Central-America-Premier-CA-Brixton1-tm.jpg)
On Tuesday, September 17, 2013 the Encinitas, California style shop UNIV will be hosting a photo show and video premiere from the boys of Brixton. The show, titled Wandering Through Central America, features the antics of Oliver Kurtz, Jesse Gugliemana, Tanner Rozunko and Troy Elmore. If that’s not enough to entice you there will also be free beer, tacos, ice cream an a special musical performance by the Flytraps. Party starts at 7 PM. UNIV is located at 1053 S. Coast Highway 101, in Encinitas, California.
by The Editors on September 13, 2013
In the consumer electronics world new Bluetooth 4.0 speakers seem to be popping up every time we turn our heads. Even in the action sports space the competition for portable audio solutions is heating up. Nixon launched their Blaster speaker earlier this summer and now headphone maker SOL Republic is answering back with a collaboration with Motorola called Deck.
Like many other Bluetooth speakers Deck turns your phone into a mini boom box. Where the Deck differs is in what SOL Republic calls “Heist Mode.” This Bluetooth setting allows the speaker to pair with up to five different Bluetooth devices at once. When a song is playing, control of the Deck can be stolen by any other paired device. Don’t like the song your friend is playing, press play on your phone and launch something from your digital music collection.
While this control swapping may cause occasional panics at the disco, it’s actually pretty rad once you begin messing around with it. Say you’re skating a spot and are sick of your music. One of your friends can send his songs to the Deck. Or, if you’re just hanging out at the beach with friends you all can share music from your phones without having to pair and unpair or trade songs around. If you’re at home the Deck has mini jacks for both audio in and out so you can play Heist Mode through your home stereo or just blast some music off your phone. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on September 12, 2013
Seth Wescott, the two-time Olympic Boardercross Gold Medalist, has taken a stand against Russia’s “anti-gay propaganda” laws ahead of the Sochi Olympics, according to the Associated Press.
Wescott told The Associated Press on Wednesday that there’s potential for February’s games in Sochi (SOH’-chee) to be a “negatively-overshadowed Olympics” because of Russia’s law prohibiting promotion of “nontraditional” sexual relations. Activists have denounced the law and called for a boycott of the games.
Add this to the list of very good reasons that the Sochi Olympics should be boycotted, but it won’t be because there’s just too much damn money at stake for everyone.
[Link: Associated Press]
by The Editors on September 11, 2013
If you were hoping to find out just a little bit more about Billabong and Yes. Snowboards‘ Helen Schettini, here it is. If you’d like to know more, tune in next week for webisode 2.
To be honest, we’ve recently lacked the rigor required to stay up-to-date on the constantly changing story of Billabong debt, its pending demise, and who they’re going to depend on to save them. The most recent news is that company has landed a refinancing deal with Centerbridge Partners and Oaktree Capital (brave investors) to the tune of $386 million, according to a story in The Australian.
![Flyer-Central-America-Premier-Ca-Brixton[1]](http://www.boardistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Flyer-Central-America-Premier-CA-Brixton1.png)
