After 18 years and introducing over 6,000 kids from historically forgotten communities to action sports STOKED founder Steve Larosiliere is stepping down as president and moving to a new role on the organization’s board of directors. The new president is Dr. Patricia Charlemagne.
[Charlemagne] is a seasoned nonprofit executive with an amazing track record. She’s also an attorney and just received her doctorate in education and organization leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.
The BBC questioned Burton Snowboards China CEO Craig Smith on why the company continues doing business in Xinjiang, China in spite of reports of human rights violations a.k.a. genocide in the region.
Human rights groups believe China has detained more than one million members of the Uyghur minority community against their will over the past few years in a large network of what the state calls “re-education camps”, and sentenced hundreds of thousands to prison terms.
Obviously, China is big business and that is the reason Burton, Tesla, and Intel and many other global brands are there. For his part Smith said that human rights are not his area of “expertise.” A nervous, stumbling interview for Smith and a serious problem for Burton and many other companies as well. But profits do come first. It’s only business afterall.
Smith has added 21-year-old Australia big air and slopestyle snowboard pro Tess Coady to their global snow team.
“Tess brings a truly unique style, personality, and flare to snowboarding that keeps us on the edge of our seats before she drops into each run. This x-factor mixed with her pure love for the sport is infectious. We’re thrilled to introduce Tess as a member of the global SMITH team and proud to have her passion and talent representing female athletes in Australia and around the world” said Thomas Edgar, SMITH Marketing Manager, Australia.
For all the official details from Smith, please follow the jump.
A Shoc, the energy drink company backed by Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., has just signed a $15 million sponsorship deal with Thrill One, the Costa Mesa, California owners of Street League Skateboarding (among other action sporting assets), according to story in the Financial Post.
The two-year agreement is worth as much as $15 million and will let Thrill One invest in live events, locker rooms and media production. As part of the arrangement, A Shoc will be featured throughout Thrill One’s various assets, which include Street League Skateboarding, Nitro Circus daredevil action sports shows, Nitro Rallycross and a production house.. . . “It’s going to be a game changer for our existing properties and will level them up,” said Thrill One Chief Executive Officer Joe Carr. “We’re going to be creating a lot more content throughout the year.”
A Shoc promotes its caffeine delivery liquid as a natural energy drink designed for performance enhancement with no sugar added.
Former pro skater Evan Hernandez was just sentenced yesterday, January 19, 2022, to eight years in federal prison for “selling nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and laundering Bitcoin” for other drug dealers.
According to court documents, from at least March 2018 to March 2019, Hernandez distributed narcotics, conspiring with drug dealers to distribute the controlled substances over one of the world’s largest darknet marketplaces. . . Hernandez also was responsible for laundering Bitcoin for darknet drug trafficking operations.
Hernandez will also reportedly have to turn over “a 2010 Mercedes-Benz, approximately $35,000 in cash, and various watches, necklaces, rings and other jewelry” to the government. Seems like only yesterday he was that little kid in In Bloom. Bummer all around.
Merge4, the sock brand from Santa Cruz, California is releasing a set of socks celebrating the release of Jackass Forever.
The Jackass collection includes three brand new sock designs featuring iconic Jackass graphics: ‘International’, ‘Scattered’, and Skull’ – each constructed with light compression, padded soles, and a seamless toe and heel. And there may be more to come! “MERGE4’s Jackass socks are the only socks you want to be caught in, no matter if you’re cheatin’, lyin’ or kickin’ ass haha!” said Jackass star, WeeMan.
Get the while they’re available. Three pair for $62. Click the link.
The history of Grindline Skateparks is something every self-respecting skateboarder should know. Thankfully, Thrasher Magazine has made it easy for all of us with Grindland.
“Grindland – Red, Monk and the Birth of DIY” is the story of Mark Scott and Mark Hubbard, two visionary skaters from the Pacific Northwest who, along with dedicated friends, kickstarted the modern DIY/concrete skatepark revolution. From the early days of Burnside to 2019’s Rip Ride Rally, this film explores the friendship, struggle, triumph and tragedy of true iconoclasts, hellbent on building the skateparks of their dreams.
Great work by Michael Burnett and Matt Bublitz. Enjoy!
Gotta give Emerald credit. They’re definitely doing all they can to get people to their Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver January 26-28, 2022 (a.k.a. the peak of the Omicron wave).
OR and the Board Retailers Association are reportedly giving away three nights free lodging in a convention center adjacent hotel room if you are a member of BRA and were planning on going to Denver, but cancelled because it was too expensive. Here’s the official word:
Were you planning to go to the OR-Snow Show January 26-28 but don’t have enough funds to pull it off? BOARD RETAILERS ASSOCIATION AND OUTDOOR RETAILER ARE OFFERING “SCHOLARSHIPS” TO HELP YOU AFFORD A TRIP TO DENVER FOR THE SHOW! As a BRA Member you can qualify for 3 complimentary nights at hotels near the Convention Center at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show. Over $600.00 value! Email doug@boardretailers.org to confirm that you qualify and are added to the recipient list.
Not sure that would do it for us, but if you’d like to go, please hit them up. We’re still waiting for the winter show to move back to Las Vegas where it belongs!
Not that we’re on some VeeCo kick, but they keep doing things that seem relevant to us. Not sure if that’s good or bad for the brand, but their recently released Down For This 30th anniversary edit it worth checking out.
If you remember when Volcom was the newest action brand pushing the concept of youth boarding culture, then you’re old. If you’d like to reclaim some of your youth by watching old Volcom video footage in its original format, then here are a few of the classics currently for sale online (some at ridiculous prices).
Volcom has decided to ante-up and purchase the rights to outfit the 2022 US Olympic Snowboarding Team.
“The Volcom team is honored to be the official uniform provider for the U.S. Snowboard Team and provide for world-class athletes on snowboarding’s biggest global stage,” said Ryan Immegart, CMO of Volcom and Liberated Brands. “Volcom was the first brand to combine the cultures of surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding, music and art and the original pioneer of the action sports industry. Thirty years later, Volcom’s ‘True To This’ spirit comes to life through these uniquely designed uniforms created exclusively for some of the world’s greatest snowboarders.”
A little OG VeeCo 90s punk patterned power suits with knees patches? Volcom really does mean business. Click play for the entire announcement. How do you think they look? Leave a comment.
Smith has added 21-year-old Australia big air and slopestyle snowboard pro Tess Coady to their global snow team.
A Shoc, the energy drink company backed by Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., has just signed a $15 million sponsorship deal with 
Former pro skater Evan Hernandez was just sentenced yesterday, January 19, 2022, to eight years in federal prison for “selling nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and laundering Bitcoin” for other drug dealers.
Merge4, the sock brand from Santa Cruz, California is releasing a set of socks celebrating the release of Jackass Forever.
Gotta give 
