While it may like nearly all Florida surfers eventually get bitten by a shark, that is not the case, however, on Tuesday, September 4, 2012, a 32-year-old surfer was hit while riding waves in Melbourne Beach, according to a story in the Miami Herald.
The surfer told authorities he was paddling out from shore at Melbourne Beach when he placed his hand in the water and felt a bite. . . His hand was treated by paramedics at the beach, and he didn’t need to be taken to a hospital.
While half of the “unprovoked shark attacks” in the US in 2012 have happened in Florida, this was reportedly only the third shark attack in Brevard County this year.
Spy’s short-lived cunalingus billboard featured high above Highway 101 in Encinitas, California is getting press worldwide for having been pulled down after only one day, according to a story in the UK’s Daily Mail Online.
The signage was meant to be a tongue in cheek promotion of SPY Optic’s new line of ‘Happy’ lenses, which purportedly lift one’s spirits with their special design. . . ‘We are a happy brand,’ Spy Marketing Director Devon Howard said to MailOnline. ‘It’s what makes us happy-being on people’s faces.’ . . Thousands of San Diego drivers sped past the sign yesterday, the only day it was displayed, and it appears their complaints swayed the owner of the advertising space to quickly rip it out of sight – but not out of mind.
Apparently, the billboard maybe too many motorists squirm. Hopefully, Spy will get the critics licked and put something back in there real soon. For the official word on the Happy Lens, which is what this whole campaign is really about, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
Billabong announced yesterday (September 5, 2012) that they have received an “indicative, non-binding and conditional proposal from another party interested in acquiring all of the shares in the company and which states “we currently propose a cash consideration value of around $1.45 per share.”” This is in addition to the previous offer for about the same price made by TPG International, LLC.
Due to a “confidentiality agreement” Billabong won’t say who made the offer, however, Bloomberg Businessweek claims that “people familiar with the matter” say the new bidder is the Boston, Massachusetts based Bain Capital (hello Mitt Romney). This is apparently being seen as good news.
“It’s great news for shareholders of Billabong because it adds pricing tension,’ said Tim Montague-Jones, senior equity analyst at Morningstar Inc. (MORN) ‘‘The probability is quite high that a higher offer could come through. A deal could get done.” . . Shares of Billabong rose 7.5 percent to A$1.365 at the close of Sydney trading, the biggest daily gain since July 24, and swelling the company’s market value to A$654 million.
A 25-year-old who was waterskiingskateboard towing behind a white pick up truck on the Pacific Rim Highway on August 31, 2012 ended up in Vancouver General Hospital after suffering “serious head injuries,”, according to a story in the Westerly News.
The man was allegedly riding a skateboard while holding onto a rope attached to the back of a white pick up truck when he lost control and fell. . . The incident occurred between Ucluelet’s cemetery and Surf Junction Campground at about 7 p.m.
Owned by VF Corporation, Vans shoes contracts with factories that use sweatshop-style labor but show signs of improvement. A study done by corporate responsibility group As You Sow said that VF’s transparency is bad, but it is working toward bettering the lives of its factory workers. Social Grade: C.
Although it still uses dangerous chemicals in the manufacturing of its shoes, Vans is starting to move in the direction of becoming an eco-friendly company, by participating in events with the organization Beach Clean Up, as well as hosting e-waste disposal. Environmental Grade: C.
Nike did even worse, of course:
Nike, the world’s largest sporting-goods maker, has had a long and troubled history of sweatshop conditions and employee abuse at factories that make its products. . . . There are several third-party reports that corporal punishment is used in some factories that make Nike products and that in the primarily female work force, workers who become pregnant are fired. . . Social Grade: F.
Nike does, however, have several environmental programs, which include the use of organic cotton and recycling used rubber. Environmental Grade: B.
Nice to know that even the high schoolers know what’s up when it comes to footwear.
Volcom Snow is letting the kids do their own video parts with #IP2. And this is Daniel Brown’s turn. Here’s what VeeCo says about the project:
IP2 stands for “Individually Produced Parts” . Whereas, each rider has 100% control of the direction, action and content collected to produce their own part for Volcom’s 2012 Snow project. We identified the riding characteristics of our team, matched them up with a videographer and gave them the green light. We are excited to share their personalities, travel experiences and shit they pulled off this past season.
In addition to hitting the streets pretty hard, it appears that Mr. Brown also has a serious appreciation for hip-hop, weed and tittiies.
Every single company that makes snowboards and/or snowboard products now appears proud to announce the launch of their New 2012/13 lines of products. It’s all new, all great, and all up for viewing online.
Some are “kicking it off with a brand new site” others are “launching into an already award winning season with their 2012/2013 snowboard line-up.”
“According to our developers our new website features what is purportedly the latest in expensive web technologies,” they say. “We have seamlessly integrated Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram into our entire online presence making our continued social media dialog with customers completely transparent and stuff. To say that we have embraced mobile would be an understatement. We’re soul kissing mobile. Our new Android, iPhone and iPad are blowing minds.”
Rather than putting up all the press releases we’re just going to do it this once. Remember: It’s all new, all great, and all up for viewing online. Check it all out on your favorite brands’ websites today. Click the links and dive in. Yay!
Feeling bad that you might miss something at Surf Expo this week? Well, here’s something we wish we missed from Boardworks Surf: it’s a Wake SUP Board. Forget the fact that if you’re surfing behind a boat you don’t need a paddle. Ignore the whole rope thing and there you are standing behind a boat with a paddle. We were, however, left with one question: was that Jeff Baldwin staring in a cameo eating scene?
Westlife Distribution, the new owners of the Matix Clothing brand, are keeping the family together by re-signing Daewon Song, Marc Johnson and Mike Anderson. They’ve also added surfers Turkey Stopnik and JJ Wessels.
Daewon and MJ have been with Matix since the beginning and it was only natural to continue on with the relationship. Mike Anderson plays a key role as well, and each of their signature collections and personal style add a different flavor to each season.
Last week Spy announced (in forms filed with the SEC) that they were cutting 20 employees and ending their direct sales in Europe and moving back to a distributor model. What does this all mean exactly? We’re not sure and neither is Jeff Harbaugh, but that hasn’t stopped him from discussing what he think about it on his Market Watch website.
I feel strongly both ways about what Spy is doing. On the one hand, the balance sheet and cash run rate certainly seems to require expense reduction. On the other hand, their strategy has been to invest in the brand to get revenues to a level that could support the required marketing effort. For all the progress Spy has made in increasing brand sales, it looks like somebody think it hasn’t happened fast enough to justify the continuing required cash investment.
For the rest of Harbaugh’s thought, click the link.
