Transworld Surf photo editor Aaron Checkwood has a new photo book coming out titled My Oceanside. And to kick it off the California Surf Museum is hosting a reception on Friday, June 29, 2012 and an exhibition that runs through September 4, 2012.
Focusing on a collection of photos showcasing life in Oceanside, Aaron deems this a tribute to a city whose people and landscapes are as diverse as the cultures that make it special. “The exhibit is just a snippet of the daily life of a vibrant, eclectic area that stands as the last bastion between San Diego County and the rest of the world,” said Aaron. . . The My Oceanside exhibit will run through September 4 with proceeds from the opening party to benefit the California Surf Museum. The event is proudly sponsored by Oceanside businesses Brixton, Raen, Chemistry Surfboards and TransWorld SURF magazine.
Good guy, great photos, and nice reason to visit the California Surf Museum and get a book signed. The party starts at 7 PM. The museum is located at 312 Pier View Way Oceanside, California. Follow the jump for more info. [click to continue…]
“Today was not only about learning a lesson in skateboarding and setting a record, it was also learning about inspiration,” Pierre-Andre Senizergues said after the event yesterday. “Skateboarding was Thomas Johnson’s inspiration to stay active and happy when he was ill and his positive persistence has inspired the hundreds of skateboarders that came out today. As skateboarders, we need to give back and inspire others who skate or want to skate. Thomas’ memory did that for us and helped us to set the Guinness World Record!”
Bummed we missed it. Would have been great to learn some of those classic freestyle moves from the master. Follow the jump for the official word. [click to continue…]
Opened in 1961, June Mountain has always lived in the shadow of Mammoth Mountain. First as a competitor, and then after Mammoth founder Dave McCoy bought the mountain in 1986, as a quieter, mellower sibling to Mammoth. But for many years, that was a good thing. It never had the crowds, it had a long, fun park, a once epic halfpipe, and on powder days Carson could compete with some of the best powder lines in the West.
June also has a long history in snowboarding. The mountain hosted the first televised snowboarding event the OP Pro of Snowboarding in 1989, and in 1991 Craig Kelly and Keith Wallace dropped off the roof of the Chalet with the Mono County Sheriff on their tail only to be arrested in the parking lot. The mountain has played host to snowboarding contests, photos shoots, and more, but it looks like those days are over as Mammoth CEO Rusty Gregory announced yesterday (June 21, 2012) that Mammoth will not operate June Mountain for the 2012-13 season.
“June has operated at an annual deficit each year since its purchase in 1986,” said Gregory. “It is time to invest some of this subsidy into the analysis and planning required to position the resort for a sustainable future, then secure the approvals and financing required to create it.”
Guess those dreams of connecting Mammoth and June with a new base lodge below San Joaquin Ridge just never worked out. For the official word, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
We’ve always loved G-Shock watches, but surfing for a week in their hard plastic bands once gave us tendinitis, so we dropped them for good. Now, all that may be a thing of the past with Slingshox. These silicon covers allow G-Shock owners to pop off the old G-Shock watchbands and slip the whole watch into a brightly-colored new housing.
“As a long-time fan and collector of G-Shock watches, it was a perfect fit to launch this strap accessory line to further push the boundaries of inspired timepieces for the fashion-conscious consumer,” said Brett Pulli, CEO of SlingShox. “ We plan to keep providing a fresh color assortment for our customer and will also be doing custom artwork collaborations that G-Shock enthusiasts will want for their own.”
Rubber covers for plastic watches. What will they think of next? The bands cost $25 and can be ordered here. Follow the jump for the details. [click to continue…]
We’ll admit it. Our only interest in watching this Frendly Gathering 2012 official video was the hope that it would feature long-haired, smooth-skinned Vermont hippie girls spinning around in the forest. While the video does, in fact, feature a few glimpses of hippie girls doing yoga, getting their faces painted, riding quads, and hoola hooping, it was a solid reminder that we didn’t miss a thing by not taking a early June trip to Vermont. Which is not to say the people who went didn’t look stoked out of their heads. They all seemed very happy with all the work the Frends crew and bands put into the weekend.
This Weekend Buzz features Braydon Szafranzki and Neen Williams. Neen got so messy that the Ride Channel had to place a alcohol warning at the beginning of the episode and lightened the whole set up so we can all see the room (or have we not been paying attention?). Nice upgrades. Check it.
Having spent the past few days in the shadow of Mt. Bachelor’s snow packed slopes it comes as little surprise that the mountain announced today that it would re-open June 29 through July 1, 2012. The place is loaded with snow.
Mt. Bachelor will be open for skiing from 7:30 am to 1:00 pm Friday-Sunday, June 29 to July 1, with daily lift tickets priced at $30 for all ages. A reduced-rate $20 daily lift ticket will be offered to all 2011/12 full season, midweek and 12-day pass holders. Skiing and Snowboarding will be available from the Summit Express chair, accessible via Pine Marten Express located in the West Village base area.
One more reminder that in the Pacific Northwest winter is never really over. Follow the jump for the official word. [click to continue…]
Pacific Sunwear (NASDAQ: PSUN) no longer has the capital to compete. The retailer will be gone by the end of 2013. In the company’s most recent 10-Q, it said one of its biggest risks was running low on capital and not meeting financial obligations. . . What will happen to the retailer? It could be bought by a larger company — its market cap is only $108 million — or it may go out of business with its inventory sold to other retailers.
24/7 Wall St. hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to divining the future, but it’s hard to disagree with much of what they have to say about PacSun.
Panama City, Florida’s Warren Smith is one red hot, trend-setting, action sporter. Smith is apparently waiting for an energy drink sponsor “to call,” he has no spirit animal, and his eyes were “slaughtered. . . from the sun.” All this and more in an eight-minute-long profile video (A Clockwork Warren) from Morgan Maassen.
Today (in Australia) Billabong’s new CEO Launa Inman outlined the company’s short term plans during a conference call. In the call she reportedly spelled out plans for “raising more capital, downgrading earnings expectations, and undertaking a top to bottom review of all Billabong operations with the goals of reducing expenses, identifying efficiencies and improving the competitive positioning,” according to a story on Jeff Harbaugh’s Market Watch.
They want to raise 225 million Australian dollars (about $229 million U.S. dollars) by selling shares to existing shareholders at $1.02 for each new share, a 44% discount from the 1.83 Australian dollar share price before the trading halt. The offer is fully underwritten by Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, which means that Billabong will get the money.
But not everyone is stoked on this stock offering, according to a story in the Sydney Morning Herald:
City Index analyst Peter Esho said the capital raising was a huge slap in the face to shareholders, particularly after Billabong rejected a generous offer from private equity giant TPG Capital four months ago. . . ‘‘Knocking back private equity’s $3.30-a-share takeover offer and then raising equity at $1.02 will no doubt see a lot of criticism from shareholders and rightly so,’’ he said. . . “You either participate or get massively diluted – a huge slap in the face again for shareholders,” he said.
The money will come in handy, it’s the “deep dive” into all of Billabong’s operations that should have some of the company’s acquired brands feeling cautious. We’re guessing there could be a few “efficiencies realized” that may not be all that popular with some Billabong employees.
Transworld Surf photo editor Aaron Checkwood has a new photo book coming out titled My Oceanside. And to kick it off the California Surf Museum is hosting a reception on Friday, June 29, 2012 and an exhibition that runs through September 4, 2012.
