by The Editors on May 9, 2012
New York Times writer Alex Williams follows along with a group of old guy longboarders called the Bergen County Bombers and gets into the heads of some who believe skateboarding is the best midlife crises there is.
Forget the little red sports car: the new symbol for midlife crisis is the skateboard. Graying members of Generation X, and even their older brothers, are reclaiming their youth and rebellious streak by hopping back on a skate deck. Some are even showing off old tricks in the skate park. . . It’s the latest gasp for a generation of perma-dudes who listen to Black Flag in their BMWs and trade high-fives in client meetings. It’s a bid to escape the corporate grind, beat back their flagging vigor and even make good on a generational cliché: to extend their adolescence until their federal prescription-drug benefit kicks in.
Concrete Wave’s Michael Brooke is even quoted saying “The skate geezers are having their revenge.” Well, as long as they stay out on the streets with their longboards, we guess it’s okay. . . but we still find ourselves being a whole lot less annoyed by the kid on the left.
[Link: New York Times]
by The Editors on May 9, 2012
Legendary action photographer Steve Sherman will be showing his art work at Encinitas, California based style shop UNIV this Friday evening, May 11. 2012 in a show titled T-Sherms Now.
Since the late ’80s, Sherman’s trademark moody black and white photos have broken new ground in a field where bright, front-lit color was the standard. . . Sherman’s surf star portraits and lifestyle photography explore uncharted realms of behind-the-scenes intimacy and journalistic presence, bringing fans closer to their surfing heroes than they ever thought possible.
The opening party for T-Sherms Now begins at 6 PM and will feature a collection of Sherman’s photographic T-shirts, T*Sherms. UNIV is located at 1053B South Coast Highway, in Encinitas, California.
[Link: UNIV]
by The Editors on May 9, 2012
On Wednesday, May 16. 2012 Stoked Mentoring is hosting their Stoked on Spring Art & Skateboard Deck Auction: Collaborations with Artists and Stoked Youth. The event features artwork by:
Tommy Agriodimas, Royce Bannon, Peter Dean, John Gordon Gauld, Derek Kettela, Lady Pink, Kenzo Minami, Garrett Rowland, and Julian Ungano as well as collaborations with Jayson Atienza, Borbay, Billi Kid, Pete KL, Lady Pink, Jack Laroux, Marco, Alice Mizrachi, Tim Nolan, McDonald Predeleus, Jen Props, Jason Shelowitz, Monica Watkins, Tim Young, and Paul Zepeda.
Stoked On Spring goes down at Scholastic Greehouse, at 557 Broadway, in NYC. Tickets are $75 or $350 for Bennefit Committee (five tickets included) click here to buy them online. For more info follow the jump. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on May 9, 2012
The San Clemente, California Parks & Recreations department voted 6 to1 on Tuesday night (May 8, 2012) to uphold the current ban on scooters at the City’s Ralphs Skate Court, according to a story in the OC Register.
Commissioner Steven Streger said he would be open to revisiting the discussion of legalizing scooters at Ralphs Skate Court, depending on whether the city’s insurance covers only skateboarding and whether it bans “mixed use.” He said the statewide immunity protecting the city on skateboarding applies only to skaters 12 and older and to skaters doing tricks. There is a broader rule that covers dangerous activities, he said, so the key is the wording of the insurance, which commissioners didn’t have available to them Tuesday.
Not really sure that this ban makes any sense, but then again, the fewer scooter riders at skateparks, the better.
[Link: OC Register]
by The Editors on May 9, 2012
Justin Heit and the Raen Optics family have released a twist on their Squire frame thanks to Warren Smith. The translucent bone-colored acetate is trimmed with custom, metal detailing and polarized Optics by Carl Zeiss Vision lens. All that for $142. Snappy.
[Link: Raen]
by The Editors on May 9, 2012
Celtek gloves is giving some lucky snowboarder a free trip to High Cascade Snowboard Camp. The only catch? You have to visit Facebook to make it happen.
CELTEK has put together a Facebook contest that gives one lucky winner a free session to HCSC. This will be your chance to ride with CELTEK team riders who spend a good amount of their summer shredding at High Cascade including: Chris Grenier, Dan Brisse, Ted Borland, Sam Taxwood, Griffin Seibert, Brandon Hobush & more. You may enter by submitting a photo of yourself wearing any pair of CELTEK gloves.
If you have the glove, it just might be worth posting a photo. Click the link for more info.
[Link: Cektek] [click to continue…]
by The Editors on May 9, 2012
A 13-year-old skateboarder from Livermore, California died last night after “crashing into a moving pickup truck,” according to a story in the LA Times.
The boy “had some speed” as he rode down a hill Tuesday, but there was no indication the truck was traveling over the speed limit, said Sgt. John Hurd of the Livermore Police Department. . . Drugs and alcohol did not appear to play a role, and the boy was wearing a helmet, he said.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle:
Nathan lived in Livermore and was an eighth-grader at Mendenhall Middle School. His mother, Katie, is a science teacher at Rancho Las Positas Elementary School in Livermore, and his father, Sam, is assistant principal at Williams Middle School in Tracy. . . “He was just very caring and responsible, and very, very smart,” Katie Strube said. “I could count on him for anything.”
Our deepest sympathies are with the boys parents and especially with his brother Calvin.
[Link: San Francisco Chronicle and LA Times]
by The Editors on May 9, 2012
Nice to relive the magic of winter with Forum’s Vacation and Pat Moore’s stunning “double-ender” part, now online in its entirety. And remember kids, doing Tequila shots takes its own tax.
by The Editors on May 9, 2012
The Billabong Rio Pro is on and live from Arpoador (the secondary site) in what has been described as “two-to-four foot waves.”
“With unfavorable waves at the primary venue of Barra Da Tijuca, we’ve opted to utilize our back-up location of Arpoador today,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge said. “We’ve got contestable conditions here and are planning on getting into both men’s and women’s competition today.” . . Kicking off today’s action will be the women’s trials and immediately following will be men’s Round 1 action, which will see Josh Kerr (AUS), 26, Bede Durbidge (AUS), 29, and Jadson Andre (BRA), 22, do battle in the Billabong Rio Pro’s opening heat.
Click here to watch it live or follow the jump for the official word from the ASP and complete Round 1 heat match-ups. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on May 8, 2012
Twenty-year Billabong veteran Derek O’Neill has been removed from his position as the CEO of the surf wear giant and the board has moved Target MD Launa Inman in as managing director and chief executive, according to a story in the Australian.
Billabong chairman Ted Kunkel, as as recently as February refuted rumours that the board planned to dump Mr O’Neill, thanked the outgoing CEO for his service but said that the board had decided the company needed “new leadership and skill sets for the next stage of its development”. . . Mr O’Neill, a lifelong surf fanatic who opened Billabong’s European business at the age of 26, will leave the company today.
Inman, a former chief executive at Target Australia, will start work on May 14, 2012 with a fixed salary of AUS$1.3 million a year with up to “$1.3m in short-term bonuses, plus long-term incentive payments of up to 47 per cent of her salary.” In related news, Paul Naude, the president of Billabong USA North America has been promoted to president of the Americas.
We guess the biggest question is, does Ms. Inman surf?
[Link: The Australian]
