Coca-Cola is apparently stepping up its Olympic efforts by signing up six athletes, according to a Tripp Mickel story that we can’t read because we don’t subscribe to Sports Business Journal. And it appears that Gretchen Bleiler is on the team.
The company will be featuring snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, figure skater Evan Lysacek, hockey player Angela Ruggiero, speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno and the pairs figure-skating duo of Keauna . . .
And that’s where our free preview ended. Nice work, Gretchen. Now we’re thirsty.
For years elementary and middle school kids have been subjected to the horrors of team sports. Now, at Sierra Middle School in Tucson, Arizona students are finally getting the chance to learn skateboarding during physical education class.
The district is using a skateboarding curriculum developed by Skate Pass, a Boulder, Colo., company that introduced it to schools nationwide in 2006. Sierra is the first school in Arizona using the curriculum, and this makes Arizona the 21st state that has the curriculum in a district, said Eric Klassen, co-founder of the company.
Wait, is that extreme snowboarder and Wave Rave Snowboard Shop’sSteve Klassen’s brother? We think it is. . .
The reigning champ, musician Alexander Antebi, preened and vamped his way to third place in what he dubbed his “Ziggy Czar Dust’ getup, professional skateboarder (and Bristly Chap) Patrick Melcher took second place, and Benjamin Juergens came out of nowhere to take first place in his first-ever competition.
Bet those rides are going to go for more than a quarter now that it’s a champion. . .
The Washington Post looks in on the antithesis of Ryan Sheckler-style professional skateboarding with an extensive profile on Washington DC’s 36-year-old originator Brian Tucci. And it’s not exactly a happy story:
Yet unlike skateboarding’s biggest stars — Tony Hawk, Rob Dyrdek, Bucky Lasek and Shaun White — Tucci has never found a way to cash in on his renown. Instead he has lived a nearly destitute, nomadic existence, couch-surfing at the homes of buddies, shacking up with girlfriends or staying at his mother’s house.
Sometimes it’s tough to stop living the dream. . .
No surprise. For the three months ended May 2, 2009 Seattle’s Zumiez (the 360 store mall chain) lost $1.7 million dollars on $76.8 million in sales. But they came in ahead of “the street” for what it’s worth. Sadly, things will apparently get worse from here.
For the second quarter, Zumiez expects to lose 17 cents to 14 cents a share, worse than the 7 cents a share that analysts expected. . . “Consumer discretionary spending is tough,” Chief Financial Officer Trevor Lang said during a conference call with analysts. “Consumers are focused on really low value price points, and that doesn’t necessarily play to our strength.”
Yeah, either that or they’re more focused on buying food.
Clarke Brogger, the pastor of Church by the Sea in Laguna Beach, California thought it would be cool to try to catch a tiny wave while surfing at Thalia Street. Moments later he had a cracked open head and a broken neck, according to a story in the OC Register.
Helplessly paralyzed, Brogger agonized with the realization that he couldn’t swim, scream or even thrash in panic.
“I was absolutely frightened, completely out of my mind,” he said. “I just kept picturing my wife and two daughters looking down on me, in the grave.” . . . Then, just as suddenly as his fall, came Brogger’s “miracle”: another wave, splashing over his immobile body, provided just enough tidal force to flip him on his back. Overwhelmed, Brogger screamed for help. . .At first, his friends thought it was part of the joke. Then, fellow surfer Austin Cooper noticed blood gushing from his friend’s forehead. . . “It looked like (Cooper) wanted to barf but didn’t want me to know he was afraid,” Brogger said with a laugh.
In the tweet Ian Cairns says he will fully recover, but it is one more reminder for all of us to be careful out there.
[Link: OC Register via @KangaCairns]
When Waterlines Unlimited owner Ernie Higgins signed up for a church mission trip to New Guinea he had had no idea he would stumble into a tribal surf community that still actively surfs hand-carved wooden planks, according to a story on My Local Lineup.
While focused on the mission at hand, Higgins suddenly noticed a little boy, in his pre-puberty years, holding a plank, awfully similar to a surfboard. Upon close scrutiny, he was surprised to learn that not only was the lad holding a surfboard, but also that he was participating in a longstanding tradition of riding waves in the island. When Higgins asked for how long they’ve been riding waves, a native said, “For as long as the oldest person in the tribe can remember.”
Of course they have. And we feel all colonial for even linking this up.
Keep will be celebrating the release of their collab Homer shoe with Hamburger Eyes’Ray Potes with Hawaiin BBQ sick tunes, piña coladas and a few of the shoes this Saturday May 23, 2009 from 5-8 PM at their store at 523 Fairfax Ave. LA, CA 90036.
