by The Editors on February 27, 2009
Steve Nesser’s Familia Skateboard Shop has made the cross-town hustle from St. Paul to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is celebrating the move this weekend, according to as story in the City Pages.
Check out the store’s ‘Grand Re-Opening’ this Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., featuring a special in-store Todd Bratrud art show and hang out with the Familia crew at The Red Stag later that night, with tracks from DJs Millions Billions and Tendercakes.
Sadly, we’re not going to make it to that freezing Midwest skateboarding hotspot this weekend nor any weekend in the near future.
[Link: Citypages.com]
by The Editors on February 27, 2009
We’ve been talking about how The Berrics has been blowing up lately, but we never thought it would be something The Wall Street Journal would be interested in. Wrong again. Today, writer Conor Dougherty kicked the lid off skateboarding’s little secret like only The Journal can.
This aggressive minimalism renders the Battle almost unwatchable to anyone who hasn’t spent time on a skateboard. But it’s addicting to skateboarding purists, who find a contest of smaller tricks more relatable than the skate competitions on television, where grisly falls and jumps as long as 75-feet get much of the attention. . . . At the stroke of midnight PST on Saturday and Sunday mornings, skaters around the world will log on to watch.
Yep, The Berrics has gone global. No doubt. Tune in this weekend for the finals.
[Link: The Wall Street Journal]
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by The Editors on February 27, 2009
When a new Pepsi skateboarding display went up in some far away land, The Berrics Design Group jumped right in to offer the caffeinated sugar water company some help:
Why the arm of Pepsi’s marketing group is way hipper in other countries than here, in America, where skateboarding is really popular, is beyond me. Hey Pepsi! If you want the Berrics Design Group to help you out in the U. S. of A, let us know. Seriously. We’ll charge you a lot less than what those guys charged you for your new logo. I promise, a lot less. The Berrics; everyone’s doing it, why should you be left in the dust?
Way to hustle. Maybe that’s why The Berrics is continually on the up.
[Link: The Berrics]
by The Editors on February 26, 2009
Kelly Slater (pictured right with girlfriend Kalani Miller) and Stephanie Gilmore were officially awarded their 2008 ASP World Champion titles last night in the crowning ceremony at the Gold Coast Convention Center, according to a story on Goldcoast.com.au.
More than 500 people attended the ASP World Champions Crowning, among them surf greats Mark Occhilupo, Mick Fanning, Layne Beachley and Taj Burrow. . . . But many would not have been able to indulge too much, with both the Quiksilver Pro and Roxy Pro kicking off the world tour at Snapper Rocks this weekend.
It seems like such old news, but we’re glad it finally official. Click here for a complete slide show of Michael Ross‘ red carpet photos, or follow the jump for Steve Sherman’s.
[Link: Goldcoast.com.au and ASP World Tour and Surfing Magazine]
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by The Editors on February 26, 2009
The Dallas Observer has posted a photo tonight of Quiksilver employees closing up the store at Ross Perot Jr.’s Victory Plaza.
Quiksilver, among the first tenants in the Hillwood project, would be closing sooner than later, as word was the place would go days without posting a single sale. Well, that sooner is now — actually, February 22.
It’s sad to see dreams die. Then again, it’s only one store and there are at least 400 more where that one came from.
[Link: Dallas Observer]
by The Editors on February 26, 2009
Deckers Outdoor Corp. the parent company of Ugg, Simple, and Teva footwear, saw sales in the fourth quarter surge 56.3 percent from $194.2 a year ago to $303.5 million this year thanks almost entirely to the sales of Ugg products if you can believe it. Talk about a market bucking brand. . .
UGG brand net sales for the fourth quarter increased 62.0% to $288.0 million compared to $177.7 million for the same period last year. The significant sales gain was driven by increased orders for fall and holiday product from domestic retailers, international distributors, and higher sell-through rates at company-owned retail locations and on its eCommerce website versus a year ago. For the full year, UGG brand sales increased 67.5% to a record $582.0 million versus $347.6 million in 2007.
More proof that good taste has nothing to do with footwear sales.
[Link: Sports One Source]
by The Editors on February 26, 2009
Royce Morgan, 18, was found dead near Alaska’s Hatcher Pass on Wednesday after snowboarding with his brother and getting separated, according to a story in the Anchorage Daily News.
Morgan was snowboarding with his brother, 25-year-old Matthew Theodore, in the late afternoon when the two became separated, troopers reported. . . . Theodore looked for his brother but couldn’t find him, troopers said. He went to the Hatcher Pass Lodge and called troopers. Theodore then went back up the mountain to look for his brother.
Theodore reportedly found Morgan a second time, but Morgan could not walk. So Theodore tried to push him back to the lodge on a snowboard, but was unable to and again went back for help. By the time searchers found Morgan at 9:15 PM he had no pulse and was not breathing.
[Link: Anchorage Daily News]
by The Editors on February 26, 2009
Next year all snowboarders who ride in Quebec may be forced to wear helmets if provincial lawmakers get their way, according to a story from the Associated Press.
Sports Minister Michelle Courchesne is echoing arguments by an association of provincial emergency medical specialists that helmets are needed to prevent head injuries in some winter activities.
When we think about how hard the snow is in Quebec most of the year (okay, icy), it’s probably not that bad of an idea.
[Link: Associated Press]
by The Editors on February 26, 2009
In an email sent out today to promote the arrival of the new unibody 17-inch Macbook Pro, Apple decided to use some compelling surf imagery. Why would they advertise the “thinnest and lightest” 17-inch computer ever with a thick, heavy wave? Probably because it looks “so rad.”
by The Editors on February 26, 2009
We may have been a little tough on Quiksilver lately, but one thing we’ve never questioned is their commitment to surfing. Market forces have worked against the company in recent months, but that has done nothing to slow their sponsorship of the Quiksilver Pro and the Roxy Pro at Snapper Rocks. According to a story on Goldcoast.com.au, Quik has committed to sponsor the events for another nine years.
The announcement was made by contest director Rod Brooks yesterday at the official media launch with surfing elites such as Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore looking on.
[Link: Goldcoast.com.au]
Steve Nesser’s Familia Skateboard Shop has made the cross-town hustle from St. Paul to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is celebrating the move this weekend, according to as story in the City Pages.
