by The Editors on October 15, 2008
London’s Battersea Power Station lights up October 23-26, 2008 as the Freesports On4 Freeze is unleashed on the British Isle. While we’ve been a little hard on big, fake, uber-snow sport spectaculars like this and San Francisco’s Icer Air, they are probably fun for little Johnny and Janie Doad who never get to see snowboarding in person.
We don’t feel bad for the big name snowboarders who definitely get paid by attending. We just feel bad for the c-level show ponies who have to do their dancing bear routines in hopes of landing Shaun White style paydays in the future. And hey, Cypress Hill is playing the main stage so that might be worth a few hucks off the scaffolding booter.
[Link: London Freeze via Londonist]
by The Editors on October 15, 2008
The next version of Activision’s Tony Hawk Pro Skater could ship with a new kind of controller thanks to the success of Guitar Hero, according to a story on Ars Technica.
“We believe that the extra year of development time and the opportunity for consumers to shake off franchise fatigue could contribute to better unit sales than the franchise (Tony Hawk) has enjoyed in recent years,” analyst Doug Creutz said while speaking to investors. “We also view it as highly likely that the game will include some sort of skateboard peripheral with all SKUs when it ships, given the massive success (and higher price points and profitability) of Activision Blizzard’s Guitar Hero franchise.”
At a certain point, you might as well just go outside and skateboard, right?
[Link: Ars Technica]
by The Editors on October 15, 2008
The 200-foot-long tunnel that takes Lake Mary Road under The Eagle Express lift at Mammoth Mountain collapsed on Friday, according to a story in the LA Times .
Mammoth Lakes officials are say the cause of the collapse has not been determined, but the incident doesn’t appear to be a random event. A bike path has been under construction along Lake Mary Road and a second tunnel was being dug about 20 feet on the downhill side of the original tunnel at the time of the collapse.
No was was injured in the collapse, but it has closed Lake Mary Road in both directions. A detour has been set up to allow traffic up to the Lakes Basin. Kind of nice that this happened now and not when the mountain is open and the loaded with snowboarders.
[Link: LA Times]
by The Editors on October 15, 2008
Beat-down Australian clothing brand Mambo is apparently hoping to relaunch itself back into the world of authentic surf with the help of Taj Burrow’s ex-girlfriend Cheyenne Tozzi and professional surfer Dayyan Neve, according to a story in Business Day .
Angus Kingsmill, who is part of a consortium that bought the brand in January, said the loud shirts that made the brand famous – but also contributed to it falling off the radar for trendy teens – would not make a comeback, though a modern incarnation of its farting dog T-shirt would. “We have to modernise the elements of music, art and humour but not walk away from them, as they are what made it great,” he said.
Sadly, the history of dead surf brand reanimation is loaded with mutilated corpses. Keith Curtain, publisher of the magazine Australian Surf Business, is right when he says that “the future success for Mambo will be rebuilding relationships with surf shops, door-by-door, brick-by-brick, sale-by-sale.” But the truth is it probably never will never make it back.
[Link: Business Day]
by The Editors on October 15, 2008
Mark Sullivan, the founder of Snowboard Magazine has officially launched a new website for snowboarders called MTNOPS.com. Here’s what he says about it:
What Facebook does to link people with common friends, MTNOPS does to unite people of common interest. Users naturally connect based on where they are and what they want to do. What Google does for search, MTNOPS does for predictive search. It delivers the content users want without them asking for it. What Shopper.com does for people interested in buying technology, MTNOPS does for targeted goods and services. It brings the best deals in any product category directly to the consumer. . . .MTNOPS is a real community that is virtual, not a virtual community.
While this sounds like hyperbole, Sullivan and programmer JP Stoermer have created an interesting mix of social networking, blogging, content aggregation, and product recommendation centered around snowboarding. There are still a lot of glitches, many 404 dead-ends (it’s currently the third most popular page on the site), yet the base concept is solid and the interface perfectly minimal and forward.
It is obvious that a lot of thought went into MTNOPS and if Sullivan and crew can get ahead of the bugs it could become a necessary site for all snowboarders.
[Link: MNTOPS.com]
by The Editors on October 14, 2008
It’s nice to see quality art being created by hand without the use of computers. . . even if Bend, Oregon-based Adam Haynes is doing it for “the man.”
[Link: Nike 6.0]
by The Editors on October 14, 2008
The Coca-Cola Co has just signed a deal with Intrawest to be the “official beverage” at 10 of their resorts.
Coca-Cola North America and its bottle partners in the United States and Canada will continue to be the official beverage providers at 10 of Vancouver, Canada-based Intrawest’s destination resorts: Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort (Florida); Snowshoe Mountain (West Virginia); Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain and Steamboat Ski Resort (Colorado); Mountain Creek (New Jersey); Stratton Mountain (Vermont); Panorama Mountain and Whistler Blackcomb (British Columbia); and Mont Tremblant Resort (Quebec).
All we wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi and they wouldn’t give it to us.
[Link: Phoenix Business Journal]
by The Editors on October 14, 2008
Rome and Consolidated roll out the limited edition Libertine Drunk with the following rant:
If you think the same logo that’s on that nut-hugger swim suit, golf ball, tennis skirt, jump rope, baseball bat and rollerblade might as well be on your next pair of snowboard boots, what will snowboarding look like in five or ten years? Will it be influenced in a way that’s true to our history? . . .The Libertine Drunk, a collab between the Rome SDS and Consolidated Skateboards, is a limited edition get-together of two brands who think sporting goods companies aren’t snowboard or skate companies.
We’re no fans of Nike either, but seriously? Can this be any more like slurping up someone else’s vomit?
[Link: Rome Snowboards via Shayboarder]
by The Editors on October 14, 2008
The Apple iTunes store is now sporting the latest film Forum Or Against’em from Forum Snowboards for about the cost of one premiere beer: $5.99.
Looks like it’s finally time for us to check it out in the privacy and comfort of our own home. Apple TV here we come.
[Link: Forum Snowboards]
by The Editors on October 14, 2008
UK artist Oliver Bishop-Young has taken dumpsters (apparently called “skips” in Britain) and turned them into all kinds of cool things, including a pool, a lawn, and more importantly a mini-ramp.
Mr Bishop-Young designed his ‘skip art’ as playgrounds for youngsters. But he also hopes the works will help encourage people to share their useful rubbish – such as old furniture and clothes – with friends and neighbours. . . . ‘It’s something an individual can do to make their impact on the city,’ he said.
One man’s skip. . .
[Link: Metro.co.uk]
