by The Editors on August 4, 2008
The UK’s Factory Media LTD, the parent company of Surfer’s Path, Kingpin, Onboard, Surf Europe and 10 other action sports magazine titles is launching a video channel called Mpora.tv today according to a story on Marketing Week UK.
The channel, which launches in the UK today (4 August), is set to extend across Europe during the year. The launch is intended to supplement the user-generated video website Mpora.com and is aimed at expanding its core audience to include mainstream viewers.
Nothing like video to bring in that mythical “mainstream viewer” huh? Guess we can add Mpora to the growing list of action sports video crapragators because it doesn’t look like they’re doing anything new.
[Link: Marketing Week UK]
by The Editors on August 4, 2008
If he was planning on waiting for his first win on the ASP WCT Tour Kaua’i’s Bruce Irons couldn’t have chosen a better event as he edged Fred Patacchia, Jr. in the finals.
One of my goals when I joined the tour was to win an event and I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen since I’ll be stepping away after this season,” Irons said. “But the waves pumped this event. This is what the Dream Tour should be like all the time. I’m definitely stepping away from the ASP Tour at the end of this year, but I’m not retiring. I’m still planning on competing at Pipeline and Teahupoo and at venues that I can get into.”
Funny how different the results look when contests are held at new spots. For the record: Kelly Slater went out in the third round, but it still in the lead. Looks like Trestles is going to be a fun one.
[Link: Honolulu Advertiser]
by The Editors on August 1, 2008
The skateboarding world suffered a huge loss this morning as former Bones Brigade member and Eastern Skate Supply Art Director Ray Underhill died after a long battle with a chordoma brain tumor, according to an email sent out this morning at 9 AM PST by his long-time friend Sean Mortimer. “Ray passed away a few hours ago in North Carolina,” he said.
Our thoughts are with Ray’s wife Kerry and especially with his two children Keaton and Olivia. They have been extremely brave and strong over the past two years and Ray was blessed to have been so well loved by them all.
We will try to keep updated with the latest info. Donations for Ray’s family can by made by clicking this link.
[Link: RayUnderhill.com]
by The Editors on July 31, 2008
According to the press release “New Emissions of Light and Sound, Globe’s most recent surf film release, was honored with the “Most Innovative Film” Award at the 2008 Huntington Beach Surf Theatre Film Festival. The event, in it’s 6th year, is hosted by Big Red Productions, following their week long Surf Theater during the US Open of Surfing, and is a big honor for all filmmakers involved.”
New Emissions was nominated in three categories, including Best Corpo Film and Best Cinematography, but took home the big prize for Most Innovative Film. . . . “Winning the Most Innovative Film award is the ideal award for what we set out to achieve in making this film,” said the film’s director Joe G. “Combining an originally scored electronic soundtrack from DJ Sasha, with our Super 16mm film was always going to produce something different than most of the films put out today. We’re just happy that the response to the combination has been so positive.”
Oddly, we still haven’t seen this one.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on July 28, 2008
According to a story in the AFP, Sean Michael Foxcroft, 24, from Manchester, England went missing while surfing on the East Coast of South Africa.
He got into difficulties at the main beach in St Lucia, 40 nautical miles (75 kilometres) north of Richards Bay on the east coast. . . “It appears that the man went missing in the surf while assisting a fellow expedition leader to rescue a group of their learners who had gotten into difficulty in shallow surf,” Lambinon said.
[Link: AFP]
by The Editors on July 28, 2008
It’s not like creating epic shapes doesn’t run in the family, so we don’t know why we were surprised to see Al Merrick’s daughter Heidi Merrick profiled in the LA Times as a fashion designer.
Her clothes have a California romantic quality in bright sherbet-colored satins and chiffons and are sold at Lisa Kline, Dari and Wendy Foster. And she makes more relaxed pieces too, such as the Nonnie caftan, which Merrick was wearing on a recent afternoon in her breezy Moroccan-style abode in Silver Lake. “I try and push the way I live into my clothes,” she says. “When I get dressed, I pay attention to what I want my silhouette to be, what I’m comfortable in, the pieces I gravitate to first. And then I get to my studio and note all those things down. It’s the same thing with surfboards: They are shaped from the thought, research and the time in the water my dad’s put in.”
Heidi’s designs probably aren’t going to win any WCT events, but they’re actually pretty smooth.
[Link: LA Times]
by The Editors on July 28, 2008
Things haven’t been going so well since last Thursday’s Volcom Conference call. Shares are down, the market is down, but the Motley Fool investing site is still “stoked” on the stock.
Volcom is one of the smartest consumer-goods companies I can think of, boasting what I consider an intense, in-depth understanding of its customers. That kind of deep understanding of and affinity for a specific client base similarly attracted me to Urban Outfitters (Nasdaq: URBN). . . Furthermore, Volcom’s recent stock’s weakness is giving investors a great opportunity to buy, although the short term might be rough.
Rough, indeed.
[Link: Motley Fool]
by The Editors on July 27, 2008
Years ago when we said that Burton would “advertise on the side of a garbage truck if they thought there was a snowboard in it,” we were only joking. Coming this fall to Huntington Beach.
[Link: Active Ride Shop]
by The Editors on July 25, 2008
This morning at around 9 AM, Ethan Fulton, 17, was surfing with some friends near the jetty in New Smyrna Beach when he was bitten on the right foot, according to the News Journal Online.
Fulton’s friends tried taking him to the hospital, but then thought better of it and called for an ambulance. EVAC ambulance paramedics met the teen at Sapphire Road and North Peninsula Avenue. . . . Fulton was treated at the scene and then taken to Bert Fish Medical Center in stable condition, O’Keefe said. The bite was serious enough that Fulton was still in surgery early this afternoon.
For those keeping track at home, this is number 15 for Volusia County this year. Last year there were only 17 bites all year.
[Link: News Journal Online]
by The Editors on July 25, 2008
If you were basking in the sun at Huntington Beach yesterday (like much of the surf industry) and missed the Volcom conference call, here it is transcribed in it’s entirety. Here’s how Wooly kicked it off:
We are no more than half way through the year and I feel good about the progress that we have made managing our business in the U.S. running our new European operation and integrating Electric. The power of Volcom brand continues to capture the attention of consumers around the world and we are excited about the global opportunities that lay ahead.
His comments about electric:
Last quarter we added the full product line from electric, which includes sunglass, goggles, soft goods and accessories. During this period we launched three new sunglass styles, the Technician XL in May and the Detroit and Hoodlum the last week of June. So far the initial sell-through on all three styles has been very positive and we look forward to continuing to build on this excitement.
The Laguna Surf & Sport story:
The multi branded concept of the LS&S stores is a little different for us, but we believe it helps diversify our retail business by providing us with greater insight about our customers and market trends. It also brings an experience team to the company adding strength to our overall retail infrastructure. We plan to keep these stores operating under the LS&S name with the same employees, management and general product and brand mix.
For the rest of the call (including analyst questions) click the link.
[Link: Seeking Alpha and Reuters]
The UK’s Factory Media LTD, the parent company of Surfer’s Path, Kingpin, Onboard, Surf Europe and 10 other action sports magazine titles is launching a video channel called Mpora.tv today according to a story on Marketing Week UK.
