by The Editors on January 18, 2008
The athletes are probably saying it’s about time, but ESPN has decided to reward the athletes with a little more than nation TV exposure this year as they up the prize purse to $1 million, according to a story in the Aspen Times.
The overall prize purse is up 38 percent from last year’s, and the total purse for all X Games competitions to be held in 2008 exceeds $3 million. This year, X Games events will be held in Aspen, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Dubai and two other international markets yet to be announced. . . . “ESPN is committed to ensuring that the best action sports athletes in the world compete on action sports’ grandest stage – the X Games,” said Rick Alessandri, senior vice president and managing director, X Games franchise.
One meeelllioooon dollars, yes. They better get paid.
[Link: Aspen Times]
by The Editors on January 18, 2008
They guys at Skate and Annoy found a cool little do-it-yerself project that a guy named Jerbearisapimp9 built that allows him to carry a skateboard around in a briefcase like a proper businessman.
Jerbearisapimp9 makes excuses for his ghetto briefcase, but it adds a certain amount of sophistication to his setup. Everyone should show up at a session with a briefcase if they mean business. Check out the Foldable skateboard, BOA.
This would definitely make airline travel with a skateboard much easier. And think what it would do for our image?
[Link: Instructables via Skate and Annoy]
by The Editors on January 18, 2008
Shaun Tomson and Jeremy Gosch’s new film Busting Down the Door will have it’s world premiere January 27, 2008 at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara as part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Combining awe-inspiring and often iconic surf footage from more than 17 surf films, such as Free Ride and Standing Room Only, with insightful and emotional interviews from the key players — be they Hawaiian, South African, or Australian — the film aims to do for the birth of modern surfing what the 2001 documentary film Dogtown and Z-Boys did for the origins of skateboarding several years ago.
While the whole, “do a film about yourself and future the legend” genre of surf movies is getting weirder by the year, this looks like it’s going to be an amazing addition to anyone’s surf film library. Click the link for all the background.
[Link: Santa Barbara Independent]
by The Editors on January 18, 2008
For a while this week Vans was getting credit for a new skateboarding game for Apple’s iPhone called Finger Fracture, however, someone pointed out to the editors at the Kotaku video game blog that all the screen shots for the “new game” were simply lifted from Tony Hawk’s Project 8 and Photoshopped on to the iPhone. Aside from being a complete hoax, what this really shows is how much play a skate/snow/surf brand could get in the tech media for launching a solid iPhone action sports game. Anyone listening?
[Link: Kotaku]
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by The Editors on January 18, 2008
Europe’s “selected brands” trade show Bread & Butter Barcelona kicked off today with the motto “King Size.”
In addition, during the three days of the trade fair, the Palau Nacional will be home to an exhibition by B&B Design in collaboration with two international schools of fashion: the Dutch Fashion Institute led by Angelique Westerhoff and Die Angewandte in Vienna, whose Creative Director is Veronique Branquinho. 20 students from each institute will be showing their work in the Sala Cúpula – a perfect symbiosis of modern and traditional, which is also reflected in “The Art“, another highlight of BREAD & BUTTER: “The Andy Warhol Collection by Pepe Jeans London“, a fashion line based on Warhol’s original works of art, will be presented in the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, an architectural icon.
Bummed that we can’t be there, but that flights is a pain in the ass.
[Link: Boardsport Source]
by The Editors on January 18, 2008
Gold Coast surfing icon Denis Callinan, 53, the “surfing solicitor” died January 16, 2008 from a heart condition, that his “best friend and Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) president Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew said came as a total shock.
This is a complete surprise,” Bartholomew said. . . “He lived a super-healthy lifestyle. . . Icon is the right word,” Bartholomew said. “Denis is a huge part of surfing on the Gold Coast. He’s personally touched the lives of people through his legal work, through his work with different surfing bodies and through charity organisations over the decades and generations. . . . He is really irreplaceable. There could never be another Denis Callinan.”
Our thoughts are with Callinan’s family and friends.
[Link: News.com.au]
by The Editors on January 18, 2008
Here is a classic case of conflict of interest: ESPN the Magazine is covering The X Games, a wholly-owned product of Disney/ABC/ESPN as an actual sporting event when, in fact, it is a made-for-TV action sports spectacle.
We’re glad that Gretchen Bleiler can get this kind of coverage (she’s only the fourth woman ever to be featured on the magazine’s cover), and she looks great on the cover, but please, isn’t ESPN doing enough self-promotion for their X Games brand already? Obviously, no one cares about any of this because all the coverage helps move product. Then why aren’t we happy about it? We’ll get back to you on that.
[Link: Center Daily]
by The Editors on January 18, 2008
Volcom is blaming a “weak retail environment” for causing it to lower it’s 2008 financial outlook.
The apparel company now says 10 percent earnings growth and 18 percent revenue growth “are achievable” in 2008. It previously forecast 20 percent growth for profit and sales. . . . Volcom now expects to report fourth-quarter earnings of 29 cents or 30 cents per-share on revenue of $67 million to $68 million. Volcom earlier estimated profit of 30 cents to 32 cents per share and sales of $70 million to $73 million.
[Link: CNNMoney.com]
by The Editors on January 16, 2008
Australian surfer Nic Muscroft doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would wish for anyone to get kicked off the ASP World Championship Tour, but if the ASP decides to sanction Chris Ward for beating up girls in Mammoth, then Muscroft could sneak on to the WCT Tour.
It just depends what happens with him, it could just stretch out for a while, depending on if there’s a court case or whatever,” he said. . . . “If something happens I could get his spot, but I’m not sure what will happen, it will depend if he’s still allowed to compete, I’m really not sure. I haven’t heard anything (official) yet.”
If he is guilty as charged he should of course be pulled off the tour according to ASP rules, but it will be interesting to see if they make that happen.
[Link: Geelong Advertisers]
by The Editors on January 16, 2008
It’s been rumored forever and denied forever, yet strangely today it was officially announced that Volcom, the big, powerful, publicly traded company has purchased tiny, core, eyewear company Electric Visual for $25.5 million in cash. Wooly is happy about it.
Culturally, Electric is a perfect fit for our company,” Woolcott continued. “We’ve known the Electric team for a long time, and we recognize they share the same passion and love for action sports as we do here at Volcom. Our companies are very much on the same wavelength, sharing similarities in product distribution, marketing efforts and a strong commitment to quality and innovation. Everyone here is stoked to welcome Electric into the Volcom family.”
Bruce Beach, who continually denied any such thing likes the idea as well (not surprisingly).
We believe this partnership will enable us to take the Electric brand to the next level,” said Bruce Beach, co-president and chief executive officer of Electric. “We are very excited about working closely with the Volcom team to grow our existing eyewear business and further expand into new product categories. Additionally, this partnership will enable us to grow our retail relationships and to continue to strengthen our operational capabilities.”
And we’re happy because it means we know at least four more millionaires. . . and they’re good people to know.
[Link: BusinessWire]
