The Vans Park Series kicks off the 2017 VPS Men’s Pro Tour this weekend in Sydney, Australia.
Situated in the scenic locale of Manly Beach, the custom-designed VPS park course is built directly on the sand, highlighting infinite opportunities for speed, air and style. The course terrain features a unique deep end equipped with pool coping, a gigantic hipped layback bank, a spine on top of the deck that with a raw concrete curb on top of it, a huge 10.5’ tall extension, and an abundance of hips and transfers.
The live broadcast begins March 3, 2017 on VansParkSeries.com. For all the official details, please follow the jump.
Patagonia has announced that they will be releasing their Personal Surf Inflation (PSI) Vest sometime this spring to big wave surfers, however, only those who go through the BWRAG Big Wave Safety Course will be able to purchase one. The company will also license their patented designs to other manufacturers and donate the proceeds to help save Punta de Lobos, an iconic and endangered Chilean surf break.
“The PSI Vest has already played a huge role in giving surfers the confidence to take the sport of big wave surfing to the next level.” said Jason McCaffrey, Patagonia’s Director of Surf. “We invested heavily in testing and refining the PSI Vest, and sought feedback from hundreds of the best surfers in the world, in order to bring to market the best product possible. The PSI Vest will help reduce the risks involved in riding the world’s biggest waves, and I’m excited that licensing fees from our extensive R&D work will be another tool we can use to help protect coastal ecosystems.”
For the official word from Patagonia, please follow the jump.
To celebrate the the release of his newest Pro Thunder Truck, Marc Johnson opened the doors of Brandon Biebel’s park to the public with free pizza and best-trick contests. Looks like everyone had a ripping good time, no?
So, today Billabong announces they’re selling the Tigerlilly fashion brand. And while we couldn’t care less about the news, what we always find comical in these transactions is what the company says about the transaction and how it fits right in with the company’s fiscal plans (plans that are always in direct opposition to the reasons the company bought the brand in the first place).
For example, in December of 2007 when Billabong bought Tigerlilly then CEO Derek O’Niell said: ”We have been seeking to expand our girls business and Tigerlily, with its accent on swim, is very complementary to our Billabong Girls brand.”
Now, seven years later, while selling the brand Billabong says: “The transaction is in line with Billabong’s strategy to simplify its brand portfolio.”
See what they did there? In an odd twist (at least for Billabong) this sale will reportedly generate more revenue than the company originally paid for the brand. The sale will reportedly generate $60 million and they only paid $5.8 million for seven years ago. Usually, it’s the other way around. Follow the jump for the official release.
Collabs are cool because they let a little brand give guidance to a big brand for a while withouthaving to deal with any much big brand drama. And then, after it’s over, the little brand can just go back to doing what they do. Like this deal between Maui’s Plate Lunch brothers Gregg and Cory Kaplan and Dakine.
Every time we’ve skated NorCal’s Glory Hole we always wondered what it would be like to see Lake Berryessa blasting right on through. Well, thanks to some drone footage, we all know. It’s one massive brown eye of death. It also looks like it’s going to be a while before anyone is slapping stickers past 10 o’clock. Then again, if you slapped one last fall, it’s probably still pretty safe right where it is.
Vans had a press release to go along with this photo that had something to do with a new marketing campaign they are launching for “Off The Wall,” but we never made it past this photo Tony Alva skating a pool. Just look at that would you?
It’s getting harder and harder to spend a dollar at a snowboard resort without that dollar going to Vail Resorts, Incorporated. And today, it just became even more difficult as Vail took its first bite out East with the purchase of Stowe Mountain Resort from the Mr. Mansfield Company, Inc. for $50 million.
“We’re thrilled to add Stowe Mountain Resort to our family of world-class mountain resorts. With the investments in both mountain infrastructure and base area facilities that AIG has made over the years, Stowe Mountain Resort has become the premier, high-end resort for East Coast skiers and snowboarders. We look forward to working with AIG to continue enhancing the guest experience and to ensure the resort’s long-term success,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.
In the deal Vail Resorts is acquiring “all of the assets related to the mountain operations of the resort, including base area skier services (food and beverage, retail and rental, lift ticket offices and ski and snowboard school facilities) at Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak.” Mt. Mansfield Company is keeping the Stowe Mountain Lodge, Stowe Mountain Club, Stowe Country Club, and a couple other pieces of land they’re hoping to develop in the future.
Vail’s quiver of resorts now includes, Stowe, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Whistler Blackcomb, Perisher in Australia; and little resorts like Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin, Afton Alps in Minnesota, and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Boom. For the official word from Vail, please follow the jump.
It’s good to see downtown photographer Ari Marcopoulos still hangin’ with the action crowd. His current incarnation features a collab with adidas skateboarding.
Central to the collection is a specially made zine “AIGHT’.” Masterminded by Marcopoulos, the zine is 26 pages capturing a winter day of skateboarding in New York City’s Lower East Side neighborhood and features an amalgamation of mixed media, vibrant color pops and signature aesthetic made consistent throughout the entire collection. Capturing select members of the adidas Skateboarding team, “AIGHT'” is a modern take on Marcopoulos’ early and now iconic work capturing the unique styles and personalities of New York skateboarders during the 1990s Golden Era of skate.
Ari’s photos are always good to see, especially when he’s in charge of their presentation. Watch for more details on the actual product drop on February 27, 2017.
Today (Thursday, February 16, 2017) Emerald Expositions, the parent company of Outdoor Retailer and Interbike, announced that after holding a teleconference with Utah Governor Herbert that they will no longer be considering Utah as a potential location for future trade shows.
The shows reportedly bring nearly $45 million to the Salt Lake City economy each year, according to a story in the Salt Lake City Tribune and that money will be going elsewhere. . . Hells yeah, OR. For the official word, please follow the jump.
So, today Billabong announces they’re selling the Tigerlilly fashion brand. And while we couldn’t care less about the news, what we always find comical in these transactions is what the company says about the transaction and how it fits right in with the company’s fiscal plans (plans that are always in direct opposition to the reasons the company bought the brand in the first place).
It’s getting harder and harder to spend a dollar at a snowboard resort without that dollar going to Vail Resorts, Incorporated. And today, it just became even more difficult as Vail took its first bite out East with the purchase of Stowe Mountain Resort from the Mr. Mansfield Company, Inc. for $50 million.
Today (Thursday, February 16, 2017) Emerald Expositions, the parent company of Outdoor Retailer and Interbike, announced that after holding a teleconference with Utah Governor Herbert that they will no longer be considering Utah as a potential location for future trade shows.
