Quick Hits Archive: January 10 - January 16, 2008

Mar 20 2008 / Los Angeles, CA

January 16, 2008

The Superpipe Semifinals At The BEO 2008
Published: 12:56 p.m. PT by Me

After a Slopestyle Semifinals yesterday that had many of the top pros in Laax on the outside of the Finals field looking in (particularly on the women's side) the Superpipe Semifinals partially righted that ship. The top 8 for the women (only the top 8 advance to the finals) was topped by current TTR leader Kelly Clark, who didn't take part in the Slopestyle competitions. Clark's Semifinals' result was fueled by a strong first run that gave her a cushion over 2nd place finisher Claire Bidez. Filling out the rest of the women's top 8 were Cheryl Maas, last year's TTR champ Torah Bright, who was able to redeem herself after finishing outside of the top 8 at the Slopestyle semis, and Burton's own young gunner Hanna Teter among others.

On the men's side the Finnish contingent showed up in force as the top 3 finishers were all from Finland. Salomon's Markus Malin had the honors of placing first but followed closely by Risto Mattila (who has a real shot at taking the TTR lead at Laax) and Antti Autti (always one of the favorites to win). Joining them in the top 16 was also a strong field of Americans including Shaun White (who broke his board on his first run), Kevin Pearce and Mason Aguirre (both of whom didn't make the finals in Slopestyle a day earlier), current TTR leader Andy Finch, and Keir Dillon.


And with that both the men and women's Superpipe Finals are looking to feature some stiff competition. For more on the Semifinals of the Superpipe competition at the BEO 2008, including full results check out the recap here.

The ASP Speaks Out On Chris Ward's Arrest
Published: 1:51 a.m. PT by Me

Like many professional sports leagues/associations recently the ASP has had to react to one of its athletes getting caught up with the law by releasing their own statement. As you might have learned either here or elsewhere World Tour surfer Chris Ward was arrested last week over charges that he assaulted three women with a deadly weapon outside of a Mammoth Lakes, Calif bar, charges serious enough to prompt the ASP to release the following statement:

In light of the arrest and subsequent charges brought against professional surfer Chris Ward ( San Clemente, Calif.), the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), has launched an investigation into the allegedly criminal acts occurring in the early hours of Tuesday, Jan. 8th, 2007.

According to reports, Ward was arrested after an altercation with three females outside of a bar in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Ward has since been charged with assault with a deadly weapon (other than a firearm), three counts of assault and battery and disturbing the peace.

The ASP recognizes the seriousness of the allegations and is treating the investigation as a high priority. However, given the pending criminal case on the matter, the ASP will await the outcome of that ruling prior to making any final determination.

According to ASP Rules & Disciplinary Committee Chairman Robert Gerard, “Any surfer who damages the image of the sporting body, no matter the place or location, is subject to suspension or expulsion from the ASP World Tour.”

The ASP will release further information once its investigation is complete and the criminal case is resolved.

No real surprises there as you were already expecting that kind of statement given the situation. Stay tuned for more info as the case proceeds.

The 2nd Annual Harold Hunter Memorial Basketball/Dodgeball Fundraiser
Published: 1:31 a.m. PT by Me

Before his tragic death Harold Hunter was one of the most colorful personalities in skateboarding. From his role in repping East Coast skating with Zoo York to his role in Larry Clark's 'Kids' Harold was someone who was instantly recognized and ultimately respected in the skate world. So when he died prematurely February 2006 the skate world suffered one of its greatest losses. Luckily out of that tragedy came a little benefit as The Harold Hunter Foundation took Harold's name and placed it on a praiseworthy misson. The Harold Hunter Foundation is an organization aimed at helping those with similar backgrounds as Hunter himself by providing them an avenue to grow themselves through skateboarding. The organization does this by offering kids from the Lower Eastside of Manhattan (where Hunter was from) scholarships to attend the Woodward skateboard camp and get mentored by some of the top skate pros. As a show of support for the Foundation the 2nd Annual Harold Hunter Memorial Basketball/Dodgeball Fundraiser is being held on January 27th at the Seward Park High School gym in NYC. Tickets for the event will go at $10 a pop the proceeds of which will go towards the Foundation. The event will feature lots of pros and people from the industry acting as jocks in game that most likely will regress into a free-for-all but still it's worth it just for the cause. For more on the 2nd Annual Harold Hunter Memorial Basketball/Dodgeball Fundraiser check the flyer to the side.

Ryan Sheckler's All Over The Place
Published: 1:06 a.m. PT by Me

If you didn't already know Ryan Sheckler is a media sensation. How big of a sensation? Well enough so that MTV has plastered its TRL/Times Squarewindow space pics of Ryan and promos for Life Of Ryan (see below). Of course the show is airing on MTV which would explain the huge promo but then again they didn't necessarily do the same for 'Dances From The Hood', did they?

And since we have Sheckler on the brain, don't forget to read our recap of the latest episode of "Life of Ryan" plus check out photos from the episode.

Photo courtesy of etnies

Alliteration Special: Marc Frank Montoya Making More Moves
Published: 12:51 a.m. PT by Me

Hot on the heels of reaffirming his commitment to the Technine family of companies (snowboards and bindings) Marc Frank Montoya has done the same to his shoe company by re-upping his contract. DVS Shoes recently announced that the snowboarder/entrepreneur has signed on for three more years with the shoe company as well as jumping on to their apparel team (similar to him jumping on the Technine Snowboard team). As expected with the contract announcement there's also the announcement of a MFM apparel collection for Fall '08. The 'Montoya Group', as it's called, is a collection of shoes, a hat, fleece and a tee that features a white Serape motif and red highlights. As mentioned the collection will probably be out towards the end of summer '08 at your local shop. For more about the Montoya Group including pics of the apparel, and also some more news on MFM check the Snowboard Mag blog here.

48 Blocks Interviews Keith Hufnagel
Published: 12:29 a.m. PT by Me

Keith Hufnagel is a full-fledged icon in two different worlds. As a skater Keith's smooth style helped epitomized San Francisco skating in the early and mid 90's, and as the owner of the clothing brand/shop Huf he's helped define the streetwear scene for the past several years. So when you're thinking about doing a substantive skate interview with a top-flight personality Huf has definitely got to be high up on that list, which is apparently a list 48 Blocks must have consulted. That's because 48 blocks has a substantive skate interview with the top-flight personality Keith Hufnagel up on their site. The interview actually covers the nuts-and-bolts of Huf's rise up the skateboarding ladder, from his days skating in NYC with friends Keenan Milton (R.I.P.) and Harold Hunter (R.I.P.) to his move to SF to his hooking up with Real and so on. It's a great read for those interested in learning more about the man. Check out the Keith Hufnagel interview at 48 Blocks here.

JB Classics x Ride Snowboards / Futura x Burton
Published: 12:11 a.m. PT by Me

JB Classics is a shoe company that's known for their diverse collaborations. From working with independent artists and designers to already established companies (DC Shoes for example) they've been flooding the market (in a good way) these last few years with unique footwear. Their newest collaboration is a step up though as they've moved from shoes to snowboard boots with their take on Ride Snowboard's FUL Boot. In the preview images of the FUL boot you can already see the influence of the streetwear aesthetic that JB Classics bring with the all-over drip print on the lining and the perfect color way (black and red have always been a great pairing in my mind), which'll probably make this one a pretty big seller. According to Hypebeast the boot will be part of a bigger collection on behalf of Ride Snowboards which will premiere at the SIA Tradeshow later on this month, meaning that it might be quite some time until we actually see the boot (or any part of the collection) on the actual shelves. But here's to waiting. For more images of the JB Classics x Ride Snowboards FUL Boot check the Hypebeast post here.

Oh yeah in other Snowboard collaborative news check out the previews of the special edition Burton board that's graced by the designs of legendary graffiti legend (redundancy score: 6.3) Futura. You can check the board also on Hypebeast here.

January 15, 2008

White And Jones Top The BEO Slopestyle Semifinals
Published: 12:35 p.m. PT by Me

Though there was plenty of action at the Burton European Open in Laax the past few days, with the Qualifications and the Junior competitions, most people were waiting for the arrival of the big shots on the main stage, and with the Slopestyle Semifinals for Men and Women they finally got their wish. With a stacked field hitting a unique slopestyle course at Laax the Semifinals featured some shaking up of the TTR table as two of the top finishers in the 06/07 TTR rankings, Shaun White (last year's TTR winner) and Jenny Jones (last year's 2nd place TTR finisher) made their presence known by taking the top spots at the Semifinals. Though top-spot finishes aren't really surprising for both White and Jones it was the rest of the results that provided some surprises, mostly from the women's side, as Torah Bright, Claudia Fliri, and Elizabeth Beerman all finished out of the top 8 that move onto the Finals, while on the men's side Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis, and Kevin Pearce were on the outside of the top 16. With the semifinal results as an indication of what's to come it's going to be interesting to see how things shake out for the finals.

For more from the Slopestyle Semifinals at the BEO 2008 check the recap here.

Rivado Wins Volcom's Reptilian Pro Jam
Published: 1:23 a.m. PT by Me

A pair of mini ramp jams went down last weekend at Surf Expo -- action kicked off on Friday with an AM contest and Saturday saw the pros line up. The event was done by the Skatepark of Tampa crew so no doubt it was going to be good.

The AM event was won by Keegan Sauder while Curren Caples continues to do well, taking second. Many big names showed up for the pro event, but at the end it was Ivan Rivado who took first, followed by Mike Peterson and Chet Thomas.

Here are the full results:

Volcom's Reptilian Pro Mini-Ramp Jam - Jan. 12, 2008
1st - $10,000 – Ivan Rivado
2nd - $7,500 – Mike Peterson
3rd - $5,000 – Chet Thomas
4th - $3,000 – Kyle Berard
5th - $2,000 – Chad Bartie
6th - $1,500 – Rune Glifberg
7th - $1,000 – Austen Seaholm
8th - $1,000 – Omar Hassan
9th - $1,000 – Alain Goikoetxea
10th - $1,000 – Rodney Jones

Volcom's Reptilian Am Mini-Ramp Jam - Jan. 11, 2008
1st - $500 – Keegan Sauder
2nd - $400 – Curren Caples
3rd - $300 – Marky Clements
4th - $200 – Timmy Knuth
5th - $100 – Trevor "Roadkill" Osterholt
6th - $100 – Mike "Darkness" Barnes
7th - $100 – Brandon Knowles
8th - $100 – Dustin Blauvelt
9th - $100 – George Evans
10th - $100 – Josh Borden

For more about the event check out the Skatepark of Tampa recap and get ready for the Tampa AM this weekend.

X-Dance Schedule Set, 'Push Process' Kicks it Off
Published: 1:03 a.m. PT by Me

It's only a few days until the X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival kicks off in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Festival kicks off on January 19th with the wakeboarding film "Push Process" from Oakley. Also showing on Saturday are the skate film "Let's Do This" and the surf films "Mixed Tape" and "Bra Boys."

The festival concludes on January 23 with three films showing, the skate film "The Man Who Souled the World," the surf documentary "Under the Sun" and the climbing film "King Lines." Winners will also be announced on the 23rd.

You can see the whole schedule here and read more about "Push Process" opening the festival here.


"Bustin' Down the Door" Gets Santa Barbara Premiere
Published: 12:31 a.m. PT by Me

Soon after the X-Dance film festival goes down in SLC, the Santa Barbara Film Festical kicks off in, where else, Santa Barbara. Premiering on January 27 is a movie that could very well be featured at X-Dance next year. "Bustin' Down the Door" is a documentary about four surfers who helped change the world of competitive surfing, World Champions Peter Townend (1976), Shaun Tomson (1977), Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew (1978) and Mark Richards (1979- 82). It covers a two-year span in Hawaii's North Shore and was insipred by an article of the same name written by Bartholomew in Surfer Magazine in 1976.

Read more here.

Dew Tour Was Good to SLC
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me

It's been almost four months since the AST Dew Tour's Toyota Challenge wrapped up in Salt Lake City, Utah, but some new figures have been released about the economic impact the tour stop had on the city. The tour brought in $12 million to the city and among some other interesting facts:

• 61,900 spectators attended the event
• An estimated 10,000 hotel-room nights were used by visitors
• More than $6 million in worldwide media value and exposure for the state
• 43 million media "impressions" through TV and print media for Salt Lake City and Utah
• My favorite: More than 30 minutes of Utah references in the broadcasts, ranging from announcer mentions to "beauty shots" of Utah scenery, features, graphics and logo exposure

See the Full story.

January 14, 2008

More From The Magazine Racks
Published: 1:59 a.m. PT by Me

A couple of days ago we mentioned the fact that Shaun White was the coverboy for the current issue of Men's Journal. Well it looks like there's actually more features in the magazine worth noting besides just White (though there is also a "second" cover of White on the back of the magazine). Acting as kind of a preview to the upcoming Winter X Games (January 24 - 27) the issue also features a short interview with freestyle skier (and past Girl On athlete) Sarah Burke, a preview of the SnoCross event at this year's Winter X, and a "My Favorite Things" feature with Sal Masekela. I guess it's all the more reason for you to pick up the latest issue on newstands/magazine-racks now.

Also on the magazine tip, Outside Magazine has a cover feature on Kelly Slater on this months issue out now. The feature ostensiy details Slater's recent trip to Israel which, contrary to published reports (including what we wrote yesterday), was all about his involvement with a Surfing For Peace event organized by "Doc" Paskowitz. In case you missed our mention of Surfing For Peace awhile ago, the organization was started by Paskowitz with the intention to bring Israelis and Palestinians together through their mutual love of surfing. Though Slater's trip to Israel and his participation in the organization's events (both he and O'Neill World Cup winner Makuakai Rothman took part in a surf session abnd a concert with the organization) were overshadowed in the mainstream media by the Bar Rafaeli/Paparazzi incident that occured at the end of the trip the Outside Magazine feature does a good job in focusing on the event itself and shines the spotlight on Paskowitz and Surfing For Peace as much as it does on Slater (though there is a mini-interview with Slater within the feature). Given that the Surfing For Peace event had to deal with issues ranging from jailed liasons to closed boarders to tenuous scheduling, the feature makes for a great read, moreso than say a Kelly Slater puff-piece. To check out the Kelly Slater In Israel/Doc Paskowitz/Surfing For Peace feature pick up a copy of Outside Magazine at your local newstand/magazine-rack now.

Surfline Covers Mavericks
Published: 1:42 a.m. PT by Me

More coverage of the Mavericks Surf Contest coming in as Surfline has a really nice feature on the event, which was won by Greg Long. The multimedia presentation (which Surfline is known for) presents both a basic recap of the event as well as lots of stunning photos of what really went down at Half Moon Bay. Watch as the sunlight turns to gloom and the surfers take on some hungry waves while the lines of people watch (I'm trying to be as poetic as the images themselves). You can view Surfline's coverage of Mavericks here.

Random Ass P-Rod Interview
Published: 1:11 a.m. PT by Me

If you haven't heard of PETA by now you're probably not paying much attention to current affairs. From the Mike Vick incident to the anti-fur campaigns this organization knows how to get their name out their and bring attention to their cause (though some would say not in a good way). One of the main ways they spread their message is getting famous celebrities to be their spokesperson, from Pamela Anderson to Steve-O and now P-Rod himself. Yep, P-rod is against cruelty to animals and he's let peta2 (PETA's youth outreach organization) interview him so that he can sound off on the issue. In the interview peta2 gets P-Rod to talk about his skating (as if they were even interested in that part of the equation) and of course animals, particularly what he thinks about harming them. Paul lets his opinion be known as he continuously speaks on how animals don't deserve any sorta harm inflicted on them by humans because "they’re just innocent creatures; they don’t know why they’re getting treated this way." Can't argue against that logic. Though it really does seem like P-Rod is serious about the issue the whole thing just seems to come out of left-field if you ask me. Either way it interesting nonetheless, and you can read what else P-Rod has to say about his love for animals (with random thoughts about skating peppered in) at the peta2 site here.

Nomis Launches Outerwear Line
Published: 12:49 a.m. PT by Me

So Simon Chamberlain has been successfully pushing his clothing line Nomis for quite some time now with its dope collection of shirts, jackets, hoodies, and jeans for both guys and girls. Now he's taking the clothing line back to where it all started from, snowboarding. That's because Simon has launched Nomis Outerwear, a collection from the brand that will attempt to apply their streetwear aesthetic to outerwear you can wear while riding. With the formal announcement of the outerwear line the Nomis Family also released images of their inauguraly 08/09 collection full of jackets and snowboard pants flashing some of the prints that have been featured in their regular line. There's no word yet on when the line will be available but it's probably a strong bet that you should keep an eye out for the line at places that already sell Nomis gear. For the official announcement of Nomis Outerwear as well as more pics from their 08/09 line check the Nomis Blog here.

Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational A No Go
Published: 12:19 a.m. PT by Me

Yesterday we mentioned that organizers for the Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational In Memory Of Eddie Aikau were putting the contest on high-alert with a chance that the event would be able to kick off. Unfortunately their hopes were dashed yesterday because of conditions that were considered "too stormy". Apparently waves were quite big but the wind was too strong and did things in. For a little time at least it seemed too good to be true with the Mavericks Surf Contest (the other major big wave contest) hitting the water and going to completion, and the Invitational looking like it was going to be a go, but as with many human events Mother Nature stepped in and squashed all our hopes and dreams. The Invitational will still have more than a month to run though as the waiting period will last until February 29th.

Santa Monica Cracks Down On Surf Schools (Maybe I'm Exaggerating)
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me

In another case of "The Man" clamping down on all our fun it seems the city of Santa Monica is gonna step up its regulation of surfing, particularly surf schools, from now on. According to reports the Santa Monica City Council will now require surf schools of all sizes to get clearance from the city before they operate on its beaches. To be fair up until now Santa Monica has had one of the most liberal policies towards surf schools, allowing for groups of less than 20 children or any number of adults to operate without seeking a permit while groups that didn't fit that criteria were still given permits on a first-come first-serve basis. All this is in response to the rapid growth of the number of surf schools operating on Santa Monica State Beaches recently, which begs the question...who in the hell goes to surf in Santa Monica?

For more on Santa Monica's surf regulations check the report here.

January 13, 2008

Stephen Murray Update: Stephen Returns To Baltimore
Published: 12:18 a.m. PT by Me

Check it out we got our first update for 2008 about Stephen Murray from his manager Kimmarie:

Sorry it has been a couple weeks since our last update. So I wanted to make sure you all know how much we appreciate your well wishes, birthday messages & prayers.

I'm awaiting an update from Stephen’s father, but I can give you a little insight from my time with Stephen & his family.

Their holidays have been wonderful, just being together as a family is more than anyone could ask for. Though stephen has been sick off & on he continues to fight everything thrown at him. At Christmas, Santa (you all know who you are) must have known all that they lost when they had to move after stephens injury. Seth & Mason woke up christmas morning with loads of presents underneath their tree. It has been very hard on all of us, but we can only imagine what these two young both must be going through. So again, thank you for making two little boys happy at such a difficult time!

On January 6th, Stephen & Melissa flew back to Baltimore to begin working with Dr. John Mcdonald (http://www.http/www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_staff.jsp?pid=3843), who is also the doctor that worked closely with Christopher Reeves.

Stephen's father is there with him and good friend Clint, who has helped since Stephen & Melissa have been home from Denver

We still receive many emails as to where to find the t shirts & Stephen Murray merchandise. Dans comp, has offered to be our main distributor in all sales of merchandise. 100% of the sales go directly to Stephen’s fund. [Check the page here for links to all the merchandise]

We have been so fortunate to have received support from so many around the world. If not for all of you, opening your hearts and keeping Stephen in your prayers, we would have never been able to provide him with some of the necessities he needs to be home instead of a hospital room.

There are so many I would personally love to thank, but concern I might leave someone out, please know you are all, close in our hearts and we are forever grateful to have you in our lives!

Also take a look below at some recent photos of Stephen, his family and friends:

Stephen at home with his youngest son Mason (2 yrs. old)

 

Stephen with family friend, Eve

BMX pro Alistair Whitton with his new wife Lindsay showing off their "Stay Strong Stephen Murray" shirt (check the link above for Stephen Murray merchandise)

Greg Long Wins The Mavericks Big Wave Surf Contest 2008
Published: 12:12 a.m. PT by Me

  After putting out a call to all the participating surfers a few days ago, organizers for the Mavericks Big Wave contest saw a full day of competition and a winner crowned for the first time in two years. Among those surfers who showed up for the event after the 2 day notice were Grant "Twiggy" Baker, Peter Mel, Greg Long, Tyler Smith, and twenty others who were looking to get in on the action after a 2007 contest that saw no surfing take place due to unsuitable conditions. In the end it was Greg Long (pictured) who came out on top at Half Moon Bay having survived 3 six-man heats on a day that started at 6:30 in the morning and ended well into the afternoon. Long was awarded the $30,000 prize for winning the event but quickly turned around and surprised the estimated 40,000 or so spectators who had taken to the beach to watch the contest (either with their naked eyes or by way of the huge television set up on the beach by organizers featuring video of the surfers), by announcing that he would split the sum with the five other finalists per an agreement they all made while in the water. The finalists who split the prize were Evan Slater, defending champion "Twiggy", Tyler Smith, Jamie Sterling, Grant Washburn and Long himself. For more info on the Maverick's Big Wave Contest check the San Jose Mercury News report from the contest here, also check some of the photos from the event below.

Greg Long surfs during the final heat as he wins the 2008 Mavericks Surf Contest in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (c) Isiphotos.com

 

 

Also in other Big Wave Contest news check out this update from the Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau, apparently due to good conditions organizers are keeping the event on high-alert with a chance that competition could start up today.

***SPOILER ALERT*** We Got An Update On A 'Life Of Ryan' Plotline
Published: 12:10 a.m. PT by Me

Ok if you're eager to get your Ryan Sheckler information ahead of the 'Life Of Ryan' curve then read on...if not don't. That's because according to a recent news report Sheckler was at a Z Gallerie furniture store in Orange County shopping for furniture for his new house. If you've been following 'Life Of Ryan' you know that one of the major plotlines (I guess it was a "cliffhanger") towards the end of the first season and on into the second one was whether or not Ryan was going to move out of his family's home and live on his own. The end of the Season Two premiere this past Tuesday actually had Sheckler deciding that he would not move out, but it seems Ryan has since changed his mind and figured out that a bachelor's pad is where it's at. According to the report Sheckler was escorted through the Z Gallerie store by Z Gallerie's Brand Marketing Manager Gordon Andahl, who was helping Sheckler select furniture for his new dream house (I wonder what made Andahl make such a nice gesture...it couldn't have been the cameras/promotion right? I wonder if Andahl will help me pick out that bidet I always wanted). In describing why he chose Z Gallerie Sheckler said, "At my mom’s house, everything in there is from Z Gallerie. That house feels like home, so I’m going to try to bring a little bit of Z Gallerie to my home.” Such a nice guy, I wonder if the cameras are gonna be present when he stops off at Zeus' Sinister Stripper Supplies for that "fireman's pole" he also wants installed.

Kelly Slater's Throwaways Are Our Treasures
Published: 12:07 a.m. PT by Me

Do you remember when Kelly Slater was detained by Israeli police in Tel Aviv a couple of months ago? Do you remember how it was the paparazzi that caused the hoopla that led to the incident? Do you remember what the paparazzi was trying to get shots of? Do you remember who Kelly Slater was in Jerusalem with? Well it doesn't really matter if you do remember all those...just the last one because it was Israeli model Bar Rafaeli who Kelly Slater was dating and in the holy city with according to the gossip rags. Why do I mention her? Because the girl that Slater used to date (and who reportedly is back to dating Leonardo DiCaprio) was just named "Body Of 2008" by UK Men's Magazine Arena. Beyond that there's really not much else to the story except the front cover picture of Rafaeli (thank god she is obliquely linked to surfing, thus allowing us to even mention her here):

Coroner Reports Find Methamphetamine In Peter Davi's System At The Time Of His Death
Published: 12:05 a.m. PT by Me

There's been an unfortunate update on the surfing death of Bay Area Big Wave icon Peter Davi, which happened early last month. According to the coroner's report that came back this past week there was quite a bit of methamphetamine in Davi's blood at the time of his death. Roughly 0.75 milligrams of methamphetamine per liter of blood was found in Davi's system, whereas 0.2 to 0.5 milligrams per liter is considered the level at which it is considered toxic. Coroners still found drowning to be the cause of Davi's death but they also reported that, "methamphetamine intoxication may also have played a contributing role." Davi was 45 years-old at the time of his death at Ghost Trees near Pebble Beach. According to witnesses at the time Davi had lost his board while surfing the big waves on Dec. 4, and was attempting to swim to shore when he died. For more info about the coroner's report on Davi's death check the news report here.

A Facelift For One Of The Best Skate Sites
Published: 12:00 a.m. PT by Me

Just an FYI: if you head over to Bobshirt.com you'll notice that he's updated the front page with a dope new flash image (teased below). As mentioned before Bobshirt.com is a site dedicated to preserving the early 90s era of skateboarding with such things as scans of old Big Brother Magazine articles/interviews, photos of old skate merchandise (decks, shoes, clothes, etc.) and vintage video clips. It's really one of the best skate sites around and given that it's a slow news day I thought I'd throw in a little love for the site here. Check out the post-facelift Bobshirt.com over here (and play around with the flash image).

January 12, 2008

Shaun White Gets Love From Men....'s Journal
Published: 12:22 a.m. PT by Me

A heads up to those who don't regularly peruse the magazine racks of bookstores (or even go into bookstores), the current issue of Men's Journal Magazine has a pretty long feature on Shaun White in its pages (long enough to make him the coverboy) entitled 'Shaun's World'. As you can probably gather from the title, the article isn't necessarily about something specific (like say his snowboarding, or his skating) but rather focuses on what it's like to be Shaun White (which has probably been covered before in other publications...but it's always best to know more). If you need a teaser to get you to check it out, here's an excerpt (complete with a "Flying Tomato" reference):

Walking into Shaun White's house in Rancho Santa Fe, a wealthy, hilly enclave north of San Diego, is like entering the home of any college-aged dude you've ever known. Doorman? Nope. Front door? Wide open. Juicy Couture-clad assistant furiously thumbing out text messages? Nuh-uh. Just some fix-it guy in the driveway—okay, a wallpaperer—who says, "In there," before leaning into the back of his pickup truck.

So you creep through the foyer, past a suitcase—shirtsleeves and pant legs flowing out like tentacles, still half-unpacked from White's recent 21st-birthday bash in Vegas—past an open box from Birdhouse (Tony Hawk's company) containing a stack of new Shaun White skate decks, past a ping-pong table, some DVDs (Blades of Glory, The Ladies Man, and Scary Movie), finally, past a ransacked six- pack of Charmin toilet paper napping at the base of the staircase. You follow the sound of an electric bass plunking out notes and wind up in a black-and-white-velvet-wallpapered jam room.

Here's the Olympic gold medalist perched on a sofa, playing the bass line for the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," tapping along with mismatched socks as his agent, Mark Ervin of IMG, fulfills the Meg White duties behind a drum kit. No tangible hellos are uttered. Just a nod, a smile, then White thrusts the bass into your hands, switches to electric guitar, and you're officially jamming with the Flying Tomato...

To read the complete 'Shaun's World' article pick up this month's issue of Men's Journal at your local newsstand.

Early Competition Starts At The Burton European Open
Published: 12:18 a.m. PT by Me

Though the meat of the action at the Burton European Open doesn't pick up until tomorrow with the start of the qualification rounds for Men's Slopestyle that doesn't mean that the BEO hasn't been without any serious competition. Yesterday the youngins were featured at the Slopetyle contest for Juniors and Youth. Coming away with smiles on their faces and a bright future (especially given the attention they can get at the BEO) were Bernard Emma Claire (who won the girls' competition for youth), Bonnaud Alicia (girls juniors), James Scott (boys youth), and Toutant Sebastien (boys juniors). Congratulations kids. Now for those waiting for the big boys (and girls) look for the Semifinals and Finals to start in the middle of next week. For more info on all things BEO check their official site here.

Chris Ward Arrested
Published: 12:15 a.m. PT by Me

Details are missing but according to reports from the L.A. Times ASP WCT Surfer Chris Ward (pictured) has been arrested for felony assault. Here's what's written on the L.A. Times website:

Chris Ward, a San Clemente surfer who competes on the Foster's ASP World Tour, faces felony assault charges after his arrest Tuesday outside a Mammoth Lakes bar.

Det. Paul Robles of Mammoth Lakes Police Dept. said Ward was arrested just after 2 a.m. Witnesses said Ward threatened a woman with a block of ice and started punching three other women who tried to intervene.

Let's hope it's not true.

Transworld Interviews Chad Muska
Published: 12:12 a.m. PT by Me

Last week we mentioned the opening of Chad Muska's newest shop, Factory 413, along Los Angeles' Fairfax corridor of streetwear shops. The shop as mentioned will feature exclusive Kr3w apparel and Supra footwear as well as rare vintage clothing for sale to customers, but beyond that Muska has plans for the shop to be a home base for all of his business/artistic ventures...essentially a "factory" for all things Muska (hence the name). So in order to get a better idea of the concept behind Factory 413 Transworld SKATEboarding decided to drop in on Muska at the shop (actually it was Muska who invited TWS) and interview the man to get the word straight from the source. In the interview Muska not only gets into specifics about the overall plan for the shop, but he also drops some knowledge about his own clothing brand that he is planning (a cut-and-sew line). You can check out the Forbes-like interview with "The Muska" at TWS' site here.

Crailtap's 2007 Clips Remixed
Published: 12:10 a.m. PT by Me

Remember earlier this week when we linked to Crailtap's 'Best In Clip Of The Day 2007' video? It was good huh? Apparently someone thought they could do better as the editor for last year's 'Best In...' clip decided to try his hand with the 2007 clips and what he comes up with is quite different (not necessarily better or worse though the change in music gives it a completely different feel). Though there are some overlaps between the two 2007 clips, it's mostly different clips than the earlier one, courtesy of footage from various Cliche (their "French Connection) clips thrown in. Check out what we mean with the new 14 minute long remix of Crailtap's 'Best In...2007' video, and if you missed it you can check the original version right here.

MFM Doubles His Love For Technine
Published: 12:03 1.m. PT by Me

It seems that after spending the past decade and more riding Technine bindings snowboarder/hotelier extraordinaire Marc Frank Montoya has not only decided to join the Technine Snowboard team but also to become one of the upper management there. Having established a solid friendship with the people at the company MFM apparently felt comfortable enough to step up his involvement with the company, including part ownership, allowing him to, as he puts it, "push [his] own shit!" The move seems quite fitting given the entrepreneurial nature of Montoya (see The BLOCK hotel) so it's really not that much of a surprise. MFM will now join a team that already boasts Lucas Magoon, Mark Edlund, Eric Messier and others. Technine will be releasing two Marc Frank Montoya boards for the 2008/2009 season soon. For more on MFM joining Technine Snowboards check the announcement here.

Speaking of new pro models check out JP Walker's first board on his newest sponsor, StepChild.

Danny Renaud Injured
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me

Some bad news, it's been reported by Skatedaily.net that Stereo skater Danny Renaud has suffered some major injuries after taking a nine-story fall a couple days ago. The injuries according to Skatedaily include two broken legs, a punctured lung and ruptured a kidney, which is amazing given the fall itself (kinda reminds you of Jake Brown huh?). Hopefully Renaud will make a speedy recovery, we wish him the best.

January 11, 2008

Mavericks Surf Competition A Go
Published: 12:16 p.m. PT by Me

Well it looks like after a year of waiting the mainland's premiere big wave surf contest might be a go. That's because the Mavericks Surf Competition, the surf competition with a three month holding period and a 2-day notice time, has been green lit for competition tomorrow. The competition which takes place at Half Moon Bay in Northern California, sent out its notice yesterday as a call to all participating surfers after indicators showed that conditions would be good enough for contest-worthy swells. The contest is scheduled to start and finish within a days time tomorrow beginning at 8am in the morning and running until 3pm in the afternoon.

As mentioned Mavericks is a big wave competition that has participating surfers on hold for about three months (this year the period was extended a little) waiting until conditions are ripe enough for organizers to call for the event to hit the water, upon which the surfers have 2 days to get to Half Moon Bay to take part in the competition (which boasts a total prize purse of $75,000). Tomorrow will be the first time that Mavericks has actually hit the water since 2006 as last years competition was called off after no suitable waves hit Half Moon. Keep it tuned here for more info as the Mavericks Surf Competition picks up tomorrow. For more info on the green light, including details on how you can view the contest via webcast or at AT&T Ballpark (if you live in the Bay Area) check the official announcement here.

Epicly Later'd Closes The Book On Daewon Song
Published: 1:44 a.m. PT by Me

After a few weeks of reminiscing about old times VBS' Epicly Later'd has wrapped up its Daewon Song series with episode 4 of the series. In this episode Daewon moves past the early 90's and gets into the late 90's a.k.a. the 'Rodney Mullen vs. Daewon Song' era. This is the era when Daewon was known almost exclusively as the lunch-table (or picnic table) skater as most of his parts in the 'Rodney Mullen vs. Daewon Song' series featured him skating lunch-tables stacked on top of lunch-tables (and occasionally stairs). As broken down by both Daniel Castillo and him, this phase Daewon went through is a perfect example of the obsessive nature of his skating whereby he would almost OD on different elements before moving on to something else (Daewon makes the analogy of eating too much cake). The funny part is the near sense of embarassment about the whole lunch-table thing with which Daewon describes it, despite the fact that a lot of fans (including me) enjoyed those video parts, lunch-tables and all. After dealing with that Daewon touches on the rebirth of transition skating (which he partly ushered in) and then closes out the episode/series by showing off his board setup with its amazingly loose trucks. To check out the final Daewon Song episode of Epicly Later'd (as well as all the previous episodes...in case you missed any) check the Epicly Later'd blog here.

Action Wraps Up At The O'Neill SI Pro
Published: 1:19 a.m. PT by Me

And the winner of the first major surf contest of the 2008 season is...Patrick Gudauskas (pictured), winner of the O'Neill Sebastien Inlet Pro. As mentioned the O'Neill SI Pro is the first ASP WQS event of the 2008 season and it featured tons of American pros (it's also one of the biggest surf competitions held on the mainland) including Gudauskas who bested a field that included hefty competition including Damien Hobgood (who bowed out in the Round of 16), C.J Hobgood (whom Gudauskas faced twice and beat in his Quaterfinals heat), Corey Lopez (knocked out in the Quarterfinals) and Brett Simpson who early on in the event looked like he was poised to take it (he also was eliminated in the Round of 16). In the end Patrick faced off against Mike Losness in the finals, winning with a 14.73 point heat that gained him the all-important 2000 WQS points (the event is a 5 star event), a major chunk of the $100k purse, and the early lead in the WQS standings. For more on the O'Neill SI Pro 2008 check the official site here.

More Updates From eS
Published: 1:02 a.m. PT by Me

Yesterday we mentioned how eS had updated it's company timeline for the New Year, today we bring you their newly posted team report fresh for '08. The update of course starts with Rick McCrank who's back in Canada spending time with the family and soaking up the rain, and Rodrigo Tx who's also back home (though not in Canada...he's Brazilian) after spending some time touring and filming for that oh-so-anticipated new Flip video. As for the rest of the report there are updates on Nyjah Huston (back in Puerto Rico relaxing), Silas Baxter-Neal (spending time in the Bay Area), Danny Garcia (touring in Arizona then Hawaii and Los Angeles), and Cale Nuske (in Australia filming for the Cliche video), as well as plenty of other from the team (it'd be pointless for me to talk about all the updates given that you can read the full report yourself) all of which you can get at the eS blog right here.

The Berrics For Snowboarders
Published: 12:51 a.m. PT by Me

We've been updating you on The Berrics a lot ever since it started up its website a couple months ago but now it looks like a group of snowboarders including Shawn Durst and Day Franzen have banded together to create their own snowboard version of The Berrics called the Kingvale Terrain Project. Located just a short distance away from Lake Tahoe the Kingvale project is a 100% park-only snow resort. Its 255 acres will feature tons of jibs, rails, and whatnot (they talk about it being "completely covered head to toe with junk") all built and designed by the people behind Railbuilders.com and all accessible by rope tow. Having been under construction for the last couple of years Kingvale is finally ready to open on January 14th (this coming Monday) and it's doing so with an offer to the first 200 customers for a $129 season pass (the park charges $22 per day for use). So if you're looking to get in on what sounds like a unique snowboarding experience you might wanna think about making that roadtrip up north (if you're from Southern Cali that is) next week to check Kingvale out, supposedly lots of pros are already lined up to visit. For more info on the Kingvale Terrain Project check the flyer here.

Burton And Kid Robot Give It Another Shot
Published: 12:21 a.m. PT by Me

A little while ago we mentioned a collaboration between Burton and toy boutique Kid Robot that resulted in a limited edition snowboard. Well it seems the collaboration was a nice affair as both companies have gone back to the well and collaborated on a limited edition outerwear collaboration. The collection consists of two separate designs, the "Toypile" design which features an all-over print of various famous Kid Robot vinyl toys available on jackets (for men and women) and pants (men only), and the "Robot Head" design which features either a purple (for men) or cyan (for women) exterior stamped throughout with Kid Robot's famous Robot Head motif available on both jackets and pants. As mentioned the collection will come in limited quantities that will be available only at Burton Flagship stores, Kid Robot Flagship stores, and Kid Robot's Online store, with a price range between $400 and $575. To find out more about the collection including more pics of the different designs check the Kid Robot Online Store here.

The Girls Talk Shop
Published: 12:11 a.m. PT by Me

As a way to ring in the New Year surf site Jetty Girl decided to ask thirty different female surfers the same 3 questions about 2008. The diverse field ranged from icons of the sport, such as Layne Beachley and Rochelle Ballard, to current stars, like Sofia Mulanovich, to up-and-comers, like Anastasia Ashley, and even longboarders, such as Jen Smith and Kassia Meador...and the key thing is they all answered back. Being the publication that they are Jetty Girl posted up each answer from the 30 surfers to the questions, "Any New Year's resolutions for 2008?" "If you were to donate time or money to a charitable organization or cause in 2008, what would it be and why?" and "Judging on any category you find relevant, name five female surfers to watch for in 2008 and why." All of which you can check out at their site right here.

Oh and speaking of female athletes gathered around to speak on their sport, EXPN has got a group interview up of some of the slopestyle snowboarders that'll be participating in the upcoming Winter X Games. The riders include Leanne Pelosi, Tara Dakides, Molly Aguirre, Marie-France Roy and Janna Meyen who together chopped it up about different aspects of riding slopestyle as opposed to halfpipe, particularly the difference in exposure between the two and what steps can be taken to resolve that difference. Interesting read, check it out here.

January 10, 2008

Riders Announced For The Burton European Open
Published: 2:06 a.m. PT by Me

As we get into the meat of the snowboarding contest season one of the first places to look at in terms of the convergence of multitude of top male and female riders is Laax, Switzerland where the Burton European Open is going to be held once again come January 11th. The weeklong Six(6)Star TTR contest will be one of the first mega events that will host both men and women in Superpipe and Slopestyle events (the Chevy Grand Prix in Breckenridge last month only featured a Superpipe event), and thanks to the good folks over at Burton we now have an idea of just some of the names that'll be popping up once competition starts over in Europe. Of course the obvious names that have been announced as riders include Burton team stalwarts Shaun White, Danny Davis, and Kevin Pearce on the men's side and Hanna Teter, Elena Hight, and Kelly Clark on the women's side...but outside of the Burton team other clout-bearing names include Antti Autti, Iouri Podladtchikov, current TTR Points leader Andy Finch, and Crispin Lipscomb for the men side and Torah Bright, Jamie Anderson, and Leanne Pelosi for the women, and that's just a fraction of the names announced. No doubt a lot of these riders are here for a share of the huge prize purse ($125,000 total) and the 1000 TTR points (Finch'll be looking to maintain the momentum from last weeks O'Neill Evolution), but need we remind you that the BEO is known for its amazing parties and all around good times. For an indication of how much the BEO usually has in-store just check out our archive of stories from last year's event. Otherwise prep yourself for the stacked field at this year's BEO by checking out the official announcment of riders here, and for more info about the event check out the BEO website here.

Steve Berra Interviews Guy Mariano; Gets Interviewed Too
Published: 1:41 a.m. PT by Me

Following up on this week's release of The Berrics' Battle Commander footage featuring Guy Mariano the site has also posted an interview with Mariano as sort of a companion piece to the video clip under the Clinical Research banner. As with past interview on The Berrics this one once again is helmed by Steve Berra which means this one once again features better questions and more opening up from the interviewee than what's usual from different sites. In the interview Berra lets Mariano touch on the subject of his hiatus from skating (though Berra doesn't directly ask him about it) and Mariano shares his amazement over the fact that he's made it to where he has (ummm one of the best video parts of the last few years) despite the recklessness of his earlier years. Beyond that Mariano touches on some of the history behind him and Berra as well as inspirations past (Gonz) and present (Mike Mo Capaldi...another amazing part in Fully Flared) and more. You can read The Berrics interview of Guy Mariano right here.

Also check out this near-reversal of roles for Steve Berra as Vital Skate in their Grill Sessions recently let it's visitors interview the mastermind behind The Berrics so that they can ask him questions such as, "Does you like to make a movie or to skating the best? And for what?" (check the interview if you're lost over the question) and "Do you get a lot of shit for being a Scientologist?" (as asked by Guy Mariano). But not all the questions are as tongue-in-cheek as those mentioned, Berra actually gets to answer some of them seriously so it's kind of a wash...that's worth watching. Check out Vital Skate's Grill Sessions with Steve Berra here.

Chelsea Hedges Has Got Better Things To Do Besides Surfing
Published: 1:23 a.m. PT by Me

If it were any other type of profession there'd probably be a boatload of complimentary gold watches being handed out this past year on the ASP World Tour, that's because of the retirement this past year of Mark Occhilupo, Mick Lowe, Rochelle Ballard, and Troy Brooks from competing on the Dream Tour. Now you can sorta (and I mean sorta) add another name to the list (and it's a big one) because 2005 World Champ Chelsea Hedges has announced she's quitting the Dream Tour due to pregnancy. Hedges (pictured here with her husband Jason) isn't the only one to quit the tour due to pregnancy though as this past October Melanie Redman-Carr also announced that she had a bun in the oven and was taking herself out of the tour. In that case Redman-Carr left open the possiblity of returning to the 2008 tour but Hedges (who finished 7th in the standings in '07) has sworn off participating in this year's tour (understandable given the grueling travelling schedule of the tour) with the window left open only for competing after the '08 season via a wildcard entry (making my retirement mention nearly irrelevant). For more on Hedges quitting (that sounds so harsh) check the announcement here.

Emerica's Site Gets A Facelift
Published: 1:11 a.m. PT by Me

As mentioned yesterday with the end of the extended holiday season has come a wave of real work done by skate/snow/surf sites and one of the big examples of that work is the newly renovated Emerica site. With a team that boast names as popular as Andrew Reynolds, Braydon Szafranski, Jerry Hsu, and the newly minted "Figgy" they probably figured it's best to get their site to match the excitement of their skaters (alright that was damn corny...ehhh). They did this by making the sight sleeker (with a more blog-like blog), stylish (new color scheme sorta), and of course interactive (with a fuller social networking component). And to get people to start coming to their flipped house they've also added a new trailer for their highly anticipated 'Stay Gold', which will feature all those skaters I mentioned earlier plus tons of all the others from the team. The trailer itself has got flashes of some sick footage all in classic stock-film type cinematography which I'm pretty sure'll get your anticipation levels up even more. You can check out the newest trailer for 'Stay Gold' here and the Emerica v3.0 site over here.

No More Procrastinating For eS
Published: 12:50 a.m. PT by Me

We've mentioned a couple of weeks ago how eS began picking up work on their eS Timeline recently with the addition of their 2006 entry. Well it looks like they killed the procrastination bug because they've just added their 2007 entry to the Timeline right on-time (sorta like doing your taxes once New Years hits). The '07 entry entitled "eSpecial" (after their '07 released video of the same name) marks the official beginning of the Scuba Steve era an era that oversaw, as mentioned, the release of "eSpecial" as well as the blowing-up of already blown up Silas Baxter-Neal. Outside of that the year featured no other real shakeups like previous years (i.e. Koston leaving), but it did see the team succeed in different contests including etnies' Goofy vs. Regular contest, and the éS Game of SKATE 2007, and just other assorted plot points expected from an established brand like eS. It's worth a look if you're into your skate history, and you can do so over here.

ESPN Making Sure Robbie Maddison's Jump Is A Classic
Published: 12:31 a.m. PT by Me

Though it was plastered all over ESPN New Year's Day you might have missed Robbie Maddison's world-record-breaking motocross jump in Vegas last week (you know the one over the football field), but ESPN is making sure you won't miss out on it again as it is planning multiple re-airings of the Australian's feat. So keep these dates in mind if you wanna catch the glory on tape:

The Red Bull Experiment Re-Air Schedule (ll airing on ESPN Classic)
Friday, January 11 at 12:00 a.m. ET / Thursday, January 10 at 9:00 p.m. PT
Tuesday, January 15 at 12:30 a.m. ET / Monday, January 14 at 9:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, January 26 at 12:30 a.m. ET / Friday, January 25 at 9:30 p.m. PT
Sunday, January 27 at 12:30 p.m. ET / Saturday, January 26 at 9:30 a.m. PT

And if you've got a schedule that's too busy for that (plus no DVR) then you can always check out photos from the jump here like the one below.

 cr. Christian Pondella | Red Bull Photofiles

Thrasher Interviews Public Enemy
Published: 12:06 a.m. PT by Me

Usually we don't really cover music much here, since it'd open a can of worms to big for our imagination, but in this instance it's fair game that's because Thrasher has done an interview with Chuck D of the legendary hiphop group Public Enemy. If you don't know about them (if you like hiphop and don't know about them that's a real shame, and if you only know about them 'cause of 'Flavor Of Love' *looks down & shakes head*) they are one of the most important groups in hiphop...eh screw it...music history. Beyond the political rhetoric they're mostly known for Public Enemy introduced a wall-of-sound type philosophy to using samples that have influenced countless musical acts since (and for you Fully Flared heads think back to the music for Eric Koston's part). They've also lasted longer (and stayed more relevant) than 99% of musical groups that started out in the 80s (especially hiphop groups, De La Soul notwithstanding). So this isn't just a throw-away interview and luckily Thrasher writer Clayton Blaha doesn't treat it as such asking really good questions that elicit equally good answers. For example just one of the questions: "Why do you think that the pillars of positive black leadership in this country are primarily religious figures?" Crap that's good. And the answer matches that goodness. Either way if you're interested in music/hiphop along with skating (also don't forget how many times their logo has been used on for decks) you'll definitely wanna read this interview. Check it out right here

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