Quick Hits Archive: January 17 - January 23, 2008
Mar 20 2008 / Los Angeles, CAJanuary 23, 2008
HOT OFF THE PRESSES! First Winter X Games Results
Published: 7:43 p.m. PT by Greg
So here's your first taste of results from the Winter X Games in Aspen. Tanner Hall took first in the Men's Skiing Superpipe qualifiers followed by Simon Dumont. After those two masters, it wasn't even close. Between the two of them they have won about the last six or so gold medals in the category so it's not really a surprise.
Here's the results. Top 10 advance to the finals. Keep up with all 2008 Winter X Games coverage here.
SKIING SUPERPIPE MEN’S
Qualifying Results from Aspen/Snowmass on Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Name / Bib No. / Hometown / Score
1. Tanner Hall / 526 / Kalispell, Montana / 95.33
2. Simon Dumont / 504 / Bethel, Maine / 89.33
3. Kevin Rolland / 531 / La Plagne, France / 82.66
4. Andreas Hatveit / 507 / Sudndalen, Norway / 78.00
5. Mike Riddle / 513 / Sherwood Park, AB, Canada / 75.33
6. Jossi Wells / 517 / Wanaka, New Zealand / 75.00
7. Matt Hayward / 528 / Red Deer, AB, Canada / 73.00
8. Colby West / 522 / Canterbury, N.H. / 72.33
9. Peter Olenick / 510 / Aspen, Colorado / 72.00
10. Sean Field / 540 / Tahoe City, Calif. / 70.00
11. Sammy Carlson / 501 / Tigard, Oregon / 69.00
12. John Symms / 532 / Salt Lake City, Utah / 67.00
13. Stefan Thomas / 533 /Park City, Utah / 65.33
14. Xavier Bertoni / 536 / La Clusaz, France / 45.00
15. Justin Dorey / 538 / Vernon, BC, Canada / 36.66
16. Brent Abrams / 539 / South Lake Tahoe, Calif. / 19.00
Shaun White + Target = No Volcom
Published: 12:56 p.m. PT by Greg
Shaun White's already been associated with Target for awhile now (six years in fact) but the two have decided to move to the next level with White releasing a new line of clothes for the company. And we quote:
The line will feature clothing for young men and boys and will be available in late July.
This appears to be the final straw for another one of his sponsors, Volcom... Check it out. Can Ryan Sheckler be far behind?
Also related, while Volcom may be losing one of its best breadwinners it's picking up something that could be potentially lucrative in their deal to purchase sunglass manufacturer Electric Visual. Check out Volcom exec Richard Woolcott break down the deal here.
Skier Billy Poole Killed While Filming For Warren Miller Film
Published: 1:02 a.m. PT by Greg
Big mountain skier Billy Poole has been killed while filming for the latest Warren Miller film in Utah. The accident after Poole jumped off a cliff and landed in a rocky area between the Solitude and Brighton ski resorts.
This is the second time that someone has been killed shooting for a Warren Miller film. The last time is happened was in 1993 at Lake Tahoe when Paul Ruff was killed after jumping off of Thimble Peak.
Poole, 28, was sponsored by Black Diamond. Check out some video of him in action below. Read more about the accident here.
Get Inside the Winter X Games
Published: 12:21 a.m. PT by Greg
Is it already here? The Winter X Games start this week in full force on Thursday. We'll be covering it here on Lat34 with updates, results and photos but we also have an insider's perspective for you from Jeffrey Sadis, one of the techs on-site working with skier X and boarder X athletes.
Check out his first updates for us here. There's info about the course, the athletes and more. This is something you won't see anywhere else...
"Life of Ryan: - What You May Have Missed
Published: 12:03 a.m. PT by Greg
Unless you just haven't been paying attention you know we have been doing recaps of "Life of Ryan" after each episode on Tuesday night. This week's episode might be worth a little bit of a special mention thanks to an appearance by P-Rod and Jereme Rogers and some Plan B shooting for the company's upcoming vid. So if you want, check out the recap or see the photo gallery.
January 22, 2008
Marc Johnson Celebrates As Thrasher's Skater Of The Year
Published: 1:43 a.m. PT by Me
Though it had been announced some time ago Marc Johnson really didn't get to celebrate his Thrasher's Skater Of The Year Award until this past week at the official SOTY party in San Francisco. Tons of pros were on hand to congratulate the hero of Fully Flared as well as partake in what must have been a pretty wild time. As part of the ceremony of course Johnson was given some time to give an acceptance speech which Thrasher has put up on their site. Check the audio of the MJ's speech here, particularly how many times they cut-and-pasted the "only one that matters" part, then check out some of the images 48 Blocks caught at the party. Stay tuned here though as I'm pretty sure there's gonna be much more coming from the party in the near future.
Photo courtesy of Thrasher Magazine
Highlights From Tampa Am 2008
Published: 1:19 a.m. PT by Me
So Tampa Am 2008 closed its book this past weekend with Darkstar's Ryan Decenzo taking home the top prize after dominating each round he was involved in, and now the slow trickle of coverage from the event is coming out. Up first is some footage from the official holders of the competition, The Skatepark Of Tampa, who have put up video from Decenzo's winning run. Check out the near-perfect line Decenzo put down on his way to claiming the crown. Following that Vital Skate has got some highlights from the Finals of the event featuring the likes of Decenzo, Felipe Gustavo, Vincent Alvarez, Chazz Ortiz, Taylor Smith, Filipe Ortiz, Theotis Beasley and the rest of the top 10. You can check out the Vital Video here.
So What's Up With Kelly Slater & Co?
Published: 12:59 a.m. PT by Me
Given that the first contest of the ASP WCT Season 2008 is still roughly a month away you might be wondering what guys like Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Pancho Sullivan are up to. Well what a coincidence because that's exactly who we have two quick updates about. Seems the two are choosing two way different options to enjoy their time off. On one hand you got Slater hobnobbing with the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, and Carson Daly in Palm Springs, California last week as he took part in the annual Bob Hope Chrysler Classic golf tournament (golf happens to be one of Slater's favorite "other" sports -- just check the pic taken at Pebble Beach).
Meanwhile World Champ Mick Fanning isn't letting a broken wrist (injured while snowboarding in Japan) put a damper on his chances to repeat on the '08 Dream Tour. Fanning has begun to hit the waters again and is training harder than ever in advance of the start of the season. As he sees it the road to repeating might be harder than the journey it took to win it last year since he'll be a marked man once the Tour kicks off.
As for Sullivan he's sticking around on the North Shore taking advantage of some of the best surf seen in years, and in his own words doing plenty of "soul surfing".
To find out more about the goings-on in Kelly Slater's world check the local Palm Springs news story on the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic here, to find out more about Mick Fanning's renewed intensity check the Australian AP's report on him here,to find out more about what Pancho Sullivan is up to check his recent blog entry up at World Pro Surfers here.
Also don't forget this coming weekend is the start of the Monster Energy Pipeline Pro on the North Shore. The 3 Star WQS event will run from January 27th to February 6th and will feature pros like Andy Irons, Rob Machado, Makuakai Rothman, Derek Ho, and a gang of others competing for a share of the $50,000 purse. For more details on the contest check out the preview here.
GvR Snowboarding Comp Coming to Big Bear
Published: 12:26 a.m. PT by Me
It might have taken a long time but finally the final installment of the 07/08 etnies Goofy vs. Regular contest series has been announced with the Goofy vs. Regular snowboard Contest at Bear Mountain Resort in Big Bear Lake, California. The contest will take place on February 23rd and will feature some of the best riders split up into teams based on their riding stance and facing off for a year's worth of bragging rights on which stance is the best. Though the exact riders haven't been announced yet (outside of newly minted etnies team rider JP Walker) team captains have with FUEL TV director John Stouffer helming the Goofy team and Transworld SNOWboarding's editor-in-chief Kurt Hoy doing the same for the Regular team. And that's not the event in its entirety because it's also been announced that following the actual contest there'll be a musical performance from Wu-Tang Clansman Ghostface Killah on the sun deck of the resort. Looks like Ghostface is making the rounds with the boardsports. For more info on Snowboard chapter of the GvR check the official GvR site here, also check out the teaser for the GvR snow here and take a look back at the GvR Skate that took place a few months ago.
A Day-Job At Oakley: Ski Fresh Powder
Published: 12:02 a.m. PT by Me
You know they say envy is a something one shouldn't partake in right? But sometimes it's just unavoidable. Like for instance when you learn about a group of Oakley skiiers, including Seth Morrison, Shane McConkey and Dan Treadway, spending their time heading up to Canada to enjoy some of the best powder Retallack resort has to offer. That's just grounds for pure envy. And then what if you get a good look at some pictures from the trip (like the one to the right)? That's just like pouring salt AND bleach into the wound. Unfortunately that's just what we're going to do as we got pictures from the Oakley ski team's recent trip to the fresh powder at Retallack, check out the pictures (as narrated by one of the participants) here.
January 21, 2008
Keeping Up With The Emericases
Published: 1:32 a.m. PT by Me
I think it's common knowledge that Emerica has got one of the best skate teams out there for shoe companies. So it's always good to hear what their skaters have been up to, which brings us the first Emerica team update of 2008 as brought to us by Emerica (who'd a guessed that). The update available at their newly revamped site has got the goods on all your Emerica favorites including Andrew Reynolds (filming for the highly anticipated 'Stay Gold'), Jerry Hsu (healing his ankle), Braydon Szafranski (Braydon's being Braydon in Australia...check the pic), Aaron Suski (spending time at home in Arizona with his new just-outta-the-womb daughter and rehabbing from shoulder surgery), along with all the others. For the full State Of The Nation address from Emerica check the link here.
Huf's Winter Wonder-Line
Published: 1:12 a.m. PT by Me
So we've mentioned skater/trendsetter Keith Hufnagel around here a couple of times and each time we do so we kinda reference his clothing line, Huf, which is one of the top streetwear/skate brand out there now. The thing we haven't really done though is do an entry on Huf stuff alone. Well here's our attempt to change that as Huf has released a new Winter collection, which like a lot of their stuff is only available (in the States at least) at the Huf shop in San Francisco. The line features an assortment of the staples of streetwear from tees to sweaters to hoodies to caps and beanies. One of the jackets is also a collaboration between the best of the West and the best of the East in the form of Huf and Dave's Quality Meats (the iconic streetwear shops in New York). As mentioned the Winter collection will be available at their shop starting yesterday (which means available now). For more images of the Winter collection check out the Huf blog here.
Christian Hosoi Meets Disney
Published: 12:51 a.m. PT by Me
Wow skate legend Christian Hosoi working with Disney? According to Hypebeast it's in the works, see what they wrote:
It looks like Disney is currently working on some interesting projects. The details are vague but rumor has it that Disney commissioned the pro-skater Christian Hosoi to design some products which includes some limited edition skate decks and apparel. Other than Mickey, there might also be some other characters involved but nothing is confirmed yet. I guess we'll just have to wait to see what exactly the products will look like.
Some Skating For Your Coffee Table
Published: 12:22 a.m. PT by Me
You know when all those business analysts talk about their concept of "Web 2.0" I think they're talking about the fact that the internet has become geared more towards user generated content such as blogs and social networking sites...I might be wrong though because I got the business sense of an Amish butter churner. But if I'm right I'm guessing that publishing your own books via the internet would be another example of this 2.0 phenomenon, and two examples of this type of self-publishing are the two new skate photography books out now one from Slap photog Mark Whiteley, and the other a compilation of photos from various skaters.
In the case of the former we got 136 pages featuring the best of Whiteley's portfolio including portraits of skaters like Jason Jessee, Dan Drehobl and Jason Adams (pictured) and musicians like Modest Mouse and Ghostface, as well as enough artistic shots to shake a butter-churning stick at. The Mark Whiteley book is available at the self-publishing site Blurb in both hardcover ($45) and softcover ($37). For a preview of the book check out Whiteley's blog at Slap's site here.
With regards to the second book mentioned, 'Mute 1' features 112 pages of photos from skaters and photogs alike such as Enjoi skater Jerry Hsu and Birdhouse photog Lance Dalgart. The photos are primarily skate-oriented with plenty of session pics as well as random shots (most likely take from tours). The book is only available in soft cover through self-publishing website Lulu for $25 where you can also check out previews for before you put down that hard-earned cash.
Globe Emits New Surf Video
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me
Almost as if it was under-the-radar Globe footwear has recently released their third surf film entitled 'NEW EMISSIONS OF LIGHT AND SOUND (the dark side of the machine)'. As they describe it (and as attested to by the trailer) the video evokes a dreamlike setting with its cinematography and soundtrack (scored by uber-famous trance DJ Sasha) that accompany the surfing of heavy hitters Taj Burrow, Damien & CJ Hobgood, Nathan Webster, and Yadin Nicol. To get a feel (a good one at that) of what they're talking about check out the trailer for 'NEW EMISSIONS OF LIGHT AND SOUND (the dark side of the machine)' here. In terms of the video itself, it will be available exclusively through Globe's online store or at Video Action Sports.
January 20, 2008
Decenzo Wins the Tampa AM
Published: 5:56 p.m. PT by Me
Ryan Decenzo has won the Tampa AM, one of the top amateur contests in the country. Ben Hatchell was in second and Davis Torgerson in third. Decenzco and eleven other skaters compteted in the finals Sunday, down from a field of 35 that took part in the semis earlier in the day. Vince Del Valle missed the finals but took the best trick honors thanks to his kickflip frontside lipslide.
Check out a video of Decenzo's winning run below as well as the full results. More info about the comp.
Tampa Am 2008 Street Finals Results
January 20, 2008
1. Ryan Decenzo (Vancouver, B.C. Canada)
Sponsors: Darkstar, Globe, Thunder, Nixon, Dakine, Spy, Red Bull, RDS Apparrel
2. Ben Hatchell (Houston, TX)
Sponsors: Powell (flow), Tracker Trucks, Bones
3. Davis Torgerson (Plymouth, MN)
Sponsors: Nike SB (flow), VII, Bones wheels (flow), Cal Surf
4 . Felipe Gustavo (Brasilia, Brazil)
Sponsors: Plan B (flow), Dagringa Distribution, Silver (flow), FKD, Banned Skate Shop
5. Vincent Alvarez (West Covina, CA)
Sponsors: DC (flow), Chocolate (flow)
6 . Chazz Ortiz (Chicago, IL)
Sponsors: Zoo-York, Es, FKD, Bones, Diamond, UXA, Warp Skatepark, Force Trucks
7 . Chris Gregson (Irvine, CA)
Sponsors: Ambiguous, Active, Destructo, Birdhouse, Emerica (flow), RobBrink.com
8 . Shane O'Neill (Melbourne, Australia)
Sponsors: Nike SB AUS, Quiksilver, Almost, PSC, Hardcore Distribution
9 . Taylor Smith (Encinitas, CA)
Sponsors: PLAN B (flow), Volcom, Independent, Boost Mobile, Nixon, Monster, RobBrink.com
10. Filipe Ortiz (Brazil)
Sponsors: Volcom, DC, Blind
11 . Theotis Beasley (Hawthorne, CA)
Sponsors: Baker, Thunder (flow), Spitfire, Altamont, Emerica (flow), Active, Vitamin Water, Flik Grip Tape
12 . Chris Troy (Carlsbad, CA)
Sponsors: Adio, Black Label, Innes, Independent, Spitfire, Brixton
Tampa Am 2008 - Real Skateboards Best Trick (Bank to Wall) Results
Sunday, January 20 2008
1 . Vince Del Valle (Long Beach, CA)
Sponsors: Hurley, adidas, Crimson, Destructo, Bones (flow)
Trick: Kickflip frontside lipslide
2. David Gonzalez (Medellin, Columbia)
Sponsors: Flip, Fury trucks, Ricta Wheels, Globe Shoes, Libre Skateshop, CCS, Mob
Trick: Kickflip backside noseblunt
3 . David Bachinsky (Lowell, MA)
Sponsors: City, Adidas, Oakley, Pioneer Skate Shop, Hubba, Venture, FKD
Trick: Front blunt kickflip in
4 . Vincent Alvarez (West Covina, CA)
Sponsors: DC (flow), Chocolate (flow)
Trick: Switch alley-oop lipslide and switch front shuv lipslide
5 . Marius Syvanen (Helsinki, Finland/San Diego, CA)
Sponsors: Sun Diego, Osiris, Ricta, Independent, Billabong, Dakine
Trick: Nollie alley-oop 5-0
Rob & Big Get The Hollywood Treatment
Published: 1:06 a.m. PT by Me
At this point in their careers it seems as though Rob Dyrdek and "Big Black" are becoming Hollywood staples thanks to their show. You only have to look at the fact that Dyrdek is starring (well actually just playing corpse really) in the newest Al Pacino/Robert De Niro project, 'Righteous Kill' to know that. And there's no better representation of being a part of Hollywood's collective unconscious then getting featured in the Variety Magazine (I guessed they dropped the "Daily" huh?), which is what happened as Rob & Big were interviewed for the Hollywood trade paper recently. As usual Dyrdek approached the interview with complete disregard for straight-forward answers and the interviewer obliged him with some pretty unconventional (in Hollywood terms) questions (Exhibit A: Rob's answer to the question "Concert that changed your life?"). Big also follows suit with his way-shorter interview. To check out Rob & Big's answers to "What's more dangerous: a mountain lion or a bitter ex?"- type questions check out the Variety interview of the duo here.
By the way, if you're interested in seeing some photos from the new season click here.
ASP Offers Margaret River WQS Event Even More Importance
Published: 12:49 a.m. PT by Me
Just a quick notice: the ASP has just upped the ante on the most awkwardly named surf contest around that's because The Drug Aware Pro Margaret River presented by O'Neill Australia has just been ratcheted up to a 6 Star PRIME contest. What this means is that the event which had previously been a regular 6 Star event has bumped up its point allocation making it once again one of the top Men's and Women's events on the WQS series. This year's event will take place from April 7th to April 13th (trials start a day earlier) as usual at Margaret River, West Australia. For more on the updates to the ASP schedule check their newly released schedule/spreadsheet here.
'Labor Of Love' To Get The Red Carpet Treatment At Winter X
Published: 12:22 a.m. PT by Me
Though most of the athletes involved at Winter X Games 12 are heading to Aspen to ride, win cash, and take part in the debauchery, there's actually gonna be some interesting events taking place outside of the competition-related stuff. Case in point, the fact that Roxy is planning to premiere its highly anticipated 'Labor Of Love' Snowboard video in Aspen. The film featuring the likes of Torah Bright, Sarah Burke, Erica Comstock and the rest of the Roxy Snow Team will be premiering on the night of the 24th at the Hotel Jerome from 8 - 9pm. On hand for the premiere will be all the Roxy athletes that will be taking part in Winter X plus what I'm guess will be tons of guests, friends and hanger-ons. So if you're planning to show up to Winter X 12 to check out the competition you might as well try to find your way inside the 'Labor Of Love' Premiere...I mean just check out the trailer:
Saturday Results From Tampa Am 2008
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me
Well Saturday at Tampa Am 2008 brought another set of Qualifications and thus another set of 16 skaters making their way into the Semifinals. As mentioned in our entry on Friday's Qualifications the first place finisher in each qualification round will get a fast track to the event finals while the other top 16 finishers find themselves in the semis. Saturday's top spot went to Darkstar's Ryan Decenzo (no surprise there...Ryan's been on a tear for sometime) who can now rest easy for a round. The next 16 behind Ryan are as follows (in order from 2nd to 17th*):
DC's Vincent Alvarez,
Flip's Louie Lopez,
Pharmacy's Cameo Wilson,
adidas Skateboards' Vince Del Valle,
Alien Workshop's Grant Taylor,
Birdhouse's David Loy,
Vertical's Scotty More,
Prophecy's Colin Hale,
Alien Workshop's Andrew Elliot,
Plan B's Taylor Smith,
Creature's Steve Reeves,
Black Label's Chris Troy,
Zoo York's Brandon Westgate,
Sure Shot Skateboard's Chris Dziema,
Foundation's Lee Yankou,
and Plan B's Felipe Gustavo
With qualifications done today looks to wrap things up with the Semifinals and Finals along with the Best Trick competition. And don't forget you can catch all of the good action via webcast over at 411. For full results from Saturday check the Skatepark Of Tampa page here.
*Sunday's event allowed an extra skater into the next round
January 19, 2008
Early Results From Tampa Am 2008
Published: 1:41 a.m. PT by Me
Friday's action at the Tampa Am competition was limited to the first portion of Street Qualifications in which each Am gets two 50-second runs with the best one counting as their score. The top 16 finishers of the day were able to move on to the Semifinals Sunday, while the 1st place qualifier got the "golden ticket" to the Finals. In the terms of Friday the top finisher at the Street Qualifiers (and thus the first one in the Finals) was Nike SB Flow rider Davis Torgerson. As for the rest of the top 16 it included (in order from 2nd to 16th):
Powell's Ben Hatchell,
Blind's Filipe Ortiz,
World Industries' Dustin Blauvelt,
DGK' Domnique Johnson,
Ambiguous' Chris Gregson,
5boro's Ed Driscoll,
Plan B's Chris Mendes,
Flip's David Gozalez,
Nike SB's Ben Gore,
Nike SB's C.J. Tambornino,
Almost's Shane O'Neill,
Almost's Solomon Mosley,
Almost's Andrew Langi,
Baker's Theotis Beasley,
Girl's Sean Malto
Next up are today's street qualifications (which have the same rules applied) so stay tuned. For the full results from Friday's qualifications check the official results list from our friends at the Skatepark Of Tampa here to watch highlights from Friday's action check the Viral Skate footage here.
The Berrics On T.V.
Published: 12:20 a.m. PT by Me
If you follow this blog at all you probably know that we're huge fans of The Berrics, the website dedicated to the private skatepark opened up by Steve Berra and Eric Koston. Since the website opened up shop and Berra started churning out quality material almost on a day-by-day basis the interest in the site as well as the exposure for the park has grown exponentially. As a sign of this growth both Berra and Koston have taped an episode of FUEL TV's Daily Habit. The episode, which will air this coming Monday (January 21st -- MLK Jr. Day) at 9:00 pm EST (with plenty of reruns), will feature the two chopping it up about their lives, skating, film (both are connected to film industry in some way), and of course The Berrics. No doubt the two will put their personal stamp on the show in the form of a Siegfried & Roy type production with tigers and lions and most likely ligers (pre-Roy mauling). OK the last part is just wishful thinking but either way the two are damn funny and they'll probably make the show watching that much more worth. For more info on the Daily Habit episode featuring the Brothers Berrics check the link here.
And speaking of The Berrics, if you head over to their site you'll notice a new tease they've put up for what looks like a future United Nations segment on Stereo Sound Agency.
Winter X Promos All Around
Published: 12:15 a.m. PT by Me
As ESPN closes in on the start of their next installment of the X Games, Winter X Games 12 (January 24th - 27th), they've gone all out in hyping the thing up. From TV spots all over the place (I know you've seen them...they're actually really sick) to millions of features on the EXPN website it's clear that they're pulling out all the stops. Another instance of this build up to Winter X is their newest issue of ESPN Magazine, which features roughly 13 pages dedicated to the event as well as a cover feature on the everywoman of snowboarding, Gretchen Bleiler. The cover itself is a testament to the importance ESPN is placing on Winter X 12 as it's only the fourth time ever that a female athlete has graced the cover of the magazine (Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Marion Jones being the other three). Here's an excerpt from the Gretchen Bleiler feature (entitled 'The Gretchen Bleiler Show'):
Throw a dart at a TV schedule, and you can't help but hit a reality show. Alas, the only reality in any of these offerings is the lack of real life or real people. That's because TV producers have yet to discover Gretchen Bleiler, a 26-year-old snowboarder with the face of an angel and the work ethic of a Clydesdale. Glam without trying, Bleiler is also real without effort - and sexy in snowboard pants. All of which left us no choice but to develop our own Bleiler project, a six-episode season that opens in Breckenridge, CO, and leads up to the cliff-hanger finale: Winter X....
As mentioned though, the magazine features 13 pages on Winter X and not all of them are about Bleiler. Among the other Winter X stories in the current issue there is a feature on some of the under-the-radar (in the mainstream's eyes that is) athletes to keep an eye out including Jamie Anderson, Steve Fisher, skiers Peter Olenick and Jossi Wells. There's also a feature in which Torstein Horgmo breaks down a frontside 1080 for the average layman, and a "7 Things You Should Know About Winter X" as told by skier Simon Dumont.
So basically if you're out there next to the magazine racks go ahead and pick up the latest copy of ESPN Magazine for all this good stuff, either that or just read it there without buying...your choice.
Danny Renaud Update
Published: 12:12 a.m. PT by Me
About a week or so we mentioned the injuries Stereo skater Danny Renaud suffered after an amazing nine-story fall. Thankfully his friends over at Stereo have posted this update on Renaud's condition up on their website:
Danny Renaud is out of surgery and in intensive care with a broken tibula and fiblua in both legs, a ruptured kidney, and a punctured lung. Doctors also removed 2/3 of his pancreas and his spleen. On the bright side, they still expect a full recovery in time. He is fully conscious and speaking, and even cracking a few jokes if you can believe it. It's amazing that Danny has survived this and we are all behind him in wishing him safe healing. We are also extremely grateful for the massive amount of support Danny has been receiving from all of you. Most importantly, Danny has been read all of your posts and was in awe of all the well wishes and words, it was truly helpful in lifting his spirits to know how much support he has out there. We will due our best to keep you posted on the progress of Danny's recovery with more updates as they come in at HQ, and please keep those well wishes for Danny coming...
Stay tuned for more updates and hopefully some pics.
Fallen In China
Published: 12:11 a.m. PT by Me
One thing we've been mentioning a ton here has been the increasing amounts of treks to China made by various skate (and snowboard) teams. Well the newest installment of "Who went to China now?" is live and it features the Fallen Team, who have posted up a plethora of pictures taken from the trip (all in the signature Black & White of the Blackbox Group). The ragtag group of skaters who made the trip include bossman Jamie Thomas, Chris Cole, Tommy Sandoval, "Slash", and others from the team. Parts 1 - 3 of the trip is up so far with other parts expected to follow (it looks like they've got six parts slotted), and what the preliminary parts have shown are the guys making their way out to Hong Kong and Macau (home of the world's largest casino). The trip is ostensibly for their upcoming video 'Ride The Sky', so that much of the skating taking place isn't included in the gallery (they're holding onto that stuff) while plenty of lifestyle shots are. Wait 'til they get into the heart of China though, that's when the "lifestyle shots" should really start to pop off (weird food and all). To catch the first parts of the Fallen team in China just click the link here.
Josh Kerr Revisits His Gold Coast Showdown With Mick Fanning
Published: 12:07 a.m. PT by Me
If you've been jonesing for some world-class competitive surf action ever since the end of the Dream Tour (particularly of the Mick Fanning kind) you're kinda outta luck. But as sloppy seconds you can relive what many are calling the best heat in World Tour history, the monumental semifinal heat between Mick Fanning and then-newcomer-to-the-Tour Josh Kerr at last year's Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast. It was a heat that featured two surfers pulling off 19+ points, as Kerr struck first and seemingly dominated the heat with 19.10 points only to have his hopes dashed to the tune of 19.53 points by Mick Fanning. The best part of reliving the face-off now is that thanks to World Pro Surfers, who put up the footage, we got Kerr doing commentary for the heat...sorta like those extras on all those "limited edition" DVDs. You can check out World Pro Surfers look back on the Fanning vs. Kerr showdown at the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast 2007 here.
Fully Fawning Over Fully Flared
Published: 12:04 a.m. PT by Me
Alright some of us are over hearing about anything Fully Flared/Lakai, while some of us aren't. I happen to be part of the latter group so I tend to frequent the Crailtap sites as much as I can hoping that they might have some type of secret entrance to a video vault full of unrelease Fully Flared material kinda like how old mom-and-pop video stores always had that side entrance to the "good" videos (and by good videos I mean pornography) or how "good" sites always find side entrances into my computer's registry where they plant trojan horse programs and assorted viruses (and by good sites I also mean pornography). In terms of finding secret Fully Flared stuff though, it's a no go. But that don't mean I haven't found something else note worthy, because I have and it's the catalogue for Lakai's Spring '08 line. Check out the catalogue which is fashioned in the style of all those '...For Dummies' How-To books. Oh and also check out the contest Cliche is holding for a free JB Gillet Fully Flared deck.
Random Team News
Published: 12:00 a.m. PT by Me
• Flip pro Mark Appleyard has joined his Flip teammate Arto Saari on the CCS team. The mail-order/online retailer already boasts a stacked team including the likes of Saari, Brian Anderson, Stevie Williams, Mark Gonzales, and Ryan Sheckler. Check out the announcement of the Appleyard signing on their catalogue here.
• Furthering his steady climb back into surf world the almost-legendary Sunny Garcia has signed on to be sponsored by Versasurf Traction, the company that produces that stick-on traction pad for surfboards. Check the announcement of the signing here.
January 18, 2008
Sheckler On Leno
Published: 5:33 p.m. PT by Me
Hey kids just wanted to drop you a little note that tonight on NBC wonderboy Ryan Sheckler will be crossing the strike barriers and joining Jay Leno on the Tonight Show. The episode will air at 11:35 local time so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Pearce, Clark Take Halfpipe at BEO
Published: 9:05 a.m. PT by Me
Kevin Pearce and Kelly Clark took the top honors in the halfpipe as the Burton European Open wrapped up earlier today in Laxx, Switzerland. Pearce locked up the win with his third run out of three, scoring a 94.33, edging Shaun White and his 90.67. Peetu Piiroinen of Finland finished in third with his run of 84.00.
For the women, Kelly Clark had a huge first run of 92.67, setting the bar too high for anyone to catch up, including second-place finisher Torah Bright, who scored an 88.33. Hannah Teter was third with an 82.67. Cheryl Maas was a distant fourth with a 71.00.
The Women's Halfpipe Podium at the BEO (photo courtesy of the BEO)
For a full recap of the Halfpipe Finals of the BEO 2008 check the link here, also head over here for the full results from the halfpipe and slopestyle.
Marc Frank Montoya Keeps Making Power Moves
Published: 1:51 a.m. PT by Me
Man it's been a busy couple of weeks for the one they call Marc Frank Montoya. After signing on with the Technine Snowboard team, then inking a contract extension with DVS Shoes, then joining DVS Clothing, MFM found time to launch his own brand new clothing line, Sound Clothing. Although this is most likely a project he's been working on for quite some time (the announcement mentions something about a 5 year prep period) this week was the official announcement of the clothing line which will launch at the SIA Tradeshow which starts on January 29th and runs until February 1st. According to the announcement the line (which is aiming for a 08/09 season release) will feature outerwear (check the pic below for a hint of the look) and accessories made from waterproof/breathable fabrics "that are completely new." For more on Sound, including quotes that are unmistakeably Montoya's, check the official announcement at Transworld SNOWboarding here.
The World Famous Tampa Am 2008 On Now
Published: 1:29 a.m. PT by Me
If you didn't already know the world renown Tampa Am Skate contest started yesterday at its usual home of The Skatepark Of Tampa. Being pretty much the premier amateur skate competition all the eyes of the skate world will be focused on this one event for the whole weekend as everyone's looking to spot the newest new thing in skateboarding. And though practice has already started the action doesn't really pick up until Saturday when the Street Qualifiers begin, and eventually Sunday when the Semifinals, Finals, and Best Trick competition will take place. Lucky for you 411VM is making it so that you can be one of those very set of eyes looking to spot the newest new thing in skateboarding because 411 will be webcasting all of Sunday's action starting from 12pm EST. So all you gotta do is wake up early Sunday (especially for those of us working on Pacific time) and head over to 411VM to make sure you catch the action. In the meantime 411 has provided you with some highlights from the 2007 contest featuring the likes of Alex Olsen, Sean Malto, Grant Taylor, and plenty of others...check that footage out here.
Skate Decks That Help Save Lives...Sounds Good To Me
Published: 1:12 a.m. PT by Me
We here at Quick Hits like reporting on good causes. We also like reporting on limited edition stuff that you're probably never going to be able to get your hands on. So when a story comes across our makeshift desk that combines the two we get ecstatic. That's just the case with the Helping Hounds of Hell Art/Skate Exhibit. The exhibit is an exhibit that will be opening on January 25th in Berlin, Germany (aka the "you're probably never going to be able to get your hands on" portion of this entry) organized by a collective of artists/designers/skaters. The exhibit features skate decks that revolve around the plight of the people of Africa (specifically the West African nation of Senegal) as designed by the participating artists. The decks will be up for sale at the exhibit with all the proceeds of the sales, as well as all other proceeds from the exhibit (catalog sales, donations), going towards the Sage Hospital, a children's hospital in Senegal, West Africa, driven and financed by the Sage Hospital E.V. Though we're not sure any of you are reading this from Germany it's a bit of news worth spreading around to hopefully help the cause. For more on the Helping Hounds Of Hell Exhibit check Tackyworld's article on it here, for more on the Sage Hospital check their official site here.
The X Games Pops Its Seven-Figure Cherry
Published: 12:51 a.m. PT by Me
There are plenty of purists in skateboarding, snowboarding, and BMX who scoff at the idea of partaking in the X Games. That's a sentiment that is completely understandable given the corporate background of the X Games. But there's another side to the equation, and apparently that other side equates to millions of dollars. Case in point according to the X Games themselves the upcoming Winter X in Aspen (January 24th - 27th) will be handing out roughly $1 million in prize money, the first time an X Games has given out that amount. And that's only for this single Winter X Games alone. If you add together the different X Games that have and will take place in 2008 (X Games Dubai, X Games Mexico, Summer X, etc) the prize amount skyrockets to over $3 million. Of course this huge purse is mostly seen by those who win first place at the events, and as an indication of what this influx of money means is that Gold Medal winners at Winter X 12 will be receiving 50% more than they did last year. That beats the holy hell out of general inflation, even the purists we talked about earlier have got to admit that's a spicy meatball (hopefully they admit that with a stereotypical Italian accent). For more on the eyebrow raising numbers for the X Games check the release here.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Vs. Surfers
Published: 12:19 a.m. PT by Me
Looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger just can't do anything right...in the eyes of surfboarders. That's because in two separate issues the California Governor (and star of 'Jingle All The Way') has drawn the ire of Surfrider Foundation. The first case of the 'Hercules In New York' star running afoul of surfers (in this case I'm guessing most surfers agree with Surfrider) is his support of a bill that would construct a toll road that runs roughshod through the famous Southern California surf spot of Trestles (just south of San Clemente, otherwise known as Ryan Sheckler's hometown). The proposed Toll Road 241 would be a $875 million project that would run 16 miles from Rancho Santa Margarita to Interstate 5 south of San Clemente. According to a letter written by Mr. 'Red Heat' the toll road is "essential to protect our environment and the quality of life for everyone in California," a quote I might add that sounds mighty suspicious to me given that a paved road (six lanes at that) has never been known to protect the environment, and that most likely when he's referring to "the quality of life" he really means "the ability for people to drive around in their huge-ass SUV's unencumbered by traffic or guilt." Luckily Schwarzenegger doesn't have final say on the issue as approval for the project is needed from the state's Coastal Commission (to which the letter was addressed) before the plan goes through and ironically according to the news report "[the commission's] staff opposes the roadway, saying it violates state environmental laws by threatening endangered species." For more on the story check the official news report here, then read Surfrider's reaction to the story here.
The second instance of Schwarzenegger doing surfers (and citizens in general) dirty is his proposal to close 48 California State Parks, including several popular State Beach Parks. In a plan that would amuse the villains of 'Raw Deal' beaches around San Luis Obispo County would be closed while beaches like Bolsa Chica, Huntington, San Onofre, Carlsbad, Cardiff would face staff cuts, particularly life guards. Unlike the previous mentioned case though, the man who helped bring about the downfall of the Batman franchise (before Christopher Nolan) will not have to consult with any "commission" so the plan has a very likely chance of succeeding, unlike the script for 'Red Sonya'. For more on this issue check the Surfrider objection here.
Letters To A Young Athlete
Published: 12:06 a.m. PT by Me
Hey kids! Do you know what's more extreme than spelling "extreme" without an "e"? It's injuring yourself while doing an extreme sport. That can be extremely disappointing, especially if you had been taking extreme amounts of calcium pills (that's also called irony), unless of course you have an extremely qualified liability lawyer. But no need to worry because the doctors over at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons have got some tips for you when you go out looking to gleam a cube, or point the break. Get their tips here.
January 17, 2008
White And Anderson Tops In Slopestyle Finals At BEO 2008
Published: 12:56 a.m. PT by Me
It might seem a little bit like Deja Vu but if you check out the results from the Slopestyle Finals at the BEO 2008 you might notice a little difference between the Semifinals and Finals results. What didn't change though was Shaun White at the top of the leaderboard, as White rode the momentum he created at the Semifinals (and even all the way back at the Chevy Grand Prix in Breck) into the crazy kickers of the Slopestyle course at Laax. Following White on the results list was a little bit of shuffling as Chas Guldemond finished second (he was 6th in the Semis) and Tim Humphreys dropping one spot below his Semifinal spot to move to third. On the Women's side the top three from the Semis ended up the top three at the Finals, though with some shifting, as Jamie Anderson (second in the Semis) took first, Jenny Jones (first in the Semis) took second, and Silvia Mittermueller staying put at 3rd. With her 2nd place finish Jenny Jones assured herself the the lead in the TTR ranking. For the real lowdown on the Slopestyle Semifinals including the full results and all the TTR implications check out the recap from the event here.
Chas Guldemond, Shaun White, and Tim Humphreys at the BEO Slopestyle Podium (c) TTR
More Chris Ward Fall-Out
Published: 1:49 a.m. PT by Me
We got some more fall-out from the Chris Ward arrest. First up the Aussie newspaper Geelong Advertiser is reporting that if Ward case involves him missing a significant amout of time from the World Tour, the last man out of the 2008 WCT qualifying list, Nic Muscroft, might become the first one in as a replacement. Muscroft faces multiple possibilities under the circumstances such as gaining a permanent spot on the '08 tour if Ward's case gets lengthy and necessitates him taking the year off, or gaining entry to different Tour stops on a case-by-case basis if Ward just needs to show up at certain court hearings (which would make it necessary for Muscroft to surf on both the WCT and WQS circuits), or not making it on the Tour at all. But then again Muscroft can make still make the tour in the case of an injury to one of the WCT surfers, either way the decision will ultimately be up to the ASP so with that in mind Muscroft will just sit and wait. For more on the Nic Muscroft aspect of Chris Ward's arrest check the Geelong Advertiser article here (thanks to Transworld Surf for bringing our attention to it).
Also similar to yesterday's statement by the ASP on Chris Ward's arrest, ...Lost Clothing, one of Ward's sponsor, has also released a short statement about Ward's arrest. Ryan Divel, ...Lost's Director Of Marketing, has said the following:
...Lost takes the recent allegations involving team rider Chris Ward extremely serious. This matter is currently under investigation and our goal is to fully research all of the facts. It would be premature for us to offer any formal response, or take any action with Chris until such time.
We hope to have a clearer understanding of the situation shortly and must clearly state, ...Lost in no way condones criminal behavior.
Rodney Mullen Get Interviewed By....UCLA?
Published: 1:30 a.m. PT by Me
Last week we told you about one of the most random interviews for a skater-not-named-Tony Hawk/Bam Margera/Ryan Sheckler with the PETA interview of P-Rod. This time around we got another random one thanks to SkateDaily.net, who brought it to our attention, as The Daily Bruin (the campus newspaper for UCLA) has interviewed one of the most worshiped skaters of all-time, Rodney Mullen. Apparently the interview arose as a preview for Mullen's speaking engagement at the school last night where he spoke about "his transition from outcast college student to soul skater." If you're a skater and you aren't up on Rodney Mullen then you probably need a good slapping as he's pretty much the inventor of most of the tricks you do (check the list at the site here) and unlike say a Dr. James Naismith (the inventor of the game of basketball) Mullen didn't just invent the stuff and let others perfect it, Mullen himself remained a virtuoso in skating from the Powell days and on into now. In terms of the interview, like most things Rodney Mullen related the interview gets heady with Mullen talking at first about his entry into skating then getting more into stuff like his take on the "persecution" of skateboarders and how helping run World Industries affected him. To give you an idea of how Mullen gets down in this interview check out part of his answer to how he comes up with new tricks, "It’s remarkable how many tricks are simple variations, different iterations of what’s right in front of your nose already that it’s unrecognizable because it’s sort of algebraic shuffling." Now that's something you won't hear from Sheckler. Check out the Rodney Mullen interview at The Daily Bruin here for more bits of wisdom from the man himself.
Zoo York And Ghostface Partner Up
Published: 1:09 a.m. PT by Me
If you were watching skate videos in the early to mid-nineties you'll know that one hiphop group, the Wu-Tang Clan, was a major provider to the soundtrack of that time. Multiple skate parts from that period, particularly from the World Family (i.e. '20 Shot Sequence') featured songs from either the Clan itself or one of its members. So it's only fitting that one of the companies that sprung up at that time, Zoo York, has been tapped by Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah and Def Jam as a partner in promoting the release of Ghostface's newest album 'The Big Doe Rehab' (in stores now). As part of the collaboration Zoo York has produced a skate deck and a shirt that features one of the main designs for the album: a roll of Benjamins stuffed inside a medicine bottle (see the picture below). The shirt along with featuring the mentioned design will also feature the different AKA's Ghostface has used from 'Only Built 4 Cuban Links' on. As with most collaborations the two items will be limited editions available exclusively through various promos from Def Jam and Zoo York themselves. For more on the collaboration check the Zoo York Blog here.
In other limited edition skate deck type news check out these images of some new Rogue Status skate decks. In case you didn't know Rogue Status is a streetwear brand/shop that is partially bankrolled by Rob Dyrdek (they're responsible for a lot of the clothes you see Dyrdek wear on 'Rob & Big').
Get A Seat At Ed Templeton's DeskPublished: 12:59 a.m. PT by Me
Similar to the Brian Wenning feature on Plan B mentioned below, Thrasher has done a little "At Home" segment with the revered skater Ed Templeton...actually not really an at home but more like an at the office segment (though his office is in his home). The feature is stacked with photos of Ed's workspace which itself is stacked given Templeton's role as both successful artist (dude was one of the first artist/skaters) and the owner of Toy Machine Skateboards. As expected the office features a clash of creative work, with lots of nice photography and art pieces (check the Geoff Rowley sketch), mixed in with some traditional business stuff (check the "Your Money Or Your Life" book), and of course a Deanna cameo. It makes for good viewing for anyone who want's to look get a closer look at a creative everyman. You can check out Ed Templeton's office space right here.
Mirra Reaffirms His Love Of BMX
Published: 12:32 a.m. PT by Me
A little while ago we mentioned how along with Travis Pastrana, BMX icon Dave Mirra was also joining the Rally America Racing circuit. Though we're not necessarily looking to follow the circuit incessantly there's a key bit of info coming out of Rally America/Dave Mirra and that's that he, unlike Pastrana, is not looking to swith his focus over to racing, as he told Rally America that he will still be competing during the 2008 BMX contest season with the likelihood that he'll skip some Rally America races in favor of BMX competitions. Good to hear we're not losing another one to mechanized machines and all. You can read Mirra's official quotes about the issue as well as some Pastrana quotes too from the Rally America pre-event presser here. A Day In The Life Of Brian Wenning
Published: 12:11 a.m. PT by Me
Head over to Plan B's site to check out their newest "Day In The Life" feature (one of the most popular features it seems for skate companies) with Brian Wenning. Unlike many "Day In The Life" features, this one actually seems more realistic in that it's kinda just a portrait of Wenning, with co-star Habitat's Tim O'Connor, goofing around in New Jersey. The two hit up local skate spots where instead of skating for footage they just screw around (check his S.K.A.T.E. tips). Eventually though the feature throws in some clips and photos from Wenning's past just to make up for the lack of "excitement" in the actual segment. You can check out Plan B's "a day with WENNING" over here.
Also speaking of Tim O'Connor he's been interviewed by Mumble Magazine for their Mumble Minutes podcast where he answers some of the Mumble Minutes stock questions with a fair amount of humor. Check it out here.
View Previous Quick Hits Entries From January 10 - January 16, 2008
