Quick Hits: Action Sports News Blog
Oct 10 2007 / Los Angeles, CA
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October 10, 2007
ESPN to Announce New Championship Event Today
Published: 1:42 a.m. PT by Greg
ESPN is holding a press conference in San Diego later this morning to announce a new championship event from the ESPN X Games team. While they haven't released details yet, on hand will be FMX stars Brian Deegan, Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg, Todd Potter and Robbie Maddison, along with SuperMoto rider Mark Burkhart. The absence of any athletes dealing with non-motorized sports points to this event being of the Moto variety, but what do we know?
***UPDATE***
So the details of the press conference has been revealed: come April 12th, 2008 the creators of the X Games will have another creation in their hands, the Moto X World Championship in San Diego, California. Fueled by the success of Moto X at the X Games ESPN decided, with the Championships, to create an event dedicated solely to Moto X. The event will feature competitions in various Moto X disciplines including Freestyle, SuperMoto, Best Trick, Step Up and Moto X Racing, which we're guessing will feature some, if not all, of the top riders of the sport given ESPN's clout (i.e. their ability to offer top money and exposure). The event will be broadcast live via ESPN outlets (duh) including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN360.com and EXPN.com.
For more info on the event check the press release here.
No Surf For ASP's Top Guys and Gals Today
Published: 1:13 a.m. PT by Greg
The Beachley Classic, the new women's event added to the schedule, was able to run round one a couple of days ago but today (Oct. 10) was a lay day for the ladies thanks to surf of about 1-2 feet.
The guys in Mundaka for the Billabong Pro have another lay day today -- what is that... three in a row? They're running out of time so expect the surf to be up tomorrow. .
Kevin Robinson Finally Gets His Subaru
Published: 12:51 a.m. PT by Me
If you remember a couple of months ago there was this event called the X Games that took place in Los Angeles and Carson. A guy named Kevin Robinson won a gold medal and silver medal and apparently he also took home an award for being the "Subaru Most Outstanding Athlete of the Games." It happened so long ago we would have to check back to see what actually happened.
Anyway, I guess K-Rob didn't get his prize until now -- Suburu officialls apparently had to figure out how to get a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX to State College, PA, where Robinson lives. Now he has it and there was some little ceremony in which he was handed the keys and local press got to take photos.
Why do we bring this up, you ask? Well, because it strikes us as odd that it takes two months to get a prize nowadays. That, and because it's a slow newsday. .
Tony Hawk Does Jim Rome
Published: 12:32 a.m. PT by Me
Tony Hawk is pretty much everywhere but you don't often get to see too many interviews with him on networks other than Fuel, which isn't always available. So if you get ESPN (and seriously, who doesn't?) you can catch him on the show "Jim Rome is Burning" starting at 4:30 ET/1:30 PT. He will be interviewed for about 10 minutes or so and no doubt the subject is his new game. Back during X Games Hawk appeared on Rome's radio show so at least there won't be any Larry King moments.
Shirtless Travis Pastrana Jumps Out of Plane With a Red Bull. Oh, and Without a Parachute
Published: 12:09 a.m. PT by Me
Yeah, you read that headline right... A couple of weeks ago Travis Pastrana and his buddies pulled of his latest stunt for a new Travis and the Nitro Circus DVD -- jumping out of a plane without a parachute.
The stunt was done in Puerto Rico, mainly because no one else would give him permission to do it because it was so dangerous. For the stunt, Pastrana jumped out of a plane wearing only shorts, socks and sunglasses and carrying a can of Red Bull, of course (the can was gone about two seconds into the jump, though, as you can see in the picture to the left). He wasn't wearing a parachute and in the air was "docked" to another jumper who actually had the parachute that safely took him to the ground.
Pretty crazy stuff. Guess you'll have to wait for the DVD of Thrillbillies to see it. You can read all about it here, though.
October 9, 2007
'Life of Ryan' Renewed For Second SeasonPublished: 2:33 p.m. PT by Greg
MTV has renewed its freshman reality show "Life or Ryan" featuring Ryan Sheckler. The show aired its seventh episode of its debut eight-episode season last night (read a recap here) and has been seen by a total of more than 35 million viewers since it premiered. Among the reasons MTV renewed the show is because it's the most-watched show among people aged 12-34 in its 10:30 p.m. timeslot on Monday -- that's across the board, including the major broadcast networks. Overall it ranks among the top 10 shows on cable in that age range.
MTV says the new season will begin production later this fall (though some filming has reportedly begun) and the new season will start in the first few months of 2008.
Click here for more about the show.
Jordy Smith Plays Party Pooper To Cold Water Classic
Published: 1:55 a.m. PT by Me
In news that will probably bring groans to the riders participating in the event, the O'neill Cold Water Classic has decided to give a wildcard invitation to South African Surfer Jordy Smith to surf in the event happening today. Smith, who is currently the points leader for the ASP WQS and reigning ASP World Junior Champion, will thus add his name to the list of WQS riders fighting for the WQS 4-Star event's $75,000 purse as well as the WQS points the event offers, even though he has already secured a spot on next year's ASP WCT (now you understand the groans?). The Classic will also offer Smith a chance to pull out major California Trifecta Surf Series points (as it is the last event of the series) when he faces current Trifecta ratings leader Adam Virs, and Trifecta reigning champ and current #2 Nathan Yeomans at the Classic.
Looks like the event will be everything the riders bargained for. For more on the O'neill Cold Water Classic head over to the event's official site.
Informal Survey Shows Shaun White Induces HackeryPublished: 1:12 a.m. PT by Me
I'm pretty sure that at this point Shaun White has heard every possible variation of the Carrot Top joke thing (though really there is pretty much only one variation: calling him Carrot Top), it's almost the "in" thing to do I guess. Which would explain TMZ jumping on the bandwagon. Seems White's starpower has shined so bright (oh man that's a corny line) it's caught the attention of the preeminent supplier of tabloid stories on the internet. Apparently white was spotted outside Hollywood nightclub/after-gym-hotspot Hyde and the TMZ cameras caught him with...OH...MY...GOD...NO SLEEVES.
Apparently that's up there with not having any Ed Hardy clothes for the Hollywood crowd, and in order to let him know that they disapprove TMZ pulled out the Carrot Top card. I mean at this point I wouldn't be surprised if even Carrot Top called Shaun White Carrot Top, now if people started calling White "Lola" then at least that would be a step up in terms of creativity though admittedly not much of a step. Well at least White now knows that he's official...what with the Perez Hilton thing and now TMZ. Here's the actual TMZ story fully equipped with video and of course Carrot Top laced reader comments.
The Maloof Brothers Fart Hundred Dollar Bills
Published: 12:44 a.m. PT by Cary
Hmmmm $400,000 in payouts for a skate competition? Jeebus that's like a rapper's first record contract type money. Well apparently the Maloof Brothers (the ones that brought you the Palms Casino and the Sacramento Kings) are planning to pay out that much in their Maloof Money Cup. The event boasts the richest payout in skateboarding with a total payout of the above mentioned total over 6 separate events including a cool $100,000 for 1st place in street. The event will take place in Costa Mesa, California on the opening weekend of the Orange County Fair July 11-13, 2008, which means you still have time to practice up and hope you're better than Koston in 8 months.
Stay tuned here for further updates on the event as July gets closer in the meantime you can check out the event's official website for their keen graphics.
Short Updates/Notes
Published: 12:08 a.m. PT by Me
Some quick updates/notes:
• eS has put up their new Holiday Collection/Line up on their website which consists of an apparel line as well as their signature shoe line. Check the apparel here and the shoes here.
• Plan B has finally joined Marty and the Doc in their Delorean and stepped into the future with their Plan B log (get it B+Log = blog? I knew you would) up on their official site and the first entry is a doozy with pics all over the place from tour photos, to Sheckler & P Rod Photos, to random weirdness, and even a living legend (Stevie Wonder) thrown in. Hope they continue to update the blog as we know they got tons of stuff they can put up. Check it out.
• The historic Huntington Beach Skate Park, which was one of the first open/public skateparks I remember in the greater L.A. area, is probably gonna be demolished. Read about it here.
October 8, 2007
A Day/Night At The GvR Finals
Published: 5:15 p.m. PT by Me
So you got the photos from GvR. You got the results from GvR. You even know how much each skater pocketed from GvR. There's one last thing you need and that's a detailed story/recap from the finals, which we got for you. Get a full (and I mean FULL) lowdown of exactly how the GvR finals went from a ground-level perspective, including heat/run breakdowns and all that good stuff. For a recap of the GvR Finals head over here.
Also check out these nifty little sequences we got from the finals of Tyler Hendley and David Loy (click on the thumbnails to get a larger pic).
Billabong Pro Off For the Day
Published: 1:46 a.m. PT by Me
The day after some stunning upsets at the Billabong Pro (which you can read about here) we were hoping there would be some more action. No such luck. Of course, the surf yesterday was close to nothing so if skipping today means getting better than one foot surf then we're all for it.
Just in case you're interested, the Round Three matches are listed below...
ROUND 3 BILLABONG PRO MUNDAKA MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Bobby Martinez (USA) earns a bye over Trent Munro (
Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (
Heat 3: Greg Emslie (ZAF) vs. Phillip Macdonald (
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (
Heat 5: Taylor Knox (USA) vs. Dayyan Neve (
Heat 6: Tom Whitaker (
Heat 7: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) vs. Luke Stedman (
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (
Heat 9: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 10: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Josh Kerr (
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Shaun Cansdell (
Heat 12: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 13: Taj Burrow (
Heat 14: Ricky Basnett (ZAF) vs. Royden Bryson (ZAF)
Heat 15: Bede Durbidge (
Heat 16: Michael Campbell (
etnies GvR Photos + Prize Payouts, MVPs
Published: 12:43 a.m. PT by Me
We told you that the Regulars won etnies GvR yesterday but we know you also want more details like who the MVPs were, how much scratch these guys made and what the heck it all looked like. Well, the MVPs were Rick McCrank (for the Regulars) and Jereme Rogers (for the Goofy team) and the payouts? Well, read about them all here along with the total final results.
We also have photos there (but here's a direct link to our gallery from the event).
Here are some photos for you, too...
Nyjah Huston went crazy for Goofy again...
David Loy was the fourth-ranked Regular skater...
Regulars celebrate!
Nick Hornby Tackles Skateboarding For His First Teen Novel
Published: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me
You may know author Nick Hornby -- he writes books, Hollywood makes them into chessy movies. Okay, maybe High Fidelity wasn't so cheesy, but Fever Pitch was kind of crappy and About a Boy was a bit cornball. If none of these words makes sense to you, then this next bit of news will be even less important. Hornby, who tends to live in the 30-something world of new wavers gone straight is now tackling teen fiction with a story about... skateboarding.
Okay, about a skateboarder who has family drama. And who is this skater's idol? Not Ryan Sheckler, he of drama and skill all his own, but Tony Hawk, whose poster he talks to and gets "advice" from. Not sure how many 16-year-olds have Tony Hawk posters on their wall, but the guy is British, so maybe he doesn't know any better.
You can read more about the book here. .
October 7, 2007
Team Regular Wins etnies GvR
Published: 6:03 p.m. PT by Greg
Just a quick update on the final results for the main etnies GvR contest down in Lake Forest, CA. After two years of Goofy domination, Team Regular took back the GvR crown Sunday.
After a full day of action it came down to the Jam sessions to determine the winner. Going into the final jam session for both teams, the Regulars held a slim 26 pt. lead but a spectacular session for the Regulars, led by David Loy, Leo Romero and Bill Marks (who came in for Rick McCrank) gave the team a huge score of 467 points for the final jam, setting the bar high for the final Goofy session, which included Nyjah Huston, Jereme Rogers, Nick Fiorini, Tyler Hendley and Darrell Stanton (later replaced by Alex Olson). The team tried hard, with Huston and Rogers among those landing some huge tricks but also getting some major slams. If Goofy was able to stay within 25 points, the team could have challenged the Regular team for a game of SKATE for a bonus of 25 pts., but it wasn't to be. Regular held on and took the crown for the first time in two years.
Final Lineups from Sunday...
Team Regular - Captain Mark Whiteley (Slap magazine)
Leo Romero
Andrew Reynolds
Ryan Sheckler
Sean Malto
Rick McCrank
Fabrizio Santos
Kurtis Colamonico
David Loy
Tulio de Oliveira
Ryan DeCenzo
Vince del Valle
Andrew Langi
Luan De Olivera
Terell Robinson
Billy Marks
Team Goofy - Captain Dave Swift (The Skateboard Mag)
Ronnie Creager
Darrell Stanton
Greg Lutzka
Nyjah Huston
Jereme Rogers
Chad Fernandez
Nick Fiorini
Tyler Hendley
Joey Brezinski
Taylor Bingaman
Jordan Hoffart
Morgan Smith
Alex Olson
Rodrigo Leal
Danny Cerezini
etnies GvR Update: Women Results + Starting Fifteen
Published: 5:24 p.m. PT by Me
Okay, we know the finals for etnies GvR is going on right now (we're watching the webcast) but we didn't want to muss up our recap of today's action with yesterday's info.
Yesterday started off with the "Dawn of the Shred" contest for the ladies, won by X Games gold medalist Marisa Del Santo and Rachel Reinhard in second. After that, it was all about the starting lineups for the GvR finals, with more than 60 skaters vying for one of the 10 open spots on either the Goofy or Regular teams.
For Team Goofy, Chad Fernandez was the no. 1 qualifier, edging the likes of Nick Fiorini and Tyler Hendley. Among the notables missing the cut were Rodolfo Ramos and Jake Duncombe.
The regulars saw Fabrizio Santos, Kurtis Colamonico and David Loy among the top qualifiers.
Here are the full qualifier results (with the ladies final results following). Top 10 qualifiers advance.
After the list, check out a couple of photos from yesterday at the bottom of this post.
Team Goofy Qualifiers
Oct. 6, 2007
1. Chad Fernandez
2. Nick Fiorini
3. Tyler Hendley
4. Joey Brezinski
5. Taylor Bingaman
6. Jordan Hoffart
7. Morgan Smith
8. Alex Olson
9. Rodrigo Leal
10. Danny Cerezini
11. Collin Provost
12. Taylor Smith
13. Luis Tolentino
14. James Craig
15. Bryce Goldev
15. Mike King
17. Peter Raffin
17. Pat Channita
19. Theotis Beasley
20. Jake Duncombe
21. Rodolfo Ramos
22. Manny Santiago
23. Collin Hale
24. Hurvey Haskins
25. Wes Kremer
26. Jonas Wray
27. Malcolm Watson
28. Tony Tave
29. Jo Lorenz
30. Charlie Thomas
31. Kenny Hoyle
32. Jeremy Wray
Team Regular Qualifiers
Oct. 6, 2007
1. Fabrizio Santos
2. Kurtis Colamonico
3. David Loy
4. Tulio de Oliveira
5. Ryan DeCenzo
6. Vince del Valle
7. Andrew Langi
7. Luan De Olivera
9. Terell Robinson
10. Billy Marks
11. Danilo Do Rosario
12. Sierra Fellers
13. Dayne Brummet
14. Filipe Ortiz
15. Tyler Mumma
16. Danny Fuenzalida
17. Bryan Herman
18. Braydon Szabranski
19. Chris Troy
19. Tosh Townend
21. Chris Cudlipp
22. Johnny Layton
23. Chris Wood
24. Wolnei dos Santos
24. Wagner Ramos
26. Stefan Gunther
27. Justin Schulte
28. James Carlin
29. Adam Dyet
30. Roberto dos Anjos
31. Jim Bates
32. Christoph Wildgrube
33. Leandro Costa
34. Cody Cohell
Ladies Street Finals
Oct. 6, 2007
1. Marisa Del Santo
2. Rachel Reinhard
3. Vanessa Torres
4. Amy Caron
5. Elissa Steamer
6. Evelien Bouilliart
7. Lauren Perkins
8. Leticia Buffoni
9. Lorena Lima
10. Lacey Baker
11. Stefanie Thomas
12. Louisa Menke
13. Liza Araujo
14. Patiane Freitas
A good look at the park with the stage where Yeah Yeah Yeahs played Sat. night in the background...
The crowd watches the qualifiers with baited breath.
Murray Benefit Raises More than $15K; Murray Greets Crowd By Phone
Published: 4:35 a.m. PT by Me
BMX pro Cory Nastazio held a special benefit for his close friend Stephen Murray yesterday at his trails near Tehachapi, CA. The even drew more than 200 people and raised $15,000 for Murray's Family Fund, with Vans Canada and Vans UK contributing an additional $10,000.
The event featured many pros coming out to take to the trails in chilly weather, including Luke Parslow, James Foster, TJ Ellis and more. All were happy to hear Stephen's voice as Nasty gave him a call toward the end of the event.
A full recap is right here, and here's a gallery of who was there plus a bunch more action shots here -- there's a taste of the photos below.
Keep up with all the updates re: Stephen on our Stephen Murray update page and visit www.stephenmurrayfamilyfund.com to donate to help Stephen and his family.
Host Cory 'Nasty' Nastazio
Luke Parslow
Billabong Pro Mundake Finally Goes Off; Irons Ousted in Round TwoPublished: 2:56 a.m. PT by Me - Updated: 10:16 a.m.
After several off days the Billabong Pro in Mundake is finally underway in pretty poor conditions of 2-3 feet at the Bakio back-up locations (you can watch live if you're interested). As of this writing, Andy Irons is out, defeated by Hodei Collazo, along with Pancho Sullivan. Taj Burrow did advance, thanks to an incredibly low score from Manoa Drollet, who didn't know how to handle the small surf.
Full results of round two will be announced once everything is done...
UPDATE: Here's just about all the final results of Round Two (missing final two heats):
ROUND 2 BILLABONG PRO MUNDAKA RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (
Heat 2: Hodei Collazo (EUK) 9.83 def. Andy Irons (HAW) 8.23
Heat 3: Tiago Pires (PRT) 14.67 def. Pancho Sullivan (HAW) 10.00
Heat 4: Gabe Kling (USA) 16.77 def. Dean Morrison (
Heat 5: Taylor Knox (USA) 14.84 def. Tem Reyes (USA) 4.60
Heat 6: Tom Whitaker (
Heat 7: Luke Munro (
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 14.17 def. Michael Lowe (
Heat 9: Shaun Cansdell (
Heat 10: Victor Ribas (BRA) 12.00 def. Bruce Irons (HAW) 11.94
Heat 11: Neco Padaratz (BRA) 13.20 def. Kai Otton (
Heat 12: Leonardo Neves (BRA) 13.50 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 8.60
Heat 13: Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 13.84 def. Ben Dunn (
Heat 14: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)13.27 def. Cory Lopez (USA) 7.26
October 6, 2007
etnies GvR Day One Results - Bowl Action
Published: 1:00 p.m. PT by Me
Friday was the first read day of action for the etnies GvR contest in Lake Forest, with bowl action taking center stage. The first contest was the women's bowl jam, which Julie Kindstrand won. The Grand Masters Bowl Jam was the next final, with lengendary Steve Caballero coming in second and Glen Charnoski taking first.
The Pro Bowl Jam closed out the day's action with Benji Galloway taking the top honors among a crowded field. Omar Hassan was second with NorCal's Josh Mattson taking third.
The action continues today with the prelims for the main GvR contest and the women's street finals. Get updates here or on the official GvR site or you can watch the webcast here.
Pro Bowl Jam: Final Results
Oct. 6, 2007
1 Benji Galloway
2 Omar Hassan
3 Josh Mattson
4 Brian Patch
5 Tyler Mumma
6 Donovan Rice
7 Rion Linderman
8 Kevin Kowalski
9 Chris Senn
10 Michael O’Friel
11 Will Powers
12 Jimmy The Greek
13 Josh Sandoval
13 Nolan Johnson
15 Jake Piasecki
16 Joshua Borden
17 Remy Stratton
17 Sky Siljeg Bothell
19 Curren Caples
20 Steve Reeves
20 Eric Britton
20 Tyler Martin
23 Taylor Bingaman
23 Daniel Vargas
25 Paco Amante
26 Sergie Ventura
27 Ronnie Yerman
28 Brian Whitney
29 Morris Kyle
29 Kris Reeves
31 Andrew Miller
32 Al Brunelle
33 Danny Tumia
33 Vince del Valle
35 Johnny Turgeson
36 Oudalay Philavanh
36 Bennett Harada
38 Steev Howell
38 Freedom Fisher
40 Jesse Nelson
41 Jason Celaya
42 Chris Mumma
43 Frank Shores
44 Tosh Townend
44 John Abernatly
46 Michael Ellis
Grand Masters Bowl Contest: Final Results
Oct. 6, 2007
1. Glen Charnoski
2. Steve Caballero
3. Pat Ngoho
4. Lester Kasai
5. Duane Peters
6. Eddie Reategui
7. Steve Steadham
8. Dave Duncan
9. Dave Reul
10. Jon-Jon Bryan
11. Brian Mank
12. Jim Gray
13. Jesse Martinez
14. Mike Smith
15. Mike Rogers
15. Tom Wally Inouye
Women's Bowl Contest: Final Results
Oct. 6, 2007
1. Julie Kindstrand
2. Nicole Zuck
3. Allysha Bergado
4. Apryl Woodcock
5. Cressey Rice
5. Amelia Brodka
7. Alize Montes
8. Heidi Kreis
9. Heidi Fitzgerald
10. Lea Taylor
11. Amee Jay Papelera
11. Kristin Ebeling
13. Cara Lawson
14. Haley Kindstrand
More Photos From Nike SB Premiere
Published: 12:15 a.m. PT by Me
Alright for the last time (or maybe not) we got more photos from the premiere of Nike SB's 'Nothing But The Truth'. This time the gallery is from Active (who sponsors Nike SB team member Paul Rodriguez so you know they probably got like platinum VIP passes from P-Rod himself) and clothing line JSLV (affiliated with Sk8Mafia). Check out the Active photo gallery here then take a look at JSLV's 'Nothing But The Truth' experience here.
photo courtesy of Active
Remember if you live in the L.A. area but weren't lucky enough to be invited to the Kodak Theater for the red carpet premiere you can still catch 'Nothing But The Truth' at the Active store in San Dimas, details on that premiere here.
Shameless Use Of Writer's Privilege
Published: 12:12 a.m. PT by Me
Thank god Marisa Miller has an interest in surfing. That means anytime she pops up in the news, we get to cover it. In this case the Victoria Secret's model (and surfer we should remind you) is going to be featured in the upcoming issue of Fitness Magazine (out October 9th). In the issue Miller talks about...ready...hold your breath...her butt and breasts. Of course it's meant to be a longer discussion about her body and her hang-ups with it (hang-ups??? Are you serious??? Did someone replace all her mirrors with TV screens broadcasting fat camp security cam footage since birth or something), as well as her fitness regime. According to reports on the report Marissa describes her ideal figure as this, "I’m the girl who needs curves. I like my butt and my boobs." I'm not religious by any means but upon reading that quote I actually blurted out "Amen, sister". For more on the Marisa's part in the upcoming issue check out this tabloidy report.
Oh yeah did we mention we've done a profile of Marisa before? Oh you didn't know, well let me share with you one of the highlights from that profile, or more properly from the photo gallery:
Curiculum Magazine Covers The Sk8Mafia Story
Published: 12:10 a.m. PT by Me
If you didn't know Sk8Mafia is the skate company that grew organically out of a tight-knit group of friends from San Diego the last few years. Consisting of riders like Peter Smolik, Kellen James, and Brandon Turner among others. They've gradually built a name for themselves through guerilla marketing, a catchy hand-sign that's been thrown up all around, and more importantly their weekly 'Sk8Mafia Saturdays' video clip posted on the Transworld site. Curiculum Magazine (via Transworld) has done a feature on Sk8Mafia where the reader get's a first hand account, from Dan Connelly and Josh Priebe, of the rise of the crew from a loose collective of skaters to a full fledged skate company. Check out the article here and then learn how to throw up the SM.
Panasonic's 'Share The Air' Website
Published: 12:06 a.m. PT by Me
So I just caught this, don't know how long it's been online but Panasonic (makers of fine electronics and the Panasonic Open) has a website up called 'Share The Air' that features some top skaters prominently. The site has 6 main sections including a blog section featuring guys like Eric Koston, Mike Carroll, photographer Atiba Jefferson, and Girl team manager Sam Smyth, a Ryan Sheckler section full of juicy bits of info (you like that I just used the word "juicy" huh?), a tour section for Dew Tour shots/videos, a gear section hocking Panasonic stuff, and a photo and video section where visitors can upload their shots/footage (taken presumably with Panasonic equipment). Of course the site is dedicated to pushing Panasonic products on visitors but even if you ain't up on buying anything Panasonic it's still a cool site to check out, specifically the blogs which, contrary to my belief, actually do get updated by guys like Koston. If you're interested you can check out the 'Share The Air' website here.
Billabong's Mundaka DocumentaryPublished: 12:01 a.m. PT by Me
While the pros wait it out for better conditions they'll also be able to take a self-reflective look at themselves by catching a screening of the documentary Billabong produced on the village of Mundaka. 'Mundaka' is a 46-minute chronicle of the history of the Basque village which has now become one of the landmarks of surf due to its hosting of the annual WCT Billabong Pro Mundaka. Not content to be just about the surfing the film tries to explore, through interviews with many of the locals, the community around Mundaka and find out what kind of impact the sudden increase in attention (and visitors) it's gotten ever since the surfers "moved in" 3 decades ago. Though for now you probably can only sit and imagine what the film will be like, unless you are actually at Mundaka, keep an eye out for more on the film as it will begin premiering at different film festivals across the globe. For more details on the film check the link here.
FIS World Cup Big Air In Rotterdam
Published: 12:00 a.m. PT by Me
After starting off it's season in Chile with SBX, the FIS Snowboarding World Cup is moving its way to the Netherlands (Rotterdam to be exact) tomorrow, and this time around its all about Big Air. Among those looking to compete will be Antti Autti, World Cup defending champ Peetu Piiroinen, Stefan Gimpi, and Benedikt Nadig amongst a field of 74 riders. Given the showing the last time the FIS Cup showed up in Rotterdam (2005 where roughly 15,000 were in attendance) tomorrow's event should be a definitely something to keep an eye on. For more on the FIS Snowboarding World Cup Big Air at Rotterdamn check out this preview.
October 5, 2007
Don't Forget: Goofy vs. Regular Webcast
Published: 1:04 p.m. PT by Me
Alright if you're not in town, and by town we mean Southern California, for the skating bonanza known as Etnies' Goofy vs. Regular you might want to get down with the webcast available through IBN Sports. Much of the early afternoon will be spent on practices but competition will pick up around 2pm with the Women's Bowl Contest followed by the Grand Master's Bowl Qualifying shortly after. Action will then pick up in the evening with Pro Bowl Qualifying (if you can see the pattern you can see that today is a day of Bowl skating), followed by the Grand Master's Bowl Finals, and then finishing up with the Pro Bowl Finals. Watch the webcast of GvR right here.
Now if you aren't sure what the Goofy vs. Regular contest is all about read up on it here so you can be fully prepped before you hit the webcast.
Frontline Rail Jam
Published: 12:37 p.m. PT by Me
We know you're probably not reading this from Sweden or anywhere close to Scandanavia but we felt it's worth keeping you up-to-date on the Frontline Rail Jam happening in Stockholm tomorrow. Who knows maybe you can use the info to impress your friends or that special someone you look at with adoring eyes. The Rail Jam is a session that's put on by the clothing company, Frontline, featuring some of the top jibbers around (especially of the Northern European variety) such as Marc Frank Montoya, Joni Malmi, Kareem El Rafie, and others. Plus this year they'll be putting up a mini-ramp for skaters to do damage on right next to the session, and you know it can't be that bad of an event if they're promoting the after-party (featuring MFM on the wheels of steel) as much as the event itself (I really can't tell if I'm being sarcastic right now).
To get an idea of how the action at the Frontline Rail Jam goes down check out the photo gallery of the 2006 Rail Jam over at Frontline's site then keep a look out either there or here for some type of wrap up coverage of the 2007 Jam once it finishes up, unless of course you are actually reading this from Stockholm in which case you could probably just actually go.
Published: 11:36 a.m. PT by Cary
Are you young but remember the 80's like some of these hipsters seem to? Or are you old and consistently try to relive old memories/glories like Sylvester Stallone does? If you answered yes at any time to one of those questions then you might remember Jim Phillips, he was the art designer for Santa Cruz Skateboards who came up with one of the most lasting images from skate art history, the Screaming Hand (other candidates: the Bones Brigade logo, the Powell logo, and Vans logo). Come December, thanks in part to toy company, Made By Monsters, and website, Garage Works Industries, the Screaming Hand will be available to you in a new, unique form as a model figure (see the pic) for $100. Though I may sound like George Foreman, or now Evander Holyfield, shilling out a product like an unbelievable effective fat-fighting grill, this Screaming Hand model is really pretty cool. Imagine putting it on like a plain white shelf on a plain white wall, not cluttered with random stuff like it was a TGIFridays but with some design and class. You get the idea right? Now just imagine yourself putting $100 into the pockets of Garage Works Industries.
Another Lay Day in Spain for Billabong Pro
Published: 2:23 a.m. PT by Me
Mick Fanning is just going to have to wait another day or two before he can continue his quest for the Foster's ASP World Tour title. The Billabong Pro Mundaka will not run today -- for the third straigh day -- after conditions at both Mundaka and the back-up site at Bakio were deemed unacceptable.
"It was a tough call today because there is a fair bit of swell but the banks here at Bakio are really straight and are closing out,” Contest Director Mike Parsons said. “We have eight days left in the waiting period and a lot can change here in Europe so we’re going to gamble a little bit. We’re expecting another little swell on Sunday and Monday so we’re going to see what happens then. We’re still hoping the weather maps will change and toward the end of the waiting period we’ll get some good Mundaka, but between now and then we’ll probably have to surf again here at Bakio – it just wasn’t good enough today.”
Ummmm, so that may make it seem like no surfing on Saturday, either... Oh well. Surfers are enjoying the time off, as you can see in a couple of shots below...
Aussie Mick Lowe gets baby-sitting duties.
Fred Patacchia relaxes...
Friends, Family and Athletes of Vans Check Out the New Digs
Published: 2:09 a.m. PT by Greg
As you may or may not know, Vans made a move to some new digs in Cypress back in April and is finally ready to show the new office off to the world.
The company held an open house yesterday, inviting friends and family of employees, athletes and others in the industry to partake in a mini-festival of food, drink, music, as well as tours of the office. While the first three things were great (some of the food was catered by Wahoo's Fish Tacos), the interior of the offices were the real treat for most.
After entering the building, visitors walked down a main hallway lined with display cases featuring Vans memorabilia from its very beginning to the present. Some of the goodies include a classic Tony Alva deck, original shoe designs and related cultural bits and pieces, including records, books and film clips of movies like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
After making the walk, visitors could check out the bowl/half-pipe that is set up next to the warehouse. Those who wanted to drop in could alongside pros like Christian Hosoi, Steve Caballero and Omar Hassan. Among those who took advantage were NorCal skater Josh Mattson, who shredded, and young Greyson Fletcher, hot off "John From Cincinnati."
Once done with the ramp, people found their way to the Vans showrooms (probably conference rooms, actually) to see some of the dozens of shoe models the company has, along with other clothes and gear.
From there, people could see some of the regular office space, or go outside to enjoy some tunes and grab some food. And on hand, of course, was the converted van that is featured in the Vans commercials that has a small miniramp inside. But it wasn't being used. Too bad.
Check out a couple of pics below or our small gallery from the event.
Shoes, shoes and more shoes...
Greyson Fletcher -- surfer on HBO, skater in real life.
NorCal's Josh Mattson shredded in the bowl.
The Santa Cruz Sentinel Previews The WQS Cold Water Classic
Published: 1:55 a.m. PT by Me
The hometown paper of the ASP 4 Star Cold Water Classic, to be held from October 9th to the 14th, has done a nice feature/preview on the Classic. Using the story of Bobby Martinez as a case study the article focuses on the ability of the Classic to boost the standings of aspiring WQS pros, especially local ones since the Cold Water Classic is the only WQS event held in Northern California as well as being the last WQS stop in the Continental United States each season. In the case of Martinez you had a surfer who was struggling to qualify for the "big leagues" (the WCT) needing both a point boost and a monetary boost which was provided for by his win at the Classic. The win then helped launch him into the top 2 of the WQS which subsequently qualified him for the WCT and which point his career took off (ASP Rookie Of The Year Award, currently sitting at #13 in the WCT standings, all that jazz).
And it isn't necessarily only Martinez who's benefited from a CWC win, both Taylor Knox and Joel Parkinson have felt similar boosts afer they've won in the past. Not to mention the fact that the Classic also gives locals and juniors a chance to shine. In the case of locals, the CWC offers 4 wildcard-like slots for local surfers who might not participate in as many contests, by having them participate in a 16-man trial. For juniors the Cold Water Classic is also host to the North America Oakley Pro Junior National Championships (it's actually the final stop for the North American Championships) which is acts as a qualifying event for the greater Billabong ASP World Junior Championships as well as the Macy’s California Trifecta Surf Series. All of this makes the Cold Water Classic seem like some type of event of epic proportions huh? Well we're not be going that far, but the Santa Cruz Sentinel article might be. Read it here.
Awesome Chicks And Crossdressers Unite!: The Core Action Sports Winter Fashion Flurry
Published: 1:44 a.m. PT by Me
Core Action Sports is a nice website based in Denver dedicated to promoting and providing for women in the action sports. Well next week (October 12th) they're going to have their coming-out or we've-been-out party with the 'Core Action Sports Winter Fashion Flurry' in their home town. The Fashion Flurry is gonna be a gala event featuring a runway show (with models donning clothes from Nikita, Orage, Vans, Betty Rides, Roxy and Section so you know it's good stuff), skate demo, live music (with Dressy Bessy), athlete drop-ins and also an auction for the Boarding For Breast Cancer organization.
The best part is the whole event is gonna be open to the public (including scumbags like me) minus an entrance fee with the first 200 in will getting a grab-bag of free swag. So seriously you should consider going regardless of if you're a girl or not (*an overused idea that never gets old: bring a date/girlfriend), I mean it can't be as bad as Stove Top with Timmy right? If you're interested get the event details here at their website.
Published: 1:19 a.m. PT by Cary
If you missed the WWA World Wakeboarding Championships that went down in Reno last week Fuel TV is offering you a chance to catch the event (or at least highlights from the event) this coming Monday night (9:30pm, October 8th). I'm tempted to tell you some of what you'll be seeing - like who won, best trick, etc. the good stuff you know - but I don't wanna play the role of spoiler because seriously that didn't work out to well for me that time I told everyone about the ending to the 2000 presidential election (man were those people pissed...and they still hold it against me). So in this case all I'll tell you to do is stay tuned to Fuel TV and keep an eye out for Phillip Soven and Amber Wing (*wink wink*). Wayyyyy Late Tampa Pro Am Clip
Published: 12:33 a.m. PT by Me
Alright so I've been putting off posting the highlights clip StrangeNotes has put up of the 2007 Tampa Pro Am, partly because it's an event that has been over for some time now and partly because it's being posted on a lot of other skate sites, but the clip is just to dope to be ignored. Beyond Eric Koston's crazy run you've also got guys like Greg Lutzka and Adam Dyet pulling some amazing tricks, which makes it totally worth the post. Here check out the clip yourself at the StrangeNotes website.
Oh yeah for there's also the 3rd part of Emerica's Wild Ride/Chris Senn feature worth checking out on 'Epicly Later'd' at VBS.tv (again the Webcast channel for Vice Magazine). Watch the clip here.
More Nike SB Premiere Photos
Published: 12:04 a.m. PT by Me
As a quick update to yesterday's entry about Huf's photos from the Nike SB 'Nothing But The Truth' premiere, Slap, Thrasher, 411, and Vital Skate have put up more extensive photos (and video) from the premiere. Get a fuller picture of the night from Slap here, from Thrasher here, from 411VM here, and from Vital here.
October 4, 2007
Ballots Open For Thrasher's Skater Of The YearPublished: 2:09 a.m. PT by Cary
Thrasher Magazine's Skater Of The Year award has been a staple in skateboarding for decades. Among past winners there have been Daewon Song (last year), Chris Cole (2005), Arto Saari (2001), Andrew Reynolds (1998), Eric Koston (1996), Salman Agah (who I distinctly remember winning it the year I started skating...1993...man I'm old) and yes of course Tony Hawk (the inaugural winner in 1990).
Well it's getting to be that time of the year for Thrasher to name another one and here's your chance at becoming a part (though only minor) of the whole process. Voting has now begun for the award and unlike our political system, where you're only allowed to vote for predetermined candidates, your votes can be for anyone you choose. Just email Thrasher at soty2007@thrashermagazine.com with your choice in the subject header. Please refrain from doing something stupid like voting for Tay Zonday or something, this is serious.
Video Roundup: Organika Oakland, Black & Blue Trailer, Foundation's King Of The Road, Cliche's Gypsy Tour 2, and Paul Rodriguez At The X Games
Published: 2:00 a.m. PT by Me
• Organika Skateboards' got Karl Watson, Walker Ryan, Kelly Hard, and Jack Curtin hitting up one of those freeway/road barrier things in Oakland here.
• Vox Footwear has a trailer up for their video Black & Blue Volume 2 (hey that rhymes) which features their team riders. Check out the clip here and if you're interested you can pick it up at your nearest skate shop since it's already available for purchase.
• Thrasher Magazine has a clip of Foundation's part in their King Of The Road segment here.
• Fuel TV has the second clip from Cliche's Gypsy Tour 2 with some French language thrown in (since Cliche is a French brand). Check the clip, along with other Gypsy Tour clips, here.
• Active has pasted together highlights from Paul Rodriguez at X Games 13 and posted them up right here.
• DC's got footage of their European team's trip to Italy, check it out here.
Writers Of Article Lack Corneas
Published: 1:43 a.m. PT by Cary
In a mistake of 'Crying Game' proportions (I'm talking about the mistake I made in watching the ending to 'Crying Game' not the ending itself) a writer from the lovely British periodical The Telegraph has dubbed what is obviously a bike with extra wheels, "The Half-Skateboard, Half-Surfboard Bike". Take a look at the picture we've included here and tell me this reporter isn't Oedipus Rex (post-incest-learning Oedipus that is)...I mean it's a BIKE with four (admittedly feminine) wheels instead of the front wheel. Yet based on his crazy logic the four front wheels in someway evoke a skateboard while the ability to lean into turns evokes a surfboard. Makes you wonder how this guy passed Junior-High Biology class (specifically the unit dealing with Classification). Just think of what he might have called a zebra (a "half-oreo, half-shirt-on-a-Jersey-Shore-party-goer horse"?), or a hyena (a "half-fox, half-Miami Sound Machine, dog"?), or even Dolph Lungren (a "half-man, half-killing machine object of my affection"?). I mean seriously is the content of the article even worth mentioning? The answer: No.
Published: 1:22 a.m. PT by Me
If you've ever been to San Francisco you would know how big bicycling is there, what with the impracticality of driving, the hilly streets and the general liberal culture. You'd also know about the dangers of bicycling in San Francisco too, what with the dense traffic, hilly and narrow streets, and the spontaneity of things (random obstacles).
Well 'Mash' is a film dedicated to exploring all aspects of bicycling in San Francisco, from the inspiring feeling of riding to the physical dangers of riding, with an artistic touch as the film is helmed by photographers Mike Martin and Gabe Morford (if you can imagine a Girl/Chocolate skate video production but done for fixed-gear bicycling then you'd get the idea).
'Mash' will be having its Los Angeles premiere October 13th (next Saturday) at the Vine Theater in Hollywood, so if you were interested in catching the film keep your calendar open that night. And as a teaser check out the trailer at the film's official homepage.
MHI's Andy Warhol Decks
Published: 12:51 a.m. PT by Me
You thought we forgot about informing you about all the "cool" "hip" stuff that'll get you looks "on the streetz"? Well you thought wrong. This time around with help from High Snobiety we got clothing line MHI's collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation skateboard decks. If you didn't know the Andy Warhol Foundation is now working with several clothing/product lines (i.e. Levis) to produce work featuring famous Warhol motifs. In this case it's the print screening motif that was utilized in the set of 4 decks, here check out what some of the decks look like (photos courtesy of High Snobiety), and if you were interested you can pick 'em up at Hanon.
NORA Cup Party Photos / Some 'Nothing But The Truth' Premiere Photos
Published: 12:29 A.m. PT by Me
In case you missed out on the NORA Cup Awards, or you just like photoshopping yourself into other people's pictures, check out Transworld BMX's photo gallery from the Awards afterparty. Like most photo galleries we come across there's always the either one completely wasted person in the group or the one who's acting like they're completely wasted, you try to spot him. You can find the NORA Cup Afterparty Photo Gallery here.
Oh yeah also check out Keith Hufnagel's photos (albeit only a few) from his trip to L.A. for the Nike SB 'Nothing But The Truth' film premiere at his Honeyee blog.
Metro Ski And Snowboard Show Tickets
Published: 12:11 a.m. PT by Me
The Metro Ski And Snowboard Show is the annual ski and snowboard expo/gala type thing held in London that unofficially marks the start of the snow season in that country. The show always features lots of demos, booths, products, and all around stuff of interest for the ski/snowboard enthusiast. This year the show will be held in a 5 day span from October 24th to the 28th and it will feature things like a Rail Jam hosted by Burton, an Ice Rink, an art gallery of board designs, an indoor quarterpipe, and a village of resort vendors among other unique features.
Needless to say the event is something worth hitting up if you are in town (we realize for many of you this is a totally different continent we're talking about), and luckily Nollie.tv is giving away some free weekday tickets to the show, so if you are a native Brit or happened to be headed to London around the time here's your chance to live out a pseudo-'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory' dream. Entry details here.
