Core stores hit hard in November

In a troubling sign that consumers are retrenching this holiday season, consumer spending and orders for durable goods fell further in November, according to government reports released Wednesday.

A Commerce Department report showed spending by individuals fell 0.6% last month, after falling 1% in October. It was the fifth consecutive monthly decrease. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a 0.8% drop.

Falling consumer prices contributed heavily to the decline in overall spending. When prices were not taken into account, spending actually rose by 0.6%.

The so-called core PCE deflator rose by just 1.0% in the past 12 months, down from 2% by that measure in October. The key reading, which measures prices paid by consumers for goods and services other than food and energy, echoes a Labor Department report released last week that showed consumer prices fell by a record amount for the second straight month.

Still, declining overall spending is a worrisome sign for the holiday shopping season. It's particularly troubling for the economy, because consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of the nation's gross domestic product.

cnnmoney

patthe

Look at me I'm shy G

patthe

REDLINING

Redlining is the practice of denying or increasing the cost of services such as banking, insurance, access to jobs,[2] access to health care,[3] or even supermarkets[4] to residents in certain often racially determined[5] areas. The term "redlining" was coined in the late 1960s by community activists in Chicago. It describes the practice of marking a red line on a map to delineate the area where banks would not invest; later the term was applied to discrimination against a particular group of people (usually by race or sex) no matter the geography. During the heyday of redlining these areas were most frequently black inner city neighborhoods. Through at least the 1990s this discrimination involved lending to lower income whites but not to middle or upper income blacks.(ref: Immergluck, Dedman.

patthe

Product Preview: 2009/10 Men’s and Women’s Outerwear

patthe

Romain DeMarchi On Flux Bindings

According to Romain, “I hope to have a long and fruitful relationship with the Flux family. I am so happy to finally be able to team up with a company that recognizes what being core is all about. Together, we’re gonna rule the world!”

When asked why he chose to team up with Flux he responds, “Back in the day, before I was riding for the B, I was using Flux bindings. I always remembered how comfortable they were and how beautiful they looked. After leaving my previous sponsor, I felt that I would go back to my roots and align myself with a company that represented a core image. I’ve always seen myself on Flux, so here I am, back on Flux.”

The addition of Romain to the Flux family will definitely have a positive impact for Flux Bindings internationally.

flux-bindings.com

patthe

My photostream on flickr

clic right here patthe

The Comune

COMUNE sprung from the need to rebel against the complacency of a corporate run environment and the disposable trends they wanted us to call our own.

Backed by the idea that there will always be people out there who not only embrace the rawness and imperfections of every day life but use it to creatively push the boundaries of what’s possible in board sports, fashion, art, and music their own way, with complete disregard of the consequences.

Our goal is to provide clothing that reflects this lifestyle of carefree idealismand to support the people that choose to live it.

patthe

Signal has teamed up with Chris Miller to create an impressive outerwear line

The Lodge, CA – Signal has teamed up with Chris Miller to create an impressive outerwear line that is both accessible and stylish. They have kept the line simple by focusing on quality, key price points and features that work. Every style can be merchandised together including beanies and T’s. Signal jackets and pants are fully loaded with features like media pockets, goggle wipes, 9 point adjustable hoods, critical or fully taped seams and waterproof/breathable ratings of 10,000mm / 5,000gm/24hrs. “I am really proud of this line. The colors and prints look great, every piece is ready to ride and very sellable. In this market it’s important for specialty shops to offer great product that can’t be found at every big box in town. We designed Signal Outerwear to fill that void of high quality, stylish outerwear that is priced right.” Says Chris Miller on the premiere of Signal Outerwear.


FUNderful Teaser from Signal Snowboards on Vimeo.

patthe

Jeremy Jones wears Gravis shoes

Jeremy Jones Boardroom

The new skate 2 videogame

Skate 2 Intro Cinematic from shad lambert on Vimeo.

Skate 2 Hits Stores January

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - November 25, 2008 - Black Box, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Skate 2, the sequel to the genre-defining original game will hit retailers in North America on January 21st, 2009 and worldwide on January 23rd, 2009 - making it one of the first must-have games of 2009. Players that can't wait until January can indulge their irrepressible Skate craving even sooner, with the Graphics Creator, a web-based customization tool launching next month on www.skate.ea.com. For those in North America anxious to shred the streets in blaring style can pre-order now for an exclusive code to unlock the Throwback Pack, a special upgrade pack that includes retro clothing, accessories and gestures.

The Graphics Creator is a web-based application that ups the ante in self-expression. With this tool, gamers have the freedom to create custom graphics for their in-game hats, decks and shirts, infusing their skateboarding experience with an unrivaled level of individuality. The Throwback Pack features a variety of retro stylings including, tie-dye t-shirts, Skate or Die apparel, Robot and ‘Window Shade' sunglasses, gestures circa the hippie-age and much more!

Skate 2 brings gamers to New San Vanelona, a city that's been rebuilt after an unspeakable disaster five years ago. Equipped with double the bag of tricks, players are tasked to rebuild their career and revive the skate scene. Now with the ability to get off-board and move objects around, gamers can create their own epic spots and challenges which can then be uploaded, shared and experienced by others around the world.

Skate 2 ups the ante in delivering all the grit, creativity and culture of skateboarding with all-new tricks that allow players to truly skate it their way - on and off the board. Skate 2 is developed by Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts in Vancouver, British Columbia and will be available on the Xbox 360^TM video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The game is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB and is not yet rated by PEGI.

Those that want to skate indoors over the holidays can enjoy Skate It with family and friends on the Wii^TM and the Nintendo DS^TM available in stores now.



patthe

Photo Editor Nick Hamilton and photographer Jeff Curtes tried to lay some plans to produce a Terje Haakonsen cover somewhere within this volume of mags. The thing is, Haakonsen is the one who holds the cards in this game. During a trip to New Zealand in the summer, Haakon went all in and came home with this cover shot. Jeff Curtes explains how it came about: “Terje spotted this mountain with four distinct chutes—that had been unridden—and wanted to get a drop-off. I immediately reacted, knowing that the shit was about to go down. It was already after 4:00 p.m., and although the light was just getting really incredible, it was a panic in that it was nearing the time that the heli was due home and fuel became a concern.



“The rest is a blur. The temps were freezing and I couldn’t feel my hands. The vertigo was setting in big time. I think it was due to the fact that I never could truly relax because I didn’t trust my seatbelt (and shot the entire session one-handed, keeping a firm grip on the seat with my left hand.) I almost puked. The noise—definitely the hardest part of shooting from a moving heli—makes it impossible to tell if your camera is firing, or if you’re blowing it all. All my problems and obstacles to overcome were insignificant compared to what was happening on the snow—fast and furious. No one telling anyone where to ride or what trick to do—Terje rides and we shoot. It’s that simple. He shredded the mountain in exactly the style that makes him the legend he is—nonstop hot laps on the soon-to-be-named 4 Tracks. He was ripping the epic conditions and jumping into the heli for each bump with a shit-eating grin on his face.”

patthe

QUIKSILVER NEWS

Net revenue at the company, which sells its surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding products under Quiksilver, Roxy, DC and Hawk brands, rose 3 percent to $606.9 million.


ASR:Quiksilver decided it would use other, more cost-effective means to meet with its customers including continuing the regular meetings between sales reps, executives and retailers that happen frequently. He also said Quiksilver will revisit its decision and evaluate conditions when the time comes to see if the company will attend the September show.

Liquidity and debt: Quiksilver said banks were more willing to work with the company now that it has sold the risky hardgoods ski business. The company said during the call it has $215 million of available liquidity and $1.07 billion in debt. Quiksilver is currently working with its bankers in Europe and Australia to refinance its short-term debt, and is also negotiating another term loan to supplement its credit availability in the U.S.

Rossignol sale: Bob McKnight said the sale of Rossignol has eliminated a distraction and is helping employee morale move in the right direction. He said he is proud of the "determination and fight" Quiksilver employees have shown in the tough economic climate.

Retail: The company wants to close 25 underperforming stores, including 21 in the U.S. Nine of the underperforming stores will close in fiscal 2009, and Quiksilver will work to close the rest as soon as possible.

Canada: Canada was a bright spot in both retail and wholesale.


patthe

Torstein Horgmo Signs With Monster Energy

patthe

The 19-year-old phenom, who some are calling the ‘air apparent’ to fellow countryman and snowboard legend Terje Hakonsen, will run the Monster Energy M-claw logo this winter as he gets set to defend his ESPN Winter X Games Big Air gold medal from ’07.
www.snowboardermag.com


“Monster’s everywhere,” says Horgmo, who rides for DC. “A big part of mountain sports all over the world and for sure down with core riders. I’m pumped to be on board with Monster.”

ABOUT VF'S LAYOFFS

Paul Mason, VF's Corporate Communication Director, told us an AP story that said the layoffs are across all units is incorrect. Mason said each business unit makes its own decisions about layoffs, and the Outdoor Coalition has not announced layoffs, Mason said. He did not know if it would in the future. The Outdoor Coalition includes action sports brands Vans and Reef.

Patthe

ASR is more viable then ever this January

Some reasons that ASR is more viable then ever this January:
• Retailers and reps will not be traveling as much this year, making ASR the best chance to influence and obtain purchase commitments from the lucrative west coast buying audience.
• Buyers have been holding off on purchase commitments until they get through the holiday season, so come January dealers will need to re-order product and this provides a great opportunity at ASR to directly advance the sales process.
• Retailers want to meet directly with industry executives. They need to hear about co-op marketing programs, in-store support and brand's plans to do to help retailers.
• Dealers need to network with each other, advocacy groups and exhibitors to collectively determine how to come through this challenging economy intact.
• Brands that maintain their marketing presence will have the best chance of coming through this recession with their company intact, and realize potential sale gains as other brands withdraw and disappear.

patthe

ESTEVAN ORIOL

VIMBY - Estevan Oriol

Estevan Oriol talks about how he got his start, traveling the world and other photographers jocking his style. It's a great video and you get to see Estevan in his office and studio - a nice glimpse into natural habitat of the iconic photographer.

Joyeux Noel - Merry Christmas

Je vous souhaite un Joyeux Noel !!!


Merry Christmas everybody !!!

patthe

A little story about Jeff Brushie

At the time Brushie came onto the scene, snowboarding on the East Coast was very race-competition orientated and way behind the guys in the West in terms of freestyle. He's the one who finally brought the much-needed skate influence to the East Coast scene. Actually a lot of people I interviewed didn’t even realize that Brushie was from Vermont, because no one associated the East Coast with any measure of style. Thank God for creating Jeff Brushie, or at least I guess thank his parents.

Patthe

NEW BOARD COMPANY FROM DCP,SOLBERG AND De MARCHI

Just a little sneak peak from Europe, where legendary pro shredders JP Solberg, DCP, and Romain De Marchi are getting some early-season pow and testing their new boards. They are starting a new board brand that is yet-to-be-named. But, as you can see, the guys are testing new boards with a YES WE CAN base graphic. Stay tuned for more details as they emerge.

PATTHE

David Gravette video

David Gravette from ian on Vimeo.


David Gravette

Alias: Gershwiller, Grevekian, Corvette
Hometown: Issaquah, WA
Birthday: 01/11/1988
Stance: Goofy

Ken Block Gymkhana Practice

This guy knows how to drive a car !!

VOLCOM STONE'S WANDERING WINTERLAND TEASER #1

Wandering Winterland was filmed on location in Europe, Canada, Japan, and the ol' USA. Featuring: Curtis Ciszek, Zac Marben, Kevin Pearce, Cheryl Maas, Bjorn Leines, Blair Habenicht, Pat Moore, Dan Brisse, Scott Stevens, Seth Huot, Ruiki Masuda, Tyler Flanagan, Johnny Lazzareschi, Daniel Brown, Dylan Alito, Shandy Campos, Erik Leines, Bryan Iguchi and friends... With music by ASG, Kandi Coded, ((sounder)), Tweak Bird and Valient Thorr.

Tune in to see Wandering Winterland... The wonders and blunders of Volcom Snowboarding. Premiering December 23rd at 8:00 pm Eastern and Pacific on on Fuel TV.

President Thomas Kennedy has resigned.

Pacific Sunwear of California announced this afternoon that PacSun division President Thomas Kennedy has resigned. He won't be replaced.

I expect we will see more resignations and departures from retailers and brands in coming months.

Here's a little about Tom's background from the company's 2007 annual report that I pulled from the SEC website. His total compensation in 2007 was $1.5 million including stock awards and bonus.

"Thomas M. Kennedy joined the Company in May 2004 as Division President of PacSun. In this position, he has responsibility for all merchandising, design, marketing and store operations of the PacSun concept. Mr. Kennedy has more than 20 years of experience in the retail and apparel industries. Prior to joining the Company, he served Nike, Inc. as Vice President of Global Lifestyle Apparel. Prior to that, Mr. Kennedy served in various merchandising positions in roles of increased responsibility, including Buyer, Merchandise Manager, Divisional Merchandise Manager, and Vice President of Men's Apparel, at The Gap, Inc. within both Gap and Old Navy."

PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Launch Schedule – December 12, 2008

© Doug MacFarlane's Photo

PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Launch Schedule – December 12, 2008:

7:30am - Fresh Tracks Breakfast presented by Nature's Path

8:30am - Mountains open for skiing and riding

10:30am – Official Opening Ceremony gets underway at the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola terminals on both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains

11:00am – Official Ribbon cutting at the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola terminals on both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, and the first rides begin. And get ready for the ultimate thrill, as Red Bull drops in and gives wings to the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Launch.

First Cabin from Blackcomb to Whistler – "Ride of Their Life" contest winners; 22 locals nominated as those who most deserve to be on the first ride;

First Cabin from Whistler to Blackcomb – Auction winners who bid for the seats in the first cabin with proceeds going to the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, supporting community organizations throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor.

11:30am to 1:30pm – Open House in the Roundhouse Lodge featuring an Artist Gallery, a Technology Zone, and a Kids' Corner.

3pm to 5:30pm – Grand Après celebrations take place in Skiers Plaza including the Sugga DJ and video screens courtesy of Red Bull, a live art showcase, plus a kid-friendly performance by well known entertainer Norman Foote from 3:15pm to 4:15pm.

3pm to late – The ultimate après locations – Merlins, Dusty's and the Garibaldi Lift Company – will celebrate the launch well into the night

© Doug MacFarlane's Photo

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - Irvine, CA, December 9, 2008 — Westlife Distribution is set to release the Winter 2009-2010 Times collection featuring KR3W® apparel. The 686 Times line is an annual program that began six years ago and is a collaborative effort between 686 and another premium brand to offer entirely new innovations in products.

For the 2009-20101 winter season, with products shipping in September 2009, KR3W and 686 are offering a collection of men’s outerwear. The 686 X KR3W partnership is a select collection of street-inspired jackets and pants. Each design is a unique collaboration between the 686 design team and KR3W.

” I’m stoked to work with Angel and Ben in coming up with a line that brings skateboarding into snowboarding, the right way.” says Michael Akira West, president and creative director at 686.

The 686 X KR3W Winter Collection reflects simplicity in design, with premium materials, tonal trims and incredible fits. It consists of men’s jackets and pants that mirror popular KR3W styles like the K-Slim pant and the M-65 jacket that have been altered to work specifically for snowboarding. The K-Slim pant features a new proprietary stretch cotton-poly denim that looks and feels like denim but will keep you warm and dry all day long. All of the pieces will be rated 15,000mm/10,000 gm, with fully taped seams and waterproof zippers plus all the technical features you’ve come to expect from 686.

The 686 X KR3W Times Collection will be launching at the SIA tradeshow in Las Vegas, NV from January 27-January 30, ISPO in Munich, Germany from February 1 – February 4and at SBJ in Yokohama, Japan from February 20- February 21, 2009. Please contact your 686 representative for more details.

During a recession, the snow sports market is among the more resilient retail markets. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, overall October retail sales increased 1.6% compared with October 2007, and the sporting goods retail market increased 2.2%

The Internet channel continued to grow at an astounding pace gaining 27% in dollars and 36% in units compared to August to October 2007. Overall, consumers spent $131 million on snow sports equipment, apparel and accessories online. Internet sales comprised 26% of all the dollars consumers spent on snow sports products in the U.S. between August 1 and October 31, 2008.

Specialty shops brought in the lion’s share of snow sports dollars, consumers spent $297 million in snow sports specialty shops August to October compared with $286 million over the same time period in 2007. Alpine ski sales were flat in specialty shops, snowboard sales increased about 7% in dollars and 2% in units sold, and apparel sales, which accounted for almost 40% of all dollars spent in specialty shops, increased by just 3%.

hmmm ooh hooo hooo

It's a mistery to me
we have a greed
with which we have agreed

You think you have to want
more than you need
until you have it all you won't be free

society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me

When you want more than you have
you think you need
and when you think more than you want
your thoughts begin to bleed

I think I need to find a bigger place
'cos when you have more than you think
you need more space

society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

there's those thinking more or less less is more
but if less is more how you're keeping score?
Means for every point you make
your level drops
kinda like its starting from the top
you can't do that...

society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

society, have mercy on me
I hope you're not angry if I disagree
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

Danny Way gets hurt in the mega ramp here in Brasil

Damon Way Interview

The co-founder of DC Shoes and recently appointed brand guru for Incase discusses his streetwear legacy and his plans to keep breaking rules in the retail world.

By Bradley Carbone
Photography by Buddhabong

From sneakers to technology, there’s one thing that separates the products that work from the ones that don’t: details. Damon Way knows this better than most. As co-founder of DC Shoes, the 37-year-old combined a solid foundation in skate culture with business acumen to create a juggernaut. Now Way is hoping to replicate that success as chief brand officer at Incase, an industrial design firm that makes accessories for electronics and innovative luggage. He recently sat with Complex to explain how it started and where it’s headed.

You and DC were at the forefront of artist-sneaker collaborations. Where do you see that heading?

Damon Way: The Aaron Rose project is the last one that I’m going to be working on relative to this concept. The reason I wanted to finish it with Aaron was that it’s kind of symbolic—he was really the platform for this whole piece of culture. He was the first guy to pull this group together, and I thought it would be appropriate to conclude with him. I worked on each of the Artist Projects series [with DC], and the space has become overly diluted. It was time to give it a rest.

You had a hand in designing this winter’s outerwear line for DC. How did that come about?

Damon Way: I had taken a break from designing in order to immerse myself in the brand positioning of DC, but last year we lost our outerwear designer, and I was asked to do it. It was exciting for me to jump into this project, and I was able to create some strong anchor pieces, including the Peter Saville pieces.

What led to you working with Saville?

Damon Way: I had wanted to work with Factory Records and him for a while. I’m a real fan of that period of post-punk music and the identity that he created for Factory and its bands—New Order, Section 25, Joy Division and OMD, to name a few. We wanted to work with Factory Records and Saville, but the prospects of working with the record label became difficult due to the complicated nature of the ownership—or non-ownership, for that matter. So we just focused our efforts on Peter.

What’s the background of Incase?

Damon Way: The brand was started by two industrial designers, Joe Tan and Bobby Chang, in 1997. They started to develop cellphone cases, and that ultimately led to neoprene sleeves for PowerBooks. As Apple retail picked up, there were more opportunities for product solutions, and recently the brand has moved into a more varied product line.

How did you end up hooking up with them?

Damon Way: In 2002 I was on a flight from San Francisco to San Diego, and I sat next to Tony Helb, one of the Incase owners. I had one of their cellphone cases, which caught his attention. We saw an opportunity to position DC within the Apple retail environment and Incase within the skate market.

How did the first collaboration between DC and Incase affect the brands?

Damon Way: The Incase-DC Skate Bag opened a window for Incase to start exploring opportunities within the lifestyle channel. On the DC side, we introduced a well-designed premium backpack that was an absolute game-changer in the skate market.

What is it about working with Incase that appeals to you?

Damon Way: I think it’s important to work with creative people who are operating in a different area of creativity. The industrial design sector is really compelling for me, and it’s a nice lateral move for me to be going from fine artists to product artists.

Where do you draw the line between lifestyle accessories and tech product?

Damon Way: We don’t necessarily think there is a line; for us, Incase is a hybrid of tech and lifestyle. We believe that technology accessories are just as much a part of one’s personal expression as sneakers, caps and sunglasses.

So what’s next for both DC and Incase?

Damon Way: For Incase we’ve got the new EO luggage collection, the Curated by Arkitip series that includes KR and Parra, and messenger bags with Huf and DQM for spring. As for DC, the next step in the SE BMX series will be a P.K. Ripper track bike. I’m working with a fairly reputable industrial designer on a footwear project, but for that you’ll have to wait and see.

Quiksilver News

However, given an uncertain global retail environment, general risk aversion at banks and frozen debt capital markets, we acknowledge that it is possible to envision a scenario where ZQK's bank group invokes call options on the aforementioned short-term lines or refuses to renew them as they expire through 2009 or turn them into long-term, committed lines. Further, it is reasonable to assume that ZQK is unable to raise debt capital and/or refinance its 2010 long-term debt.

STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES-AN OUTRIGHT SALE

Outside of private equity, we believe "other" strategic alternatives include an outright sale of the Company. In that event, we believe the most likely strategic buyer could be VF Corp, which we view as both willing (interested) and able (capacity) to purchase ZQK. In this case, again using conservative comparable transaction multiples, ZQK's equity could command a selling price in the range of $3-$9.

VF Corp is very profitable, throws off lots of free cash and has significant balance sheet capacity to make acquisitions. As of 3Q08, VFCorp had $226 million in cash on its balance sheet along with $1.3 billion in domestic and international lines of credit.

Stock Quotes
DJIA 8635.42 chart+259.18
NASDAQ 1509.31 chart+0.00
S&P 500 876.07 chart+0.00
Billabong Intl Lt 5.40 chart+0.00
Globe Intl Ltd 0.35 chart+0.00
Jarden Cp 13.66 chart+0.00
Pacific Sunwear O 1.89 chart+0.00
V F Cp 54.74 chart+0.00
Quiksilver Cp 1.20 chart+0.00
Zumiez Inc. 9.07 chart+0.00
Abercrombie & Fit 19.27 chart+0.00
Orange 21 Inc. 1.13 chart+0.00
Source Interlink 0.15 chart+0.00
Volcom, Inc. 10.87 chart+0.00
Nike Inc Cl B 53.34 chart+0.00

DC X HOTEL ON RIVINGTON

Hospitality is known for its long hours, unhappy punters, ugly uniforms and excruciatingly sore feet. Skate brand DC have taken this all into effect and teamed up with luxury boutique Hotel on Rivington to create footwear for the hotel's staff. Taking DC’s streamlined SECTOR 7 sneaker from their LIFE collection, it remains subtle enough to be unobtrusive, yet screams comfort and will breath new life into the hip employees of this downtown flophouse.

Recently Added Photos!!

Make sure to check out my photo stream on flickr when you have a minute or two . Snow is starting to fall in Montreal and I manage to get a couple of good shots .

here is my link pat_the


Take care

Patrick Therrien

Patrick Therrien on the Quiet Life

Make sure to check the Quietlife Camera Club web site , they are really cool photos + one of my picture is up there , enjoy !!!

RENCZ/ROMAIN ON EMPIRE

Empire est très fier d?annoncer l'ajout de Mikey Rencz et
Romain De Marchi à son équipe de pro riders de snowboard.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Empire is proud to announce the addition of Mikey Rencz &
Romain De Marchi to our Pro snowboard Athletic Squad.

''Yeah, got the package everything is ill! thanks holmes!''
- Mikey

''Ça me fait vraiment plaisir d'être sur le team . Le Canada est
mon nouveau pays d'adoption et je suis vraiment content que tu me
fasses confiance pour vous représenter.''
- Romain
www.thinkempire.com

Wu Tang Clan

Higher Ground

Burlington, VT
Sun, Jan 4, 2009 09:30 PM

wumovie

Artist Collaboration Conspiracy

Make sure to check out the latest jacket from 686 ACE Series , incredible fit , awesome details. You will be hot even at - 30 degrees . 10 000 reasons to make it yours !!

www.686_A_C_E.COM

R.I.P Underworld on Millen Ave.

After 13 years of business on Millen Ave Underworld will close the door of his first and original shop station 27 on January 11th 2009. The sale is starting right now until January 11th. The entire shop will be on sale so this is a great time to save some money or to do your xmas shopping.

This is a really sad moment for us and we want to thank all our loyal customer for supporting the shop for the last 13 years.

A lot of shit went down is this shop since 1995 and all those special moment will stay in our heart forever.

After January 11th you can still shop at Underworld Montreal in our new location , 251 st-catherine street east

2007/08 SIA Snowboard Sales Summary

Each year, SnowSports Industries America compiles its Intelligence Report from over 10 different snow sports industry studies to give members a comprehensive view of the year that was. It’s nearly 300 pages of analysis include participation data, ski area visits, business trends, demographics, merchandise distribution, and more. Last season’s report just came out and found that snowboarding was a 475 million-dollar business domestically. Here’s who spent those dollars where.

The Program is moving to Vermont

Burton announced today it had begun transitioning The Program from its Irvine, CA offices to Burton’s Vermont headquarters. The move is being touted as an opportunity for The Program’s brands, Forum, Special Blend, and Foursquare, to capitalize on their parent company’s resources, reduce overhead, and focus on core competencies during the current recession.

In the press release, Burton states that the brands’ athlete teams will remain intact and that retailers will benefit from the move through efficiency based price reductions and shortened delivery times.

Stay tuned to Transworld Business for further details.

Here’s the press release:

Irvine, Calif. (December 5, 2008)—The Program, which includes snowboard brands Forum, Special Blend and Foursquare, today announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters to Burlington, Vermont where parent company Burton Snowboards is based. The transition will be complete by early February and will allow The Program to invest more in developing great products and marketing while reducing overhead costs, which is critical during challenging economic periods.

“In tough times like these, we need to be very strategic and efficient so we can continue to invest in our core strengths like product development and marketing, and this move allows us to do just that,” says The Program General Manager Sam Paschel. “In Burlington, The Program will benefit from over 30 years of Burton’s product development, sales and operations expertise while enjoying easy access to Burton’s shared services. And it will be great to have the company close to the mountains where we can easily test product on snow.”

Retailers and riders will also benefit from the move as The Program will operate more efficiently when it is next door to Burton Headquarters. Ultimately, the move will result in better product at a better price and improved product delivery times.

There are no plans to change the distinct personality of the Program brands, and marketing functions will remain separate from Burton. The current Forum, Special Blend and Foursquare pro snowboarders will stay the same, and Program Team Management staff will remain in Southern California.

99 cent DREAMS

Black and white photostream

Hi everyone

Make sure to check my photostream on flickr, new pictures uploaded frequently .
Enjoy and hope you like it , any comments is more than welcome !!!

Thanks

View counts

	Yesterday	This week	Last week	All time
Photos and Videos	13	25	134	819
Photostream	2	20	95	1,565
Sets	0	2	1	7
Collections	0	0	0	0
	15	47	230	2,391

The story of Ken Block

Shaun’s game

First Week Sell Through

There’s been some discussion about TV sales as a good indicator of how Black Friday went. But let’s take a look at some smaller-dollar products, and see how they sold—namely, Shaun’s game .

Shaun White Snowboarding:

Copies sold in U.S.

Wii: 43,042

PS3: 28,174

Xbox 360: 42,953

DS: 8,799

PSP: 7,881

RoadKill

Ron Jon Surf Shop is closing its only California store

Ron Jon Surf Shop is closing its only California store at The Block at Orange.

Many retailers have struggled at The Block, which attracts hordes of teenagers who like to hang out there but don't spend much money.

Here's what the company posted on its website about the closing:

"In 1998 Ron Jon opened our store at The Block in Orange California. The lease for this store has come up for renewal. Unfortunately, we have been unable to negotiate a lease agreement that is economically acceptable to Ron Jon. The California store will close on Monday, December 15th.

We want to thank all of our Ron Jon customers who welcomed our brand to the West Coast and have remained dedicated Ron Jon enthusiasts these past ten years. We will begin our store closing sale the week of November 10th and hope that you will be able to visit us and take part in the savings that this closing will generate."

A History Of Snowboarding in 2 Minutes Flat

Etnies will host a Christmas party complete with free beer for Adidas employees in Oregon next week after hearing the company cancelled its holiday party.

A Funny Business "exclusive":

Firms are cancelling holiday parties in this belt-tightening environment. But the Grinches aren't just Wall Street banks. Even Adidas [ADDYY 15.25 -0.11 (-0.72%) ] is nixing the eggnog this year. The Portland Oregonian reports Adidas' holiday parties cost the athletic apparel/shoe giant $6.3 million. Those must be some parties. Alas, all the year-end festivities for Adidas employees have been cancelled.

It's not the best of times in retail, especially when you could pay your heating bill for what it costs to buy a pair of Nike [NKE 53.53 1.52 (+2.92%) ] shoes.

But one privately-held shoe company is going back to its rebellious skater roots and saying "Bah Humbug!" to the party poopers. Etnies, based in Southern California, is today posting the ad seen here to promote a party it's throwing near Adidas' US headquarters in Portland, Oregon JUST for Adidas employees.

Source: Etnies

That's pretty funny. And nervy. Very skate-ery.

The party is Monday night at "My Father's Place Bar" on Southeast Grand, starting at 7pm and going "until the bar shuts down." Free beer will be flowing, courtesy of PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon to those of you who drink Chardonnay). Why throw a party for workers at a much larger rival in another state? "Just to have some fun," says Etnies VP Don Brown, a former skateboarding champion, who says the party will cost "probably all of $1,000 dollars."

Gee. Thumb your nose (playfully) at a much larger rival, exploit its belt-tightening, get a lot of press, and only spend $1,000. Not bad.

Etnies had $200 million in sales last year, but this year sales are down double digits. Still, the company says it's doing better than publicly traded skater shoe rivals like Vans [VANS 20.55 --- UNCH (0) ], Volcom [VLCM 10.49 0.27 (+2.64%) ] and Quiksilver [ZQK 1.27 -0.02 (-1.55%) ].

But going after Adidas? Aim high! (By the way, under Oregon law PBR can't give away beer...Etnies is buying it at a discount and then "hosting" the party.)

Will anyone show?

I'll have videotape on this story later, both from Etnies headquarters in the OC, and maybe even Adidas HQ in Portland (I hear the Adidas PR team think the ad is the funniest thing its ever seen — wonder if they'll come for the free beer.)

In the upcoming taped piece, you'll learn what to expect from the parties (plural) Etnies is throwing for its own employees this year. (Hint — I learned what "trailer trash tea" is: PBR, ice, and lemon. Nice!)

Stay tuned...

Canada PM vows to stop opposition

The Liberals and New Democrats agreed on Monday to form an alliance, backed by the Bloc Quebecois, saying the Conservative government was failing to tackle Canada's economic problems.

They were also angered by proposals, since rescinded, to eliminate public financing of political parties, which would have hit them hard.

Black Friday week-end

The biggest day for online sales faces tought economic conditions.

Ride more with DC snowboards , funny ad check it out !!!