Industry News on Malakye.com

B$Z: Josh Weis Named VP Sales of Hawthorn Publications

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Josh Weis, Former Powder Mag Publisher, Named VP Sales of Hawthorn Publications
Industry Veteran to Oversee Sales Operations for Custom Ski Magazine Industry Leader

Hawthorn Publications, the leading publisher of ski magazines for snow resorts throughout North America, today announced the appointment of Josh Weis as Vice President of Sales, overseeing the company's US and Canadian sales operations.

A ski industry veteran, Mr. Weis has been with Powder Magazine for over 12 years, serving the award winning publication as Publisher.

At Hawthorn Publications, Mr. Weis will be responsible for business development for the entire North American market and is charged with extending the reach of Hawthorn Publications' custom content products particularly in the snow sports and mountain resort industry. "Josh's passion for and knowledge of the snow sports industry makes him a key player in what will be a key market for Hawthorn's expansion in the coming years," says publisher Jessica Kaiser.

"I look forward to growing our publications to new levels of success in the ski industry, and am honored that I've been asked to lead its future growth and profitability," says Weis.

B$Z: WFX Picks Up New Clients; Releases YouTube Demo Video

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

WFX Picks Up New Clients; Releases YouTube Demo Video
WFX, a global leader in On-Demand PLM Software for fashion Releases its latest 2010 spring upgrade!

Indochine Textiles signs with WFX

Indochine Textiles is one of the largest Apparel trading companies with head office in China signs on to WFX. Indochine has 500 employees across 5 countries and are the prime sourcing partners for reatilers in the United Kingdom with customers including Newlook etc.

Indochine will use WFX to collaborate its global offices, vendors to accelerate product development and sourcing functions. Through WFX, Indochine will connect with its vendor base directly enabling quicker time to market and give customers real time to can track the production of their goods online.

UK retailer White Stuff selects WFX Web PLM for Compliance Management

White Stuff is the fashion lifestyle brand with 64 UK shops and over 100 wholesale accounts in men's and women's clothing and accessories as well as a thriving home shopping business.

In order to manage their corporate social responsibility initiative, White Stuff has partnered with WFX and is rolling out the WFX PLM Compliance Module to ensure their sourcing partners in countries such as India and China adhere to certain compliance standards.
"Through the WFX, our international compliance officers will manage audit visits, work through resolutions, and we'll be able to view all that information in real time." Elissa Loyd, Sourcing Manager.

TEHAMA Signs onto WFX

TEHAMA is one of the fastest growing sportswear and luxury lifestyle brands in the US. TEHAMA signs on to WFX Web PLM in order to collaborate and communicate more efficiently with worldwide development teams.

"WFX provides us with the real-time information necessary to keep everyone in the loop, no matter where or when they may be looking at the information. This allows us to better manage the production process, from the early stages of product development right through to final inspection and delivery." Gord Peters, President of TEHAMA.

More information on TEHAMA can be found at www.tehamainc.com.

B$Z: Transworld Media Offers New Position to Andy Creighton

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Transworld Media Offers New Position of Online Content Manager to Andy Creighton

TransWorld Media is proud to announce Andy Creighton to the newly created position of online content manager in its efforts to increase TransWorld's media presence, drive quality traffic to all six TransWorld sites, be the leader in web content and act as the official voice in all respective sports.

Prior to assuming this role, Creighton acted as the Senior Business Analyst | Online Advertising for Intuit, San Diego, CA. His most recent relevant experience was when he was the Online Sales and Marketing Manager for Nixon, Encinitas, CA where he was responsible for driving traffic to the website through integrated marketing planning and also managed the global web operations and e-commerce functions.

"TransWorld recognizes the importance of the digital world in today's society and has reinvested in restructuring the staff and adding new positions to assume its role as the leader in the digital and social media zones," said Liam Ferguson, Group Publisher, TransWorld Media.

In his new position, Creighton will oversee all six TransWorld site web initiatives to create and maintain an optimal user experience in terms of content, design and usability, while driving traffic and working closely with online editors and web developers to retain and grow traffic.

"I'm really stoked to join the TransWorld team," said Andy. "There is so much amazing content generated here, and I'm really looking forward to working with such talented editors and marketing teams to make our content more findable, accessible and sharable for our global audiences on the web. "I'm very excited about all the potential to take this momentum and make these great TransWorld web properties even better."

Creighton, a native of Philadelphia, who now calls North County, California home, honed his interactive web skills in the very beginning of the dot com craze and has since developed a solid understanding of both the web development and integrated web marketing and social media worlds.

B$Z: Sales in the Chinese Market Continue to Grow

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

ASR Special Report: Sales in the Chinese Market Continue to Grow

Chinese sports markets continue to boom, and ispo China 2010 wows the industry with a new attendance record of 16,000+, more than 20% increase vs. previous year. If you weren't there in Beijing last week, here's your chance to have a look, and consider ispo China as an opportunity for International business.

E&I: Revisit: Grant Brittain

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

E&I: Revisit: Grant Brittain

Grant Brittain lives in Encinitas, CA and is the chief photographer and part owner of The Skateboard Mag. He is also an editorial legend, spanning 3 decades of skateboarding history for numerous magazines, yet his work is not tied to just the skate genre. Grant shows his work often in gallery shows, guest lectures, shoots personal work, landscapes, and is a strong portrait photographer.

The Untold True Story once asked Grant "What's the difference between shooting the Bones Brigade Chin Ramp and say, Gonz during the early nineties or Kerry Getz in this decade? Grant answered by saying:

"The photos are basically the same, back then, you could shoot just about anything and it could get in the mag. Now, it's the Trick of the Week, acceptability of the trick is a bigger factor. Stuff gets old fast. It's a One Up contest and now a video part can pretty much out date a sequence in a mag. Timing in the mag is everything, gotta get it in the mag before it's on video, TV or the Internet. Magazines are up against those other media sources now."

I grew up with Grant's images so naturally he was an influence on my my desire to become a photographer. Last year I interviewed Grant for a post on my website and was able to visit him at "The Mag" in December for a portrait shoot. Since Grant is both a photographer and a magazine publisher, I asked for some words on today's publishing biz with the Q&A below.

* * *

How is The Skateboarding Ma g dealing with the changes in the economy and changes in the publishing industry?

"I think we are able to cope with the whole downturn in the economy a little better than the corporate magazines. We can make snap decisions and tailor the magazine to our economic needs. Corporate entities usually cut staff, we can't do that, we already run on minimal staff and we would have to lay ourselves off, we're the owners, so I guess we aren't going to do that. We run everything pretty lean and smart."

Many publishers are feeling the pressure to shift their printed media over to an online format? How are you balancing the two mediums right now?

"It's (the internet) great for publishing and documenting news. That's one of the reasons we decided not to run that many contests in the mag. By the time we run them in the mag, they are old news. We try to use our internet site to show events, video clips, links to our advertisers and non-advertisers, press releases and other time sensitive overflow from the magazine. There are some things that the printed mag can do and can't do and the same with the web. Used correctly, I think that our site can only serve to enhance the printed side of the magazine�We are not a news outlet as far as the print side goes. The Skateboard Mag in printed form is more about entertainment and the lifestyle, the content we run can be looked at and enjoyed and collected for years to come."

Layback Air by Allen Losi, 1984. Del Mar Skate Ranch. photo by Grant Brittain

If magazines do evolve to a strictly online format, how do you foresee revenue to be generated? Online subscriptions? Online advertisers?

"As far as advertising and selling subscriptions to the Internet site, that's a hard one. Selling ads on a website can be a hard sell. Some advertisers are not all that web savvy, so they don't see the value of running an ad on a website. Web users are used to getting everything for free and are hyper web savvy, if they have to pay for the information, they'll just move on to a free venue. If a magazine wants to try to sell extra online features, archived material, poster downloads, etc., that might be a way to bring in extra revenue. As it stands now, advertising on the site (www.theskateboardmag.com) pays for the site, otherwise it's being subsidized by the Printed Pub. It's all open out there and a big gamble."

Considering the pressure on printed magazines and newspapers, how are you able to keep your magazine relevant in today's market?

"We will continue to publish our magazine. Magazines are and have always been a large part of skateboarding. It's still a big deal for skaters to have their interviews and photos in a magazine. Anyone can be on the internet, good or bad. Magazines are usually better quality than the internet and you plaster your walls with the mag photos."

* * *

Another short interview of GB was posted at Skate Infusion here. Thanks for the words Grant. Much appreciated friend. - JW

View more from Jay Watson on Experts & Insiders

E&I: Eastern Boarders "Last Call" Ten Years Tough

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

E&I: Eastern Boarders "Last Call" Ten Years Tough

Before Eastern Boarder kicks off their 10th annual "LAST CALL" event March 24 at Loon Mountain, NH I got a few words in with Eastern Boarders main man Andy "BUB" Bubnowicz. Bub is also responsible for putting this killer event together year
after year, here is the exclusive interview:

Hey Bub, first off I just want to thank ya for taking some time out and doing this interview as the count down begins to the 10th annual Eastern Boarder's Last Call.

No problem. It�fs crazy that it's already been ten years.

So 10 years in the running, damn thats a long time, can you tell us how this event came in hot onto the east coast snowboard scene?

At that time we had already been holding a few fun, chill events at local mountains like Nashoba Valley where we would easily get over 100 entries every time. Those were long before rails and boxes were in parks unless they were dragged out of the woods or we snuck it on the trail from home. Most were jump and pipe contests. We would toss out some gear and get all the kids pizza. They were fun events, and honestly we were one of very few shops kicking back to kids in any way. We were thinking of how we could step it up and try a bigger event. This time it was more for us though, our friends and the people we spent our money with. So we got the reps involved and just tried to recreate a backyard BBQ type of event. Mount Sunapee in NH was nice enough to let us give it all a go. I guess it worked.

I remember years ago hitching a ride to Ragged Mountain, NH from Burlington, VT at 6 am, when you guys first kicked this event off back in 2001. Even back then it was the most fun contest of the year because it didn�ft even feel like a contest. It was more having fun with your buddies hiking super fun features and shot gunning beers. How has the event kept that �ganti contest�h feel over a decade?

I think it helps that I�fm not a professional event promoter and still just fumble along sometimes making it happen. I have more of a clue now though and most of the sponsors have stuck with us for a few years and we just make it happen. I think struggling a bit keeps it loose if that makes sense. Had someone handed me an outrages amount of money to hold some US OPEN remake I think Last Call may have fizzled out. The riders we attract are all amazing in their own anti amazing way. They understand it, and that�fs who we want there. These riders bust their asses and hike all day for a fairly small purse and some prizes. It�fs always been a jam, drop when you feel like it, and hit what you want to hit if you�fre into it. That keeps the pressure down I think.

You guys keep it fresh/unique and change stuff up every year working with the good crew of park dudes over there at Loon, what are some ideas you guys are working with this year?

That�fs top secret. Until we figure out what the hell we�fre making anyway. Brian Norton and Tom Cat at Loon along with the rest of the park staff and I usually try and sit down to sketch weird transition features up. Loon is on point. Those guys know how to work, and are open to ideas I have that I think most areas would consider too much work to build for one event. We have kicked around some transfer 1/4 pipe, wall ride combos. Possibly bring a more �gtypical�h jump feature back since it�fs been a while. We always have some sort of rail and box garden thing. On the press release you could actually vote for your favorite feature and the winning one is to be built again. The rhythm section might take that one.

With some East Coast heavy hitters making their way to the event year after year, who has left their mark at Last Call in your mind?

Man I wish I had more video of whats happened over the years. Without a doubt Scott Stevens is my favorite. His high energy and ability to find lines and combos makes it so fun to watch him ride. The guy never stops smiling too. He makes everything look fun. �gMullet Man�h back in 2001 was just some random rocker guy that had us all cheering. Chelone is sure to scare the shit out of us somehow every year. Gooner, Chas, Pat Moore, Lago, Luke Mathison, Mike Baker�c. I don�ft know..everyone has something unusual to bring. You always made a good poacher.

Awhile back at Ragged that kid tried that deathly rainbow rail gap, I think it was that same year Shane Flood freaked out and tried a frontside rodeo onto a down rail and how about last year when Chelone Miller sent it upside down over the hip gap. What is it about Last Call that makes riders really go the distance and throw carcass?

If I knew, I would sell it. Every year someone does something so nuts it makes it memorable. It�fs usually warm out and everyones just keeping it fun. It actually makes things really hard on the judges who are trying to watch anywhere from 2-6 guys dropping at the same time and all throwing down. Events where you sit and wait for your name to be called out so you can drop I feel get old fast. Riders don�ft want to do that shit. They hit features when they�fre feeling it. That makes for the best action. Nobody sees it coming and then people just freak out and cheer each other on.

Oh by the way I saw your Eastern Boarder warehouse guy on "Thrasher's Hall of Meat" this last week. He took one to the dome pretty hard on that one hu?

Yeah that's Hans. He's awesome. He's so miserable and grumpy half the day it�fs fun to bust on him. That was a brutal fall to the chops. He didn�ft show up to work the next day. Right after he hit he pounded a bunch of beers and left. Legend has it that he ended up sort of lost and being picked up by a cop and brought home. His face must have looked like a fucking balloon.

What names can we expect to see at Eastern Boarder�fs 10��th Annual LAST CALL riders list?

We do our best to bring in the top of the New England scene. I make a personal invite to our reps so the guys they hook up can get in. That way we know the level of riding is above the norm. It is somewhat of a who�fs who after ten years so it�fs fast moving and there�fs never a dull moment. Mutty is bringing some heavies again like Lago, Reis, Humpy, Fortier. With 32 involved they�fre supposed to bring Scotty, Chris Berseford, Grendy was on the list but he was hurt. ( get better quick Chris ) K2 brings some guys in. Shaun Murphy, Yale, �cWe try and cap it at 80 riders. So many guys are just so damn good.

You guys put up a pretty hefty amount of prize money and an Oakley watch every year right? Whats the cash purse for 2k10?

I don�ft know if it�fs really heavy but I can tell you it�fs never easy to get the money up. It falls between 4-6G each year. It depends on the year. K2 and Oakley have really been our backbone in the years they have been on board. Thirty Two came on for the first time this year and was pretty generous too. Last Call just needs to hopefully pay for itself. Nobody stuffs their pockets here. The cash goes to the riders. This year has been especially rough on anyone in the industry so I can�ft thank the sponsors enough. They keep us rolling.

Do you guys have a beer sponsor yet? After a decade I�fm sure the finest fun soda company out there would come through with a pallet or two.

Sam Adams is helping out in one of Loons bars right after things shut down on the trail. The party thing has always been really touchy. Loons pretty strict which I totally understand. Since most people can�ft be responsible for themselves and their actions, the days of the ski area party at most mountains has mellowed. My first into to the industry was working in rentals when I was a kid. Watching all the guys blowing lines and cracking beers at work was a trip. I always thought it was the raddest job ever. It was all part of the environment back then but things changed. I remember at Sunapee they were pretty cool about having a beer garden set up at the bottom of the pipe for us. I had to wear a radio that day so management could yell at me to keep the party in the garden. I did what I could. But our buddy Gorms blew that out of the water by tossing out about 100 tall boys to anyone with hands. Ragged Mtn. was a complete shit show and it was awesome. There were fireworks and it was at a possible party peak. We lit rails on fire and just went bananas. Tony Deleo had a keg and a handle of jack in his �gdemo tent�h in plain view of anyone there to ski that day. I have to say Ragged really allowed us to be us. Things are more mellow now which is fine. Even the name alone �gLast Call�h has been an issue at times with a couple sponsors. I respect Loon big time. The staff there is incredible and they�fre a gracious host. I would rather have the type of park they can build than the party on the trail. We can all get our drink on later after the riding winds down.

While we�fre on the subject, wheres the after party this year? Nothing like a good ole East Coast party after an event like that.

When all is over and the 10% rule starts we�fll be in the Bunyan room under the gondola for pre game. The majority of the people hopefully grab a hotel room and catch up with us downtown in Woodstock. Most likely at the Station again. The smart ones will have a DD or use the town shuttle. The rest just have a more interesting story to tell for the next week.

Any shout outs or big ups you�fd like to throw out there?

Yup..first of all every single customer that has been there to support Eastern Boarder for the last 20 years, or for that matter any other true brick and mortar shop that�fs still got it�fs doors open. Thanks to our reps that understand the fine balance of friendship and business. All of our friends and team riders.

For Last Call 2010�cthank you K2, Oakley, 32, Redbull, NXTZ, Scion, Skullcandy, Dakine, the riders, and of course everyone at Loon Mtn. that's helping to keep it going.

More cheers & more beers to you BUB. Thanks for doing this interview see you on March 24 at LOON, NH.

View more from Tim Benasich on Experts & Insiders

E&I: Step Up Your Branding

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

E&I: Step Up Your Branding

I wanted to share a specific idea I thought might be a great way to be the center of it all in your branding or messaging at an event. Everyone wants to be highly visible and creative with their branding. Here's a way to do so at a rail jam or any rail competition for that matter.

Put your logo on the playing surface�the stairs. At a rail competition, you have a captive audience on one feature that everyone is watching and on which all the photos will be taken. Brand it. Don't settle for a banner in the background. Take the next step and it will pay off. I mentioned in an earlier post about putting your brand and make your impression as close to where a moment of adrenaline occurs for consumers and the stickiness and effectiveness of the impression will be greater. This is a way to do just that. There is strong purchasing power in moments of adrenaline for consumers whether you are actively doing the sport or activity or even simply watching.

I'll have to caveat this and make you aware of the fact that a company, Upstairs Media, has a patent on the production and installation of advertising for this specific use (and no they are not paying me to post this�unfortunately) so you will have to use them to execute it. Don't just create your own and put it in your event�they might hunt you down. I've spoken with them in the past and got estimates for my own potenial use. You will pay a premium because they are the only ones who can do this, and they know it. But if the event and audience is big enough, it could be worth it.

A couple examples of uses of this medium and another example of where you could use it:

So, looking for a creative way to stand out at an event? Think big, think of moments, think right at the center of it all.

View more from Matt Lowstetter on Experts & Insiders

B$Z: Liquid Force Jumps On-board With Johnny Greaves Motorsports for TORC 2010 Season

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Liquid Force Jumps On-board With Johnny Greaves Motorsports for TORC 2010 Season

Off-Road Champion Johnny Greaves is proud to announce that Liquid Force, maker of premium wakeboards and apparel, is joining the Monster Energy Forest County Potawatomi Toyota Race Team for the 2010 Season of The Traxxas TORC Series. Greaves, the most prolific winner in short-course racing, will add Liquid Force to its Pro 4 and Pro 2 teams driven by himself and Jeremy McGrath.

"Liquid Force is the top name in the water sports industry and I am very excited to associate with Matt Gleason and the team there", added Greaves. "I'm a long time fan and user of their products, and that makes it more fun to add them to our team".

Matt Gleason, Director of Marketing for Liquid Force, had this to say about the new sponsorship, "Johnny Greaves and Jeremy McGrath are great champions and Liquid Force is pleased to join such a great team for its entry into motorsports. This is an excellent cross-marketing opportunity for us and TORC's great TV package and nationwide exposure offers us a great fit. We are looking forward to exposing Liquid Force products to the off-road community and TORC fans world-wide."

"I attended the Crandon TORC race last fall and was blown away by the enthusiasm of the off-road fans and knew right away that this would be a great sport to get Liquid Force involved in," Gleason continued. "This is going to be a lot of fun working with Johnny & Jeremy and a great fit for our brand!"

E&I: Infinity's Urban Stand Up Paddle Boarding in the LA River

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

E&I: Infinity's Urban Stand Up Paddle Boarding in the LA River

Dave Boehne owner of Infinity Surf Shop in Dana Point takes a little journey to LA to see what its like to paddle board down the LA river. This is what we like to call "City Surf"

View more from Mike Quilliam on Experts & Insiders

Malakye Now: Office Booyz Recap & Photos | Battalion Battles B2B | Jobs Ripe & Ready!

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The third annual Office Booyz Industry Snowboard Contest went wild at Bear Mountain Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010. Costumes, spandex, Nerf guns, sprinting coffee mugs and a plethora of other shenanigans were just the tip of the iceberg at OB. This year's contest was self righteously entitled the O.B.LYMPICs. Most people train their entire lives to become Olympians, yet it only took three years for all the participating desk jockeys in the action sports industry to solidify their stance as O.B.LYMPIANs. MORE >>

Battalion Advertising & Design is an independent social design agency that specializes in creating and sustaining marketing conversations between brands and their audiences by engineering ideas that can work across multiple media platforms. Some of its current clients include Bam Margera & Crew, Destination Golf, Firebird Longboards, Loveland Ski Area, Prestige Imports and Tony's Markets. If you're looking for a shop that handles creative advertising, graphic design, interactive mobile to microsites, social media and more, give Battalion a call today!

OFFICE BOOYZ INDUSTRY CONTEST 2010: Photos & Mad Libs

B$Z: Element and Plan B Unite

EMP: Transworld Media Announces Josh Brooks as New Associate Editor for Transworld Skateboarding

EMP: FUEL TV Promotes Two Key Executives

EMP: Sean Kelly Joins Creatures USA as Sales Operations Manager

E&I: Are There Too Many Press Releases?

E&I: Project O.R. More, Please.

TV: FUEL TV Announces New Series "Bubba's World" Starring James Stewart

WIN: Trip to Puerto Rico with Ted Shred's Pro Surfer Peter Mendia

EMP: Transworld Media Promotes Ben Kelly to Editor of Transworld Skateboarding

EVENT: Art Institute Orange County Set to Announce $700K in Scholarships at Rock The Runway in May

B$Z: Jetpilot's "S.D. Chino Hybrid Boardshort" Aims to Redefine Basic

March 8, 2010

Scott Sports (Europe) | Givisiez / Fribourg (Switzerland) | Web Designer/User Interface Designer Trainee

Teton Gravity Research (TGR) | Teton Village, Wyo. | Online / Assistant Editor / Equipment Manager

Easton-Bell Sports | Scotts Valley, Calif. |
Web Designer

CCS | New York City | Buyer

Fox Head | Irvine AND Morgan Hill, Calif. |
Men's Boardshort Designer

Fox Head | Irvine, Calif. |
Online Art Director

Fox Head | Irvine, Calif. |
Assistant Designer

Creative Recreation | West Hollywood, Calif. | Materials / Costing Specialist

Incipio | Irvine, Calif. | "2" Positions:
Customer Service Representative
Accounting Assistant

Ansai Sportswear | Milwaukee, Wis. |
Headwear Designer

Friedman Stroffe & Gerard | Irvine, Calif. |
Legal Secretary Assistant

Sette USA | Los Angeles, Calif. |
"3" Positions:
Marketing Manager
Graphic Artist
Web Manager

March 5, 2010

Oakley | Colorado | Regional Channel Sales Manager

Oakley | New York, Chicago, and Denver |
Regional Channel Sales Managers

DC Shoes | Huntington Beach, Calif. |
Coordinator (Footwear)

Reef | Carlsbad, Calif. |
Girls Footwear Designer

Paul Frank | Costa Mesa, Calif. |
Entry Level Product Developer

The La Jolla Group | Irvine, Calif. |
"3" Positions:
Sourcing & Production Manager
Senior Accountant
Freelance Pattern Maker

Zumiez | Everett, Wash. | Sr. Human Resources Generalist

BB Dakota | Costa Mesa, Calif. |
Assistant Production Manager

Confidential Company | Santa Cruz, Calif. |
Ecommerce Marketing Manager

Hot Chillys | San Luis Obispo, Calif. |
Customer Service Representative

March 4, 2010

Zumiez | Everett, Wash. |
Production Assistant

Zumiez | Everett, Wash. |
Assistant Designer

Black Box Distribution | Carlsbad, Calif. |
Marketing Manager (Insight)

Oakley | Foothill Ranch, Calif. | Advanced Product Development Engineer

Jinx | San Diego, Calif. |
T-Shirt Graphic Artist

Alstyle Apparel | Anaheim, Calif. |
Customer Service Representative

Confidential Company | Torrance, Calif. |
Customer Service Representative

Confidential Company | Torrance, Calif. |
Assistant Production Coordinator

Olukai | Aliso Viejo, Calif. | "2" Positions:
Women's National Sales Manager
Customer Service Representative

Fourcorner Publishing | Vancouver, BC Canada | Operations Manager

DC Shoes | Huntington Beach, Calif. |
Senior Demand Planner

Alpinestars | Torrance, Calif. |
Technical Designer (Men's Clothing)

MSR | Corona, Calif. |
Senior Graphic Designer

Seacross | Huntington Beach, Calif. |
Footwear Designer

March 3, 2010

Sole Technology | Irvine Calif. |
Director of Footwear Merchandising

Confidential Company | In Los Angeles, Calif. | Technical Designer

Famous Stars and Straps | Ontario, Calif. |
Product Development Manager

Famous Stars and Straps | Ontario, Calif. |
Apparel Designer

Oakley | Foothill Ranch, Calif. |
Customer Care Director

DC Shoes | Huntington Beach, Calif. |
Inside Sales Rep

DC Shoes | Huntington Beach, Calif. |
Apparel Designer

Crankbrothers | Laguna Beach, Calif. |
Product Developer (Bicycle Components)

Confidential Company | Los Angeles, Calif. | Public Relations / Marketing Manager

Keep a Breast Foundation | Carlsbad, Calif. | Sales Support Rep / Warehouse Logistics Officer

Dwindle Distribution | El Segundo, Calif. |
IT Support Specialist

Tilly's | Irvine, Calif. | Fit Model


	For all the latest jobs, visit www.malakye.com

If you are an established Sales Rep and you're interested in getting the word on available lines before it hits the streets, send us an email: reps@malakye.com! Don't forget to include your name, e-mail and territory!

Every position listed below is COMMISSION ONLY.

HARDGOODS:
Ninthward Skis USA
Independent Sales Reps - S. Cal, N. Cal, Mid West, North East, Mid Atlantic
Ripper Skateboards
Independent Sales Reps - Multiple Territories in U.s. & Canada

ACCESSORIES:
NEW! Hoven Sunglasses
Outside Sales Reps - Multiple Territories
Kommunity Project
Independent Sales Reps - Mid Atl / Hawaii / P.R.
Switch & Co.
Independent Sales Reps - All Territories

FOOTWEAR:
FEA
Sales Reps - Multiple Territories
Globe/Dwindle (Footwear & Skate Hardgoods)
Outside Sales Reps - Canada: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba & Yukon

APPAREL:
NEW! Slednecks
Outside Sales Reps - All Territories
NEW! Fox Head
MX Sales Rep - Texas
UPDATE! Fox Head
MX Outside Sales Rep - East Coast: New Jersey, Metro NY
UPDATE! Innes Clothing
Outside Sales Representatives - USA: Especially Northwest, Great Lakes & Rockies
Monae
Independent Sales Reps - Multiple Territories
Columbia Sportswear
Sales Representative - Northeast Territories
Skin Industries
Outside Sales Reps - All Territories
EMU Australia
Apparel Sales Rep Extraordinaire - Great lakes areas, New England, and Pacific North West
TruthSoulArmor & NOTW
Sales Representatives - Corona, Calif.
SUPERbrand
Independent Sales Reps - S. Cal, N. Cal. P. NW., North E., Mid A, South E., FL.

Creatures of Leisure hired two new people onto the team! Sean Kelly joins Creatures USA as Sales Operations Manager, and Bailey Schilling steps in as the new Office Administrator.

Who got hired? Let us know!

'OFFICE BOOYZ SNOW' Feb 2010: If you've been to Office Booyz and plan on going to this Saturday's OB event, jump in and add some who-haw. Desk Jockies Unite!

Seasonal Rotation - Wake: If you're a wake industry veteran, your peers have some questions for you. Join in and help 'em out!

Typical day for a sales rep? What's a typical day-in-the-life like? Reps, let 'em know!

Compensation: How do reps get paid? Are there different structures? Join in and add some advice.

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TV: This Week On FUEL TV

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

This Week On FUEL TV

Monday, 3/8/2010 - Ride Shakedown 2009 - 8:00p ET/PT in Meet & Brotatoes

Tuesday, 3/9/2010 - Paul Mitchell Progression Session Telluride - 8:00pm ET/PT in Snow Pack

Tuesday, 3/9/2010 - U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix #2 Mammoth - 8:30pm ET/PT in Snow Pack

Wednesday, 3/10/10 - The Moto: Inside The Outdoors - 8:00pm ET/PT in Moto Mix (new episode)

Friday, 3/12/2010 - The Captain & Casey Show - 8:00pm ET/PT in Skate @ 8 (new episode)

Friday, 3/12/2010 - SPoT's Tampa AM 2009 - 8:30pm ET/PT in Skate @ 8

This Week on The Daily Habit:

Timmy Curran - Monday 3.08.10

Today, guest host Chris Cote finds out what surfer and musician Timmy Curran has been up to. Plus, Timmy will be treating us to a live performance featuring tunes from his new album "Verses." Also, we head out to Hollywood with Will Tant to catch the premiere of the inspirational documentary "Day of Light." Timmy Curran's sponsors include: Channel Islands, Hurley, Hoven, Vestal and Famous Wax.

Paul Rodriguez and musical guest Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Tuesday 3.09.10

Today, we're kicking off Tampa Pro Week with guest host Chris Pastras and the second place winner of the 2009 Tampa Pro, Paul Rodriguez. Plus, today's musical guest Black Rebel Motorcycle Club brings their waves of hazy guitar noise to the Stride Sound Stage. Also, Chris Fairbanks gets an inside look at P-Rod's private training facility. Paul Rodriguez's sponsors include: Nike, Plan B, Mountain Dew, Incase, Nixon, Boost Mobile, Markisa, Silver Trucks, FKD and Primitive.

Greg Lutzka and musical guest Free Energy - Wednesday 3.10.10

Tampa Pro Week continues with guest host Chris Pastras and three-time Tampa Pro winner Greg Lutzka. Also, today's musical guest Free Energy rocks out on the Stride Sound Stage. Plus, Sven Barth goes to the 2010 Damn Am Awards. Greg Lutzka's sponsors include: K-Swiss, Oakley, Monster, Skullcandy, Independent, Ricta, MOB, Kicker, Ethika and Toyota.

David Gonzalez, Gareth Stehr, Don "The Nuge" Nguyen and Edward Colver - Thursday 3.11.10

We keep Tampa Pro Week going with guest host Chris Pastras and Tampa Pro competitor and Flip team rider David Gonzalez. Plus, Gareth Stehr and Don "The Nuge" Nguyen stop in to catch us up on man caves, skate spots and all things Tampa. Also, legendary punk rock photographer Edward Colver is in the studio. David Gonzalez's sponsors include: Globe, Volcom, Flip, Ricta, MOB, Independent, CCS, Vestal and Libre Skateshop. Gareth Stehr's sponsors include: Dekline, Sabre, The Comune, Foundation and Shake Junt. Don "The Nuge" Nguyen's sponsors include: C1RCA, The Comune and Baker.

Sierra Fellers, Tony Tave and musical guest We Were Promised Jetpacks - Friday 3.12.10

Today, guest host Chris Pastras wraps up Tampa Pro Week with C1RCA team riders Sierra Fellers and Tony Tave. Also, the Scottish noise dealers of We Were Promised Jetpacks perform live on the Stride Sound Stage. Sierra Feller's sponsors include: C1RCA, Foundation, Bones, FKD, CCS, Venture and Dakine. Tony Tave's sponsors include: C1RCA, Le, vitaminwater, Spitfire, Active and Ogio.

For more information, check out www.fuel.tv/thedailyhabit

This Week on The Weekly Update: snowboard icon Todd Richards talks about the exponential progression of the sport, the risks versus the rewards, and the ridiculous notion of limiting riders' competitive trick lists. Also, 2010 Winter Olympics bronze medalist Scotty Lago joins us in the studio to talk about the Olympics and the party scandal aftermath. We check in with an East Coast installment of Volcom's Peanut Butter and Rail Jam and, at Mountain High, the Cholula Hot Sauce Triple Air Show.

In other news, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross hits the backstretch in Altlanta, Georgia, where season standout Ryan Dungey scores a victory that puts him up by 20 points in the championship standings.

In skate news, groms from across the country invade Minnesota's 3rd Lair for the King of the Groms Championships; Wyatt Milhollan wins the Expert Street division. The Daggers Rule art show pays homage to a big-screen 80s skate gang. Plus, pro rider Colin Kennedy delivers Spot Check: Scotland.

In BMX news: we check out Ray's Angels Women's Weekend 2010.

In the lineup, Surfing America Prime presented by Got Milk? convenes at Upper Trestles, where Taylor Thorne wins the Boys Under 18 division.

The action sports community is mourning the loss of original Dogtowner and backyard pool-skating pioneer Bob "The Bullet" Biniak and free-ski pioneer C.R. Johnson.

To watch the show on FUEL TV, visit www.fuel.tv for times.

This Week on www.fuel.tv

FULL-LENGTH EPISODE: Clich�'s "Gypsea Tour"
Watch the full-length episode of Cliche's "Gypsea Tour" and vote for this year's Gypsea King. The winner will receive 1,000 Euros!
http://www.fuel.tv/gypseatour/videos/clich-gypsea-tour-2009/

NEW FULL-LENGTH EPISODE: Danny & The Dingo
Fresh off the U.S. Open win, the Grenade crew heads to Whistler, BC for the 5th annual Grenade Games. Dave Fortin has a near-deadly slam.
http://www.fuel.tv/TheAdventuresOfDannyAndTheDingo/videos/the-adventures-of-danny-the-dingo-the-grenade/

INTERVIEW: Shuriken Shannon Tampa Pro
See what skateboarding's best dreadlocked ripper has to say about the 2010 Tampa Pro contest.
http://www.fuel.tv/AdamSullivan/2010/3/tampa-pro-2010-an-interview-with-shuriken-shannon/

EVENT: 2010 Burton US Open Brings Olympic Snowboarders to Vermont

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

2010 Burton US Open Brings Olympic Snowboarders to Vermont
Shaun White, Peetu Piiroinen, Scotty Lago, Hannah Teter & Kelly Clark to Compete

The 28th annual US Open Snowboarding Championships will once again host thousands of fans and many of the world's top snowboarders for a weekend of slopestyle, rail jam and halfpipe competitions. Taking place at Stratton Mountain Resort from March 15-21, the Open is the first US event since the 2010 Olympics where snowboard medalists Shaun White, Peetu Piiroinen, Scotty Lago, Hannah Teter and Kelly Clark will compete.

In addition to all three men's 2010 Olympic halfpipe medalists, the US Open rider roster includes 2009 Burton Global Open Series (BGOS) Champion Chas Guldemond (USA), two-time Olympian and US Open podium threat Kazuhiro Kokubo (JPN), Luke Mitrani (USA), Mikkel Bang (NOR), current BGOS points leader Christian Haller (SUI) and Mason Aguirre (USA).

The entire women's US Olympic halfpipe team will compete at the US Open, including Hannah Teter, Kelly Clark, Gretchen Bleiler and Elena Hight. Jamie Anderson (USA), Ellery Hollingsworth (USA), Spencer O'Brien (CAN), Kjersti Oestgaard-Buaas (NOR), Jenny Jones (GBR), Lisa Wiik (NOR), Cheryl Maas (NED), Sarka Pancochova (CZE) and Sina Candrian (SUI) are also on board to compete.

This year's US Open kicks off with slopestyle finals on Friday afternoon, March 19 followed by the invitational �Black & Night Jam' on Friday evening. Rahzel and JS-1 will play a free concert at 9:00 pm right after the rail jam wraps up. The legendary US Open halfpipe finals take place on Saturday, March 20 with Shiny Toy Guns playing a free show directly after the awards ceremony. On Sunday, the Open's youngest riders take to the halfpipe for the Junior Jam, where girls and boys 13-years-old and under compete for a US Open title.

Over $500,000 in prizes will be given away at the US Open, including a new Volvo to the top male and female rider. As the final event in the fourth annual Burton Global Open Series, the US Open is the last chance for riders to make a play for the women's and men's 2010 Burton Global Open Series (BGOS) championship title, each worth $50,000. European riders Christian Haller (SUI) and Lisa Wiik (NOR) are currently in the lead for the BGOS titles. The US Open is also honored to be the event where the men's Swatch TTR World Tour Champion is crowned, with Peetu Piiroinen (FIN) clinching the title for the second straight year.

If you can't make it to Stratton, you can watch the US Open on ABC on March 27 at 5:00 pm EST and 3:00 pm PST. Also be sure to check out the US Open live on GO211.com.

Burton would like to thank GO211, Stratton Mountain Resort, Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour, Volvo, Amp Energy, Paul Mitchell, Nature Valley, Totino's, Kodak, Shiseido, SteelSeries and Corona for their support of the 2010 US Open. For more information on the US Open, head to www.opensnowboarding.com.

OFFICE BOOYZ INDUSTRY CONTEST 2010: Photos & Mad Libs

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Office Booyz Industry Contest...THE Best Lunch Break EVER!
If you were there and had a wicked fun time, add your comments at the bottom of this page. And if you have pic's, send them to us and we'll add �em to the slide show (news@malakye.com)!

Returning in its third year of glory, Office Booyz has officially achieved "O.B.LYMPIC" status! That's right. Most people train their entire lives to become Olympians, yet it only took three years for all the Office Booyz and Gurlz in the action sports industry to solidify their stance as O.B.LYMPIANs.

This year's event was highlighted with an iconic course construction made by none other than Clayton Shoemaker and his crew of esteemed park builders at Bear Mountain. As always, the course was sprinkled with office obstacles, which would later be used as markers for the Office Booyz relay race, officially known as the O.B.LYMPIC Decathlon.

Hundreds of action sports employees were treated to an amazing weekend of free riding, courtesy of Bear Mountain. The weekend kicked off with the world-renowned Office Booyz Industry Contest Saturday morning. Once the contestants gassed out and the Office Booyz award ceremony came to an end, The Boardroom was shut down shortly after to make way for Bear's 20 Years of Park Development Celebration, which was a hell of a good time. After the party-goers stumbled back to their villas, they prepared for a great night's rest. Little did they know, Karl Fuhre of IS Eyewear, aka "The Godfather" of Office Booyz, would send a good luck charm their way the following day.

"I can't make it to O.B. this year, but I'll do you guys a favor..." said Fuhre in a phone conversation before the event. "I'll send you all the snow I've been hiding from the Vancouver Olympics." And sure enough, K-Man delivered. In Office Booyz tradition, it snowed on the contest site all day. But that did not slow people down, not one bit at all.

* Slideshow Tips: scroll over player and click "Full Screen" mode, then click "Show Info" for captions highlighting the winners names, prizes, etc.

After several rounds of coffee, donuts and beer, the contest kicked off after a delayed start due to inclement weather sent from Vancouver the day before. First up was the Quasi Gig Air, an obstacle perfect to loosen up those office legs and shake the donuts loose. Everyone hit the quasi big air with bullfighter bravado. This year, it was big enough for people to throw down tricks such as a mini 900, corked frontside and backside 3's and 5's, an office gap transfer (done by only one person), triple poke indies, wicked straight airs, front flips, back flips, and an unbelievable feat accomplished by the Vans decathlon team. The fellas from Vans had two of the crew set up shop on both sides of the Quasi Big Air, proceeded to shoot down their teammates with high velocity Nerf Gun ammunition as they soared through the air, and all of this was done with spandex outfits while snowboarding with ski poles. Athletic prowess such as this is ONLY unveiled at Office Booyz events. COFFEE IS WEARING OFF...NEED A RECHARGE.....AHHHH...that's better!

From the Quasi Big Air, the contest moved on to the Pencil Pusher. This obstacle was a 300 pound, homemade #2 pencil built to be destroyed, and destroyed it was! With no sharpener of adequate magnitude in sight, the Office Booyz raged onward with furry and sharpened the Pencil Pusher with their boards, erasing the stress from the previous work week with an assault of tricks, jibs and slams. Goug', aka "Chris Gougeon" from Drop gloves, whipped out all the stops with stylie pencil shaves to backside 180s and various other jib-jams. However, when it came down to it, Roger Yu from Ellis Snowboards stole the glory.

Next on the hit list was the Memo Masher, an obstacle resembling a giant memo pad, but made for mannys, nose presses, front flips, face dives, et cetera. With nothing held back, clean lines were laid down, and extraordinarily unique lines were made. Though pens big enough to write on this memo pad don't exist, Chris from Elm rode his own story with a wall ride hit from the bottom. Tanya Otero, Omatic Snowboards' marketing manager, also used the side of the pad as a quarter, which left you saying, "How the hell did she do that?!" Freedom Fisher of Attic Skate Shop in Costa Mesa, Calif., destroyed the computer monitors at the base of the pad, and many a person threw down buttery moves that would make Jussi proud.

The second half of the event kicked off with the Donuts & Jam and Demolition Man obstacles in which riders boarded up the desk ramp, launched over a tire spray painted like a donut, while bonking computer monitors and coffee machines on the way up and over the top. It was about time to move on when Billy Bittner, a.k.a. "The Giant Wheaties Box," attempted a quasi-big-air to Demolition Man transfer bonk and took out the entire obstacle. He got up laughing and ready for more. Again, amazing things happened on this obstacle! You'll have to check the pictures to see exactly what went down.

* Slideshow Tips: scroll over play and click "Full Screen" mode, then click "Show Info" for captions highlighting the winners names, prizes, etc.

BNQT.com also has a ton of great photos as well. This is the link, so you should probably click it!

Individual competition rounded out with the Hippy Jump/High Ollie Comp'. The Hakker Bro's from Ashbury weren't on hand to get knocked out this year (like they did last year), and all OB'ers made it through the event safely - thanks to the OB Gods. It ended in a 4-way tie which was settled the old-fashioned Office Booyz way - rock, paper, scissors. When it came down to the end, Scott from Arbor, aka "Helmet Guy," took out Josh Rodgers from Volcom in a best-out-of-three battle - an O.B.LYMPIC champion was born!

Office Booyz concluded with the first ever O.B.LYMPIC Decathlon relay race in which five teams of four competed for gold, silver and bronze. Thanks to the brilliant ideas of Seumas Santoro, aka "Golden Voice" from Podium, the relay race kicked off with a hot dog eating contest for the first and second legs of the race.

First, the contestants started off at the base of the Memo Masher obstacle, where they had to pound a hot dog before racing to tag their teammate at the second leg of the race. Their teammates at the second leg had to do the same, except this leg was the steepest uphill slush
run of the race; it's amazing no one puked - seriously. Once the second-legers made it to the top of the hill, they tagged their third teammate who was strapped in and ready to race around the full perimeter of the Office Booyz arena.

Once the boarder cross ensued, the Office Booyz powered through the bumpy Office Cross course to the anchor leg (the fourth and final leg of the race) where they had to tag their team member who was dressed as a giant cardboard coffee cup. The best part about the final leg was that defense was completely legit. Just imagine five grown men dressed as coffee cups trying to block their opponents from getting anywhere near the finish line - freaking hilarious. Once the mugs broke loose, the contestants raced to the finish line in a mad caffeinated sprint where they collided like a one-yard touchdown pile driver over the perimeter fence. In the end, Team Arbor ended up taking the victory.

Office Booyz was followed by an intense award ceremony. All were on edge to see who would win what, and for what odd reason! Check out the photos of the winners and prizes won in the awards slideshow. After the ceremony, Bear Mountain hosted its �20 Years of Park Development Party' as a tribute to the mountain's dedication to snowboarding. The party was packed, drinks and food were flowing, and people were getting jiggy on the dance floor. Highlights of the party included a great raffle to benefit Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC), Paavo getting the boot for drinking too much and Ricky saving his ass, and the FUEL TV crew taking home the three hottest chicks at the party.

Well Office Booyz and Gurlz, it was a magnificent event and we're glad you all made it out. Make sure to add some comments below on how we can this event better the next time around, and any other random who-haw you want to throw our way.

Once again, we'd like to thank all those who helped make Office Booyz a reality for yet another year!
* Bear Mountain: Rio Tanbara, Mindy Clark & Clayton Shoemaker
* IS Eyewear/Party Snake: Karl Fuhre for creating Office Booyz
* 686: Mike West, Kristin Cusic
* INK FX Screen Printing: Mike Machrone for printing our OB tees
* Alstyle Apparel: Todd Profitt for hooking up the tees
* Jo Show Promotions: Joanna Morse for dialing in the OB Mugs and Malakye.com coozies
* Fuel TV: John Stouffer and YuLin Olliver for all their support
* Vans: Jared Bevens & Crew for kicking down a righteous Vans Fender Stratocaster for a prize
* Omatic Snowboards: Tanya Otero for hooking up one guy and girl with a snowboard
* Meridian Graphics: Eric Phillips, aka "Amper," for giving away $100 in Double Doubles from In-N-Out
* Volcom: Flo' Gierman, Joey Lemonier, Richard Olivares, Josh Rodgers & crew for a fat prize box
* Drop MFG: Chris Gougeon, aka "Goug'," for dialing in some sick gloves and goggles for prizes.
* Spy Optics: Valerie Gee for hooking up some sick Spy Gogg's
* Spin Imaging: Eric Bond for printing the OB Award Certificates
* Propaganda HQ: Kim Desai and Ty Smith for kicking arse and supporting us Office Booyz
* J�germeister: Adam Grayer, Rick Zeiler & Steve Puente for donating twin decks, which the Hager twins won, along with all the Jager we could handle.
* Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC): Blair Young for havin' a blast and raising money for a worthy cause.
* Wahoos, EFFEN Vodka & Red Bull: for providing the liquor, food and drinks at Bear's party

That's all folks. See you at the next one!

B$Z: Element and Plan B Unite

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Element and Plan B Unite

Billabong International Limited today announced it has entered an exclusive 10-year agreement to license the California-based skateboard brand Plan B. Plan B will operate out of the Element headquarters in Irvine, CA

Element's Founder and President Johnny Schillereff said "The Billabong group's unwavering support has helped Element blaze the trails we've always dreamed of. Plan B is iconic and deep within the fabric of skateboarding and we couldn't be happier to unite with them.

Professional skateboarders and team riders Danny Way and Colin McKay will continue to ride for and own Plan B Skateboards. Vice President Tom Jones will continue to oversee the brand and team which includes Paul Rodriguez, Ryan Sheckler, PJ Ladd and Pat Duffy.

We are very excited to bring the Plan B family to The Billabong group and form this new skate distribution group with Element," says Colin McKay. "Billabong and Element clearly understand brand building. Danny, the team and I couldn't be happier with the opportunity to leverage their strengths and help Plan B reach its full potential."

Element and Plan B products will be available through Branch Skateboarding Distribution.

www.branchdistribution.com

EMP: Transworld Media Announces Josh Brooks as New Associate Editor for Transworld Skateboarding

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Transworld Media Announces Josh Brooks as New Associate Editor for Transworld Skateboarding

TransWorld Media is proud to announce the addition of Josh Brooks as associate editor to the TransWorld SKATEboarding edit team. Prior to assuming this role, Brooks acted as a writer, blogger and correspondent for the ESPN skate site and was published in Thrasher, Skateboarder and other publications.

"It's gone through many changes, but TransWorld SKATEboarding�started in 1983�has had a long history in skateboarding," said Brooks. "It has always covered all facets of skating and has a lineage of iconic photographers and videos, like Feedback, Sight Unseen, In Bloom and Free Your Mind, among others. I'm honored to work with Skin Phillips, Ben Kelly and the rest of the edit crew to carry on that history, bring a new perspective to the amazing skate photos in the mag and improve the content on the web."

Brooks will work with skaters, contributors and advertisers as one of the faces of TransWorld SKATEboarding and will help write in print and digital, contributing to the overall creative direction of the mag. He will also shoot photos and video of skate-related events and assist in planning contests and events for the magazine. Brooks reports to Ben Kelly, Editor, TransWorld SKATEboarding.

"Brooks is a valuable addition to the edit team as we strive to take the magazine to a new level by providing quality content and photography that inspire skateboarders to push their limits," said Phillips, Editor-in-Chief. "Not only does he have the drive and vision, but he has the skateboarding talent to back it up."

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, raised in Madison, Wisconsin and now a resident of Long Beach, Brooks has always been an avid skater, involved in the skate scenes of Boulder, Colorado, Madison, Wisconsin and Santiago, Chile (while studying abroad for a year).

He graduated from the University of Colorado with a BA in Biology, with a focus on pre-med. After working for nearly two years doing experiments on nicotinic pathways in mice and their associations with Parkinson's disease in humans, Brooks headed west to assist in producing the cancer drug Avastin. During that time he started writing for skate publications and since then has come full circle to his true passion, skateboarding and writing.

EMP: FUEL TV Promotes Two Key Executives

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

FUEL TV Promotes Two Key Executives
CJ Olivares becomes Executive Vice President, Shon Tomlin moves to Senior Vice President of Programming and Marketing

FUEL TV's Vice President of Programming and Development, Shon Tomlin, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Programming and Marketing, it was announced today by CJ Olivares, FUEL TV's General Manager, who was also promoted from his position of Senior Vice President to Executive Vice President. He remains the network's General Manager.

"We're excited about the promotion of Shon at FUEL TV," says Olivares. "He has helped define the programming of the network over the last several years by developing exciting series like �The Adventures of Danny & The Dingo' with two-time Olympic silver medalist Danny Kass, fan favorites like �The Captain and Casey Show' and the �Built To Shred,' and the upcoming �Bubba's World' starring motocross champion James �Bubba' Stewart. With his new duties also overseeing the network's marketing, he'll be able to better align our marketing and programming efforts and help push the growth of these shows directly."

"FUEL TV has great teams both making and marketing our shows," says Tomlin. "Under this new structure, they'll be able to work more closely to maximize the push we put behind each of our series."

As the Senior Vice President of Programming and Marketing, Tomlin now oversees FUEL TV's marketing department, including consumer marketing and on-air promotions. He also continues overseeing FUEL TV's programming department, including program scheduling and acquisition, managing the development and production of shows for FUEL TV by independent production companies, and supervising FUEL TV's music department. Series developed under Tomlin's direction include surf shows such as the two-time Emmy Award winning "FiNS," "Drive Thru," and "On Surfari;" motocross shows "The Moto: Inside The Outdoors," "Thrillbillies," the original incarnation of "Nitro Circus," and "The Great Ride Open;" skateboarding programs like "American Misfits;" snowboarding series "Tracking Eero," and "The Standard Snowboard Show;" and the late night comedy series "Stupidface."

Tomlin joined FUEL TV as Executive Producer in 2003, prior to the launch of the 24/7 action sports cable network, where he helped guide FUEL TV's in-house production team in the development and production of in-house series such as "Firsthand" and "The Weekly Update," as well as the creation of more than two dozen specials and event broadcasts.

With the move to Executive Vice President, CJ Olivares continues in his role as General Manager of FUEL TV, overseeing all day-to-day network operations. His responsibilities also include managing advertising activities and developing cross-platform opportunities. Olivares will similarly develop international channels and FUEL TV programming blocks in major territories around the world. He became the network's GM in August of 2007.

Olivares joined FUEL TV as its first employee in December, 2002 and has seen the network grow from five million homes to more than 30 million in the U.S. today - and dedicated networks up and running in Australia and Europe. FUEL TV has distribution agreements with every one of the nation's top cable and satellite providers. Many of its popular series including "Firsthand," "New Pollution" and "FUEL TV presents Camp Woodward" are also available for paid download on iTunes, and can be watched in HD on www.fuel.tv, as well as, on Hulu, Amazon, and other websites.

EMP: Sean Kelly Joins Creatures USA as Sales Operations Manager

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Sean Kelly Joins Creatures USA as Sales Operations Manager

Creatures USA would like to welcome Sean Kelly to the team as the new USA Sales Operations Manager.

Sean brings to Creatures a solid background in all aspects of managing a Sales Rep force, product line strategy, customer service, key account management, marketing and operations. Sean joins Creatures after many years with Quiksilver in the role of General Manager of their Watch and Eyewear divisions.

"I'm very pleased to be joining the Creatures team. It's exciting to be involved with a brand whose products are at the forefront of technical innovation and design. I have always been impressed with the quality of product and believe the Creatures brand has tremendous growth potential in the U.S. I'm looking forward to helping Creatures continue to grow its U.S. operations" said Sean.
Sean will work alongside National Sales Manager, Nick Wozniak at the Oceanside, CA Headquarters. "I'm super stoked to have an individual like Sean join the Creatures family. He brings with him a wealth of industry knowledge with a back ground in both Sales and Operations. Having Sean working with us here in the states is going to help bring Creatures to a new level much sooner than expected" stated Nick.

Creatures of Leisure are market leaders of innovative surfing accessories and produce a range of products including Slim Fit Board Covers, Hi Lo Traction pads, DNA Flex Mould Leashes and Auto Accessories.

E&I: Are There Too Many Press Releases?

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

E&I: Are There Too Many Press Releases?

Saw this in Entertainment Weekly not too long ago and thought it was pretty funny.

Does anyone else think that there's a glut of press releases out there? Even though some see PR (wrongly) as "free advertising," a bad or unwarranted press release is going to turn off journalists (supposedly the intended targets) as quickly as a bad ad would alienate consumers.

Perhaps the relative ease of production and distribution, either via email or one of the many wire services, makes it too easy to turn distribute news these days. However, blasting out a press release to your "list" doesn't equate to a PR campaign and those that do it are possibly harming their clients more than they're helping them. We'll be doing a bigger well orchestrated rant post on that down the line.

For many of our clients, we don't do formal press releases unless something really warrants attention. You'll see the occasional one in the action sports trades surrounding a new team rider or ASR event, but when it comes to everything else, we keep it to the facts and then send it to just the media who definitely hopefully care about what our clients have going on. And while we have a big "list" of media here at the office, we don't just send news to everyone we know. There's a lot of news coming out of BBPR's clients that we just don't send to Chad @ Malakye for his news section, Kailee @ Transworld Business, JB @ South of the North or Joe Schmoe @ Major National News Outelt. Why? It's not because we don't like them. Usually because it's just not relevant to them and they know when we do send them something, it'll always hopefully be something they can use.

Before you blast everyone you know with a release that your widget is now 2 percent lighter (which IS a big deal if your widget weighs 20 tons) or comes in a lighter shade of pink, ask yourself "Does anyone really care?"

View more from Bill Byrne on Experts & Insiders

E&I: Project O.R. More, Please.

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

E&I: Project O.R. More, Please.

Final decisions on the 48 hour design contest that takes place at the O.R. show

Outdoor Retailer is on to something! An existing idea plugged in to a new environment. Reality show Project Runway redone for the Outdoor industry, at the Outdoor industry's national tradeshow. project O.R. is headed for it's third edition at the upcoming summer market.

It's a great idea. Here's why - it puts the Outdoor industry in front of students across the nation, and demonstrates the appeal of a career in the industry. Plants the seed, so to speak, to attract talented people from the next generation. It also puts brands in front of "customers" or students. It adds a new element to tradeshows. And as Bob McKnight so eloquently said years ago, "grows the pond."

Here's how it works. Students are selected from universities across the country. O.R. provides all transportation, lodging, etc. They're given a design brief, and have 48 hours to produce the design. Then the judging panel (or jury, if you prefer) gathers, reviews, and chooses a winner. Done! What a great way to meet prospective new talent.

Here's a video clip. And yes, more of this please.

View more from Chad Mihalick on Experts & Insiders

TV: FUEL TV Announces New Series "Bubba's World" Starring James Stewart

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

FUEL TV Announces Unprecedented Simulcast Premiere of New Series "Bubba's World" Starring Motocross Champ James Stewart
Reality Series Debuts March 28, 2010, at 10:00pm ET/PT on FUEL TV, SPEED, FOX Sports Net, Fox College Sports and Fox Reality Channel

FUEL TV, the only network dedicated to the lifestyle of action sports, is proud to announce the groundbreaking new series "Bubba's World" presented by Geico, premiering on Sunday, March 28, at 10:00pm ET/PT. In an unprecedented move, the premiere will be simulcast on FUEL TV, FOX Sports Net, SPEED, Fox College Sports and Fox Reality Channel, reaching more than 85 million households domestically.

"Bubba's World" is a 10-episode docu-series that provides exclusive access into the daily life of America's number-one motocross racer, James "Bubba" Stewart. At age 24, Stewart is the highest paid rider, earning more than $10 million a year, and a pioneer as the sport's first African American superstar. In 2008, Stewart completed a perfect outdoor national motocross season: 24 wins in 24 races. He followed that up by winning a hard-fought Supercross Championship in 2009.

"This is really exciting for FUEL TV because it's the first original series we've created around a single athlete," says Shon Tomlin, FUEL TV SVP of Programming and Marketing, and series' Executive Producer. "We believe that James' personality, his story, and his celebrity status in the motocross world make him the perfect subject for a television series."

Each episode is an all-access pass into the chaotic and often times comedic life of Stewart as he attempts to take a season off and have some unregulated fun. But with team managers, agents, trainers, sponsors, business partners and his family watching his every move, escaping the pressure and stress of being Number One isn't all that easy.

"I thought racing in the motocross world was tough," says "Bubba's World" Star James Stewart. "But I wasn't ready to have the cameras following me around 24/7. This was a bigger challenge than I thought, but it turned out to be super fun. I'm sure my fans will get to see a side of me they've never seen before, and hopefully a lot of people who don't know me at all will learn a lot more about my world and will become fans!"

Set against the backdrop of the Stewart estate and racing compound, Stewart nimbly transitions from a regiment of non-stop training to a crash course in being a 24-year-old celebrity athlete with lots of money and toys.

"Witnessing the fastest man on the planet suddenly try and put the brakes on is actually quite comical," says Executive Producer Terence Michael, owner of 100% Terry Cloth, the production company behind the series. "What might be a summer break for most people, is still a whirlwind of activities, events, demands and obligations for a celebrity athlete like James. We could barely keep up at times trying to capture the chaotic world that is James Stewart."

"Having known and worked with James since he was a kid on the racing circuit, it's amazing to see how he's grown into this huge success and commodity," says Joe Nell, Executive Producer of "Bubba's World." "I always knew there was a TV show in James' unique story, and am so happy to be a part of it now."

In a unique programming stunt, "Bubba's World" presented by Geico will premiere on Sunday night, March 28, at 10:00pm ET/PT across five cable channels including FUEL TV, FOX Sports Net, SPEED, Fox College Sports, and Fox Reality Channel, then remaining episodes will air exclusively on FUEL TV Sunday nights at 9:00pm ET/PT.

"James Stewart has an appeal that reaches far beyond the traditional action sports world," says CJ Olivares, FUEL TV General Manager. "We really love this show and wanted to share it to the biggest audience possible, and maximize the reach of our sister networks. We're excited to be doing this for the first time ever."

James Stewart's sponsors include Red Bull, Yamaha, San Manuel, Answer, Oakley, Nike 6.0, Bell Helmets, Alpinestars, JS Entertainment, L&M Racing and MX vs ATV: Reflex.

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