Cliche

Cliche started in 1997, and from what I remember they made some cool clothing line as well as skateboard. the whole skateboard was dominated by American companies so the fact the company promoted the brand as the "Old Europe", it grew in popularity.

In addition they have some pretty cool tour around Europe such as the "Deja VU", Gipsy tour.
If you happen to go to the old continent, make sure to check them out.

Burton at Costco!!!

The world is never black and white. Various shades of gray creep into all facets of our existence. Some aspects of these shades and hues keep life interesting, but on the retail landscape, gray markets cause untold headaches for both manufacturers and retailers. For brands, the size of the gray market is directly proportional to the demand for their products. There are currently nearly 80,000 Apple products on eBay, and the story behind that number is the brand’s strength. If you search for Burton on the online auctioneer you get 3,844 items. While this may pale in comparison to Apple, it seems a bit more noteworthy after searching for K2 Snowboards; which results in 61 items. Burton is a behemoth in our industry - the undisputed heavy weight, and defending that title is never easy. When you’re the 800-pound gorilla in the room, you’re in everyone’s sights, and they all want to take you down or make a buck. This is true of competitors, industry pundits, and consumers that believe large companies have sold out and lost their soul. It’s also true of the company’s dealers that want to improve their bottom line by riding on the strength of the brand.

Burton defines gray marketing as “when a Burton Authorized Dealer purchases goods from Burton with the sole intention to sell it via unauthorized distribution channels, including but not limited to mail-order catalogs, online retailers, wholesale retailers etc.” Gray marketing avenues are also, by definition, very gray. They take many shapes and sizes, and manufacturers in all industries have to keep on their toes to keep up with gray marketers wiley efforts. It’s like playing whack-a-mole on a five-acre board. In December of 2007, Burton implemented several new measures to prevent gray marketing throughout its distribution networks in North America, Europe and Japan to protect its brand integrity, and these policies were put to the test almost immediately when a slew of product showed up in Costcos around the West and on Overstock.com.

Transworld Business recently spent some time chatting with Clark Gundlach, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Burton Snowboards, HERE IS THE REST OF THE ARTICLE...enjoy

Driven to lead and inspired by action sport (Etnies)

I am going to be honest, they are a lot of good brands out there with sick design adn patterns.

I think Etnies is out there but why I like them goes beyond the shoes.

First of all it was created in 1986, just when I started skateoarding. Etnies is the only brand owned and created by a former world champion skateboarder.

In addition Etnies under the main company Sole Technology is looking at green materials and use green energy for the headquarter.

The owner also created a lab institute to study the impact of skateboarding on the human body. I got so many injuries while skateboarding that I am proud to say that those shoes are not only exclellent for style but also for great protection.

Kanabeach

Kanabeach was created in 1986 by three surfers from Brittany, France who decided to live their passion to the fullest.

In addition to have original logos, patterns, they often come up with original designs.
Most importantly, their brand spirit does an excellent job at communicating what surfing and action sports is all about: having a good time with friends.

Wearing Kanabeach reminds me of all those long walks through the forest to finally discover a secret surf spot on the west coast and set up a camp.

Active event for the kids

Active Ride shop was created by a father and son, and until last week, I never shopped in one of their stores before.

I found many sick brands such as DC, Burton, RVCA, Matix and many other trendsetting brands. I usually don't like big stores but Active is the exception, certainly because of its staff. they are super laid back, friendly and knowledgeable.

when I came back today they had a huge sale, 40% on clothes, shoes and accesories, it was packed of people. The staff was not overwhelmed, they kept the store organized and made sure of helping everyone.

Cory the event organizer for Active, set up an event outside the store for the local skater kids and had a BBQ ready for skaters and hungry shoppers. DC shoes even showed up to give away some DVD's and accesories.

It is nice to see that Active is keeping kids busy with fun activities to keep them out of trouble.
If you stop by at the store in San Diego, say hi to NIck or Bret, for sure they will be able to help you out finding what is right for you.

And for the locals, they are having a 50% sale tomorrow and 60% on Active clothes on friday, make sure to check it out.