Layoff...what does that mean for us

Well I am not talking about you being laid off, if you are you may want to contact my wife Leslie Juvin as she has done wonders for many unemployed people.

Here I would like to talk about the effects of action sports companies who have laid off many employees and ask the others to work extra hard. But quite frankly we only have two hands,etc... so it is just a matter of time before we see a decrease in customer support, shipping,etc...Just the other day I was talking with my friend in Encinitas who told me that REEF has laid off 40% of his staff.

I have bought RIP CURL wetsuits for many years, like any wetsuit that you would be wearing everyday almost twice a day is gonna see premature damage and I always had excellent customer service.

I sent back two wetsuit beginning of last September....well I am still waiting for them to come back. At least I am glad I am back in florida otherwise I would have had to surf in speedo at Black's.

King of S.N.O.W

The first global online Game of S.N.O.W – the Quiksilver King of S.N.O.W is a pretty sweet concept. A pro snowboarder is submitting a trick and amateurs need to copy it with as much style and power as possible. Then they upload it to the site and let online surfers rate who does it the best.

I find it's a really good concept to involve kids from different countries to push their own limits and compete.

Vincent Laforet

Vincent Laforet has been using the latest prototype Canon 5D MKII and some other badass equipment to shoot Jamie Obrien at Pipeline.

The angles, color, and perspective give a new view of Pipeline which is not easy considering the number of photographers and videographers out there.

that's how I want my place to be like....

that's right. Once in a while it is good to have a mancave so that you can have peace and some quiet time to think, etc...
I would loveto have this bubble in my backyard:)

How to sell a used surfboard

Well since I moved from California to Florida, I have realized quickly that I will not be using my 9 surfboards as often.
After surfing for several years the epic waves of Southern California, it is almost impossible for me to surf those knee high waves. So far I have sold 4 boards successfully, selling boards ain't rocket science but few rules apply if you want to maximize your profit.

1-Presentation is everything, did they teach you that at school?? (by the way also apply for job interview.lol). So clean off the dirty wax, fixup the dings, glue down the peeled up traction pad,etc..

2-Where to sell? I would not recommend to do it in a surf shop because youngsters are used to buy stuff online, the chances are that if they are looking for a used board, they would like to get it for a decent price which makes the 20% surf shop mark up difficult to digest. The best way is to sell it in local forum, craiglist, etc...

3- how to write a description: if you are in Cali and look at Craiglist..there are 100s board posted everyday so the CATCHY Title is key. Description is important as well so become the sales man you dreamt to be, make the reader feels that with this board, he will be able to rip those waves without killing his cashflow.

4-Pictures: well be honest if there is a ding , take a picture of it. Otherwise take two or three shots with different angles (dimension, bottom, top). Please don't have your board featured on the bedroom floor surrounded by dirty underwear.

5-Bonus: including the fins is usually a must, when a potential buyer comes to see your board, give him your old sock surf...it may be old, but FREE is a magic word which will make the buying purchase a bit easier.

Al'right now go take some pics of your old surfboard, photoshop this kinky board (not too much) and Get the cash.

PS: if your board is really busted, don't try to sell it for $50...just give it to a kid looking to learn how to surf. Karma has a good memory and I am sure you will get a niiice barrel the next session. And for the one who live in Florida...euh maybe some waist high waves:)

Good concept makes good Ads

You would think surf/snow companies would come up with creative ads that serves a purpose, providing a value other than just showing the product... let's be honest we don't buy stuffs only based on performance, and I think a lot of companies have done very poorly.

Electric Visual has a great concept, to carry emotion, personality, and style via animals.It is simple, it is beyond words and it also leaves room for people to have their own interpretation of the products. I also enjoy the fact the riders are mimicking the animals.

By using this concept and a wide variety of animals, they can reach a wider audience but still keep their identity by being creative and unique.

Breast Cancer awareness...

supported by Volcom. Usually I am not into big graphics all over the jacket but in this case it is for a good cause and Jamie Lynn & Volcom come up with good design so if you would like to raise breast cancer awareness, that's the jacket you need because on the slopes or on the streets, you can't really miss it.

The pessismistics say that there are many other types of cancer and everyone knows about breast cancer.Like AIDS, you would guess people would be aware but it is a constant battle to keep spreading the words. Seeing a doctor early for yearly checkup can save life and if it means wearing a purple jacket, I say YES to that.

Surfer Swimsuit issue

My wife Leslie didn't really like the swimsuit issue from Surfers, she even said it is trying to copy Sport Illustrated. I think there is two way to look at it. To her point of view most readers from Surfers are guys and the last thing we are going to remember is the model and brand of the bikini, so it is certainly not really an effective way to promote those bikinis. She would have like to see women surfers modeling and not some chick on top of elephants or in a cage.
The second point of view is ....the Guy point of view: Bikinis is part of the surf lifestyle and those who wearing it nicely are pleasing to the eyes. So if Surfers wants to have 30 pages of girls in bikini, I am not the one who will complain but I would have like a perspective a bit more surf orientated.

Flow binding

When Flow started to make some binding in the early 90s, they were huuuuuge and super bulky. 18 years later, the least I can say is that they are a lot more stylish and seems to be very tough.

So if you always wonder how Flow bindings feel, next year is a good one to check them out.

Artec

Artec snowboard was originally a side project from Elan that started back in 2004 where they wanted to focus on pushing the technical limit of freestyle snowboard.

Because of the brand recognition from Blue print where you can create your own topsheet and other good stuff, Artec is on his own since 2007 and here is a quick preview of what's coming for 2010.
The boards are being manufactured in Austria while all the design and creativity comes from California..that's the best of both world.

Being Green

So here are few snowboard manufacturers who are starting to use green materials. The pessimistic will say it's only to jump on the green wagon but I say who gives a sh%t if the board is good and generates less pollution during the manufacturing process.


Capita: Green Machine (model on the right): sustainable core, biodegradable bean-derivative topsheet and recycle beeswax base

Venture Snowboards: facility 100% wind powered energy and is use sustainable wood core

Nidecker: flax-fiber topsheet, recycled P-Tex bases and teak sidewalls

Ellis on the EECO line is using natural basalt weave instead of fiberglass

Salomon are extending the green to boots and bindings (they were the first one to start the green initiave with the Sick Sitck)

Pleasure Inc....

is a sick movie produced by SugarShack Production that was released couple of months ago....They started 6 years ago a a pretty small company and now are blowing it up with movies like Pleasure Inc. They actually switched last year from 16mm to full HD.

check the teaser out. After watching it, your only wish is going to be hitting the slopes.

IS eyewear...be a Transformer

IS eyewear is coming up with some sweet graphics for 09/10. For the one who don't know IS eyewear, it was created by Devun Walsh who used to be a member of one of the most influential team ever: Forum in the years 2000/2001 (remember the movie True Life).

Personally I don't really like their Transformer kindda of style, but it is a personal choice so others may like this odd look. Usually I would recommend to try goggles before buying a pair because fogging depends so much on how it fits on your face.
As a side note, I read several reviews from buyers that make me believe you can find other brands with better quality and longevity.

Ride "Vstrap"

Last year Ride came out with the ContraBand, an easy in/out binding. Watching their video on their site, there are couple of details that have bugged me. I have worked five years in Product Development as a Material Engineer and what I have learned the more screws and setup options , the higher the chances of screwing up.
You can't expect a consumer to do it perfectly...it needs to be dumb proof. As Albert Einstein said: " Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler" and I would agree with him, it is quite challenging to invent something that is complicated but is simple to use.

So to go back on the binding, the Vstrap doesn't have cushioning on the vstrap, which could be definitely uncomfortable if you do anything more than street rails. Then I don't think it is well enough designed so that your foot is completely secure. And finally all those screws in the cold, humidity could get loose and put too much pressure on strap when riding. I would give a A for effort, a C+ for design.



Looking at the new Ride Nitrane for 09/10...it seems they have put more cushioning and increase the width on the toe area so that it doesn't pinch on one spot. It sure look like a good way to save five seconds to get in/out and the next year binding sounds more solid than this year.

Stepchild collabo

With pros such as JP Walker,Simon Chamberlain, Stepchild Snowboards is making boards with a focus on jibs, rails, boxes and parks. So here is here is a new collaboration between StepChild and 32.
I am not too big on street so I have found better boards that work for my style but if you are young and can handle the impacts, I am sure StepChild could be a board that works for you.

Yes snowboards

So here is my favorite snowboarder Romain de Marchi with two buddies David Carrier-Porcheron and JP Solberg have decided to launch their own snowboard brand : Yes (we can)
in collaboration with im Zbinden, founder of the Pulp68 family and designer of Nidecker’s NDK line.

So here are the basic:
- cheaper < $400 (I guess they will limit the marketing and maybe the current distribution system) - good quality (being done at the Nidecker factory in Switzerland, Henry is supporting this new brand) -Limited edition, under 100, which means that will please the core snowboarders and having new artist creating original artworks. For additional info on the interview with Zbinden, check out transworld

Here are the pros doing testing....sounds like solid board to me if they can resist the carpet testing:)

Bonfire boots

I love my Bonfire gear so this year they are extending their product line with Boots. They got the R&D power from Salomon Snowboards to create two men's boots and two women's boots.

Salomon boots were not that good couple years ago but last year I tried boots for DC, Burton, Celsius, 32 and Salomon was by far the best boots I tried. My wife Leslie also found the Salomon boots being the most comfortable.
With that said, I am confident those Bonfire are going to be sweeet.

Bataleon gives you the smile

I usually don't like to copy/paste from the manufacturer's website but that's too good:
"It would be very naive of you to just believe everything we say. I mean do you really believe any manufacturer that is raving about their product? No off course not. When was the last time you heard some brand talking shit about their own product. But the thing is we really are convinced that Triple Base Technology is the best thing that happened to snowboards since edges."


Okay so what is this crazy chart about? well the line shows where the board is flat (like the super hyped reversed camber....the banana is everywhere on the slop). Here is the catch, rocker (i.e reversed camber) are really sweet for jib, butter,etc... but no as good as cambered board for the resilience.
With this board you will get the best of both world. and by the way it's not new tech for them, they have tested it for couple of years now.

For you it means: excellent flex for jib, butter and an stiff enough to go on the hard pack and get the control when you go crazy fast. Then on nose and tail, the edges are not in contact so it's nearly impossible to catch an edge...the rotations that you nearly landed are things of the past, this board will make yo score and give you the Big Bataleon Smile

Google Underwater

Google satellite view has been so helpful for us to find secret spot along the coast, but now Google is taking it to a new level: Google Earth Underwater. Now you are able to check the best surfspots and get a better understanding on what is the reef like or like at Blacks'Beach look at the canyon.

Ocean lovers see a different reason to use this new application. but this new beta version will also help understanding what makes 70% of our planet, that is not a place to dump all our trash, it needs protection and love.

Signal launches Outerwear

Signal was created in Southern Cali about 5 years ago. To celebrate this anniversary, they are increasing their product line. This year , Signal has teamed up with Chris Miller to develop stylish outerwear and at a key price points.

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.

Go undercover, you won't be noticed......

With the AK 2L Jussi Anorak designed by Jussi Oksanen. He has been one of my favorite rider but to wear something like that, you better to be a ripper. This jacket has been designed for the gnarliest condition and one good thing is that it comes with a lifetime warranty. Not bad, however you can't return if you get bored of fluo colors two years down the road...I would have warned you:)