Sneakerheads and Snowboarders

Together at long last!

Production Complete

I just set up a complete using the product we ship to shops. This is the first time in about a year that I haven't had some type of experimental sample wheel, or deck under my feet. That just goes to show how hard we have been working to develop, improve and continue to make the best skateboarding products in the world.
Thanks to the real skaters supporting Sevenfold, who recognize the difference between an authentic skateboard and the cheap china toys that some of our competitors sell for the same price as our real US made decks.

Blog update

Jimmie is still stuck on strawberries, Billy is gone, Archer blog abandoned? and Teta recently got hurt again, so he's back in the blogging game.

Random Thursday Photo

I run my dog in this field and it always trips me out that there is a manhole in the middle of it.

rupp closet

Speaking of 411... I miss you homey pick up your board and pick up the phone, lets go skate.

411 Disconected

Chaos section from issue 50, there are a couple homey's representing. This was one of the most influential institutions in skateboarding during the 90's. It helped launch so many careers and helped to give scenes outside of California a chance to shine. I guess in this internet era 411's time has come.

CW Kontest Killer

This came from the official MASS email, nice to see the flow guys stepping it up.

Chris Williams strolled in to lay down his high speed skate-all-over-the-place-without-ever-stopping style to win the Aplomb Pro Street Class though he only narrowly beat big trick killer Trevor Colden.

I ain't saying he's a gold digger

Isn't this the same as running a lakai ad and then doing an es ad 12 pages later?

This Is Baltimore

James pointed this out to me, so this counts as a guest post. Dig the proper deck getting setup at 1:18 (can you tell I've been on youtube all morning).

COLORS Fritz Hofer

I randomly found this on youtube, it's got to be from a few years back looks like from the era I was flowing him big corporate boxes, maybe even older than that...

The Anti Jay Adams

This article truley speaks to how much this kid is not one of us, maybe the skate mags should grow a set and not worry about ad dollars so much.

Tomorrow in Salt Lake!

http://summerofdeath.com/

Mustache Update

Basketball Update

Ran some full court games on the most scenic home court I have. It was the first time I played here in years.

Yesterday

I had a great session with Jake, C-Dubs, James and Teta.

No Bueno

I wonder if this means Giant is done too?

7 BBQ Images

BBQ Clips

Jim, Christian, Ethan and Teta during the only 20 minutes I was filming the whole day.

Gordon Eckler Interview

Super Sales Rep Jimmy Nelson captured a great conversation over on 48 blocks!

Quarterpipe Photos

Deck shots of Fritz getting blunted, House's Avalon induced ollie and Christian's Tre Bomb. The rest of the BBQ photos and video clips will be up here soon.

New Favorite TV Show

Cartoon Network made a show about Chris Blose and his son Jordan as Squids: Genius!

This Saturday

Stand next to my Fire

Only photos I took on the 4th, but check out the flames shooting out of the top.

James...

...has been killing it too, sorry I forgot about your massive myspace photo coverage. CW & Fritz I hope to be posting your new stuff here soon, right>

Long May You Run

Little inside info, Utah uber flow rider Adam Dorobiala has picked up the nickname Neil Young for obvious reasons. This kid always has a fresh harvest of clips for us every month, C-Dubs, James and Fritz where you at?

SK801-CALEB ORTON PARK FOOTY

My team is better than yours.

Summer of Death

Sector 9 Hits the Bong

BILLABONG International has snapped up southern California-based skateboard brand Sector 9 for an undisclosed sum.

Billabong said the US skateboard company, founded in 1994, was a market leader in the design and manufacture of skate longboards - a niche segment within the skateboard market.

The Queensland-based company expects the business to add about two per cent to group sales, implying the business generates $25 million to $30 million in sales, the bulk of which are generated from the US along with some international sales.

The acquisition is expected to be earnings per share accretive in the first year within the group.

Billabong chief executive Derek O'Neill said Sector 9 operated in the specialty boardsports channel with a unique product offering, differentiating from its popular Element skate brand.

"Sector 9's products, primarily its longboards, really differentiate it from other brands in the boardsports channel and have appeal to surfers, skateboarders and the broader youth market," he said.

Deutsche Bank analyst Kristan Walker said the bolt on looked like a good acquisition with a strong overlap in sales channels.

"What do you do when you have a good balance sheet and the economy is doing it tough? Be opportunistic," he said.

"We believe this provides further evidence that Billabong is living up to their mantra of wanting to keep its brands authentic by targeting the enthusiast through specialty stores.

Mr Walker said Billabong had a very good global distribution network.

"It is bolstering this network with its own retail rollout - particularly in Europe - where wholesale channels are weak," he said.

"Therefore, there are excellent opportunities to leverage bolt ons across this network and pick up large revenue synergies."

Deutsche estimates Billabong will book a $177.6 million net profit after tax (NPAT) in fiscal 2008.
JPMorgan is forecasting $175.2 million NPAT in full year 2008.

JPMorgan analyst Shaun Cousins said a key area of earnings risk for the group in this new financial year is related to its Americas division, which has benefited from teen spending holding up better than expected as well as Billabong gaining market share.

"The degree to which the teen consumer remains resilient is in question, particularly if the US were to head into a recession," he said in a research note.

Mr Cousins said despite the risks, Billabong was developing a portfolio of brands with growth prospects.

Sector 9 co-founders and owners Steve Lake and Dennis Telfer and co-owner Dave Klimkiewicz are being retained as part of the acquisition in their current roles.

Billabong said the bulk of Sector 9's revenues are generated by skateboard and associated hardgoods sales, while apparel is a small but emerging category.

This is the second bolt on by Billabong in less than a month.

In early June, Billabong bought American surfing and skate gear retailer, Quiet Flight.

"It is business as usual for Billabong and all the more evidence they are managing this business for the long term," Mr Walker said.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Stay Free!

200 years ago someone great ran for and was elected the 4th president of these United States. If you ever want to know how he felt about the future of our great nation you should read his book The Federalist Papers. Actually anyone who loves their freedom and their country should read that book.

Urban Gardening

Looking good for an early harvest this year.

ScArcher

Found some graphics for Scott

Mini Ramp POV

Got some good footage from Salt Lake flow guy Adam Dorobiala, including this cool point of view mini ramp run.

Christmas in July!

Stevie Claus knows the place to go for all your Skateboard buying needs this summer - http://woodencotton.com/