Are you fu*king kidding me!?? Some of these stunts are insanee, epic hang time involved! Enjoy this sick highlight reel from the 2010 movie stock. (not sure what the “2010 movie stock” is, but whatever, it’s ill.. and it’s a year in the future..)

-daNk

Adidas just dropped the newest video of their skate team tearing up the streets in San Fran.. These guys have some unbelievable talent. Amazing to watch.

-daNk

For those who don’t know, Ken Block is  the man.. an action sports icon with his main talent in rally cars (Not to mention he is the co-founder of DC Shoes).. In 2006 he and Travis Pastrana signed a sponsorship deal with Subaru. This is a little different from a typical clip of his, which usually takes place on dirt tracks. This is the new TRAX STI Car, soo sick.. Gotta get me one of these!

..the DC Co-Founder and Rally Team Driver has joined with Subaru to make the worlds fastest cat track operation automobile for backcountry access for snowboarding. Dubbed the TRAX STI, this is a new teaser video from the test session for the highly-modified, snow-ready (to say the least) car. Full specs and the full story at dcshoes.com/auto.

-daNk

Well – it’s that time of year for “Top 10” lists – so I thought I’d get it started with a little rodeo.

Images are from the Philomath Frolic & Rodeo and the Benton County Rodeo.  These are listed in no particular order.  Hope you enjoy them.

Time to rock out to the Bangles (2 minute video length) and get your stoke on!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE LINK.

CRANK the speakers. This means you!

Please forward this link so others can enjoy it>>

http://tinyurl.com/yb8buot

Shout out to my snowboard sponsors Snow Cap/Pyramid and Currine and Company

So go get a board, already, and join me!

Here’s to the joy of being outdoors, and to sunshine….

It’s not easy…..goin’ steezy….

Carlsbad, California – December 8th, 2009 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – Orange 21 Inc. (NASDAQ:ORNG) is pleased to announce the hiring of Mike Jensen, as East Coast Sales Director for Orange 21 Inc.  Mike Jensen will expand the east coast Orange 21 presence to further grow our commitment to our eastern operations. Jensen will maintain key account relations as well as enhance the Company’s market position by identifying and establishing new markets and customers for Orange 21’s portfolio of brands, which includes Spy Optic and O’Neill eyewear.

“Mike Jensen is an exceptional salesman and brings a wealth of experience and contacts to Orange 21’s brands. We’re very excited to have him on board” Says Erik Darby, Vice President, Sales.

Mike Jensen has an extensive track record of sales growth with top notch brands in the action sports and footwear businesses. Most recently he served as Director of Sales – Specialty Majors at DC Shoes.  At DC, he led the sales force responsible for driving business in better sporting goods, online partners, specialty footwear, apparel and west coast based specialty footwear accounts at a total business north of $25 million annually.

Mike Jensen has also held management positions at Pony International and Converse footwear Inc. Mr. Jensen can be reached at mjensen@spyoptic.com or 760-804-8420 x1108.

About Orange 21 Inc.

Orange 21 designs, develops, markets and produces premium products for the action sport, motorsports, snowsports and youth lifestyle markets. Orange 21’s primary brand, Spy Optic (TM), sells sunglasses and goggles targeted toward the action sports, motorsports, snowsports and youth lifestyle markets. Orange 21 is the global licensee for O’Neill sunglasses and goggles. O’Neill is a leading manufacturer of surfing products, apparel and wetsuits.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or future financial performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as the word “believe” and similar terminology.  Specifically, comments in this press release regarding the contributions that Mr. Jensen is expected to make at Orange 21 are forward-looking statements and are subject to inherent risks. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the general conditions of the domestic and global economy; changes in consumer discretionary spending; changes in the value of the U.S. dollar and Euro; changes in commodity prices; Orange 21’s ability to source raw materials and finished products at favorable prices; risks related to the limited visibility of future orders; Orange 21’s ability to identify and execute successfully cost-control initiatives without adversely impacting sales; uncertainties associated with intellectual property protection for Orange 21’s products; and other risks identified from time to time in Orange 21’s filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Although, Orange 21 believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Orange 21 cannot guarantee future results. Moreover, Orange 21 assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking statements and undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Orange 21 Inc.
Valerie Gee
760-804-8420
Fax: 760-804-8442
www.orangetwentyone.com

Source: Orange 21 Inc.

####

Action Lifestyle is all about action. If its action it belongs on here. MX riders, Surfing, hot chicks, MMA, Wakeboarding and so on. I am a photographer and I have an abundance of great pictures and video that I would love to share with people. Please come back from time to time to see what I’ve posted!

Billabong to Acquire E-tailer Swell

November 27, 2009

From California ApparelNews

By Erin Barajas, with additional contributions by Andrew Asch

Responsibilities, responsibilities, responsibilities.

Is there any better way to fill your Friday? Yeah, I couldn’t think of any other way either. So first I had to complete the assignment list for the next two issues of Wonka Vision’s webzine. Then it was all about pulling together the last bits of research for a few freelance projects. After that, I had to tie up a handful of things for the fellowship application I mentioned last week, and then I got more interview requests out for One Thing Every Day.

Now as you can see, that’s a junkload of stuff. (Yeah, responsibilities. Awesome!) And as soon as I got rolling, it was hard to break my concentration and focus on anything that would scare me. But outta nowhere a crack developed in that concentration and I started getting super bummed because my integrity was out of check (remember, I did say I was going to do one thing every day that scares me). Plus I realized I was down a One Thing Every Day featured guest for the day.  Yeah, major bummer in my book. (Funny how we choose things like that to get down about.)

Well somehow (I seriously don’t know how), when 3 p.m. rolled around I remembered the power and significance of being unstoppable. You know, like not giving up or not settling to do what’s inside the confines of expected and reasonable. And I guess you could say that being unstoppable is, at times, a scary thing.  So yeah, I flashed fear a smile, picked up the phone and followed up with a potential OTED featured guest, who wasn’t available earlier in the day for our interview.  So what scared me about this was that I didn’t want to annoy or upset the guest, catching him at an inopportune time. But then I was also scared about losing the interview if I didn’t try just a little hard with a follow up call. And what did I have to lose? Except for maybe another chance to practice being proactive and going for what I needed.

To get to the point, he answered and wasn’t perturbed, we rescheduled the interview and I was able to get back to the rest of my responsibilities.

Featured Guest: Frank Scura

Frank Scura is the co-founder of the Action Sports Environmentalism Coalition (ASEC) along with Bob Burnquist, Jen O’Brien and Damon Way. So we can pretty much say Scura is the man who’s turning the action sports community green, especially through his work as the owner of Eco Resolutions and a sustainability advisor for the ESPN X Games and MegaRamp Events.  Scura, a skateboarder himself, is also dedicated to teaching the next generation of skaters, surfers, bmxers, etc. the importance of making a difference and being part of the resolution.

Listen as Scura recalls an experience in which he had to challenge himself by facing a fear and in the end received a gift that no one other than himself could have given.

“HO HO HO it’s off to work we go”. And just in time for the holiday grind, BXC’s mini 7.25 US maple custom skate decks and not available at a skate shop near you. Actually these are a limited production we’re sending out free as our holiday client and super friends gifts. Are you on the “Nice” or “Naughty” list? Call me to find out, or order yours online here and support the art of killing time… www.zazzle.com/nicelogo

Art credits: Drew Dougherty and Bethany Ng exclusively for BXC Inc. ©2009.

–

Click here to download our FREE design portfolio: www.nicelogo.com

Here it is … Camera 47’s 2nd Annual 20 Photography Gifts Under $100.  Of course, there are plenty of other holiday gift guides out there – so check back – and I’ll try to get a list of those posted soon.

And if you’re looking for more ideas – the 1st Annual list can be found here.

So, without further introduction – here you go – in no particular order – 20 ideas for your favorite photographer:

1. The best photography book I read in 2009?  DuChemin’s Within the Frame.  Read the review here.  And if the photographer on your list already has that one – here’s his new book – VisionMongers.
2. Another great book – Photographer’s Eye.  You can find the review here.
3. Hot Shoe Diaries has become one of the hottest photography books of ‘09.  Why?  Because McNally has nailed it with this great book on minimalist lighting.  You can find my review here.
4. Moleskin notebooks – the small size.  Perfect for all of those in-the-field note taking moments.  Easily fits in the back pocket or in the camera bag.  Conveniently, it’s a 3 pack.
5. A Kenko extension tube in your photographer’s favorite mount.  One of these in the bag could save space and dollars – replacing the need for a dedicated macro lens for those occasional micro opportunities.
6. Cool, hip travel / photo vest from Scottevest.  I haven’t had a chance to try this out yet – but it’s receiving great reviews.  Check it out here.
7. And to keep all of those great back-at-the-desk notes – a Maker’s Notebook.
8. B+W neutral density filter to help with those landscape photos (just make sure you get the right size).
9. Blackrapid RS-4 strap – lightweight and room for a couple of memory cards – or you could try the newest model – the RS-5!  Bottom line – the RS-4 hasn’t left my camera since July.
10. Via from Starbucks. Why?  Because this is more than just the best instant coffee I’ve ever tried – it actually tastes good.  It has solved my backcountry java dilemma – and it’s good for an emergency cup in the office, too.  It comes in Colombia or Italian Roast.
11. The updated Digital Photography series from Scott Kelby – now goes to 3!
12. The retro-styled seatbelt camera strap – from the same folks who brought you the Super Secret Spy Lens – Photojojo (who else?).
13. Lowepro shoulder bag… Stylish, discrete, well made, and convenient (and just a small bit over our $100 limit).
14. And speaking of stylish, discrete, and convenient – check out this new setup from Mountainsmith.
15. Cap from his / her favorite basketball team.
16. If your favorite photographer already has a Lensbaby Composer – the 0.42x wide angle lens attachment could be a great addition.
17. One year of Smugmug – to share photos with friends and family near and far.
18. OK – another one that exceeds the $100 limit – but seriously – it’s an opportunity to learn lighting from Zach Arias.  Very cool.
19. Wacom’s new Bamboo Pen and Touch tablet – making it easier to work with those photos.
20. For the panoramic shooter in your life – from the Photojojo folks – The Perfect Pano + The Level Camera Cube!

And, if none of this fits the photographer on your list – get ‘em an In-N-Out t-shirt!

(just typing that out makes me hungry for a Double-Double – “animal style” – of course)

I am really preparing myself this Sunday (Saturday evening in Las Vegas, Nevada) and scheduled my choirs earlier so that by the time that the fight of Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao started, it will be all set and sound. I really want the Pacquiao vs. Cotto and I don’t want  a replay but a live feed will be the best way for me to watch it. I have mentioned on my post regarding a list of places to watch boxing and I already bookmarked them.

Do you know why I really loved to watch the fight? Well aside from the title that is at stake on the fight (which is the WBO welterweight title of Cotto), I want to see how both fighters prepared the night and I want to feel the excitement and thrill. I want to hear again the shouting of the crowd as they show their enthusiasm on the fight. Really exciting and need to wait for 6 more days and just can’t wait for it to come!

Just wanted to let ya’ll know  – I have another photo for sale over at WozoFoto – for one day, on Monday 9 November – at only $10 for an 8×10 (or 8×12) and $15 for an 11×14 – and this time it’s from the rodeo portfolio!

As for this particular steer wrestling shot – it’s from the Philomath Frolic and Rodeo.  Enjoy.

I have noticed a new trend of successful companies within the ASI. The things that they all seem to have on common are that they are artistically driven, core focussed, Eco-conscious and dynamic.

These new successful companies are in my opinion keeping things rather small and focussed within their own segments.

It is good to see companies that are sticking to the roots of the industry. And companies that are supplying merchandise that cannot be purchased at any big box company. (You know the companies that rely on their department store sales to keep shareholders happy while diluting the original scope and meaning within the ASI.)

Not to say that these companies don’t have artistic vision or do not have core lines under the larger umbrella. I just feel that our clothes define our own personal style and when it can be purchased on clearance in Ross or Marshalls it takes away from the credibility of the industry and the rebelious virtues our industry was founded.

By following the guidance of companies such as Toms, Freedom Artists, Ambission, Glass, and HippyTree to name a few; we can learn to stay focussed on one goal without getting diluted by horizontal growth.

As we have seen in the past few years-bigger isn’t better. Bigger = more debt. More debt = unhappy stakeholders. Unhappy stakeholders = more stress to turn profit. More stress to turn profit = mass production. Mass production = less originality. Less originality = bad. Therefore bigger = bad.

I believe that in these times we will see the industry saved by the little core companies. People don’t all wanna be wearing the same clothes. If that were the case brands would have no need to exist.

We are defined by what we wear. The companies that will be able to produce original styles without going out of our niche will continue to succeed.

Not only has Skullcandy cornered a particular niche market within the ASI it has done so with speed and purpose. Having applied it’s marketing efforts to the youth of our industry, it has made a name for edgy superiority in the headphone arena.

Some may ask: “who is Skullcandy?” and it is easy to find an answer- just ask your local teen who surfs, skates, does BMX, or snowboards. They will tell you that they are the coolest headphones on the market and that they want a pair for Christmas.

Having said this, they have taken it one step further and created the most useful iPhone application for the social media conscious public. In the days of old people used to have to call actual #’s to get valuable information, then we could look online… Now! A one stop application that provides all the information for an ASI enthusiast.

The Skullcandy application: it has immediate access to surf reports, snow reports, and skateparks wherever you want to be. With this FREE application each individual can set favorite locations in which a single click will update within seconds.

This application also has a growing list of sponsored music artists in which you can listen to while you search. It has been the most entertaining application for me to use thus far.

I can download images for wallpapers, I can keep up-to-date on Skullcandy events through the blog, and see what the Skullcandy riders are doing.

If you have some time to kill or are looking to replace a few old applications with one. Take the time to download this little treasure.

And find out more at: http://www.skullcandy.com/http//www.skullcandy.com/iphone-app
Or

http://www.skullcandy.com/iphone-app-release.html

Check out The new Axion AD !!! 2009!!!

Big Sky, Montana is one of the best skiing/snowboard experience in the United States.   The snow is always great, and the location is perfect.   That said, we had to pass on this deal they are posting on their site which is good through the end of this month.  You can bet that we are only a few weeks away from hitting the slopes. 

• Ski Free Opening Day through December 25th, 2009 then again March 27th through April 11th, 2010.
• Get Day Ticket from Window, sorry no multi-day tickets.
• December 26, 2009 through March 26, 2010 get $20 off the regular season window rate (Adult $59, Senior $49, Junior/College $39).
• $5 off when adult window prices are $50 or less .
• Tuesday, January 5 – Sunday, January 10, 2010 HALF PRICE of regular season rate (Adults $40, Senior $35, Juniors $30) .
• 50% discount on Huntley Lodging (opening- Jan. 3, 2010; April 5-11, 2010) Available to book with in 30 days from stay dates.  Additional dates available, contact reservations; some restrictions apply.
• 15% discount at Big Sky Resort retail outlets.
• 25% OFF adult group ski/snowboard lessons any Saturday, all season.
• No cards sold after November 25th.
• Two for One Family Fun Zone Tickets after 6pm. Stop by Big Sky Sports to learn more about this new fun activity.
• Not Applicable to Biggest Skiing in America Ticket.  Non-transferable, non-refundable.

Just checked out TGR’s latest ski film Re:Session- gotta say it was everything I was hoping for and much, much more! Swing by the Boardroom on Bearden Hill to pick up a copy or visit TetonGravity.com to order it. It’s sure to get you stoked on winter!

A+++

This is a small piece of an interview we did while kicking it at after the show in Portland. Lunatik Co-Sponsored the event, Survival of the Illest, which featured The Beatnuts, Slick Rick and Rahzel. Awesome concert, After-Party and Weekend kickin it with the Beatnuts.

We have been Beatnut fans for years so this was a special opportunity to sit down and hear their take on a lot of subjects. These guys are the real deal. Not only can they make beats, these guys are some cool cats. Check this vid.

www.LunatikClothing.com

Many companies in the action sports industry are just now getting into iPhone applications, SMS marketing, social media, and other forms of digital communication.  All are great methods to connect with your consumers, but they key is to keep the content relevant.  Don’t get lost in the new technology, remember content is still king.

This seems obvious, and most of the brands I talk to mention they want to stay true to their “core,” but seem to be unaware of how to do that in the digital world.  How do you stay true to the core, but get a viral burst of publicity?  It’s simple, keep your digital communications relevant to your audience.

By remaining relevant, you deliver what your customers want and expect from your brand.  Don’t blast them with a text message ever 3 days that gives them a 10% discount on your fall shoe collection (unless they ask for it).  You can send a text message with news updates about your team members, and  how they did in a recent contest or  about a release of their latest video.  Provide a link to the contest results or video, and then promote the new shoes.

Your customers won’t feel spammed with offers, will receive relevant content that they actually want, and will still see the “ad.”  More importantly, they will want to receive communications from your brand in the future – and that’s the benefit of relevant content.  Consumers want more of it – sometimes multiple times a day.  This provides multiple opportunities to showcase  your products in a less “in-your-face” manner.