As the world of board sports continues to grow like never before, more and more riders everywhere are finding new ways to keep connected with each other as well as with everything that is going on in our board riding communities. The internet is obviously huge in providing so many opportunities for surfers, skaters, snowboarders, skiers, and so many more to immerse ourselves in everything action sports.

I recently had the chance to speak with the founder of a site called FirstStoke.com, Darren Reinke, and threw him a few questions that would help our readers who haven’t heard of First Stoke get a better idea of what they’re all about. Based out of San Diego, Ca. Darren and his partners started First Stoke as a “group of enthusiasts who yearned for an ability to share their experiences, ideas, and passions across a variety of mediums and activities.” They have continued to see strong growth over the past couple of years and are becoming a very fun and useful site for riders everywhere to check out-

5ones: Where did the initial inspiration for First Stoke come from?

First Stoke: Honestly, I was sitting on the beach in the South of Brazil taking in all that Praia Mole has to offer when I came up with the idea. I had been working in the surf industry and therefore had been following what was going on in the world of action sports. The industry had been and continues to grow at a rapid pace, but I felt that in the process the smaller brands, athletes, musicians, photogs, and film makers that have been so vital to the progression of the sports were losing the opportunity to have their voice heard. First Stoke is first and foremost a rider movement that is inclusive to all individuals and groups who embrace the idea of progression and inclusion in the world of board sports. More specifically, FirstStoke.com allows users to connect more deeply with all aspects of the action sports industry including the individuals who are most critical to its growth and survival.

5’s: Give me 5 words that best describe your company and what you are all about?

First Stoke: Progressive…Authentic…Grass Roots…Open Minded…Up and Coming…

5’s: How do newcomers to your site benefit from checking it out for the first time?

First Stoke: First time users can benefit along a number of dimensions; from the pure entertainment value of the pictures and videos to the education provided by the travel and educational content to the ability to connect with sponsors and other riders. Also, we are in the process of enhancing the site and will soon be launching a contest whereby users can win cash and other swag provided by our partners.

5’s: The word ‘core’ seems to be a constant when talking about First Stoke - what is your definition of core?

First Stoke: Core is really just being true to the reason you started surfing, skating, snowboarding, etc…. Yeah, everyone wants to live the dream and get paid to follow their passion. But don’t forget why you got into the sport and lose the love for what you do every day.

5’s: What 1 song would you pick to best suit a First Stoke soundtrack?

First Stoke: Free by Felonious (underground San Francisco live Hip Hop band). The song is all about freedom through expression.

Last weeks announcement of Billabong’s acquisition of San Diego based skateboard brand Sector 9 has generated quite the buzz as well as a wide variety of reaction among the boardriding communities. Sector 9 has built itself on the production of incredibly solid, stylish longboards and has in many ways become the face of the longboard explosion in the U.S. “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,” said Billabong CEO Derek O’Neill. “The company has not only proved the viability of the longboard segment, it has experienced sustained growth over the past decade and has become synonymous with the California boardsport lifestyle.” Acquiring one of the premier skateboard companies around obviously had left our friends at Billabong very excited and overflowing with optimism. But what does a transaction of this shape and magnitude mean for you and I?

It’s understandable that many who have cut their longboarding teeth on Sector 9 boards will look at this deal with a fair amount of skepticism. The fear that Sector 9 will lose the identity that has made it what it is today and become absorbed into the Billabong brand is a normal one. However if a deal like this was inevitable for Sector 9, I’m not sure there is a better fit than with the Billabong team.

The first positive sign is that 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. The Sector 9 masterminds are highly respected among the industry and are as passionate about their brand as any. Keeping them at the helm will go a long way to keeping the quality and identity if Sector 9 intact. The opportunity to combine their forces with Billabong has them looking forward to a growth in the international markets. “While Sector 9 continues to maintain solid growth in the US, we are most excited at the prospect of combining our brand’s growing international awareness with Billabong’s proven global distribution network,” said Lake.

With this growth will come the need for new designs, shapes, and jut overall inspiration for longboards that have already proven their worth over the last decade. While I understand the hesitancy of the many who have come to know and love Sector 9 to get amped about a deal like this, there is quite a bit to look forward to with the joining of forces of two of the action sports leading brands. Hopefully for Sector 9, the best is yet to come.

Having been raised in a single parent household by his mother, living-legend Laird Hamilton sought to be part of a clothing line that embodies what he and his lifestyle all about while remaining affordable for all. He has done that with his soon to be launched ‘Wonderwall,’ a surf and skate collection for men that will debut in Spring/Summer 2008.

Hamilton has partnered with a team of designers from Steve & Barry’s, a casual apparel retailer that offers high-quality merchandise at low prices, to put together a line that is representative of the places he spends his time as well as his personal motto - “Every man is equal before the wave.” Every item from the line is set to be priced at $14.98 or less.

“Wonderwall represents everything I’m about - not only what I wear in and out of the water every day, but also those aspects of life that I’m most passionate about. I’m excited to work with Steve & Barry’s to create clothes that look great and are comfortable, but also affordable,” said Hamilton.

As the prices of the majority of surf-clothing continue to skyrocket to levels I never imagined possible, it’s somewhat refreshing to see a line come out that puts an emphasis on being affordable. While Laird is more than likely not setting out to compete with the likes of Quiksilver, Volcom, Billabong, or any of the other big boys in the action sports industry, maybe they can take note of this and work to keep the costs of our favorite brands at reasonable levels.

The much publicized decision made by ESPN to file a lawsuit against Quiksilver over the letter ‘X‘ (silly, isn’t it?) is a decision that will continue to find ESPN and the X-Games painted into a corner all by themselves when it comes to the action sports industry.

In short, the lawsuit basically states that Quiksilver uses a stylized “X” emblem on clothing, labels and accessories that is “confusingly similar” to ESPN’s logo for the series of surfing and biking contests.

Aside from the fact that the basis of this lawsuit appears to be petty and childish, picking a fight with one of the biggest brands in all of action sports isn’t going to do anything beneficial for the continually sagging ratings of the X-Games. For most of us, Quiksilver is a brand that is near and dear to our hearts and one that we would side with over ESPN in a heartbeat.

It has been a gradual decline for the X-Games, but ESPN seems intent on speeding up the process of seeing the games go by the wayside altogether. We just witnessed how well the ‘let’s drop Vert, the event that put us on the map and gave us our signature moment’ decision went over with the masses. Hint: the decision was quickly reversed. They are even going as far as to infuse Hollywood actors into the games and having them judge sports that they know absolutely nothing about.

The thought process being used by the decision-makers at ESPN and X-Games over the last few years is highly questionable. With the direction they’ve taken it’s hard to know what their intentions for the future are. Surely these aren’t the types of decisions made by people who are at all in touch with what makes their fan-base tick.

I’m not sure if anyone has noticed….But Komunity Project is quietly putting together one of the most deeply talented teams in all of surfing. They just added another ASP Top 45 surfer, Kauai’s Roy Powers, to their list of rock-star surfers and this only bodes well for the continuing growth and exposure of Komunity Project. Adding Powers to a line-up that already includes two of the best young surfers in the world in Jeremy Flores and Dane Reynolds ensures KP with plenty of arsenal for years to come.

If there were ever any doubt that Kelly Slater’s brilliance, innovation, and fluidity in the water would transfer over to his business sense, he is quickly putting that to rest. I’ve watched this company closely over the past several months and have come away impressed with everything Komunity Project is about. Their product designs on their traction pads, leashes, and surf bags are distinct and easily recognizable. This was has been especially evident while watching Kelly on the way to wins in the first two events of the 2008 WCT. Dane, Jeremy, Roy, the Gudauskas brothers, and many more of surfings young stars will continue to put Komunity all over the map and surf-shops everywhere will be flooded with grommets wanting to use the same equipment they see their idols ride.

Our friends at ASR recently posted an article on the direction of the new Op marketing campaign. I had a hard time believing that their advertising headliners were Wilmer “Fez” Valderrama from That 70’s Show, and reality-celeb Kristin Cavallari from MTV’s Laguna Beach. The video on the home page of their site confirmed it was true, as well as introduced to me the rest of the Op “team” that includes Cristina Milian and Rumer Willis among others.

Being a child of the early ’80s, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Op. They were one of the original cool surf-brands, but apparently along the way they decided to take a turn in a whole other direction. They pride themselves on being the “Original California Lifestyle Brand Since 1972.” With the direction they have moved they appear to be going after a very different lifestyle. One thing’s for certain, it’s not the surfing lifestyle.

If they ever do decide to resurrect the brand to what it once was, there is going to be some explaining to do.

Call me old fashioned, call me cheap……but so far, I’ve been unable to bring myself to fathom the idea of dropping $85 on a pair of boardshorts. Hell, even the standard $50 is pricey. At least to this point, that’s been my prevailing thought ever since Hurley came out with their Hurley Advantage Phantom Boardshort. Yet the more I hear about them from those who’ve paid such a hefty price for boardies, I find myself starting to at least consider the thought of plunking down 85 big ones.

I never dreamed of seeing a day when the price for trunks would creep toward the century mark. I’d seen advertisements for the Phantoms, but it wasn’t until my recent cruise through a surf shop in Hawaii that I laid eyes on Hurley’s asking price. I honestly had a hard time believing that was the cost and asked the store manager if that price was for real. He confirmed that it was, and assured me they were worth every penny. The material used for the Phantoms is said to be revolutionary and the direction that boardshorts will be heading. The selling points are that they are ultra-thin, flexible, and dry out very quickly.

So here I am, conflicted as the warming temps and water remind me that it’s time to pick-up a couple pairs of boardshorts for the upcoming summer season. Are the Phantoms all they’re cracked up to be, or is this just another sign of the times and a serious case of overpricing?

As many of the bigger brands such as Quiksilver, Billabong, Hurley, and others move toward the direction of opening up their own stores, it has been interesting to see the toll that this is taken on many of the smaller retailers.

Yesterday I had the chance to see and learn firsthand how difficult this is making it for the local action-sports brands and their retail stores here in Hawaii when I spoke with a Local Motion store manager in Hawaii Kai, Oahu. He spoke specifically of the struggle to keep up with the ‘big boys’ now that they aren’t carrying much of their product anymore. It is impossible to match their advertising dollars and it has really left them in a tough position. This store in particular is one I have been coming to for years now and I had never seen it so dead and with such a limited selection.

The store-manger indicated that they weren’t the only ones feeling the pinch as the larger brands move in this direction. He didn’t really seem to have much of an answer as to how Local Motion was planning to keep up, only saying that as Quiksilver and others are continually re-inventing themselves with fresh new approaches the little-guys are being forced to fend for themselves. What’s a little guy to do is these situations?

Brilliant. That is literally the only word that came to my mind after seeing that Wahoo’s Fish Taco recently signed a five-year contract with the city of Honolulu, HI. to serve its surf-inspired Mexican food from a lunch wagon at the famous Sandy Beach on O’ahu.

The mobile operation of the franchised restaurant chain will park every day in the parking lot of Sandy’s starting today. “This is like our second home,” said Noel Pietsch, a partner in the local Wahoo’s franchise. “A huge part of the plan was to be right at the beach.”

They could not have picked a better beach to do this at. Sandy Beach is famous for it’s bone-crushing shorebreak, but the spectacular beach has a little bit to offer for everyone (especially those hoping to see unsuspecting tourists getting pitched like it was going out of style.) Wahoo’s will not only have steady business from locals, but will also be serving an enormous amount of visitors, who will in turn be able to share their Wahoo’s opinion with those visiting from the mainland, as well as all over the world. Being located right in the path of other famous Oahu tourist attractions like Hanauma Bay and Sea Life Park will provide plenty of customers for Wahoo’s. Tour busses regularly make stops at Sandy’s and Wahoo’s is sure to be a benefactor of the huge loads of hungry haoles that pass through on any given day.

If you haven’t heard of Wahoo’s, it was started in 1988 by three brothers in Costa Mesa, Calif. The chain has about 50 restaurants in California, Colorado, Texas and Hawai’i. Their fish taco’s are out of this world, and the rest of their menu is right up there. If this move by Wahoo’s isn’t an example of ‘living the dream,’ I don’t know what is.

The X-Games have decided to keep the skateboarding vert competitions around for at least one more summer. What was a widely criticized decision, ESPN had originally announced they were killing off the vert skate events from the Summer X-Games and that prompted me to write that they’ve officially jumped the shark.

While I still think the X-Games have been on a decline, it’s pretty refreshing that they have listened to their audience and changed their minds. They had a poll up on their site asking if the decision to drop the vert event was a good idea. The people spoke and 80% said it was a bad decision. I can’t help but think this decision to reinstate the vert comps was also influenced by the athletes of the games.

Even tough ESPN went back on their original decision, it says a lot about them to drop this event in the first place. I think it’s pretty obvious at this point where their intentions lie and they’re willing to sell us out in a second for the almighty dollar. I guess that shouldn’t really come as a surprise, afterall they’re owned by ABC and we both know ABC doesn’t care about much besides their bottom-line.