Famous Green Label Surf Wax Joins The Project BLUE Initiative to Benefit Surfrider Foundation

San Clemente, CA, September 7, 2008 – Project BLUE, the environmental initiative established to raise funds in support of the non-profit Surfrider Foundation’s mission to protect the oceans and beaches, would like to welcome Famous Wax into the family. As part of their support, a portion of the proceeds from Famous’ petrochemical-free Green Label Surf Wax will be donated to Surfrider. The latest member of the project BLUE initiative, Famous joins industry leaders Billabong, DAKINE, Electric, Nixon, O’Neill and Reef in their ongoing support of clean water and safe beaches worldwide.

Forward thinking and environmentally conscious, Famous represents an ideal partner for project BLUE. After two years of R&D, Famous was able to create the Green Label line of wax to be both environmentally friendly and at the same time, perform to the standards of the Famous surf team. In addition to having superior grip in the water, Famous Green Label Surf Wax is biodegradable, 100 percent organic and non-toxic.

“We developed the Green Label wax in the mindset of wanting to do our part and help Earth conscious surfers take a step towards limiting their global footprint by offering them an alternative to petroleum based surf wax,” commented Sam Sciortino, owner of Famous Wax. “When we were first preparing to introduce the Green Label wax to retail, partnering with project BLUE seemed like a natural evolution for our company. As surfers, we all need to do what we can to keep the oceans and beaches clean, joining the project BLUE initiative and helping Surfrider is just one way we’re trying at Famous.”

Famous has taken steps to make the packaging of their wax more environmentally as well. Green Label wax is wrapped in FSC certified recycled paper and uses soy ink in the printing process.

“Famous stepping up for project BLUE provides one more outlet for surfers to support Surfrider and the environment through conscious decision making in their regular routines. Famous may be a smaller company when compared to the other project BLUE partners, but their support is a great example of how little steps can lead to big changes,” said Vipe Desai, brand strategist at Propaganda HQ and founder of the project BLUE initiative. “Project BLUE isn’t a showcase for companies trying to out green each other. What we are doing is providing easy options for people to plug into Surfrider with minimal effort. If everyone took little steps towards helping the environment, we’d see big changes in the oceans.”

Famous Green Label Surf Wax is available in five temperature ranges (including base coast) and is currently at better surf shops nationwide. More information on Famous Wax can be found at www.famouswax.com.

ABOUT project BLUE

project BLUE is an unprecedented collaboration of leading and competitive brands in the multi-billion dollar surf industry. Each of the project BLUE partner brands has created special edition product specifically for the initiative, with a portion of the proceeds from each sale going towards the non-profit Surfrider Foundation. Billabong, DAKINE, Electric, Famous Wax, Nixon, O’Neill and Reef have all pledged their long-term support for the program. project BLUE products can be found worldwide at leading surf retailers and online through Swell.com. More information on project BLUE and its partners can be found at www.betruetoblue.com.

Big Tricks and Fan Favorites Preview the LG Action Sports World Championships

CINCINNATI, Ohio (October 5, 2008) — The final stop on the 2008 Action Sports World Tour (ASWT) concluded tonight at the Bank of Kentucky Center on Northern Kentucky University with fan favorites capturing the top prize in their discipline and the pros pushing the sport to the next level with tricks that far surpassed the expectations of the spectators and the judges.

Vert ramp action started the evening, with 16 men competing in a BMX vert contest that showcased the flair of favorite Jamie Bestwick (Darby, UK) and saw him ride away with the $10,000 first place prize. Although at 37 he was one of the oldest riders in the competition, Bestwick’s talent and skill never wavered; his execution was flawless. Tonight, perfection was necessary in order to win, for Steven McCann (Melbourne, Australia) and Simon Tabron’s (Newquay, England) rides were equally as impressive as Bestwick’s. McCann’s remarkable full-pull presentation rewarded him with second place, while Tabron effortlessly landed the 900 for which he has become known and finished in third.

Pierre-Luc Gagnon (Montreal, Canada) continued his winning ways in 2008 and rode to victory in the skateboard vert contest, confidently nailing multiple 720s and back to back technical spin tricks in a single run that left no question as to who was the event’s winner. The new 10-wall format (versus the usual 45-second run) worked well for “PLG”, allowing him to plan his performance and turn out the run he had been envisioning.

“That last run I did was great,” PLG said after his win. “I have been struggling with the Mountain Dew Tour ramps all season, but I love this ASWT ramp. It was amazing to pull off that run on this ramp. And, I like the format too. I can plan what I want to do and not worry about the time.”

San Diego, California’s 17 year-old Alex Perelson took the silver medal, and veteran Danny Mayer (Omaha, Neb.) finished in third.

Closing the night was the Big Air BMX Triple Jump contest that brought fans to their feet several times in admiration. With his first run of the night, Rob Darden (Greenville, NC) successfully rode the 165 foot long course performing three, exciting big-air stunts, then re-jumped the second jump, heading back toward the starting ramp. He is one of only two riders to jump back in the opposite direction and by the competition’s end he had completed this stunt in all three of his runs. Darden was rewarded with the Big Air BMX Triple Jump title and $10,000 for his efforts.

“I ride at a skate park that is built that way, where you can ride forward and backward in a single run. The only difference here is that the jumps are taller and you can’t see the landing. But the quarterpipe on this course gives you the speed you need and makes it easier to do it,” explained Darden. “I just went out to have a good time, tried it, and it worked out.”

Always a contender, Mike Spinner (Miami, Fla.), triple tailwhipped his way into second place, and 19 year-old Zack Warden of O’Fallon, Illinois finished third. Warden performed one of the night’s most exciting tricks when he landed a bike-flip 360, a trick he calls the “iron lotus”. The only rider to have ever landed the trick, Warden secured the bronze medal.

Providing the wow-factor of the Big Air BMX Triple Jump contest was T. J. Ellis with his second run of the evening. Turning in a first run during which he successfully performed a no-handed front flip, Ellis nailed a double backflip and surprised not only the crowd and the judges, but also himself.

“I’ve done it before on dirt courses, but never on this course. I just thought I’d try it and it worked!” The double backflip helped Ellis to advance to the Semifinals, which saw further attempts at the trick fail and keep him from advancing to the Finals.

The Cincinnati Action Sports World Tour event was the final qualifier before the prestigious LG Action Sports World Championships on October 31- November 2 in Seattle, Washington. KeyArena will see 175 of action sports pros gather in Emerald City to determine the best action sports athletes of the year.

CBS Sports will air ASA Entertainment’s Cincinnati Action Sport World Tour stop on November 8th. Please consult your local listings for the times in your area.

For more information on the Action Sports World Tour or photos from the Cincinnati tour stop and complete results, please visit actionsportstour.com or contact Denise M. Abbott at 310 430 0496 or via email at abbott@asaent.com.

Put your hands together and help us welcome Elena Hight to the Nike 6.0 Crew.

“Elena is a great addition to our team. Nike 6.0 has always been about the youth and capturing the energy and enthusiasm of this culture on and off the snow. Elena can ride it all, but is best known for her explosive halfpipe runs. Despite her age, Elena has the confidence, focus, and talent of a seasoned pro. She is pushing women’s snowboarding to a new level, and has the kind of style that earns her the respect and recognition of snowboarders young and old.” –Barrett Christy, Snowboard Mentor

High amplitude and high style pipe runs mark Elena Height’s take on snowboarding. Elena’s aggressive yet refined style and consistent bag of tricks have brought her to contests around the globe— earning her a worldly perspective past her years, and a spot at the forefront of the next generation of women riders, pushing the sport, further, faster and higher. Welcome to the crew Elena.

Elena joins Nike 6.0 snowboarders Mason Aguirre, Broc Waring, Matt Ladley, Ellery Hollingsworth, Trevor Jacob, Bryn Valaika, Ben Watts, and Ross Baker.

Whistler Blackcomb’s PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola will officially open to the public December 12, 2008. This engineering marvel is set to become a new Canadian tourism icon, and will forever revolutionize the way visitors experience this four-season resort.

“This spring we had to move massive amounts of snow so it was a slow start but we have been able to stay on track with each construction phase,” says Rick Temple, PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Construction Manager. “To be at this point in construction at this time is unheard of. Typically for a lift installation you are fighting the weather in November to get things done. However due to the incredible work by everyone involved we are ahead of schedule. We are very excited to have our official opening day announced and are looking forward to the day when our guests can experience this gondola.”

The arrival of 28 Sky Cabins, including two with glass floors, and the completion of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola ropework has set the stage for what will be the biggest construction milestone of the lift installation – the first Sky Cabin to cross the record-breaking 3 kilometre/1.88 mile, unsupported span between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.

Through October and November load testing will take place as well as evacuation training and simulations, and operator training. The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola will also be examined by the British Columbia Safety Authority through their Passenger Ropeways Safety Program which regulates the safety of lifts.

“There is always a ton of anticipation for the winter season and being able to announce the official opening for the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola gives our guests something else to look forward to this winter, a definitive date to mark on their calendars,” says Dave Brownlie President and Chief Operating Officer of Whistler Blackcomb. “We know that on December 12, the way our guests use Whistler Blackcomb will be changed forever and we are extremely excited for that day to come.”

Construction progress of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola is captured daily via webcams, and weekly via photography and construction blogs on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola microsite at whistlerblackcomb.com. The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola will open in December.

About Whistler
Consistently ranked as North America’s top ski and snowboard resort, Whistler Blackcomb continues to raise the level of mountain excitement for its guests. With the landmark PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola project underway, the return of the popular Symphony Amphitheatre, and a host of other on-mountain improvements, this winter promises to be one of the most exciting yet. Located a scenic two-hour drive north of Vancouver up the spectacular ‘Sea to Sky’ Highway, this resort is home to the continent’s two greatest vertical-rise ski mountains – Whistler and Blackcomb. With over 17 alpine bowls, four glaciers, 200 trails, 8,171 acres of skiable terrain and a one mile vertical rise, the choices of where and what to ski/ride at Whistler Blackcomb from beginner to advanced terrain are staggering. Joined at the base by a vibrant pedestrian village filled with restaurants, patios, cafes, shops, galleries and spas, and surrounded by breathtaking scenery, this four season resort is spectacular. Check it all out at whistlerblackcomb.com.

About Intrawest ULC
Intrawest is a world leader in experiential destination resorts. The company has interests in ten resorts at North America’s most popular mountain destinations including Whistler Blackcomb, a host venue for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Intrawest network also includes Canadian Mountain Holidays, the largest heli-skiing operation in the world, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Florida and Club Intrawest—a private resort club with locations throughout North America. In addition, Intrawest develops real estate at its resorts and at other locations across North America and in Europe. Intrawest is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information, visit intrawest.com

Goofy or Regular? The debate between the right and left continues with etnies’ fifth annual GvR skateboarding contest taking place October 2-5, 2008 at the etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest, Calif. Started in 2004, GvR is the first and only team-oriented skateboarding contest in which Goofy-footed and Regular-footed skaters compete in an action-packed weekend of non-stop skating.

This year, many of the world’s best skateboarders, including Ryan Sheckler, Jereme Rogers and Chris Cole, will compete in the tie-breaking forum before a crowd of more than 15,000. Past competitors include Andrew Reynolds, Billy Marks, Nyjah Huston, Rick McCrank and Sean Malto. The event will be held at etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest, a 40,000 square foot concrete haven boasting a street section, pools, music and free admission.

Each team captain will pre-qualify five skaters who will go straight to the final GvR competition. Saturday’s events will consist of qualifying rounds for the rest of the skaters from each team while Sunday will feature the final conflict of the stances after which the winning team will be announced settling the score once and for all…or at least until next year’s competition.

Team Captain SLAP Magazine’s Mark Whiteley put together the following crew of heavy hitters for the Regular Team’s starting five:

Ryan Sheckler
Andrew Reynolds
Chris Cole
Rick McCrank
Sean Malto

Goofy Team Captain and Skateboard Mag Editor-in-Chief Dave Swift is being elusive about his selection for his starting five skateboarders. Will Swift’s strategy of keeping his team roster secret as long as possible pay off with a win for Team Goofy?

Admission to GvR is free of charge and in addition to all-day skating, this year’s festivities include legendary punk rock band Bad Religion taking the stage with a special performance Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 8:00pm. Tickets to the Bad Religion concert are available at select etnies retailers throughout Southern California and while the performance is free, tickets are required for all admissions.

Everyone who attends GvR can also enjoy the Festival Village area which is open for the duration of the competition, and has something to do for everyone. Fans can enjoy food, activities and exhibits from sponsors including Grind for Life, Oakley, Keep-A-Breast, FUEL TV and more.

For the first time ever, gamers can compete in etnies’ GvR competition in Skate 2, being released for the PlayStation® 3 system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system in 2009. Developed by Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts (EA), Skate 2 delivers all the grit, creativity and culture of skateboarding. EA Skate 2 doubles the bag of tricks and allows gamers to get off their board and move objects to create and share their ultimate skate spots.

For complete event details, ticket information, schedule, directions and the latest updates, check out: gvr.etniesskate.com

About etnies:
Established in 1986, etnies is the first skateboarder-owned and operated global action sports footwear and apparel company. etnies not only pushed the envelope by creating the first pro model skate shoe, but it pioneered technological advances and changed the face of skateboard footwear forever. Today etnies’ vision is to remain the leading action sports company committed to creating functional products that provide the most style, comfort, durability and protection possible. etnies stays true to its roots by sponsoring a world class team of skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, moto x and BMX athletes and continues its dedication by giving back to each of these communities. For additional information, visit www.etnies.com.

The masses have spoken and once again Kelly Slater and Sofia Mulanovich reign supreme in the ultimate annual election. The two accepted their awards last night at the 2008 SURFER Poll and Video Awards presented by Suzuki Auto at The Grove in Anaheim, California. The venue was packed to the brim, with several being turned away at the door due to a record-breaking over-capacity crowd. The other big winner of the night, claiming both “Movie of the Year” and “Documentary of the Year,” was “Bustin’ Down the Door” featuring surf legends Shaun Thomson, Peter “PT” Townend, and Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew.

The action began outside on the red carpet with celebrity sightings including Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness, Miami Ink’s Tim Hendricks, musical guest Mickey Avalon, Prison Break’s Dominic Purcell, Charger football legend Junior Seau and former Major League Baseball pitcher David Wells, alongside all the big-name pros. FUEL TV was on hand filming for an upcoming broadcast, which will feature highlights from the night and classic “Point Break” dead presidents reenactments. Hosted again by the dynamic duo of Sal Masekela and Benji Weatherly, the evening stayed true to its roots of irreverent commentary and soul-stirring highlights from all of the year’s best surf movies and action.

“SURFER Poll is by the people and for the people – which makes it unique,” proclaimed Masekela in his fifth consecutive year greeting the SURFER Poll audience. This sentiment was echoed throughout the night as Poll Award winners accepted their trophies with humble acceptance speeches thanking their fans for voting and their sponsors for supporting. “It’s pretty cool to have the readers of the magazine like what I’m doing,” said Taj Burrow upon claiming sixth-place in the Poll, which awards the top 10 men and top five females honors based on SURFER readers’ voting.

Special guest presenters for the evening and for the Video Awards portion of the show included: South African icon Shaun Thomson, who presented Kalani Chapman with “Best Tube Ride” for “Second to None;” former World Champion Sunny Garcia, who presented “Best Male Performance” to fellow Hawaiian Clay Marzo for “Just Add Water;” SURFER Photo Editor Grant Ellis, who presented “Photo of the Year” to Scott Aichner; new SURFER Editor Joel Patterson, who presented “Boost Breakthrough Performer” to Nathaniel Curran; and legendary filmmaker Bruce Brown, who presented “Movie of the Year” to the “Bustin’ Down the Door” crew.

While most of the names in the Poll remained consistent, only shuffling in order, two surfers made their debut. In the women’s Poll, 16-year-old phenom Coco Ho claimed the No. 5 spot and accepted her award modestly stating: “It’s an honor to be standing here with my heroes and friends,” and giving a shout out to best friend, Carissa Moore, who snagged third in the Poll for the second year in a row. In the men’s Poll, ASP World Tour rookie and aerial dynamo, Dane Reynolds, made an impressive first showing in the No. 3 spot. Reynolds also walked with the “Best Maneuver” award for “Dude Cruise.”

A testament to just how impressive Reynolds is, Kelly Slater, upon accepting his monumental 14th Poll focused heavily on giving props to the young up-and-comer. “Dane Reynolds is the best surfer in the world by far,” said Slater. “Surfing has advanced to where it should be right now and Dane is proof of that. Sitting back and watching surfing today [at the Boost Mobile Pro] made me really proud.”

Completing the event’s “firsts,” Dave Rastovich was presented with the first-ever “Agent of Change” award for the work he is doing with Surfers for Cetaceans. He launched the nonprofit in 2004 to help support the protection and conservation of dolphins, whales, and other marine wildlife, and is truly making a difference among the surfing community and beyond. Surfers for Cetaceans and Surfrider’s “Save Trestles” campaign were the two beneficiaries of this year’s VIP table sales, which raised $16,000 for the two organizations to share.

Complete SURFER Poll and Video Award results:
Coors Heavy Water
Ian Walsh (The Life)

Worst Wipeout
Mark Healey (The Life)

Best Tuberide
Kalani Chapman (Second To None)

Best Female Performance
Stephanie Gilmore (Somewhere)

Best Male Performance
Clay Marzo (Just Add Water)

Best Maneuver
Dane Reynolds (Dude Cruise)

Best Cinematography
Waterman

Best Documentary
Bustin’ Down the Door

Movie of The Year
Bustin’ Down the Door

Boost Breakthrough Performer
Nathaniel Curran

Photo of the Year
Scott Aichner

Agent of Change
Dave Rastovich

Breakthrough Filmmaker
Matt Beauchesne

SURFER Poll Men

1. Kelly Slater
2. Mick Fanning
3. Dane Reynolds
4. Joel Parkinson
5. Andy Irons
6. Taj Burrow
7. Bruce Irons
8. Rob Machado
9. Bobby Martinez
10. CJ Hobgood

SURFER Poll Women

1. Sofia Mulanovich
2. Stephanie Gilmore
3. Carissa Moore
4. Layne Beachley
5. Coco Ho

Check www.surferpoll.com for complete details from the event including images and video. See highlights on FUEL TV on October 27 in the “Meet & Brotatoes” Monday night special block at 8pm ET/PT. Check www.fuel.tv for additional airdates and times.

Special thanks to the sponsors of the 2008 SURFER Poll and Video Awards: Suzuki Auto, FUEL TV, Red Bull, Boost Mobile and Coors.

About SURFER
Upon its inception in 1960, SURFER Magazine brought a unity of voice and vision to an otherwise niche and fragmented sport. Today, the original surf publication is widely recognized as the “Bible of the Sport” and the driving force in the surf world, reaching more surfers worldwide than any other surf magazine. SURFER is part of Source Interlink’s Action Sports Group (ASG) that reaches more than 2 million action sports enthusiasts through an integrated network of magazines, online properties, events, and television programming.

ASR, the Action Sports Retailer Expo, wrapped up in San Diego leaving the action sports and youth culture industries energized and optimistic for spring/summer ‘09 business. The three-day industry event brought together nearly 700 surf, skate, swim, snow, moto, lifestyle and street brands, 60 advocacy and environmental groups, 400 members of the media, and 6,000 buyers to conduct the business of action sports.

“The ASR show floor reflected a resilient industry that continues to produce amazing product lines, creative marketing and demonstrates contagious energy,” says Andy Tompkins, ASR Group Show Director. “ASR September attracted the best buyers from across categories, top media and helped keep the dream alive for the entire marketplace. Even in a challenging retail climate, ASR continues to be an important platform for industry sales.”

Retailers Write Aggressive Orders and Exchange Business Information
Although many attendees were concerned with the overall economy; top retailers were committed to a buying strategy. Thousands of retailers attended ASR September and brands reported writing big business.

“The highlight is always the people – and the ideas that they bring,” said Bob Hurley, President of Hurley. “I’ve been doing this show for a longtime and this is the best one I’ve ever been to in every way, the best business, the most fun and excitement. Excitement not only for us, but also for the whole industry. With all of the changes, acquisitions, vertical integration and Internet sales, it isn’t business as usual, but it is more dynamic and consumer driven than ever, which is exciting.”

Retailers utilized ASR to not only write orders, but also to strengthen business relationships, discuss marketing programs, and gather feedback on upcoming products, colors and designs.

“ASR is a good opportunity to network and see my brands,” says Doug Butcher, Owner of Industrial Board Shop that has 18 stores across the mountain states. “I brought out 20 managers this time. Going to ASR is both a motivation tool for managers as well as a way for them to learn about product and meet everyone in the industry in person.”

In today’s specialty retail environment, buyers understand that they need brand education and market insight to stay competitive. “There’s something about being in the trade show booth where you can see the whole line, some of the marketing, the ideas behind product and get the brand story right from the source,” explains Gorio Bustamante, Head Buyer for Evogear, Seattle, WA. “There is no other way to get that scope of information.”

International retailer presence was way up and many retailers including Chris Turck from XLR8R in Orlando, FL made the trip west. “For me ASR is a ‘Must Attend’ tradeshow where I have been able to find fresh new product from start up brands that may not have an opportunity to debut their lines in the Southeast,” he explained. “Additionally, ASR allows me to preview my core volume brands early enough to get a jump start on pre-book deadlines and take advantage of any margin building show specials.”

Footwear Remains a Strong Category for Industry Leaders
Over 60 brands showed footwear and many reported doing vigorous business. To meet the needs of extended footwear production cycles, DC Shoes pushed hard to have a summer line ready to show alongside spring at ASR September.

“Showing summer alongside spring maximized our retailers’ trip to ASR. We did enormous amounts of business during the three days,” said Jeff Pool, DC Footwear Sales Director.

Footwear brands included category leaders such as Reef, Vans, Nike 6.0, Adidas, Converse and DC along with many other up-and-coming brands with fashion, beach and skate roots. “The show seemed busy, some of the brands pulled out leaving even more business for those who stayed,” said Ryan Kingman, Element’s Marketing Manager from outside a booth full of appointments on Saturday morning.

Events Pack Show with Action
The ASR and Seventeen Magazine fashion show was filled to capacity with buyers and media trend-spotting for spring 09 on the high-energy runway. The theme “It’s Electric” showcased popping neon hues for swim and sportswear, mixed with fitted styling and a wide variety of accessories.

Automatic Magazine held its annual Battle of the Shops at ASR on Saturday afternoon. Over 20 of the top retailers in the West brought in teams to compete across various parts of the street course. Pacific Drive’s team took top honors with Pharmacy and Active coming in second and third. Last year’s winner, ZJ’s Boarding House, rounded out the top five.

In the ASR/SIMA Board Builders Pavilion, Billabong put on the ‘Art of Shaping: Hawaii Edition’ to showcase Hawaii’s greatest shapers and raise $40,000 for the Liquid Nation Ball. “The boards became a major conversation piece of the show – it was one of the greatest collections of work from Hawaii ever assembled in one place,” said Royce Cansler, Billabong, Retail Relations Director. The top bid of $10,000 came from Billabong’s Paul Naude for the George Downing Classic Hawaiian Gun.

Debut of Virtue: Powered by ASR
Virtue debuted at the new Hard Rock Hotel, across the street from the Convention Center, and featured 40 brands with lifestyle collections inspired from the cultures of mixed martial arts (MMA), freestyle motocross (FMX), tattoo culture, art and music. The new venue gave this exploding new market its first industry-only event.

Retailers who are just starting to carry products from these brands appreciated a focused environment to learn more about the market. “I picked up a lot of new brands this show; DC and some of the MMA brands including Bad Boy and Sinister,” said Yogesh Patel, Owner of Step Up, Tracy, CA. “Demand in my store is asking for MMA gear. I was happy with Virtue – it gave me a full view of that market in one place, which was great. I found what I was looking for straight away. 90% of the brands were new to me.”

Tapout, who showed at both ASR and Virtue, much more than paid for the brand’s complete presence in San Diego with one walk-up buyer. “Our booth was popping!” said Arika Helton, Tapout Director of Sales. “I had a walk-up appointment who did an at-once order of $500,000 and another sales manager wrote over a million dollars with another account all in one day at ASR.”

ASR returns to San Diego on January 22-24 for the unveiling of summer and fall collections. For more information on ASR, please go to ASRbiz.com

Fundraisers, fashion shows, skate and surf contests, seminars, art projects, film premieres and more make ASR the action sports trade event of the summer

San Juan Capistrano, CA (August 20, 2008) – ASR, the Action Sports Retailer Expo, transcends trade event status this September 4th-6th, by pulling together an incomparable three days of action sports industry events and seminars. Not only is ASR where action sports does a majority of its business for the coming season, but also as the place to network with 18,000 peers, while appreciating the unique vibe of action sports.

“The creative energy that the entire industry puts into ASR’s one-of-a-kind event schedule, puts ASR in a category of its own among trade events” says Andy Tompkins, ASR Group Show Director. “We make sure that our events are all located in and around the ASR main show floor, so buyers can maximize appointment time while still taking in the action sports community and educational aspects of the show.”

On the business end, ASR’s 23 free seminars provide a forum where retailers and exhibitors can learn from experts within and beyond the action sports industry. This September features an impressive line up on everything from obtaining financing, merchandising, preventing piracy and retail trends to building skate parks in your community and understanding the MMA marketplace.

The ASR/Seventeen Runway show puts young contemporary apparel and swim in motion twice during ASR. The flirty, fast paced ASR Runway theme “It’s Electric” comes alive on Thursday and Friday, September 4th and 5th, at 2:00 in Hall H.

At the root of all the lifestyle products are the boards themselves. IASC and ASR continue to champion the cause of skateboard manufacturers with a dedicated Skate Hardgoods area. Check out 30 hardgoods brands, discuss new initiatives with IASC and stop by CreateASkate, the mini-ramp, street course and the ASR Beer Garden in Hall A throughout the show.

Automatic Magazine throws down one of the best amateur skate contests of the year, the Battle Of the Shops which will culminate at ASR on Saturday, September 6th from 11AM-4PM. The nation’s top skate shops will be picking their four strongest ams to represent them on a selection of obstacles. Watch ZJ’s Boarding House defend their title in tough competition from Pharmacy, Pacific Drive, Val Surf and many more.

On the surf side of the business, ASR partners with SIMA to put the spotlight on shapers and surfboard materials in the Board Builders Pavilion, which will now sit front and center on the show floor. The “Billabong Art of Shaping, Hawaii Edition,” takes place in the Pavilion where over a dozen shapers including Eric Arakawa, Dick Brewer and Jeff Bushman will showcase the talent of Hawaii based shapers and craftsmen. A silent auction will run for the first two days of ASR with a “live” auction starting at 3PM on Friday, September 5th to benefit the Liquid Nation Ball.

Surf contest action comes to ASR this year with the Vans El Ponto Loco a 2-star WQS event being put on in conjunction with Sun Diego. The contest runs September 3rd-6th up the road from ASR at Ponto Beach in Carlsbad, CA.

Rusty brings out the creativity found in action sports with ‘Random Acts of Art,’ in conjunction with San Diego’s 94.9FM and Scion. Action sports’ most talented graphic artists display original art on Rusty surfboards, while participating in a free hand art exhibition that includes completely covering a Scion xB Hatchback with imagination, color and total freedom. ‘Random Act of Art’ will take place throughout ASR across from registration.

The Action Sports Environmental Coalition, ASEC, highlights the action sports industry’s steps toward sustainability. Stop by the ‘Green Room’ in meeting rooms 12,13 and 14 located on the mezzanine level of the main floor to check out natural product lines from action sports brands, sustainable business solutions and taste natural foods and beverages. Next door to the ‘Green Room’ in room 15A, the Grind for Life Chill Zone returns with an interactive industry-gathering place.

Shopping around for a job in action sports? Malakye.com returns with the Shmoozapalooza on Friday September 5, 2008 from 11AM to 4PM. New job opportunities abound, head up the escalator to meeting room 6B to find the right one for you.

Leaders of the action sports, music and film worlds cruise ASR to see what’s next in the industry, network with them at ASR. ASR September nights are the place to premiere snowboard films, attend the Liquid Nation Ball, see runway shows and hear new music. Check out Nixon’s Party Planner at the show for more details and for a complete schedule of show events please visit www.asrbiz.com.

ASR continues to be the most focused atmosphere for the business of action sports. Free buyer registration has been extended until August 29th!

About ASR
ASR, produced by Nielsen Business Media, is a full service trade show whose goal is to create market and produce high quality trade shows and educational conferences. ASR is the leading action sports industry trade event, bringing together top manufacturers, retailers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of surf, skate, snow, swim, style, moto and youth culture. Now in its 26th successful year, ASR gathers over 500 action sports brands and approximately 7,000 retail buyers and decision makers two times a year, with spring and summer/fall season shows in San Diego. For additional information regarding ASR, check out ASRbiz.com.

New Kreation Surf Products, located in Oceanside Ca, is proud to announce the launch of their website, www.nksurfproducts.com.

OUR ROOTS
Founded by Scott “RAZ” Raisbeck, NK SURF PRODUCTS has always been an underground source of quality hand-shaped boards for the locals. With the recent push of industry boards being manufactured overseas, Raz has felt the need to speak out and do his part to keep the roots of the industry intact. His message, ‘BRING THE INDUSTRY HOME, ONE BOARD AT A TIME’.

With over 20 years of working under many of the greats in the industry, RAZ has long fostered a love of hand-shaping. He thrives on designing and building all types of surfboards for all types of surfers, from the super-light contest board to the lightning fast retro cruiser. To him, every board is a NEW KREATION.

OUR PURPOSE
NK SURF PRODUCTS provides milling, shaping and glassing services. Designed to be a one stop shop - having boards built start to finish in house.

While still staying true to the foundations of board-building, RAZ is open-minded to new technologies and progression of the craft. Grounded in the heart of an ever-evolving industry, NK SURF PRODUCTS is eager to help make new foams, stringer configurations and glassing materials accessible to the every day surfer.

NK SURF PRODUCTS also provides a milling service using the AKU shaper. The machine helps shapers replicate that “magic board”, creates a way for shapers to keep up with demand and still produce time-tested quality boards, and also, provides shapers with a numerically sound method for applying feedback from riders.

(NEW YORK) – Brooklyn, NY has always been a place of radical change; in the past decade there have been a number of small businesses that have pledged their allegiance to begin in Brooklyn and thrive in Brooklyn. One of these companies is NYC Freeride, which, is amongst some of the premier mountain biking component companies claiming refuge in the heart of Brooklyn.

As a progressive company NYC Freeride has been open to exploring new ideas and ways to promote their brand as well as streamline their operations. One of these new ideas is a partnership with a radical new company Xpparel. The premise behind the partnership is the delegation of all NYC Freeride branded apparel to Xpparel. NYC Freeride gets to produce their products and Xpparel manages the apparel lines from start to finish; all the while leaving NYC Freeride to focus on what they do best; making components.

Founder and President of NYC Freeride Andrew Grossi commented on the importance of branded apparel saying, “It’s become clear in the extreme sports industry that apparel sales drive a brand. As much as we love seeing our components as a platform for our brand, there’s no doubt that branded apparel builds brand recognition”.

Xpparel founders Matt Wilson and Rob Ianelli are eager to develop the construction and enhancement of apparel lines for the extreme sports industry. Wilson was quoted saying, “We are looking to build Xpparel.com into a one-stop shop to find clothing from your favorite niche action sports company”. Xpparel provides both a streamlined apparel solution for extreme sports gear manufacturers as well as provide a distinct website for niche extreme sports enthusiasts to purchase apparel they identify with and want to represent.

As of now NYC Freeride apparel can be found on their website www.nycfreeride.com as well as Xpparel.com. Customers can choose from current styles of shirts and accessories. For more information on Xpparel email direct rob@hipvisions.com