Maxell, I’m sorry but your weak ass attempt to capitalize on a buzzword will be met with much resistance. Those of us whose life revolves around action sports, don’t exactly respond positively to brands that are obviously clueless when it comes to what we do.

Maxell has introduced a new line of Action Sports headphones offering active consumers comfort while delivering premium sound. Designed with fitness in mind, the Action Sports line is ideal for intense activities like cross-training, running, spinning and aerobics, just to name a few. The line of Maxell Action Sports headphones are constructed with water-resistant and sweat-resistant materials that prevent moisture from damaging the audio device…

Because nothing says action sports like running, spinning, and aerobics.

The fun doesn’t stop there. Maxell is also announcing today that they’re dumping millions into sponsoring major action sports events such as the Action Sports Pro Tour and the X-Games.

“Maxell’s sponsorships of extreme sports, music and film mirror the interests and lifestyle choices of our target audience,” said Cheryl Severini, senior marketing manager at Maxell.

Here’s hint #2- we (your target audience) stopped using the phrase “extreme sports” some time around 1991, which coincidentally was about the last time I bought anything from Maxell. Nothing says you don’t get it quite like the word ‘extreme’. At least be consistent with using the term action sports.

Oh, and one last thing. Cool flame graphics went out around ‘91 as well.

…Additional prizes include a custom designed Maxell-branded skateboard featuring the blow-away icon in flame red, gray and cool white graphics…

While we appreciate your attempt; We, and I speak for all us, will probably just stick to Skullcandy and Nixon for our headphone needs. At least they’re authentic action sports brand that are genuinely interested in supporting the community. Peace and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

The skateboarding industry has been stacked with changes lately. From team swaps to more than half the videos going straight to internet feeds instead of DVD. Notice almost no one even bothers to release a skateboarding video anywhere other than the internet anymore. And a lot of companies have branched off into surprising product additions. From Krew clothing’s new line of watches to Nixon’s soon to be headphone line. Which by the way both look fantastic.

It has all come to a point where nothing is considered shocking or surprising anymore. Notice how corporate mainstream is taking over skateboarding? And everything from a new president, to stores you see on a daily basis going out of business. Everywhere you look, things seem a little more twisted. On top of that, core skate shops are still dropping like flies when they should truthfully be the ones blossoming.

The weather is shifting and though some of us live in California, our homies in the east coast are bummed that the snow is coming. Seems no matter what the situation is, the change is more apparent than ever. And change is an inevitable thing. But aside from all that feeling of things changing around us, there is also that little sense that tells me things will get better. That we are all due for something great. And skateboarding regardless of the popularity is and always will be skateboarding. The awesome feeling of going out and riding your board with your friends or just by yourself. That my friends will never change.

During these uncertain economic times, everyone is trying to figure out a new avenue to keep their brand hot and alive. As we get closer to the holiday season you can check out all the new and fresh garb that are hitting the store in most magazines that are putting out Holiday 2009 gift guides. Accessories have always been a great go to gift item, and are particularly featured around this time a year, because they are relatively inexpensive and usually pretty universal. One noticeable item that has been up and coming in the action sports community have been headphones. Everyone has an MP3 player or cell phone that cranks out tunes, it’s a win/win market to get into if you want to have your brand exposed in new ways that appeals not just to the core customer, but to anyone as long as it looks cool. This tread isn’t anything new, it has been present and quite establish among urban/hip hop lifestyle brands. The first to really break into the action sports market really did it right. Skull Candy has been able to transcend the clothing brands and has become a commodity that really targets the younger demographic, especially in the action sports community.

They have been able to market themselves within the industry and have not only collaborated with name brands and athletes; they are in major retailers everywhere. The “ear bud” has pretty much become their signature item, even though they were not the first to come out with them. I was on Jack’s Surf Shop’s website and they even have a dedicated section for Skull Candy. CCS even has an exclusive Skull Candy backpack available, a brand totally outside of their core roots. They are not the only brand that has entered into this market with success. Clothing brands like WESC have taken this idea and make it their own. They offer not only a wide selections of styles, but have started styling these items much like they do their clothing line, by mixing patterns, color blocking, and using new and creative art placements that represent their creative vision.

Accessories giant Nixon is on the path to join ranks with the launch of their own headphone line this December. More than just watches and wallets, Nixon will be able to connect with a larger demographic enabling the brands identity exposure to a whole new market.

With this new trend and the industry trying to branch out into new territory, no doubt we will see other brands follow suit. The question remains, how well will these image-based brands hold up in the sea of heavy weights such as Bose, Sony, and other electronic companies. If the industry continues to show support and stand behind this trend, especially in your local shops and retailers, there may be longevity for the new bread of action sports oriented headphones yet.

Nixon joins the likes of DVS, Billabong, and O’Neill to collaborate with Jack’s Surfboards to release special edition products for Jack’s 50th anniversary. The special edition watch from Nixon, called the ‘Lodown‘, features a gold plated case and buckle with a custom engraved caseback.

The watch also sports a slick tide chart for 200 beaches programmed for the next 15 years. Other features on the watch include dual time, alarm, countdown timer, wave counter, chrono and light. This watch is exclusive to Jack’s on is on sale now for $170.00.

Nixon