(Hangzhou, China Aug. 2010) Yeah yeah, you’ve heard how big the China market is and how it’s growing. Yeah, it’ll take over as the worlds largest consumer economy inside of 10 – 15 years, BUT, what’s up with retail over there? Especially Action Sports retail!?!

Because the market is still evolving (it’s a biiiiig baby) at retail, the opportunities are diverse and the need for dialog is critical. Early adopter companies will shape the landscape for their own as well as Chinas future Action Sports Market. With this in mind Wabsono International, the guys that brought you Greg & Rusty Long, Mark Healy and Jamie Sterling surfing the Qiantang River bore and the Baby Dragon series Skate contests, is bringing together Respected U.S. Specialty Retailers, Surf/Skate brand executives and Chinese retailers in a forum to present and discuss the challenges and opportunities that this massive market has to offer.

Held on September 25th in conjunction with the three day Surfing China Tidal Bore Festival in the beautiful city of Hangzhou, the Summit format will include discussions and Q&A from US retailers on how they grew their business in the early years, Chinese retailers discussing how retail is evolving in China (25 yrs ago all retail was government owned) and US Brand leaders discussing how they grew their business in partnership with Independent retailers.

US retailers confirmed;

Mike Duncan of BRA

Todd Roberts of ZJs

Milo Myers of Hangar 94

RB Alexander of Hobie Sports

US Brands confirmed;

Cathey Curtis of Quiksilver

Frank Messman of Black Box

Tod Swank of Tum Yeto

Jenn Kong of Vans

China Retail Panel

The Source

Sanfuhuwai

Eno

Fly

For additional Information, contact Glenn Brumage gbrumage@cox.net or visit: http://www.surfingchinaexpo.com/

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Bill Walton, executive chairman of CONNECT San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI), welcomes Dave Nash, founder, president & CEO of Athleisure Inc., dba: Sun Diego Boardshops, to the SDSI board of directors.

SDSI is a business accelerator that connects and drives the growth of San Diego’s action sport and active lifestyle innovation cluster, now numbering 600 action and sporting goods companies.

“Dave Nash is an extremely dedicated executive who offers great insight as to what makes brands, retailers and companies grow into successful businesses,” said Walton.  “This wisdom will be extremely beneficial to the SDSI board and the companies we aim to grow.  He will be an excellent addition to our team.”

Dave Nash is the president & CEO of Sun Diego Boardshops, an eight store chain of retail stores doing business throughout San Diego County since 1981. Dave and Sun Diego are actively involved in the community and promoting the industries Sun Diego represents. Dave and Sun Diego work with The Surfrider Foundation, Feeding America and Keep a Breast Foundation, as well as helping local high schools find funds for their programs. Dave is also a founding and active board member of the Board Retailers Association (formed in February 2003). Prior to founding Athleisure, Inc., Dave was the EVP of Snowden-Mize Companies, Inc., dba:  Snowden-Mize Sports and The Athlete’s Foot, a leading retailer in the 70’s and 80’s in the athletic shoe and apparel industry.

“SDSI is the first organization of its kind dedicated to accelerating sports innovation and promoting the sports industry as a whole.  There is no question that an organization like this could have saved me years of heartache and stress associated with the social, personal and professional growth required to grow an action sports-retail business,” said Nash. “I hope to pass along, to the next generation of sport companies, the lessons I have learned building Sun Diego Boardshops.  If I can help them make one less mistake it will be worthwhile. I am honored to join this incredible group of entrepreneurs and executives that Bill Walton has put together and give back to the community that has kept me in business for nearly 3 decades.”

The recent SDSI Capital Forum, in partnership with Action Sport Retail (ASR), was one of many future programs that will embody the SDSI mission. This Capital Forum provided an opportunity for seven early stage sport companies to pitch their business plans to a group of angel and private investors specifically interested in the sports businesses space. Many companies were approached for second meetings. For more information on SDSI, the next SDSI Capital Forum and other events please contact Garrett Hale at (858) 964-1314 or GHale@connect.org

About CONNECT SDSI
CONNECT SDSI is a business accelerator that connects and drives the growth of San Diego’s vibrant sports economy by offering innovative programs and services for start ups, mature companies and service providers.  Building on CONNECT’s world-renown success accelerating innovation in San Diego over the past 25 years, CONNECT SDSI offers mentoring, education and capital funding opportunities for start-ups; best practice collaboration, access to new technology, and public policy advocacy for mature companies; as well as deal flow to our service providers and the San Diego investment community.

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The National Retail Federation (NRF) is reporting that China’s labor costs and higher commodity prices are increasing production costs on apparel items. What does this mean for specialty retailers that get their goods from manufacturers that produce in China? It means that wholesale costs will be going up for finished goods. Some retailers like Buckle have already announced that they will raise prices on some products. More importantly, what does this mean for consumers who have already decreased spending in an uncertain economy? To learn more and how to prepare your shop for increased wholesale costs, attend the Board Retailers Association Survival of the Fittest Trends & Forecasting Course on September 9th in Orlando, Florida. For more information, please visit www.boardretailers.org

For the full story in NRF’s newsletter, please visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476104575439112892856830.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

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In an effort to collect information on the health of the action sport specialty retail industry, the Board Retailers Association (BRA) and Board-Trac are again partnering to conduct the Q2 2010 Sales Survey. The study focuses on the current specialty retailing business environment, as well as specifics such as skateboarding, surfing, apparel and other categories deemed of interest. We are inviting you, once again, to participate.

To take the survey:

http://bit.ly/d0yyHT

The goal of the research is to help gather and provide information on the overall health of the specialty retailer in the action sports industry, as well as trending  information that can be utilized by specialty retailers to guide in purchasing, overall marketing, sales and private label development.

To thank you for your participation, all retailers that submit a completed survey will receive a FREE copy of the Q2 2010 report. Other retailers have received hundreds of pages of FREE information for their participation; we hope you’ll be one of them in 2010.

Thank you again in advance for your participation.

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Text RETAILER to 67777 for your chance to win BY 5:00pm on Friday August 6th!

Enter for a chance to win a FREE Advertisement for your specialty action sports shop in SURFER, SURFING, SKATEBOARDER or SNOWBOARDER.  All you have to do is text RETAILER to 67777 and you’ll be entered into this monthly drawing. One lucky retail shop will receive an advertisement in the ASG Publication of their choice. Be sure to enter the drawing today by texting RETAILER to 67777.

Thanks to Tony Perez and our friends at ASG for partnering with the Board Retailers Association (BRA) to provide a specialty surf or skate shop a FREE advertisement in their industry mags. What an awesome opportunity for a local shop to get their message out their in a national industry publication.

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Enter for a chance to win a FREE Advertisement for your specialty action sports shop in SURFER, SURFING, SKATEBOARDER or SNOWBOARDER.  All you have to do is text RETAILER to 67777 and you’ll be entered into this monthly drawing. One lucky retail shop will receive an advertisement in the ASG Publication of their choice. Be sure to enter the drawing today by texting RETAILER to 67777.

Thanks to Tony Perez and our friends at ASG for partnering with the Board Retailers Association (BRA) to provide a specialty surf or skate shop a FREE advertisement in their industry mags. What an awesome opportunity for a local shop to get their message out their in a national industry publication.

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Mobile Marketing Services to be provided before, during and after the ASR Marketplace.

Newport Beach, Calif.  — BizM3, a leading mobile marketing technology company, announced today it will be
handling the mobile marketing for Action Sports Retailer (ASR) Marketplace in San Diego when it stages next, August 13-15,
2010.

ASR Marketplace will be offering pertinent updates on relevant content to specific event participants. ASR attendees will receive
up-to-the-minute reminders on various educational seminars provided by the Board Retail Association (BRA), and informative
reminders on various events during the event such as contests, seminars and fashion shows.

“We are proud to provide this type of advanced communication to ASR’s attendees,” says Hank Mondaca, Sales & Marketing
Strategist of bizM3. “Mobile marketing will enhance the entire tradeshow experience for all participants.”

Through printed and promotional materials, as well as social sites, ASR will ask all interested individuals to text ASR to 67777.
Once contacts “opt-in”, they are now registered to receive ASR alerts and reminders. True to common mobile marketing
practice, users will always have the opportunity to opt-out of any campaign by responding STOP to 67777. Registered users will
also be sent mobile links to live sites to view from their mobile devices. These sites will contain information such as a list of
current exhibitors and their floor location.

ASR Marketplace links action sports retail buyers looking for the latest products for the upcoming season with over 750 brands.
Biannually the surf/skate lifestyle and fashion industries invade San Diego to conduct business and preview lines for the
upcoming seasons. ASR Marketplace provides an authentic and efficient forum for buyers, sellers, media, and the investment
community to conduct business and move the action sports industry forward.

“We’re hoping to provide immediately relevant information to people on the go will benefit everybody attending ASR this August.
Buyers and exhibitors alike will know what’s happening throughout the busy day at ASR,” says ASR Marketplace Marketing
Manager, Leanne Milliken.

About BizM3
bizM3 is a leading mobile marketing technology company that provides the solutions and tools that can help you advance your
advertising campaigns and deployment strategies. bizM3 mobile solutions allow marketing campaigns to be planned and
launched by marketers in minutes, allowing timely alerts containing mobile coupons, special offers, rewards, text-2-win
announcements or links to mobile websites to be deployed and tracked with all the analytics needed to make the decisions
necessary for the best ROI. Learn more at bizM3.com.

About ASR Marketplace
ASR, produced by Nielsen Expositions, is a full service tradeshow company 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 29th successful year, ASR gathers over 800 action sports brands and approximately 6,000 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.

About Board Retail Association (BRA)
The Board Retailers Association (BRA) is a non-profit trade association representing over 550 action sport retailers in the surf,
skate, snow, wake, kite and wind industry with over 3,000 storefronts across the country. East and West Coast retailers formed
the Board Retailers Association in February 2003. Under the direction of BRA’s Chairman and Board of Directors, the
association serves as the preeminent voice, for independent retailers on a grassroots level with manufacturers, trade show
representatives, and other associations. The Board Retailers Association also works to provide educational resources and
exclusive discounts and savings from vendors on the day-to-day costs of business. For more information visit
www.boardretailers.org.

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Congratulations to BRA Member, Town & Country (T&C) for winning the Hawaii Regional Qualifier of the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge for the fourth year in a row.  They’ll be joining the rest of the regional qualifiers including Heritage, Hansen’s, Jack’s, Sweetwater and two yet to be determined teams in Huntington Beach on September 9th for the National Title of the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge.

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The countdown has begun and the pros are en route to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina for the 6th Annual Reef/Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest July 16th-July 18th. Thousands of spectators are expected to fill the beaches around Oceanic Street to catch a glimpse of their favorite pros battling it out for their piece of a $20,000 prize purse. Fans unable to attend the event can watch the action unfold in real time via live webcast courtesy of Wblivesurf.com.

With 96 of the top American professional surfers descending upon Oceanic Street for the surf fest for the past six years now, The Reef/Sweetwater Pro-Am has cemented itself as one of the largest events on the East Coast. Local hero, former ASP Championship tour standout and longtime Reef teamrider, Ben Bourgeois, will return to his hometown event along with fellow Reef teamriders, Mike Losness, Paul Fisher, Chris Waring, Dylan Goodale, Heath “Nutty” Walker and Tonino Benson.

Event Organizer, and Reef Sales Rep, Brad Beach commented, “We’re excited about the level of talent competing this year, and optimistic for some fun surf! I just checked the reports and it looks like things will bump up towards the end of the week, just in time for the event.”

A 7:00am heat this Friday will kick off the three-day event that will include an Amateur Division for 15 & up, and 14 & under, a Guys Open Longboard, Girls Open, and the Girls Open longboard. In addition, the always-entertaining tow-at session will resume, as well as the crowd favorite Guppy Division for groms to showcase their emerging talents. Today, Monday July 12th is the deadline to enter into the Reef/Sweetwater Pro-Am. For more information, visit www.wblivesurf.com.

A special thanks to the following sponsors for their continued support of the Reef/Sweetwater Pro-Am: Action Sports Now, Sweetwater Surf Shop, WBlivesurf.com, Red Bull, Spy, Dakine, JS Surfboards, Futures Fins, Eastern Surf and Skate Supply, WB Surf Camp, Tower 7, Café Del Mar, King Neptune, Sunbelt Rentals, Sage Island, Board Retailers Association, Red Dogs, A&M Screenprinting, Frank Williams Building Company and Eastern Surf Magazine.

EVENT CONTACT: Tony Butler
Phone 910.256.3821
tony@wblivesurf.com

EVENT CONTACT: Brad Beach
Phone 757.373.0608
Beach520@beachent.hrcoxmail.com

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“Even though its sad to see an independent vendor be acquired, especially one with as much potential and strength as RVCA, it’s good to know that they should only be stronger now with the guidance of Billabong.  Billabong is creating a stable of the most successful brands in our industry.  Billabong has always treated the specialty retailer fairly and honestly.  It does however become a potential concern when one brand becomes so powerful.  I guess only time will tell on the overall impact acquiring all these brands within our industry will ultimately have,” says Duke Edukas, Co-Owner of Surfside Sports and Co-Chair of the Board Retailers Association.

For more complete coverage, please visit Andrew Asch’s article at California Apparel News http://www.apparelnews.net/news/manufacturing/071310-Billabong-Buys-RVCA/page1

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