by Board Retailers Association | Aug 8, 2019 | Associate Members, Industry, News, Resources, Skateboard, Snowboard, Surf, Trade Shows, Wakeboard
PRESS RELEASES | Published Aug 7, 2019 BRA Names New Chairman, Executive Director The Board Retailers Association (BRA), a non-profit organization representing thousands of independently owned surf, skate, snow and wake retailers, is pleased to announce that it elected a new Chairman, George Leichtweis of Modern Skate & Surf this year. Having been on the Board of Directors as the Chairman of the Skateboard Committee for many years, George was a founding member of BRA and has been in the specialty retail business for 40 years. Former Chairman, Bruce Cromartie will remain on the Board of Directors. BRA Chairman George Leichtweis George is passionate about independent retailers being successful and believes that they are the backbone and feeder system for all the board sport industries. “It is where young kids have their first impression of each sport that will stay with them as they continue to grow into adults and pass on the ‘stoke’ to others. Board Retailers Association can provide smaller retailers with the tools to be successful and keep their doors open to continue to turn new kids on to the sports that they love.” George is the owner and president of Modern Sports, Inc, dba Modern Skate & Surf as well as Modern Skate Park. Over the last 40 years, he has operated multiple Modern Skate & Surf stores in Michigan and also the world-renowned Modern Skate Parks in Novi, Madison Heights and Grand Rapids, Michigan and has been involved in the “Extreme Sports” arena since 1979. He currently operates one location that consists of a retail store for Specialty Sporting Goods, a World Class Skate Park...
by Board Retailers Association | Jul 27, 2019 | Industry, News, Skateboard
The spectrum of responses to skateboarding’s debut at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo range from “I can’t wait to see Nyjah on a Wheaties box!” to “Focus my board, all hope is lost.” Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, it’s likely you’re still plenty confused about even the most basic details surrounding the most hyped Olympic addition since snowboarding was added in 1998. I know I was. To separate the facts from some common fictions and misconceptions, I talked to Josh Friedberg, the CEO of Team USA Skateboarding and Skate Director at World Skate (the International Olympic Committee-recognized federation that governs skateboarding competitions and organizes the sport’s World Championships). Skateboarders everywhere already have an opinion about Tokyo 2020; Hopefully Friedberg’s insight into how this whole thing will actually work helps us all have an informed opinion too. 1) Fact or Fiction? Skateboarding will be represented in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics via Mega Ramp, Vert, Park and Street disciplines. Verdict: Fiction Fact: Park and Street will be the only two disciplines. Josh Friedberg: “The main driver of the choice of disciplines was gender equity. Outside of Park and Street there are not enough females competing in Mega Ramp and Vert right now to represent enough countries with both men and women.” 2) Fact or Fiction? The US skate team has been announced and everyone on that list will be heading to Tokyo. Verdict: Fiction Fact: USA’s national team has been announced, but that doesn’t automatically qualify those skaters for the Olympics. JF: “Any country can name a national team that they will support through the national governing body (in our case that’s USA...
by Board Retailers Association | Apr 16, 2019 | News, Skateboard
World’s Premier Park Terrain Skateboarding Competition Series Welcomes Tony Hawk as New Live Broadcast Commentator for the 2019 Pro Tour Season April 15, 2019 By TWS Vans Park Series, the premier park terrain skateboarding tour in the world, today announced skateboarding legend Tony Hawk as the official live broadcast commentator for the 2019 series. Hawk will join the Vans Park Series team alongside live co-host Chris Cote, as the competition touches down in five major countries across the globe this year, culminating with the official 2019 Vans Park Series World Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States this September. The Vans Park Series, known for defining professional park terrain skateboarding competition since 2016, expands its tour programming to host men and women qualifier events at all four Pro Tour locations this season, and remains committed to endorsing prize parity at every stop including the World Championships. “Skating has shaped my life experience, so I’m beyond excited to join the Vans Park Series team on tour and continue to advocate for youth and their futures in skateboarding on the global stage,” said Tony Hawk. “I’ve seen overall skating talent evolve quickly in recent years so I’m looking forward to watching that progression in the form of park terrain skateboarding unfold.” The entire 2019 competition series will be broadcast live on vansparkseries.com and will feature the best names in park terrain skateboarding such as Pedro Barros, Alex Sorgente, Oskar Rozenberg Hallberg, Tom Schaar, Nora Vasconcellos, Brighton Zeuner, Lizzie Armanto, and many more. Vans Park Series Pro Tour Dates May 17-18, 2019 – Shanghai, China June 22-23, 2019 – São Paulo, Brazil July 12-13, 2019...
