by Board Retailers Association | Feb 22, 2021 | Industry, News, Rest In Peace, Skateboard
In 2017, three terrorists driving a van ploughed into people in central London before taking to the streets to randomly attack anyone they came across. At the same time, Ignacio Echeverría was having a typical Saturday Night out skateboarding with his friends. Hear how those two separate events came together with horrifying consequences. Thanks to Transworld Skateboarding for being such a solid resource. Be sure to click on and bookmark the following link for relevant news, intelligent articles and ripping skateboarding: https://skateboarding.transworld.net/ If you are not yet a BRA Retail Member, you can easily opt in to either Regular (no cost) or Distinguished ($99/yr.) Membership via this super simple join...
by Board Retailers Association | Feb 18, 2021 | News, Rest In Peace, Skateboard, Social Issues
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The skateboarding community, rocked by several prominent deaths related to mental health issues, is hoping the benefits that go with the sport’s inclusion in this year’s Tokyo Olympics will help its athletes tackle the underlying problems.Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk rides his during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Vista, California, U.S., May 8, 2020. Picture taken May 8, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake Briton Ben Raemers died by suicide in 2019, skateboarding pioneer Jeff Grosso passed away after a drug overdose in 2020, and 22-year-old Henry Gartland took his own life last month, highlighting the urgent need to address issues like depression and addiction. “Skateboarding is a very tight-knit community,” said USA Skateboarding CEO Josh Friedberg. “Everyone has these links to each other and that makes losses like these tougher to deal with because there’s so many personal connections. “The good news is that it’s causing people to think more deeply about mental health in skateboarding – trying to figure out new ways to support the people that they love and care about.” Friedberg said one key development is that the athletes now have access to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) mental health services for the first time. “We’ve been really lucky to have the support of the USOPC in this situation,” he said. “They have been proactive in providing mental health resource for our team and staff.” Tony Hawk, one of the world’s most famous skateboarders, said that while there has been progress in combating the stigma associated with mental health, more work needs to be done. “I’d like to say...
by Board Retailers Association | Jan 22, 2021 | Industry, Rest In Peace, Skateboard
We were sad to hear the news this week that skateboard industry veteran Mark Waters passed away after a battle with COVID-19. Mark had a long career in skateboarding, including working at companies such as Tum Yeto and Sole Technology, in addition to working for USA Skateboarding as the men’s team manager. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC). Mark is survived by his wife, Claudine, and his son, Avery. We asked Don Brown, the Sole Technology VP of Marketing who worked closely with Mark over the years, to tell us about Mark’s impact on the skate industry. Please click on the following link to view the touching Shop Eat Surf memorial interview of Don Brown about his fallen friend Mark Waters: Remembering Skate Industry Vet Mark Waters Thank You, Mark, for your contribution to making skateboarding and the world a better place. DONATE TO HELP MARK’S WIFE AND SON HERE. Be sure to visit (and bookmark) the Shop Eat Surf website to view valuable Industry News and Resourceful Articles regularly via this link: Shop Eat Surf If you are not yet a BRA Retail Member, you can easily opt in to either Regular (no cost) or Distinguished ($99/yr.) Membership via this super simple join...
by Board Retailers Association | Oct 3, 2020 | News, Rest In Peace, Surf
The first and last covers of Surfer Magazine. According to SURFER Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Todd Prodanovich, issue number three of volume 61 will be the iconic publication’s final issue. Prodanovich posted the announcement on Instagram this morning with the following caption: “This is the last issue of @surfer_magazine,” wrote Prodanovich. “The whole staff got let go yesterday (no, nothing to do with the heat from the Biden endorsement 😂, just the Covid economy), but I feel like we’re ending on a high note with this one. The cover shot was taken by @donaldmiralle during the Encinitas paddle out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Inside has some of my all-time favorite features from my all-time favorite surf writers— @smashtyn_douglas , @hzahorseman and @seano888 —and a piece by me about the LGBTQ+ surf community that was the honor of my career to work on, and I’m so grateful to the subjects for trusting me with their stories. Funny how you can work a job like this for 10 years and each issue is a completely new and different journey. I’ll really miss that part, and the mag in general, which ends on this issue after 60 years of publication. Hope you all enjoy the issue and thanks for reading over the years. Lots of love to everyone I had the privilege of working with to make this thing what it was while we could” American Media acquired SURFER Magazine as well as Powder, Bike, Snowboarder, and several other titles from The Enthusiast Network in February 2019. Prior to that transaction, The Enthusiast Network shuttered its other surf publications, Transworld Surf in 2013 and Surfing Magazine in 2017. American Media continues to...
by Board Retailers Association | Sep 25, 2020 | Rest In Peace, Skateboard
Keith was the embodiment of raw East Coast power. His pop, style, and speed influenced the 90s generation and beyond. His skate career had no end in sight. He was a global icon. As a veteran on Real and with his own brand HUF, he mentored some of the greatest skaters of our time. Keith, you will be a part of skateboarding forever. Thank you. Rest in peace.—TWS Here’s an official statement from Huf WorldWide via Instagram:“We are absolutely heartbroken to deliver the news today that HUF founder Keith Hufnagel has passed away. Keith battled brain cancer for the past 2.5 years. And though he beat the odds and fought back much longer than his diagnosis permitted, he ultimately and unfortunately lost the fight. Keith was not only the ‘HUF’nagel in HUF. He was the heart and soul of this brand. He built and brought together a community of people like no one else could. Keith paved the way for all of us – as a respected professional skateboarder, shop owner, brand founder, footwear and apparel designer, creative director, and industry leader. He showed us how to do it, and how do it right. Keith loved skateboarding and the culture around it. He did things his way and did them for the right reasons. He inspired so many of us across the globe. But above anything else, Keith loved and supported the people around him. He would do anything for his friends, family and children. He passionately wanted to see others succeed. And we all loved him for it. Keith’s legacy will continue to live on at HUF. Today, tomorrow and forever. Rest in...
by Board Retailers Association | Jul 20, 2020 | Industry, News, Rest In Peace, Surf
Derek Ho at the Azores Airlines World Masters Championship on Sept. 20, 2018, in Praia de Santa Barbara, Sao Miguel, Portugal. Laurent Masurel / World Surf League via Getty Images He belonged to a noted Hawaiian family that included brother Michael, also a top pro surfer, and second cousin Don, the entertainer. Derek Ho, the first Hawaiian man to win professional surfing’s world championship, has died at 55, authorities said. The cause of death was not disclosed by the Honolulu medical examiner’s office. He was reported dead Friday. Surf forecaster and news site Surfline reported Ho had a heart attack and slipped into a coma before his death. The Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente, California, posted a memorial on Facebook. “Godspeed Derek Ho. Your presence and spirit at Pipeline will be missed,” the statement said. “The first Native Hawaiian man to be crowned world champion, your passion, drive and good nature inspired generations.” The surfwear brand and Hawaiian locals’ organization Da Hui said on Facebook, “Mahalo for all the Many Classic Moments. Ride On.” Ho became the first Hawaiian man to win the world tour’s championship late in his career, in 1993. Among those he beat out for the title was Kelly Slater, the winningest surfer in the sport’s history, and past champion Martin Potter. He also won the Pipeline Masters and Hawaii’s Triple Crown of surfing, which includes the Masters, and big-wave contests at Haleiwa and Sunset Beach multiple times. According to the Encyclopedia of Surfing, Ho was a second cousin to entertainer Don Ho. Derek Ho’s brother, Michael, is a two-time Triple Crown winner who has been described as the...
