by Board Retailers Association | Mar 14, 2022 | Community, News, Rest In Peace, Surf
Editor’s note: Two years ago, Covid-19 turned the world upside down. While the pandemic is not over, The Best in Us is a series that highlights people whose pandemic stories exemplify the resilience of the human spirit. (CNN) Dan Fischer has always found solace in the ocean. As a child, he loved going to the beach and riding bikes along the coastline with his father, Karl Fischer. So when he lost his dad to pancreatic cancer and his dog of 15 years, Rudy, died shortly afterward, he turned to the healing power of the water. At the start of this year, Fischer wrote his father’s name on his surfboard and took it out to sea in Newport, Rhode Island. His father’s name glistened in the sun on what felt like a shared adventure, he says. Inspired, Fischer made a video and posted it on social media the same day. “If you love the ocean, or you know someone who loves the ocean, or maybe you lost someone who just love[d] being outdoors … comment on this video with their name and a bit of their story, and I’ll put their name on my board here, just like I’ve done with my dad upfront,” he says in the video. “And I’ll take them out in the ocean for you. “Names poured in from thousands of strangers grieving the loss of loved ones, a response exacerbated by a relentless pandemic. And with that, the One Last Wave Project was born. Dan Fischer and his father, Karl Fischer. The elder Fischer died of pancreatic cancer. A community of strangers are healing together About two months later,...
by Board Retailers Association | Nov 29, 2021 | Community, Industry, Rest In Peace, Retail History, Streetwear
Courtesy of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Dive Brief: Fashion designer Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White and artistic director for men’s at Louis Vuitton, died on Sunday. He was 41.Abloh had been undergoing treatment for a rare and aggressive cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma, for more than two years, but didn’t disclose the diagnosis to the public, according to an announcement from Off-White.Abloh wasn’t formally trained in fashion; he had a civil engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin and master’s in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology. But he has had a profound influence on today’s fashion and culture, even beyond the streetwear designs he is best known for. Dive Insight: The fashion world didn’t always know what to make of Virgil Abloh or his designs, but that only seemed to fuel his success. While he is best known for his work in apparel, Abloh’s work spanned several disciplines, including music and art; his graduate architecture studies featured curriculum developed by Mies van der Rohe, according to a press release from LVMH. Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh in 2012 began as a work of art dubbed “Pyrex Vision,” and the next year debuted as a branded runway collection during Paris Fashion Week. In 2015 Off-White was a finalist for the LVMH Prize. Earlier this year LVMH acquired a majority stake in the brand; previously Farfetch had acquired it when it took over parent New Guards Group. Abloh’s work with LVMH has been longstanding, and he was appointed men’s artistic director at Louis Vuitton in 2018. “We are all shocked after this terrible news,” LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault said in a statement. “Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man...
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...
