by Board Retailers Association | Jul 3, 2021 | Industry, Skateboard, Women's Market
Rookie Skateboards, a downtown Manhattan brand founded by Catharine Lyons and Elska von Hatzfeldt in the mid ’90s, has pioneered so much we see out of skating and streetwear today.While it’s not common to this day, it was even more of an anomaly to have a woman-founded skate company at the time when Rookie started. In that era, there were some supporters in the industry who were more open-minded.Like many trailblazing brands and people, Rookie didn’t think twice about supporting women and including them in the skateboarding scene. This piece was written by Jessie Van Roechoudt, a former Rookie team rider, to give us a look into the history and lasting impact of the company. This article was featured in Quell Skateboarding’s latest print issue, “The New York Issue,” and shared with us by out friends over at Quell HQ. Grab a copy of “The New York Issue” here. ROOKIE’S ORIGINS Catharine and Elska founded Rookie in 1996, and today people say Rookie Skateboards was ahead of its time – though it’s more appropriate to say that Rookie’s inclusive team roster, brand identity, and art direction were on point, and the rest of the skate industry just took 25 years to catch up. The catalyst for founding Rookie came about at an art show that was held at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge in the fall of 1995. The show featured a ramp, and the artist invited skaters to skate it as a sculpture in motion. The show was busy and chaotic – and pretty much impossible to even get near the ramp. Catharine and Elska asked the artist if they could come back...
by Board Retailers Association | May 30, 2021 | Industry, Retail Strategy, Surf, Women's Market
Girls don’t go into surf shops just to buy bikinis. Photo: Naomi Blik. Editor’s Note: The women interviewed for this piece asked to remain anonymous to protect their hard-earned standings in their respective communities. A girl walks into a surf shop and the ensemble of mansplaining commences. Pretty much every female surfer has a story of feeling patronized in a surf shop. As much as we like to think surfing is becoming more progressive and inclusive (and in many ways it has), surf shops seem to be stuck in the eighties with the automatic assumption that girls can’t surf. I sat down with some female surfers from different areas of California to gauge their experiences in surf shops. One female surfer entered a surf shop in Santa Barbara looking for a new longboard for summer. “They literally assumed I didn’t know how to surf and said ‘Weston boards are great for beginners,’” she recounted to me. “I’ve always felt that way, even in surf shops growing up in Northern California. I’ve never felt fully comfortable there without going in with another guy.” Another young woman told me about one of her experiences in a Central Coast surf shop: “I walked in to get tropical wax for an upcoming surf trip and the guy behind the counter said ‘this wax is meant for warmer temperatures or to be used as a base coat that goes underneath,’ assuming I didn’t know what I was buying,” she said. “Most of the time when I walk into a surf shop they automatically assume I don’t know what I’m talking about,” she continued. It’s not uncommon for women to feel the need...
by Board Retailers Association | May 25, 2021 | Educational Opportunity, Industry, Kiteboard, News, Resources, Retail Strategy, Skateboard, SUP, Surf, Trade Shows, Wake Skate, Wake Surf, Wakeboard, Women's Market
Surf Expo is the largest and longest running watersports and beach lifestyle tradeshow in the world. Since 1976, retailers from around the globe have relied on Surf Expo to identify new trends, new brands, and to get business done. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this vibrant, award winning marketplace! Surf Expo is excited to welcome our board specialty retailers back to forge new relationships and celebrate old ones with Vendors and each other. The Surf team is committed to creating an event experience at the Orange County Convention Center’s West Concourse where their customers, partners and employees can safely and effectively conduct business. Show Dates: September 9-11, 2021 (Waterfest Sept. 8th)Location: Orange County Convention Center, West Concourse, Orlando, FL | View MapShow Hours: Thursday & Friday: 9 am to 6 pmSaturday: 9 am to 4 pmRegister for the Show: Click HereMake Your Hotel Reservation: Click HereTo view the Exhibitor List: Click Here Click and view the following videos to recall the relevance, helpfulness and fun of this remarkable trade show: Surf Expo Overview January 2020 Surf Expo Highlights BRA Battle of the Shop Bosses Surf Expo January 2020 (shorter edit) BRA Retailer Roundtable Panel Discussion from Surf Expo Connect (Sept. 2020) January 2019 Surf Expo Highlights Surf Expo Orange County Convention Center 2021 Click on the link above to register for this relevant, helpful and fun trade show Surf Expo is a trade-only event. The next show will be held September 9-11, 2021 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Florida. www.surfexpo.com or connect on Instagram @surfexpo, Twitter @surfexpo and Facebook @SurfExpoOrlando. For more information on Surf Expo visit surfexpo.com Surf Expo provides access to its...
by Board Retailers Association | Sep 1, 2020 | Educational Opportunity, Industry, News, Resources, Retail Strategy, Skateboard, SUP, Surf, Trade Shows, Wake Skate, Wake Surf, Wakeboard, Women's Market
Please click on the following link to view this relevant Shop Eat Surf Article about this month’s Surf Expo connect Virtual Show from the perspective of Surf Expo Show Director, Emerald SVP and OG BRA Founder: Roy Turner on How Virtual Surf Expo Will Work, Committed Brands Be sure to visit the Shop Eat Surf website to view valuable Industry News and Resourceful Articles regularly via this link: Shop Eat Surf If you are not already 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 | Jul 28, 2020 | Corona Virus, Educational Opportunity, Industry, News, Resources, Retail Strategy, Skateboard, SUP, Surf, Trade Shows, Wake Skate, Wake Surf, Wakeboard, Women's Market
Please click on the following link to view this informative Shop Eat Surf announcement and interview with Roy Turner (SVP of Emerald, Surf Expo Show Director and co-founder of BRA): Surf Expo Moves to Virtual Show for September Be sure to visit the Shop Eat Surf website to view valuable Industry News and Resourceful Articles regularly via this link: Shop Eat Surf The following appears on https://www.surfexpo.com/ Since 1976, Surf Expo has united the watersports and beach lifestyle community twice each year to provide an unmatched marketplace and opportunity to share our passion for the industries we serve. Driven by our responsibility to serve your best interests, we regret to announce that we are cancelling this year’s Surf Expo, which was scheduled to take place September 10-12, 2020, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Recent developments have made it impossible to bring our community together safely and successfully. This is due to the ongoing progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the latest government data, measures, and guidelines on the phased reopening plans in the U.S.; current restrictions on congregating and large gatherings imposed by states and other government and public health authorities; the inability of Surf Expo’s international community to travel to the show due to travel restrictions and bans; and the various company-imposed travel restrictions on employees affecting attendees and participating companies. The health and safety of our customers, partners, and employees remains of paramount concern to us. Though we are so disappointed we won’t see you all in person this summer, our team remains committed to offering new ways to keep the industry connected. We...
by Board Retailers Association | Dec 10, 2019 | Industry, News, Surf, Women's Market
The Surfer Awards Fan Favorite Poll Results Are In…And Some Are Shocking YOUR CHOICES FOR BEST SURFER, MOVIE OF THE YEAR, BEST BARREL AND MORE FOR 2019 DECEMBER 10, 2019 BY TODD PRODANOVICH In case you hadn’t heard, last Thursday was the capital-b Biggest Night in Surfing. It was a big ol’ party at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu, where elite surfers dressed to the nines, The Mattson 2 melted some faces and gorgeous bronze statues were handed to the year’s most impressive surfers. One of the biggest shifts in our sweeping overhaul of the Awards this year was that all the winners in the live show were crowned by the Surfer Awards Academy, consisting of nearly 50 experts and icons like Gerry Lopez, Bruce Irons, Albee Layer, Taylor Steele, Carissa Moore and many many more (the only exception to this rule is the award for Battle of the Vlogs, which was awarded based on the Fan Favorite Poll). The Academy was broken into panels of 10 judges based on their specific expertise, and judges couldn’t vote in categories they were nominated in, of course (you can see the full results voted by the Academy here)). But we didn’t just want to know how surfing’s elite felt about the year in surfing, so we decided to do a Fan Favorite Poll to run in tandem with the Academy vote. The fan poll winners may not be crowned on the night of the big show, but it certainly does give a different kind of bragging rights to the winners—the people’s champs, as they were. What follows are your picks for the Surfer...
