Don’t miss the LIVE event webcasts of The Burton US Open 2008 Snowboarding Championship on Go211.com. Webcasts will feature the men’s and women’s SuperPipe and Slopestyle semifinals and finals taking place on March 21 and 22, 2008 at Stratton Mountain Resort, Vermont, USA.

Go211.com will be producing the entire webcast in Adobe Flash, with live scoring, live standings, rider bios, and a live chat, where viewers can submit comments to the web announcers, as well as communicate with other webcast viewers from around the world. Live morning shows will kick off each day for both SuperPipe and Slopestyle competitions by recapping action from earlier in the week and interviewing riders.

Burton has also cranked up the tech on opensnowboarding.com and will host the G0211.com webcast player on the site. We’ll have our web team onsite with daily reports, photos and results from all the 2008 US Open competitions, as well as historical photos, videos and stories from the past 25 years of events.

LIVE webcasts and replays of the Burton US Open 2008 will be available on Go211.com during the following times (please look below for your appropriate time zone):
Live Webcasts - U.S. Time Zones:

Friday, March 21
Morning Show 8:45am – 9:15am (EST); 5:45am – 6:15am (PST)
Slopestyle Semi finals 9:15am – 2:00pm (EST); 6:15am – 11:00am (PST)
Slopesyle Finals & Awards 2:30pm-5:00pm (EST); 11:30am-2:00pm (PST)
Slopestyle Finals Replay 5:30pm-7:00pm (EST); 2:30pm-4:00pm (PST)

Saturday, March 22
Morning Show 8:30am - 9:00am (EST); 5:30am - 6:00am (PST)
Superpipe Semifinals 9:00am - 12:45pm (EST); 6:00am - 9:45am (PST)
Superpipe Finals* 1:00pm-4:00pm (EST); 10:00am-1:00pm (PST)
Superpipe Finals Replay 4:00pm-6:45pm (EST); 1:00pm-3:45pm (PST)

Monday, March 24
Replay of SS and HP Semifinals and Finals 9:00am - 5:00pm (EST); 6:00am - 2:00pm (PST)

Tuesday, March 25
Replay of SS and HP Semifinals and Finals 7:00pm - 3:00am (EST); 4:00pm - 12:00am (PST)

(*NOTE: Superpipe Finals will not be viewable LIVE in the US, but rather will be available for viewing in the US during the Replay at 4pmEST)

Live Webcasts - European Time Zones:
Friday, March 21
Morning Show 13:45 – 14:15
Slopestyle Semi finals 14:15 – 19:00
Slopesyle Finals & Awards 19:30-22:00
Slopestyle Finals Replay 22:30-0:00

Saturday, March 22 Morning Show 13:30 - 14:00
Superpipe Semifinals 14:00 - 17:45
Superpipe Finals 18:00-21:00
Superpipe Finals Replay 21:00-23:45

Monday, March 24
Replay of SS and HP Semifinals and Finals 14:00 - 22:00

Wednesday, March 26
Replay of SS and HP Semifinals and Finals 0:00 - 8:00

Live Webcasts - Japan:

Friday, March 21
Morning Show 21:45–22:15
Slopestyle Semi finals 22:15–3:00(March 22)
Slopesyle Finals & Awards 3:30(March 22)-6:00(March 22)
Slopestyle Finals Replay 6:30-8:00(March 22)
Slopestyle Finals Replay 6:30-8:00(March 22)

Saturday, March 22
Morning Show 21:30-22:00
Superpipe Semifinals 22:00-1:45(March 23)
Superpipe Semifinals 22:00-1:45(March 23)
Superpipe Finals 2:00(March 23)-5:00(March 23)
Superpipe Finals Replay 5:00(March 23)-7:45(March 23)

Monday, March 24
Replay of SS and HP Semifinals and Finals 22:00-6:00(March 25)

Wed, March 25
Replay of SS and HP Semifinals and Finals 8:00 -16:00(March 26)

Please note that all times are subject to change pending weather conditions. For anyone that misses the live webcasts, both highlights of the winning runs and the full webcasts will be available for on-demand viewing on Go211.com.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: One week after DVS hired on Cullen Poythress to serve as the brand’s new Marketing Manager, Poythress’ Atlanta, Georgia-based apartment was blown to pieces by the violent tornadoes that swept through the city’s metro area last weekend. The 26-year-old former TransWorld Business Editor made his cross country move just in time and says he couldn’t be happier about his new role at DVS.

“This was no act of god, this was an act of Gav,” says Poythress.     Poythress’ addition comes on the heels of several other new promotions within the DVS marketing camp.

Kelley Meidroth has been promoted within the company and will serve as the Senior Marketing Manager for DVS and will oversee all operations within the department. In addition, Ricky Melnik has been promoted to Snow/Moto Marketing Manager.

The International Association of Skateboard companies (IASC) will hold its second annual 2008 Skateboarding Industry Summit April 2-5 at The Lodge at Woodward West, Tehachapi, Calif.

The event, which is limited to the first 100 people who register, will feature interactive workshops, inspiring speakers, educational panels and exclusive skateboard time on Woodward West’s grounds, according to IASC. The main goal of the summit is to bring leaders together from within the skateboarding industry and prompt them to focus on future of business. Discussion topics will include skateboarding in the media, industry success with core retailers and tips for individual retailers’ to become successful.

For more information about the conference, or to register, visit the official IASC Web site, by clicking HERE.  

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: East and West Coast retailers formed the Board Retailers Association (BRA), a non-profit representing more than 500 specialty board sport retailers, in February 2003 in an effort to consolidate our voices, experiences and visions into a cohesive organization. Five years later, and under the direction of BRA’s Chairman and Board of Directors, the association now serves as the preeminent voice for independent retailers on a grassroots level with manufacturers, trade show representatives, and other associations, according to a press release issued by the association in February.

“As someone who was there in the beginning, it is hard to believe that five years ago a dozen retailers on a trip to Sonoma came together with a vision of forming an independent association for specialty retailers. That vision has become a reality” BRA President Mike Duncan said.Since its inception, BRA has brought about many positive initiatives and we’re looking forward to building on them throughout the coming years.

Among our goals are to identify ways to help lower the day-to-day cost of doing business and to negotiate as a group what is beneficial to individual stores, thus strengthening our distribution base and helping the industry grow.  Most important is the mission of the association to provide specialty retailers the educational tools necessary to remain successful and profitable in the board sport industry. Currently, the association represents more than 500 board sport retailers across the country, or approximately 3000 separate retail stores.

“It is an honor to serve as BRA Chairman,” Todd Roberts, co-owner of ZJ Boarding House, said. ”I am proud to be part of an association that works tirelessly to help specialty retailers like myself. The knowledge and experiences that I have gained from interacting with other retailers in the industry have been priceless to both my business partner and I.”

With the positive reinforcement and support we have received over the past five years, BRA looks forward to continuing to be an integral part of the industry’s future.

BRA would like to thank all of its members and everyone in the board sport industry that has supported the association over the past five years. Special thanks to Roy Turner, Mikke Pierson, Todd Roberts, Debbie Harvey, and all the retailers that played an instrumental role in founding the association.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: The Zoo York Institute proudly announced Thursday, March 20, the addition of a true East Coast original to its amateur team - 21-year-old destroyer Eli Reed.

Born and raised in Boston, Mass., Eli currently lives in NYC’s East Village. A versatile street skater with a deep bag of tricks, Eli’s unwavering dedication and years of grinding it out have earned him the respect of his peers and helped him make a name for himself in the global skateboarding community.

His most recent accomplishments include placing fourth in Redbull’s Manny Mania Contest, as well as securing highly-touted video parts in Zered Bassett’s “Vicious Cycle” and “Jereme Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Eli is skating better than ever right now, and to keep the momentum going he is already hard at work filming his part for Zoo York’s upcoming full-length team video.

“Eli has been one of my best friends and favorite skaters for ten years now,” says long-time Zoo pro rider Zered Bassett.  “I’m hyped he’s officially part of the crew, and I’m looking forward to traveling with him and watching him shred.”

As the newest member of the Zoo Crew, Eli joins veteran ZY Officials Zered Bassett, Donny Barley, Aaron Suski, Forrest Kirby, Kevin Taylor, Brandon Westgate (Am), Matt Miller (Am), Anthony Shetler (Am), Lamare Hemmings (Am), and Ron Deily (Am).

To celebrate Eli joining Zoo York, a special podcast shot and produced by RB Umali is now available for download through iTunes. Check it out HERE or on YouTube.

 OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: After a long 43 year wait, the traditional surfing nation of Peru will be hosting - for the second time in history - the ISA World Masters Surfing Championship. The event will be held from March 29 to April 5, in the perfect waves of Punta Rocas.  In 1965, Peruvians held the 2nd World Surfing Championship and, with the local ripper Felipe Pomar winning the second World Champion title in surfing history, the locals claimed their victory. This time, they want to do it again in their waves and with their best surfers.  For a complete event schedule and more details visit the ISA Web site, HERE.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: In the midst of major re-structuring, including new owners and changes in management, Norwegian-based Helly Hansen delivered a strong financial performance in 2007. The Helly Hansen group reported profits of NOK 120 million ($23 million) up from NOK 43 million ($8 million) in 2006. Pre-orders and early bookings indicate an even brighter 2008 for the sport and utility wear company.“We have just completed a very good but also a very intense year,” says Helly Hansen CEO Peter Sjölander.“Being able to profitably grow our business during a year when we more or less completely overhauled our entire business is a testimony to the strength of the Helly Hansen brand and its people.”During 2007 the entire Helly Hansen group underwent major re-structuring, including the consolidation of all Helly Hansen’s U.S. and Canadian operations. Helly Hansen SPORT AS re-focused its product range against its historical core segments of high performance Water-, Winter- and Outdoor Sports products. Helly Hansen PRO launched a number of new products with the new SEA-AIR survival suit, nominated to the Honours Award for Design Excellence by the Norwegian Design Counsil, leading the way. Within the work wear segment, Helly Hansen PRO landed a number of major new customers and is set for further expansion during 2008.Based on expected business growth, pre-orders for spring 2008 and early bookings for the second half of the year, 2008 seems to be another strong year for Scandinavia’s biggest and Norway’s only truly global sports brand, estimating a 12 percent increase in turnover for 2008.In 2008 Helly Hansen is heavily involved in the 10th Volvo Ocean Race, supplying the two Ericsson boats with high performance sailing gear. Parallel to this Helly Hansen’s PRO AS will roll out its new SEA-AIR survival suits that significantly increase the safety for thousands of professionals making their living in extreme environments.“No other brand in the world can match our track record in terms of supplying professionals and athletes alike with gear that keep people alive in mother nature’s harshest conditions,”  Peter Sjölander says.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: Hurley, a leading global youth brand with strong roots in surf, skate, art, music and beach culture, is excited to welcome high profile rider, Steve Nesser, to its expanding skate team.  Nicknamed “Lochness” and “El Nesser Guy,” Steve is best known for his smooth style and ability to tackle big rails with ease.  His skating is full of power and technique, making him the most prominent skater to come out of the Midwestern United States in decades.

“We are excited to have Steve join our team,” said Aaron Astorga, Hurley’s skate team manager.  “He’s an amazing skater with a cool personality, and will bring a great energy to our group.  The rest of our team riders are looking forward to traveling and skating with him.”

“Steve brings yet another element to Hurley’s diverse team of skaters,” added Hurley team rider, Diego Bucchieri. “He’s super talented, and his good personality and mellow demeanor make him a really fun person to skate with.” Born in 1978, Steve grew up skating as a youngster in Minneapolis during the vertical era of skateboarding, making him an important rider in the sport’s history.  He was recently featured on the cover of Thrasher magazine’s December 2007 issue, and was also Skateboarder magazine’s February 2008 cover story.  Additionally, Steve was featured in the closing segment of the latest video release from Birdhouse Skateboards titled “The Beginning,” which premiered in October 2007.   In addition to being a talented skater, Steve has made a significant mark in the industry by producing quality video parts and powerful photos.  Over the last two years, Steve has been traveling extensively for photo and video shoots across the world, recently visiting the Middle East, Ahman Jordan, Dubai, South America, Chile and Argentina.  While he loves to travel and experience different cultures, he regularly returns to his hometown, where he and a friend own a skate shop called “Famillia,” the premier skate shop in Minneapolis.   “I am really hyped to be a part of the Hurley team,” said Steve.  “It’s a great group and a really tight team, and I’m stoked to be skating and traveling with them. I’m excited for what’s to come.”

For further information, please visit the Hurley Web site.