OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - El Segundo CA – May 8th, 2008 – havoc TV’s Action Sports and Indie Music Digital Networks top the charts with the No. 1 sports related VOD channel on Cable TV (as measured by Rentrak, April 2008). havoc Sports VOD has steadily grown in number of monthly views since its launch in April of 2006, and is now the leading sports related US VOD channel. havoc TV also built and distributes the number 2 Music VOD service on Cable TV. Together the havoc TV services outperform 96 percent of all US cable VOD channels as measured by Rentrak, ranking 16th out of 444 total US VOD channels. havoc’s free VOD services are carried by over 25 multiple system cable operators around the nation, including Comcast, Cox, Charter, Verizon, Insight, Mediacom, and RCN.

Showcasing the latest in Surf, Skate, Snow, Motocross, BMX, Punk, Metal, Reggae, Alternative, Underground Hip Hop and Electronic music, havoc brings the viewer a unique Free On Demand experience with the viewer 100 percent in control of the clips he or she wants to see. In addition, havoc offers full-length action sports movies and concerts on a transactional VOD (VOD rental) basis monthly on Time Warner, Cablevision and many more.

havoc TV’s Video On Demand Service is one of many digital platforms where viewers can find havoc’s leading edge indie music and action sports content. In all, havoc reaches 52 million US cable and satellite TV homes, plus internet, mobile, and retail outlets. This includes the most interactive program block on US linear TV, havoc on the 101, airing four hours nightly on DirecTV’s channel 101. Viewers vote to control the video play list in real time via SMS texts from their mobile phones, and, viewers’ SMS messages appear on the TV screen. havoc on the 101 can be seen seven nights a week from 11pm-4am PST and showcases the same Action Sports and Indie Music content that is available on havoc VOD.

havoc is currently watched by about 3.5 million unique viewers per month and generates 35 million video views monthly across its core platforms (Rentrak, Nielsen, and OAS). havoc content also garners millions of additional views monthly in hundreds of retail outlets nationwide including Journeys, Jack in the Box, Jiffy Lube, Coffee Bean, Borders and more.

havoc TV co-founder and VP Action Sports Jeff Cutler says, “We are very excited about our position in the market. We have been working closely with our partners to create a truly unique action sports TV experience and it is gratifying to see it pay off…on the flip side it drives us to continue to be creative and grow that user experience on VOD and our other distribution outlets like linear TV, Web and Mobile Phones. We’re more excited than ever about all the unique new content and interactivity in the works.”

Working closely with content partners like DVS, Matix, Seven Films, Element, Globe, Volcom, Burton, Thrasher, Mobile Media Now, TGR, Epitaph, Astralwerks, Mute, Sub Pop, Victory, Universal Music Group, Nettwerk, Relapse Records and hundreds more, as well as creating original content, havoc is pumping new compelling content from the most credible sources into over 50 million digital TV homes, and across all other digital outlets monthly.

havoc Television is the world’s leading indie music and action sports digital network with distribution in 52 million TV homes on both cable and satellite TV, a social networking website, mobile phones and out of home content distribution. Showcasing the best in punk, metal, underground hip hop, alternative, reggae, electronic, surf, skate, snow, bmx and motocross content, havoc averages over 35 million video views a month fueled by 3.5 million monthly unique visitors. On cable TV, havoc sports is the #1 sports related VOD channel and the #2 music related VOD channel in America and as a whole beats out 96 percent of all other cable TV VOD outlets. In addition, havoc boasts 5 hours of daily programming on DirecTV’s channel with one of televisions most interactive tv shows called havoc on the 101. Fully SMS enabled, viewers are empowered to vote and chat on screen real time while their favorite videos are being aired. For more information please check out www.havoctv.com.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - IRVINE, Calif. (May 14, 2008) — Sullen Clothing, the art-driven lifestyle apparel brand based in Orange County, Calif., announced today that the company posted a 111 percent increase in sales year-over-year for 1Q2008. Company founders cited their focus on expanding Sullen’s core graphic apparel line and attention to elevating brand identity as key to growth.

“At the end of 2007, we made a strategic decision to focus our resources on expanding our core line of art-driven tees, hats and accessories,” said Jeremy Hanna, Sullen co-founder and director of marketing. “We are now offering our deepest line ever that features some of the best art the Sullen creative team has ever produced. The success of this strategy in 2008 has helped expand our brand recognition and consumers are responding.”

Hanna was quick to point out that while economic conditions in the retail sector have remained sluggish at best this year, that by focusing on the quality, depth and expansion of the core Sullen product line and limiting growth into new product verticals, the company has managed to grow overall sales in the current market by providing a larger selection of proven brand product.

“During our planning for 2008, we realized right away that what we do best is art driven tees, so we made a conscious efforts to produce the most solid line with the broadest possible range of art and style,” continued Hanna. “We did add graphic board shorts to our summer offerings as a new cut and sew piece, which have solid pre-bookings, but have limited the focus on new cut and sew projects during 2008. We also pushed really hard to expand our domestic and international distribution in new and existing markets through heightened brand profile.”

Some of the key elements of Sullen’s 2008 market success include:

Success of the Sullen Collaboration Series launched in January 2008. Features collaborations between Sullen co-founder, creative director and tattoo artist Ryan Smith with some of the tattoo world’s brightest talents - including released works from Tom Berg and Carlos Torres of So Cal Tattoo in San Pedro, Calif.; Jay Langer of Ink Factory in Hudson, Wis.; Jay Cooper of Independent Tattoo in Selbyville, Del.; and Nikko Hurtado of Ignition Tattoo in Apple Valley, Calif. Addition of more than 80 new core shop accounts across the U.S., including Puerto Rico, Kansas, Idaho, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Mexico, North Carolina, New York, Maryland, Arkansas, and Massachusetts. International expansion with new accounts and expanded distribution in U.K., Australia, Canada, Germany, Finland, Spain, Hungary, Sweden, Costa Rica, Columbia, Japan and Thailand. Depth of current graphic tee shirt line - the core Sullen product. More than 50 men’s tee shirts and 15 women’s in current rotation. Largest line in company’s history. Additionally, company adding new jerseys, board shorts, hats and accessories to summer line.

Sullen is an art-driven lifestyle apparel brand based in Orange County, Calif., the nation’s hotbed for the action sport and style-based clothing industry. From its humble beginnings in a Huntington Beach, Calif. apartment in 2001, the company has grown into a nationally recognized upstart in the apparel world. Today, Sullen’s reputable account base exceeds over 1600 retail locations that range from large mall-based chains to core skate shops and boutiques. Known for its captivating original artwork and uncompromised commitment to bold style, Sullen offers distinct lines for men and women. Sullen is also known for its steadfast support of today’s hottest bands, FMX and BMX riders, skaters, surfers, MMA fighters, tattoo artists, event promoters and charitable causes – the Sullen Family. For more information about Sullen, its current catalog offerings, special events or “family” members, please logon to www.sullenclothing.com.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - San Clemente, CA - May 12, 2008 - Surf legend and bodyboard inventor, Tom Morey has licensed his line of high-performance soft surfboards, Surfboards by Y™ to Catch Surfboard Co. (Catch Surf™). The agreement grants Catch Surf exclusive rights to manufacture and sell Surfboards by Y in the United States and non-exclusive rights worldwide. The boards will be handmade in Catch Surf’s San Clemente, California facility.

“We are delighted with our new association with Catch Surf. George Arzente, founder and president, adds greatly to the mix, not only proper funding, but a sincere belief in my designs and technology, professionalism, intelligent youthful zest, dedication to the sport and modern
marketing methods. He has become a close and trusted friend,” Morey said.

Surfboards by Y are revolutionary surfboards that combine the safety and durability benefits of softboards with the performance benefits of traditional hardboards. Morey has developed the technology over the last 9 years exploring advanced shapes and materials resulting in the first ever high-performance soft surfboard.

The technology behind Surfboards by Y is one-of-a-kind. The boards use a beaded polypropylene foam core that is more impact and water resistant than any other soft surfboard core today. A Y-Beam™ Stringer Support System is then fused into that core, creating a permanent bond that results in a super-stiff and ultra-durable support structure. The cores are then sandwiched, top and bottom, with high-quality slick skin that allows for traditional waxing and rails that are constructed with durable foam. The boards also have flush-mounted fin boxesthat hold traditional high-performance fins vs. the pop-through flimsy fins found on traditional softboards. The end result is a safer, more durable board that performs.

Catch Surf and Surfboards by Y will be launching with the board models listed below:

The ONE™
The ONE is a surfboard, bodyboard and skimboard all in one. It is small and finless, making it a true blackball beater. The ONE has unlimited potential. Spins, radical turns and even airs are possible. Think skateboard-style maneuvers. The ONE will be available in 3’6”, 4’0” and 4’6” with black, blue, red and yellow rails.

Y-Twin™ A classic fish shape with twin fins. The Y-Twin is designed to make use of small summer surf. It flies down the line, turns on a dime and carries speed through the flats. The Y-Twin will be available in 5’0”, 5’6”, 6’0” and 6’6” with black, blue, red and yellow rails.

Y-Quad™
The Y-Quad has the same fish shape as the Y-Twin, but with a bit more rocker and quad-fin setup. The Y-Quad blurs the performance line between hard and soft surfboards. Its more aggressive design allows it to rip in a variety of surf conditions. The Y-Quad will be available in 5’0”, 5’6”, 6’0” and 6’6” with black, blue, red and yellow rails.

Swizzle™
The Swizzle is a revolutionary parabolic longboard that is designed for maximum speed and wave catching. The parabolic rails add a slight cross-flex that enhances nose riding and provides more control at speed. The Swizzle is perfect for seasoned surfers and beginners
alike. The Swizzle will be available in 7’0”, 8’0” and 9’0” with black, blue, red and yellow rails.

Additional models will be available in the coming months. For more information, please visit catchsurf.com.

Colorado’s I-70 ski traffic is notoriously horrendous on the weekends. The state legislature has been trying to hammer out a fix to the problem for years now, and the most recent effort was a bill to charge drivers five dollars each way between Floyd Hill and the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnel. However, the bill was effectively shut down on April 24th.

According to a recent article in The Denver Post:
The last remaining plan to put tolls on Interstate 70 to relieve congestion collapsed today into a heap of chuckles.

Senate Minority Leader Andy McElhany, a Colorado Springs Republican who sponsored the plan to charge $5 tolls near the Eisenhower Tunnel, laid over his bill until May 26 — Memorial Day — effectively killing it because the legislature will be adjourned by then.

“When you’re sitting in the traffic jams that day,” McElhany said to his colleagues with a mischievous smile, “just think about the $5 you could have paid to be out of it.”

Sen. Chris Romer, a Denver Democrat who introduced the other tolling plan, said McElhany’s bill was one vote short in the Senate.

A handful of Senators followed McElhany to the lectern, gleefully shoveling dirt on his bill.

“I’d be happy to support this as soon as we see a toll booth on Monument Hill,” said Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, referring to the hill McElhany drives over on Interstate 25 to get home.

And so ended one of the most eye-catching debates at the Capitol this year, in which two separate proposals for using tolls on I-70 to raise money for fixing the highway were introduced and both met fierce opposition from mountain communities who thought they were stupid.

Though, the end today will likely only bring an interlude in the I-70 tolling fistfight.

Romer said he will bring up the issue next year.

As the death toll from Monday’s 7.9-magnitude earthquake in China’s Sichuan province could reach 80,000 and the list of missing and entombed stands at over 25,000, our hearts go out to the ten million people estimated to have been directly impacted. While disasters of this magnitude have far reaching impacts outside the local community, the quake is expected to have a minimal impact on Chinese snowboard production.

Rescuers using a power shovel remove debris of buildings collapsed following Monday’s powerful earthquake while searching for survivors in Hanwang town in Sichuan province, China, Wednesday, May 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

“It was a thousand or so miles north of here,” says Shenyang based 9010 snowboard’s Co-founder Jay Desnarais. “There is not much manufacturing at all there. Most of the snowboard and snowboard binding factories are in southern China and the Shanghai area.”

The province of Sichuan is located in the southwestern China and the quake’s epicenter was in a region of small cities and towns amongst steep hills.

“I received word from our factory that we have a few employees who have family members affected by the earthquake and are taking leave,” says Ride Brand Director Scott Mavis. “Otherwise, our factory and supply chain are not located in the area of the earthquake and were not affected.”

Despite the fact that the quake was felt as far away as Beijing, K2’s Product Director Alex Draper adds that “it happened quite a ways away and at this point we anticipate no affect on our operations from this.”

For more information on how to help help the victims of the earthquake go

HERE.

The tragic death of pro surfer Emery Kauanui, Jr., 24, of La Jolla, rocked San Diego and its affluent beach community last year. Now, a year later, the five men accused of beating Kauanui to death are appearing in San Diego Superior Court, with hearings that began Wednesday, May 7, and the story recently made New York Times headlines.

Between the ages of 21 and 23, the men belong to a group dubbed “The Bird Rock Bandits,” which the prosecution asserts is a gang of young, affluent La Jolla residents.  If prosecuted under gang-related allegations, the men  would be subject to stiff California state laws pertaining to gang crimes, which could result in harsher penalties, according to the New York Times story. Read the entire report at nytimes.com.

Many companies start with a grassroots, viral marketing strategy, but Brendan Lynch and Sergio Salas have taken the idea one step further with their new surf-inspired, eco-friendly clothing company nvohk. The apparel brand, which is still in the design phase, is using a creative business model, known by a variety of names like crowdsourcing, crowdfounding, and community managed, that raises small amounts of money from a large group of members and allows them to shape the direction of the company.

Salas and Lynch met in 2005 in Pepperdine’s MBA program and launched nvohk in December of ‘07 through word of mouth and the projectnvohk.com Web site. They started by getting commitments from interested parties for $50 that would be submitted when the brand had enough momentum to launch a product line. Within two months 1,250 people had pledged support, and by the beginning of May, the tally was at 2,800 folks from more than 20 nations.

nvohk Co-founder Brendan Lynch

“nvohk is challenging the way brands are built and managed and testing the ‘wisdom of crowds’ on a whole new level,” says Lynch. “Before nvohk, consumers could only vote with their wallets, now they can participate in the development and management of the brand they wear. nvohk’s business model starts with member demand and word of mouth marketing baked in before products are even offered for sale.”

Although members will not actually own the company due to prohibitive SEC regulations, they will be involved in decision making processes such as choosing logo, product, and web designs, advertising campaigns, sponsored athletes, and product mix. Salas and Lynch say that while there will be hurdles to clear due to the new business model, they will manage group think paralysis closely and fine tune the decision making process as they go.

The company has joined forces with surf artist Robb Havassy to design the limited edition co-founder t-shirt, printed with low-impact dyes on organic cotton, which all initial members will receive. Members will also get 35 percent of all profits as reward points that can be used to purchase product, 25 percent off on product, and the piece of mind of knowing that an additional 10 percent of the profits will go to collectively chosen environmental charities.

If this sounds fresh off the commune, keep in mind that these are Pepperdine MBA’s at the helm with their take on a business model that worked for the soccer hooligans who purchased England’s Ebbsfleet United Football Club through MyFootballClub, Threadless, a Chicago t-shirt company that allows members to submit designs and vote on them, and a number of similar projects that have helped fund bands and films.

Co-founder Sergio Salas

nvohk, which draws on a long heritage of creative manipulation of the English language in boardsports, is planning on opening up membership activation on June 5th. Despite earlier plans to not launch until 20,000 prospective members had signed up, the company lowered the hurdle to 5,000 and then decided just to dive in. “Because nvohk’s model is highly non-traditional and groundbreaking there are very few models to benchmark against,” says Lynch, who is a member of MyFootballClub. “With that said, we want to get the ball rolling.” The first group decision will be deciding on a member submitted logo. The artist behind the winning design will receive cash in the neighborhood of $500-1,000.

Brendan Lynch in the Maldives

Lynch wants prospective members to know that “nvohk is not a scam for us to get rich quick and take peoples money $50 at a time. We have personally invested a fair amount of money to get to where we are today. For those of you that have tried to start and manage companies in the past, it is not easy and it takes not only money, but also countless hours and dedication. Simply put, nvohk is not a scam. It is a new kind of company.”

For more information visit www.projectnvohk.com

Transworld Business’ Upstarts Section brings you information about new companies and ideas you should know about.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC, MAY 13, 2008 —The Board Retailers Association (BRA), a non-profit representing almost 500 specialty board sport retailers in the surf, skate, snow and wake industry, hosted the fifth annual Retail Summit in San Juan, Puerto Rico April 30 – May 4, 2008. and networking opportunities where attendees had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends while building new relationships.  While the primary purpose of the Retail Summit is to educate specialty retailers, the underlying result of the Summit was a shift of consciousness amongst all the retailers and manufacturers in attendance toward a more productive effort in promoting our business and the board sport lifestyle.

“I’m so glad that I decided to attend [the Retail Summit] this year as this experience was truly educational [and] enlightening. It wasn’t necessarily the introduction of new ideas or topics that was most important as much as it was the depth of which was covered by the presenters and participants. This was most definitely a very informative and rewarding experience and one that I found to be most valuable in moving on in a positive way during these tough times,” said Mark “Wally” Richards of Val Surf. Wally’s sentiments were reiterated by Pete Censoplano of Sun Diego who said, “I’ve been doing this retail thing for a long time and sometimes it can be quite uninspiring. I walked away from last week feeling re-charged and inspired.”

Manufacturers like Glenn Brumage of IASC agreed. “I look forward to helping further the retail/manufacturer relationship in the future. There is so much to consider with fully vertical retailers, internet sales, domestic and international economic pressures and our customers changing lifestyles. The more we all understand our changing business environment and the effect on each other, the better chance we have to grow our business together. I’m still reeling from the stoke.”

BRA would like to thank all the speakers and sponsors that helped support the Retail Summit, especially Surf Expo, Quiksilver, ASR, SIMA, IASC, Reef, Volcom, Rip Curl, Tum Yeto, Heartland Payment Systems, Transworld, Propoganda HQ, GSI, ActionWatch, Global Wave Ventures, Board-Trac, ASEC, SIA, 3Point5.com and Santa Cruz Surfboards. Without your continued support, this event would not have been the success it was. We are excited to continue to build on the momentum began at the Retail Summit and look forward to seeing all of you in 2009.

For additional coverage of the Retail Summit including photos, testimonials, highlights and video coverage (coming soon) please visit www.boardretailers.org.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA – (May13, 2008) World Industries, finalized an agreement with The Maloof Money Cup to be the title sponsor of the U.S. Amateur Championships of Skateboarding. This event will have the most creative and unique format on a concrete skate plaza, right in the center of the Southern California Skateboard community at the Orange County Fairgrounds, July 11-13, 2008.
Keith Moser, Brand Manager, World Industries, “ This event will finally show the mainstream what skateboarding is all about. The cement plaza course replicates actual street skating. Plus the amount of money being offered will get
these guys what they deserve.”

“We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with skateboarding and pleased to be partnering with brands such as World Industries on this event,” Joe Maloof said. “It is with these core partnerships that we intend to stay true to the real intent of the skateboarding industry and the athletes involved with The Maloof Money Cup.”

World Industries is one of the most recognized and oldest skate brands in the action sports market. Founded in 1987 by professional skateboarders Steve Rocco and Rodney Mullen, World Industries was the brand that re-defined skateboarding into a street based activity, and this in turn drove skateboarding’s massive growth through the 1990s.

World Industries is a direct seller and licensor of its brands globally. Currently having licenses in: skateboards and accessories, snowsports,
watersports, mobile content, bags, footwear, apparel, and toys. In addition to licenses, products are sold directly to action sports stores through proprietary or third party distributors worldwide.

The Maloof Money Cup is the premier showcase for professional skateboarding in 2008. This three-day festival, and WCS sanctioned U.S.
Skateboarding Championship, will take place July 11-13, 2008 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California during the opening
weekend of the OC Fair. Including three professional U.S. Championship Competitions Men’s and Women’s Pro Street, and Men’s Pro Vert

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - Oceanside, CA, May 13, 2008 – It was a night that “Rocked the House.” About 250 surfers and friends gathered for the Inaugural Paddle Out fundraiser with a mix of surfing legends, amazing auction items, great food and music with SuperWave.

The California Surf Museum is thrilled to announce that more than $30,000 was raised at the event. Highlights from the evening included MC Chris Cote and Auctioneer Terry Bagley creating bidding wars while keeping the audience laughing.  The top auction item was the Herbie Fletcher hand shaped and painted longboard bought by Fernando Aguerre, while his brother Santiago snagged the Surftech Dale Velzy paddleboard.  Surfing legends Shaun Tomson, Peter “PT” Townend, Reno Abellira, Bobby “Challenger” Thomas, Gidget, Linda Benson and many more mingled with the crowd while flashbulbs went off everywhere.  View some great event photos HERE.

Surfing is a business as well as a lifestyle and sport, having grown into a $7.5 billion industry in the United States, said Dick Baker, president of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association. He said all stakeholders who benefit from the sport should support the museum.

“First and foremost, the locality should be behind the museum because it has gotten identity from surfing,” Baker said. “But also the industry needs to step up as well as surfing champions, who have gotten a great life from the sport. The museum is a chance for everyone to give back.”

A big thank-you to all our sponsors: City of Oceanside, Billabong, Transworld SURF Magazine, Surftech, Ocean House Restaurant, K. Brunini, Hurley, K-5 Surf Shop, L & L Printers, Nixon, Roxy, the LAB, OPT, INT Surfboards, Tom Keck, Tracker Trucks, Asylum Surf, Jed Noll, Beach Break Café, Nathan Gibbs, David Alton Dickey, TheSurfNetwork, Wade Koniakowsky, Sally Taylor, Shawn Styles, Island Influence Surfboards, Dick Baker, Vista Valley Golf Club, Just Skin Inc., Pacific Palisades Resorts, Surfing Heritage Foundation, Rancho Bernardo Country Club, Fernando and Santiago Aguerre, Harney Sushi, Peggy Vasquez and all our donors.

The funds generated from the Inaugural Paddle Out Fundraiser will help CSM provide interior improvements to its new facility to showcase surfing for decades to come. The new facility will allow CSM to expand the exhibit space, provide additional educational opportunities and increase its needed archival space. Stay tuned for more information about our next event, the Grand Opening of Harney Sushi in Oceanside, CA, on June 27, 2008, benefiting CSM.

The California Surf Museum serves as an international repository and resource center on the lifestyle sport of surfing through capturing, preserving and chronicling its art, culture and heritage for the education and enjoyment of future generations. The California Surf Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located at 223 North Coast Highway, Oceanside, CA 92054.