Joey Buran, Dane Zaun, Courtney Conlogue and “From First To Last” – Monday 5.19.08

Today we are proud to have veteran surfer and head coach of the USA Surf Team, Joey Buran, on the Habit. Plus, Joey brought a double dose of slashtastic USA Surf Team riders — Courtney Conlogue and Dane Zaun. Also on the show, “From First To Last” is here to rock the Habit. Joey Buran’s sponsors include: Byrne surfboards. Dane Zaun sponsors include: Billabong, Globe, Vonzipper, Spyder, Sex Wax, Blackline and Sector 9. Courtney Conlogue sponsors include: Billabong, Reef Shoes, HSS, Bushman Surfboards, Nixon, Ocean & Earth, Snapple, Sex Wax and Smith Eyewear.

Mitch Coleborn and Keir Dillon – Tuesday 5.20.08
Today’s guest is Volcom team rider and Australian ripper, surfer Mitch Coleborn. Plus, FUEL TV correspondent and pro snowboarder Keir Dillon is hittin’ the Habit. And, find out which pro riders made it into Keir’s crew of Las Vegas con men at the Transworld Snowboarding Riders Poll Awards. Mitch Coleborn’s sponsors include: Spy, Volcom, DHD Surfboards, OAM and Vestal watches. Keir Dillon’s sponsors include: Anon eyewear, Burton, SoBe, Boost Mobile, Go211.com and Frends.

Bryan Hutton and Stuart Shinn – Wednesday 5.21.08
Today’s guests are both CWB team riders known for putting it down on the wakeboard and the wakeskate: Bryan Hutton aka “B Hutt” and Stuart Shinn drop in on the Habit. Plus, we sent correspondent Jordan Morris to the premiere of “Run Fatboy, Run”. And pro surfer, Alex Gray and host Pat Parnell go on a wakesurfing adventure in Long Beach. Bryan Hutton’s sponsors include: Arnette, Rusty, MasterCraft, Kentucky Boatworks, Kangamarketing.com and CWB. Stuart Shinn’s sponsors include: Rusty and CWB.

Asher Nolan, Brent Dorrington and “The Heavy” – Thursday 5.22.08
Hurley team rider and Florida’s own Asher Nolan is here today. Plus, Australian ripper and Oakley team rider Brent Dorrington drops in. Plus, prepare to move your body to a few soul evoking performances from “The Heavy”. Asher Nolan’s sponsors include: Smith, Hurley, Placebo, Sunrise Surf Shop, Pro-Lite Accessories and www.ghive.com. Brent Dorrington’s sponsors include: Etnies, Oakley, Dorrington Surfboards and Pro-Lite Accessories.

Sunny Garcia, Chuck D and “Atmosphere”– Friday 5.23.08
Get stoked because World Surfing Champion and pro surfer Sunny Garcia is back on the Habit. Plus, Minnesota hip hop act “Atmosphere” lays down some phat beats. Also on the show today, rap icon and Public Enemy front man Chuck D stops by to talk NBA Ballers: Chosen One. Sunny Garcia’s sponsors include: Affliction Clothing, BYB Surfboards, Rockstar Energy Drink, Boost Mobile, Kicker, Save 525, Alpinestars and Versasurf.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - It was a big day for Woodward at Copper yesterday – we broke out the shovels and started moving dirt – all in the name of Progression!

* Copper has begun construction on the 19,000 sq. ft. Woodward at Copper facility, set to debut Winter 08/09.  Woodward at Copper is going to change the way that skiers and riders grow their skills and progress the sport.  Woodward at Copper will offer year-round programming, with Woodward at Copper Experiences during the Winter 08/09 season and Summer Camps launching in 2009.  For more information, check out www.WoodwardatCopper.com.

* Using many of the same techniques already enjoyed by BMX, Skate and FMX pros, skiers and snowboarders will have access to a first of its kind facility dedicated to their sport.  The multi-million dollar training facility will feature progressive teaching tools including trampolines, foam pits, resi-pits and bungee systems.

*Copper hopes to achieve Green Globes certification for the Woodward at Copper facility.

According to an official press release posted on Surfline.com’s Surfwire: Jamie Sterling, who’s best known for charging huge pipe or pulling into death barrels at the world famous Teahupoo, will now be representing SRH clothing.

Surf team manager Justin Poston says, “He’s a perfect fit for us - how can we go wrong with a guy like Jamie. He’s very respected in the surfing world and he gets tons of coverage.” One of Jamie’s other sponsors is Red Bull, who sends him out to find the biggest waves to surf no matter how dangerous they are.

One of the greatest things about Jamie is his work ethic. He lives in the most perfect place (Hawaii) and yet travels 10 months out of the year to gain editorial and video footage for his sponsors. Being at home in Hawaii for 2 months (November, December) and as part of the well known Pipeline Posse, it gives him the chance to go for the biggest and heaviest waves at Pipe. We expect a great year from Jamie - welcome to the family! For more info go to srh.com.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - After a successful launch in Southern California, New York and Hawaii, BRA BOYS continues an impressive rollout to markets across the country including surf communities in Florida, Northern California and New Jersey.  The film will continue its expansion in the following weeks.

“With countless requests from eagerly awaiting consumers throughout the U.S., we will continue to rollout BRA BOYS to inner city and coastal city areas,” said Jason Bergh, co-founder of Berkela Films. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the film’s momentum since its premiere in LA last month.  Many weren’t sure how the film would be received in the U.S., and their queries are easily answered with the amount of new theaters we are opening and the myriad of requests we are doing our best to honor.”

BRA BOYS Expands to the Following Markets on May 16:

Sundance Kabuki
1881 Post Street at Fillmore
San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone 415.929.4650

Rialto Cinemas Elmwood
2966 College Avenue at Ashby
Berkeley, CA 94705

Sunrise Cinemas 15 @ Las Olas Riverfront
300 Southwest First Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Broadway Cinema 8
1223 Broadway St., Eureka, CA, 95501
(707) 443-1979

Crescent City Cinema
375 M Street, Crescent City, CA, 95531
(707) 465-4567

Regal Oviedo Marketplace 22
1500 Oviedo Marketplace Blvd
Orlando, FL 32765
(407) 977-1107

Regal Delray Beach 18
1660 S. Federal Hwy.
Delray Beach, FL 33483
561-272-8005

Regal Shadowood 16
9889 W. Glades Rd.
Boca Raton, FL 33434
561) 482-2296

Regal Sawgrass 23
2600 NW 136th Ave.
Sunrise, FL 33323
(954) 846-1707

Town Stadium
Egg Harbor Twp, NJ 08234
609-646-4700

AMC Regency Jacksonville
9451 Regency Square Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32225
Phone: (904) 264-3888

AMC   Veterans 24
9302 Anderson Rd
Tampa, FL 33634-1218

AMC Indian River 24
6200 20th St
Vero Beach, FL 32966-1086

AMC  Cocowalk 16
3015 Grand Ave
Coconut Grove, FL 33133-5144

5/22-23/08
Exclusive 2 day showing

The Jane Pickens Theatre
49 Touro Street
Newport, RI 02840

 5/23/08 OPENINGS
Angelika – Dallas, TX
5321 East Mockingbird Lane
Dallas , TX 75206
(214) 841-4700

Strand 5
900 Moorlyn Terrace
Ocean City, NJ 08226
Phone: (609) 398-6565

Regal Bonita Springs Stadium 12
25251 S Tamiami Trl
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
(239) 949-2600

CineArts @ Empire
85 West Portal Ave
San Francisco, CA 94127

5/30/2008 OPENINGS
Dobie Theatre
2021 Guadalupe St
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 472-3456

Neighborhood Flix Cinema & Cafe
2510 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80206

Regal Fox Tower 10
846 SW Park Ave
Portland, OR 97205
(800) 326-3264

Terrace Theatre
1956 Maybank Hwy
Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 762-9494

Regal Meridien 16
1501 7th Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 622-2434

6/13/08 OPENINGS
Angelika – Houston, TX
510 Texas Avenue (@ Smith St.)
Houston, TX 77002

Flicks Movie Theatre
646 Fulton St
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 342-4222

Cinemark Century 16 Corpus Christi
6685 South Padre Island Drive
Corpus Christi, TX 78412

6/15/08 -6/17/08
Music Hall
28 Chesnut Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801

7/20/08
Nevada City, CA – theatre name not confirmed

Running Time:   84 minutes   35mm Color    Dolby 5.1   Aspect ratio 1:78     Rating: R
High-resolution production stills available at: www.braboysfilm.com/press

ABOUT BERKELA FILMS

Berkela Films is a full-service boutique distribution and production studio focused on action sports, music and pop culture owned and operated by Sal Masekela and Jason Bergh under the mantra ‘action sports films that matter’. Berkela’s mission is to bring stories on the action sports lifestyle to light, focusing on its characters and history.

Through executive production, creation and customized marketing Berkela and VAS Entertainment distribute films to niche and mainstream audiences. The most recent release, Disposable Hero - The Brian Deegan Story was awarded Best Biography at X-Dance in 2007 and appeared on Spike TV later that year.

According to a story posted at Drapers’ Web site: Blacks Leisure is to cut 50 jobs at its subsidiary Sandcity, after the group decided to merge operations of its Freespirit chain and O’Neill brand.

The group will close its Sandcity head office in Tyne & Wear, which distributes the O’Neill boardwear brand in the UK, and merge it with the group’s Freespirit operation in Northampton.

The move follows the launch of a review of the boardwear operations and the suspension of managing director Darren Spurling in March, pending an investigation into accounting discrepancies, which is ongoing.

The merger will mean the loss of 50 jobs at Sandcity’s Washington site, but 14 new roles will be created in Northampton. The company said it would help find new jobs for workers affected by the closure of the 147,000 sq ft Tyne & Wear warehouse and offices, which will be sold. The integration is expected to be completed by June.

Blacks Leisure chief executive Neil Gillis said: “Our recovery plan for the group identified that reducing the cost base and improving operational efficiencies were key to the future of the business. The decision to merge the Sandcity and Freespirit operations will eliminate duplication of functions within the boardwear businesses and deliver significant cost savings. While the job losses are regrettable, this action is essential to help restore the group to an acceptable level of performance.”

Brand & Marketing Director Robert Etienne, Henry, and Henri Nidecker.

Located in Rolle, Switzerland, Nidecker’s factory sits on the north shore of Lake Geneva. Surrounded by vineyards and an incredible view of the lake and Alps, the setting seems more suited to a resort than a factory. Transworld Business recently had the opportunity to take a tour of the Rolle facility and spend the afternoon with two generations of Nideckers and the company’s brand & marketing director.

Henri Nidecker founded the company that bears his name in 1887 to build cartwheels, ladders, and wheelbarrows. In 1912 they began making skis, and the first snowboards rolled off the line in ‘84. Over the last quarter century, the company has shifted its focus primarily to snowboards and wood core kite boards. This fifth generation, family-owned enterprise is arguably the oldest privately owned company in the snowboard game, and they’re working to capitalize on this heritage to spread the word about their high-end, hand-crafted rides.

The Rolle factory, which employs approximately 25 people, is primarily used for design functions and limited runs (200 – 1,500) of high-end boards. New designs are built here and tested in the nearby Alps, such as Chamonix, located an hour away. This is the home for the production of “welded wood” cores, a process that bonds vertically laminated wood layers without any adhesives that won Nidecker the Euro SIMA snowboard innovation award a few months ago. The Rolle factory also specializes in small luxury collaborations with brands such as Chanel, Swarovski, Lacroix, MTV Europe, and Ford.

Who said snowboarding’s fashion status is slipping in Europe? That’s a Chanel board hot off one of Nidecker’s seven presses.

Larger runs for brands such as Salomon and the majority of the Nidecker branded boards are made in the company’s Tunisian factory, which is a short plane ride away and employs between 70 and 130 people depending on the season. Nidecker opted for the North African locale more than 10 years ago due to its proximity to the European market, French speaking populace, high quality standards, stable economy, and low labor costs. With the ill will and substantial cost increases in the far East, it is becoming a safe and economic alternative to Chinese production.

Henry Nidecker, the fifth person of this name leading the charge there since the company’s founding, but the first one not spelled Henri, is working to breathe fresh air into the company from a marketing standpoint. “My father is a carpenter and doesn’t like to think about marketing,” says 21-year-old Henry who quit a lucrative position as an Internet consultant for Microsoft to take up the reigns on Nidecker’s new freestyle line, NDK. “It has always been product before marketing - but we need to take our technology and sell that with strong marketing.”

Brand & Marketing Director Robert Etienne couldn’t agree more. As the company makes a renewed push to grow its share of the US pie, Etienne says they “need to stay focused on quality and building boards that make riding even more intense and exciting, but we are working to build a buzz around the brand through better marketing and product positioning.”

“Nidecker sells well and the bindings actually do well for us too,” says Backcountry.com Merchandising Division Manager for Snowboards Matt Enloe, whose company began carrying the brand in 2005. Enloe describes the typical Nidecker buyer as “someone who’s been snowboarding for a very long time and is in that higher disposal income range now and really understands high quality craftsmanship. He’s buying a Nidecker because he knows that it’s one of the best made snowboards out there and is willing to spend six to nine hundred dollars on a snowboard and know that he’s going to get his money’s worth. That customer knows what they’re looking for and goes right to it. The Mega Light and the Ultra Light are probably our best sellers. Nidecker’s tried to go into the freestyle end, but they’re not really known for that.”

The Rolle Castle, built in 1726 to protect trade routes, sits down the street from Nidecker and keeps the company and the local skate park safe.

Etienne means to change that while not losing sight of the company’s roots. A Chicago native and grandson of a US congressman, Etienne opened his first boardsports store in Geneva in 1980. Armed with a vision of bringing the California skate culture to the land of neutrality, Etienne went to ASR in ’85 and returned with more gear than he could afford. Fortunately, his dream caught on and product began moving like wildfire. Etienne parlayed his retail connections into a distribution role for US companies such as Special Blend, Dragon, and Morrow with DAC Sport, where he spent the last 14 years. More recently, Etienne helped ROME get established in Europe, before Nidecker approached him in the summer of ‘07 with a proposal to come on board and help reinvigorate the brand with a new generation of riders and management.

“Nidecker is really strong in the freeride category,” says Etienne, but the company has struggled in other areas such as freestyle, where its last incarnation, “Donuts,” didn’t fly. However, you don’t last this long in any industry without learning some tough lessons and building upon them. Nidecker is incorporating this education in its marketing strategy and focusing on spreading the word about the brand’s Swiss quality and NDK through solid international and US teams as well as Ogden, Utah-based Altos Distribution.

Etienne hanging out with the Forever Young designed NDK Advanced.

They’re also sprucing up their graphics on the NDK front. In addition to its artist collaborations with Pulp 68’s legendary JMZ, Etienne brought in a group of three, young artists, known as Forever Young, to help design next year’s line .The graphics are a huge departure from most of Nidecker’s traditional offerings, and the company’s really excited after the feedback they’ve received about the boards and the live art piece Forever Young did for Nidecker’s booth at this winter’s ispo.

Nidecker’s 2008 ispo booth is a good representation of the brand’s European strength.