Last week I was telling you about my day at the Action Sports Retailer (ASR) trade show in San Diego. This is where the companies involved in the action sports industry show off their new products.
I mentioned that I was amazed that some of the biggies in the surfing industry did not attend this year and one of them was Billabong. Well I was wrong on that one — they were there and I just somehow missed them. This is not surprising as I am a total geek at these shows.
Anything catches my eye, possibly the butt floss sting bikini booth or …Â More info
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For the action sports industry in 2009, it’s all about keeping your head above water.
Already struggling with a glut of inventory, the $14.4 billion industry is forecasting sales to fall as much as 25 percent this year. Some surfboard makers say their business is down 30 percent to 40 percent as consumers put off larger purchases.
With numbers like that, industry insiders say some brands will disappear and the economic undertow will pull down a number of mom-and-pop shops, considered the backbone of the business because of their connection to the core action sports customer…. More info
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GOLD Coast surf legend Wayne `Rabbit’ Bartholomew is looking backwards and forwards at the same time.
The former world champion stars in a new surfing documentary called Bustin’ Down The Door, which charts the sport’s explosion in the early 1970s, and will sit down for a Q&A at a screening tomorrow at Birch, Carroll & Coyle Coolangatta at 6.30pm…. More info

A deadline is fast approaching on February 10 that could potentially be deadly for the youth motorcycle and ATV market. In less than two weeks, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, enacted August 14 of last year, will go into effect and ban all products designed for children ages 12 or under which contain lead over specified limits. The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and Motorcycle Industry Council are attempting to get an exemption for ATV and motorcycle parts…
…What exactly happens on Feb 10 for motorcycle dealers?
“On February 10 large inventories of motorcycle and ATV products that present no health risk to children could be rendered retroactively illegal and future products prohibited from sale. These products may need to be destroyed resulting in severe hardship for dealers and manufacturers in the motorcycle industry. Along with the current state of the economy, this may be a hit that dealers and manufacturers will not be able to recover from…Â More Info…