Danny Kass rocking the new Skullcandy Navigator.

This month, Skullcandy is officially launching the new Navigator headphones. The Navigators are a smaller take on last year’s well-received Roc Nation (Jay Z’s label) Aviators and a truly perfect balance of performance and style. So let’s take a closer look at this bad boy.

Yes, spring is officially here and most of us are already switching to summer mode. This, added to the recent launch of Skullcandy’s brand new baby, made it obvious that the Navigator is the new ‘Product of the Week’. But first of all, let’s speak about Skullcandy, for those who’d still have their products to discover – you never know…

Founded in 2003 by Rick Alden in Park City, Skullcandy has been pushing the boundaries of how we listen to music on the go, and especially on a board, whether it’s on concrete or snow. Now the company is registered on the Nasdaq, the most dynamic stock market in the world. This fact only, make Skullcandy a brand part from the rest, being at the crossing of two industries that are close to our (and your) heart: action sports and music.

Kazu Kokubo, also part of the Skullcandy snow team.

Ok, that being said, let’s take a closer look on the product itself. These days we use headphones so ubiquitously that they can be as much of a style statement as the trainer brand you are loyal to – and the Navigators are here to earn your headspace. The highly researched ergonomic design means that, put simply, they are designed to be put on, and to stay on. You don’t even have to take them off to take a phone call, as the Navigators have that all-important built in Mic3 technology, allowing you to change volume, talk to your friends and pause tracks at the touch of a button.

The Navigator in white.

Like all new Skullcandy headphones, they are designed with the company signature’s ‘Supreme Sound’ – created by Skullcandy’s very own Golden Ear, Director of Electrical & Acoustical Engineering, Dr. Tetsuro Oishi – attacking bass, diamond clear vocals and crisp high ends are integral to the Navigators. They have been designed to sound great across all genres, so whether you want to listen to bass driven dubstep, heavy rock or uplifting folk, they have it covered.

The Navigators hold so much bespoke technology inside them that it seems impossible that it could all fit into such a compact size – barely the size of a pair of sunglasses when folded. The highlight being the finely tuned 40 mm REX40™ driver, custom designed by Skullcandy to deliver extremely smooth sound with near-zero distortion.

The 40 mm REX40™ driver, custom designed by Skullcandy.

To be complete on the subject, check the presentation video that Skullcandy posted to launch the Navigator.

In short, the Navigator have it all – comfort, modern dynamic style and awesome sound. Trust them to steer your course, whether you’re trotting the globe or just on your way to work and want some great headphones to listen to your tunes on. Quality audio performance, with distortion-free deep bass response at high volumes. Cool design emulates Aviator sunglasses, includes inline microphone and remote for phone calls and controlling playback. The detachable cable is also something to notice, and make it, for less than 100€, one of most stylish piece of gear you could rock this summer.

On top of these product specifications, you can also go further and find out more on the Navigator facebook app.

Also visit skullcandy.com, or join facebook.com/skullcandy or on Twitter @skullcandy.

Finally, check this tag to see our recent Product of the Week reviews.

Lisa Filzmoser. Photo: Dominik Hadwiger

Nikita are stoked to officially announce that Lisa Filzmoser and Vera Janssen, both existing killer streetwear and outerwear team riders, are now charging the mountains with Nikita Snowboards afoot.

The girls are pumped to be deepening the relationship with Nikita and riding the new FW13-14 selection. Innsbruck-based fearless freestyler Lisa is headed to Alaska armed and ready to shoot with the creative True Color Films crew whilst also getting ‘Boobilicious’ with the Lipstick Productions ladies filming for the release of their third all-girls movie later this year. “I am so happy to ride Nikita Snowboards,” Lisa says, “as Nikita and I have such a long relationship. It’s great that they are now doing snowboards too. My choice is the Sideway Sista; it is the optimal board I can use for backcountry riding and also park. It is light and really good quality. Love it! Looking forward to going out and shooting with this snowboard.”

Pro-Mum Vera is back in Canada, wallowing in the epic conditions of Whistler’s backcountry. She’s testing out her super sled alongside the new snowboards and continuing to film the insightful ‘Vera’s Shredventures’ episodes released with Mahfia.tv and sequences for Lipstick’s ‘Boobilicious’. “I’m super stoked on the Nikita Snowboards. After snowboarding passionately for 22 years, I definitely wouldn’t ride anything but a great quality board and Nikita Snowboards have me convinced! The first week I got the board, I took it to some extreme conditions; from straight-lining Whistler/Blackcomb’s legendary Dave Murray Downhill in icy conditions, topping 100km/h in many of its turns, to ripping nearly 1000m vertical lines and chutes in the far-away backcountry of Bralorne, BC, to hitting powder pillows and jumps – the Nikita Expression 154 is my new weapon of choice!”

And from the Nikita camp, Iceland legend and Marketing Director Geiri states “We are uber happy to have awesome and talented human beings Lisa and Vera riding our snowboards. They have been a part of the Nikita family for some time now and having them riding and testing our snowboards is a very natural progression to our relationship.”

www.nikitaclothing.com

www.forgirlswhoride.com

Best know for their outerwear, Rhythm has dipped its toe in the world of board manufacturing to make a limited run of handmade stunt sticks including a pro model for Freddy the Fox.

Here’s what the guys at Rhythm have to say…

We are delighted to announce the release of a limited edition of custom snowboards, including a pro model for team rider Fredrik “The Fox” Austbo. The boards will be produced at an undisclosed location in Switzerland, with the focus being on quality, not quantity. Freddy wanted a board with exceptional response and pop, the kind that can’t be mass-produced. So, we found some people who are as passionate about making snowboards as we are about riding them.

Their setup isn’t a factory, it’s a small workshop where each board is built by hand, using the highest grade materials. Boards like this don’t come cheap, but we’re not building them to make a profit. We’re building them for our team riders, and for anyone else looking for a board that is more like a Swiss watch than a Chinese noodle.

Fredrik is just as stoked on the graphic as the board itself: “For my artwork I wanted to feature the swords that represent my hometown of Stavanger, so I put my friend Peter-John at shallowtree.com on it. He went to work for 24 hours straight, and I’m SO blown away by the result!”

Along with three more hand-made, brand-new models, Freddy’s “Flying Fox” 154cm pro model can be seen at our booths at SIA (booth 262) and ISPO (Hall A2, booth 215).

Check out the winter collection at www.rhythmlivinsnow.com

I FOUND has officially anounced the launch of a complete outerwear division for the 2013-14 season. After it’s global expansion over the last 7 years in the headwear market, I FOUND has now revealed what they have been secretely working on for the last 12 months. The new collection will be presented at knowshow Vancouver, SIA in Denver, ISPO Munchen and Japan Interstyle.

With a solid headwear program represented since its foundation by guys like Louif Paradis, Frank April, Nic Sauvé, Yale Cousino, Will Lavigne, Jason Dubois, Nic Droz, and Alex Cantin, they are now ready to promote upcomers such as Frank Bourgeois and Guillaume Marquis to our outerwear team, meanwhile supporting freeride veteran like David Melançon.

“At first it was a whole new challenge for us because it’s far from the conventional beanie design. With the outerwear, the possibilities seemed to be infinite. We have developed different styles of jackets that could adjust to anyone taste. Some are more traditional snowboard oriented while others reflect more our street tastes. For the pants we decided to offer all our models in regular and slim fit to accomodate our customers. We also jumped into the real denim fabrics, offering them in four different washes.”
- Mat Laroche, art director.

“The headwear will remain a large part of our program, stay true to it’s design roots and will still be represented by it’s original team riders. With the outerwear team, we will do the same thing as when we first started, hooking up the new best upcomers, and grow with them troughout their progression, while we keep supporting our valuable industry vets . This will allow I FOUND to take more space into our retailer’s floors, generate significant sales increase and become a priority brand for our INTL distributors.”
-Guillaume Brochu, Sale & Marketing director.

The co-operative based out of Quebec city, specialised in beanies, was founded in 2005 by former professional Guillaume Brochu, artist Mat Laroche and Sugarshack producer Ezekiel Lebrun. I FOUND means the moment when you find out how you turn from negative to positive. This is why they name their riders, friends, customers and associates, under THE POSITIVE GROUP. The brand has been distributing products across USA, Canada, Japan, S. Korea, Germany, France, Switzerland, Iceland, Austria, Australia and New Zeland.

ZEAL Optics announced today that they are proud to now call snowboarding’s legendary Jussi Oksanen one of their own.  Jussi joins fellow pro snowboarders Kimmy Fasani and Austen Sweetin on the ZEAL winter team.

“We are stoked to have Jussi join the team,” said director of marketing Joe Prebich.  “Besides being one of the most progressive snowboarders I know, he is a great person and a perfect fit for the ZEAL family.”

Jussi has been pushing the progression of snowboarding since 1989 when he started snowboarding as a child.  An Olympian and 11-time Winter X Games participant, he has been a fierce competitor, but his true passion is the backcountry.  With a seemingly endless list of video parts, Jussi continues to show us all his passion for the sport.  Currently a resident of Encinitas, CA, Jussi spends his time in the water surfing and playing with his kids when he isn’t on the mountain. 

“I really like where the brand is headed. It’s always nice to be part of something fresh from the beginning and help the brand grow,” said Jussi Oksanen. “ZEAL has that small company vibe, which I really like and of course, the product is amazing.”

Jussi will be sporting the new ZEAL HD Camera Goggle this winter. 

Mizu is the original action sports water bottle brand, providing innovative reusable containers that help reduce waste created by single-use plastic bottles and cups. Founded by professional snowboarder Jussi Oksanen and friends in 2008, Mizu is a community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for skate, snow and surf. The Mizu family includes action sports industry veterans and a group of some of the most respected professional snowboarders, skateboarders and surfers in the world. We are unified by our passion for our sports and respect for the oceans, mountains and parks we play in. At Mizu, our core mission is to give you smart options over plastic containers so that you can go out, have fun and feel good about it. Our lifestyle is our inspiration. Sustainable design and individuality are important to us. This is Mizu Life.You can see the new website at www.mizulife.com.

FIFTY made the history of DRAKE: it’s always been one of the best-selling models, perfect for a wide range of riding styles. The FIFTY features integrate CONTOUR highback, SURROUND convertible toe strap, PREMIUM MFC ankle strap and DELTA LIGHT baseplate for additional comfort, control and lightness. The MACH 5 buckles also provide really easy and fast adjustment so you can face any type of terrain without complications . This binding is for real riders who love comfort and great performance at a low price, YOU GET ALL THE FLASH WITHOUT THE CASH!!!

Dubbed ‘The Stone Hut’, Jake’s finally gone and given himself his own pro model, albeit in a very limited production run. About time. If we were the owner of the biggest snowboard brand on the planet the first thing we’d have done is hook ourselves up with our own signature board and then show off to women of dubious moral fibre…

Anyway, here is said PR, along with pictures of Jake getting his hands dirty…

For the first time, Jake Burton, Founder and CEO of Burton Snowboards, has built a very limited run of signature snowboards called ‘The Stone Hut’. Available in select snowboard shops worldwide starting today, each Stone Hut snowboard was handcrafted in Vermont at Craig’s (named after Craig Kelly), the most advanced snowboard prototype facility in the world.

“Even though a piece of me has been in so many of our boards over the past 35 years, this is the first signature board I’ve built,” said Jake. “When the boards team approached me about doing a sig board, I jumped on it and talked them into doing a really limited production run so we could make them in Vermont at Craig’s. Up until now, we’ve only made prototypes or boards for team riders there. So the Stone Hut is special for many reasons, but the one I keep coming back to is I think Craig would be stoked that it was built in his facility – I know I am.”

During this past summer, Jake spent a lot of time at Craig’s, fine-tuning each detail of the Stone Hut. His goal was to create a snowboard that was ideal for ‘a powder day in the park’ – essentially a board that was very versatile so riders could easily head down an icy groomer, then dip into powder in the trees. As far as construction goes, the concept behind the Stone Hut board is simple.It’s a twin shaped freestyle board underfoot with a powder nose and a freestyle tail. The Bend is Flat Top, so it holds an edge when riders need it, but also floats in powder. Available in two lengths (150 and 155), the Stone Hut is downsized so that riders can select a board length that is 5 cms shorter than a traditional board.

For Jake, the Stone Hut board graphic is also ‘a dream come true’ because it features someone he’s always looked up to – Jimi Hendrix. With artwork from the Jimi Hendrix album, Valleys of Neptune, the board graphics are one-of-a-kind. For a finishing touch, Jake personally signed each board at Craig’s.

The Stone Hut also comes with a few items Jake thought would go well with the board, all packaged in a laptop case that features artwork from Valleys of Neptune. The kit includes EST CantBEDs (size medium), a binding accessory that many Burton team riders and Jake use all the time. If riders need a different size, they can call Jake’s office directly – the number is listed with the kit. Also included is a Sharpie for marking binding stances, an EST Tool for fine-tuning bindings, a credit card scraper that fits in a wallet, a code to download some of Jake’s favorite Hendrix songs and stickersfrom the Burton archives.

With only 100 available worldwide, the Stone Hut promises to be a collector’s item for sure. But more than anything else, Jake wants riders to get the boards on snow and send him feedback about the new shape.

“I want people to have fun riding this board, and I want to hear what they think of the unique shape,” said Jake. “I also hope everyone gets a good laugh from the stickers that come with the board – I couldn’t resist throwing in some that got us in a little trouble over the years.”

Read more about the Stone Hut (and how it got its name) in an interview with Jake where a full list of shops carrying the board is also available.

We just heard the sad news that Burton, who own ‘The Program’ brands of Forum, Foursquare and Special Blend, has decided it will “exit out of The Program brands in winter 2014″. With no plans to sell the companies, it looks a near certainty that these brands are headed for the Great Trashow Hall in the Sky. Read more…

Burton took the reigns of Forum, Foursquare and Special Blend when the company who previously owned them, Fourstar, went tits up. At the time the move was viewed with more than a couple of raised eyebrows as many of the brands’ riders quickly ‘found themselves other sponsors’, but Burton’s insistence that they were slowing “the trend of ski companies buying up snowboard brands” was valid, along with the support they offered the brands in terms of service, distribution and logistics. Arguably Burton’s takeover helped steady the ship in troubled waters.

Now, due to a large scale restructuring, Burton has decided that at this time it’s prudent to focus on its core business and, sadly this means The Program will be put out to grass in 2014.

This is from the press release: “Also part of today’s restructure, Burton announced it will transition out of its Program brands (Foursquare, Forum and Special Blend), which were purchased in 2004 with the intent to keep snowboard companies in the hands of snowboarders. Burton has supported these brands for eight years and will continue to support them over the next year through warranty service, dealer support, marketing and inventory. The company will exit out of The Program brands in winter 2014, in order to better focus on and invest in Burton.”

In essence, they want to back their winners and for the B that would be Burton hardware and outerwear. Strictly in business terms it’s an understandable move in a tough economic climate, but for the brands and the people involved it is a bitter pill to swallow.

Reaction from both riders and industry heads has been flooding in across the social networks, perhaps best summed up by this from Alek Østreng on Instagram: “Really sad to hear the news that Forum Snowboards has come to and end. I am going to miss all the good times with the homies at Forum. I have only been there for 3 years but that has been the best years of my life.”

With Burton’s insistence that they will not sell the brands, a campaign to give Forum back to founder Peter Line has quickly been doing the rounds. This would be perhaps the happiest of endings, but whether anything will come of it – or whether Line would even want it if it is even possible – remains to be seen.

Here’s the press release in full, including Burton’s plans for Analog, Gravis, RED and Channel Islands. #giveFORUMtopeter

Burton Realigns its Family of Brands for Long-Term Success

BURLINGTON, VT (October 23, 2012) Burton Snowboards today announced that its senior management team has elected to alter the structure of Burton owned brands to better position the company, its retail partners and stakeholders for the future. The current family of brands includes Analog, Gravis, RED, anon, Foursquare, Forum, Special Blend and Channel Islands. During a company-wide meeting today at its headquarters inVermont, Burton Founder and CEO Jake Burton explained the new structure and how it will allow Burton to focus on what it does best: make and support products that set the bar for snowboarding development and further progress the sport and lifestyle.

Specifically, Burton announced the following changes to its structure and subsidiaries. Over the next year, Analog will return to its roots of being a pure snowboardingbrand based at its original home in Burlington, Vermont. Analog has a deep heritage in snowboarding from the day when Greg Dacyshyn (Burton Chief Creative Officer) and the late Jeffy Anderson (Team Rider) gave birth to the brand in Burlington, and as such, will revert back to being a winter-only brand. Burton’s Gravis brand will ultimately move its headquarters to Tokyo, Japan and moving forward will be solely distributed in Asian markets selling lifestyle shoes and bags. Gravis was established in 1998 as the company’s first independent lifestyle brand, and since then, Asia has been by far its most successful region. As a result, Gravis will now focus purely on this market and opportunity. Further, in a move that Burton has been planning for several years, the company will also start developing protective headwear under theanon brand name. Burton will continue to offer its RED helmets on a limitedbasis, but the bulk of helmet and optics product lines will be combined under the anon brand, which has become synonymous with quality riding accessories.

Also part of today’s restructure, Burton announced it will transition out of its Program brands (Foursquare, Forum and Special Blend), which were purchased in 2004 with the intent to keep snowboard companies in the hands of snowboarders. Burton has supported these brands for eight years and will continue to support them over the next year through warranty service, dealer support, marketing and inventory. The company will exit out of The Program brands in winter 2014, in order to better focus on and invest in Burton.

Finally, Channel Islands, which was acquired by Burton in 2006, will be unaffected by this brand realignment and will continue to design, develop and manufacturebest-in-class surf hardgoods products in Carpinteria, California.

In addressing all of these changes, Jake Burton had this to say: “Burton has experienced several years of income growth since the recession and paid outbonuses to employees over the last two years,” said Jake. “That said, the economy has a voice of its own that we all have to listen to, and the message is clear: do what you do best and focus purely on it. In our case, that means to narrow our focus to the sport and lifestyle that got us here – snowboarding. We will continue to support Channel Islands in its endeavor to make the best surfboards in the world and Gravis in its new home in Japan, but when you walk through the front door here in Burlington, Vermont, it will be all snowboarding and snowboarding lifestyle all the time – driven by the Burton, Analog and anon brands.”

Jake went on to share that one of the key factors that led senior management to these decisions includes the success of Burton’s entry into the apparel and bag/pack business on a year-round basis, which has grown significantly in all seasons. The message Burton has taken from the marketplace is that for long-term success, this is the direction that the company should be pursuing, along with its core hardgoods and outerwear business.

Increasing the company’s focus on Burton has also been demonstrated by recent significant investments in Burton’s headquarters and infrastructure. These include the acquisition of the building next door to its Burlington, Vermont headquarters where the company not only built Craig’s, a new 10,000-square-foot R&D and prototype facility, but also Area 13, a 6,000-square-foot Burton/anon/Analog wholesale showroom. Craig’s (named after the late Craig Kelly) is known as the most advanced and sophisticated snowboard prototype facility in the world where ideas are conceived, built and on-snow in less than 24 hours. Area 13 is Burton’s marquee showroom where retailers from all over the world can come to Vermont to see future product lines. Like today’s announcement, both of these examples demonstrate the company’s commitment to the long-term growth, progression and success of the Burton snowboard brands.

In closing, Jake went on to state the following: “I take full responsibility for the decisions that led to the creation (or acquisitions) of these ancillary brands, and I similarly am the individual ultimately responsible for the decision to realign and focus more purely on what made this company from the start. Clearly, the most difficult aspect of this decision and transition is the people affected. The employees and team riders associated with these brandshave poured their guts into making it happen. Their level of commitment hasbeen extraordinary, and we will do everything we can to help support them through this transition. There is never a good time for moves like this, and we could have delayed the announcement, but it isn’t our style to perpetuate a myth. Clearly this transition will pose challenges along the way, but in the long run, everyone will see the results of our commitment to our core business.”

New for 12/13: Smokin is now offering discount shipping options to select European countries! Is the Euro severely harshing your deck purchasing power? International tariffs limiting your board selection? Fear not fellow shreds, Smokin is bringing the power of American made snowboards to a delivery guy near you! For all European countries not currently supported by a local Smokin distributor, Smokin is offering flat rate $50 shipping. Allow an additional 6-10 days for shipping, and for just 50 bucks we’ll send a board anywhere there’s an address. Get what you want, not just what’s around; snowboard buying shouldn’t fall under dive bar booty call logic. Hit us up and we will deliver the sexy new snowboard of your dreams right to your doorstep at a price that keeps your wallet stacked with beer money. Smokin Snowboards Worldwide!

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