Tag: surf

Billabong In Talks with Sycamore Partners and Paul Naude for US$297.9 Million—And the Sad Story of Surf

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The sad saga of surf brand Billabong looks like it’s finally coming to some sort of conclusion with its buyer’s bidding wars ending. On April 8, 2013, The Australian reported that Billabong was in talks to be acquired by Sycamore Partners and Paul Naude, who was the former President, for US$297.9 million. Sycamore Partners were […]

VF Enters Bid to Buy Beleaguered Billabong

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The ongoing drama for the surf and action sports brand Billabong continues, now with this latest news that VF and Altamont Capital Partners have submitted a letter of interest to Billabong International Limited. From what we’ve counted, this is the 4th time a bid’s come in for Billabong, right on the heels of President Paul […]

Surf Round-up: Kelia Moniz Wins Swatch Pro China Longboard Title; Second Jewel of Vans Triple Crown Kicks-off on North Shore; Nike Pulls-out of Surf; Quiksilver Edie Aiku Opens; RedBull Jaws Underway

Swatch Girl Pro China 2012

Tis the season for big waves across some of the hottest surf spots in the world, and with it comes major action in beautiful competitive settings among the world’s top surfers. First, Kelia Moniz won the ASP Women’s World Longboard Title at the Swatch Girls Pro in Wanning, Hainan Island, China last week, November 25, […]

Beleaguered Billabong Announced President and Director Paul Naude to Step Aside to Seek New Possibilities for the Company

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In the continuing struggle to hang on, Billabong announced yesterday, November 18, 2012, that Paul Naude, Director of Billabong and President of the Americas will stand aside temporarily in order to investigate the possibility of putting forward a proposal for a leveraged buyout of the Company. Billabong has been struggling for some time. As a […]

Deus Ex Machina Creates New Crossover of Surf Culture with Greaser Moto and Car Cultures

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Parking lot d ’elegance and surf culture came together last month at Deus Ex Machina’s latest soiree in Venice, CA. Known for its eclectic corner location at the intersection of Venice and Lincoln Blvds. the retail flagship has become more of a hang-out for the new generation of greaser retro moto biker-heads and bearded surfers […]

Surf Round-up: Vans Triple Crown of Surfing to Kick-off with $1 Million Purse, But No Women’s Events; Women’s LongBoard Championships in China; Effects of ASP’s Ownership by ZoSea Media

Swatch Girls Pro China 2011, Wanning, Hainan Island

Surfing continues to go through unprecedented changes as the effects of the economy take its toll on what survives and what doesn’t, and new interests re-shape the traditional standards of an industry in major flux. To start, on the cusp of news that Nike/Hurley will no longer be sponsoring mainland’s largest surfing event, the U.S. […]

Retail Round-up: Billabong Plunges as TPG Pulls Bid; Fast Retailing, a.k.a. Uniqlo Takes a Hit

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After two crucial months of due diligence and negotiations, the private equity firm TPG has pulled its bid for taking over the beleaguered surf brand Billabong. Immediately, shares dropped to 82 cents. According to City Index chief market analysis Peter Esho, Billabong’s future is not looking good. “What we’re seeing today in the market is […]

Kelly Slater, 40, Claims 50th ASP Surfing Title at Hurley Pro Trestles

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As incredible as it seems, Kelly Slater, the 11-time ASP World Champion of surfing, has once again claimed another Association of Surfing Professional World Championship Tour event, the 6th out of 10 this season, yesterday, September 20, 2012, at the Hurley Pro at Trestles, CA. Beating out Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in clean three-to-five foot […]

Frenemies: If Quiksilver Bought Billabong, Would That Be Weird?

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While TPG continues to work on plans for possibly acquiring Billabong, Quiksilver’s 20% shareholder Rhone Capital, a private equity firm, may be checking it out too. According to a recent story in Transworld Business, via The Australian, there’s another interested party in the Billabong crisis, which is Rhone Capital. This sounds very rumor-like, but an […]

Nike U. S. Open of Surfing Wraps with Lakey Peterson and Julian Wilson Champions and ASP Women’s World Tour Season Ending, Plus More from Surf-City

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The U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, CA July 28-August 5, 2012 has become one the mostly highly regarded surfing competitions, mainly for the thousands of spectators that attend and the huge sponsorship from Nike (Hurley and Converse), and festival-like atmosphere. While the competition is great to watch, the event rarely has the waves […]