Over the last decade, Volcom has allotted millions of marketing dollars into the Banzai Pipeline, its locals, and adjacent real estate. And, announcing the new sponsorship of the 5-Star World Qualifying Series Pipeline Pro, the action sports brand is reinvesting into the North Shore community and Hawaii’s ‘QS surfers. At the same time, Volcom has never owned an ASP property.

“Pipe is extremely important to Volcom,” says Volcom Surf Brand Manager, Brad Dougherty. “We have positioned ourselves on the beach so that our team riders and the local chargers can take full advantage of what is out front. Careers are made out of Pipeline and Backdoor.”

read more at espn

Billabong International Limited today announced it has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire the United States-based online boardsports retailer Swell.com (Swell).

Swell, founded in 1999, is a leading online retailer in the US boardsport sector and sells many of the industry’s leading brands.

Financial details of the purchase remain confidential, but the transaction is not material to the Billabong Group.

Paul Naude, President of Billabong USA, said the acquisition would allow Billabong to manage its brands in the growing online market.

“We look forward to growing the Swell business and further developing it as a showcase online platform for the US boardsports industry,” he said.

“The internet plays a significant role in the recreational habits of the youth market so it is important for our Group to ensure we provide them with a premium brand experience when shopping online.”

Huntington Beach-based clothing maker Quiksilver Inc. has laid off 125 workers at its headquarters and elsewhere in Southern California as part of its ongoing cost cutting.

In all, 200 jobs were cut including 75 vacant positions at Quiksilver, which makes clothes inspired by surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.

The cuts came at Quiksilver’s America unit, including at its Roxy brand for young girls and women and DC Shoes, a maker of shoes and clothes inspired by skateboarding.

Cuts also came at the company’s Mira Loma warehouse.

Earlier this year, Quiksilver cut 200 jobs. The latest cuts bring Quiksilver’s layoffs to more than 700 in the past two years as its deals with the worst retail downturn in recent memory and its own financial issues.

read full story at ocbj.com