Nike Showcases 2014 Football Innovations

On-pitch innovation meets off-pitch style for a spectacular summer of football.

Nike today unveiled its entire collection of footwear, apparel and equipment innovation for players and fans, inspired by the upcoming summer of football in Brasil.

“This summer is the ultimate moment for the beautiful game, and the ultimate moment for Nike to revolutionize product design,” said Mark Parker, President and CEO. “Moments like this summer in Brasil allow us to supercharge our innovation as we look to provide athletes with every advantage on the world’s greatest stage.”

ATHLETE JOURNEY – PLAYER COLLECTIONS

All home and away kits for the ten federations that will wear Nike in Brasil were showcased at an event in Madrid. The kits combine high-tech innovation to keep players cool, such as laser-cut ventilation, engineered mesh and Nike Dri-FIT technology. They are also environmentally sustainable, with each kit made from fabric that comes from recycled plastic bottles. Visually, each kit features cultural design elements unique to each country.

Nike has also created a collection for players to wear throughout various moments during the tournament.  Dubbed the “athlete journey” collection, and overseen by Martin Lotti, Creative Director for Nike Football, outfits players all the way from warm-ups, anthems, playing and training, to media appearances, travel and downtime in the training camp.

“The overall goal was to create iconic and memorable pieces for the players to wear throughout their time in Brasil,” said Lotti.  “This is the biggest moment in their football careers; we wanted to deliver players our very best product to help them perform their best on-pitch and inspire them off-pitch.”
“We first sat down to work out which moments during the tournament were most in need of a specific outfit, then met with the players and federations to develop the products and styles. We want to elevate each moment through premium products and styling.”
“For training, the players will have the best innovation we have to offer. The Select Training Top, Perforated Shell, LS Mid-Layer Tee, Woven Jacket and Short will all be in the players’ kitbags,” Lotti explained. “This is innovation that performs as well as it looks. Players tell us that if they look good, they feel good and play well.”

OFF-PITCH

Lotti and his team also designed and curated a wide range of off-pitch lifestyle pieces linked to each federation for fans.

The off-pitch styles include: The N98 Track Jacket, The Nike League Polo, Nike Tech Pant, Tech Fleece Full Zip Hoody, The IRD Saturday Jacket and Tiempo ’94.

The pinnacle piece in the collection combines Nike heritage and the latest in innovation for life; The Tech Fleece N98 Track Jacket aligns the classic N98 silhouette, first introduced in France 1998 by The Selecao, with the most current innovation piece from the Nike Sportswear catalogue – Tech Fleece. This item was created for Brasil, England and France - Nike federations who have enjoyed success in previous tournaments.

ARTIST COLLABORATIONS

“These collections allow players to be unified and stylish off the field, and are also available for fans to show their support,” said Lotti.  “But we also know football inspires people everywhere, so we haven’t just focused on the players, and have collaborated with the larger Nike design community on various special projects connected to this summer.”  

Amongst those projects inspired by football is a collaboration with the Nike SB team and graphic artist Flip. The collaboration encompasses three limited edition jerseys for Brasil (home and away) and the U.S. (away). The shirts use the same performance materials and innovations as the Official Match jersey –worn by the players on the pitches this summer. The special skate jersey will be worn in this summer’s Nike SB World Tour by athletes including Luan Oliveria and Sean Malto.

EXPANDING THE COLLECTION

Lotti’s team also worked with the Women’s Training team, Nike+, Hurley and Jordan Brand teams to create pieces inspired by football in Brasil.

Hurley will offer national team versions of their iconic Phantom boardshort for the Brasil, U.S. and French teams. Each short is designed to graphically reference the national team shirts whilst delivering the best in surf performance innovation.

For female fans, the Women’s Training team created “Tights of the Moment” inspired by the Brasil, France, England and U.S. teams, as well as a special version of the Nike Free 1.0 Cross Bionic with graphics that connect with each of the tights.

Jordan Brand created a special edition version of the Air Jordan 6 to celebrate Brasil’s quest for their sixth star.

“Neymar loves Jordan. Jordan loves Brasil and the style of play. The team chose the Air Jordan 6 as a nod to the Brasil team going for their sixth victory,” said Lotti.

The larger Jordan Brand collection inspired by Brasil will be released in the coming weeks.
Also included in the showcase is the Nike+ FuelBand. Created in a Yellow Gold METALUXE edition. Created just for the players and staff of the Brasil, England, France and U.S. teams, this version features the federation logo engraved on the gold clasp and a ‘picahau’ graphic engraved on the golden ‘doors’ of the product.

The graphic also appears on a limited edition version of the Nike Ordem Ball, which launched in late 2013 and is the ball of choice for all Nike’s federation partners. Nike is also the official ball supplier to the Barclays Premier League, La Liga, Serie A (Italy) and all competitions run by the CBF.

Source Nike

The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) ,Waterman's Weekend honorees announced

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (April 30, 2014) — The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) will celebrate 25 years of uniting the surf industry and protecting the environment by honoring surf legend and two-time world champion Tom Carroll as Waterman of the Year, Golden Globe Award Winner and environmental activist Ted Danson as Environmentalist of the Year, and legendary shaper Rusty Preisendorfer with the Lifetime Achievement Award. A Special Recognition Award will also be presented to the family of influential surf industry figure, Hobie Alter, in memory of SIMA’s first-ever Waterman of the Year.

The 25th Annual Waterman’s Weekend will be held August 8-9, 2014, at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Calif. The weekend begins Friday, August 8, at the Monarch Beach Golf Links with the Waterman’s Classic Golf Tournament, and concludes on Saturday, August 9, with the Waterman’s Ball and Auction.

Tom Carroll, two-time world champion, will be given the title of 2014 Waterman of the Year. He dominated the 1982 World Cup at 8-to-10-foot Sunset and won three consecutive events, becoming the first goofy foot to earn a professional world title.

He won again in 1984 and also won the Surfer Poll that year, proving he was a surfer’s surfer and the people’s choice. During Carroll’s 14-year tenure on the world tour, he racked up 26 victories (third only to Curren and Slater), finished in the top five a record nine times and never wavered as the most powerful surfer on earth. With all of these titles he can now add 2014 Waterman of the Year.

“It’s a tremendous honor for SIMA to present Tom Carroll with the 2014 Waterman of the Year award,” said SIMA President and Vans VP/GM Americas Doug Palladini. “Selfishly, TC is one of my favorite surfers of all-time, but for the sport and culture of surfing, this is a significant opportunity to pay tribute and give thanks to a legend who brings humanity to our world as he pushes all forms of surfing to new levels.”

Well-known and accomplished television and film actor and producer Ted Danson is also an avid protector of our environment and a prime candidate for the 2014 SIMA Environmentalist of the Year title. Danson founded the American Oceans Campaign (AOC) in 1987 in order to alert Americans to the life-threatening hazards created by oil spills, off-shore development, toxic wastes, sewage pollution and other ocean abuses.

In 2001, the AOC merged into a new organization called Oceana. Oceana is now the world’s largest international advocacy group exclusively focused on oceans. Danson is a board member and spokesperson for Oceana. The group has since won over a hundred important policy victories for the oceans around the world resulting in the protection of more than a million square miles of ocean and the restoration of major fisheries in Europe, South America and the United States.

The group will launch campaigns this year in Brazil and the Philippines thanks to funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Danson continues to be heavily involved in Oceana’s campaigns and recently wrote a book entitled “Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them.”

“With the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Waterman’s Ball, I can’t think of a better candidate to honor this year with the Environmentalist of the Year award,” said Paul Naude, SIMA Environmental Fund President. “Ted has attended many Waterman’s Ball events in order to support the SIMA Environmental Fund’s goals and ultimately the protection of our ocean environments. His work with AOC and now with Oceana speaks for itself and I couldn’t be happier to present Ted this award.”

Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Rusty Preisendorfer, is considered a premier shortboard shaper and a fundamental part of shaping history. As a shaper, Preisendorfer deserves credit for perfecting the modern thruster as we know it.

His shaping career began with his fascination in merely building things, fixing dinged up boards that he found at garage sales at a young age. He quickly turned a love for creation into an unrivaled name in shaping and transmitted that into one of the largest apparel lines in the industry. Preisendorfer is recognized all over the world by a single letter – “R” – and by the time he started Rusty Surfboards in 1985, more than half the world’s Top 16 surfers had ridden his boards.

He was the most in-demand shaper anywhere and in 1988 he launched a full clothing line, which grew into one of the largest-grossing businesses in surfing. For 25 years, he worked on creating fuller size master molds, crafting boards for larger surfers and was also one of the first big labels to sign a deal with SurfTech to make molded versions of his designs. Rusty’s impact on the surf world is extensive, and SIMA is proud to honor him with the SIMA Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Rusty has without a doubt made a significant and lasting contribution to the industry, impacting surfing worldwide,” said Naude. “The Lifetime Achievement Award criteria calls for someone who has impacted the sport, industry and/or culture of surfing – and Rusty has done all of the above. He helped take boards to a new level, founded one of the most successful businesses in surf and more than deserves to be the recipient of this award.”

Hobie Alter, widely remembered as the man behind the development of the foam-and-fiberglass surfboard, will be the 2014 Special Recognition Award recipient. The award will be presented to his family as Alter passed away March of this year. Hobie started shaping balsa boards in the early ‘50s and in 1954 opened the Hobie Surfboards shop in Dana Point, Calif.

He was arguably one of the most successful entrepreneurs in surfing history and also saw success with his popular sailboat and radio-controlled glider designs. In 1993, SIMA honored Alter with the organization’s first Waterman of the Year award and SIMA can’t think of a better way to honor his memory than by bringing his legacy full circle to receive the Special Recognition Award.

“What Hobie Alter brought to the surf industry was nothing less than foundational in allowing us to be where we are today,” said Palladini. “More than foam or fiberglass alone, Hobie was one of beach culture’s top-echelon entrepreneurs and it’s just a small token of our appreciation that we honor his legacy with a Special Recognition Award."

The two-day fundraising event benefits the SIMA Environmental Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that awards grants to various environmental groups based on their dedication to preserving and protecting the world’s oceans, beaches and waves. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Waterman’s Ball and SIMA’s efforts to raise funds for these dedicated organizations. Last year’s events attracted more than 600 people and raised more than $400,000 for 20 ocean conservation groups. The 2014 Waterman’s Weekend environmental beneficiaries and this year’s fundraising goal will be announced in the coming weeks.

Sponsorship packages for both the 2014 Waterman’s Golf Classic and Waterman’s Ball will be on sale in May. Individual tickets for the Waterman’s Ball are scheduled to go on sale in June. For more information or to reserve a sponsorship package, please contact Kelly Keenan, SIMA Event Manager, by calling (949) 366-1164 x 3 or by e-mailing Kelly@sima.com.

By press release

The Devil's Toy Redux Now Online at NFB.ca

April 30, 2014 – Montreal – Fourteen directors...eleven remixes...eight countries on four continents...one counter-culture and interactive experience.

Starting today, Claude Jutra’s pioneering National Film Board of Canada (NFB) skateboarding film, The Devil’s Toy, inspires a new interactive production: The Devil’s Toy Redux, a global online skate culture experience from the NFB, a world leader in interactive media.

In 1966, a young Jutra made one of the world’s first skateboarding films with just a shoulder-mounted camera and a bunch of kids on boards. It helped to define the early history of skate cinema. What’s more, it was an outstanding example of how NFB filmmakers were pioneers of Direct Cinema, a movement of the late fifties and early sixties that helped change the face of filmmaking.

In The Devil’s Toy Redux, the original film is joined by eleven new short films by directors from around the world. The site allows users to navigate from one film to the next and witness the evolution of skate culture across the globe through a multiplicity of lenses, as skateboarders, filmmakers, web developers and designers all share their unique points of view.

The Devil’s Toy Redux lets users explore the cities, its skaters, the boards they ride and their favourite places. The site’s theme-based navigation highlights the issues that define the skaters’ experiences: confrontation, social resistance, resignation and resolve. Skate pictures and videos on Instagram hashtagged “#devilstoy” also automatically appear in The Devil’s Toy Redux, geo-localized for each featured city, as users share their skate experiences and cultures.

Quick Facts

-New films for The Devil’s Toy Redux were shot in New York City (dir. Steve Durand); Los Angeles (dir. Greg Hunt); Vancouver (dir. Corey Adams); Montreal (dir. Myriam Verreault); Victoriaville (dir. Matt Charland); Lyon, France (dir. Fred Mortagne); Bad Durkheim, Germany (dir. Peter Schüttemeyer and Marten Persiel); Athens (dir. Argyris Papadimitropoulos); Bor, Serbia (dir. Nikola Ležaiæ); Johannesburg (dir. Luke Jackson and Jess James Harris) and Singapore (dir. Qi An Yuan). · The creative director of The Devil’s Toy Redux is Alex Leduc. The producers are Dana Dansereau and Dominique Willieme, with Loc Dao and Hugues Sweeney as executive producers. Website design and development is by studio Deux Huit Huit.

-For the NFB’s 75th anniversary year, The Devil’s Toy Redux has also been reimagined as an interactive installation, running May 8 to June 19 at Place des Arts in Montreal, followed by dates in other cities.

Associated Links

https://www.nfb.ca/film/devils_toy
http://thedevilstoy.com/?lg=en
https://www.nfb.ca/interactive/

Keep connected

Screening Room Online : NFB.ca
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/nfb.ca
Twitter : https://twitter.com/thenfb

Media Relations

Jennifer Mair / NFB Publicist / Tel.: 416-954-2045 / Cell: 416-436-0105 / E-mail: j.mair@nfb.ca

Lily Robert/ Director, Corporate Communications, NFB / Tel.: 514-283-3838 / Cell: 514-296-8261 / E-mail: l.robert@nfb.ca

Erika Klein / US Publicist / Shout Public Relations / Tel: 949-574-1440 / Cell: 714-469-1252 / Email: erika@shoutpr.com

About the NFB

Beginning May 2, 2014, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) marks 75 years of innovation and leadership in social-issue documentaries, auteur animation, and most recently, groundbreaking interactive works. The NFB has produced over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 7 Webbys, 9 Canadian Screen Awards, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.

By press release

Vans Custom Culture top fifty semi-finalists announced, public voting now open

CYPRESS, CALIF. (April 25, 2014) – Vans launches online voting today for the Custom Culture high school art competition – in partnership with Americans for the Arts, Journeys and truth® – calling on the public to help narrow down 50 semi-finalists to the top five high schools competing for $50,000 for their school’s art programs, among other awards.

Beginning today, April 25 through May 12, students, teachers, parents and friends nationwide may log onto the Custom Culture website (vans.com/customculture) and vote for their favorite school designs to advance in the competition. The five finalists will head to New York City in June for a final showcase event featuring celebrity judges at the renowned Industria Superstudio, where the grand-prize winner of the $50,000 donation will be announced.

“Narrowing down to the 50 semi-finalists was not an easy feat,” said Sarah Crockett, vice president of global consumer marketing at Vans. “The immense creativity coming out of the schools inspires us even more each year. When the designs come in and we see what the students create, it further solidifies our commitment at Vans to supporting students in their artistic pursuits and helping schools secure the resources to make that happen.”

Vans Custom Culture was created to inspire and empower high school students to embrace their creativity through art and design, while calling attention to the fact that school art programs are suffering due to shrinking education budgets. Earlier this year, 2,000 schools across the country registered to compete – the most participating schools in Custom Culture’s five-year history. As part of the competition, each participating school created four custom designs to represent the Vans “Off the Wall” lifestyle (Action Sports, Music, Art, Local Flavor) using blank sneakers as the canvas. From there, an internal Vans team narrowed down the selection to the top 50 schools for the public to weigh in on (listed by region below).

In addition to the $50,000 grand prize, Vans will award $4,000 to the four runners-up. Finalists will also be eligible for a $10,000 ‘Local Attitude’ award, presented by retail partner Journeys to the school that creates the most compelling ‘local flavor’ design. Further, the 50 semi-finalists have the chance to compete for a separate $10,000 award from truth® – the nation’s largest youth smoking prevention campaign. Participants will be challenged to customize a skateboard deck inspired by their reaction to a raw fact about tobacco.

The fact for this year is: ‘In 2006, a judge ruled that Big Tobacco had been engaged in a 50-year scheme to deceive the public about the dangers of smoking.’

Vans Custom Culture has grown exponentially since its inception in 2010 with 326 participating schools, to 2,000 schools this year. To date, the competition has reached hundreds of thousands of students and pumped more than $320,000 back into high school art programs.

For more information or to vote for the winning designs, visit the Custom Culture website at vans.com/customculture.

Top 50 Schools Competing for Spot in Final Five Via Public Online Vote:
California Region:

Canyon Springs High School – Moreno Valley, CA
Carlsbad High School – Carlsbad, CA
Downey High School – Downey, CA
Evergreen Valley High School – San Jose, CA
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts – Los Angeles, CA
Marina High School – Marina, CA
Orange County School of the Arts – Santa Ana, CA
Sheldon High School – Sacramento, CA
University High School – Irvine, CA
Upland High School – Upland, CA

Southwest Region:

Bel Air High School – El Paso, TX
Friendswood High School – Friendswood, TX
Greenville High School – Greenville, TX
Los Lunas High School – Los Lunas, NM
Pagosa Springs High School – Pagosa Springs, CO
Raymondville High School – Raymondville, TX
Rio Rancho High School – Rio Rancho, NM
St. Gregory College Preparatory School – Tucson, AZ
Veterans Memorial High School – Brownsville, TX
Wheat Ridge High School – Wheat Ridge, CO

Southeast Region:

Athens Drive High School – Raleigh, NC
Calvary Christian Academy – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Eastern High School – Louisville, KY
Fontainebleau High School – Mandeville, LA
Freedom High School – Orlando, FL
Hermitage High School – Henrico, VA
John Carroll Catholic High School – Birmingham, AL
Kickapoo High School – Springfield, MO
TERRA Environmental Research Institute – Miami, FL
Wright City High School - Wright City, MO

Northwest Region:

Aloha High School – Beaverton, OR
Bellevue West High School – Bellevue, NE
North Medford High School – Medford, OR
Parker High School – Parker, SD
Pinedale High School – Pinedale, WY
Sandy High School – Sandy, OR
Shenandoah High School – Shenandoah, IA
St. Paul Preparatory – St. Paul, MN
St. Stephen's Academy – Beaverton, OR
West Marshall High School – State Center, IA

Northeast Region:

Byron Center High School - Byron Center, MI
Central Bucks High School West – Doylestown, PA
Century High School – Eldersburg, MD
Cinnaminson High School – Cinnaminson, NJ
Cumberland Valley High School – Mechanicsburg, PA
Oceanside High School – Oceanside, NY
Pickerington Central High School – Pickerington, OH
St. Croix Falls High School - St. Croix Falls, WI
Wellesley High School – Wellesley, MA
Westlake High School – Westlake, OH

About Vans

Vans®, a VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) brand, is the original action sports footwear and apparel brand.  Vans collections include authentic footwear, apparel, accessories and snowboard boots that are sold globally in more than 170 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and international offices. VF Outdoor, Inc. owns and operates more than 415 stores of the Vans brand in the United States and internationally, each offering a range of Vans footwear and apparel while communicating the brand’s rich heritage. The Vans brand promotes the action sports lifestyle, youth culture and creative self-expression through the support of musicians, artists and athletes on boards and bikes all over the globe and through progressive events such as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing®, the Vans Downtown Showdown, the Vans Pool Party, the Vans Warped Tour® and surfing’s most prestigious contest, the Vans US Open of Surfing. Vans, “Off the Wall” Since ’66 www.vans.com facebook.com/vans, twitter.com/vans_66


By press release

Delta Apparel Sees Q2 Revenue Slide

Delta Apparel, Inc. reported that for its fiscal 2014 second quarter ended Mar. 29, 2014, net sales were $114.5 million versus $120.1 million for the comparable 2013 period. The 5 percent sales decline was due primarily to unseasonably cold weather throughout the country and the weak retail environment prevailing for most of the quarter.

Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales improved to 18.6 percent in the 2014 second quarter compared with 19.7 percent in the prior year period as a result of the cost reduction measures implemented during the last several quarters.

Operating margins in the branded segment improved 160 basis points from the prior March quarter, but this improvement was more than offset by depressed margins in the basics segment from lower selling prices on basic undecorated tees coupled with higher raw material costs. This resulted in a net loss for the 2014 second quarter of $763 thousand, or $0.10 per diluted share, compared with net income for the prior year quarter of $1.6 million, or $0.19 per diluted share.

For the first six months of fiscal 2014, net sales were $214.5 million compared with $226.8 million in the prior year period. The company experienced a net loss for the 2014 first six months of $2.4 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, compared with net income of $1.7 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, in the prior year period.

Basics Segment Review

Net sales for the basics segment were $64.1 million in the 2014 second quarter, a 5 percent decrease from $67.4 million in the prior year period. Private label sales were down 17 percent as some customers reduced shipments of products because of slowness at retail and changes in product strategy. Sales of catalog basic tees increased 2 percent based on a 7 percent increase in unit sales offset by a 5 percent decrease in average selling prices. Weak market conditions for undecorated tees resulted in significant price discounting and a shift in sales mix to drive volume growth. This, coupled with higher cotton costs, lowered operating margins in the basics segment by 370 basis points to 1.7 percent of sales in the 2014 second quarter.

Branded Segment Review

Branded segment sales for the fiscal 2014 second quarter were $50.3 million compared with $52.6 million in the prior year period. Salt Life and Art Gun continued their strong growth trends of the past several quarters but those were offset by lower sales at Soffe, Junk Food and The Game. Although Soffe sales were down 12 percent compared to a year ago, the new Soffe juniors' offerings and Intensity branded products are regaining traction and showing solid sell-through at retail. Sales of Junk Food products declined 3 percent, with softness at larger retail customers nearly being offset by new business that Junk Food continues to generate with boutiques and specialty retailers.

The Game apparel and headwear lines are also winning new programs as college bookstores begin placing orders for the new school year. Art Gun, with a 34 percent sales increase, continued to grow with online retailers who want the flexibility and no-risk inventory model that the Art Gun service platform provides. Salt Life, which the company acquired in August 2013, had another strong quarter, expanding sales 28 percent from the prior year period. Salt Life’s sales were driven from retail door growth and product expansions, as Salt Life lifestyle products continue to gain popularity with consumers. Despite the 4 percent sales decline in branded segment sales, operating income improved $0.8 million to a loss of $0.3 million, or 0.5 percent of sales, compared to a loss of $1.1 million, or 2.1 percent of sales, in the prior year quarter.

Robert W. Humphreys, Delta Apparel, Inc.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented that the disappointing second quarter resulted mainly from the convergence of several previously-noted marketplace risks as well as extended cooler weather throughout the United States. “While we knew the undecorated tee market was going to be challenging, a heavier promotional environment driven from continued softness in demand at the start of the spring selling season made it even more challenging than expected.

Weak demand also caused deferred call-outs and slower replenishment orders for our branded products. The unseasonable weather that prevailed across the country played a significant part in slow retail sales, but the continuing sluggish economy and its negative effect on consumer purchasing power was also a major factor.”

“The lost revenue impacted our bottom line and this was coupled with higher cotton and other raw material prices that we were not able to pass along to customers in higher selling prices due to the heavier promotional activity in the marketplace. In addition, weak demand hindered us from taking full advantage of our expanded manufacturing capacity to leverage fixed costs.”

“Although this was a difficult quarter for us, there were a number of positive developments that we intend to build upon for the future. The high level of service we provide to the private label and activewear marketplace has resulted in us winning additional decorated tee programs. So far this year we have shipped nearly $5 million in decorated catalog tees to customers who previously were purchasing undecorated tees. We opened a third party-operated distribution facility in Dallas, Texas to better service a large market for undecorated tees with shorter shipping times and reduced freight costs. We have also added new upscale fleece to our product line that we expect will attract new customers and help reduce some of the seasonality in our business. Our recently expanded manufacturing and screen-printing capabilities give us the capacity to continue growing these decorated and undecorated programs in our basics segment.”

“Salt Life continued its strong growth, with sales up 29 percent for the first six months of the year compared to the prior year period. This growth trend gives us confidence that sales of Salt Life products should exceed $30 million in calendar year 2014. We continue to expand the product offerings in lifestyle and performance products to reach across the broad consumer base in fishing, surfing/paddleboard, diving and beach lovers. During the March quarter, we increased the Salt Life presence in retail doors by 5 percent and increased the average shipment into existing doors by about 20 percent. We just recently initiated our first consumer advertising runs in several key publications, including Surfer Magazine, which featured paddleboard professional Colin McPhillips. We are also sponsoring several paddleboard competitions principally on the West Coast to continue our grass roots marketing in that region.”

"We are extremely excited about our restaurant licensee hosting the grand opening of the new Salt Life Food Shack restaurant in St. Augustine Beach this week. You may have seen the restaurant featured on the hit television show “Tanked” on Animal Planet, with the installation of a “wave” 1,300 gallon saltwater fish tank. With three restaurants now open, we expect over half a million consumers to experience Salt Life through the Food Shack concept, driving significant consumer awareness to the brand.”

Mr. Humphreys concluded, “We continue our focus on providing high-quality products and customer satisfaction that should result in the long-term growth and profitability of Delta Apparel, especially as economic conditions improve and consumer buying power is renewed. In the meantime, we are keeping our costs in line and introducing new products that consumers want with the efficiency and price points our customers need.”

Fiscal 2014 Guidance

As previously discussed, there are several factors that have negatively impacted the company’s fiscal 2014 results to date. Net sales in the second half of fiscal 2014 may not be sufficient to overcome the declines of the first half, which could, in turn, reduce incremental revenues that the company expected to leverage against fixed costs. This, combined with recent and potential future increases in cotton prices and higher than expected legal-related costs, leads management, at this time, to revise the company’s fiscal year 2014 guidance to sales in the range of $480 million to $490 million, and earnings in the range of $0.80 to $0.90 per diluted share.

Ba press release

The Sheckler Foundation's Skate for a Cause Pro Lineup Stacks Up

April 30, 2014 (San Clemente, CA) – Arto Saari, Julian Davidson, Christian Hosoi, Greg Lutzka, Joey Brezinski, Manny Santiago and many others have lined up to compete against one another at the 5th annual Skate for a Cause, presented by etnies. Hosted by the Sheckler Foundation on Saturday, May 3, 2014 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., the event will provide plenty of contests, games and prizes.

As of today, the confirmed pro and AM skateboarders for the 5th annual Skate for a Cause include:

Aidan Campbell / Alex Midler / Arto Saari / Bill Weiss / Billy Marks / Brian Hansen / Charlie Blair / Chris Cole / Chris Gentry / Chris Joslin / Christian Hosoi / Colin McKay / Daniel Vargas / Danny Way / Dave Bachinsky / Dave Hackett / David Gonzalez / David Reyes / Eddie Hadvina / Eddie Reategui / Fabrizio Santos / Greg Lutzka / Jamie Thomas / Jay Adams / Jeff Wright / Jeremiah Risk / Jim Gray / Joey Brezinski / Julian Davidson / Julian Padilla / Kurtis Colamonico / Leticia Bufoni / Manny Santiago / Mike Rogers / Neal Mims / Pat Channita / Pat Duffy / Pedro Barros / Ronnie Creager / Ryan DeCenzo / Ryan Sheckler / Sasha Steinhorst / Scott DeCenzo / Sean Malto / Sergie Ventura / Sierra Fellers / TJ Rogers / Tom Schaar / Tony Tave / Torey Pudwill / Trevor McClung / Tyler Hendley For those that want to hang with the pros inside the skatepark and help the “Be the Change” project, VIP tickets are available for a $50 donation here: ShecklerFoundation.org. Check out your favorite pro(s) compete in these contests: 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.: GoPro Legends Bowl 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.: Volcom SkaterCross 2:45 – 3:10 p.m.: Red Bull Tech Center Best Trick Contest 3:15 – 3:40 p.m.: CCS Tranny Best Trick 3:45 – 4:30 p.m.: Tilly’s Stairs, Hubbas, Rails Best Trick Contest While the contests are going on, event goers can also enjoy the festivities, food and fun from the sponsors below: • Brown United / CCS / Chronic Taco / Diamond Supply Co. / Direct Edge Media / etnies / Ford / Fred Water / GoPro / Grizzly Griptape / Nixon / Oakley / Plan B / Red Bull / Tech Deck / Tilly’s / Transworld / UFC / Volcom / Woodward West

The Sheckler Foundation will be working closely with the Family Assistance Ministry (FAM) to “Be the Change” and give back to people who have been affected by the difficult economic times within the San Clemente community. For every attendee that donates two canned food items, the Sheckler Foundation will give a free spin at the prize wheel for chances to win Nixon watches, Plan B decks, Stance socks, Diamond/Grizzly t-shirts, etnies shoes, autographed goods from Ryan and so much more!

Stay tuned for additional details on the 5th annual Skate for a Cause, and the lineup of pros and sponsors that’ll be there to support the cause here:

Website: ShecklerFoundation.org,
Facebook: facebook.com/shecklerfoundation

The Sheckler Foundation would also like to thank the Wasserman Foundation for their ongoing support.

About The Sheckler Foundation:

Founded in 2008, The Sheckler Foundation was created as an avenue for Ryan Sheckler, his family, friends and business associates to give back to the community and industry that they are so grateful for. Fueled by the desire to contribute to the many causes that directly benefit and enrich the lives of children and injured action sports athletes, The Sheckler Foundation will produce fundraising events, passion projects and web-based initiatives to raise capital and awareness. Our ultimate goal is to empower our community to “Be the Change!”

Press Contacts:
Ashton Maxfield / Master Plan Communications/ 949.289.6493/ ashton@masterplanpr.com

or

Deborah Choi/ Master Plan Communications/ 714.310.9651/ deborah@masterplanpr.com

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Harley-Davidson Reports Q1 2014Sales

April 22, 2104 - Here are some edited tidbits from the Harley-Davidson quarterly report

Dealers worldwide sold 57,415 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the first quarter of 2014 compared to 54,254 motorcycles in the year-ago quarter.

In the U.S., dealers sold 35,730 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the quarter, up 3.0% compared to sales of 34,706 motorcycles in the year-ago period.

In international markets, dealers sold 21,685 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles during the first quarter, up 10.9% compared to 19,548 motorcycles in the year-ago period, with sales up 20.5% in the Asia Pacific region, 8.2% in the EMEA region and 8.9% in the Latin America region, and down 2.4% in Canada.

Keith Wandell, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. said "Our dealers had a solid quarter of retail motorcycle sales. Sales in the Asia Pacific region were up strongly, and we are encouraged by the continued growth of new Harley-Davidson motorcycle sales in Europe. We’re also excited to be entering the heart of the retail selling season in the U.S., having achieved first-quarter retail growth of 3.0% in the midst of a long, cold winter."

According to Wandell "there’s also great news for Harley-Davidson in the annual reporting of our demographic market share data."

In 2013, for the sixth consecutive year, Harley-Davidson was the number-one seller of new on-road motorcycles in the U.S., both 601cc-plus and across all displacements, to young adults age 18-34, women, African-Americans and Hispanics and Caucasian men age 35-plus, according to Polk 2013 U.S. new motorcycle registration data from IHS Automotive.

The Company grew its U.S. market share and also increased its share gap to the nearest competitor in each of these segments, compared to 2012.

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Matrix Solutions Continues Growth Trajectory with Two Significant Hires

Eileen Fredette has been hired as Senior Success Manager and Maggie Emerson as the Senior Product Manager.

Pittsburgh, PA April 30, 2014

Matrix Solutions, the leading provider of media CRM & Sales Intelligence Software, announced today their continued growth with the addition of two new hires. Eileen Fredette has been hired as Senior Success Manager and Maggie Emerson as the Senior Product Manager. Both women will play an integral role in helping users monetize their investment of the Matrix CRM & Sales Intelligence platform moving forward.

As a Senior Success Manager at Matrix, Fredette will apply her more than 15 years of media industry expertise to work with users to enhance efficiencies and optimize workflows. More specifically she will be responsible for ensuring the business continuity of sales data, proactively creating personalized action plans, remotely monitoring user adoption and trend analysis, as well as maximizing investments in the Matrix platform.

Before joining Matrix, Fredette spent over 10 years at Belo accomplishing big goals with amazing people, most recently serving as Director of Technology. Fredette identified opportunities to enhance productivity, reduce costs, increase revenue, and improve employee and customer experiences. Prior to Belo, Fredette spent 5 years with the Clear Channel organization. Fredette received her Bachelor of Science in Operations Management and Information Systems from Northern Illinois University.

Maggie Emerson, a skilled Product Management Professional with over 5 years’ experience driving results through the creation and implementation of new product capabilities, will serve as Matrix’s Senior Product Manager. Emerson has experience in formulating and implementing targeted strategies for agile product teams while building relationships to empower team members to make decisions that meet the core vision and imperatives of the corporation.

Most recently, Emerson was Solution Design Team Lead with Cerner Corporation. Emerson received her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from Muskingum University and her Master of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from Florida State University.

“We are pleased to continue our growth with the addition of these two crucial hires,” said DJ Cavanaugh, CEO, Matrix Solutions. “We are focused on cultivating meaningful relationships both inside and outside of Matrix which inherently improves other elements such as productivity and revenue. Both Eileen and Maggie have great industry experience that I know will provide a substantial benefit to both our company and our customers.”

For more information on Matrix Solutions visit http://www.matrixformedia.com.

About Matrix Solutions

Matrix Solutions offers a leading web-based media-specific platform that enables intelligent business decisions for managing your sales teams, their opportunities and accounts across TV, Radio, and electronic advertising businesses. The Matrix solution transforms chaotic data into actionable sales information and provides deep media sales workflow to gives you the exact information needed for prospecting, managing, evaluating and closing business. Over 500 media customers use Matrix Solutions’ CRM, data normalization and analysis, and reporting functions as their platform of choice for their sales people and managers to get a 360-degree view of their opportunities and accounts.

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Couple Recycles Water Skis for Colorful, Fun Outdoor Lake Seating

It started as a hobby; today, Wayne and Susan Parks handcraft beautiful Adirondack chairs from old water skis, creating unique outdoor seating for Lake House Lifestyle. 

Whitewater, WI April 29, 2014

One of the coolest examples of reuse to hit the lake scene will knock you off your feet. And you’ll be glad to sit and stay for a while.

The colorful Adirondack chairs sold at Lake House Lifestyle (lakehouselifestyle.com) are hand-crafted by Wayne and Susan Parks from used water skis, and the result is a functional work of art. Wayne Parks says the industrious couple happened upon their hobby-turned-shared-adventure by accident.

“This whole thing got started about 10 years ago when my wife, Susan, saw a picture in a magazine of a chair somewhat similar to the ones we make,” says Wayne Parks. “She tore out the page and placed it in a folder in case someday we came across some skis and I could try to make one.

A couple of years later I came across some old skis while on a hunting trip in North Dakota. I brought them back to Minnesota, toyed with them in my workshop, and a year later I had my first chair.

“From there we found more skis and made a chair for our cabin, and then another for my wife’s sister, and then another for… The first couple of years this was just a fun little hobby that kept me in my workshop.”

Wayne and Susan Parks are well-acquainted with the lake lifestyle; they live on the lake and spend their time tracking down skis in lake communities.

“We live most of the time in Alexandria, Minn., where we have a lake place with a small wood shop in the basement,” says Wayne Parks. “We retired from our ‘real’ jobs about 10 years ago, moved to Alexandria and built the lake house we currently live in. Woodworking has always been a hobby.

“We now travel all over the upper Midwest in search of old wooden water skis and have a lot of fun doing it. We scavenge for skis any place we can find them: garage sales, antique stores, pawn shops, eBay or on longer overnight road trips. This has allowed us to meet lots of great people and find the best small-town restaurants Minnesota has to offer.

“It’s very tough to pinpoint the time it takes to make a chair, because there are so many pieces to the puzzle. We have to find skis; match skis up in good color schemes; and clean, stain and varnish the skis before even beginning the process of building a chair. Then it requires cutting, sanding, drilling, priming, painting and finally assembling.

Then, after the chair is put together, we apply three to four coats of marine varnish. This whole process probably takes anywhere from four to eight days for one chair. Each chair brings its own challenge due to the fact that water skis vary in length, width and thickness; therefore each chair is truly a ‘custom’ chair–they cannot be mass produced.

“Together my wife of 44 years and I look for and chase down skis. Once we own them, Susan usually takes responsibility for removing the hardware and cleaning them up. Once the skis have been cut, drilled, sanded, primed, painted and assembled into a chair, she gets the finished product and applies the final coats of marine varnish.”

The couple didn’t set out to be artists and craftspeople, Parks says.

“My wife and I retired from our careers about 10 years ago. I was in education, my final stop being a middle school principal. My wife worked in insurance and in promotions. Susan loves gardening at our lake place, where she cares for more than 500 plants, and I love to work outside, fish, hunt and golf. I was a college athlete and actually signed a professional baseball contract with the Minnesota Twins long, long ago.”

These one-of-a-kind chairs are built to order. Non-ski parts such as seat slats are made from white pine, primed and then painted with three coats of exterior enamel in colors to match graphics on the skis. The chairs are assembled with stainless steel fasteners to avoid any rust or corrosion. These and other unique lake house accessories, such as custom 3-D lake maps, can be found at lakehouselifestyle.com.

LAKEHOUSE LIFESTYLE

Lakehouse Lifestyle has been offering their many loyal customers handcrafted, American-made lake gifts and lake decor since 2008. All Lakehouse Lifestyle products are created by artists who are skilled in their trade and who take great pride in the quality, construction and workmanship of their creations. Lakehouse Lifestyle owner Brian Cooney has been a lake dweller for 30 years, so he understands the love that lake house owners have for these retreats and strives to provide products that are not only fun and practical, but that will evoke memories of lazy summer days spent lakeside. As they always say, “Life is better at the lake.”

For more information on Lakehouse Lifestyle, please visit http://www.lakehouselifestyle.com.

Sports Tourism Grows Economy, Employment Opportunities—The Sports Facilities Advisory to Hire Hundreds Throughout U.S.

The impact of the youth sports and sports travel industries is boosting the recovering economy by creating a wealth of jobs at a time when opportunities are far and few between. The Sports Facilities Advisory is overseeing the development of several sports recreation facilities which are creating jobs in every U.S. region. 

Clearwater, FL  April 28, 2014

Despite reports of the economic recovery gaining speed after its collapse in 2009, many Americans are left behind—almost five years after the end of the Great Recession, 3.8 million Americans have been out of work for at least six months, and their prospects of finding a job remain dim (1).

But the overwhelming need for American employment has been tempered by the unprecedented growth of sports tourism and the privatization of youth sports, leading to the development of new sports recreation facilities throughout the country – some of which opened at the height of the Great Recession and have been influential in putting Americans back to work.

Dev Pathik, CEO of The Sports Facilities Advisory (SFA), says that the sports tourism surge, coupled with the privatization of sports as governments defund sports, has spurred a 25% increase in the number of clients seeking SFA’s help in planning, funding, and managing new complexes. SFA and its clients’ associated sports centers will hire hundreds of employees in 2014.

According to Pathik, the growth of sports tourism has led communities to build sports tournament centers in the hopes of luring competitions that fill hotel rooms. Private developers are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into indoor and outdoor sports recreation centers, demonstrating a massive shift in the youth sports industry and infrastructure—a fact which Pathik attributes to governments focusing on revenue generation as private citizens take over the training and team play that was once assumed to be handled through school systems.

•In 2011, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the Harrisburg/Hershey region in Pennsylvania saw $2.18 billion in visitor spending, largely attributed to regional youth sporting events. (2)
•Over a five-day period in DuPage County in Illinois, basketball players and their families attending the Nike Tournament of Champions ate at area restaurants, filled their cars with gas and shopped to the tune of $6.8 million in economic impact. (3)
•The First Watch Half Marathon race, held in Sarasota, FL, brought a total of 6,200 visitors to the area and generated revenue of $2.5 million into the local economy, a 10 percent increase from 2012 to 2013. (4)

Pathik says the employment opportunities contribute to the economic and social vitality of the communities in which they operate. SFA is managing and advising facilities that will host more than 14 million visits in 2014—because of the large demand for assistance in operating sports parks, SFA COO, Jason Clement, expects to oversee the hiring of over 200 employees to assist in the daily operations of the facilities in the coming months.

“The growth of sports tourism has the potential to not only rebuild, but sustain the economies of the cities in which they operate,” said Clement.

SFA-managed facilities are expected to hire for full-time and part-time positions, in addition to positions for game officials and support workers—several of SFA’s newest facilities are hiring and are scheduled to open in 2014:

●Myrtle Beach Indoor Sports Facility in Myrtle Beach, SC, is currently interviewing for the positions of business development manager and general manager. These positions will be responsible for pitching the facility for business and scheduling events. The working staff positions for the facility will be hired in around December, 2014, two months before the opening.
●Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, TN, is already contracted to host 19 sports tournaments for the 2014-2015 season. The City of Gatlinburg and Sevier County are expecting the complex to attract over 30,000 people from across the country in its first year, and will hire accordingly to accommodate the crowds.
●Spooky Nook Sports Complex, located in Manheim, PA, is fully operational and is currently hiring for nearly 30 positions, including, but not limited to, Assistant Director of Basketball Operations, Guest Services Supervisor, and Nook Volleyball Academy Director.

In addition to SFA hiring, Pathik says the surge in tourism dollars will equate to higher employment opportunities for restaurants, hotels and many other businesses that support tourism – directly and indirectly.

Pathik has been a guest of Forbes, CNBC and other major media outlets educating on the economic impact of youth sports tourism to communities.

“It’s not going away,” says Pathik. “Nearly 30 percent of all trips taken in 2012 were for the sole purpose of attending an organized sporting event which increases to more than 90% when all trips involving some sports activity are considered.”

For more information about SFA and its suite of planning-funding-opening-management services, visit http://www.sportadvisory.com/home.html.

About the Sports Facilities Advisory:

The Sports Facilities Advisory (SFA) is the leading resource in sports facility planning and management. The Sports Facilities Advisory has helped to plan, fund, open and manage dozens of multimillion-dollar sports complexes in communities throughout the USA and internationally since its founding in 2003. The company serves public and private clients. It plans, funds, opens and manages facilities that cater to community and youth and amateur sporting events.

For more information, visit http://www.sportadvisory.com/home.html.

1.    Bartash, Jeffry. “Why Companies Are Wary to Hire Long-term Unemployed.” MarketWatch.com. N.p., 3 Apr. 2014. Web. 3 Apr. 2014. marketwatch.com/story/why-companies-are-wary-to-hire-the-long-term-unemployed-2014-04-03.
2.    Gilliland, Donald. "Youth Sporting Events Help Put Harrisburg/Hershey over Lancaster in Tourism Dollars." Pennlive.com. The Patriot News, 07 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/11/youth_sporting_events_help_put.html.
3.    Kennedy, Kristy. “Youth Sports Tournaments May Be Recession Proof.” Youth Sports Tournaments May Be Recession Proof. Youth1st.com, 19 Oct. 2011. Web. 08 Nov. 2013. youth1st.com/blog/232-youth-sports-tournaments-may-be-recession-proof.
4.    Bergen, Katy. “Sports Tourists Bring Business to Sarasota.” Heraldtribune.com. N.p., 3 Mar. 2014. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. heraldtribune.com/article/20140303/ARTICLE/140309916.

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