Where do you start with Fred Mortagne, aka French Fred. He just about single handily changed how skate videos were made (Ty Evans was up to the same tricks across the pond) with his release of the eS video, Menikmati. His cinematic skills are almost unmatched in skateboarding.

He has used cranes and countless others filming innovations that have revolutionized how we view skateboarding on our televisions and computer screens. The French filmer/editor releases internet videos for his skate deck brand Cliche every few months that profile a single rider on the team.

And his latest edition is Charles Collet. The 22 year-old is one of France's best up-and-coming street skateboarders. He hails from Grenoble, but now lives in Lyon and has that smooth European street skateboarding stye that we've seen from the likes of his Cliche teammate, Jesus Fernandez.

So sit back, pour yourself a glass of Cabernet, grab a baguette, slice some cheese, light a smoke and enjoy French skateboarding at its best:

Cory Kennedy is another ripper from the Pacific Northwest; Lake Stevens, WA, to be exact. His rise to top of the AM ranks was so quick, and the bag of tricks he has on tap is so extensive that he's been a virtual slap in the face to all those all those in the pro ranks who've been lazied by their marketed image and their taken-for-granted pay checks.


Hopefully, some of those spoiled pros have noticed and gotten back to the work ethic that made them pro in the first place. If they haven't the biggest brands in skateboarding for sure have: Nike SB, Girl skateboards, Spitfire and RVCA are all backing the happy-go-lucky kid.

Not only is he that good, he has fun skateboarding. Most of those combinations of technical tricks he puts together have one more variation to add; a smile. And those smiling clips that he consistently gets are daggers in the careers of more than a few pro careers. Hopefully as few pros have taken notice to what the future holds and have gotten back to the work ethic that made them professional in the first, because if they don't they're about to swallow some dust.

Check out this cool little RVCA video (that's a tiny bit older, but who cares) of Cory Kennedy or as one of team manger's like's to call him CK1:



CK1 from RVCA on Vimeo.

The kind folks over at RVCA just unveiled the first little teaser for a film project they have been working on. This clip is from a recent trip down south to Baja with youngsters Kalani David and Ford Archibald, along with Newport's resident hipster/rockstar/longboarder Alex Knost, and not-so-punker-anymore Pat Towersey. The track is by Matt Costa and its muy bueno.



Mexico: Donkeys and Dings from RVCA on Vimeo.

A few months back I posted this classic note from Leo Romero's neighbor. Well, today I stumbled upon a list of 20 of the funniest handwritten notes and it reminded me of the gem above. You know, notes from roomates or neighbors, etc. complaining about something. Like the formentioned note to Leo. The list is from a site called monofest.com (don't ask me what I was doging there I go on some pretty creepy sites and got linked to it somehow). Below are three of my favorites, click here to see the rest.

GrindTV Newswire, Via Transworld Business: (July 12, 2010) After months of rumors, Billabong International announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Costa Mesa, California-based apparel brand RVCA for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition notice comes as little surprise, as speculation of the news has been circulating since early spring. In fact, during an exclusive TransWorld Business interview conducted in May, RVCA Founder Pat Tenore made this statement when asked whether the brand was for sale:

"RVCA started in my garage and I have given it everything I have for the past 9 years. Ultimately, I want to do what is right for the brand, my team, and everyone involved with RVCA. I think I have a responsibility to keep an open mind and not close any doors or miss opportunities."

Since it was founded in 2001, RVCA has built a strong distribution platform, which crosses over several channels. The brand is sold in stores ranging from streetwear boutiques, to specialty surf and skate shops, mall-based retail chains like PacSun, as well as select department stores such as Nordstrom. According to Tenore, the brand has been able to achieve this diverse distribution base by organically participating in and marketing to various subcultures--including art, fashion, music, even mixed martial arts.

"Our distribution grew organically over the years, while RVCA has been very selective about the accounts we chose to partner with," he says. "Our national retailers have helped us introduce RVCA to a larger audience and given us the ability to further support our subcultures in ways that we would not have previously been able to. I think people appreciate the message we bring and we have made our product in a way that there's something right for each one of the customers that comes to shop at a RVCA retailer, whether that is a specialty shop, boutique, or larger store.

In Billabong's release, North American President Paul Naude says this versatility played a role in Billabong's decision to purchase the brand.

"RVCA has done an incredible job to date in terms of building its brand, differentiating its product and supporting various subcultures through its Artist Network Program, its athletes and its advocates," Naude says. "We want to see it build on these strengths and we'll offer the necessary support to allow it to achieve its potential."

Billabong began acquiring apparel, accessory, and hardgoods brands back in 2001 with the purchase of Von Zipper, and has not slowed down since. The company has also made several sizeable retail acquisitions in the past two years, making it not only a major player in the wholesale side of the business, but one of the largest retail companies in the action sports market as well. (see full timeline below)

Known for allowing companies to remain relatively autonomous following acquisitions, Billabong was an appealing buyer to Tenore. "One of the key things about Billabong is its respect for the creative independence of each of its brands and that level of flexibility will allow RVCA to maintain its identity while benefiting from the support of the wider Billabong group," he say