Contribution from the Community… Okay since there have been many requests for enlightenment here is the 401 on your snowboard industry: Quicksilver owns the following: DC Shoe Company, Rossignal, Dynastar, Leki, Look, Hot, Hammer, Gnu, Lib Tech, Roxy, of course Quicksilver and it’s subordinate brand names, and some others that I can’t remember. Billabong recently bought Nixon Watches. K2 is on the verge of becoming a Billion Dollar Per Year (Yes I said Billion) corporation that is no longer operated out of Washington and focused on your snow sports industry. The Corporate Giant owns and makes 95% of following in China: K2 Skis, K2 Snowboards, K2 Skates, K2 Bikes, Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, (Yes baseball bats and gloves) Planet Earth, Adio Shoes, Hawk Clothing, Liquid, Pflueger, Shakespeare Fishing Poles, Worth Inc., DeBeer Lacrosse, Dana Design, Brass Eagle, Viewloader, JT USA, Challenge Park, Stearns, Hilton, (Not the Hotel Chain) Ride Snowboards, Ride Snowboard Bindings, Holden Outerwear, Cappel Clothing, 5150 Snowboards, Morrow Snowboards, Atlas Snowshoes, Volkl Ski Company, Marmot Clothing, Marker Ski Bindings, Tubbs Snowshoes, WGB Paintball, Innovative Products Inc., and Ex Offico Clothing Company. Please don’t forget the above list when you make your next purchase that has one of these brand names associated with it. They are no longer “core” rider represented companies. These brands have made their mark… and now are all about how much money they can suck out of you and pass along to someone’s retirement fund. Sapient Snowboard Company is owned by a Bicycle Company called A. Mordo and Son LTD. a Canadian Distributor of Bikes that also owns the rights to market the following: Lamar, LTD, (Formally Limited Snowboards from Quebec Canada) Silence, 24/7, M3 Snowboards, (Remember Blaise has since left this company and started M4 Snowboards… much better!!!) and Sapient. Burton now owns a Surfboard Company called Channel Islands, and prior to that bought the rights to Forum, Four Square, Special Blend and Jeenyus. They market all the aforementioned brands under the tagline “the program” They are also making a small percentage of their boards, all of their bindings and every boot in China. Also worth mentioning is the other snowboard related companies they own: Anon, Analog, RED, B by Burton, and Gravis Footwear. The Solomon and Bonfire brand names have changed hands (ownership) three times in the last five years and are no longer owned by Addias but instead by the AMER Sports Group. They Own The Following: Wilson, Suunto Watches and Electronics, Atomic, Precor USA Fitness Equipment, Salomon, Mavic, Bonfire, DeMarine, Atec, Arc’Teryx Clothing, and The Cliché Skateboard Company. Volcom is now a publicly traded company contributing to your dads retirement fund. They are no longer in the interest of you the rider… they are now at the disposal of their shareholders. Vans is part of the VF Corporation. They own the following: Vans, Wrangler, Reef Footwear and Apperal, Lee Jeans, Riders, Rustler, Britannia, Chic, Gitano, H.I.S., Vanity Fair, Best Form, The North Face, Eastpak, Jan Sport, Kipling, Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, and a bunch of other non action sports related brands that want nothing to do with you… The point is this: There are plenty of Snowboard Brands, Outerwear Brands, Eyewear Brands, etc. that want to do business with you only because of the fact that you and they share the same interest: SNOWBOARDING!!! The above named brands are only in the business of taking your money because you believe that their companies are “cool.” It is up to you to make a clear decision toward the opposite. These brands are no longer “cool” by virtue of the fact that they are owned by nameless and faceless corporations that want nothing to do with you… they only want your money. It is our sport, our activity… and for some… our life!!! Make a stand damnit. I do realize that many people (Magazine Publishers, Company Personal, Add Executives, Team Riders, Creative Persons, etc.) are making a living off of these giant corporations and that is not all that bad. They also contribute in the way of event sponsorship and snowboarding promotion… but at what cost. Can’t the “new class” of companies coming up the pipeline (Automaton, Dinosaurs Will Die, Attic Optics, The Lucid Notion Snowboard Company, Stepchild Snowboards, O-Matic, Pure Clothing, Eesa Clothing, Airblaster, Union Bindings, Compatriot, Ill23, etc.) be responsible for taking care of their and your industry? The Public Advisor encourages each and every one of you to research where your money is spent in your sport and make damn sure that your cash goes to someone that believes in you… not your wallet! Thanks for your time! out for now