Thursday 13 March 2008

Surfing With the Billabong Brand

Author: Robert

Billabong set its roots in Queensland. It was founded in 1973, by Rena and Gordon Merchant. The company started out as a manufacturer of board shorts and slowly expanded its operations.
In 1981, the company decided to become an aggressive player in the surf apparel market by branching out to an international crowd. At first, it expanded its business to include New Zealand and the United States, then to South Africa, Japan and finally to Europe. Once the ball was set in motion it was only a matter of time before it became a global effort.
As the brand gained exposure and popularity the company decided to branch into other sports related apparel markets. They started experimenting with different lines of sports packages such as snowboarding and skateboarding.

In 1991, once they were satisfied with the quality of their new products, the company began to manufacture and distribute to the snowboarding and skateboarding crowd on a much larger scale. As they expanded into these other areas, they were able to discover much success.

In 2000, Billabong international...was listed as a publicly traded company on the Australian Stock Exchange. Once enough capital was generated, the company quickly decided to bolster its position in other key sports related industries by purchasing such name brands as Von Zipper, Kustom Palmers Surf, Element and Nixon. Each of these brands helped them gain position in other related sporting good categories.

In 2005, the company decided to give itself a bigger retail foothold by opening a number of Beachworks locations around the globe. These effective retail locations began successfully selling a number of the company’s top products.
In 2007, Billabong in a long overdue move, decided to acquire Xcel, a premium wet-suit brand based in the United States. With this acquisition, it positioned the company to be one of the strongest surf related brands in the world,

Popular Culture

Many of today’s top surfing stars endorse the Billabong brand name. These endorsements have led to an increase of brand awareness and popularity of their popular surf related apparel line. Many teenage skaters, snowboarders and surfers today sport the billabong brand apparel because of this. It has become a mainstay in teenage popular culture.

Ranges

http://www.kjbeckett.com/acatalog/billabong.html\">Billabong has had a successful expansion into many of the sporting goods extreme categories. They can now boast apparel for skaters, surfers and snowboarders. Their products range in size and age from t-shirts to surf shorts to sandals, sunglasses to watches and other snowboarding related items.
Company

The company is a publicly traded company, yet its founders still maintain a 20% share in it.With its aggressive marketing style and attractive celebrity endorsements Billabong has placed itself in a solid position to hold the market share for years to come.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fashion-articles/surfing-with-the-billabong-brand-335476.html

Surfers Paradise - The Heart of Tourism in Southeast

Author: Wolfgang Jaegel

Surfers Paradise is a fantastic beach town as well as an expansive commercial center, situated in the heart of the Gold Coast, on the eastern coast of Queensland, in Australia. Located about 80 kilometers south of Brisbane, Surfers Paradise is more popularly known as Surfers.

The destination provides superb options to cater to all types of visitors touring the place, with its picturesque beach, fabulous shopping as well as dining options, exuberant nightlife, a range of fun attractions, and high rise apartment towers. Hence, it is not a wonder why Surfers Paradise has been acknowledged as 'the playground of the Golf Coast.'

Surfers Paradise boasts of an excellent beachfront, packed with an array of restaurants, cafes, and upscale accommodations. Stretching along the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise is well patrolled by the Gold Coast City Council lifeguards, and is one of the safest as well as cleanest beaches in the Gold Coast area.

You can indulge in a spectrum of activities here, from surfing, parasailing and jet skiing to fishing and whale watching cruises. A number of flags of different colors can be found in certain areas of the beach, which in turn allows you for an enjoyable as well as safe swimming and surfing.

For instance, flag with a combination of red and yellow colors indicates the safest swimming area. But, yellow flag cautions dangerous conditions. If you see red flag, don't ever take an attempt for swimming or fishing in this area. In the case of red and white chequered flag, it denotes that there is shark in this area. In addition, if you see a blue flag, it denotes board riding area perfect for surfers.

Other than water sport activities, there are also superb options available for playing beach volleyball, bungee jumping, and golf, with a variety...of professional as well as stylish golf courses. If you do not want to indulge in any of these activities, then just take a stroll along the beach and experience the incredibility of the area.

Likewise, if you are here for a fun-filled vacation, then you can head to any of a variety of theme parks found in and around Surfers Paradise, such as, Warner Bros Movie World, Sea World, Dreamworld, and Wet N Wild Waterpark. When comes to sightseeing, Surfers Paradise features a plethora of attractions in the form of museums, art galleries, and fun and amusement centers.

A trip to Surfers Paradise would not be complete without taking a tour to Cavill Mall. Situated at the heart of the bustling area of Surfers, Cavill Mall is a pedestrained area that runs between the Gold Coast Highway and the Esplanade on the beachfront. This area is packed with a range of outdoor cafes, fast food centers, and restaurants and bars. Additionally, Cavill Mall is much famed for its themed museums, street entertainers, amusement arcades, shopping malls, and surf clothing outlets.

Equally fabulous is dining options available in Surfers Paradise, with a plethora of street side eateries, open air cafes, fast food establishments, and superb restaurants such as the Hard Rock Cafe. From Australian, French, and Italian to Indian, Thai, and Japanese, a sumptuous variety of cuisines can be savored here. Above all, Surfers Paradise is much famed for its exciting nightlife, boasting of a myriad of adult bars, themed venues, and adult bars, of which many of them are concentrated around such hot spots of the city as Cavill Avenue and Orchid Avenue.

With these scores of attractions and superb options to enjoy a plethora of activities, it is not a wonder why a large number of tourists from every nook and corner of the world visit here. Hence, it has a continuum of accommodations options for every type of travelers. One of the most popular choices among tourists is upscale hotels with rooms replete with most sophisticated facilities and amenities such as air conditioning, tea/coffee making facilities, and superb bath areas.

There are also some high end hotels that provide accommodation in the form of apartment style. This choice usually contains one or two bedrooms, apart from fully equipped kitchens, ensuite bathrooms, beautiful dining areas, and balconies offering panoramic views of beach and the Gold Coast. Further, these choices, in most cases, would be complete with facilities such as outdoor heated pools, gymnasium, spa, poolside BBQ, sauna and steam room, and entertainment areas.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/surfers-paradise-the-heart-of-tourism-in-southeast-queensland-347746.html

Best Surf Spots in Santa Cruz County

Author: Seb Frey |

There are eleven break points along the best surf spots in Santa Cruz County and is known as "Surf City." Steamer Lane is host to the O'Neill Cold Water Classic on annual basis during the fall months. In May the Longboard Invitational takes place adjacent to Lighthouse Point. The Capitola Women's Longboard Surf Fest in held in October. Women of all ages participate and surfing skill participate.

Waddell Beach is very popular with boogie board, kiteboarding, and kayaking enthusiasts. Kiteboarding is a hybrid of wakeboarding and windsurfing. People are able to get forty feet of air from the waves.

Cowell's Beach positioned along Westcliff Drive, is said to have calmer waves. This is a popular surf spot for people...just learning the sport. There are stairs from Westcliff Drive that lead out to the surf area. Capitola Beach is another popular surf area for beginners. Many people use longboards with the waves when conditions are permissible. Parking is ample and readily available. When parking in metered parking areas always have ample amounts of change and keep the meter updated. It is not uncommon to get ticketed right away when the meter expires since it is monitored closely.

The Hook is located along what is known locally as Pleasure Point. It is positioned at the end of the stairway located at 41st Avenue. Longboards are most popular for this surf area. Shortboards are only able to be used on days when the waves are higher. This surf is said to be best for skilled surfers. 30th and East Cliff is popular with Pleasure Point surfers. However, due to the degree of difficulty very few people are permitted to surf in the area.

Manresa State Beach is positioned along Highway 1. It is less crowded than some of the other beaches. The waves can become very high and rips are very common in the surf area. 30th. This surf area is said to be best for experienced surfers.

Steamer Lane is said to be the most popular surf area in the region. The waves get extremely high at times said to reach triple overhead in height. Much caution needs to be exercised when surfing in this area. Deaths do occur on annual basis at this surf point. Surfing goes on year round at Steamer Lane.

Moss Landing is positioned twenty miles south of the city. It is rarely crowded and has its beach break near the harbor entrance. Waves can get very high here, so it is recommended for advanced surfers only. Rips are common along this area.

Natural Bridges surfing is located south of the rock arches. Conditions fluctuate in the area so surfing isn't always possible. There is a lot of kelp and sealife in the area.

There are many places to surf along Highway 1 in the middle of Half Moon Bay and the city. North of the city is where some of the more advanced surfers like to go. It is advised that you avoid surfing in this area alone do to its secluded nature.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/best-surf-spots-in-santa-cruz-county-356958.html