By Sean O’Brien

On April 26, 2007, Billabong Girls will host a concert, fashion show, and auction to benefit Surf Aid International at the Avalon/Spyder Club in Hollywood, California. While charitable events like these are hardly new, Billabong’s Design For Humanity gala will feature a live Webcast that will broaden the appeal of the night”and the opportunities for interaction and giving”far beyond those in attendance.

The event will serve as a kickoff for the Design For Humanity charitable division of Billabong Girls, which will generate funds through special events and from the sale of limited-edition product to donate to environmental and humanitarian causes.

According to Women’s Brand Director Candy Harris, the Webcast of the event will be a first for the industry. The concept is that girls from around the country can log on and watch the fashion show, and (she can) then actually bid on the items that she likes, says Harris. As she’s watching it, she can click over to eBay’s special Mission Fish section and bid on these specially created, one-of-a-kind pieces.”

Support a good cause and don’t miss out on the show. Hit up http://dfh.billabonggirls.com/ for the live webcast tonight!

Check out some of the first pics of the new DC snowboards team! Yep that’s right DC snowboards are coming soon with their newly acquired team of Devun Walsh, Iikka Backstrom and Lauri Heiskari. The boards will not be out until September of 2008.

Taking advantage of being part of the Quiksilver Group. Having access to technologies from Quik’s other hardgoods companies: Rossignol and Mervin. I’m sure the DC product will end up pretty sweet

Check out the story and pics here at Future Snowboarding

Courtesy of Future Snowboarding and ONE Ball Jay

Proper tuning of your snowboard is probably one of the most overlooked necessities to having a good day snowboarding. Sure, having your kit looking good for the snow bunnies, the park freshly shaped, or a dump of fresh pow can go a long way, but if you aren’t moving because you haven’t waxed your snowboard, you aren’t stoked.

Spring time is when you should pay the most attention to your wax job as the warm temps and slushy snow are constantly stripping your base of much needed wax. If your base is dry and looks like hair is starting to grow on your base, you are in serious need of a wax job. Here are a few easy to pick up products that can turn a crappy spring day into one of the best of the season.

1. Wax - We always use One Ball Jay way. Why? Well, not only does it work amazingly well and is owned by longtime Lib rider Matt Cummins, but just look at it. How can you resist?

2. Scraper - With any hot wax you need a good scraper. We like the triangle design because it gives you 3 long edges and is easy to apply lots of pressure to scrape the unwanted wax off.

3. Edge File - With the snowpack getting lower, rocks and stumps start to show a bit more which start to beat up your edges. Keep them nicely tuned for greater speed to clear jumps and for less hangups on rails.

4. Hot iron - Not shown in the picture but there are two ways to go here. (a) Get one specifically designed to wax your stick from OneBallJay or any other brand. These heat up to the proper temps so you aren’t smoking out your house. Sounds cool to smoke out your house, but it’s not. (b) Get a cheapy iron that your mom used to use at the thrift store. Don’t use your mom’s as she will be pissed and Mothers Day is coming up soon so be good to her.

For more info visit OneBallJay

High Cascade Snowboard Camp will be conducting a silent auction for two summer 2007 sessions at Mt. Hood with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Tyler Eklund and his family. Fourteen year-old Eklund broke his C-3 vertebrae while snowboarding at the USA Amateur Snowboarding Association’s (USASA) Nationals at Northstar on April 1. Tyler was immediately airlifted to a hospital in Reno, NV where he is currently paralyzed from the neck down.

Tyler was a strong and consistent competitor in the High Cascade’s long-running USASA snowboard series, Enter the Dragon, which hosts over one hundred competitors from throughout Oregon. In March, just weeks prior to his serious injury at Northstar, Tyler’s name was drawn for a free summer camp session at High Cascade Snowboard Camp from a pool of competitors who participated in all six Enter the Dragon USASA snowboard contests.

After I pulled his name from the hat, several parents, competitors, and coaches immediately told me how deserving Tyler was of winning this camp, said Kevin English, High Cascade’s Executive Director and Co-Owner. I learned how passionate Tyler was about snowboarding and the fact that his family may not have otherwise afforded to send Tyler to our camp. No one was more deserving than Tyler.

Upon learning of Tyler’s injury and his family’s foreseeable and tremendous medical expenses, High Cascade announced at the USASA Nationals last week that it would put the camp session that Tyler won as well as one other session up for silent auction. The auction will be conducted by High Cascade Snowboard Camp and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Tyler Eklund fund at U.S. Bank. Bids will start at $1500 for each camp session respectively, and will be accepted today through Friday April, 27 via email or phone at helptyler@highcascade.com or 1.800.334.4272. Please include your name, bid amount, phone number, and email address. The winning bidders will be announced by High Cascade on Friday April, 27.

High Cascade Snowboard Camp (HCSC) is The Best Summer Snowboard Camp in the World, Ever. Located on Mt. Hood, Oregon since 1989, HCSC’s mission is Life Improvement through Snowboarding and Skateboarding and provides world-class facilities and professional coaching in a fun, safe, and supportive environment.

Please Visit HCSC website for more info

Burton Snowboards today announced that it has hired Chuck Mason as its new Vice President of North American Sales. Chuck will be based in Burton’s Burlington, Vermont offices and will begin his new role in mid-May.

Chuck’s deep roots in our industry and his proven expertise in sales will be a great asset to Burton, says Burton CEO Laurent Potdevin. Chuck is a very respected leader, and we are excited to welcome him to our team. The combination of his experience at a top specialty retailer and leading sales teams of four snowboard brands will serve him well at Burton.

Reporting to Burton’s Executive Vice President and General Manager Clark Gundlach, Chuck is charged with developing the strategic sales plans for Burton, R.E.D. and Anon in North America. In addition, he will oversee North American Burton, R.E.D. and Anon sales management staff and independent sales organizations.

Chuck’s former role as National Director of Sales at Ride Snowboards has prepared him well for his new role at Burton. He directed a comprehensive sales effort for all of Ride Snowboards product categories, including snowboarding equipment, apparel and accessories. In addition, Chuck also directed sales for K2, Morrow and 5150. Under Chuck’s leadership, Ride increased sales dramatically over the course of seven years.

I am ecstatic to be joining Burton Snowboards as the Vice President of Sales, says Chuck. I have always had tremendous respect for the company; as a rider, as a Burton retailer and most recently as a competitor. I have particularly appreciated Burton’s unrivaled investment in growing the sport of snowboarding. I look forward to leading such a highly accomplished sales force and becoming a member of Burton’s strong management team.

Chuck’s wide range of experience combined with his dedication to snowboarding and retailers make him a great addition to Burton, says Clark Gundlach, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Burton. We look forward to him joining our Senior Management team.

Source - Snowboard-Mag.com