The recent economic and banking crisis here in the United States has had a dramatic impact on the domestic longboard community. Within days of Lehman’s banking collapse and the accompanying Wall Street plunge our offices were inundated with cancellations of advertising contracts and surf shop orders. In addition to these cancellations, many of our clients informed us that they would be unable to pay existing invoices any time in the near future (many of these businesses were already in the 180-day-plus category). In addition, the local banks in our area cancelled upcoming small business loans and froze existing lines of credit, this having a direct affect on Longboard Magazine and many of our local clients. Ultimately it appears that this situation affected the surf industry nation-wide. These are friends of ours with whom we have done business for many years, and include some of the most well-known brands in surfing. We feel that asking these companies to commit to further advertising and financial obligations at this point would not only be unfair but irresponsible.
As a result, Longboard Magazine will be suspending our print publishing until after the January 2009 trade shows. It should be noted that we are not shutting down Longboard Magazine, only holding off printing our next issue until the longboard community can recover from the current financial crisis it is now experiencing.
As a result of this decision, we have been forced to lay off most of our staff including advertising director Mike Aguirre and managing editor Chasen Marshall. We will continue working with freelance staff and independent contractors for the foreseeable future.
On a positive note, we will continue to expand our website <a href="http://www.longboardmagazine.com">www.longboardmagazine.com</a> <http://www.longboardmagazine.com/> and we would like to exchange links and information with anyone in the longboard community. In addition to our website, we are also completing several hard-cover book projects. Our recent book, Surfboards, was a critical and commercial success. We believe that book publishing is an important component in preserving surfing’s history and addressing concerns for the coastal environment.
For the rest of 2008 our office hours will be 10 to 5 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. We can also be reached at <script type="text/javascript">eval(unescape('%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%65%64%69%74%6f%72%40%6c%6f%6e%67%62%6f%61%72%64%6d%61%67%61%7a%69%6e%65%2e%63%6f%6d%22%3e%65%64%69%74%6f%72%40%6c%6f%6e%67%62%6f%61%72%64%6d%61%67%61%7a%69%6e%65%2e%63%6f%6d%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b'))</script> <mailto:editor@longboardmagazine.com> or our office phones at 949-366-8282.
Water mag is gone too. There is some validity to advertisers shutting down down some on numbers … but LBer wasn’t in good stead for some time. The clothing industry never embrassed them or that side of the sport.
I have to be honest here…LB Mag was pricey. I am sure I could receive a response about how expensive it is to put out a mag of that quality, but LB Mag left me wanting more too often.
I don’t think the price on the stand justified the product. I’m sure others have their opinion on this and I certainly wouldn’t debate them feeling differently. Just my two cents worth.
Value is getting redefined as we speak, and it will be interesting to see who remains after the smoke clears.
IMO it started it’s downhill slide when PG left.the slide was completed after hulet left. it’s been doggie doo ever since…and really, it was the same handful of people featured anyway…
Agreed. Every issue looked and felt the same, even the ADS were stale. Very little fresh content for the $. IMO the only mag worth the dough every issue is The Journal.
I think I still have the first or second issue. I saved it because I thought it would be short lived. Back in 92? I never thought long boards would make the comeback that they did or the magazine would last more than a year or two. My issue has an article about Dale Dobson. I always thought longboards made more beautiful photos than shortboards on a wave. Especially on big waves. Too bad and sorry to see it go although I rarely bought the magazine. Mike
Interesting timing,today I gave a collector my stash. It was every issue from the first LB quarterly thru about 10 months ago when I let my subscription expire. My time spent on the water, in the garage and online with sites like Swaylock’s & Compsand give me more satisfaction. When ask why I didn’t sell them I said they are not worth anything to me.
I looked at the last issue with a so called famous Gulf Coast Surfing legend and realized they didn’t ask anyone but him about himself. They certainly didn’t ask anyone in his hometown. Ad dollars get you all the recognition you want.
Good riddance. One less rag spreading fairy Tales.
Almost eveything I have read in the thread I agree with.
Although I used to like the Magazine, they have gone done hill in a bad way.
Clothing sponsers could have helped and a decent ASP tour.
The last issue had almost as many SUP in the buyers guide then conventional boards.
I have asked Guy to come on down and check out AB3 since there is a good a degree of alternative craft that a lot of Longboards get into and He has never gotten back to me.
There are Many good ideas that He still could have written about in the LB arena (I won’t disclose unless He wants to hire me as a writer
However there has been a lot of rehash material.
The art issue was terrible and a waste of ink and paper IMHO
He should have never gotten rid of Devon as a writer for the mag.
All and all I say this not to slam him or the magazine but out of disappointment because it used to be pretty good, and nicer layout compared to most other surfing rags.
If He does keep going then I hope He takes a lesson for the Austrilian version of the Magazine
