Amare Stoudemire has 100m reasons to be happy

LOS ANGELES -- This annual ESPYS week kickoff soiree at the Playboy Mansion began at 8 p.m. PT Monday. But two hours into the Sports Dream Celebrity Poker and Pool Party, the pool lay still. The poker tourney was the thing. Talk among the crowd -- which was heavy on first-timers like skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, Raptor Amir Johnson and Raiders first-rounder Lamar Houston -- centered on LeBron, of course. And the host was still trying to snag his first drink at the open bar.

"Is my money good here?" Hugh Hefner asked, waiving a $5 bill at his bartender.

"It sure is?" the tender stammered.

It sounded like a question.

But the vibe picked up at around 10:30 p.m. That's when a dozen women leapt into the pool to splash each other. That's also when -- and this might be a coincidence -- a tall man stepped out of his limo, a Yankees cap atop his head and a "Damn, I just signed with the Knicks!" type smile splattered across his face.

Amare Stoudemire, New York's newest star, is a human firecracker. And these days, in places like this, he's kind of a big deal.

source:

ESPN

JCPenney's "New Look. New Year. Who Knew!" Back-to-School Campaign Features Cutting Edge, Creative Marketing Aimed at Teens

Campaign Encourages Teens to Take Control and Discover JCPenney's Affordable Fashion Assortment

PLANO, Texas, Jul 14, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- J. C. Penney Company, Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!jcp/quotes/nls/jcp (JCP 22.75, -0.24, -1.04%) today launched "New look. New year. Who knew!(TM)," an innovative, integrated marketing campaign for the 2010 Back-to-School season. When it comes to marketing to teens, JCPenney has always led the way with cutting edge, creative marketing and this Back-to-School season is no different. Underscoring JCPenney's position as the national Back-to-School fashion headquarters, this year's campaign combines traditional marketing initiatives with the latest digital, social and mobile experiences -- from haul videos and augmented reality to mobile iAds -- while inviting teens to discover JCPenney as a destination for affordable style.

"Personalization and self-expression are important to teens and they want their look to reflect their unique personalities and style. And for teens, there is no better time to put their best fashion forward than Back-to-School," said Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for JCPenney. "Our campaign will solidify JCPenney's leadership as a fashion-forward destination for creating complete head-to-toe looks. Using an array of innovative interactive and user-generated content, our Back-to-School marketing encourages teens to take control and discover our extensive assortment of exciting styles and brands at affordable prices."

JCPenney offers a variety of lifestyle options and is a one-stop-shop for all teen style needs from apparel and accessories to beauty with the Company's Sephora inside JCPenney concept. Underscoring JCPenney's leadership at the No. 1 department store in the mall for teens, the campaign will highlight JCPenney's assortment of private, exclusive and national brands such as The Original Arizona Jean Company(R), Levi's(R), Decree(R), City Streets(R), RS by Sheckler(TM), Olsenboye(TM), Rusty(R), Vans(R), Ditch Plains(TM) and Converse(R) as well as new brands this season -- Uproar(TM), Supergirl(TM) by Nastia and Zoo York(R). Additionally, JCPenney continues to be a leading destination for denim, special sizes and school uniforms -- all key categories for the Back-to-School season.

"New look. New year. Who knew!" Integrated Marketing Campaign:

Created with agencies, Saatchi & Saatchi New York and Razorfish, JCPenney's "New look. New year. Who knew!" marketing campaign incorporates an integrated series of online and offline innovative marketing elements to connect with teens this Back-to-School season, while highlighting the Company's extensive fashion assortment:

-- JCPenney's extensive TV and in-cinema campaign will feature students taking over school picture day with their own high-energy fashion shoot as they model the latest head-to-toe looks and styles from JCPenney. JCPenney's impromptu fashion shoot theme will continue with national print ads in Teen Vogue, Seventeen and People StyleWatch.

-- A Juniors experience on jcp.com will feature "hauls" -- the new viral phenomenon in which teens show off their recent shopping purchases through short product review videos posted online -- with videos featuring real teens showcasing their JCPenney shopping finds. Teen girls can also view JCPenney's fashion assortment -- including the daily Top 10 favorite items voted on by visitors to the Juniors Back-to-School online experience -- and create a virtual styleboard that can be e-mailed to friends. In addition, jcp.com's Young Men's and Children's interactive experiences will feature a horizontal scroll, allowing users to easily browse head-to-toe looks. The Young Men's experience will also link visitors to a behind-the-scenes video of JCPenney's Back-to-School broadcast spot, highlighting the season's must-have trends.

-- As part of JCPenney's Back-to-School promotion with Seventeen magazine, JCPenney will be the exclusive retailer for its augmented reality experience on Seventeen.com, which is part of the Hearst Magazines Digital Media network of sites. Through the view of a web cam, Seventeen.com's augmented reality experience will simulate JCPenney merchandise items into a real world environment, allowing users to virtually try on an item, then link to jcp.com for purchase. The application was developed in conjunction with Metaio a pioneer in the area of augmented reality (AR) technology.

-- Along with its iPhone app and mobile coupons, JCPenney continues to be a leader in the mobile space, bringing its signature style and affordable prices directly to teens' fingertips with a special Back-to-School WAP site (jcpteen.mobi). This mobile hub includes JCPenney's Back-to-School TV spot and "hauls"; an opportunity to opt-in and receive weekly texts on the latest Back-to-School looks; view Back-to-School styles and even upload their own look, which can be voted on and shared with friends. JCPenney will also be one of a select group of companies to begin marketing to consumers through Apple's new iAd concept with the launch of an interactive Back-to-School ad that will appear when iPhone and iPod Touch customers use an app on their device.

-- JCPenney-branded digital experiences and display media will be featured on popular teen sites, including an exclusive retail sponsorship with Cambio, which brings teens closer to their favorite celebrities and content through exclusive groundbreaking, original programming. Beginning July 27, teens visiting the site can view JCPenney's Back-to-School broadcast spot, learn about hot looks from stars and their stylists in the show Cambio Style, and even enter for a chance to attend a Jonas Brothers concert.

-- JCPenney will bring its action-meets-fashion brand experience directly to customers in local markets this Back-to-School season. The Company will showcase its exclusive brand Supergirl by Nastia through the sponsorship of the Supergirl Jam -- the industry's only large-scale, all girls action sports competition, which will include appearances by Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin and additional top female action sports athletes. JCPenney will also showcase exclusive brand RS by Sheckler and national brand Zoo York through its sponsorship of the Dew Tour, which features Ryan Sheckler, Chaz Ortiz and other renowned skate superstars in a multi-city action sports competition. Each tour will include radio, TV, Internet and e-mail support along with personal appearances by Nastia Liukin and Ryan Sheckler in JCPenney stores across the country.

-- During the Back-to-School period, "fans" of JCPenney's robust and rapidly growing teen Facebook page, "JCP Teen", will be able to view the Company's Back-to-School broadcast spot as well as other special content to keep up-to-date on the latest trends, events and contests from JCPenney.

-- JCPenney will also adapt its Back-to-School TV spot for the Hispanic market, with the spot premiering on Univision during JCPenney's sponsorship of Premios Juventud -- the largest Hispanic music awards show in the U.S. -- and later during the Company's sponsorship of Miss Universe. Additionally, in conjunction with the popular International Secret Agents (ISA) concert -- which seeks to showcase the brightest and premier young talent among Asians and Asian Americans -- JCPenney will host an online contest, providing teens an opportunity to upload a video to YouTube to showcase their unique talents. The most talented performer -- chosen through popular vote -- will be awarded a JCPenney gift card and provided an opportunity to perform in ISA concerts in Los Angeles and New York.

This press release has an accompanying Smart Marketing Page providing further details about the organization, products and services introduced below. You can access the Smart Marketing Page via the following link: http://www.businesswire.com/smp/jcpenney-back-to-school/

About JCPenney

JCPenney is one of America's leading retailers, operating 1,107 department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest apparel and home furnishing sites on the Internet, jcp.com, and the nation's largest general merchandise catalog business. Through these integrated channels, JCPenney offers a wide array of national, private and exclusive brands which reflect the Company's commitment to providing customers with style and quality at a compelling price. Traded as "JCP" on the New York Stock Exchange, the Company posted revenue of $17.6 billion in 2009 and is executing its strategic plan to be the growth leader in the retail industry. Key to this strategy is JCPenney's "Every Day Matters" brand positioning, intended to generate deeper, more emotionally driven relationships with customers by fully engaging the Company's approximately 150,000 Associates to offer encouragement, provide ideas and inspire customers every time they shop with JCPenney. For more information visit www.jcpenney.net

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6353412&lang=en

SOURCE: J. C. Penney Company, Inc.

source:

Market Watch

The Ryan Sheckler Foundation / The Athlete Recovery fund

Superstar’s Mom Charitable Work
The Ryan Sheckler Foundation
www.shecklerfoundation.org
www.athleterecoveryfund.com

Gretchen Sheckler, Mother of Skateboarding Superstar
Ryan Sheckler, CEO of The Ryan Sheckler Foundation

Ask any skateboarder on the planet who Ryan Sheckler is and you're sure to get an out-of-this-world answer. Ryan, a world-renowned athlete, teenage heartthrob, business owner, TV Star and charity founder has his name synonymous with extreme skateboarding.

Ryan and his mother started the non-profit Sheckler Foundation, www.shecklerfoundation.org, to help children and their families in need. Despite being a rising superstar in the skateboarding world, Ryan’s Mother, Gretchen Sheckler, instilled and inspired her son that giving back to your community is the most important measure of success.

Through her nutriment and devotion to her son and his passion, Gretchen has aided in Ryan’s profound success. She will be available to talk more about her and her son’s charity work and what it was like to raise a rising star athlete. They have also partnered up with A Taste For Success Campaign which is to celebrate the crucial role that mothers play in guiding their kids to achievement, Ball Park has assembled a roster of "all star moms" who will share the secrets of their success") and their partnering with The Athlete Recovery fund. The Athlete Recovery Fund provides benefits for athletes that suffer severe injury and is an official 501 (C) 3 charity. For more information, visit www.athleterecoveryfund.com

source:
Fox4

Greg Lutzka Returns to Top at Skate Open

Greg Lutzka won the Skate Open skate park title, becoming the ISF Skateboarding World Champion in the process and returning to the top of the Dew Tour podium for the first time since 2007.

Ryan Sheckler also made his return to the podium, and to the Dew Tour after losing a year due to injury, and he claimed second. Newly minted Zoo York pro Chaz Ortiz rounded out the top three.

Skate park podium

A total of 12 skaters were separated into two six-man heats to start the park finals with only the top six advancing to the super final jam. In the final jam, Ortiz had a lead, but was closely followed by Lutzka and Sheckler. The trio of Dew Tour newcomers in the final included Eli Reed and Sierra Fellers along with Bastien Salabanzi, who dominated both rounds of qualifying.

Both the old guard and the new guys battled it out in the final seven-minute jam session making it hard on the judges to pick the top three.

But when the dust settled and the scores were tabulated, Lutzka’s solid, consistent and progressive skating won the day, and he claimed the first park win of the 2010 Dew Tour season.

Results

1. Greg Lutzka, 88.05
2. Ryan Sheckler, 86.30
3. Chaz Ortiz, 83.35
4. Bastien Salabanzi, 81.18
5. Eli Reed, 78.38
6. Sierra Fellers, 76.15

For the breakdown of all the scores from skate park finals, and the rest of the Skate Open, click here.

source:

AlliSports

Dew Tour 2010: Boston Skate Open Finals

The first park finals at the 2010 Dew Tour went down on Saturday night, and despite some new faces out there—Bastien Salabanzi, Eli Reed, and, of course, how could we not mention Jereme Rogers?—Greg Lutzka still came through with the consistency and went home in first place with Ryan Sheckler and Chaz Ortiz following behind in second and third. Check out the video, and for a breakdown and full results at the Boston Skate Open, click HERE.

FINAL RESULTS:
1. Greg Lutzka, 88.05
2. Ryan Sheckler, 86.30
3. Chaz Ortiz, 83.35
4. Bastien Salabanzi, 81.18
5. Eli Reed, 78.38
6. Sierra Fellers, 76.15

Filmed and edited by Alex Pelletier

source:

Transworld Skateboarding

Dew Tour Skate Open Finals Live Webcast June 26

The final portion of the Dew Tour’s Skate Open will be streamed live on Allisports.com starting at 7:45 p.m., Saturday, June 26, from Boston’s TD Garden. Defending Skate Park world champion and three-time Dew Cup champion Ryan Sheckler will try to regain his title for 2010, going up against Paul Rodriguez, Chaz Ortiz and Ryan Decenzo, Nick Dompierre, Jake Duncombe, Greg Lutzka and Boston-native Jereme Rogers. More information follows:

Burr Ridge, Ill. – June 23, 2010 –The Dew Tour returns to Boston for the second consecutive year for the Skate Open, ISF Skateboarding World Championships, June 25 and 26 at TD Garden. Kicking off the 2010 season, Neon Trees and Paper Tongues will perform a FREE concert at City Hall Plaza on Thursday, June 24 at 8pm. The five-city tour will continue on to Chicago, Portland, Ore., Salt Lake City, and conclude with the Dew Tour Championships in Las Vegas this October.

Over 120 of the best skateboard athletes from 22 different countries will compete in Boston at the Skate Open in both vert and park. Highlighting the vert roster includes defending Dew Cup Champion and Skate Vert World Champion, Bucky Lasek, Boston-native Andy Macdonald, up-and-comer Alex Perelson, 2008 Dew Cup Champion Pierre-Luc Gagnon and vert legend Bob Burnquist.

The defending Skate Park World Champion and three-time Dew Cup Champion, Ryan Sheckler will look to repeat his World Champion status again in 2010. However, he will have to contend with the likes of Paul Rodriguez, Chaz Ortiz, Ryan Decenzo, Nick Dompierre, Jake Duncombe, Greg Lutzka and Boston-native Jereme Rogers. Fans can catch the skate park final streaming live on www.Allisports.com <http://www.allisports.com/> , Saturday, June 26 beginning at 7:45pm EST.

The defending women’s Skate Vert World Champion, Lyn-z Adams Hawkins, will compete against young up-and-comers Allysha Bergado, age 13, and Lea Taylor, age 14, to regain her title again in 2010. Vanessa Torres will look to defend her title of women’s Skate Park World Champion.

Athletes are pre-qualified based on their rankings at the end of the 2009 Dew Tour season. Athletes who are not pre-qualified may compete as International Qualifiers at the Skate Open, ISF Skateboarding World Championships to earn a spot in the preliminary rounds. The full list of pre-qualified athletes is as follows:

Skateboard Park Men Skateboard Vert Men
Chaz Ortiz Andy Macdonald
Paul Rodriguez Bob Burnquist
Ryan Sheckler Bucky Lasek
Greg Lutzka Adam Taylor
Austen Seaholm Sandro Dias
Rodolfo Ramos Renton Millar
Carlos De Andrade Anthony Furlong
Danilo Do Rosario Alex Perelson
Fabrizio Santos Rob Lorifice
Kurtis Colamonico Pierre-Luc Gagnon
Tyler Hendley Paul-luc Ronchetti*
Milton Martinez Josh Stafford*
Dave Bachinsky
Ryan Decenzo
Timmy Kunth

Skateboard Park Women Skateboard Vert Women
Vanessa Torres Lyn-z Adams Hawkins
Abisha Alshebaiki Allysha Bergado
Lacey Baker Amelia Brodka
Amelia Brodka Elise Dabby
Leticia Bufoni Mimi Knoop
Amy Caron Gaby Ponce
Mayra Gallegos Franziska Stolz
Candy Jacobs Lea Taylor
Miho Kazama Nora Vasconcellos
Lorena Lima
Marta Nery
Elizabeth Nitu
Lauren Perkins
Rachel Reinhard
Alexis Sablone
Chihiro Uchida

*Indicates wild cards

Twenty-two countries from around the world will be represented at the Dew Tour’s Skate Open, ISF Skateboarding World Championships. The complete list of countries includes:

Australia Italy
Belgium Japan
Belize Malaysia
Brazil Mexico
Canada Netherlands
Chile Poland
Czech Republic Puerto Rico
Finland Portugal
France Switzerland
Germany Thailand
Great Britain United States

The Skate Open schedule of events is as follows:

Thursday, June 24th – Venue Opens at 7:00PM
8:00PM – 10:00PM FREE Neon Trees and Paper Tongues Concert at City Hall Plaza

Friday, June 25th – Gates Open at 3:00PM
5:30PM – 7:00PM SKB Park Prelims, Group 1 (Men)
7:30PM – 9:00PM SKB Park Prelims, Group 2 (Men)

Saturday, June 26th – Gates Open at 2:30PM
4:00PM – 4:45PM SKB Vert Final (Women)
5:00PM – 6:00PM SKB Vert Final (Men)
6:30PM – 7:15PM SKB Park Final (Women)
7:45PM – 9:30PM SKB Park Final (Men)

**Schedule is subject to change**

In addition to world-class competitions, the two-day event will also include a FREE concert by break-out bands Neon Trees and Paper Tongues– taking place at City Hall Plaza on Thursday, June 24 at 8:00pm – and an interactive Festival Village. The Festival Village will feature Mountain Dew and FUEL TV’s Green Label Experience, the Nike iD program where fans can customize their own pair of shoes, the NERF Dart Tag World Championships, free product giveaways, demos of the latest Sony and PlayStation games and electronics, and athlete autograph signings.

Tickets to the Dew Tour’s Skate Open, ISF Skateboarding World Championships are available through Ticketmaster, Ticketmaster.com, and select Ticketmaster retail outlets, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

For Saturday’s finals, Action Zone tickets cost $100 a day for adults and children and provide access to priority reserved seating for all finals contests on Saturday, in addition to official Dew Tour merchandise, a behind-the-scenes tour, athlete autograph session, merchandise discount coupon, Fast Pass access into all venues and interactive areas and cold Mountain Dew. Reserved seating tickets will be $35 for children and adults and guarantees seating for all finals competitions. Grounds Pass tickets cost $15 for adults and children.

Friday’s event tickets are on sale for $15 for all ages. The ticket will include admission to all preliminary round competitions held at TD Garden.

The complete 2010 Dew Tour schedule is as follows:
Event Date Location
Skate Open, June 25-26 Boston, Mass. – TD Garden
ISF Skateboarding World Championships
Nike 6.0 BMX Open July 23-24 Chicago, Ill. – Soldier Field South Festival Lot
Wendy’s Invitational Aug. 12-15 Portland, Ore. – Rose Quarter
Toyota Challenge Sept. 16-19 Salt Lake City, Utah – EnergySolutions Arena
Dew Tour Championships Oct. 14-17 Las Vegas, Nev. – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Entering its sixth year, the top athletes in the world will take part in the 2010 Dew Tour, all competing for the highly coveted Dew Cup that will be awarded at season’s end to champions in each of the five disciplines, culminating at the Dew Tour Championships at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The 2009 Dew Cup champions include Chris Cole (skateboard park), Bucky Lasek (skate vert), Garrett Reynolds (BMX park), Jamie Bestwick (BMX vert) and Ryan Nyquist (BMX dirt).

source:

Business Transworld

WHO’S DOWN 4 B.M.P???

I went down to Ryan Sheckler’s private Training Facility in San Clemente yesterday to take some pics and do a quick interview with the Teen Heart throb.He was shooting a commercial for Bill My Parents a super rad Bill payment/debit card system that allows kids to shop online and purchase products without having to have a Credit card. The heads over at B.M.P have put together a pretty ridiculous roster of Action Sports Superstar’s including Rob Dyrdek, Travis Pastrana and the wonder kid himself Mr. Sheckler. I could go into what the system is all about but you can go here BMP instead. Not only was Ryan part of the shoot but His longtime Friends Tony and Casey, aswell as his brother Shane were all in on the act. Ryan Is wise beyond his years and the Fact he see’s the potential in investing his name into a project like this speaks volumes to The Team over at B.M.P. Chris Zam of “STREET DREAMS” fame was hired on to do the direction of the commercial which was obviously set in the park. I spoke to Chris as well about Street Dreams 2 and working with Skateboarding Royalty.All and all i had a fun day hanging with old friends and trying to shmooze The B.M.P folks into getting me on board as well? Hopefully Im as good a pitch man as Ryan and the next B.M.P blog I do will be for my own Commercial? I’m Down 4 B.M.P!!!

source:
Rad Collector