etnies

More Leanne Coverage

Happy New Year!

Can ya believe it's 2008 already? Make it s a good one! Happy New Year from all of us at etnies!

Happy Birthday To Ryan Sheckler!

Today is the big day. A very happy birthday to you, Mr. Ryan Sheckler. Here at etnies, we all heart you!

Happy Birthday Leanne Pelosi!

With a December 29th birthday, sandwiched ever so neatly between Christmas and New Year's, this month's featured rider was practically born to party. Go ahead and wish Leanne, aka "Party Pelosi", a big fat happy birthday. AND THEN enter our Win Pelosi's Picks contest. AND THEN vote for Leanne in the Transworld Snow Readers' Poll. AND THEN... no and then.

Club Tattoo Interview Series, Part 2

SD: That was for the third.

RB: Oh, OK, cool. So, do you do tattooing?

SD: I do not…I do body piercing.

RB: Oh, OK…so, I guess…how long have you been doing that?

SD: 12 years.

RB: So do you actively do that? Or are you kind of…

SD: I only do it at conventions or to do like different photo shoots or poster shoots or stuff like that. I don’t really work at the shops anymore. I’ll do appointment basis if someone really wants me to do something special on ‘em. I’ll do that but I don’t pierce tongues and (unintelligible) and stuff anymore.

RB: Is it something you…I guess since you have been doing it 12 years that’s what you were doing back in the day…is it something you kind of miss at all?

SD: Yeah, I love it. To me, it totally grounded me to my client--not just my client, but Club Tattoo’s client.

TD: That’s how he ends up getting kicked out of the office ‘cause he’s not working shifts now. So he’s kind of still finding his way not actively piercing. It’s a passion just like tattooing or being a musician. Professional piercing is definitely technology, (unintelligible), math, a lot of math goes into doing some of those designs and year projects--things like that so it’s definitely not something people are great at right out the gates. It’s definitely a learned talent.

RB: Did you…let’s see…she cut you off here.

SD: No…

TD: Sorry, I always cut him off…

*Thora laughs

RB: So, I guess originally when things started…you said they took off unexpectedly…you were trying to find a…what do you attribute the success of Club Tattoo to?
SD: I think there’s a lot of facets to that. And to answer that, the first thing I would say would be the passion and motivation that myself and my team has. Were not a bunch of lazy people. I’ve never hired a bunch of lazy people so each individual that works here and has worked here, for the most part, has really contributed a lot to the whole ball rolling, so to speak. I wake up every day seven days a week and I work. I’m a workaholic. I always want to push this place to be better, cooler, innovative I always want to push the envelope whether it be piercing, tattooing, now clothing, shoes. I always want to make things better. I think drive would be…if I had to sew it up into one thing…it would be drive.

RB: So, nowadays with the increasing popularity of tattooing and piercing and the whole lifestyle and tv shows…I guess I’m sort of wondering in your eyes and this being a successful venture, what makes Club Tattoo different than, like, everything else out there?

SD: Well, we don’t take a traditional tattoo parlor approach; I think we take a very female-friendly art gallery approach to tattooing. So, we have more of the very upscale, hair salon/art gallery version of a tattoo studio. So right there we’re different. When you walk in the door, we’re different. We don’t have flash all over the walls. We don’t have dirty floors. We don’t have--everything is private. Everything is done to where you feel comfortable with the artist and it’s about your experience. You’re not put on display here when you come and get tattooed in front of fifty other people you don’t know and paying for the most part for your entire stay. We try to make it as comfortable as possible and I think that’s what’s defiantly different about us.

TD: The tattoo industry…we have pioneered a level of customer service, combined with professionalism, and a talent of the artist here that surpasses anybody in the industry and we have a team of people that do just the customer service; we have a team of people that do the tattooing and a team of people that do the piercing; and collectively they make the experience for the customer and the customer gets hand held from the moment they walk in, to the moment they leave. And we have a very loyal client base. And we’re good to them and they pay us respect and loyalty in return.

SD: That’s a good point too. The loyalty of our client base, I would have to say, is definitely different from what most tattoo studios would have.

TD: Most of our tattoo artists have been working here for many years; we do not really have a high turnover. People come here to build careers. That makes a very big difference to the clientele. Our artists are very serious about their work, they’re very serious about their positions at Club Tattoo and they are building their careers here as well. So that also helps build clientele trust and loyalty because they know that their artist is going to be there maybe in six months or a year when they want to bring a friend back or come back and get some more work, we’re here for them. Reliability is a big one in this business. To have reliability makes you stand apart.

RB: One thing you just touched on earlier is you said that this shop has sort of a more feminine…

*Thora laughs

SD: female friendly!
TD: female friendly!

RB: But, I was kind of walking around and I was going to ask you earlier before we were rolling but I wanted to say that like it seems almost like it’s, I thought it might have almost been sort of designed and laid out by a woman…I don’t know if that’s...

*Thora laughs over talking

SD: NO, not at all!

RB: But it has a touch to it that’s sort of soft.

SD: We’ll she’s defiantly helped in the design of the whole atmosphere, without a doubt.

TD: You know, as far as being a woman in this business…it is a predominately male environment, however the predominate percentage of client is female. So if the women are happy, the men are happy. If the women come, the men will come. Women generally spend their own money and they spend their man’s money so just the shop-ability, where you place garments things like that--and that’s another thing that set us apart from most of the tattoo industry. We offer full body connection. You can do tattooing, piercing, you can come and pick up some great accessories, clothing. That brings a twist to the tattoo business that really isn’t out there, so…

RB: I could just tell right away when I walked in, I could just…it had a sort of female touch that’s not overdone…sort of nurturing or something.

SD: Homey…

TD: Well, thank you.

RB: Yeah

SD: It makes you feel comfortable.

RB: So, back to something else…you were talking about the loyalty of your customers…I just wanted to ask about…like, so…how much does sort of Chester’s affiliation with Linkin Park, and all that, come into play as far as the success of the shop?

SD: Not much.

*Thora laughs

RB: It seems like it’s not that big of an issue…

SD: It’s not, we don’t play into it a whole lot, to be honest. Chester got involved because we’re close friends. As soon as Chester got involved, we didn’t put a big sign out front that says Club Tattoo owned by Chester Bennignton of Linkin Park.

TD: Owned by a rock star (said over Sean)…yeah

SD: We don’t use that because we don’t have to use that…

RB: Yeah

SD: …and I think what’s funny now…

TD: (speaks over Sean-unintelligible)

SD:…Chester is like, “Hey, we can do this,” and I’m like, “No we don’t need to do that.” You know when we’re promoting an event or a concert or something like that, then we’ll pull that tie in. Ya know? When we really need to tap into people outside of our immediate area, I guess…for people, like in California or Utah, then Chester comes in very handy because of his media savvy…his media plug-ins. But as far as everyday business, we don’t use that a lot.

RB: Well that’s what it seems like and I think probably people, as you guys grow, might…people who aren’t around here, or whatever, don’t know the whole story might get the wrong impression…

SD: Oh, we get that all the time

TD: And that’s OK…and that’s OK (A second time…over Sean)

SD: They think it’s a success because of that, but at the end of the day as long as the business is successful, who cares the reason why? So if that’s what somebody thinks, then so be it.

RB: Well, once people learn about the business, at some point they’re going to learn that that’s not the case anyway, like with this interview, for example.

TD: Right

SD: Like I said, either way, it don’t matter to us. As long as people see it as a success and see what we’re actually offering, what we’re bringing to the industry, that’s what’s important. It’s not about me getting credit for anything, or me getting patted on the back--oh, he didn’t do this or she didn’t do this--it’s about, well, we all did this collectively. So, you know, cool. As long as you think it’s cool, as long as you get what we are doing, then awesome. Then I don’t care who you think is responsible.

Stay tuned for Part 3!

Club Tattoo Giveaway
Club Tattoo Interview Series, Part 1

etnies & The Shins Giveaway

Have you entered to win yet? This weekend's your last chance before the contest ends... so get to it already.

Sally Fitz on Surfline.com

etnies Australia rider Sally Fitzgibbons spent some time on Oahu with fellow surfer Lee-Ann Curren. Click here to check out the photos and audio on Surfline.com.

Happy Birthday Lauren Perkins!

It's Little Miss Lauren's birthday! We're wishing her a happy one and you should too. Happy birthday Lauren... hope you get lots of good stuff!

Elissa in Hawaii!

So etnies was in Hawaii last week shooting some surf catalogs, when all of a sudden Elissa Steamer and her friend Lyndsey (formerly of Thrasher magazine) randomly show up at the resort. turns out Elissa still had a free trip to anywhere in the world waiting to be used from a Vans contest she won back in 2003. Must be nice, right?

So whatevs... we all chilled. Dinner and dessert followed by a few mellow hours in the hotel lounge. Only a few moments in, a surfer bro known as "Dozer" started makin' some moves on the ladies. Perhaps his game wasn't on point, perhaps he'd had one too many, perhaps this is some new technique I've yet to learn, but it wasn't long before his ass was all up in Elissa's face and stuff got weird. Needless to say, honestly, mooning is never not funny.

Very Happy Holidays From etnies!

Happy Holidays to you, your friends and family from etnies! Thanks for all your support!

Hurtin' for last minute gifts?

Holiday Greetings From Casey O'Connell

Up and coming artist and etnies pal Casey O'Connell sends her love... and we happily echo the sentiment. Happy Holidays!

Club Tattoo Interview Series, Part 1

Interview with Sean and Thora Dowdell by Robert Brink

RB: How do you feel about interviews?

SD: Love ‘em.

RB: Really?

SD: Yeah.

RB: That’s cool. Some people hate ‘em.

SD: I only hate ‘em when I gotta do 30 of them in a day. Other than that –

TD: Or when they’re asking really foolish questions.

SD: Yeah, when you have to answer really stupid questions, you know, like. . .

RB: What’s an example of a stupid question?

SD: Oh we had an interview in NY and this guy's was

TD: “If you could resurrect anybody from the dead and punch him in the eye, who would it be?”

RB: Let me cross that off my list.

TD: Yeah

RB: That’s a weird one, why would you want to punch somebody in the eye?

SD: Yeah, that was a really retarded question.

RB: Yeah, I mean, what are you supposed to say, like Hitler? You know what I mean?

SD: Okay, who’s gonna read this and give a shit what the answer is, you know? Soon as they read the question, they’re gonna throw the magazine in the trash!

RB: So, Club Tattoo started 12 years ago, correct?

SD: Yeah

RB: Okay, what was the–when you dreamt it up, where did the idea come from, and what were your initial plans for Club Tattoo?

SD: It came from being a broke musician. Jess and I were playing in a band and doing a lot of touring at the time and we kind of needed, we kind of came up with the idea to open up a business at the time to help supplement our income when we were on the road and that’s really what stems--that’s how the whole--that’s what it stems from and then we realized it was a whole lot of work once it actually started-the whole company and once, you know, once the band had helped really culminate the tattoo shop in the early years, the first 5 years--the band pushed it, marketed it more than I think tattoo studios had ever done in the past because we had that whole music machine plugging in and that’s what brought it to the top of the game fairly quickly and that was really the premise, was to supplement our income but, you know, it kind of exploded beyond that.

RB: So, how did you and Chester meet originally?

SD: He was singing in his friend’s garage and I was in a project looking for a singer
and a kid named Chris, who was playing in my band at the time, told me about Chester. And we went and jammed a little bit and pretty much haven’t been separated since that point and have been in the music business. We stuck together for about 8 years after that.

RB: Right on, so when you first were like, “OK, we’re going to do this Club Tattoo thing,” did you think it was going to get successful? You said it was to supplement your income…

SD: No…

RB: Was your goal…to do the band and…

SD: I thought I was going be a rock star that happened to own a tattoo shop…

TD: (laughing in the background) Cool factor.

SD: Completely…well, you know at the time, my band was a lot cooler than a tattoo shop so that didn’t gain me a lot of points in the social world. Now the tattooing has really become forefront of fashion, forefront of cool in the social scene and that people—“Oh wow, you own a tattoo shop now?” Of course that would be a lot different but in my early 20’s I was playing in a band in front of thousands of people. That was really what was cool and what was happening at the time not the tattoo shop. So no, it’s completely reversed roles.

RB: Right on, so how long did you have one store before it became successful and you opened a second?

SD: Seven years…

RB: Seven years…

SD: …and that’s when Thora joined up with me. And really, together we kind of exploded at that point--with her help and vision and direction and organization really. I’m really the creative mind behind a lot of things but then she’ll actually take my idea and chip all the fat off of it and help me organize it.

TD: (unintelligible words)

SD: She’ll help me organize it into something that makes sense and is actually attainable.

RB: That’s what I was going to ask, I was kind of going to ask the dynamic between your role versus her role, and…
SD: You ever seen ‘Dog The Bounty Hunter’ ?

TD: Laughing

SD: Kind of like that…we butt heads a lot but it’s all for the same…it’s weird….like, her and I will argue and butt heads, but it’s to make sure we’re still going in the same direction to meet that end goal that we both have. We both have the same vision; we just want to take different roads all the time to get there so we butt heads a lot along the way.

TD: We would be great for a reality show because to watch us on a day to day basis is very…just like what you see with ‘Dog The Bounty Hunter’ with his wife tellin’ him…

SD & TD: Laughing

TD: When we first started watching that show I was like, “Wow, that looks familiar.”

RB: So how ‘bout the dynamic of being married and running this operation together? I mean does it add a new dynamic? Does it make things easier or more complicated at times?

SD: It makes it more complicated because your roles get completely confused. Sometimes you need to be husband and sometimes you need to be…

TD: A partner…

SD: Yeah, a partner, business partner, business relationship, whatever you want to say and it’s very easy…especially the first couple of years…we didn’t understand each others role in the business and in the marriage, we didn’t know when one started and one stopped. Now I think it’s a lot more defined.

RB: Is there anybody…marriage vs. Club Tattoo….is there anybody that’s more sort of behind the wheel, wearing the pants in either situation or are you guys sort of fifty/fifty as far as Club Tattoo is concerned?

TD: We’re fifty/fifty but if somebody had to go, it would be me.

SD: I would say fifty point one and forty-nine point nine…

TD: Laughing…

SD: And it’s definitely my brainchild, so...

SD: Well, she does more than that, but, it’s definitely my brainchild but at the same time it wouldn’t have gotten where it’s at without Thora’s help so it’s a fifty/fifty venture and, ya know and Chester’s influence is into that too because he helped do a lot of things--not day to day operation things, but creativity and expansion ideas--stuff like that. I would say in the marriage, she probably holds more weight than I do. At home, she kind of runs the situation.

RB: Cool.

TD: That’s why I (unintelligible) here…we kick him out of the office

SD: I’m starting not to even have a job here anymore

RB: You just kind of brought up something that I was going to get into…so, you were doing the band for a while and then Club Tattoo took off and then…I’m just sort of time lining it…Chester gets involved with Linkin Park and then Linkin Park takes off?

SD: Actually we had a couple of record deals with the band we were in…it was called Gray Daze, previous to Linkin Park. We were playing in front of thousands of people, touring, the whole thing…had a few songs on the radio. We had a falling out with the band. We decided to break up and then, Chester--we all had the same attorney that was working for Gray Daze and he plugged Chester out in this other situation out in LA and just took all of the momentum, everything that was going for the music scene at that time and just plugged him in and then they worked for about a year, got a deal and exploded right then.

RB: And so how did that effect his involvement with Club Tattoo?

SD: At the time, well he didn’t own the business I started. He helped me lay the floor and do all of that stuff as my friend. You know, there wasn’t really much to own back then and then after Linkin Park had blown up and Chester and I reconciled and started talking again and hanging out, he asked me, “Hey, how could I get involved?” ‘cause he saw what was going on and he liked it. I said, “well, we’re going to open up another store. Why don’t you get involved?” And he did.

Tune in next week for Part 2...

Club Tattoo Giveaway

etnies & The Shins Giveaway

Making Moto History - Tarah Gieger in the MXoN

In the summer of 2007, Tarah Gieger secured her place in MX history as the very first female ever to race the Motocross of Nations. Though the honor was hers as part of the Puerto Rico team racing for the US, she knew quite well that she was representing all female riders, in every male-dominated sport. You'll find Tarah's story, in her own words, in the January '08 issue of Transworld Motocross. Until then, enjoy the photo gallery here.

New Pelosi Interview

So far you've entered our Win Pelosi's Picks contest, voted for Leanne in the Transworld Readers' Poll (it's a good year for a three-peat!), read all about her Top Ten Exposure-O-Meter ranking and saw her tearin' it up and breakin' it down for Transworld Snow... and that was all just this month! Well we're keeping the Party Pelosi train going with more good stuff. etnies teammate and moto mama Sarah Whitmore sat down with Leanne to help better acquaint you with December's featured rider. It's short 'n' sweet, and all right here:

Full name: Jenna Leanne Pelosi
Nickname: LP, PLO, Party Pelosi, POPO
Birthday w/ year: December 29th, 1979
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Current residence: Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Parents names: Lynda and Roger Pelosi
Siblings: Dominic
High school: Dr. EP Scarlett
College: University of Calgary
Degree: BSC in Biomechanics

Sponsors: K2, Bonfire, ThirtyTwo, etnies, Dragon, Monster, Vestal, Dakine, Whistler/Blackcomb, www.runwayfilms.com

Years snowboarding: 12

Other action sports that you participate in:
Surfing

How did you start snowboarding?
My brother and I would go behind our school and sneak onto golf courses and build jumps with plastic snowboards

What is your proudest moment in snowboarding?
Winning Transword Snowboarding “Reader’s Choice” Award in 2006 and “Rider of the Year” in 2005

Who do you look up to? Inspiration?
Brad Steward at Bonfire and Victoria Jealouse because she is gnarly in the backcountry

Worst injury:
Shattered humerous, blown ACL, concussions

Close call:
Almost fell into a crevasse

Favorite spot to ride:
Whistler

Dream trip:
Go to Alaska with Victoria Jelouse

What would you tell girls who are curious about learning to snowboard?
Invest in butt pads

ThirtyTwo Boot: Focus Boa or Vela

etnies Shoe (chillin’): Fakie or etnies Plus

Other etnies riders you keep in touch with:
TM Laura Lynn Murphey, Lauren Perkins, and Marie-France Roy

What other etnies rider that is not a pro snowboarder would do best at trying snowboarding?
Mary Osborne because she surfs

What other etnies rider would be the worst at trying snowboarding?
Tarah Gieger because she would fly past the landing

Favorites
Color: Blue
Food: Indian
Smell: Clothes right out of the laundry or my boyfriends pillow
Place: Thailand
Animal: Dogs
Love: Boyfriend and family
Hate: Smokers
Need: Cell phone
Want: Shoes
Bands:

1. Ladytron
2. Madonna
3. Feist
4. Tupac

The most recent band you saw live:
Interpol

If you could have any song for a video part, what would it be?
“Your Love” by The Outfield

Biggest fear:
Crazy car accident

Most embarrassing moment:
Talking about how amazing Jamie Lynn was and not realizing that he was standing right behind me

Happiest moment: When I learned to walk and chew gum at the same time

5 Things you want to do before death:

1. Go on an African safari
2. Get lost in pyramid
3. Save the Polar Bears
4. Finish a marathon
5. Raise kids

If you could only have one wish come true tomorrow what would it be? Wishing for more wishes doesn’t count.
To have bionic knees to jump off anything

Have you ever volunteered for or supported a charity or a noble cause?
Boarding for Breast Cancer

If you could dedicate your entire life to supporting a charitable cause, what would it be?
World Wildlife Foundation

Do you do anything in your daily life that is considered GREEN?
Recycle and carpool

QUESTION FROM SARAH #1 – If you lost both of your arms and legs what would you do with your life?
Be a professional eater

QUESTION FROM SARAH #2 – What is your most annoying habit?
Too many! Procrastinating and being a pack-rat!

QUESTION FROM SARAH #3 – If you could marry any celebrity who would it be?
Johnny Depp

FREE 2-3 Day Shipping Limited Time Offer!

FREE 2-3 day shipping on any purchase amount! Our new apparel's in stock now so hurry up and order by the 19th... yeah, that's tomorrow so get on it already!

West Coast Wave Riders Movin' On Up

NSSA EXPLORE GIRLS 2007/2008 RATING
Melina Smith 3193
Harley Taich 3170
Anise Guzman 3050 WCWR
Emmy Merrill 2358
Charlotte Shanahan 2356
Kirra Kehoe 2336 WCWR
Shelby Detmers 2138 WCWR
Torey Tschudin 2098 WCWR
Paige Ortiz 2048 WCWR
Madi Swayne 1938
Kali Krebs 1670
Taylor Blake 1363

NSSA EXPLORE WOMENS 2007/2008 RATING
Alexa Frantz 3450
Taylor Pitz 3033
Chelsea Byland 2328
Erika Cook 2236 WCWR
Cassidy Wehsener 2190
Chandler Parr 2173
Hayley Conant 2066
Marissa Shaw 1950 WCWR
Lauren Nutter 1938
Heather Jordan 1923
Charlotte Dellea 1903
Tara Franz 1883
Tess Lustbaum 1868 WCWR
Jenna Balester 1840
Winnie Riley 1783
Anissa Galindo 1685 WCWR
Kelsey Harris 1675
Taylor Garrett 1648
Ashley Woody 1643 WCWR
Lisa Tuttle 1615
Emily Wratschko 1586
Caity Griffin 1550

NSSA JUNIOR GIRLS 2007/2008 RATING
Danae Rodriquez 3000
Kelsey Daurm 2580
Paige Ortiz 2015 WCWR
Torrey Miethke 1950 WCWR
Danielle Wyman 1895 WCWR
Courtney Fischer 1693
Emilie Fisher 1670

WESTERN SURFING ASSOCIATION GIRLS 13-15 RATING
Chelsea Byland 5385
Shelby Detmers 4305 WCWR
Torey Tschudin 3498 WCWR
Madi Swayne 3463
Alexa Frantz 2790
Taylor Garrett 2670
Kirra Kehoe 2250 WCWR
Carly Martin 1928
Kyla Peterson 1290
Emmy Merrill 1095

WESTERN SURFING ASSOCIATION GIRLS 12 & UNDER RATING
Lauren Heinmeyer 4095
Ashley Beeson 3623
Allyson Heinmeyer 2790
Anna Gillis 1290 WCWR
Malia Ward 1005
Rachael Tilly 915
Avalon Johnson 875

Transworld Snow Readers' Poll

So... as you know, Transworld Snow's 9th Annual Riders Poll Awards are coming up. etnies and ThirtyTwo rider MFR is nominated for Rider of the Year and Video Part of the Year, and etnies Canada rider Spencer O'Brien earned her nomination for Rookie of the Year. What you may not know, however, is that voting for Readers' Poll is still going on as we speak. That's right; YOU can still vote for your favorite rider! Will it be Spencer the rookie? Perhaps seasoned pro MFR? Maybe the lovely Leanne Pelosi is your favorite! It'd be her third year in a row to win Readers' Poll. Make it happen! Vote online now at Transworld Snow!

So Cal Special Event Photo Gallery!

If you made it out to our So Cal Special Event on Saturday, then you know what a good time we all had. However, if you couldn't get to the Tilly's in The District at Tustin Legacy, check out our photo gallery to see what you missed!

Our ever popular Photo Booth printed both black & white and color photos with a lovely "Happy Holidays from etnies" message. Just about everyone took a spin at the Prize Wheel and several girls entered our Get Discovered Polaroid contest. And for those who took advantage of the etnies gift with purchase, an on-site artist was there to help customize the handy shoulder bags.

Thanks for joining in the fun!

New Club Tattoo Shoes & Contest!

The masterminds behind the tat-inspired Bernie and Fakie are at it again. New, for Spring '08, etnies and Club Tattoo have four all new designs to feed your need for wearable art. Available in January to the rest of the world, the new Fleet, Fader, Chambosa and Lo-Pro-Baller are just waiting to be won now! Check out the details and enter to win here.

Stay tuned for exclusive interviews with Sean, Thora and Chester.

Doin' It For The Kids

For four merry hours yesterday, busloads of kids descended upon the etnies Skatepark for our 4th Annual etnies Holiday Festival. This year's guests were welcomed by etnies and Sole Technology founder/CEO Pierre André Senizergues and Santa Claus, both of whom took to their skateboards and showed the young'uns that they've still got it.

Thanks for making it out, everyone! For more on the festivities... check out our photo gallery!

Thanks, also, to the good people at our participating charities:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County
Human Options
Girls & Boys Town of Southern California
Orangewood Children's Foundation
Boys & Girls Club - Garden Grove
Boys & Girls Club - Westminster
Boys & Girls Club - Santa Ana
Stop Child Abuse Prevention Center
OC Rescue Mission - House of Hope
Bona Vita Center for Children
Healthy Tomorrows

TWS Nominates MFR

Pelosi Lands in Top Ten For Overall Exposure

etnies and ThirtyTwo rider Leanne Pelosi has slopeside skills, trend-worthy style and loads of personality; it's no wonder she gets so much attention. Between interviews, photographs and headlines, Leanne constantly graces our favorite glossy pages. Well-known trade mag Transworld Business crunched some numbers and figured out that when it comes to exposure, Leanne ranks 6th among snowboarders over all and stands out as the lone female in the top 10. Way to work it, Leanne!

AND she just so happens to be our December Featured Rider. Check out her recent etnies.com coverage and enter our Pelosi's Picks contest:
Tearing It Up and Breaking It Down
Win Pelosi's Picks!
Snowboard Canada

So Cal Special Event This Saturday, Dec 15th

As seen in Seventeen Magazine

Leanne Pelosi in Transworld Snow

etnies Online Gift Cards Available Now!

Win Pelosi's Picks!

Tarah Gieger's Best Moves Yet

The Right Soleprint

Lake Forest, Calif. – Driven by his vision and spirit for a company successful on the balance sheet, the streets, the slopes, the ocean and ultimately on our amazing planet, Pierre Andre Senizergues embodies the genuine qualities as a true leader by revolutionizing the future of action sports and the way Sole Technology does business. For his environmental endeavors, Senizergues was honored on June 9 at the 11th Annual Global Green USA and Green Cross International Millennium Awards as this year’s recipient of the Corporate Environmental Leadership Award. As CEO and founder of Sole Technology, parent company to top action sports brands etnies, éS, Emerica, Altamont and ThirtyTwo, Senizergues has set a positive example for his peers in business and media by greening his company, speaking out about the need to take action to protect the environment and by leaving the right footprint, or in Pierre’s case, soleprint.

In 2002, under the leadership of Senizergues, Sole Technology began making changes to protect the environment in their business practices. Recently, Sole Technology added to its list the conversion to waterless urinals at its headquarters to promote water conservation. Saving up to 250,000 gallons of water each year, that’s equivalent to approximately an Olympic size swimming pool, three million cups of coffee, and what matters most to the action sports industry, two and a half million bottles of beer.

In addition to Senizergues’ vision and full commitment to corporate responsibility other initiatives include the installation of 616 solar panels, the conversion to water-based cement manufacturing, company-wide recycling efforts, the addition of the first-ever environmental affairs manager and the launch of a sustainable footwear and apparel collection, the etnies SEED Project. Senizergues also recently teamed up with Leonardo Dicaprio and Tree Media as executive producer for the highly-anticipated documentary, THE 11th HOUR, which opened in theaters in fall 2007. Senizergues supports the film in hopes to create awareness and discussion around the issues we are facing and the environmental movement to motivate people to reduce the size of the footprint they leave behind on our planet and for future generations.

Global Green USA was founded by former president Mikhail Gorbachev and serves as a national environmental organization addressing and creating a new approach to solving the world's most pressing environmental challenges by reconnecting humanity to the environment. Senizergues’ name is added to a prestigious list of past Millennium Award recipients like Leonardo DiCaprio, Ted Turner, Joan Bavaria, Paul Hawken, Gary Hirshberg, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Suzuki, Winona LaDuke, Ray Anderson, and many more outstanding leaders.

“I’m honored personally and professionally to recognize a leader like Pierre that understands the important connection between humankind and the environment,” says Matt Peterson, CEO of Global Green. “Global Green recognizes those unique leaders who embody our mission and are an inspiration to others.”

Known for pioneering technological advances in skateboard footwear, Pierre Andre Senizergues and Sole Technology have stayed true to its skateboarding roots while pushing the envelope as a corporate leader of sustainability in the industry and will continue their efforts in doing the right thing. Check out Pierre’s award presentation.

We're Famous!

Did you catch etnies on MTV's scripted series Kaya?

If you missed it, you can still watch our breakthrough performance here. We won't let it go to our heads, but we wouldn't be surprised if etnies landed a recurring role!

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December's Girl of the Month: Lauren

December's Girl of the Month is a competitive surfer, Marketing & Fashion Merchandising major and a "down-to-earth girl who just loves life." Read on to find out why Lauren Ngan is our kind of gal.

etnies: Tell us about yourself...
Lauren: Hi! I am Lauren Ngan. I am currently nineteen years old and live in Dana Point, California. I am a freshman at Cal State Long Beach majoring in Marketing and Fashion Merchandising.

e: What are your interests?
L: Surfing, friends, photography, scrabble, sushi and Golden Spoon

e: Any talents you'd like to share?
L: I’d say I’m pretty creative and athletic.

e: How'd you get into surfing?
L: My mom was a huge influence. My mom was all into surfing before I even pursued it. She was the one who took me out on a board at Doheny and made me surf. When I first started surfing, I hated it. But she kept pushing me to surf and now it has become my life. I love her. Without her, I wouldn’t have this blessing in my life.

e: Tell us about your competitions.
L: I started competing about 3 years ago. When I was a junior in high school, I started out doing high school contests for the Dana Hills High School Surf Team and local events at San O’ and Doheny. By my senior year in high school, I was doing the WSA season all over the coast of California as well as coalition events for the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association. I was doing every contest that I was given the opportunity to do. The summer I graduated, I decided to pursue my first pro contest, which turned out to be a success. Since then, I have just been doing coalition events, local events and some pro/am events.

e: What's your favorite thing about competing?
L: I like competing because it gives me a challenge. It gives me motivation to do well and improve my surfing.

e: And what do you like about etnies ?
L: I love a company that promotes all girls sports. Girls can do just as much as any guy. Girls just have to give it a try.

e: Why are you an etnies girl?
L: I am who I am. I am probably the happiest girl you will ever meet. I’m an outgoing, down-to-earth girl who just loves life.

e: What do you do for fun?
L: I surf all the time. It’s probably my favorite pastime. I love just hanging out with my friends watching a movie and going to golden spoon.

e: What inspires you?
L: I find inspiration in people who are totally amped on surfing. You can just see it on their face how happy they are. I find it inspiring.

e: What's your biggest accomplishment so far?
L: Placing in my first pro event last summer.

e: Why do you love surfing so much?
L: Surfing is a passion to me that words cannot express. I love being able to do something independent and excel in it.

e: What’s really important to you ?
L: My family and friends are really important to me. They support me 100% in whatever I do. They are always there through the good and the bad. I love them and I am so blessed to have them in my life.

e: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
L: I’ve got big dreams and my goal in life is to make them happen.

Lauren's Favorite Things

Place: Hawaii
Animal: star fish, they don’t bite.
Color: yellow
Hangout: San O’ and Doheny
City: Dana Point
Song: American Girl by Tom Petty
Band: Tom Petty, The Weepies, The Shins, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Joshua Radin
Book: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Movie: Hook
TV show: Ugly Betty
Sport: Surfing
Game: Scrabble
Food: Sushi
Candy: gummy bears
Holiday: 4th of July
Smell: my grandma’s cooking
Hobby: dancing
Guilty pleasure: I go to Golden Spoon everyday. It’s probably bad for me but it’s just so good!
Athlete: Kassia Meador
Hero: My mom
etnies shoe: Toddsy Sandal

The 11th Hour

As one of the most celebrated names in the action sports industry and founder and CEO of Sole Technology, parent company of etnies, eS, Emerica, Altamont and ThirtyTwo, Pierre Andre Senizergues’ remains true to his roots with passion for the environment that shows in the company’s success.

Teaming up with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tree Media as Executive Producer for The 11th HOUR, Senizergues hopes to create awareness around the environmental issues we are currently facing. Released in theaters this past August and coming to DVD in April, The 11th HOUR describes the last moment when change is possible. The film explores how humanity has arrived at this moment – how we live, how we impact the Earth’s ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course. The film features dialogues with experts from all over the world, in addition to over 50 leading scientists, thinkers and leaders who present the facts and discuss the most important issues that face our planet.

The 11th HOUR is produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Leila Conners Peterson and Nadia Conners.

Kristen Bell Wears The etnies Psycho Hoodie!

We've been all over the place lately! Hanging out with Avril, Suri, Heidi... you know, just the regular everyday crowd when you're us. Check out the As Seen In page in our Extra section to find out who else shares your etnies affinity.

New Sheckler Phone Update...

Yes, of course Ryan's tired from running through your mind all night, but check out the official Ryan Sheckler Phone Update, numero dos, to see what he's really been up to.

So Cal Special Event Saturday, Dec 15th

As seen in Seventeen Magazine

etnies Goes Dutch With Racoon!

Vote For etnies!

We've been nominated! etnies is a contender for Footwear Plus Magazine's 2007 Plus Award for Design Excellence in the Action Sport/Lifestyle category. Voting is super easy with the Footwear Plus online ballot so hurry up and cast your vote for etnies.

Happy Birthday Mary Osborne!