Jake Burton, Burton Snowboards Founder and CEO, announced that Burton will be eliminating and/or shrinking some of its brands on their website. He stated that "... senior management team elected to alter the structure of Burton owned brands to better position the company, its retail partners and stakeholders for the future." Translation; a slow 2011 ski/snowboard season and faltering economy are hurting the company and cost cutting is necessary to stay in business. The biggest news is Foursquare, Forum, and Special Blend will be shut down or sold. Here is the summary;
Burton Snowboards: Unaffected
Channel Islands Surf: Unaffected
Analog: Ending surf gear, will become a winter gear only
Gravis: Moving HQ to Tokyo, will only be available in Asia
Anon: Helmets and goggles only
RED: Limited availability helmets and protection gear
Foursquare: Transitioning out of the business
Forum: Transitioning out of the business
Special Blend: Transitioning out of the business
Burton Snowboards: Unaffected
Channel Islands Surf: Unaffected
Analog: Ending surf gear, will become a winter gear only
Gravis: Moving HQ to Tokyo, will only be available in Asia
Anon: Helmets and goggles only
RED: Limited availability helmets and protection gear
Foursquare: Transitioning out of the business
Forum: Transitioning out of the business
Special Blend: Transitioning out of the business