Quiksilver

There's nothing like a good, old-fashioned dog fight, even in the world of professional surfing — and that is exactly what this year's world title race is beginning to look like. I'm just not sure that it includes Jordy Smith anymore. A semifinal clash of the titans between defending event champion and defending world champion Mick Fanning against surfing celebrity Kelly Slater saw a visibly upset Fanning question Slater's tactics and gamesmanship shortly after his defeat.

Huntington Beach's second-biggest employer, Quiksilver Inc., reported a 94% jump in its net income and a 22% increase in sales for the quarter ended Oct. 28. The sports apparel and gear maker said its net income in the fourth quarter increased from $33.6 million to $65.3 million, thanks to the turnaround of French ski maker Skis Rossignol, which Quiksilver bought in 2005. Quiksilver's gross sales rose 22%, to $778.4 million, exceeding analysts' expectations of $747.5 million as well as beating the company's forecast of $745 million to $750 million.

Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc.'s third-quarter net income dropped by 78%, from $24.3 million the previous fiscal year to $5.3 million. The steep drop-off was blamed on its recent acquisition of Rossignol's seasonal business cycle. Quiksilver's share price was down 7.6% in after-hours trading. French ski maker Rossignol, acquired by Quiksilver in 2005, has a positive effect on the company's first and fourth quarters in terms of profits but has a negative effect in the second and third quarters, according to the company.

Thursday night promises to be an epic one at Huntington Beach High School. School's out for the summer but students and fans of surfing, along with boosters of the campus's surfing team, will catch a wave into the HBHS auditorium for a star-studded fundraiser to help the team defray costs of an upcoming trip to Australia. Quiksilver, the Surf City-based apparel company and one of the event's sponsors, will bring in three of its athletes - surfers Dane Reynolds, Balaram Stack and Reef McIntosh - for a Q&A session with TransWorld SURF's Chris Cote, followed by the screening of "No Agenda," a new 35-minute surfing action film, organizers said.

In an attempt to reconnect with its audience, the Balboa Performing Arts Theater is teaming with Huntington Beach-based surf and apparel company Quiksilver to present a free movie event tonight."

Dave Brooks One of Huntington Beach's largest companies could soon become one of the world's biggest sports retailers. Officials with Surf City-based Quiksilver Inc. have confirmed rumors that the company is in talks with French ski manufacturer Skis Rossignol over a potential merger or acquisition, one of the largest of its kind in the outdoor sports industry. If the deal goes through, it would mean the combination of one of the largest surf and skateboard companies with one of the world's best known ski manufacturers.

Huntington Beach will lose about 40% of its workforce with the impending retirement of baby-boomer city workers in the next five to 10 years, City Administrator Penny Culbreth-Graft said at a recent economic conference in the city. City officials expect to lose the employees in five out of eight categories, with the public sector in general losing 40% to 50% of its workers in the next five years, according to figures released by Culbreth-Graft. City officials are also worried that lack of affordable housing, long commute times and a high cost of living are making it harder for the city to attract experienced workers from out of state.

On the Quiksilver website recently, there was a moving entry. It read in part: ?Recently all of us at Quiksilver and Roxy had a very inspirational guest come and visit us: Natalie Sanchez! Natalie, who lives in Huntington Beach not far from Quiksilver headquarters, has Ewing?s sarcoma, a type of cancer usually found in children and young adults. Natalie has been going through chemo and radiation at CHOC since last fall. In April, part of her pelvic bone and some surrounding bones were removed.

Vikings baseball holding tryouts The H.B. Vikings Baseball Club is currently evaluating new players on an individual basis for the upcoming fall and spring seasons. As of Sept. 1, the club team, which is entering its third year, will compete in the 12-year-old division. The team is open to any player who has turned 12 after May 1, 2006 or will be 12 by April 30, 2007. Interested players who would like to arrange a tryout or need more information about the club team, contact Manager David D'Alessandro at barbizonla.