Update: As of March 7, Transworld Snowboarding is done. Finished. Kaput.

Effective immediately, Snowboarder will be the sole snowboarding brand of the new Adventure Sports Network Group, part of American Media’s Active Lifestyle Group. This is a truly an exciting time for Snowboarder as it heads into its thirty-second year with the most diversified, and exciting, content offering in its history.”

And subscribers of Transworld Skateboarding were also informed that it will no longer be published (quotes via boardsportsource).

Effective on February 1, 2019, Transworld Skateboarding will no longer be published. The last issue you will receive is the March/April 2019 issue

TW Skate subscribers are also being converted to Men’s Journal subscriptions, a move that seems ridiculous as well as tone-deaf and alienating to any female subscribers. Some commenters have tried to seek a refund through Transworld, only to be told that their subscriptions have already been transferred to MJ. When reaching out to Men’s Journal, they’ve been told to call back in 4-6 weeks while they get everything sorted out. Seems pretty crappy, all around.

Update:As of March 4, Transworld Snowboarding magazine subscribers have reported receiving the following cancellation notice regarding their subscription. This notice is dated contemporaneously with AMI’s press release announcing the acquisition of TEN Publishing’s Adventure Sports Network.

Below, the original article (February 4, 2019) speculating on a massive round of layoffs reported to have hit TWS during the SIA + Outdoor Retailer Snow Show.

Last week was a bloody one for media in North America, and early reports indicate that snowboarding media may also be a victim of mass layoffs as publishing giant American Media (AMI) announced the acquisition of 14 adventure and sports brands, including TransWorld SNOWboarding and Snowboarder magazine.

TransWorld SNOWboarding and Snowboarder Under New Management

In the February 1, 2019 press release, the publisher best known for Us Weekly, Star, Men’s Journal, Muscle & Fitness, National Enquirer and other celebrity and teen titles reported the purchase of TEN: Publishing’s Adventure Sports Network. The AMI Active Lifestyle Group will now include 14 adventure and sports brands including: Bike, Powder, Surfer, Canoe & Kayak, Newschoolers, SUP, Snowboarder, and the TransWorld titles. The acquisition also includes management of the Dew Tour and other sports events previously managed by Adventure Sports Network.

The press release from American Media did not mention layoffs. However, there are reports that AMI let editorial staff from multiple titles go. Early indicators show that lay offs may include staff from TransWorld SNOWboarding and Snowboarder magazine. In addition to layoffs, some titles may be in jeapardy. For example, a post from the editor of Transworld Motocross stated that the the magazine, web site, and race series are all on hold.

Today, we were notified that, pending a potential sale of our business, our magazine, web site, and race series are on hold. I say hold, because the same group of dedicated editors and salesmen who have built this brand alongside me are still committed to creating the same great content. We are actively working on a plan to resume business as usual. So, as cliché as it sounds, this is not a goodbye…it’s a see ya’ soon! –Donn Maeda, Editor TransWorld Motorcross

The Ax Falls at TEN:Publishing

Furthering speculation on the impact to snowboard publications, media members from the TEN:Publishing group (Powder, the TransWorld titles and Snowboarder) abruptly left last week’s Outdoor Retailer Snow Show prior to Friday’s press release announcing the acquisition.

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The extent of the layoffs at TransWorld SNOWboarding and Snowboarding magazine is currently unknown. New information indicates that the cutbacks may be substantial. According to Stab, a surfing publication, employees from all of TEN’s publications met on Jan. 31st to learn their fate. Told to arrive at one of two times during the day, the time provided determined whether they kept or lost their job. According to anonymous sources, no one knew which time slot ended up with a pink slip.

It was like you were either being sent to the gas chambers, or you’d get to live another day. -TEN:Publishing employee

Sources say that half of TEN:Publishing’s employees received termination notices. Known casualties include Brian Blakely, TransWorld Skate‘s Managing Editor, and Marketing Director Paul Kobriger. The layoffs come on the heels of contradictory comments made to Forbes indicating that staff reductions were not expected to occur right away.

Speculation Begins

Besides layoffs, questions also surround AMI’s plans for TWS and Snowboarder. Consolidation of snowboard content under one title could be the end for one of the magazines. However, according to an anonymous source, AMI doesn’t plan to keep either publication. “AMI has no interest in investing any money into the business. Apparently it’s a “slash and burn” acquisition, with AMI buying TEN for cheap and making a quick buck by selling the action sports titles individually”.

We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.