It's a tough business and at some point most small crews who start getting bigger face a difficult decision, to make a real go at it and devote yourself full-time to the project or move on to explore different opportunities. Without knowing too much about what went on behind closed doors, all I can say is it's sad to see this progressive-thinking crew fold up shop and leave Canada with one less film production company concentrating on the up-and-coming Canadian scene. With Sandbox, Alterna Films and others all no longer producing annual flicks, it's getting harder and harder for a Canadian shred on the come-up to get their names out there. I guess it's a product of the internet age and unavoidable on a lot of levels, but still sad to see good people go.
Here's what the official press release had to say:
For Immediate Release: Farewell From Voleurz
Following nine adventurous and unforgettable years of producing eclectic apparel and entertaining action sports films, the time has come for Voleurz to bid farewell.
This decision did not come lightly, but after months of internal discussion and evaluation, we’ve come to the conclusion that moving forward with the brand has become unsustainable, so we’ve made the collective decision to begin exploring other opportunities.
Voleurz was not a group of three or four people, but a family-like collaboration of 40 athletes, artists, designers, filmmakers and like minded individuals all working towards a common goal. Voleurz has been an outlet for us to express ourselves creatively, and to share our vision with many. Through both clothing design and filmmaking, we’ve had the opportunity to share our enthusiasm, all while having the time of our lives with our best friends, and the countless people we’ve been fortunate enough to meet along the way.
We’d like to take the time to thank each and every single one of you who helped make our dream become a reality. From the moment we spray painted our first shirt in college, all the way to our latest collection. To everyone who rocked one of the 600 designs of our clothing, joined us at one of our 250 parties, or starred in one of our eight films or 120 web edits, from the bottom of our hearts, we want you all to know how much we appreciate your support. None of this would have been possible without you.
Our current clothing line will continue to be available through our retailers and online store, and we look forward to honoring our commitments to our customers throughout the winter, along with assisting our athletes in transitioning to new endeavors.
Thanks for all the good times… we’re not sorry for partying.
- Darren Rayner, Harvey Li, Bruce Giovando
Maybe as a farewell gift, they just recently dropped their full-length release from last year Kill Your Boredom:
These guys were always eager to get shooting. Here's a frame from an early-season session in Whistler with Voleurz rider Jordan Gibson-Fraser:
Brian Hockentein Photo
