 Mike Freihofer is an Atlantic City and county native, piquing his interest in the action sports right here on AC’s world-famous beaches. Thirty years later, he’s still at it, pursuing the explosive growth and forward-thinking marketing that the action sports arena offers.
Publishing magazines, hosting trade shows, and producing world-class action sports events right here in Atlantic City, ‘Fry’s’ vision is to enable Atlantic City to capitalize on this emerging new demographic, ushering in a "younger, sexier" crowd! His companies, Carbon Magazine, the Action Expo, and the Atlantic City ProAm Surf Series are all groundbreaking revolutionary vehicles of action sports; the only ones of their kind found east of the Southern California beaches.
Mike has found and wholeheartedly believes in Atlantic City and it’s surrounding communities and is dedicating his professional career and vision to making sure that the area’s growth contains elements of a demographic that are fun and exciting for everyone to participate in and marvel at, with the end goal being making Atlantic City the "Action Sports Capital of the World!"
How long have you lived in Atlantic City?
I’m a South Jersey native, being born in Atlantic City and raised on it’s world-famous beach and boardwalk.
Are you married or single?
Married.
Do you have any children?
4 Children, 3 boys ages 12 to 7 and a girl age 5
What do like most about Atlantic City?
The opportunity it presents for fun and prosperity, both for the individual, his or her company, and the community
Describe your perfect day in Atlantic City.
Early morning surf up town, relax a little on the beach, have a lunch and a cocktail, more surfing, maybe another cocktail, drop by the Foundation Room and then over to the House of Blues event center for a raging concert.
What originally brought you to AC?
I’ve always been here. It’s held a position of excitement and allure in my mind since I was a kid.
Where do you see the city in 10 years?
I see Atlantic City developing into a world-class destination vacation and gaming experience. With the residual entertainment value growing by leaps and bounds, along with the retailing and of course the beaches, I see Atlantic City becoming the ‘must be there’ entertainment capital of the East Coast.
What is your part in getting there?
I see us being responsible for helping to usher in a new gamer/visitor. Young, sexy, hip MTV rock-star types that typically have not been the target demographic of AC in the past. I also see us bringing in companies that target that same market where they in turn will start to get the ball rolling about the new Atlantic City; you know, a friend tells a friend tells a friend… and so on.
Tell us about your favorite AC memory.
That’s a tough one: our snowboard rail jam at the Taj Mahal a couple of years ago has to be up there, but also coming over here as a wee kid and having a burger with my Mom at Litz Brothers and walking the boardwalk and getting cotton-candy, long before the casinos.
You’ve got two hours to kill on the boardwalk, what do you do?
Maybe lunch at one of the outdoor cafes, then Happy Hour at one of the beach bars
Where do you like to hang out in AC?
If not on the beach, mostly the Foundation Room at the House of Blues. It’s probably the coolest bar in town and exactly what you think of when you think young, hip, and sexy… sometimes I wonder why they let me in there.
What three words describe Atlantic City best?
Young. Hip. Sexy.
What would you most like to change about Atlantic City?
That everyone else’s three words would be the same as mine.
Where's the best surf in AC?
Depends on the swell as generally there are great spots all over, but the best surf I’ve caught here has consistently been the north end of the island when I’m out with only a handful of guys.
Has the surfing scene changed in Atlantic City over the last couple of years?
It’s gotten more crowded, but the biggest change has been the topography and the groin at States Avenue breaking through. While still a good wave, it’s not what it was twenty years ago.
How did you come up with the idea for Carbon Magazine?
It was something we sort of backed into and once we got there we realized that it was type of format that will be the future of action sports. Carbon as an element is essential to life and any action sports participant would say that the sports themselves are a vital component in our lives. Once we realized that, the name was obvious and everything else sort of fell into place.
Who would enjoy reading Carbon Magazine?
The beauty of Carbon is that its more generalized in editorial so anyone would enjoy reading it. Naturally, the endemic participants of each particular sport would enjoy it, but since we have a variety of them along with music, art, and good looking girls in bikinis, its an easy sell to a very broad base.
What events do you have planned for the summer?
Our solidified calendar includes our Atlantic City ProAm Surf Series events in May, July, and September, along with a stand-along surfing event called the O’neill Bragger’s Cup where the best teams from the Northeast US converge in AC for a qualifying surf tournament that eventually feeds into a system in California and then Hawaii. We’ve also got a Luau scheduled and a couple of other things up our sleeves that we can’t divulge yet, but will be worth everyone’s time and attendance.
|
more
