Good Website Example - Billabong

I looked across many skate and extreme sports brands websites as I noticed that they usually are very slick and well organised, but also boast a nice range of photos throughout their sites. Most of the sites (Billabong, Vans, Element and Quiksilver) all have different continental sites, therefore I have focused on Billabong's Europe site.
The page to choose your continent is very nicely arranged with photos of men and women either in Billabong clothing or doing sports associated with the brand. These photos are very vibrant and ordered well to create a collage that is visually impressive.

The Mens site is again well laid out and easy to use. There is a slide show showing different items of clothing that they are selling, with the photos of the models being pictured in backdrops associated with extreme sports. I suppose it can be related to the "This Is Scunthorpe" website (see previous blog), as it has three columns, however these are short columns, that are aligned well with each other. Each bit of content in them are easily distinguishable and some eye catching, however none overwhelm the others. The blog entry feed to the right is not lost among the photos and links - anyone wanting to read the blogs would easily be able to find it. 

I think it could be said that the tabs and links when hovering over the clothing tab is a bit much, however due to their wide portfolio of clothing, it would be hard to make this smaller. The font chosen is simple and readable, which helps users find the items of clothing they want efficiently. 
I think the main reason I find this a great website, is the fact that it is consistent throughout each page. The background and width are kept the same on each different page, which doesn't make the website too confusing, despite the amount of information that is available. The colours used are never too bright but usually pastel or black and white, which visually gives a nice aesthetic. You could say that the site is a bit slow to load, however due to the amount of photos and information on the site, I don't feel its a real headache to wait a second or so for the page. 

I'm not sure what it is about the Billabong site, or other sites such as Quiksilver, but they always seem to have a fresh, modern feel to them that I warm too. The visuals are usually great and consistency always there, which makes users like me comfortable to explore the site.

http://www.billabong.com/
http://www.billabong.com/eu/
http://global.quiksilver.com/