BL!SSS Magazine | August 2013 | #72 by Blisss Mag

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DESIGNED IN 1969, QUIKSILVER’S ORIGINAL SCALLOP BOARDSHORT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.

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Artist: Tim Hendricks

UNTITLED BY MICHEL L E BL A DE, 2 013 . ACRYLIC INK. PORTR AIT BY KENNETH CAPPELLO.

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PHOTOS BY

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masthead

EDITOR-IN-CHI EF nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com

EDITOR

joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com

CREATI VE DIR EC TOR mark paul deren : madsteez madsteez@madsteez.com

A SSIS TANT EDITOR spencer pirdy spencer@blisssmag.com

EDITOR AT L ARGE liz rice mcCray liz@blisssmag.com

SKATE EDITOR chris ortiz chris@blisssmag.com

SNOW EDITOR jon francis jon@blisssmag.com

MUS IC EDITOR max ritter max@blisssmag.com

ADV ERTISIN G ads@blisssmag.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jason Kenworthy, Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom Carey, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran, Dave Nelson, Pat Eichstaedt, Julien Lecorps, Ryan Boyes, Zach Hooper, Tim Peare, Michael Lallande, Bob Plumb, Peter Morning, Bryce Kanights, Arto Sarri, Anthony Acosta, Cameron Strand, Brian Fick, Deville Nunns, Gage Thompson, Derek Bahn

CONTRIBUTOR S

Matt Patterson, Willie Marshall, Daniel Russo, Jason Arnold, Greg Escalante, Nathan Spoor, Tom Carey, Travis Millard, David Choe, Kai Garcia, Mickey Neilsen, Peter Townend, Hamilton Endo, Tawnya Schultz, Mike Murciano, Geoff Shively, Casey Holland, Steve Stratton, Robbie Sell, Andrew Miller, Pat Towersey, Raul Montoya, Ian Dodge, Spencer Pirdy, Richie Olivares, Eric Meyers, Kelly Shannon

THE SYLAS Ford A rchbold Th rough The E yes of Jack Colema n

BL!SSS Magazine 413 31st Street

AUGUST 2013

Newport Beach, CA 92663 www.blisssmag.com Disclaimer: Although all best efforts are made to avoid the same, we reserve the right to publish unintentional mistakes and/or factual errors which may occur on a monthly basis. No responsibility is assumed by the publishers for unsolicited materials/articles/letters/advertising and all submissions will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright and/or appropriate licensing purposes subject to Blisss’ right to edit and comment editorially. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine reﬂect the opinions of their respective authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Blisss Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising matter which may reﬂect negatively on the integrity of the magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form [print or electronic] without prior written consent from the publisher.

Handmade / Heartfelt / R AEN.com

ARTIST: TIM HENDRICKS

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The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Nixon is under license. There’s nothing ghetto about this Blaster.

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randoms

ZOOM STEFAN JANOSKI

RAEN COLLECTION

Just when we were starting to wear our feet into the newest Eric Koston shoe, Nike SB had to add a little ﬂair to the collection. We’re talking of course about the Zoom Stefan Janoski signature shoe. This updated shoe has it all, with a rainbow of new color ways to choose from, a low-proﬁle look and Nike Zoom cushioning and padding in all of the right places. Whether you’re using this as a skate shoe primarily or an all-purpose shoe, we highly suggest the Zoom Stefan Janoski for unmatched comfort, a stylish look and durability that outlasts the rest. Find the Zoom Stefan Janoski at your local retailer or buy a pair at nikesb.com.

Hats never go out of style, they just evolve, and Raen, having mastered the art of optics, figured they’d parlay that success into the world of hat making. The crew has creatively conjured up three distinctively styled hats for everyone to enjoy. There’s the Aloha (pictured) – a hat with tropical flavoring popping right out of the top. There’s the Nomad – slightly quieter than the Aloha, but still carries with it a fine native looking pattern on the front. And finally, there’s the Kaleidoscope – a plain brown hat that is keeping with the style of today’s youth. The three hats cover all the bases of style and are made out of quality material with plenty of unique features. Check out the new line of hats in stores or at raenoptics.com.

THE BAJA

MASTERPLAN FISHIN’ MISSION Ashton Maxfield and Carter Katz teamed up this past month to serve as Charter Masters for the very first annual Master Plan Communication (MPC) Offshore Fishin’ Mission. The motley crew consisted of a plethora of pro skaters, snowboarders and media heads all with one thing in mind – killing fish. They went far, fished hard and ended up with mixed bag of Bluefin and Yellowtail and even bigger stories. A great time was had by all and by the time the boat returned to San Diego the coolers were full of meat and everyone was smiling. Big thanks to Master Plan Communication, Neff Headwear, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Fred Water and of course Jody Morgan and the entire Apollo crew. We can’t wait ‘til next year for round two.

Anyone who has ventured into uncharted territory south of the border knows that getting lost sometimes can be all of the fun. Unless, of course, you can’t find your way back. Then, you won’t be able to tell your friends a great story and nobody but the grim reaper wins. Luckily, the folks at Nixon have come to our meandering rescue with the induction of The Baja watch. This timepiece is every bit as useful as it is enjoyable to look at. The Baja is your self-contained survival station with an arsenal of digital assets including a compass, flashlight and thermometer, and it is strapped in place with a nylon cuff and band. Basically, this watch will have your back no matter which end of the Earth you’re exploring, and you’ll look badass in the process. The Baja is sold at all fine retailers or at nixon.com.

SURF SAK

SYCK TRIX

This board is a rad new invention to help safely teach your toddlers, teens, and adults to ollie and balance on the carpet instead of the hard concrete. The Syck Trix Board truly stands alone. The patented suspension system creates bounce and pop unlike any other board on the market. Having removable ﬂuid bladders, the custom Syck Trix Board gives the rider different attachment variations that opens doors to a variety of different tricks. Don’t believe us? Get one for your grom and watch the progression for yourself. Syck Trix is available at Timmy Patterson Surfboards, BC, Republik of Kalifornia and Catalyst in San Clemente and online at sycktrix@gmail.com. Get yours today.

Our friend Ryan Schiller came by the other day to introduce to us the best new surf accessory to enter the market, the Surf Sak. The Surf Sak is your go-to wetsuit changer/holder/carrier bag all in one. Whether you’re using the Surf Sak for a long hike up and down the Lowers trail, for stashing your suit in your car or for quickly changing in and out of your wetsuit, the Sak will have you covered. We are convinced that you won’t ﬁnd a more convenient and long-lasting product. In fact, they offer a lifetime replacement guarantee! The Surf Sak is currently sold at select surf shops in Huntington Beach and you can learn more by visiting surfsak.com.

randoms

MADSTEEZ X MONTANA

We’re not usually ones to toot our own horns… or maybe we are? Either way, we’re proud to announce the unveiling of our very own Mark Paul Deren, a.k.a. Madsteez’s, limitededition spray can that the folks at Montana just introduced. Montana is the industry leader in spray paint, and they chose Madsteez for his uncanny ability to create large-scale productions that are quite mind-blowing to say the least. Madsteez’s spray can comes with Carlton Banks’ face on the front, a.k.a. ‘Weenleton,’ and a sweet little Weenzee peering through on the back. These cans are limited in supply, and if you have the good fortune of coming across one you’d be inclined to snatch it up. Check them out at mtn-world.com.

PORT LONG BEACH X BEACH RIOT One of our favorite boutique brands, Port of Long Beach, has joined forces with the oh-so-popular bikini makers, Beach Riot, and they have just released a limited-edition one-piece Port X Beach Riot bikini. Classically styled, this one-piece is backless yet serves all the functionality you’d expect from a traditional one-piece bikini. Available exclusively at Port of Long Beach and online at portlbc.com and beachriot.com, get yours while the sun’s still out.

VORTEX BANDITS The boys from Afends down in Byron Bay have just wrapped up a little movie project they did with surf cinematographer extraordinaire, Toby Cregan, titled Vortex Bandits. The movie was shot entirely in their hometown of Byron Bay and gives a little insight on one of the most exciting little surf towns in Australia, an eccentric mix of hippies, epic surf and what their little world is all about. The movie just premiered in Byron and Sydney to packed houses, and the crew will be out in the OC this month and have teamed up with the boys from Thalia Surf in Laguna for one of their Waxball events. The little shindig is going down at the Marine Room Tavern on August 15th, so if you wanna get your groove on and check out a little surf action from an up-and-coming label, make sure you Lords get down there and check it out. Yew!

10 YEARS OF MONSTER CHILDREN Monster Children is celebrating 10 years of business with a commemorative book that’ll be released on October 1st. The 300-page hardcover entitled Ten Years of Monster Children Magazine chronicles a decade’s worth of some of the most entertaining articles, interviews, photographs and other various pieces that have pushed the envelope, giving its readers the opportunity for unique perceptions. If you can’t already tell, we’re big fans and are happy to see Monster Children still thriving. Keep your eyes peeled for ‘Ten Years of Monster Children Magazine’ to be on the shelves of all ﬁne bookstores and available at monsterchildren. com starting October 1st. 36

SLOW DANCE After being ushered into surf stardom by way of a dynamite cameo appearance in Kai Neville’s Modern Collective video a few years back, Craig Anderson has blossomed into one of the most stylishly progressive surfers of our time. Craig has recently come out with a signature film dubbed Slow Dance, which was directed by his pal and our favorite – the one and only Dane Reynolds. Craig is the star of the newly premiered film, but a whole cast of surf culture icons including Dane, Ozzie Wright, Rob Machado and Occy help to make this flick a dance worth watching. There’s a session in particular of Craig doing some hard-charging tube riding on a single fin that’s pretty next level and can’t be missed. Slow Dance will be available on iTunes this month, so be sure to add Craig’s film to the library.

randoms

EZEKIEL SNAPBACKS Ezekiel introduces the All We Have Is Now Hat Collection designed by Ampal Creative. Ampal is known for designing high-quality, super detailed, distinguished headwear for gentleman of leisure, crafted and made in the USA. Ezekiel will be launching the collection for Fall 2013 with the Springer, Gonzo and AWHIN hats in their low profile, six-panel snapback fit. The Springer hat features floral print with a custom leather pressed patch. The Gonzo hat comes in navy corduroy with a black canvas bill detail also featuring the custom, leather-pressed patch. The AWHN hat is the collections featured design, made with burgundy canvas, gold rope detail, and signature All We Have Is Now embroidery. Ezekiel’s new hat collection is available at Active Ride Shop, Karmaloop.com, Jack’s Surfboards, Sun Diego Boardshops and at ezekielusa.com.

EVERYBODY STREET There’s no city as notorious for producing more animated characters than in the streets of New York City. Within the Big Apple there’s a core group of street-life photographers that have been capturing life in the city for ages now. Esteemed documentarian Cheryl Dunn has come out with a new film, Everybody Street, that profiles the lives of some of these photographers like Bruce Davidson, Ricky Powell, Mary Ellen Mark, Martha Cooper, Boogie and more who have used and continue to use the streets of New York as their daily cubicle. The stories, featured photographs and history surrounding these underground photographers is gripping and really showcases the passion and dedication they have for telling stories through their work. The North America premiere and distribution of the film is still in the works, but in the meantime you can check out the trailer and more at everybodystreet.com.

STREET LEAGUE PORTLAND A big congrats goes out to Paul Rodriguez for taking first place at Street League Portland. The fifth stop of the Street League season saw all of the usual suspects and then some showing up and skating to the highest of their abilities. It all came down to P-Rod’s final run of competition, with him needing a score of an 8.4 to surpass Street League Munich winner Chris Cole. With ice running through his veins, P-Rod cleanly stuck a switch frontside bigspin heelflip and was rewarded with an 8.8 and the victory. The win is the first of the 2013 Street League season for Rodriguez, and we look forward to seeing more action from him and his fellow competitors when Street League LA starts up on August 1st.

ARCADE BELTS Santa Cruz native Cody Townsend is the co-founder of Arcade Belts, a snow-belt company that has changed the snow world and is seeking other street wear ventures as we speak. It all started with Cody and a partner making elastic belts speciﬁcally designed with riding in mind. Fast-forward three years and the Arcade crew has grown to spread across 180 North American stores. Arcade just opened their new headquarters right in the heart of the industry, Costa Mesa, as they begin to branch out to endeavors outside of the snow market. They’ve got belts of all shapes, sizes and artistic tastes for you to choose from, and we are happy to have them as our new neighbors just up the road. Check out everything they’re up to at arcadebelts.com.

MADSON OF AMERICA Rising from the ashes of a tumultuous economy and industry meltdowns, Madson of America is set to make an immediate impact in the eyewear category. Madson is being carried on the backs of Hoven co-founders Tony Davis, Alan Ek along with industry veteran Kasey Curtis, and ambassadors Jason Jesse, Corey Duffel and Russ Pope. With over a decade of experience building a brand, the crew has high expectations and is embracing the fresh start. For product leaks, team additions and to keep up on everything current about Madson of America, be sure to follow them on Instagram @madsonofamerica.

SKATER : RICHARD | PARRY

SHIFTY FLIP

PHOTOGRAPHER : KRIS | BURKHART

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Nike, Paul Rodriguez 5 nike.com

Crap Eyewear, The Beach Party crapeyewear.com

RVCA, Shin Kicking Sock rvca.com

ourCaste, Wade Pant ourcaste.com

Raen, Sylas Aloha raenoptics.com

Matix, Clash matixclothing.com

Vestal, USS Observer vestalwatch.com

Moskova, M6 moskova.com

Volcom, Grimm footwear.volcom.com

Electric, Knoxville XL electicvisual.com

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Alpinestars, Delmore Tank alpinestars.com Latitude Supply Co, Boathouse Trunk latitudesupplyco.com

IVI Eyewear, Dusky ivivision.com

Roark, Okinawa 5-Panel roarkrevival.com

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Troy Lee Designs, Ghostrider Tee troyleedesigns.com

Words: Jen DiSisto :: Photos: Timothy White Whether someone is a motorcycle enthusiast or not, the upcoming photography exhibit at PROJECT Gallery will make pretty much anyone a fan of Indian Larry. Perhaps one of the most beloved ﬁgures to ever exist in the motorcycle world, after a past of drug abuse and homelessness, he would become known equally for the mind-bending choppers he created as he would his wild antics, tattoos, generosity, and his carnivalesque character and stunts. Larry Desmedt is quite the interesting subject.

For acclaimed celebrity photographer Timothy White, who shot legends and icons for over 20 years, Larry was all that and more. The two became longtime friends and riding partners, and Larry would eventually become one of White’s most profound subjects. White immortalized the late motorcycle builder in a previously published book, and the exhibit at PROJECT Gallery is the LA premier retrospective excerpted from the book. “I had been photographing him for about 16 years when

he died,” White says. “It was an honest relationship and a real friendship. I loved to photograph Larry’s bikes and I tried to help him in getting recognized as the artist he was.” Included in the show are compelling and intimate photos of Larry in his much-tattooed glory, and in moods that range from deep introspection to pure joy. Also displayed are photographs of his epic, masterpiece choppers with names such as Wild Child, Daddy O, and Chain of Mystery as well as a

fateful photo of his trademark stunt called The Cruciﬁx, where he stood upright on his bike, arms stretched out and sped down the road. Though he’d performed the stunt hundreds of times, Larry would die from this exact stunt at a bike show in North Carolina in 2004. Make sure to check out the upcoming exhibit INDIAN LARRY: Photographs by Timothy White at PROJECT GALLERY, 1553 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028, (323)-462-1100. The opening reception is Thursday, August 15 at 7 p.m.

PHOTO: RYAN CRAIG

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Words: Grant Hatfield :: Photos: Michael Burnett No, we’re not talking about the weekend menu at the organic café co-op in the arts district. We’re talking about Thrasher Magazine’s newest Web-com series “The World’s Best Brunch,” hosted by funny man/head honcho Eswic and noted ball-buster Jimmy Arrighi (@WorldsBestDad for all you Instagram nerds). The show begins innocently enough with Jimmy gliding confidently across his backyard over to a patio table loaded with your average brunch fare, while next to him his unsuspecting interview awaits, pulled from skateboarding’s elite. The next five minutes are pure gold – it’s the stuff that makes the trolls over at the Slap message boards salivate over their keyboards. The man’s a fearless interviewer and habitually “goes there.” Watch him as he confronts skaters’ career moves,

nude photo scandals, and fashion choices. Watch the skaters shrivel into balls of insecurity. No one is safe from the sharp tongue of Arrighi, not even “fat vegan” and “sensitive artist” Ed Templeton. Or “fun sized” (Jimmy’s words) Skater of The Year nominee David Gonzales, who gets picked up like a toddler and placed in a high chair. Some would argue that Jimmy is being a dick, but actually he is a self-described “nice dick” who will lovingly dab crumbs off someone’s face or even give his guests a comforting “bro” hug. So make your reservations online with Thrasher Magazine for The World’s Best Brunch. Kick back, relax, and pour yourself a mimosa while Jimmy makes your favorite skaters unbearably uncomfortable.

Some would argue that Jimmy is being a dick, but actually he is a selfdescribed “nice dick” who will lovingly dab crumbs off someone’s face or even give his guests a comforting “bro” hug.

Interview: Liz Rice McCray Where do you consider home? I was born and raised in San Diego, California. I moved to Costa Mesa about two years ago and have stayed put ever since. Can you give us some insight to your introduction to art? When I was very young I knew I loved to create. I would draw over the covers of all my books, and paint on all of my desks and walls. My parents and other people I looked up to always encouraged me to pursue a life full of creativity. My father has shaped surfboards for a living and my mother has always been painting. They had amazing art and coffee table books around the house to look at. I would steal them and try to recreate some of the works inside. I took a road less travelled and did not study art in college, but I took various art classes here and there along the way. During and after college, I worked as a freelance graphic designer and artist. I did everything I could get my hands on. I loved creating, but I did not know what direction I wanted to take. I knew drawing was always one of my strengths, so I just worked off that and started to develop a certain style. I have been fortunate to have had some apprenticeships and mentors in my life that have helped me develop

more as an artist and guide me in the right direction. Tell us about your “Coffee Stain Series.” It started off very simple and experimental. I just started working at C’est Si Bon Bakery in Newport Beach when I first moved here. Naturally, I began to drink a lot more coffee than usual. I always had a small amount of coffee left in my French Press. One day I poured out a few random shapes on scrap paper just to play around with it. I then let it dry and drew over it. I showed the first drawing to a friend of mine who was an art teacher and she urged me to explore the concept and make a few more. The first five I ever made were in my first group show and sold out. I ended up starting to make more and having more group shows. At this point I have made about 100. I am slightly a conservationist and I do not like to use more than I need. By using coffee as my medium, it was my way of being sustainable with my materials. Using a random, organic shape was similar to staring at the clouds or a Rorschach test. Everybody sees something different. I essentially just drew what I saw, which ended up being sea creatures with slight human

characteristics. I choose to do sea creatures for a number of reasons. I was raised around the ocean, surfing, fishing and a little bit of long-distance ocean swimming. When you spend a lot of time in the ocean, you cannot help but think how much water is out there and how much life is undiscovered. The ambiguity is fascinating. What have been some of your biggest influences in artwork and in life? Some artists I have always enjoyed are Peter Bruegel the Elder for his detailed sketches, and Helen Frankenthaler for her use of color and space. I am also influenced by anatomical and scientific illustration, folklore, scrimshaw etchings, artists sketchbooks, science, good books, traveling, attention to detail, craftsmanship, hard work, family, friends, and fresh air. If you could pick one band to listen to while you work, who would it be? Hmm… that is a tough one. If I could pick one band to listen to while I work right now it would be Brightblack Morning Light. Will you tell us about your average day in Costa Mesa?

Coffee is always ﬁrst (to drink, that is) and then I take my dog on a walk. Oftentimes I check the surf, and if it looks good, I go out. If it doesn’t, I will do a bit a of gardening, write some emails and play around on my computer, working on my mini-mag. I usually start to work on some drawings in the late morning while listening to music, podcasts, or TEDtalks. I always have to leave the house for my sanity (because I do not have a studio yet) and take a break and eat something delicious and then return back to my desk. I love to go to the Newport Beach Library on Avocado Street in the evenings to check out books or look at old book covers for mini-mag ideas. Most days I come home and either continue drawing, ﬁnish up other art projects or hang around with my friends and drink some cheap wine in the backyard. Where can people check out more of your art? I post all my different art projects on my blog, DraggingTheTide. com, and I sell originals and prints through my Etsy shop, Etsy.com/ shop/ShopAvalonian. I will also be participating in the Santa Ana art walk on August 3rd at the Orange County Creatives Gallery.

“The foundation of my work is rooted in ‘found photography’ or snapshots. I’ve always had a curious attraction to snapshots, which I attribute to an obsession with the lost histories that they contain.”

Words: Scott Hunt Scott Hunt is a figurative artist whose discipline is works on paper, specifically charcoal and pastel drawings. He has had five solo shows; three in New York, one in Richmond, Virginia, and one in Berlin, Germany. A sixth solo show will open in January, 2014 at Coullaud & Koulinsky, Paris. His work has also been included in many group shows, both domestic and international. He is a recipient of a fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and a grant from The Pollock-Krasner Foundation. His work is included in many private international collections and is part of the permanent collection of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. To see more of his work, visit scotthuntstudio.com. I’m a figurative artist who lives in Manhattan and my charcoal drawings are, for the most part, narrative in nature and employ a technique that’s realismbased. The images themselves, however, present a somewhat altered version of reality and are, frankly, a bit peculiar. The New York art dealer Robert Goff

probably said it best: “[These are] drawings with intensely enigmatic and mysterious subject matter. The viewer encounters a vision of America that is at once sympathetic, humorous, and apocalyptic.” The foundation of my work is rooted in “found photography” or snapshots. I’ve always had a curious attraction to snapshots, which I attribute to an obsession with the lost histories that they contain. They provoke questions: Who were these people and how did they come to this frozen moment in time? What happened right after the picture was taken? What was their relationship to the photographer? This kind of questioning obviously piques my imagination but it also seems to unmoor me, making me feel a vague sense of panic because I’m aware that the answers are ultimately unknowable. And that realization compels me to reinvent narratives for these anonymous subjects. I begin the process of creating the work by collecting discarded snapshots from ﬂea markets and

the Internet. Once I’ve culled a selection of photos, I identify elements in each one that are intriguing – a figure, a bit of architecture, a family pet – and I remove them from their original context. I then combine them in Photoshop with elements from other photographs, in essence making a collage, until I’ve created a reality that is wholly reinvented. I then make large format prints of those newly configured images, which I use as the basis for the finished drawings. People who view the drawings are generally intrigued, unsettled and/or humored by them and they often want me to explain the impetus for the images. I understand the impulse to ask that question and yet, as an artist, I feel that explaining artwork of this nature is problematic. For starters, I want the viewer to be in a constant conversation with the drawing, finding ever-changing interpretations and meanings. As the “author” of a work of art, if I tell you exactly what I intended

when I created the piece, you, as the viewer, stop questioning what you’re looking at and then the work becomes static and dies. I’d much prefer that a drawing be a kind of visual koan whose answer is just beyond reach; frustrating for the viewer, perhaps, but the artwork is sure to remain more enduring. Additionally, one of the things I try to honor in the process of my work is the power of my subconscious. That doesn’t mean that I stop thinking while I work, by any means. But I try to stay as unconscious through the process of creating as I possibly can so that, in disconnecting from the rational thought of my conscious world, I’m more apt to create something mysterious and evocative. If, after ﬁnishing the work, I’m asked to attempt to retroactively impose a conscious intent on it, it feels inauthentic and false. In the end, my hope is that the work engenders in viewers an inﬁnite number of interpretations and evokes a frisson of recognition of some small part of the human condition.

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“ His work also continues to explore the unattainable world of perfection in fashion, luxury and of course physical perfection. Though behind the lens focused on beauty, I can’t help feeling there’s an eye that is jaundiced with envy.” Words: Steve Minon I remember the first Michael Zavros work I saw. It was an extraordinary photorealistic painting of a horse that seemed to be falling down the wall. Although it was a beautiful image, magnificent too, it frightened me. At the time, I was one of those internet junkies who would disappear down the information super goat-track for hours challenging the web to dish up something that might shock me. I loved being grossed out, before I realized that all the horrible things you’ve seen can’t be unseen. That image of Zavros’ horse, which seemed to be plunging head first into the polished concrete floor of the gallery space in which it was hung, was one that stayed with me, but not because it was horrible. Because it was horribly beautiful. The top half of the horse was cropped just above its hindquarters as if the poor beast was falling quickly through a photographer’s frame. The image is made more confronting by the artistry and attention to detail that has been applied by Zavros to such a short but terrible narrative. A beautiful horse falling headfirst from height can only result in shocking injury. Why would an artist do that to such a noble creature? Why promise in such detail, such tragedy?

Later, I met Zavros. It was at a party, one of those impossibly cool dos. The party’s handsome male host met me at the door wearing an Alexander McQueen jumpsuit in parachute silk. His gorgeous co-host and partner smiled with all her teeth, showing off her signature Meryl Streep gap. This couple were architects and every feature of the party, from the invitation to the guest list was highly, highly designed. The host ushered me over to the wall of the kitchen, excited to show me his latest purchase, a photograph of some gold Dior heeled boots. At least I thought it was a photograph. It was then that Zavros, tall, good looking and rather formally groomed for a summer party in Australia was introduced to me as the artist who had painted this work. His appearance was as perfectly delivered as the brushwork on those outrageous shoes, while all around us the beautiful people were snorting coke and drinking too fast, their grip on their own ﬂawlessness growing more tenuous by the hour.

and desire in Zavros’ mind, comes with a cautionary tale, although it’s not implied outwardly via a strident critique. His comment is more elusive than that. He taunts with the beauty of his images. The beauty is rendered out of reach, fairytale gorgeous, faux aristocratic and lost to us by the day, as we wrinkle and grey and fail to achieve. Not Zavros though. Since the party at which I ﬁrst met him, he has continued to groom his image and has achieved much, becoming a sensation in Australian art. Cliches like “the darling” of the scene seem to suit him. He is designed to please in everything he does: what he paints, the way he paints, the way he dresses and looks, the way he comes across in interviews.

I was reminded then of the falling horse, the doomed thoroughbred on a path of destruction. As I watched Zavros standing so composed, calmly observing the unraveling of the beauty around him I started to understand what this artist was all about. Beauty

Meanwhile, the world may be changing its appetite for excess. So I asked Zavros about the current moves in Europe toward austerity and whether this political environment will deliver a different read on displays of opulence, seeing it as distasteful for example. He didn’t seem to think so.

His work also continues to explore the unattainable world of perfection in fashion, luxury and of course physical perfection. Though behind the lens focused on beauty, I can’t help feeling there’s an eye that is jaundiced with envy.

Ultimately, he believes that there is no real distaste for excess because the trappings of excess are beauty and physical perfection and that represents a kind of utopia that we all desire. He’s tricky though, this Zavros character. With his latest exhibition titled “The Prince,” a series of charcoal and paint reproductions of the photographic works of Richard Prince, he creates a maddening loop. Prince’s work is already a devotion to the advertising images of the Marlboro Man. Zavros takes Prince’s reflection of iconic machismo and reflects it back on itself, trapping the utopia of the male ideal forever in the art world’s hall of mirrors. This may of course be Zavros’ ultimate comment. That it’s impossible to know where utopia begins or where it ends and where or even how we would enter it. We can view his gorgeous works, but we can’t participate in them. If we were to arrive in one of his rooms, standing in our own less than perfect shoes with our financial woes and relationship issues and health worries, we’d destroy the symmetry. The utopia Zavros paints isn’t really ours to keep. Or anyone’s for that matter. Because super models age, monarchs are overthrown, fashion changes and horses fall. View more of Michael Zavros work at michaelzavros.com.

WINDSWEPT

ELEGANT

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#lifeuncharted

ALPINE

Photography: Dominic Petruzzi :: dominicpetruzziphoto.com // Model: Kassi Smith :: LA Models

Turning heads on the sandy Socal shores is this month’s Super Taste mega-babe, Kassi Smith. When this California-grown beauty isn’t ﬂirting with the camera, she’s holed up in the library studying toward a degree in business. Beauty and brains, this sweetheart is also notorious for rescuing and ﬁnding homes for stray kittens. Too much for you? She hopes her career will allow her to travel to tropical and exotic beaches all over the world. We hope so too, as this means more bikini-time with Kassi. We’ll toast a fruity drink to that! To follow Kassi’s adventures, check out her Instagram @stayklassi. Hair & Makeup: Sonia Suttles :: makeupbysonia.net // Retouch: JasonSchorle.com

Revok & Pose 58

Interview: Liz McCray A rumor passed around the office the other day, and it served as the inspiration for this piece. The rumor was intriguing, like most tidbits of gossip. We were pondering the existence of the infamous Bowery Wall in NYC and whether the would survive the passing of Tony Goldman, Goldman Properties founder, owner of the wall, visionary and advocate of the arts. Or would the beloved wall be forgotten, another side effect of death, split up, fought over, destroyed, changed and forever lost? For our readers who are not familiar with the Bowery and Houston Mural in NYC, in 1982 Keith Haring painted an original unsanctioned mural and the wall became an artistic landmark. It was said to be Keith Haring’s first large-scale public work, which supposedly contributed to his success and legacy. Then for decades the wall was left as an irresistible blank canvas bombed with ads, tags, and occasional commissioned art. In 2008 the wall was reborn with a tribute mural to Keith Haring, and it initiated a showcase of wonderful collaborations and murals by artists from all over the world. Our office conversation eventually evolved and went full circle to favorite murals created on the Bowery Wall, curating, and back to the

question of what’s going to happen and what does the future hold for this large-scale canvas/wall located on the corner of Houston Street and the Bowery? In a quest to ﬁnd out more information about the Bowery Wall, we went right to the source and reached out to Goldman Properties, the current owner of the building. We were able to speak with Meghan Coleman, who works directly for Goldman Properties and is one of the people responsible for curating the wall. Will you please give us a brief history of the Bowery/Houston building and mural wall? The Houston Bowery Wall site has been owned by Goldman Properties since 1984. The ﬁrst program of this wall was summer of 2008 with the re-creation of Keith Haring’s famous 1982 Bowery mural. Since then, Tony Goldman’s goal was to use this wall to present established and emerging street artists from the United States and around the world and has had continued programming. Here is a brief history from our website:

Os Gemos

Retna

Sace

Faile

How and Nosm

Keith Haring

The initiative to program the Houston Bowery Wall in New York City and invite artists to work there was a renaissance for one of the highest regarded mural walls in the United States. Keith Haring made the wall infamous by painting an original mural as a gift to the community in the early 1980’s. With ownership of the wall, the Goldman family felt a sense of responsibility to bring art and beauty to the public on a grand scale. The future of the wall will hold many a renaissance, forwarding movements of its own accord. With each rebirth the wall’s program will broaden and reach out further to include established and emerging street artists from the United States and around the world who have a powerful message of hope, possibility and inspiration to young and old. Who is currently curating the wall? Who has curated it in the past? In 2008, Jeffrey Deitch and Tony Goldman teamed up for the Keith Haring project. From then on, the wall continued to be programmed – at ﬁrst with Jeffrey Deitch, then the Hole, and now the wall is programmed in house at Goldman Properties. Deitch was responsible for organizing the Keith Haring, Os Gemeos, and Shepard Fairey walls; The Hole organized the Barry McGee and Kenny Scharf wall; And Goldman Properties organized the JR, Faile, Retna, Aiko, How&Nosm, Crash and Pose/Revok walls. Are the artists painting on the original wall that Keith Haring once painted? No. It has since been replaced. What are the criteria for selecting an artist for the wall? It is chosen by the Goldman Family and myself. Will you please tell us about the current installation? It is a collaboration wall by Chicagobased artist Pose and Detroit-based artist Revok. The wall pays homage to their grafﬁti forefathers, to the city and the site itself. What is the duration of each artist’s installation? It varies. We program about three to four artists per year.

How would you describe Tony Goldman and his relationships with art and public art projects? Tony was a man of vision with a true passion for the arts. That is why he created this public art program – to share his love of art with all. Besides the Bowery and Houston Wall, Goldman Properties also has the Wynwood Wall, another public space that has been used for public art. Is this a similar project to the Bowery Wall? This project was conceived in the same vein as the Houston Bowery Wall – to bring art to everyone. The Wynwood Walls began in 2009 by two collaborating visionaries, Tony Goldman and Jeffrey Deitch. The creation of the walls became the catalyst to a thriving arts district and today stands as its unofﬁcial town center. [thewynwoodwall.com]

Martha Cooper

Since Tony Goldman’s passing, is there a possibility that the building will be sold, or that Goldman Properties will no longer want the wall to display public art? This is not true at all! We will continue to program the wall for the foreseeable future to keep Tony’s legacy alive. Who funds these large-scale public works of art? Goldman supports each project fully. If at any point this building was going to be sold or the wall dismantled, what would happen to the Os Gemos’ piece and the current artist installation? We would consult with the artists and proceed as such.

Barry McGee

What do you think the Bowery wall represents to the neighborhood, art community and New Yorkers? I think the wall represents the power of art and how it can tie a community together and inspires those who are young and old. Additionally, you can also ﬁnd information on the walls at goldmanproperties.com.

Kenny Scharf

Words: Chad Wells :: Photos: Ryan Chachi In California, when we hit summer it usually means grey mornings, sloppy south swell and crowded lineups at almost every spot. This means it’s time to roam. A training session with former WT surfer Chris Gallagher prior to the Grom Slam of events was in order for a few of the team kids who made deposits on their trophy mantles with some victory hardware. John Mel, Thelen McKinna-Worrell, Nic Hernandez, Matt Passaquindici, super-grom Kade Matson, along with photographer Ryan “Chachi” Craig and Quiky ﬁlmer Kyle Buthman rounded out the crew. Thunderboom Surf Camp was our destination in the north part of Nicaragua and Jon Grifﬁth was our host. The daily regime: up at 5 a.m., some juice, coffee and a little food and then grind out the morning session till the wind was up. Daytime siesta and back to the beachy for some afternoon training. Here are some of the grom’s accounts of what stuck out.

Nic Hernandez 62

Nic Hernandez

Was this your ﬁrst time to Nicaragua? If not, how many times have you been? Yes, this was my ﬁrst trip to Nicaragua. What was the best wave you caught? The best wave I caught on the trip was a right that was just a teepee that spun off. I got a fun barrel, followed up by a nice carve. What was the funniest moment of the trip? There were too many funny moments to single out one to be the funniest. One of the funny ones was when our surf guide Jonathan rocked up to the beach and was absolutely freaking out on the subpar waves that day. It was rad. He had so much stoke.

Who ripped the hardest? Gally. I’ve never got to surf so much with him, and I was so surprised. He’s still got it! Who were you most impressed by? I was deﬁnitely most impressed with the grom Kade Matson. He held his own with the big boys all trip. Paddled out the ﬁrst couple days that were big. Dealt with getting a messed up haircut and didn’t cry. And he was ripping! The kid has a mean backside throw tail. Who got the most barreled? Most barreled has to go to Matty P. Who broke the most boards? Pretty sure I did, unfortunately.

Nic Hernandez

Kade Matson

Was this your first time to Nicaragua? If not, how many times have you been? It was my first time, it was sick! What was the best wave you caught? I dropped in and got a fun barrel then came out and cracked the lip and cracked it again and then blew the tail out! What was the funniest moment of the trip? When Matt five-starred Thelen.

Who ripped the hardest? Nic, he was pulling into gnarly barrels. Who were you most impressed by? Thalen because he got long drainers and did gnarly airs. Who got the most barreled? Nic. Who broke the most boards? Nic.

Thelen Mckinna-Worrell

Was this your ﬁrst time to Nicaragua? If not, how many times have you been? First time. What was the best wave you caught? I caught a lot of good waves but nothing really stands out. What was the funniest moment of the trip? When we cut Kade Matson’s hair. Who ripped the hardest? Me, obviously... haha. Probably Nic Hdez.

Who were you most impressed by? John Mel. Who got the most barreled? Nic Hdez. Who broke the most boards? Nic Hdez broke his whole quiver, I think. Going to Nicaragua was super sick. All the boys were ripping and the waves were super fun. I’m really stoked I was able to be a part of the crew.

John Mel

Was this your ﬁrst time to Nicaragua? If not, how many times have you been? It was my second time to Nicaragua. My ﬁrst time I went to Puerto Sandino, but I must say The Boom had better waves. What was the best wave you caught? I probably got my best wave at The Boom beach break – just a fun barrel.

John Mel

What was the funniest moment of the trip? We cut Kade Matson’s hair. That was really funny.

Who ripped the hardest? Everyone was ripping. Matty P was surﬁng really good I thought, but he was having board issues so that was kind of a bummer. Who were you most impressed by? Thelen’s backhand was on point, that impressed me the most. Who got the most barreled? Nic Hdez had a few sick ones one of the best surf days of the trip. Who broke the most boards? Matty P broke almost all of his boards. Bummer for him, haha.

Thelen Mckinna-Worrell

Matt Passaquindici

Was this your ďŹ rst time to Nicaragua? If not, how many times have you been? Second time. What was the best wave you caught? This wave at The Boom that I was too late on. I had to body surf it and got sucked over. I guess it went forever and spit. At least I caught it. What was the funniest moment of the trip? When we pinned down Kade Matson and cut his hair. He was

screaming for his mommy... and Chad. Who ripped the hardest? Kade Matson, for sure. Who were you most impressed by? Chris Gallagher. Who got the most barreled? Gally. Who broke the most boards? I think Nic Hdez. He snapped one in half and blew a ďŹ n box out of another. Matt Passaquindici

Nic Hernandez

Words: Steven Reeves :: Photos: Deville Boston, Oregon, just doesn’t have the same ring to it as Portland does. In 1845 two immigrants, Francis Pettygrove from Portland, Maine, and Asa Lovejoy from Boston, Massachusetts, wanted to name the new site after their respective hometowns. What better way to make such a decision then with a good oldfashioned coin ﬂip? So, after two out of three tosses, Portland, Oregon, was named. That being said, I’ve been living in Portland for nearly six years now so my opinion may be a bit biased, but I think it’s one of the best places to skate (in the spring and summer). It was only a matter of time until the whole Powell Peralta team ﬁnally had the opportunity to come up and let me tour-guide them around a bit. The crew consisted of Jordan Hoffart, Josh Hawkins, Aldrin Garcia, Brendan Villanueva, Shane

portland Steven Reeves : B.S Nose Blunt

Josh Hawkins : FS Ollie

Brendon Villanueva : F.S Flip

Borland, our team manager Deville, lens man Terry Larue, and yours truly. I was especially psyched to show the guys who had never been up this far north what we had to offer. The street spots are a lot less perfect here, a bit more weathered than the glassy concrete Southern California has to offer, but nonetheless everyone was stoked to be able to come up north and check it out. The way up was pretty much a straight shot, minus one stop in my hometown of Medford, OR. I think it was the night before when we made the decision to stop and skate there. So, with one frantic call we set up an impromptu demo at noon the next day. There was actually a really good turnout and everyone was stoked to have us come through. It was so good to see everyone I grew up with, and I was so psyched to be able to show the rest of the team where I had grown up skating as well.

I’ve done my fair share of tour-guiding people around in Portland, whether it is a team of skateboarders or just some friends who want to experience the city. There is a basic checklist of things that have to be done while in the area (including getting nachos at my favorite spot, Que Pasa), and although we didn’t get to all of them, we did manage to check off one that most people overlook – tattoos. Jordan Hoffart had already gotten inked up on another trip up here and he was bent on going to see our friends over at Fortune Tattoo. His “shrimps on deck” graphic was the plan, which is (as it sounds) a shrimp on a skateboard. Josh Hawkins jumped in as well and got his ﬁrst tattoo, which was a reference to a Dan Deacon song, “Paddling Ghost.” If you have the time the music video for said song is amazing – a little website called YouTube may help. A good chunk of that day was spent at the tattoo shop. Two of the newer guys on the team had developed a habit Brendon Villanueva

Aldrin Garcia : Pivit to Fakie

Brendon Villanueva : Board Slide to Feeble

of being late to the van. Toward the end of the trip Deville had gotten a bit fed up with waiting in the van for 20 minutes as they lagged. He even gave them a warning that if it happened again the van would leave without them. Sure enough, the next day they lagged again and as warned the van left. Burnside early morning filming mission was the plan, and those guys had to skate from the hotel to the park. Although it wasn’t that far of a skate, to someone who had never been here I can see how it would be a bit confusing. They were a bit frustrated but that didn’t stop everyone from stacking clips well into the night. On the way to one of said nightspots, Chris Joslin somehow ended up getting his neck wrapped and fully stuck in one of seatbelts. After a solid five or six minutes of laughter and plenty of photos we ended up having to actually cut the seatbelt to get him out. To this day, not a person in the van knows how he ended up in such a situation. I actually ended up staying in Portland, as the rest of the team had to head back south. The morning of the departure Brendan Villanueva woke up with what seemed to be a pretty sizeable spider bite on his cheek. A Burnside infection of some sort was the first thought (which actually isn’t out of the ordinary…) and after a hospital stop it was determined to be just a cyst. Other than that, everyone pretty much made it away in good health, which is always a huge plus at the end of any skate trip. A big thanks goes out to Powell-Peralta for making it possible. Summer is upon us and perhaps a sequel is in order. Until next time!

Jordan Hoffart : F.S Tuck Knee

Aldrin Garcia : Nollie Flip

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Interview: JP Olson As a kid I heard it said, “To gain respect, you have to give it.” Tim is one of the most revered artists in his ﬁeld, and for good reason. First impression is that he’s one of those people who feel like an old friend. He has a genuine way about him, the type of guy who could sit on his high horse but would rather not. I am grateful to have him as a friend and am super stoked to see his work on the cover for this month’s BL!SSS. Congrats, Tim! - Nolan Hall You grew up in Fullerton, right? Yes. When you were a kid your dad passed away when you were still pretty young. How did that affect your upbringing? I lost my mind, completely. Right after my dad died my family talked about what we were going to do and how things were going to happen. And the big question was, “What’s going to happen to Tim?” because he was

like my best friend. So, I just kind of blocked it out and just went into this kind of sociopathic behavior where in blocking being sad I had to block everything else as well. So, there was just no emotion or anything. It’s kind of a dangerous combination for a teenager in that neighborhood to totally block everything socially. It was just kind of like a bomb ready to go off. It was gnarly. I was just talking to my friend today and we were laughing about how we slipped through the cracks of the system. The system being caught up getting arrested, being caught up getting cases and then getting another case and having it get doubled because you have a prior. We just narrowly slipped through the cracks of the system and I just got lucky in that aspect. And then I eventually kind of found my mind, and I don’t know man, now I’m here. So, you were just tattooing random gang members in garages or at house parties or what?

No, it started out I was just tattooing my friends, which some of them were gang members. I know that sounds bad, but it really wasn’t that bad. They were just little neighborhood clicks. I was really bad at it, but dudes from the neighborhood wanted bad tattoos. It just looked tougher. As my work got better then my clientele wanted better tattoos. I still tattooed all of the same people, but I tattooed a lot of punkers too. It was like half of the cholos from the neighborhood and then half punker kids from around that area as well. So, it was a big mix and I got to do a lot of diverse stuff. You know how a lot of punk rock art was like solid black stuff? So, it was really easy to practice with like a Misfits skull or the Danzig thing or just weird little stuff. I must have done at least a hundred Social Distortion skulls. It’s good practice. Where did you get your first tattoo machine? That’s a good story. Well, the first ones I made were like homemade.

I was using little hair buzzer motors and trying to solder needles to that and using them to try to shade in and everything. The ﬁrst one I got, I used to party with this girl and she was part of a group that we used to all party together in Huntington Beach. She knew that I was messing around with tattooing and wanted to bring it to another level. Out of the kindness of her heart she said she would ask her dad, who owned some tattoo machines, if he would sell me a machine. But normally a professional tattoo artist can’t sell a machine to somebody who’s not professional, you know? Which makes no sense, but eventually you get an apprenticeship and do it the right way. She asked him and a father can’t say no to a daughter’s request. So, she got him to sell me a machine. She gave me an address and it was 22 Chestnut in Long Beach, and I didn’t know where that was. I drove this little piece of shit ‘79 Toyota Corolla with purple tint windows and it was all oxidized blue. It looked like it was matte

ﬁnished it was so oxidized. I drove it down to 22 Chestnut and it’s this little tattoo place in the middle of nowhere. It was called Bert Grimms and I had no idea of any of this. I walked in and there was this huge man with a beard sitting behind the counter and he had a hat on that said, “Yes, it hurts!” And he goes, “Are you Tim? Are you the guy my daughter sent down?” I was like, “Yes sir.” I had my two cousins with me and they were young, like 12 and I was like 17 and a half. So, he brought us into the back and goes, “Have you ever used a real machine before?” And I’m like, “No sir.” So, he puts the clip cord in and grabs my hand and goes, “Well, this is how you use it,” and dips it in water and says, “It’s a good thing you only have three letters in your name” and writes my name on my hand. With the machine dry and no ink, he shows me how to use it and says, “There you go.” I paid him the money and took the machine and then later I found out that this was the world famous Bert Grimms at the Pike. That man was Rick Walters and we’re still friends to this day. There was

a benefit at HB Tattoo recently and we were sitting next to each other working, and a guy asked me that same question and I pointed to him and said, “That’s the guy right there.” I said, “You see that guy right there, that’s Rick Walters, the man who sold me my first tattoo machine and we’ve known each other ever since, and that was 20 years ago.” And the guy was tripping that we’re still friends and that’s how it is in this business. I got so lucky. The stars aligned and I’m a very blessed man. I feel very grateful for that. How much was the machine? Back then it was $225 for a hand-made machine and the machine was made by Catfish Carl. I still have that machine. Never got stolen or hocked it for dope (laughs). Fast forward. You’ve been tattooing for the past 20 years and you’re still pretty young. How would you like to leave your mark on the tattoo community? I don’t know. My friend Stuart Robinson says this phrase and I actually like it a lot. He says, “We’re just standing on the

shoulders of giants.” I just feel like there’s really nothing more that can be done with tattooing that hasn’t already been done. I guess what I do is not always so much in my art. I just do the best art that I can do. I try to treat every piece like it’s my whole tattoo career leading up to that tattoo. Even if I’m doing a back piece to like a little rose, I just lead my whole tattoo career up to that moment and I put everything into that tattoo now. That’s how I feel you get the best possible work, but as far as what I want to bring to the table… just positivity. I can tell you every big name tattoo artist when I was a total noname that remembered my name, that was really positive towards me and would guide me in the right direction, and would shatter my ego when it needed to be shattered and break it down and build it back up again. I can remember all of the guys who did all of the positive shit to help me out, and vice versa. I can remember all of the guys who were total dicks and were real negative about tattooing and toward anyone trying to come up in it. So, for me, I want to be that positive guy. I like the kids who are bringing good

things to the table. Not just in their work, but as people and as human beings. They’re rad dudes. Because tattooing, man, there are a ton of tattoo artists... It’s not a matter if there’s enough tattoo artists, because there is. It’s a matter of if there’s enough of the right ones. So, I just try to reach out to the right ones and nurture what they have. So, where did you get the psycho bone in your brain to charge huge waves and pet cobras and all of that crazy stuff? Were you always like that? I don’t think it’s the psycho bone, I

think it’s the want to experience as much as I can before I die. I want to experience as much as I can. I want to travel as much as I can. I want to experience as much love and enjoyment and just life as I can. Life is to be enjoyed and I’m not going to enjoy it just sitting around and being stagnant. I want to go do things, and if that means going and drinking cobra blood and going and playing with a 12-foot-long king cobra in Bali with my friend while we’re high on mushrooms at one point in my life... I wouldn’t do that anymore, but I’m off to different things. I’m going to try to jump on this guy’s private jet

and tattoo him and get the world record for the highest tattoo. I’ll try to do that in route to the Bahamas and then maybe stay there for a little bit. So, things have moved on to different levels but I’m going to try to do as many things as I can in life, pulling as many strings as I can and not hurt anyone in the process. I think that’s what life is about. Tell us about your dad’s book. My dad wrote this book about 30 years ago. I was like seven or eight at the time and really skinny with this bowl cut and he drew this character. He wrote this entire children’s book

and he sketched it all so all of the sketches are done. He only colored two pages and the back cover before he died. But it’s this whole story about this kid who’s basically me but with a different name. He’s kind of like a free-spirited kid and an adventurer at a young age. He’s constricted to just walking along this little beach in this port town where he lives, and he has this longing to get to this island that he can see. He just wants to get to it. He meets this talking frog along the beach and he’s wearing this bow tie and a suit and he’s this weird talking frog. They devise this plan to build this bridge

across to the island. All of these sailors come by and see what they’re doing and laugh at them while they’re building it, but they keep going. This storm then comes up and takes the frog away and he loses his friend, and the kid is sad and doesn’t know what to do because he’s lost his friend. He wants to finish the bridge and through his sadness he builds it across and makes it to the island. It’s not so much of what the kid finds on the island, but the fact that the kid just completed the journey and did half of it on his own. He finally finds his friend and they are reunited. It’s this great story and my dad only finished two pages, and I’m going to finish the book 30 years later. I want to publish it and get it out there, and if anything happens with it I’m just going to split it up between me and my siblings. I just have to finish it and sort through all of it and I want to have it done by next year. It’s about finishing the bridge. Lastly, you’ve been very supportive throughout the tattoo community with charity events and fundraisers. What can we can look forward to seeing from you in the future? You never know. I guarantee you if someone falls upon

hard times in my community I’m going to do my part, and I know friends of mine will do theirs. I am working on a project with a few friends of mine who I met in the industry on a breast cancer event. I’m going to try to get a lot of tattoo artists involved that can ﬁx up mastectomy, because women who undergo breast cancer treatment can be left with terrible scars. And at the end of it, they get sent to these bad hack tattoo people who took a weekend course and charge 500 dollars per nipple and they look horrible. So, I’m going to try to get a bunch of my friends together once a month to do as many repairs as we can in one day just to help these ladies out. That way, the last thing that they remember is not this terrible hacked-up nipple that they have to live with for the rest of their life, but a good experience and a nice tattoo for free from a professional. It’s basically a good ending to a terrible experience that they had to go through. Out of all of the shit that we’ve done in our lives it would be doing some good and turn the karma back around. Giving them the nipples of their dreams! Alright, that should do it. Thanks, Tim. Alright, thanks a lot!

Photo: Straley

Interview: Spencer Pirdy You were born in Tathra, New South Wales. Tell us about growing up in that area? Tathra is a really small country town, around 3,000 people, small public schools and a mixed high school. I grew up playing every sport I could, riding dirt bikes and playing all types of football. It’s a super friendly community; everyone knows everyone and their business. Sometimes too much, but yeah, you get that in small towns. How is it going from living in a small town like Tathra to a big city like Sydney where you currently reside? Yeah it’s a crazy change in pace. Was hard to adapt to the aggressive city surfing that’s for sure, hassling in crowded lineups compared to where I grew up. City offered a lot of fun nightlife compared to Tathra, that’s for sure. That’s what you’re after when in ya early 20s. It also gave me so many more opportunities in surfing – sponsorship, contests and all the things ya need to be an aspiring pro surfer. Word is that you were a damn good Aussie Rules football player. Tell us about having to choose between surfing and football?

Ha ha… definitely wouldn’t say I had to choose. My footy career was going nowhere as I was 4 foot tall at age 19. I didn’t grow until I was well over the legal drinking age in Australia. I had fun playing footy with all my pals growing up though. I still flirt with the idea of running around again. I will when surfing is done – midlife crisis footy hero. You didn’t have much of an amateur career. What sparked the competitive flame in you? My junior career was nonexistent. I made the round before the quarters in one junior series event and made a total of US$150 dollars. That was my junior highlight. Not much to write home about. My mates Dayyan And Matty Bemrose got me to come on the WQS with them, but I struggled for years. I guess it was persistence that got me over the line. Did it help having friends like Dayyan Neve and Taj Burrow to push you in your surfing? The year I qualified was because Dayyan was smashing it that year. I was just thinking, “Fuck, I have to make it ‘cause he is on.” He dragged me along that year for sure. We have always had a competitive rivalry all the years we have known each other.

Those friendship/rivalries always help. I have known TB a long time but only really travelled together the past two years. It’s funny ‘cause TB was a star when I couldn’t even surf properly. I would watch his videos with my buddies frothing out. Now we surf together, compete against each other and it’s weird. I sit out there sometimes going, “Did I really get here?” It’s a trip.

make many but it’s fun trying. I’m getting long in the tooth so body preservation is key. Watching all the grommets doing these crazy airs though is so amazing. John is doing them in heats and Medina. Free surfers ﬁlm all year to get a clip that these guys are doing in 30-minute heats under pressure. It’s psycho. Power surﬁng is always going to be relevant, that never gets old.

Who inspired and helped shape your surfing into what it is today? I guess my dad helped in that department. Or didn’t… ha ha. He was always into traditional surfing, the old guy philosophy, no airs, etcetera, etcetera. So he made me ride longer boards as a grom, pintails and stuff like that. These days I blow up at him ‘cause I’m getting flogged by kids doing crazy airs and I’ll be like, “Good coaching pal, telling me not to do airs back in the day.” But that’s how it was back when I got on tour. Ride the tube and surf strong and you can stay around for a while.

We hear you enjoy Jack White of the White Stripes. What other music/cultural inﬂuences do you have? I love anything Josh Homme does. I froth on the QOTSA new album, it’s such a grower. My friends are all really good musos. They jam a lot and pump out some cool tunes. It’s so fun watching. I play guitar a bit but am pretty average. I have all the gear but no idea as they say.

What excites you more, a powerful carve or a big air? Why? It all excites me. I have been trying airs for the last few years. I don’t

Tell us about the self-realization trip you did to India back when you were sporting dreadlocks? It’s called Panchkarma. It’s a full mind/body detox. I had a fairly rough start to 2009 so I went for a clean out. I got my year back on track, so it was deﬁnitely beneﬁcial. It’s a unique experience and I went back again in 2010 or 2011. I guess as easy as it seems and generally

kai otton Photo: Straley

Photo: Troy Simpson

is, the tour can wear ya out and I felt like I needed to go do something out of the ordinary to feel right again. It’s funny, now I look back and think how can I stress out about anything? Life is way too easy for me compared to some people, but it happens and is uncontrollable at the time. How big of a coffee connoisseur are you? I’m an addict, no question. So grumpy in the morning till a java hits my lips. It’s kind of a problem. You’ve been on the tour for six years now and a lot has changed since you ﬁrst came on. Is the dream tour improving in your eyes or is it stagnant? The tour is so good now. The surﬁng level is ridiculous. It’s so hard to make any heat in any

Photo: Troy Simpson

Photo: Straley

round. The new structure and direction seems like it will only be a positive. With big surf brands not putting in as much money to run events next year it should free up some dollars for more kids to get sponsored. The waves on tour are great and have been really fun this year. I’d love to see J-Bay back – it’s such a premiere destination and was probably my favorite stop. Where’s your favorite stop on the tour and why? J-Bay is my favorite. I love the wave, the town and everything around it. It’s a cool little country vibe like my hometown. You can cruise around searching out other waves and camp out in nature reserves. All time.

travel with? I like travelling with KP. He likes to surf as much as me. He is super mellow and keeps me level. Traveling with Johnny Gannon and TB is fun. We are like grommets still frothing out in the surf like it’s our ﬁrst session still. He gets me amped every time we surf. We had a session in Fiji and were screaming like little kids the other day. After it we were tripping ‘cause a couple of other pro guys weren’t as psyched and we were just tripping like, “What is wrong with them or are we too pumped?” It was so cool to still be that excited after all the years surﬁng good waves.

What goals have you set for yourself this year on tour? I have one main goal and that’s to win an event.

Ten years from now where would you like to be? I want to live in my hometown Tathra, that’s the dream. I want to have a ﬂexible position in life, maybe rotate between Tathra and a few spots.

You’ve been riding Channel Islands for a while now. What models seem to be working best for you? I have had most success on the DFR, it’s my fave. Then, probably the Rookie.

What upcoming projects are you working on and where will we see you next? Not too many projects on the go just yet. I’m just doing my best to stay ﬁt and keep my spot on tour.

Who are some of your favorite people to

Thanks for your time, Kai. Safe travels.

Photo: Straley

Intro: Ryan Decenzo John Hanlon isn’t your average kind of guy, or skateboarder for that matter. He’s always been that dude you don’t really wanna mess with because he’s got it all. He’s a Canadian powerhouse and has always been so damn strong, tough and mature on and off his board – like a brick wall. You can see this when you watch his skating. His long legs can send him faster and higher than most, which allows for some amazing and stunning skating. It’s just a pleasure to watch. He always has a great attitude and just seems to be in a great mood overall, just enjoying life and living it up. One of his mentors is Paul Machnau, who, let’s just say “doesn’t fuck around,” and the same goes for Hanlon. When he’s out there skating he’s having a good time but he’s also charging. This man-child has always had the passion for skating, from back in the days when we would just go skate all the spots around his house to nursing any injury so he can get back on his board faster and stronger. Remember how mom or grandma told you that brains and brawn don’t really ever go together? Well, Mr. Hanlon is here to prove grandma wrong! Interview: Chet Thomas So I was lurking on your Facebook page and it says you went to North Surrey Secondary School. Where is that exactly and is that where you are from? I’m from Surrey, BC. It’s a suburb about 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver. Kinda known as the ghetto in BC. Speaking of Surrey, I have heard a lot of rumors about the girls there. Are the rumors true? If so, please explain. Haha, yeah, I guess the rumors are true. Chicks here like to party. I got myself a good Surrey girl though. Is the movie “Big Boobs and Sex” really the only movie that you like? If not, what are your other favorites that people should check out? Does it really say that on my Facebook? 92

Photo: Ortiz

270 Back Lip : Seq. Brian Caissie

Nollie B.S Heel Flip : Seq. Ortiz

K-Flip B.S Tail Big Spin : Seq. Mikendo

Kick Flip Double Rail : Photo: Mikendo

Jesus, I’m friends with my grandparents on there. I never really go on Facebook unless I’m trying to contact somebody. But I like funny movies... Superbad, Ted, stuff like that. I refuse to watch scary movies. Your only athlete likes on your page are Adam Dyet and Derek Fukuhara. Why those two dudes? Those are my homies! I don’t know why only them... but those are two sick dudes. Lots of good times skating and partying with those guys. Who the hell is Groove Thumper? Haha, that’s my friend from high school. He makes all kinds of music. So about your activities, I think you do other things than just skateboarding. When you’re off your board, what is your favorite thing to do? Fishing, camping, hiking… pretty much anything outdoors. Speaking of fishing, your Instagram, @johnhanlon604, is mostly fish photos. Are you obsessed with fish? Haha, yeah, I’m definitely hooked - no

pun intended. I’ve fished my whole life but I just started really getting into it about a year ago. So fun! What is it about fish that you like so much? The taste? The texture? The smell? No, it’s the anticipation of what you could catch. And the fight that some big fish put up is so sick. I can’t explain the feeling. Just being outside in the wilderness, no cars, or phone service. I love that shit. How often do you get grizzly up in the mountains? Is that some sort of slang for doing gnarly shit? Or are you asking how often do I see bears? Well, I’m always doing grizzly shit up in the mountains, but rarely do I see any bears. Do you grow a beard for the Canadian winters? Last winter I grew a sick beard, but it was while I was in California. It doesn’t really make much sense, but I felt like going for it. She got pretty grizzly. What is your favorite Canadian beer and why?

Nollie Crooks : Photo: Mikendo

Cariboo. It’s 5.5% alcohol and they hook up a bunch of skaters. We did a camping trip with the skate shop that I ride for and they hooked up like 20 ﬂats. What about your favorite American beer? Budweiser, classic. Which can you drink more of? Haha, probably the weak American Budweiser.

accidentally when you where staying there? You can be truthful; I don’t think Dyet is reading this. No, but I remember one sliding across the ﬂoor when I stubbed my toe on him. If you had to choose between long boarding and being choked out BJJ-style, which would it be? Fuck, choke me out. At least it feels cool waking up all choke-out high. I can’t feel cool long boarding.

Do you have any stories about the Decenzo brothers and late nights in Cali? Endless stories... not sure what I can say in print though. Those two shredders have been my homies since I was like 13. It’s usually pretty chill in that house, but it gets wild sometimes. There have been a couple brawls, fat lips and black eyes.

Did you ever surf when you were in Huntington Beach? How did it go? No, never. I’m not too big on deep ocean water. I’ll stick to my Canadian lakes, shark free.

What about Dyet’s turtle? Dyet had two turtles at one point. Or one was a tortoise. They aren’t the most exciting pets a guy could have, but he loves them. They’re chill.

The best advise you have given someone else? Do you.

Have you ever stepped on him

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you? Do you.

Anyone you would like to thank for your existence? My mom and dad! And all of my friends!

Photos & Interview: Kevin Westenbarger Jaeger Bailey has been on a good one the last couple of years. In two seasons he went from being an unknown kid riding in eastern Washington, to competing in the X Games, ﬁlming for Think Thank, and receiving the coveted “Rookie of the Year” title from Snowboarder Magazine. He has captured the snowboarding world’s attention with his balls-out style and unique trick selection. In today’s world of competition, with jocks doing the same exact tricks as each other day after day, Jaeger Bailey is a breath of fresh air. At 19 years young, Jaeger is just getting started. Let’s ﬁnd out how it all began. Firstly, why don’t you give us your sponsor list. Bataleon Snowboards, Switchback Bindings, Sandbox Helmets, Mammoth Mountain, Hobo, Crab Grab, Beaver Wax and Raw. Alright, Zips or In-N-Out Burger? Zips, no questions asked. Why Zips?

For one, Zips is out of the Northwest so it wins by default. For two, it’s absolutely amazing! The burgers blow In-N-Out’s out of the water, along with a bigger selection and a menu with variety. Zips has too much fluctuation. If you go certain locations, the food is not as good as others. No comment... You may be right though. Actually, what do you know? You haven’t been to enough locations to judge! They are all the best. What parts of Washington did you grow up in? Well, I was born in Enumclaw, Washington, which is not far from Seattle. I lived there until I was about eleven or twelve then moved to a tiny black hole called Chewelah, which is located on the eastern side of the state. What is 49 Degrees North? 49 Degrees North is my home mountain in Chewelah located 10 miles up the road. It’s where I learned to rope and ride, so to speak. It’s nothing special but still a gem in the middle of nowhere. Has being upside down always been a big part of your life? Haha, yeah, kind of. I remember flipping off of shit since I was way young. After a snowboard came into the picture I figured why not

take the flipping to the snow? What riders influenced you when you first started snowboarding? The rider that influenced me the most when I first started snowboarding also happens to be my best friend, Mitch Richmond. Who on his own sent it into the shred world and established himself as one of the sickest snowboarders to this date. That’s something to look up to. Besides that, Scott Stevens has blown my mind since the first video part (Patchwork Patterns) I ever saw. He is a genius; I just wanted to be like him. Tell us about the “Facebook to Fame” video. Facebook to Fame was my first online part. Filmed with tape cameras, dad cam angles, and a whole lot of zeaches, it was somehow posted by snowboardermag.com. It ended up getting a ton of views as well as turning a few heads. How has it been living in Mammoth the last two years? Mammoth is fun, very isolated and the worst place to catch a flight. It will be cancelled... every time. I feel it’s made me a stronger snowboarder in the sense of riding all terrain. It offers anything you could ever want, some of the best parks, pipes and powder in California.

This year was your ﬁrst time at the X Games; tell us what that was like. X Games was insane! It was crazy that a kid like me could end up smack dab in the middle of Aspen with a bib number. I was tripping, it felt like I was 11 years old running back and forth around the place. It was one of the most amazing opportunities that snowboarding has brought me. It was just like a normal day shredding with your homies, except with a bit of hype. I really hope to return next year. You also competed and beat the most favored competitor at the Mammoth Game of S.N.O.W, Louif Paradis. How was that? Well, I still don’t know how it played out like that, but apparently I came out on top against THE BEST rail rider on earth. Just dandy, I guess. What were the four tricks you did that gave him S.N.O.W? Front board a kink, nollie hardway backside 180, front 180 switch nose press maybe? And a cab 270 pull back. How was your season besides those highlights, ﬁlming a lot? Yeah, I sure tried. I didn’t get to travel as much as I hoped but I was still able to make it out a few times. I went

to a couple new places outside the states, which was super rad! In all, I had so much fun and I hope to travel a lot more next season. What would a perfect day of snowboarding for you involve? Proper attire, a snowboard, some snow, and my friends… Perfect. Tell us about the 5’2” Crew. Haha. 5’2” Crew is kind of an ongoing joke now for about two years. Started by DJ Matty Mo, he dubbed Kyle Lopiccolo, Mitch Richmond, and myself as the 5’2” Crew. You can probably guess why, but none of us are really 5 foot 2 inches. How has your summer been at Mt. Hood? My summer at Mt. Hood has been going great. I work at a snowboard camp (High Cascade Snowboard Camp) and it’s truly amazing. I wake up, work, and then get to ride for the rest of the day. It’s the best summertime park riding there is. What are your plans for the rest of summer and into next season? I hope to ﬁnish the summer strong while having a great time – snowboarding as well as relaxing. As for next season, I want to try to compete in a few more competitions and ﬁlm a good video part. Stay healthy and most of all have fun!

! !

Words: Kelly Shannon :: Photos: Jonathan LeVine Gallery // Pose : Jordan Nickel // Revok : Jason Williams // Revok : 301 Petoskey // Gallery Shot // Pose : Doll2 // Revok : 3378 Sturtevant // Dabs & Myla // Pose Black Book Signing // Steven Harrington & Jamie Rojo // Lee Quinones This summer, the raw self-expression of graffiti art made its way into Chelsea’s Jonathan LeVine Gallery, one of New York City’s most unconventional, cuttingedge art galleries to date. Curated by Roger Gastman, the exhibit titled “Uphill Both Ways” features the works of graffiti artists POSE and REVOK. The show opened with a bang on June 29, hosting an incredible turnout with attendees such as street artists Rime, Dabs Myla and Madsteez (just to name a few), as well as exhibit curator Roger Gastman. That night, Jonathan LeVine Gallery was home to an incredibly vibrant showing, including everything from the wild and colorful artwork to the eccentric visual enthusiasts. While POSE and REVOK differ in style, technique and medium, their work is conceptually very synergetic. Both artists were greatly inspired by the late graffiti artist NEKST, who was a member of the world-renowned graffiti crew ‘Mad Society Kings’ (MSK). Just before their tandem exhibition opening, numerous graffiti artists, including POSE, REVOK, and several other MSK crewmembers, took to the streets of Brooklyn to create a tribute to NEKST. 104

Stretching for three blocks, the name “NEKST” appears over and over, each name conceptualized separately and uniquely by the different grafﬁti artists. Today, POSE and REVOK are both members of The Seventh Letter, an acclaimed West Coast artist collective and MSK crew. In short, Chicago’s POSE (Jordan Nickel) integrates pop and comic art, skateboarding, advertising graphics, collage, sign painting and grafﬁti. His fragmented imagery is intended to disarm pretense, making his work universally accessible and open to interpretation. On the opening night, POSE’s impressive work had viewers completely captivated. Detroit/LA’s REVOK (Jason Williams) creates abstract geometric panels with vibrant colors and striking patterns using found materials from abandoned homes, schools, businesses and churches. Gallery wanderers couldn’t get enough of his abstract, multi-dimensional works of art. While the exhibit ended on July 27th, be sure to check out these unique and unconventional artists online at jonathanlevinegallery.com.

Brian 'Slash' hansen n ose gri n d / vista, ca / ph oto: d rago n ette WWW.ACTIVERI D ESH O P.CO M

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Words: Clint Moncata :: Photos: Mana // The playing field // Eastside’s EWOK’S // Escaping the madness underwater // Kick flip to fackie, Nate Nahina // Who needs life jackets when you have a floating ramp // Billy barefoot frontside flip to slippery death ramp // Taylor, center, buyer for WRV on the North Shore made it out to the Eastside with some friends for some fun in the sun // Backside grinding on the sand bar The day started out with me towing the ramp from my house about 7 a.m., but I lost the 24-foot-long by 8-foot-wide bottom floating platform we added to the ramp before the photo shoot on the North Shore last year. Luckily, the original ramp made it to the sandbar with only a few pieces missing but still floating! As we were pulling up, people not there for the event were baffled as to what they were looking at. We anchored the ramp and had to race back to my house to pick up the skaters. Both core skate shops in the 808, Skate and APB, had their team riders coming to do the demo.

from the North Shore smoked everyone as usual. He also won last year’s Oahu and Kauai events. I’m telling you, we need to put this kid on the program. He’s my new Kale. I need one skater in Hawaii ﬂying the Volcom ﬂag (that’s my pitch one more time to back this kid up – he’s solid). At 5 p.m. I had to tell the last remaining skaters enough is enough. The ramp was wet and slippery and it was getting late, and it still had to be taken out of the water and towed back to my house. We loaded everything up, made sure we didn’t leave footprint and started the slow drive back to my house.

When I got to my house there must have been 25 people waiting to get a ride to the ramp (but that’s ok because it was mostly girls). APB was late so I left them the dingy with a map where to meet us. The ﬁrst two hours of the skate session went off, but then as the tide and wind came in the skaters started launching into the water and jumping on the ramp soaking wet. The last two hours of the skate session turned into a sketchy, slippery, slam fest. This is when we started the skate contest/jam session! Only the hardest of the hardcore skaters were on the ramp now.

It took me about an hour to get the ramp there in the morning and three hours to get the ramp home. We broke every rope I had on the boat towing the ramp back in. My wasted friend fell off the boat and almost got ripped to shreds by the prop. We also lost a quarter of the half pipe and some of the flat bottom. Finally, about a half mile from my house the last rope broke. I didn’t look back! I left my drunken friend and the ramp to float away hoping this mess would just disappear. My friend made it back to my house safe after a nice sobering swim. I woke up the next morning, went out and found the ramp and brought her home to cut her up and say goodbye. She had a good life. May you rest in peace floating ramp.

When all was said and done, six skaters walked away with a backpack full of goodies. Billy

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Top Left: Cameron Revier, Alec Beck, Olan Prenatt, Sean Imes, Tyler Davis, Sam Baker, Justin Premeaux & The Arbor Whiskey Street Series | Photos by Matt Smith

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Words: Greg Escalante :: Photos: Sharon Ann Marshall // Robert Williams in front of His master piece Oscar Wilde In Leadville April 13, 1882. Collection Stuart and Judy Spence // Charlie and Dennis Roth, George Barris, Greg Escalante, Robert Williams and Beau Bockman of Galpin Ford repute // CR Stecyk & Jason Maloney // Hot retro girl, Surf artist, Roy Gonzalez // Mr. and Mrs. Templeton and others // Dennis Roth, friend and Charlie Roth // Flamed car // Shack with rare Roth painted Dextra surfboard shared by Roy Fjsted. Jimmy C. Flamed surfboard, Roy Gonzalez surfboard // Roth’s Surﬁte car // Bubble car that Dennis Roth arrived in with friend. For sale 100,000.00 // Flight of the dodo, concept by Robert Williams, Fabricated by Jeff Decker out of bronze. Marks the ﬁrst time williams has worked in brass at this scale

These were visionary artists that broke away – they had nothing to do with the mainstream art world. They had their own vision, a way of seeing, which was portrayed in the modified or oversized eyeball. Von Dutch had his all-knowing flying eyeball (the universal idea). Ed “Big Daddy” Roth had his crazy, bulbous, bulging, bloodshot eyes. Robert Williams had his masterpiece – the detailed psychedelic eyeball, which was a contrast to Duchamp’s tyranny of the eye; Duchamp renounced painting as it relied on technique and beauty and not so much on thinking. Rick Griffin was a master of the perfectly drawn surfing eyeball. Margaret Keane, almost more distinctly than any of the others, had the sad, waif-like, seductive, beautiful, mysterious eyes. All five artists – including many that came before them, such as Basil Wolverton,

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Walt Disney and Max Fleischer – inspired generations of young artists. This group can be credited with creating a new art movement, as examined by various books, museums, and shows such as Kustom Kulture, Don Ed Hardy’s Eye Tattooed America, Villa Velour: The Black Velvet Paintings of Edgar Leeteg (at the HBAC), Surf Culture, In the Land of Retinal Delights, and most recently MOCA’s Art In the Streets. These artists and this movement also spawned the best selling art magazine Juxtapoz, along with Hi-Fructose, Beautiful Decay, BL!SSS and others. This group also inﬂuenced new contemporary art documentaries in the MoMA ﬁlm series. This brings us full circle to Kustom Kulture II, where we follow where the original concepts have led to as well as take a broader examination of the whole phenomenon.

Words: LJ O’Leary :: Photos: Mark Underwood, Yoni Kaplan-Nadel & Sterling Foxcroft // Heavy pours // Surfs up // Hector Santamaria, Sean C, Dos Bone & Cliff Lidell // Erica, Rebekah & Amanda // Mike Q, Brooks Sterling, Sterling Foxcroft, Arash Malek & Mark Underwood // Chi Monster // Nick Skawinski, L Jeezy, Schaler Perry & his wife Erica Perry // Captain America dressed as Cliff Lidell // Aloha Queen with Kyle

Lots and lots of babes, drunkards, drunken babes, cops harassing halfdressed drunken babes, all sorts of partygoers, and wild, wild times are to be expected in the Newport’s Warzone. Perhaps the lesser-known area across the street is a touch classier; it is still no safe-haven, especially now. ourCaste opened their showroom doors at 6480 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach, for the ﬁrst time over Independence Day. They invited the anticipating world to come on in, smash a beer,

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have a high-five, share a smile and get a sneak peak into what exactly it is that the ourCaste crew are up to in their handsomely designed new PCH home. While the boys spent most of their time BBQing, lighting off fireworks, taking pulls of Fireball and shotgunning beers, the interns ran around trying to figure out how to work their Contax G2. When it was all said and done, we were pleasantly surprised at what they got. Enjoy.

T H E E R A I N C AT S

facebook.com/theeraincats twitter.com/theeraincats insta@theeraincats ambig.com

Words: Vanessa Chiu :: Photos: Tommy B (thetommyb.com) // Jen Calvin of Bleached, Blaque Chris & pals of CultistZine // Linda of Love+Made, Lanie of Hellz Bellz & BOTB & Tammy // Hana & Jen of Tiger Tiger Creative Agency // Glori & Julia of Raen & friends // Natalie & Britt of Homme Girl // Photographer Rick Rodney & friends // Agenda’s Mike Carter & bro (literally) // Songstress Colleen Green

Agenda WMNS, a curated female-centric forum, arrives this summer season nestled within the Agenda Long Beach on July 25th and 26th. We celebrated her arrival at Space 15 Twenty with an all-star, all-girl lineup. The event is bringing together a bevy of babes and brands representing “LA’s ﬁnest female heavy hitters,” a quote borrowed from Jeanine Pesce of style/trend blog This Is Range. The night was hosted by Jayne Min of Stop It Right Now, curated limited edition merchandise by Yasi & Jane from Cultist Zine, ear-spiration ﬁnely curated by Jen Clavin of the cult, which was followed band Bleached and songstress Colleen Green who serenaded us with her sweet voice. Together with

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our buddies at Love+Made, Hellz Bellz, Lazy Oaf, Mink Pink, Morning Warrior, Beach Riot, Raen, Stance, Tallow and sexy styling’s from Shown to Scale… we celebrated the launch. Industry tastemakers, fashion fans and music lovers got some sizzurp on PBR, Peligroso Tequila and Hansen’s Lemonade. Partygoers got posey with Tommy B’s PhotoBooth, and Miss Amy Pham of HM Soundsystem was snapping the night’s roaming visuals. To stay up to date with Agenda WMNS at Agenda Long Beach on July 25th & 26th, follow us at @AgendaWMNS.

@ M AT I XC L O T H I N G

FA C EB O O K .C O M / M AT I XC L O T H I N G

Words: Danny Kurtzman/Mark Willingham :: Photos: Ryan Mark // LRO Founder Jesse Billauer & Adaptive Skate Contest winner Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham // Active Ride Shop owner Esmail Mawjee & Ezekiel’s Brand Manager Danny Kurtzman // LRO’s Jesse Billauer & Crew // Wheelz from Nitro Circus // Jay Adams, Greyson Fletcher & homie Zach McKinley // Ezekiel pro Derek Fukuhara pushing an Adaptive Skater // They Will Skate Again 2013 // Ezekiel’s Justin Cefai & Joey The annual Life Rolls On Foundation (LRO) “They Will Skate Again SHOE CITY Open” adaptive skate clinic and contest was held at the Venice Skatepark on Saturday, July 20th. Thank you to LRO founder and our friend Jesse Billauer for his continued inspiration and support of the paralysis and physically challenged community along with his amazing LRO staff for all of their hard work. The day wouldn’t be a success without all of the volunteers who contributed their time to make this day so special for everyone. We are so lucky that every year our Ezekiel crew gets to be a part of such an amazing event where we design exclusive TWSA event tees for all of the riders and volunteers who participated in the event. This day wouldn’t be the same without the amazing help of Derek Fukuhara, Justin Cefai and Vince Duran, who we have been lucky to share our favorite day with and are a huge help in the Adaptive Skate Clinic. Shout out to Jay Adams, Greyson Fletcher and the Lizard King for stopping by and putting on an amazing show for all the participants.

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Congrats to Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham (the dude from Nitro Circus backﬂip fame) for taking home the $5k Adaptive Skate Contest prize! Thank you to all the skaters, contestants and families who came to participate in this year’s event. Kumaka, an amazing 6 year old, born with Spina Biﬁda, won the award for Biggest Badass! His dad, mom, and four brothers all attended the event in support of him. “These types of events allow kids like Kumaka to thrive… doing things maybe a little different but by no means any less cooler,” Kumaka’s mother Tracy said. “Kumaka doesn’t know he has a birth defect, partially because his is allowed to do things like this. So please, tell everyone there how grateful we are for their sponsorship at Life Rolls On!” For more information and future events by LRO, please visit www.liferollson.org.

Interview: Max Ritter :: Photo: Nick Walker

Tijuana Panthers from Long Beach, CA, will be hitting both coasts over the next couple months in support of their new record Semi-Sweet. Check the dates, and thanks guys for hitting up Glamour Shots at the mall and getting this shot for us, yew! Tell us a little bit about the new recordings. It’s our second record that we have had ﬁnished for a while now – glad to get it out to the people. I really like how this one came together. I’m curious as to what other artists you were getting psyched on at the time you wrote these songs? I listen to a lot of talk radio so maybe that inﬂuenced a bit. I’m not too sure what the other guys were listening to at the time.

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I know a lot of what we read influences some of the writing and structure. How has the band evolved and what new things did you guys try this time around? I feel that writing is coming a little easier right now. We are coming up with a lot of great new material; we actually have another full record ready to go in the wings. I’m really psyched you guys covered The Nerves song “One Way Ticket.” Are they a big influence? A lot of people think “Hanging On The Telephone” is a Blondie song, but it’s actually written by The Nerves – super short lived and underrated band. The Nerves are great! They aren’t a big influence but we dig

them and originally did that cover for a comp that came out on Volar Records out of San Diego. I recommend ﬁnding that comp and purchasing it, it’s rad! Saw you guys are working on a sweet new music video for the song “Boardwalk.” It looks nuts. Yeah, Daniel came up with the video idea. It’s gonna be pretty crazy. Really excited to share it with everyone. You guys are now hooked up with a pretty cool new label, Innovative Leisure, it’s a pretty eclectic label. Is it a good ﬁt for you? Innovative Leisure is the greatest. F A M I L Y. Tell us about the West Coast and East Coast runs you

have coming up... some cool openers there, such as GRMLN and Yikes. Did you guys pick those bands? We booked them ourselves… Yikes booked the East Coast. These tours are gonna be some fun. We have done these runs many times and they are always a blast. Really stoked to be playing with both bands! What’s the best Mexi spot in Long Beach – 4th street Taqueria? That place is amazing! Yeah, I would back that. We used to hit it up in High School all the time. Thanks, Phil! Check out Tijuana Panthers new record Semi-Sweet out now on Innovative Leisure Records.

Burnt Ones Live Review & Photo: Max Ritter The Constellation Room, Santa Ana, CA Sunday July 14th, 2013

Check out Burnt Ones from San Francisco. Their sophomore record You’ll Never Walk Alone was just recently released, and it’s got some killer psychedelic glam jam. Kinda dark and catchy and sounds like it’s channeling some Marc Bolan, and they slaughtered the Constellation Room at the Observatory just a few weeks ago. It was a great night, and if you ever get a chance to see them perform we highly recommend it.

Reviews: Max Ritter

Jeans Wilder Totally Everloving

EL-P & Killer Mike Run The Jewels Fools Gold

Sweet Valley SV Fools Gold

Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds Haunted Heads In The Red

De-stress. Mellow out. Chill. Everything is going to be ok. You just need some of that stranded-on-a-remotetropical-island-with-no-choice-but-tobefriend-a-volleyball shit. Here ya go.

Unfortunately, we have to report the ofﬁcial Run The Jewels weed grinder is now sold out. However, the album download is still free-99. Is that a Game of Thrones reference on the last track? They got me there. Maybe I am just watching too much Game of Thrones. Have you seen that shit? Game of Thrones and this record = DAAAMMNNN.

Brothers Joel (Kynan) and Nathan Williams (Wavves) have unleashed a new mixtape from their colla-brotive instrumental beat project Sweet Valley. It has loads of weird, trunk rattling madness! And it’s a free download. Thanks to Joel for DJ-ing our shi-bang party back in June. You’re a freak!

Love some of the pretty ditty ballads on the back half of this new Kid Congo Powers record. Man is nearly 55 years old and still making killer garage records. This dude played in The Cramps, The Gun Club and had a stint with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. That makes for one bad man, kids.

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RIVIERA

Rider: CJ Drummy

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