Roark Guidebook - Vol. 16: "Hong Kong Galore" Spring of 2019

OF ADVENTURE

THE ARTIFACTS

VOL 16: “HONG KONG GALORE” SPRING of 2019

TA I L O R E D B Y TRAVEL D E S T I N AT I O N : H O N G K O N G

Every season the collection is inspired by stories, culture, climate, people, and local textiles from travels to a different point on the map. The city of Hong Kong has earned its way onto the itinerary of adventurers and traders for thousands of years. But in true fashion, Roark explored the bowels of what most love about the city and what we never knew about the waves, tropical musings and rocks to climb in the extremities of the territory.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

DYLAN GORDON, DREW SMITH AND RYAN HITZEL.

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P A R K E R C O F F I N & I V A H W I L M O T, R E V I V A L I S T S , B I G W A V E B A Y

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DREW SMITH ABOVE THE HONG KONG SKYLINE

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VOL 16: “HONG KONG GALORE” SPRING of 2019

1

CHAPTER

BY BEAU FLEMISTER

While the exact origin of its name is not known, Hong Kong is

which infers a sense of conflict isn’t the right word. Perhaps it’s

generally believed to be a phonetic rendering of the Cantonese

a mixing of cultures. A spinning of stories. A centrifugal whirl

pronunciation hēung góng, a phrase that translates to “fragrant

rotating around this island nucleus. The colonial in a complicated

harbor,” the fragrance either referring to the sweet taste of

tango with tech. Hundreds of high-rises that from afar look like

fresh water from the adjacent Pearl River, or aroma of incense

desperate arms reaching toward the heavens for gifts from the

artisans lining the coast of Northern Kowloon. Regardless, this

gods. Or maybe it’s the way arms raise in a dance…

intrinsic quality of scent signifies some corporeal connection from the start. A clash with the senses, certainly something one

Whatever the hell it is, Parker Coffin, Ivah Wilmot and Drew

immediately feels when walking down the electric-overload

Smith have been looking for some action for an hour now,

that is Nathan Road or through the frenetic Temple Street Night

kicked out of their third straight mahjong den without even

Market. Car exhaust mixing with fragrant Bauhinia blossoms,

getting a seat at the table, their only crime being a gweilo

mingling with dried cuttlefish beside dim sum simmering on a

(Westerner). And who the hell could have ever known it

dingy alleyway wok at the foot of a billion dollar skyscraper.

would be so hard to hand locals your money? Go figure.

Hong Kong, a clash of cultures, an island that has seen rulers and

Speaking of gweilos, the bunch of us were no small crew this time.

language and uniforms exchange power for over 6,000 years, from

A larger band of gypsies channeling Roark’s adventurous spirit, in

Baiyue tribes to Chinese dynasties to British occupation, and quite

Hong Kong, we would explore all terrains. Ivah Wilmot, a young

recently, back to the Chinese again. But maybe the term “clash,”

mystic from Jamaica and Parker Coffin, a merry prankster from

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L E F T N O Y I N N O YA N G P R E M I U M T E E W H I T E $ 3 0 S A V A G E B A N YA N 1 9 ” B O A R D S H O R T N A V Y $ 6 5 TO P R I G HT S A V A G E 3 - L AY E R J A C K E T B L A C K $ 2 0 0 H W Y 1 3 3 D E N I M V I N T A G E $ 7 5

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Santa Barbara would lead our surf endeavors, while skate icon Jamie Thomas, aka “the Chief,” with Oceanside’s, Chris Troy, would guide us through the streets. Freeclimber cum photojournalist, Drew Smith, would scale sea cliffs and rock-face, while return travel-addicts Elvis and the Wolf would tow us deep into this island’s ethos. Of course Roark’s trusted and perennial documentarians, Jerry Ricciotti (a seasoned VICE director of photography on vid) and the intrepid Dylan Gordon on stills, would capture each moment, each escapade, each boot from every mahjong den...

I V A H W I L M O T & PA R K E R C O F F I N , R E V I V A L I S T S , TA K I N G A B U S F R O M T H E C I T Y I N S E A R C H O F W AV E S .

And nevertheless, despite being barred from the third den, their

A curious crowd is gathering and it’s always special how

spirits are not sullied. Our young, green but grinning local

skateboarding can make people stop where they’re headed to,

handler, Mikey C, had informed us earlier, a mere hour after

and watch, and be fascinated. Before we know it, they’re filming

Parker and Ivah arrived, that the surf was up (for Hong Kong)

this impromptu event on iphones, probably Facebook Live,

and to grab their boards and get in the bus before the waves were

as this is Hong Kong, and nothing does not happen immediately.

gone. Apparently, Big Wave Bay was firing, so we loaded up the

But a few cops on foot intervene 20 minutes in and tell the boys

25-seat mini-bus, each got a row to ourselves and Jamie Thomas

to break down the ramp. To, respectfully, beat it. So they do,

set the tone like he always does, clicking play on a small but

and we scurry off to scour the city for another mahjong den,

potent travel speaker which crooned: I’m sorry, but I’m just

foot masseuse and an intersection with buildable kickers.

thinking of the right words to say/ I know they don’t sound the way I planned them to be/ But if you’ll wait around awhile, I’ll make you fall for me/ I promise, I promise you I will…

Indeed Big Wave Bay was surfable and the water was a balmy, jade-colored bathtub. We gave it hell for a couple hours even if it was like a mediocre day at home, Parker punting a couple air reverses off some left hand bowls, while Ivah faded, floated and turned most-stylishly. We came in through a passing storm, cracked open Tsingtao beers and slurped our first proper bowl of hot noodles while the rain let up, Big Wave Bay feeling quite removed from the metropolis only 45 minutes away.

But back in the city circling the Temple Street Night Market, we run into Jamie and Chris, who have very quickly seemed to make themselves at home in this town. They’d assembled a steel construction sign and two road barriers into a waist-high launch ramp beneath an iconic neon sign and began doing massive kick flips in the middle of the street right under the city’s nose.

CHAPTER 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

C H R I S T R O Y, F R I E N D O F T H E F A M I LY

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PA R K E R C O F F I N & I VA H W I L M OT D R I F T I N G T H R O U G H T H E N I N E P I N I S L A N D S

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ROSS TURPIN O F S TA R C R O S S E D TAT TO O

BY BEAU FLEMISTER

After a few nights camping on the Ninepin Islands, we returned

“Hong Kong has affected my creativity hugely, though. As far as

to the bright lights of Hong Kong, finding the Star Crossed Tattoo

my art, mostly with the Asian aesthetic, but also being here you

shop up a few flights of stairs off Granville and Chatham Roads.

have so much exposure with international artists passing through,

Inside Star Crossed, beyond the tattoo art are shelves of books,

so that helps my inspiration a whole lot.”

photos, trinkets, toys, tchotchkes and tools in each artist’s respectful open office corner. I notice an illustrated series of gastropods drawn

“Out on the street, though, here in Hong Kong there’s so much

purely from penises and vaginas near the bathroom wall that struck

energy. Food and smells on every corner, and then not many people

my eye in particular.

know how much jungle there is here. The Outer Islands are so close and so undeveloped. You can live outside of the city in nature away

The boys decided to get some ink done, certainly an enduring

from the chaos, but then just go in for work or dining.”

keepsake from this place to take home with them. Jamie — a traditional Chinese tiger, Elvis — a modern, stylized cubic tiger

“As far as tattoo aesthetic, though, Hong Kong is very unique

head, and Mikey — a Mexican eagle. Somewhere between the

because it does have some Americana influence from the

buzz of the gun, we got to talking with South African transplant

military during WW2, it may have even started here with

and artist/co-owner, Ross Turpin.

American sailors. But then, dragons are so connected to Hong Kong culture too. They’re so ubiquitous. Trends move fast with

“I was an artist and after graduation worked at an ad agency but

tattoos, however. Personally, I love anything with a strong bold

I just hated it. I just was a lot more into the punk rock scene and

line that will last. I’m inspired mainly by American traditional

always just wanted to do tattoos because that was a big part of the

tattoo and woodblock etching from traditional Asian culture.”

culture. I knew if I could draw and make a living that way, I’d be happy. It all worked out, though, and I’ve been lucky to make a living doing what I love here in Hong Kong which is a dream.”

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S H O P T H E E N T I R E C O L L E C T I O N AT R O A R K . C O M

S TA R CROSSED WETSUIT TOP $109 The intricate print on this wetsuit top comes straight out of Star Crossed Tattoo courtesy of artist Ross Turpin. Inspired by WWII bomber jackets in Hong Kong.

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H I G H S TA K E S , LO W L I V E S S TA P L E T E E B L A C K $ 3 0 H W Y 1 3 3 D E N I M PA N T R A W $ 8 0 LEFT - PARKER SEARCHES FOR A WELCOMING MAHJONG DEN

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BY BEAU FLEMISTER

Boredom-Busting While En Route

H O W T O PA S S T I M E I N - T R A N S I T W H E N T H E C L O C K S AY S H U R R Y U P A N D WA I T

Certainly there are better ways to pass the time before that next ferry leaves to Lombok or while you’re waiting around on an 8-hour layover in Heathrow than staring blankly at a 4-inch screen.

Thus, when WiFi ceases and you’re completely over Rummy 500, let us recommend a few mind-sharpening ways to pass the time, if not celebrate the waiting.

READ

Nearly every great film today was once a novel and it’s amazing how much a movie can miss. And sure, you can load up a hundred ebooks on your Nook or Kindle, but there’s something sacred and carnal about the sound a turning page makes in your fingers when time stands still once you’re utterly lost in a story. Our recommendations could go on an on, but when you’re out in the world and away from home…Theroux, Rushdie, Garcia Marquez and Greene always have the goods, Vonnegut, Wolfe and Palahniuk for the funny, Neruda, Whitman and Rumi to make your heart soar.

DREW

S E E K A N D E X P L O R E S T R A P PAT C H H AT K H A K I $ 3 0 B A N YA N W O V E N P I N K $ 6 0

GET LOST

LEARN THE LANGUAGE

Get gone. Get improvisational. Get into trouble. Because the best stories happen when you go rogue and break from script. At a train station and you’re supposed to go to Madrid but you meet some wildlings headed to an underground Gypsy music fest in Granada?

Follow the wildlings, the smells of the smoky food carts, throw a bill into the game you don’t understand that people are circled around and gambling over. That’s where the stories lie.

You know what separates one traveler from the rest of the tourists?

Two words. That’s it. You learn the correct pronunciation of two measly words in a country and say them to a local and they will light up and exclaim, “You speak Bahasa?!” Of course you don’t, but that effort is something special to them. Lonely Planet makes great pocket phrasebooks; buy one and learn a few lines. You’d be amazed at the kind of cultural access language will give you.

TRY THE STREET FOOD

If Tony Bourdain taught us anything, it’s to explore deeper and eat where the paved road ends. The next time you’re waiting around for the next ferry or train to pull into the station, wander outside of the terminal a little. Because when you’re sitting down — or popping a squat — with the rest of the local folk eating nasi goreng with your fingers out of a re-useable bowl, that says something to the people around you.

DREW

O P E N R O A D S S TA P L E T E E S L AT E B L U E $ 2 6 EXPLORER SHORT BURGUNDY $65

JAMIE

W AY W A R D D R A G O N FA D E P R E M I U M T E E M I L I T A R Y $ 3 6 C H I L L E R T I G E R LOT U S 1 7.5” B L AC K $ 6 5

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D R E W, J A M I E & I V A H S A M P L I N G T H E L O C A L E FA R E

THE “SECOND WIND” ROARK’S SELF-STOWING, A C T I V E L AY E R $ 9 9 The ultralight jacket you never knew you needed whether on the trail, riding or trekking the streets of Kowloon.

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DREW FINDS AN INVERTED LINE ON THE ISLAND TO RELEASE

Not far off one of the Ninepins both Elvis, Rod and Jerry get in a

BY BEAU FLEMISTER

skiff to fish while the rest of us do backflips and gainers off the upper canopy into the warm, translucent South China Sea. We motor around the small vacant islands looking for some good fishing and diving spots but instead discover perfect perches and ledges above deep water. We proceed to explore the low cliffs and volcanic rhyolite columns finding one inviting cove with a tight, deep landing. Ivah immediately puts his heels over,

PREPARE TO DISCONNECT

We drift away toward the hazy fingers of the Ninepin Islands and set camp on Tai Chau.

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CHAPTER

not giving it a second thought and launches backwards stylishly.

Cliff-jumped out, the sun wanders lazily toward the afternoon horizon. A particularly gorgeous island — Tai Chau, to be exact — winks at us, beckoning our boat for safe harbor. Elvis and I grab surfboards to paddle over to the shore and scope out how campable the terrain is, as well as the mosquito, sand fly and snake situation.

Drew, Jerry and Dylan motor over in the skiff to scope the climbing scene. The beach is certainly campable, so the two of us follow one of the random sand trails to a peak with a Buddhist shrine at the top.

As we hike up, the vacant island is eerily silent, like a host at a party keeping some peculiar secret. This place, though only a few miles from Hong Kong feels far removed, if not magical.

We hear the skiff motor over and point down at an inviting rock face 200 feet below us, underneath the archway. Drew obliges and picks an inverted line over a deep channel of water bisecting the island.

He makes it about 40-feet up(side-down) and releases, splashing with a smile into the South China Sea. Indeed, Drew too has disconnected.

The rest of the crew shows up on the shores with camping gear as the sky turns a pale pastel. Hopping down to the beach we notice a small bluff halfway down with a 270-degree view of the sea and discover that the ground is a spongy grass, perched above an 80foot archway, perfect for the tents. Half of us pitch on the beach, while half pitch on the bluff, but we all gather on the grassy plain, pass around a bottle of whiskey and a spliff and enjoy the view from Dragonfly Island.

A cool trade wind keeps the bugs away and Ivah, headphones in his ears, closes his eyes, starts freestyle singing a reggae tune and skanks the sun to sleep. As if the evening couldn’t get any better, fireflies arrive and flicker around us in the darkness. Miles away, we notice a small thunderstorm shooting lightening bolts over the faint glow of Hong Kong. As we watch the storm make fireworks over the dim cityscape from our bluff, Parker says, “Shit. It’s like we’re gods on Mount Olympus…” All of us, staring at the same sight murmur in agreement.

CONTINUED FROM CHAPTER 1 ON PAGE 8

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P O R T E R PA N T B L A C K / F O R E S T / K H A K I $ 6 0 PORTER SHORT BLACK / FOREST / KHAKI $55

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P A R K E R , B I G W A V E B A Y, H O N G K O N G I S L A N D

T H E S E A R C H F O R R O A R K N E V E R C E A S E S A N D N E I T H E R D O T H E S T O R I E S A L O N G T H E WAY

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RICCIOTTI JERRY REVIVALIST PROFILE

BY BEAU FLEMISTER

Around dusk on a vacant island in the Ninepins off of Hong Kong, while the rest of us scrambled to set up our expensive tents with nylon rainflys, I watched Jerry Ricciotti in utter nonchalance throw a mosquito net over his camera tripod, curl up beneath it on bare ground and quickly fall asleep. I thought to myself, “Well damn. That there’s a real traveler.”

And even that’s an understatement when it comes to Roark Revivalist, Jerry Ricciotti, a cinematographer for VICE on HBO and documentarian for all of Roark’s campaigns. Getting his start at Transworld Surf magazine as their staff videographer, he did the rounds, visiting most tour stops and popular surf destinations 4X over. With a little luck and mostly his talent, he parlayed that into a job opening at VICE magazine and has since seen places few people in the world have ever gone. Like: North Korea. The guy literally shook Kim Jong-Un’s hand. Or, Libya during the Arab Spring, or Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria during their respective wars.

In short, the guy’s gone far more than he’s at home in Brooklyn.

And yet. Jerry’s one of the coolest cats you’ll ever meet, highly intellectual, honest, funny and takes major pride in his work.

“I think the main thing that my work’s taught me is: to treat everything like it’s the most important thing you’ve ever shot.”

Over frosty Tsingtao beers with our bare-feet in two women’s hands at a Hong Kong foot massage parlor, I picked Jerry’s brain a little on what life is like for a nomad as seasoned as he.

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SHARE YOUR ADVENTURE @ROARK #ROARKWASHERE

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S H O P A L L C O L O R S AT R O A R K . C O M

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BY BEAU FLEMISTER

W H AT ’ S T H E I D E A B E H I N D H A P P Y PA R A D I S E ?

I think it has to do with the idea of “comfort food.” When I came home from the US, I was wondering what my comfort food was here in Hong Kong. Really, I wanted to do something special for myself and Hong Kong, and I also wanted to create something iconic for the city. I didn’t want people to just say, “Oh this place reminds me of New York,” but rather, “This reminds me of Hong Kong in 2019.” Sure, we do some more adventurous, authentic stuff like the pigeon brains, but we also do fun stuff like sourdough egg waffles, which is basically a street snack. Mainly, I think what represents Happy Paradise is a balance between fun and adventure.

TA L K TO M E A B O U T T H E F O O D H E R E, W H AT W O U L D Y O U S AY Y O U ’ R E T R Y I N G T O E V O K E ?

Mmm, that Chinese food is not just fried rice! [laughs] I would say our food evokes Hong Kong as a place and all the senses that Hong Kong activates. Teas that remind you of the morning, the smells of roasted goose and Chinese BBQ. The crazy thing about Hong Kong is that there could be one tight little street and you have ten different smells emanating from it. I think as a food culture we’re greedy in Hong Kong, too. We love having nine different dishes to eat from and share with friends and family.

That’s the whole point of the ‘Lazy Susan’ right?

A T R I P T O C H E F M AY C H O W ’ S V I B R A N T A N D E X C I T I N G R E S TA U R A N T I N H O N G K O N G ’ S H I P S O H O N E I G H B O R H O O D I S W O R T H T H E U B E R R I D E I N S PA D E S .

The cocktails are strong and aromatic, cuisine adventurously delicious, and yet the space is the opposite of stuffy or pretentious. Not that we should’ve expected anything less from Ms. Chow. The gal’s a class-act with a soulful vision to provide something iconic for the city she’s loved her whole life.

Chef May fills us in about the inspiration(s) behind the joint every foodie’s talking about…

I VA H PA R K E R

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WELL WORN MIDWEIGHT KNIT POCKET TEE CHARCOAL $34 DRAGON FEST WOVEN INDIGO $60

I VA H & PA R K E R R I D E T H E S E N S O R Y R O L L E R C O A S T E R AT H A P P Y PA R A D I S E

1 2 3 4 5 6

S TA R C R O S S E D T R U C K E R H AT B L A C K $ 2 8 T I G E R H E A D S T R A P E M B R O I D E R E D H AT T A N $ 3 0 T I G E R B Y J A M I E T H O M A S S T R A P B A C K H AT B L A C K $ 3 4 R U M O R K I N G S T R A P PAT C H H AT K H A K I $ 3 2 F E A R T H E S E A S N A P PAT C H H AT N A V Y $ 2 8 G W E I L O ’ S S N A P B A C K H AT I N D I G O $ 3 0

THE SAFE CAMP ICON WAS INSPIRED BY THE DEPRESSION ERA HOBO MONIKER FOR “SAFE PLACE TO CAMP”

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SAIGON SPECIAL KNIFE BLACK $45 R I O N E G R O K N I F E N AT U R A L $ 1 3 0 CASSIUS KNIFE BLACK $65 H E N R Y ’ S H AT C H E T B L A C K $ 6 0

L E A R N M O R E A B O U T O U R E X P E D I T I O N AT R O A R K . C O M

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“HWY 133” 5-POCKET JEANS CONSTRUCTED LIKE DENIM, FEELS LIKE CHINOS. First introduced in the 1960’s to solve leg twist problems, the diagonal weave brings an unmatched level of comfort to your pant collection.

BLACK / GREY / ARMY / MOCHA $70

F R E E S H I P P I N G A L L P U R C H A S E S O V E R $ 7 5 A N D F R E E 3 0 - D AY R E T U R N S

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HWY 133 DENIM D E S I G N E D T O W I T H S TA N D YOUR ADVENTURES AND THE TEST OF TIME. Roark pores over the construction details inside our jeans as intently as we refine the simplistic styling on the outside; a good road trip ride is only as good as its engine.

“ S TA N D A R D S L I M ” F I T S L I G H T TA P E R E D 1 4 - I N C H L E G O P E N I N G

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RAW $80

WORN BLACK $75

VINTAGE $75

13.75 OZ RING SPUN INDIGO STRETCH DENIM

11.25 OZ TOUGH MAX™ MECHANICAL STRETCH

12.5 OZ TRAVEL STRETCH

1 RAW $80

2 WORN BLACK $75

Built from the Inside Out D E TA I L S O F D U R A B I L I T Y

H E AV Y D U T Y P O C K E T I N G / C L E A N F I N I S H E D S E A M S / C H A I N S T I T C H H E M 3 WORNOUT WASH $75

4 STONE WASH $75

5 V I N TA G E $ 7 5

S H O P A L L C O L O R S AT R O A R K . C O M

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2761 LAGUNA CANYON ROAD, LAGUNA BEACH, CA 92651

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID ROARK

We hope you enjoyed Roark’s travels to Hong Kong exploring the waves, tropical musings and rocks to climb in the extremities. The road to Roark’s heart passes through Scotland in the Fall searching for the famed rock formations of Skye, glorious North Sea reefs and slopes of Glencoe. Travel well...

F R E E S H I P P I N G A L L P U R C H A S E S O V E R $ 7 5 I F R E E 3 0 - D AY R E T U R N S I S H O P T H E E N T I R E C O L L E C T I O N AT R O A R K . C O M I R O A R K F L A G S H I P S T O R E : 1 8 0 8 4 T H S T. B E R K L E Y, C A 9 4 7 1 0

DREW SMITH S E E K A N D E X P LO R E H AT KHAKI $30 O P E N R O A D S S TA P L E T E E S L AT E B L U E $ 2 6 HWY 133 5-POCKET JEANS MOCHA $70

WEB CUSTOMER SERVICE

ROARK WEB RETURNS

D E A L E R L O C AT O R

C O L L E C T I O N AVA I L A B L E N OW

Support@roarkrevival.com (855) 554-5933

15559 Flight Ave. Chino, CA 91710

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