Thanks to a collaboration between Vans, Leica, and Ray Barbee you can get a checkerboard Leica digital camera for only $1695 or so while supplies last (only 800 were made) according to a story on Design Milk.
The limited-edition Leica D-Lux 7 Vans x Ray Barbee stands out aesthetically (the design as a whole not only reps Vans iconic pattern, but also has a mod-ska vibe to it), but the camera specs remains indistinguishable from its serially produced predecessor. . . Built around a large Micro Four Thirds sensor and fast zoom lens with a full-frame-equivalent range of 24 – 75 mm, the digital camera would make for one capable street photography camera, one perhaps too high end and precious for bringing along for skating adventures, even if its capable of recording in 4K video in 24, 25, or 30 fps as well as recording in 4K photo capture modes.
Looks cool. The capsule also includes shoes. Maybe Vans will send the whole set you know, to test out.
Turns out what the world needs now is another outerwear company that is focused on sustainability. You know, because there just aren’t enough outwear companies creating environmentally sensitive body coverings for snowboarders who care about the world around them. And Jones Snowboards is here to do it right where so many have failed before.
Jeremy Jones’ ultimate all-weather outerwear line that balances unmatched performance and durability with industry leading sustainable manufacturing and material standards.
How will this outerwear be different from other clothing companies? Jones doesn’t mention it. Why is it sustainable? Again, no mention. But it’s sustainable. And that’s good, right? Sure it is. For a closer look at the line, please click the link.
Fast-food joint El Polo Loco (a chain in which we’ve never dined) just announced a new capsule with some LA artists and makers. Some of them are skateboarders and surfers and maybe you’re a fan.
Loco Gifts & Gear . . . is a tangible celebration of what we like to call L.A. Mex culture – that one-of-a-kind intersection of time-honored Latino traditions and SoCal sensibility that makes L.A. such a vibrant, artistic, and special place.. . Each one a master of their craft and a unique contributor to the fabric of L.A. culture.
Check it out while we cruise over to Lola’s for lunch.
MERGE4 is rocking the 80s in a collaboration with new wave titans Blondie.
MERGE4’s Blondie Sock Collection includes three striking sock designs, featuring artwork that captures their hit songs, iconic photography, and notable art style. Each sock is constructed with MERGE4’s signature “Cult Weave” which prevents any graphics from being “blown out” or warped when the socks are worn and stretched. The socks feature a self-adjusting welt cuff, elastic arch support, a moisture-wicking sole and strategic plush cushioning for added comfort.
Have to be honest — the Debbie Harry pink and checkers would be our first choice. For all the details from MERGE4 please follow the jump. [click to continue…]
What gives them the gumption to make this claim? Almost 20 years in the business of making masks, tubulars, gaiters, and any other kind of face and neck covering someone down with winter has in their bottom drawer. NAROO designs to be one thing in particular, which is breathable. Then it combines that breathability with a bunch of other functions that can vary based on clime and need. For those of us who love the snow, we need something we can breathe in, something that as prevents foggy goggles, and something thermal that warms and humidifies the air.
Dropped in on Danny Fuller once at Rocky Rights. First time on the North Shore. Been trying for a wave for an hour in perfectly warm, small surf. Finally got one. Popped up thinking “oh, this is deep.” Looked back to make sure and someone was already pulled in, grabbing rail, and blasting down the line. Got out of the way just in time. Apologized. He laughed, said “No worries,” and paddled back out to do it again. A friend said, “You know who that was, right? Danny Fuller.” Ah, of course. Liked him ever since.
The reason we bring this up is that Danny has a collection of photos coming out in a 208-page book from Rizzoli titled, Liquid Horizon: Meditations on the Surf and Sea.
Fuller’s nocturnal seascapes of the worlds most savage and beautiful waves, all captured exclusively by moonlight with slow exposures, share the soulful beauty of the ocean, in meditative, painterly studies of subtle changes of light and color. In the tradition of artists drawn to the sea for inspiration, Fuller expresses a surfer’s deep spiritual connection to the ocean and to the meaning of consequence in surfing. The sensual allure of blue mixed with the ominous presence of water, whose scale is epic, reminds us just how minuscule and insignificant we are relative to the powers of the sea.
The book, with a forward by Julian Schnabel and Gerry Lopez, drops February 16, 2021 and can be purchased for $55 from Rizzoli by clicking this link right here.
Everyone needs a roll around skateboard and why not have one built out of rejected Jones Snowboards. Now, thanks to the French it is all possible.
Adrien Reguis and Vincent Gelin founded NoK, a company based in Grenoble, France that specializes in making skateboards out of factory rejects and warranty snowboards. Using a CNC cutting table, NoK chops cruiser skateboard decks out of the middle of a snowboard. The repurposed skate decks are then fitted with new grip tape, trucks and wheels to make a unique and high performance sidewalk surfer. It’s the ultimate upcycle for a snowboard that would have otherwise ended up in the dumpster!
For the rest of the NoK story, please click the link.
Vans cofounder Paul Van Doren, 90, has decided to tell his side of the Vans story in a new book titled Authentic: A Memoir. The book, which drops on April 27, 2021 tell the story of how he went from a 14-year-old school drop out to helping create the coolest shoe company in the world, according to a story on Forbes.
“When I was approached to write the book, I wondered how I could explain my life as a series of tidy lessons,” Van Doren tells Fortune. “Eventually I realized that what I would offer is less formula and more whatever the opposite of formula is—let’s call it fluidity. Because the truth is the boundaries between my personal and professional lives have always been blurred.”
Looking forward to slipping into this one for sure. For more info, or to purchase a copy, click the link.
The world famous action hangout Pannikin Coffee & Tea in Encinitas, California has partnered with Jussi Oksanen and Tim Pogue’sMizu on a limited-edition holiday bundle featuring one custom laser-etched 14 ounce camp cup and a 12 ounce bag of Pannikin Blend coffee.
The camp cups come with a sip through lid. They are vacuum insulated, BPA free, recyclable and made from 18/8 food grade stainless steel.
Know someone who misses mornings at the Pannikin with all their action sporting friends? This may be just what they need. Click the link for more info.
Nidecker has just announced a new, amazing snowboard technology that is “ideal for both freestyle and general progression” and they’re calling it “the SideKick.”
SideKick mellows out a board’s riding characteristics, making landings smoother and turn transitions smoother. . . SideKick Tech is simply a gentle lifting of a boards edges at its widest points, aka the contact points. Doing this makes a board less prone to ‘catching’ when riding flat base or landing in the park, but when deliberately put on edge it still bites and retains the same hold you’d expect from a regular board.
In 1994 Morrow created this tech and called it a Spoon. Ten years later Bataleon called it “Triple Base Technology.” In both cases it was a sellable tech. It worked well enough, but then snowboard design moved on. It’s nice to see Nidecker bring something back from 26 years ago to let it roll again. For more info click the link.
Dropped in on Danny Fuller once at Rocky Rights. First time on the North Shore. Been trying for a wave for an hour in perfectly warm, small surf. Finally got one. Popped up thinking “oh, this is deep.” Looked back to make sure and someone was already pulled in, grabbing rail, and blasting down the line. Got out of the way just in time. Apologized. He laughed, said “No worries,” and paddled back out to do it again. A friend said, “You know who that was, right? Danny Fuller.” Ah, of course. Liked him ever since.
