When we spoke to Andy Howell last fall about the Artsprojekt website that he had created with Zazzle.com he presented it as a place where serious artists would be given the technology to create custom art products in limited runs. When he said “artists” we never imagined anything like Rob Dyrdek’s Wild Grinders clothing. But Andy certainly spins it well.
“Rob is a visionary, not just as an innovator of street skating, but for continuing to bring skateboarding lifestyle and art to the core and pop culture audiences in compelling ways, without losing sight of his true skateboarding roots,” said Andy Howell, former pro skateboarder and founder of ARTSPROJEKT. “Dyrdek and his Wild Grinders™ crew offer a cool brand for younger skaters, while maintaining authenticity which is crucial to a brand’s success and longevity. They understand what consumers want, and continue to push limits and take it to the next level.”
After looking at the product more closely we’re thinking a deal with Kohls or Kmart might be a better place for Rob’s little homies. But that’s just us.
The Boston Police Department seems to have a flair for street art themselves as they apparently chose to arrest artist Shepard Fairey on his way to DJ a party celebrating his Friday night February 6, 2009 art show opening at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art.
Police allege that he tagged locations in the Massachusetts Avenue and Newbury Street area and the railroad trestle by the BU Bridge, said department spokesman Officer James Kenneally. . . Fairey faces arraignment Monday in either Brighton District Court or Roxbury District Court or both, said Suffolk district attorney’s spokesman Jake Wark.
According to Fairey this is the 15th time he has been arrested.
Athletes scheduled to compete are UFC veterans Kit Cope and Danny Abbadi and pro skateboarder Jason Ellis in his MMA debut. . . . MMAFighting.com will host Affliction Entertainment’s stream of the event at 7 p.m. PST.
Is Jason Ellis actually going to fight? Or is he just going to heckle his opponent to death? Either way, Lil’ Jon is going to perform afterwards.
Notice all the rad surfing by gnarly surfers in this savage surf clip? Oh wait, no surfing? Whoops, guess this clip is all about fashion. Say it ain’t so Joe. . .
Madison Wall is just your average, beautiful Australian girl who dresses in surfie clothes, teaches surfing, and is on the reality show Australia’s Next Top Model, according to a story in the Courier Mail.
But the 17-year-old surf school coach is an unashamed fan of beach fashion and agrees there’s more room for this subculture to influence high fashion in the way that the punk and hip-hop worlds have. . . . “I reckon it could. I hope, because they’re the kind of clothes I like,” Madison laughs. . . . “I love Billabong stuff. I really like some of their hats at the moment and some of their shorts. But my favourite brand is Insight.”
And we reckon there is someone at Insight who would love to get to know Madison better in the near future. . .
Mad Dog Concepts is voluntarily recalling 25,000 pairs of Tony Hawk Boy’s Pajama Sets made in Cambodia and sold through the Kohl’s Department Store chain “due to the potential risk of burn injury to children,” according to the U.S. Cosumer Product Safety Commmission.
This sleepwear fails to meet the federal children’s sleepwear flammability standard, and poses a risk of burn injury to children. . . .Consumers should stop using the recalled pajamas immediately and contact the firm for instructions on obtaining a full refund.
See the kinds of things you have to start worrying about when you license your name to clothing manufacturers?
Stacy Peralta’s new documentary Crips And Bloods: Made In America is finally making it into theaters this weekend and we’re guessing it’s going to make us completely forget about the commercials he’s been doing lately. Here’s what the New York Times said:
Mr. Peralta, who was on far firmer ground in his documentary about the origins of the modern skateboard culture, “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” has approached his new subject with heart but not enough intellectual skepticism.
If the other reviews we’ve been reading hearing lately are correct, this film is going to blow minds.
The New York Times Hawai’i specialist Matt Higgins turns in another story on how a group of tough surfers control the waves on Hawai’i’s North Shore with Kala Alexander as the center piece. Surprise!
They are known as the Wolfpak or simply “the boys.” They use fear and their fists to command respect in the surf along the North Shore of Oahu, a seven-mile stretch of some of the world’s most renowned waves. At the celebrated Banzai Pipeline, they determine which waves go to whom, and punish those who breach their code of respect for local residents and the waves.
While there is nothing new in this story it may help build more subscribers to Kala’s E-Newsletter and possibly create more interest in the soon-to-be-launched Wolf Pak fan club.
Last time we spoke to Spike Jonze he was speeding down Melrose on an old beater ten-speed with a bunch of his friends. He said he was taking a break from editing (or re-editing) Where The Wild Things Are. That was a while ago and we still haven’t seen many images from the movie, but according to Slash Film, Girl Skateboards will be releasing a few Wild Things boards.
The skateboard company that Jonze co-founded, Girl Skateboards Company, will be releasing a limited series of skateboards featuring the monsters from the film adaptation.
We’ve got no confirmation and it seems kind of strange, but we’re hoping they make some micro-minis, you know, for the kids.
[Link: Slash Film]
