Brooklyn Projects got a bit of a facelift this week,.. you can check it out starting tomorrow.
I might have lost a few vertebrae helping move in this thing:
As we lay Tagi’s design masterpiece to rest. Rest in pieces.
Tatiana knows more about skateboarding than you and your mom combined. And that’s a lot.
Dom and Stephen Baldwin doin’ the rain dance.
by bobbyhundreds
Something tells me it didn’t use to look like this here in the historic Jewish district of Los Angeles.
This guy gets up more than anyone else.
by bobbyhundreds
We always sit around and wonder whatever happened to Simon Woodstock. And by “always,” I mean like, maybe once or twice. Anyways, supposedly he had a spiritual awakening years ago and fell off the face of the planet. And then Aly sent me this Youtube clip just to refresh my memory. Creativity is king. As is a healthy sense of humor. by bobbyhundreds
For the past year you’ve probably had an earful of Fairfax, but as the year draws to an end, Melrose is striking back. Long held down by Brooklyn Projects, Barracuda, Sportie LA, and other boutiques, the west end of Melrose Ave. is starting to come into fruition as the next shopping hub in L.A. First it was the Kid Robot store and then rumors of Bape’s LA headquarters right across the street. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be seeing the Crooks & Castles store open its doors on Melrose, alongside DC.
Tonight was the opening party for Burton’s flagship store, which dominates Melrose with a 12,000 sq. ft. behemoth housing scores of skate, snow, and surf goods. I can safely say that this was one of the most massive shop openings I’ve attended, physical size-wise and sheer numbers. The guestlist was closed earlier today and with good reason. Not only was it a virtual Who’s Who of the L.A. action-sports/streetwear industry, along with the biggest skate/snow/surf athletes, but Orange County’s finest were in attendance as well. C’mon, they even made it snow in L.A.
There was so much going on, that no one even seemed to flinch that Prince Paul was on the tables.
Hey there’s that guy Shaun White I mentioned in yesterday’s blog. He’s got a different kind of helmet on his head now.
There were just so many people, that I’m just gonna post a grip of crowd shots to give you an impression of how hectic this party was.
Burton’s family of brands include Gravis, Analog, Anon, R.E.D., and iDiom. The store carries ‘em all, along with other brands like Billabong, Channel Islands, etc. etc. Buscemi said it best. It’s Burton’s very own mall. Westfield’s, eat your heart out.
Dagan (Bodagan) x The Hundreds coming soon.
Stevie Dubs (DGK) and Benny… Hubs.
All anyone kept saying to me was to go upstairs, and once I got up there I realized why.
Javier Nunez (Supreme) breaking spine.
Interesting hors d’oeuvres.
Joe from Gravis iced the cake when he told me to look down. Apparently when there’s not thousands of people stomping all over it, the entire store is actually skate-able. Thus, the seamless floor, flatbar, random transitions, etc. etc.
Way too much. Gotta get outta here.
Only on Melrose.
by bobbyhundreds
There’s not much to blog about tonight. No random visits from derelict friends, no mania on Rosewood. No pets. I do feel somewhat content with the way the universe is going today, so no whiny essays that no one reads except .. Actually, you’re right, no one reads them. No amazing food,.. we did eat lunch next to David Arquette today, but no camera, so it basically didn’t happen (right?). I haven’t really moved from my desk all day so for all I know, the planet exploded and I’m left to procreate the next human race with this pack of sweaty man-pigs in our little studio.
I’ve been digging through boxes of my old photos to reference for a project we’re working on for winter of next year, and I came across a few stories to tell. So I guess that’ll do for now.
I took this shot when I was 15 years old, on a late afternoon at my high school, Riverside Poly. Obviously, you only stuck around campus afterhours if you were in detention or played a sport. So while the jocks were slapping each other’s butts out on the field, a few of us would congregate to play our own sport. Between trying to learn heelflips and pulling up my size 40 pants, I’d fiddle around with my dad’s camera to document what was going on (and you thought this blog thing was just a phase). I couldn’t afford an actual fisheye lens, so I bought an $80 video-camera fisheye and used a converter to smash it on the end of my Nikon.
That’s our friend Sam who was churning out all kinds of craze that day. My alma mater was actually pretty awesome to skate, what with all the cement banks, range of stairs, rails and hips, but it wasn’t long before Sam got bored. So he started setting up the lunchtables against the stairs to manual and grind down. And then he got really creative and flipped one over. It might be commonplace now, but he’s doing a feeble grind down the rail there, which was kinda crazy to see back in the day. The crouching tiger with the legitimate fisheye lens is Zach Cordner, who was the guy who actually got me into photography. The difference is that he actually ended up doing something productive and amazing with his camera-work, while I take pictures of my drunk employees everyday.
There wasn’t much to do on weekends (is there ever when you’re a teenager?), so our stomping grounds were local smalltime concert venues like The Barn at UCR, The Glass House in Pomona, or this place, Showcase Theater in Corona. We used to pay $5 tickets to see punk, ska, swing, emo, and hardcore bands play. Some of them went on to bigger and better things (some bands called Sublime and No Doubt), but most were just kids having fun, hitting the road, making music, and chasing dreams. This was the last time I saw this band play, Texas is the Reason. They formulated from Krishna-core bands Shelter and 108 and put out a really great record called “DO You Know Who You Are?” But not long after, in typical indie fashion, they split up and went separate ways. I think Jets to Brazil arose from the rubble, but not really sure what else happened after that.
We didn’t live far from the mountain, so whenever Thanksgiving rolled around, it meant only one thing: Snow season. Of course in Southern California, by “snow” I mean man-made slush (or ice depending on the time of day), but a trip to Snow Summit was just an hour-and-a-half away. What we’d do is head up after school got out, get a night ticket, and ride until the park closed down. Then we’d hide out, wait until the ski patrol left, and session the jumps over and over into the early hours of the morning by just hiking up the mountain since the ski-lift was shut down (easier said than done). If my memory serves me correctly, the year this photo was shot was the first year that there were more snowboarders than skiers at Summit on opening day. And that might have also been the first year that they built this retarded jump called Wiseman’s right in the heart of the snowboard park. I remember seeing an 8-year-old Shaun White wearing a helmet hucking himself off this beast, which is probably nil by today’s standards. Anyways, if you look closely, you can see my friend Isaac launching off Wiseman’s here. Yeah, I was a fan of the long-exposure.
Speaking of snow season, it’s that time of the year again, and all you need is MODA3′s SHRED SPOTS webpage.
by bobbyhundreds
In case you haven’t been near a newsstand lately, our man Wale’s got the cover of the new URB magazine, which explains how the biggest buzz artist on the streets isn’t even signed. It really is incredible how much anticipation and hype is building behind Wale, next they’re gonna be looking to Wale to not only save hip-hop, but cure cancer and rescue Britney’s kids. The writer also has a few nice things to say about us as well so go find the issue, or to make life easier, just read it online here. No paper cuts.
by bobbyhundreds
Hopefully you’ve been following our skate team over the past 4 years,.. and we’re continuing to pick up speed with our latest additions, Rashad Turner and Billy Roper.
First, the veteran, Flowin’ Owen (photography by Kimathi Smith):
Rashad Turner:
and last, the latest, but certainly not least, Billy Roper (photography by Kimathi Smith):
[Plus, this has absolutely nothing to do with anything skate-related, but our Winter line is now fully stocked in our online SHOP. Adam Bomb New Eras, Mossy hoodies, Chord corduroys, and our trademark Basket Case scarf hoody, amongst other items, are ripe for pickin'.]
by bobbyhundreds
After months of anticipation, the new (and might I say, improved) 5&A Dime shop opened yesterday in downtown San Diego. Just a few doors down from their original location (which has been converted to a SALE shop for the time being), 5&A Dime’s new home on the corner has been decked with a polished dark wood interior and heyday antiques, a somewhat-reflection of the old-time feel of San Diego’s historic Gaslamp district.
Owner Jay Dread lightheartedly claims that it’s supposed to feel like a “weird old man’s” room, and with all the creaky furnishings and distinguished feel, I think he got his point across perfectly. You can still find the best action figures and novelties, art books (I found the new Upper Playground USUGROW book), and the brand favorites may still line the rails such as Rogue Status, the F.I.S.M. family, Crooks, and The Hundreds, but trust me, this is a different store. Not just for San Diego, but for streetwear as a whole.
Congratulations to Jay, Darcy, and the gang, on setting the bar for the next chapter in San Diego, streetwear, and San Diego streetwear.
Oh yeah, Jay also threw a huge block party in the parking lot next door, but I was too busy helping myself to seconds, thirds, and fourths of the buffet to take photos. Two words though: KETTLE. CORN.
by bobbyhundreds
We made our way down to San Diego today for 5&A Dime’s grand opening of their new location in the Gaslamp District. But on the way, we had to drop by UNIV in Encinitas. Although we’ve been working with UNIV for some time now, this was actually my first time at the shop. I had seen the eclectic, makeshift store in press photos and had heard plenty of stories, but actually being there dramatically enhanced my perspective on everything.
First off, you gotta get to know Encinitas and the surrounding environment to understand UNIV’s unique atmosphere. The small coastal San Diego beach town resonates with a lackadaisical vibe, an ideal vacation getaway but also home for a quiet community. Up and down the street, surfers were skating longboards with their dogs in tow, tanktops and flip-flops adorned at every outside eatery, and landmark surfshops on every corner.
UNIV is stocked with The Hundreds, Crooks & Castles, Coup De Grace, amongst others, and the shelves are also lined with footwear from Nike SB and Alife.
Of course, the best attribute of the store is its random decorations. With all the ultra-minimalism and IKEA furniture sterilizing streetwear boutiques worldwide, it’s nice to see a shop work with so much character and personality.
You can tell a great store by the company it keeps, the warmth of its guests, and the general sense of being a local hangout for friends. While we were there, Cory from Coup De Grace was postin’ up.
The brainchild behind UNIV (which also has a second location in South Beach, Miami), Mirko Mangum and Tim Swart. These guys are actually the behind-the-curtain visionary masterminds behind all kinds of craze projects (past, present, and future). It’s just awesome to be around Mirko who I used to pour over in skate mags as a teenager. His heelflips – and switch heels for that matter – were legendary!
by bobbyhundreds
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