Slip-Offs

The classic skate shoes of my childhood have been reinvented by Shauna Mae Luedtke on her website "Slip-Offs". This talented lady paints ONE OF A KIND canvas shoes (Vans, Keds, Airwalks, etc.).

The cost for the shoes is $180, which is a little steep except that they are totally collectors' items. Each one is made especially for the customer who is ordering. From the looks of her gallery, I don't know if there's much she couldn't do...

The possibilities are endless. I want a pair that have a wake boarder on one foot and a speed boat on the other. Righteous.

John Butler Trio - "Ocean"

Here's a really cool online quiz that tests your basic boating knowledge. It is a Canadian website, so some of the questions may not be the same for the U.S., but most of them are.

My final score was 66%. I think I need to study.

Pascal Jean Delorme

Here's a really cool French artist I found online by the name of Pascal Jean Delorme. He specializes in water sport art! Who knew?

Here's a link to a page on his site which has his art categorized by sport type. He has original paintings, and then prints on canvas, prints on paper, ink on paper--which means some of his pieces are actually really affordable.

I absolutely love the ink on paper pieces. I could totally see a set of them matted with several vibrant shades of blue and framed in my living room.

Son Duong at timesinfinity gallery.

If you're in Seattle there's still time to catch Son Duong at the timesinfinity gallery: 122 NW 36th St. Seattle, WA 98107. Duong is a an artist who works with Byerley to design their boards, and is an illustrator. He also has his own line of t-shirts called Diabolik.

timesinfinity gallery is an extension of Evo, a revolutionary community fusing fashion, music, art, skiing, snowboarding and skateboarding. Their combination gallery and store offers people a chance to experience a true lifestyle brand.

Win Free Board Shorts for a YEAR!

YAY! Check it out--12 pair of free board shorts, one for each month just by entering this sweepstakes on the Killerdana.com website. They have a huge selection on their site and most of them are around $50 per pair, so the prize value is around $600. Nice!

Free Music Yo!

Here's a fantastic site that lists 45 websites offering free online music.

I love the internet! All this great independent music is finally getting the attention it deserves after the music industry's stranglehold has been loosened by big name artists like Radiohead and Trent Reznor who have decided to take their destinies into their own hands. Now it is easier than ever for real talent to get in the public eye without having slick advertising or men in suits controlling their art.

Rock on.

Before You Buy a Wake Board

Here's a really great article from About.com which lists some of the points you should consider before buying a wake board.

If you are lucky enough to have a good wake boarding community, you'll probably get the chance to try your friends' boards out--giving you a good feel for the type of board you're looking for. But if you are just starting out on your own, and you don't know enough about the differences in boards, read this article and do some research.

Definitely shop around--no impulse buying. This article especially recommends doing a demo on the board you want to buy, which I have to agree with. Don't lock yourself into a board that is going to hold you back--especially if you're new to the sport and still developing your skills. Otherwise it could leave you with a permanent handicap.

Aaron Chang

I am in the market for a new suit, and I ran across Aaron Chang on another blog about sustainable fashion.

If you haven't heard of Aaron Chang, he's a really well known surf photographer--his pics are amazing. Here's a link to his gallery.

So yeah, he's not only a photographer, but I found out he's got this line of sustainable swim wear made from recycled polyester and organic cotton. The collection is smokin'. There are one and two piece suits with coordinating cover-ups in some classic surf motifs.

Check out the online look books for his collections.

You can buy them online at Razor Reef.

Once by the Pacific

Once by the Pacific
by Robert Frost

The shattered water made a misty din.
Great waves looked over others coming in,
And thought of doing something to the shore
That water never did to land before.
The clouds were low and hairy in the skies,
Like locks blown forward in the gleam of eyes.
You could not tell, and yet it looked as if
The shore was lucky in being backed by cliff,
The cliff in being backed by continent;
It looked as if a night of dark intent
Was coming, and not only a night, an age.
Someone had better be prepared for rage.
There would be more than ocean-water broken
Before God's last 'Put out the Light' was spoken.

Photojournalist Mark M. Hancock

I found a really nice photojournalism blog by this dude named Mark M. Hancock. He had some really amazing action shots of a competition from 2006. Check it out.

I love the third pic of Jeff Keiser as he rides past a boat full of judges. He looks like he's just playing it cool.

GIRL POWER!

Yes yes ya'll!

It was great to see the girls represented in my home state! Nicola Butler was the one to watch. She's such a badass and only sixteen! If you've never seen her ride, check her out in this video:



Seriously, she's the one to beat, and everyone knows it. I didn't see her ride in the Twin Cities but for the first time in the history of the tour, she's won three straight competitions in a row.

I need a damn subscription to FuelTV.