If you didn’t already know, now you know,
Mayer Hawthorne = Dope.

I’ve been jamming out to these tunes for a bit after getting a recommendation from Benny Gold, and I can say it’s quite refreshing and definitely worth the $10 on itunes. With a mix of modern steez and some soulful vocals Mayer Hawthorne rips in my opinion. And seriously, what a fun video so…Check him out!

I was lucky enough to be able to participate in the RVLVR Project put on by marek haiduk. The concept was simple, an experimental project consisting of different artists using at least one of the same given picture material to create new artworks, totally free in their concept, topic or technique. It was the results that stand out. I hope you enjoy mine as well as all the others. So check them all out at RVLVR.net

Skate and Create, put on annually by Transworld is one of the raddest collabs between skating, art, filming, and general creativity. Again I am blown away by what these teams, art directors, filmers, and editors came up with this year. The principle is simple, 1 warehouse, 4 teams, 9 days each, to create something never seen before. Here’s a full video summary of Skate and Create 09; intro vid, plus all 4 teams entries.

Here’s Last years winners DVS with a truly unimaginable follow up from their greatness last year. It again affirmed the fact that Torey Pudwill isn’t human, and that Daewon Song can treat pule jams like quarter pipes. They literally double the difficulty of every trick filmed in this montage. Peep it to see how.

The Circa guys came in with a back woods, dark, metal themed horror film of shredding which absolutely can’t be passed by. Fully equipped with creepy obstacles, wrecked cars, and serial killer status shredders they did an amazing job!

DC took it back to the city streets. Emulating some of the favorite spots and styles from major cities like NY, and LA they brought a clean arsenal of tricks with some intermittent slashing from Nick Dompiere minus as he let his hair out of the hat for once. DC brough classic rippers like Danny Way and Josh Kalis together with some of the newest talent around to produce this masterpiece.

Here’s the winning entry from a team who seems to really be killing it in the industry recently, Etnies. With guys like Malto, Mikey, Bledsoe, and Leeper what can you expect? Running with the theme or a much loved childhood, and soon to be remade, movie this set alone is hard to believe it was built in 9 days, even without the skating that went down.

Big thanks to Transworld for again putting out some of the best things for skateboarding and continually inspiring progression and the creative collaboration between skateboarding and all kinds of other arts. I would love to see more companies do projects like this, and maybe someday be able to be involved myself. I think it’s people like Transworld continually pushing the envelope that really keeps skateboarding and the true, fun, and creative aspects of it alive. As we reach the boundaries of what boards and bodies can physically handle, where will skateboarding go next? Is this the future?

I just got back from 10 days in the Bay Area including Monterey, SF, Santa Cruz, Sacarmento, and more. It was a really fun trip, with lots of great people, and awesome adventures. I didn’t shoot many photos, but here’s a few black and white shots from random locations throughout the visit.

I’m a huge fan of Graffiti done right. This was a great example of some awesome art done right in public places, I wish I could have a mural like this on my block!

It doesn’t get much simpler than this place. You need food, they’ve got Eats. Plus they had a nice logo, a fun atmosphere, and were right on the corner. I really enjoyed SF this time around and can’t wait to go back. Thanks to everyone who made the trip possible and that I was able to spend time with along the way.

I recently went to Wyoming for my long time friend, Travis Smith’s, wedding. Not only was the wedding a blast but I was able to go fishing with my Dad, something I haven’t done in a long, long time. We went to a few fun spots and had some pretty great luck the first morning.  I can’t say much about the rest of the time…

I made sure to get some proof that we were catching, not just fishing. Here’s my Dad with one of the 10 Ranbow Trout we caught the first morning. It was awesome and really brought me back to my childhood and the unquenchable desire I used to have for all things that involved fishing.

Continuing on my newly re-acquired fishing addiction, I took Trisha fishing for her birthday in the Northern Colorado Mountains to an area called Red Feather Lakes. We had a great time as well and did successfully catch some fun sized fish on our random outing.

After all the fishing we then went back to Greality and the next night (her actual birthday) we had a fun little celebration with ice cream cake, sushi, pizza, and a long anticipated viewing of Trisha’s favorite movie Forest Gump. It is a classic indeed, and still inspiring to this day every time I see it.

Aside from all the random adventures, fish, food, and family stories, here’s one that applies to you!   After much anticipation and waiting way too long, official BlueBeanie stickers are on their way. Each sticker is die cut in the shape of a beanie, comes with 3 pre-cut beanies of different sizes, and 3 additional smaller beanies that you can cut out yourself, all to add to your favorite people, characters, signs, books, skateboards, and anyone or anything else you think needs a little more fun, some new steez, or a simulated comfy head. If you want some, email me your address, and as soon as they arrive I’ll get some to you. Oh and they’re FREE, so get on them!

A lot of my close and personal friends have been working hard on getting this project together called foolishness. Brian Sumner and Brandon Wall have headed up everything so far, and I can guarantee that anything B-Wall edits and produces will be beyond amazing! Look for appearances from all kinds of legends plus up and comers. I won’t drop names, I’ll let you see for yourself. I’m excited for this, how about you?

I haven’t shot many skate photos recently, but here’s a fun one of Hero ripping the 8 at the commerce city park. He’s super talented for how young he is, and has the style of a dude who’s been skating for a lifetime.

Even more news of the things happening recently, my sister got married in Kansas. The wedding really did turn out amazing and I’m very happy for her and her husband/my bother-in-law Luke. Welcome to the fam Luke, it’s nice to finally have a brother after 23 years of pure female reign. Sorry for the lack of updates, and I hope this crazy mess of randomness doesn’t melt any minds. Anything awesome happening in your life this summer?

Just a reminder that the saying from Solomon all the way back in the Old Testament is obviously still relevant today. Fixed gear or “track biking” is becoming a huge trend but check out Thomas Edison clear back before the 1900’s ripping harder than most anyone I know on a fixie. Check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self. Edison was more than just the light bulb inventor, he was a true genius on a bike. As history shows, it looks like some of the most creative minds and inventions will continue to come from the socially outcast, like skateboarders, and fixie riders. Watch out world.

Yesterday Blacklist held the ES Game of Skate qualifier here in Greeley at The Farm. It was scheduled to be outdoors but with the recent change of weather here in CO from sunny, to Pacific Northwest style Gloom and rain, the game got moved indoors.

Chad, the rep for Fallen, Girl, Fourstar and maybe more, I don’t know, came up and did some high class judging.

Local shredder Hero, skated good but ended up getting taken out by a Denver area ripper who ended up coming in second. Regardless, the 13 year old still has a beautiful 3 flip and a giant bag of other flip tricks.

Overall it was a blast. The rain made for a much smaller crowd than initially expected but it also helped the games go smoother. Big thanks to ES for making this possible, Jamie and Chad for coming up and judging and Jamie for the new Bobby Worrest kicks, Nate for slaving to make the event happen, and everyone who came out. June 25th in Denver is the next and last stop in Colorado for the ES Game of Skate, before the finals in CA. I’ll be there, will you?

Fixed City is a new film coming out about fixie riding in Germany. It highlights the goods and bads that are associated with the trendiness of fixed gear riding and really digs to the core of some super gnarley riders. As they put it themselves “Riding fixed – a phenomenon. A close up in Germany, summer 2009. Switching between velodrome and trafficlights, messengers and fakengers, inspiration and revolution, trickriding and speed addiction, pragmatism and passion, purism and a very own poetry.” It comes out late this summer and i know I’m excited to see it, how about you?