When I was little no one had to tell me to color, to play with chalk or to doodle on my books or furniture. It was natural, something I did without thinking. In an effort to keep those creative juices flowing outside the office, I’ve started Art Night. A casual get together with friends, collaboration is welcomed but judgment is not.
Space is luxury in San Francisco, and I am fortunate to have a garage that makes for a great urban art studio. About once a month I bust open the doors for an evening of coloring, painting, spraying, building, designing, dinner and drinking. We plug in a few flood lights, pump some tunes and make something cool. In the past I’ve encouraged people to bring something to work on, something to share and a medium to work with. We’ve worked on everything from surfboards, to pumpkins and driftwood.
The most recent art night was inspired by the Plywood for Good art show on July 14th at Project One. FTC Skateboards donated 30 blank skateboard decks to Collective Good. They gave them to Bay Area artists to use as a canvas for their thoughts and feelings on the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. They auctioned off the skateboards for charity and 100% of the proceeds went to Direct Relief International to aid the rebuilding efforts in Japan.
We ordered our own blank decks and everyone got to create their own skateboard. Below you’ll find some photos from the process. One of the best reaction’s I’ve heard from a friend was “this doesn’t look like work, it looks fun!” well that’s the point. I encourage others to get together, create masterpieces…
10 People, 250 Mile Drive, 18 Mile Hike and a Protected Surf Break.
You are never alone in California. The surf breaks are crowded, the campgrounds are booked a year in advance and there are few places you can escape with out reservation.
For month’s a group of friends had been talking about making the trip up the Lost Coast in northern California. Supposedly one of the best point breaks lies off the protected land. Best, if not for its giant peeling surf and surrounding scenery, then for its lack of competing surfers. The break, called Big Flat owes its emptiness to inaccessibility. The only way to get there is to hike 9 miles along the beach that is impassable at high tide. That is a long way to lug a surfboard on your back, in addition to camping equipment and 5mm wetsuit.
Although there were times when I questioned our sanity, like when I was bent over charging a head wind with a 7″ wind sail on my back, the black sand, cool, wet air, empty beaches and nothing but the sound of waves crashing along the way provided a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The weekend consisted of yoga on the beach, rainbows, uncontested surf, bonfires, and bears who made off with more than half our food.
Here is a short video of our epic adventure up the Lost Coast.
I admit, I have a gear addiction. I have a few toys lying around and now I have a fourth bike. I would feel guilty if they did not all get used, but in just the last 7 day’s I have ridden all four of them. I am a typical gear junkie, who is constantly fixing things, making upgrades and enhancements. Over the years I have collected random parts and components and realized I had the makings for a new bike. I had a front fork, seat post, stem, saddle, brakes and a buddy offered me his old Schwinn Homegrown frame.
The beauty of a single speed is that you do not need many components. I stripped what components and cables remained on the Schwinn and and kept the crankset. I mapped out a color scheme and bought a few can’s of spray paint to get started. I stripped all the stickers, goo and dirt from the frame and fork, sanded and primed them and spayed them with multiple thin coats, followed by a gloss finish.
Instead of trying to salvage the old, bent and worn wheels, I found some reasonable white rimmed wheels on Nashbar. I peeled off the red racing stripes and now they look great. I also wanted to add my own feminine flair, so I got a purple handlebars and found a matching chainring and wire clamps for the brake cables.
For a single speed you do not need shifters, de-railer or any moving parts. All you need is a singleator, a rear cog, spacers to fit the wheel hub, a chain and chain ring for the crank.
After month’s of tinkering with the bike, finding parts and getting it dialed it took only two sittings to get it all put together. It helps to have a mechanic as a friend, because as we put it together we would throw parts around the garage, swap out pieces and realize we need something else.
