Cheers!

1.) The World’s Fastest Car Show, The One With The Camaro ZL-1. Hosted by Justin Bell, TWFCS is one of my new favorite web series automotive or otherwise so it’s a no brainer that when they take one of the most intriguing American made vehicles out for a spin, I’m gonna be excited about it.

2.) Before They Were Bald, a visual history of history’s greatest “cue balls” via Kempt.

3.) Levi’s Chino Shorts in Dark Indigo Floral. At $58 a pair they’re reasonably priced, cut slim and you can roll em up to get the length you want. They’re darker than they appear in the photo which is a good thing, trust me, they’re killer.

4.) How To Make A Fire. Don’t laugh, this is a real problem facing many Americans today. Sure you might have the rugged outdoorsman look but your beard oil and $400 USA made boots won’t keep you warm at night or cook your food. Andy Gilliand breaks down the process so well that even the hippest hipster can understand it. Now go forth and hunt your dinner.

5.) Local Natives’ Spotify Sessions from Stockholm. Hauntingly beautiful and yet just as energetic as the original versions of the tracks from their recent album Hummingbird, Local Natives drops five more tasty treats for your ears. Look forward to catching them on their US tour this fall, hopefully they’ll play Walt Disney Concert Hall again, that’d be the shit.

Cheers!

1.) Get a copy of Big Black Delta’s self titled debut album. Saw them last night and they did not disappoint. It’s hard to define their sound but it’s sorta like Moody Blues, Chromeo, industrial soul with Bono singing. Cool right?

2.) Follow @matthardigree as he drives across the USA in this. You can even suggest places for him to stop or beg him to come take you for a spin. Although if you attempt the latter, you had better have a good reason because the internet will shame you if you don’t.

3.) Got some money burning a hole in your pocket or just fiscally irresponsible? You’re in luck because the Mr.Porter Semi-Annual Sale is going on now. Four Pins has a list of the 22 Best Products they found at what they called “the best online retailer in the world”.

4.) Sure you used to skate, you might even still have a cruiser board or ask to borrow a deck when you see someone with one at the beach and then proceed to try like 50 kickflips before inevitably fucking up said person’s fresh new setup(not bitter, just saying). The point is that it doesn’t matter if you’re still an avid skater, trying to relieve your youth or just trying to impress the ladies, you need to watch the Battle At The Berrics Goofy vs. Regular finals.

5.) Subscribe to the DTM channel on YouTube. Yeah NASCAR can be interesting(for the last 10 laps) but DTM racing is where it’s at. While you’re over there on the YouTube, might as well subscribe to my channel as well.

1.) New Music by Palma Violets, Vitamin String Quartet, Classixx, Cayucas and Mikal Cronin. HERE

2.) You’re not this guy.

3.) You can still get in on a pair of Gustin denim for $81! HERE

4.) There’s a new Petrolicious video and as usual, it’s awesome. HERE

5.) Memorial Day Weekend is this weekend, that means it’s officially summerpartytimeexcellent season. Hope you have your essentials. No? Hit the links below and get kitted from the feet up.

On Your Feet: Vans Authentics & Richer Poorer No-Sho Socks.

Covering Lower: Katin Beach Short

Covering Upper: 3pk Burton Slim Tees (a Beeracuda goes with everything)

Domepiece: Poler Cyclops Hat

Timepiece: Fat Wizard by Komono

Sunnies: Sylas by RAEN Optics

On Your Back: Little America by Herschel

In Your Hand: Stiegl Goldbrau

Cheers!

Nothing fancy here, just a simple, refreshing cocktail well suited to take you through the warmer months of the year. Though I love whiskey, I’m not a fan of drinking it as much once the mercury begins to rise(mercury was in these things called thermometers back in the olden days young bucks). What this means is once it’s warmer out comes the rum(distilled from molasses) or rhum(distilled from sugar cane). I prefer rhum because of the taste and lately I’ve been enjoying Rhum Barbancourt(pictured above) which is one of Hati’s oldest distillers of the pirate’s drink of choice. There are many well written articles about rhum and it’s place in history but this isn’t of of them. This is a simple cocktail recommendation that I think just about anyone will enjoy. No specific measurements(this ain’t Mr.Boston’s), no craft ingredients(not your local “speakeasy”). Just the stuff I grabbed from the corner store and what was already laying around. I like Fentiman’s ginger beer but Bundabergs or Cock N’ Bull would be suitable as well, maybe even better, I’ve yet to try it. You’ll want a since tart lemonade, not one of the overly sugary one you’re likely to find in Whole Foods being sold as “healthy”. I’d never seen Cabana brand until I stopped into the corner store but it was there, I grabbed it and I like it. Wish to hell Snapple still made it’s lemonade like it used to, that stuff was killer. So start with as much rhum as you think you should have and then half that amount of lemonade. Squeeze in half a lime, muddle two or three sprigs of mint leaves, toss em in a shaker with ice and have at it. While you’re shaking away, slowly realizing how out of shape your arms are, think about what type of glass you want to put this concoction in. According to mixologist types, the drink is only as good as the vessel from which it’s served. I call bullshit on this unless of course it’s whiskey in which case an old fashioned tumbler is the only acceptable option. In this instance I’ve opted to go with my large Tervis tumbler because I can fill it to the brim with ice and still get plenty of drink in there. Also they’re just big plastic cups so it doesn’t matter if you over serve yourself and drop it. As always I encourage you all to experiment with ratios, ingredients and see what you come up with. The worst that happens is you have a beverage that doesn’t taste very good but you still get a buzz. At that point you’ll know how it feels to drink at The Cheesecake Factory.

Cheers!

Cheers!

The Raleigh Vest allows for full range of motion and provides excellent core warmth. Two vital components of a proper spring blizzard cleanup outfit or in my case, enjoying spring snowboarding outfit.

What you see above is just one of the many fine pieces that you’ll find at a discount over on the Carhartt WIP site. If you’re not familiar with the Work in Progress division of Carhartt I humbly suggest you change that straight away. You’ll find familiar looking pieces from Carhartt’s past have been slimmed down and toughened up in the right places. Currently the deals department is really on point. There’s a whole lot to go through, especially since most items still have full size runs but here’s what you really consider picking up.

Not just A chore coat, THE Chore Coat.

A wise man from Peru,VT once said “extra pockets, extra beers”. 

No it ain’t a hoodie, it’s the Active Jacket and it’s a no excuses piece. As in, “I know it’s hailing but the wood needs chopping, grab the Active Jacket or perhaps more appropriately, “I know it’s drizzling but I need my fresh pressed juice honey.”

No snarky comments here, these pants fit absolutely perfectly. Slim, not skinny with a straight leg. At $45 a pair you should consider grabbing a few while you can.

Just because you play golf, doesn’t mean you have to dress like an asshole. However if that’s your thing, the Duck Polo does come in “go fuck yourself Orange” or Cadmium Heather as Carhartt calls it.

Ok, it’s not on sale but it’s too cool to ignore. If you’ve got $50 to blow, this is a good way to do so.

Make sure to browse the rest of the WIP site and try not to fall down the “camo” rabbit hole. Odds are that you’ll just look like a jackass wearing it around whatever trendy neighborhood you live in.

CHEERS!

Welcome To Vail!

In 1982 a group of friends, passionate about riding a surfboard-shaped plank of wood down a steep snow-covered hill, decided they wanted to know who was the best at this new winter activity. Thirty-one years later one of those friends is standing in front of me with his wife, one of his three sons and a big ol’ grin on his face. You’d be happy too if the sport you helped grow from backyard pastime to international obsession finally had a venue that was perfect for its most prestigious competition. Yes, Jake Burton Carpenter has done right by snowboarding and if you think otherwise then you’re a fool.

The US Open Snowboarding Championships, or “The Open” as it’s fondly known, has always been and will always be first and foremost about the riders. It’s why after 30 years in Vermont, Jake and his wife Donna felt that it was time to move the event to a place that would offer the highest quality arena for competition. Vail, CO,  having held some of the best contests snowboarding has ever seen (The Honda Sessions in the early 2000′s) seemed a solid option and they fully stepped up.

The Sponsor Village at Golden Peak was spacious and always lively; the viewing areas were easily accessible and the beer gardens never overwhelmed and the security was friendly. Yeah, I know, friendly, non aggressive security at The Open, that’s a feat in and of itself. I didn’t hear of a single incident between rider and authority all weekend. No arrests, no drinking tickets, no multi-bouncer takedowns like years past. The closest run-in I experienced throughout the weekend was politely being asked to take our drinks inside after we finished smoking (Colorado’s laws are great). I just have to tip my hat to Vail PD & security for resisting the urge to mess with our good time. I wish I could say that the yellow jackets (mountain safety) were as cool as their off hill counterparts, but I guess that’s what happens when you give some washed-up skiers a little bit of authority. Still, I left without getting a speeding ticket (yeah, that’s a thing at Vail Resorts), so I shouldn’t bitch.

Snowpark Technologies once again outdid themselves and used the new space to create a killer slopestyle course. Rails and wall rides at the top of the course flowed into a jump line consisting of three perfect looking cheese wedges. Unfortunately the weather didn’t hold up on Friday for Slopestyle finals so abilities were strained in the men’s field. Still, the guys threw down and in the end it was Mark McMorris (CAN) atop the podium followed by Torstein Horgmo (NOR) and NH native Chas Guldemond in third. I still get as excited now as I did when I living in Vermont when a New England rider podiums at the Open. Would I have rather had a Vermonter on the podium? Sure, but sometimes you gotta settle for just a fellow New Englander.

Weather worsened(for competition, excellent for free riding but more on that later) and the Women’s Slope finals were called off all together. The Semi-finals scores saw Spencer O’Brien (CAN) in 1st followed by Jamie Anderson (USA) and then Brooke Voigt (CAN). You can take The Open out of Vermont but you can’t take the Vermont out of The Open. Speaking of which, Saturday was bluebird and warm. Classic Open pipe finals conditions. There was a nervous energy as we headed over to the venue that morning. Would people show up in droves as they had in the past? Would the flow of the competition be screwed up by it being live broadcast on NBC? Would my headache go away? These were the questions rattling around in my head and I let them all go once I was on the chairlift passing by the pipe. The sides were filling up with people, the bottom was already packed, riders flew out of the perfectly shaped u-ditch in the final minutes of practice. At the top of the chair a guy calmly approached Jake and asked if he could get a quick picture. Jake obliged and the guy eagerly threw an arm around him. “I moved here back in the late 90′s from Jersey instead of going to college, my parents blame you for that,” he said. Jake laughed, the guy thanked him and rode off. That’s snowboarding right there I thought to myself, living the dream, whatever it means to you. To Jake it’s being able to put on a contest where any rider with skills worthy of the big show can be seen. For him that’s the best part, watching the young unknowns battle their way to finals, take their place on the podium and in Open history.

I have been going to the Open every year since 1995 and I can honestly say this year was the best. People who know me will no doubt be surprised by that statement. I’m a fiercely proud Vermonter and was an outspoken opponent of the Open being moved. However what I realized is this, the Open is now 31 years old. Great as those years in Vermont were, it was time for a change. If you’re 31 and living in the basement, that’s a sad situation, especially if your parents haven’t wanted you around for some time now. Sure there might be a-lot of friends and neighbors who want you to stay but ultimately you have to do what’s right for you. Like many in the snowboard community (myself included) it was time for the Open to migrate west. Indeed I was skeptical of Open 2.0, but the way the people of Vail embraced the event and dedication of the employees at Burton to maintain the soul of the event put my concerns to rest. All the staples of Opens past, the muddy parking walk at the Sun Bowl, the line out the door at Winhall  7-11, breakfast sandwiches from Partridge, a 40 minute drive from my parents house to the venue, these things were gone, but did I miss them? Eh, not really.

For me The Open was really always about the people and for the most part those people moved with the contest. I meant the gentle giant himself Abe Teter was out there poaching pipe finals on Saturday in a long sleeve t-shirt. If that isn’t the Open then I don’t know what is. Jane Nathan is still doing rider registration, Ricki Thiele is still making sure the party doesn’t stop, Greg and Anne-Marie are still hosting them. Whit is still putting out fires like nobody else and her old man KJ is still cracking everyone up. My point is the venue may have changed but the vibe remains the same. The day I got into town the first person I talked to was Donna Carpenter. She was understandably exhausted but just couldn’t stop smiling. “People are just so happy to have us here,” she told George and me. She added, “One guy came up to me and just said thank you, thank you so much for moving the Open here”. I heard many more people thank her throughout the weekend. The truth is Vail really wanted the Open and I sure hope they enjoyed having it there as much as we did because it’ll be there for at least the next four years. It’s nice to know what I’ll be doing the last week of February until 2017. 

What I’m really hoping for in the coming years is for Mother Nature to come through with the light, fluffy dump of fresh like she did this year. It was quite a welcome to the Rockies for all of us and it was hard to think about watching a contest while there was so much to be ridden. I linked up with a buddy from high school who’s been calling Vail home for a couple years now and man did he come through with the local knowledge. Within four runs we had traversed a good portion of the back bowls and I’d gotten my best turns of the season. The rest of the day pretty much continued in that fashion, each run better than the last. Vail can seem overwhelming at times for someone who grew up riding Bromley’s 42 trails but having had the local’s tour, I feel like I’ll be prepared for next year and will be ready to share my knowledge.

Saturday’s Pipe finals went off in classic Open fashion. The only thing that was missing was Jake flying over in the chopper but hey, there’s always next year. That Shaun White (CA) guy did his thing and after his second run it was clear he wouldn’t need a third to take home the win. You can say what you want, but until someone steps up the way Pearce and Davis did in years past prior to their injuries, the man with the lowest drag coefficient and excellent hair is going to keep on winning. It could certainly be 14-year old Ayumu Hirano (JPN) who dethrones the champ at future contests. Only time will tell if he can match Shaun’s consistency. Until then, he seems happy(ish) with taking home second place, it’s hard to tell since he doesn’t speak any English and has the emotional range of Kristen Stewart. Buckeye born Louie Vito aka “The hardest working man in snowboarding” took home a well-deserved third. As his amplitude goes up so do his chances at beating Shaun head to head. Louie has the edge in the style department, just find a shot of him doing a crail or frontside wall nose grab and you’ll see what I mean. Also would like to acknowledge the most stylish rider of the day, Mr. Scott Lago. After pipe finals he showed up at lunch wearing the hottest Nike Golf gear I’ve seen in sometime now. Oh and I guess his style in the pipe wasn’t too shabby either(the best in fact).  Vermonters Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter grabbed 1st and second with young Arielle Gold rounding out the women’s podium. I heard they put on a good show in the afternoon, I was off riding Blue Sky Basin so I couldn’t tell ya, I’m sure reports are accurate.  

With the titles and big ass checks handed out, it was time to party(again). Santigold absolutely crushed it even though she was apparently very under the weather having been out riding all day (the altitude can get ya). Vail Village was as packed, if not more so, than it had been the night before for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. I couldn’t help but wonder what those poor people who had planned a vacation without knowing the Open was going on we’re thinking. I’m sure it was something along the lines of, “Honey, we’re going to Alta next year.” When the concert ended it was time for the after party at the ice area featuring Skratch Bastid + Cosmo Baker . They spun a great mix of oldies, rarities and new stuff. Honestly it could have been a laptop with I-Tunes on shuffle and I would have had a blast. The whole family was in the place, pretty much everyone who was a staple at the old event had made it to Vail. The 2013 U.S. Open wrapped up much the way I’m sure the first one did, a bunch of friends having a damn good time having settled who’s top dog on the hill.

Big thanks to the Carpenters, Nigro, Lauren, Whit, Ricki, Greg & Anne-Marie, Brett, Weatherby and Vail. Truly one of the best weekends I’ve ever had and one that will be hard to top in years to come but I’m sure we’ll find a way.

#oyvail

Cheers!

While driving up to a friend’s house in Hancock Park for a cookout I realized I’d forgotten to pick up beer. Not knowing the area I stopped at the first place I spotted, a rundown looking supermarket called Galco’s. I figured they’d probably have something decent to bring, worst case scenario I’d end up with some Modelo Especial(everywhere has that in Hancock Park.) It didn’t immediately hit me when I walked in that Galco’s was a special place. It looked kind of bare, stark and uninviting. Then I noticed something odd, the place was full of people carrying boxes of sodas and beers. Again, not all that unusual if you’re at Costco but these people were carrying flats of various beverages all lumped together. I started to explore and soon found myself overwhelmed by the selection of hard to find drinks. I’ve always kind of prided myself in finding craft beers and sodas that most people haven’t heard of but in Galco’s I quickly found myself thinking “damn, I’m an amateur.”

I was pressed for time as I had to get to the cookout so I snapped a couple of pics and went with some beers I’d heard of but never tried. I chose two very different ends of the beer spectrum in terms of drinkability and taste, I was very happy with my choices.  Iron City Lager and Einstock Icelandic Toasted Porter are two of the tastiest beers I’ve ever had. I don’t care where you are, if you love beer, find a way to try these. So just like that, I was out of Galco’s and off to my buddy’s house. I knew I’d have to go back soon, get a sandwich from the deli in the back, browse the candy section and of course take my time walking up and down the many isles holding who knows how many amazing sodas and beers. It took me a solid 25 minutes just to make a beer selection out of the cooler section, I’d need an hour, probably more to thoroughly inspect all my options.

With that in mind I pulled up to the cookout, beer in hand, ready to tell the crew all about the incredible place I’d come across. As soon as I walked in the door with Iron City in hand my buddy knew, “Galco’s is the shit right?!”. I should have known, if you live in Hancock Park, you’re definitely a regular. We cracked beers, sat down on the porch and talked about the insane selection of beverages and the vibe of the store in general. He relayed a little history about the store and how cool the owner “Big John” is. Great way to spend a Saturday afternoon if you ask me, sittin around bullshitting about rare sodas and beers on a sunny stoop in Southern California. When I do go back, ya’ll will be the first to know. In the meantime, check out their blog and web store right HERE.

Cheers.

What the heck is that? I’ll tell you what it is, the coolest thing to happen to mobile beverage cooling since Burton dropped the beeracuda. What you see above is Wisconsin Products’ “Stump Cooler”. This beauty holds a dozen cold ones plus ice and it’ll keep your chosen refreshments cold for up to 5 days. 5 days, that’s like 4.5 more days than how long the average cooler will keep your stuff cold! Pop on over to Made Collection to get yours and while you’re at it, check out all the other made in the U.S.A. products they have to offer, you’ll be glad ya did.

Cheers.

Polica is a collaborative project featuring an insanely talented group of individuals based of out Minneapolis, MN. Give You The Ghost is over a year old but I’ve only just discovered it, better late than never I guess. Channy Leanagh’s beautiful voice is a perfect match for producer Ryan Olson’s wild electro-pop soundscapes. Throw in some excellent drumming, a Bon Iver collaborator and have Jim Eno mix it all up, yeah I’d say that’s a recipe for a solid album.