Huntington Beach, CA.

Thanks to the good folk at Nike, I somehow ended up back in California less than three weeks after I left. This time, it was as part of a press group attending the US Open of Surfing in Huntingdon Beach, where Nike 6.0, Hurley and Converse were the official sponsors. I’m saving my proper write-up on the trip for a few, far more widely-read sites on the Innernetz, but I thought I’d share some random pics from my camera on the off chance that someone, somewhere, might be vaguely interested.

Massive thanks to Simon ‘Waka Flocka’ Wainright (credit due to Gary Warnett for coming up with that one) for many LOLs, a great event, and general good times all round.

(more…)

Taking the hazardous practice of drunk shopping to new levels, Freak City LA is a vintage clothing shop that also hosts regular jams in its huge warehouse space on Sunset Boulevard. After dancing like a crazed maniac for about four hours, I wandered upstairs to the club’s shop and ended up walking out with a polo Ralph Lauren crew neck and a vest by the brand’s own label, LA Rap (see below). Genius concept – the sales assistant could’ve talked me into buying the whole shop, such were my levels of inebriation – great selection of retro clothing and one of the funnest, sweatiest, most raucous parties I’ve been to in a long time as well. Oh, and they serve free booze. Can’t go wrong really.

Check them out here.

On the ‘Monkey-Minded’ post below, I realised that I forgot to provide a link to the origins of Alain de Botton’s article and then I thought that I probably should, ’cause it came from somewhere pretty interesting (depending on what you find interesting, of course.)

The School of Life a self-described ‘new social entreprise offering good ideas for everyday living.’ That translates into a small shop in Central London offering programmes, lectures and services focusing on new ideas and solutions of how to deal with modern life. I live near the shop and walk past it often and it’s presence seems to give out good energy to the street on which it’s situated (Marchmont Street, in Bloomsbury.) I’m yet to partake in any of the classes but am definitely going to do so in the near future (Sample talks include: ‘How To Find A Job You Love’, ‘How To Fill The God-Shaped Hole’, ‘How To Make a Difference’). ‘The School of Life’ is such a genius concept and, like all the best ideas, such a perfectly simple one.

In the meantime, here’s a link to the shop’s blog, which is fast becoming my new favourite. With writers, philosophers and staff members writing on topics like style, gratitude and mutuality, it’s a million times more mentally stimulating than all the other fraff I seem to spend my time absorbing from the net. Happy reading.

Jennifer Crouch aka Jen-ism is a London-based illustrator who produces the kind of beautiful, intricate and slightly eerie drawings that I would love to hang on my living room wall. She is represented by my friend Suzannah Pettigrew and her ‘creative emporium’ Over It and Co, who will be curating a short-running exhibition of Jennifer’s work at the Arthur and Albert Studio from this Thursday onwards.

Full details for the show after the jump.

(more…)

Grace Ladoja is an immensely talented young filmmaker and a thoroughly nice lady to boot. Check out this trailer for her visually stunning documentary ‘London to Paris’, which tracks ten cyclists from around the world as they make a cross-Channel pilgrimage to meet Lance Armstrong at the end of the Tour de France.

Like what you see? London-based? Come down to the premiere of the film next Tuesday 1st December. Definitely worth braving the cold for. (Especially ’cause there’s free food, free drink, and a chance to win a free bike.)

Flyer with full info after the jump.

(more…)