This isn’t a critique. This isn’t a judgment. This isn’t even a “you coulda done better with your money.” This is a simple question that, I feel, comes up when the issue of “top-quality” footwear arises. Continue reading
Blown
Diggin these, right now. I picked up the Jurassic Park. Only $24, made in my homestate of Colorado, and a limited run of 718? Yeah, sold.
Check em out on Wintercheck Factory. More styles…
eBay find. $33 sans laces and only a handful of wears. Shined up nicely. Stoked.
Shoe game being rebuilt after the LA purge.
WGP
It’s been a hot minute since I talked about my friend, Otis James. Life gets busy, ya know? And with my recent move to LA, I have been even more distracted than ever. Now, though, that I’m settling into my new surroundings and the apartment hunt is over and I’ve pretty much purged all my passable clothing and I have secured a gig with a new denim company, I can relax and start over.
I’m moving to LA, so the timing was good to see about some new beachwear. My goal is to never wear a shirt again. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Just a set of board shorts, maybe a tank top (not counting this as a shirt), a Penny Board or reasonable facsimile, my girl, our dog, and the beach, man. That’s livin….
Anyway, I got in touch with a new company I discovered recently, Ironsides, to see what their surf ware offerings were all about. Aside from a cool name, the company surprised and delighted.
I’m a fan of “early” season camping. I put early in quotation marks as early to me is not early to some seasoned outdoorsman, but that’s neither here nor there. So I went camping this season in early May. The days were in the 80s (plenty warm), but the nights… the nights sunk to the 20s with wind whipping through the Pingree Park valley like a goddamn flood of hyper-threat violent shakes, hell-bent on destroying any mortal creation in its way. While our tent and gear withstood the barrage nature decided we needed (Birdie included), the one thing I wish I had was a legit face warmer.
Enter: The Face Warmer
Handmade in California, I came across these fleece-lined, velcro-attached by happenstance one day. Got one right off, and now wear it once the temps dip on camping trips and/or cooler bike rides through Denver. Works well for blustery hikes and going incognito.(I recommend not wearing this into a bank, convenience store, or anywhere the person behind the counter is already skiddish about being robbed…)
Anyway, I’ve found this useful thus far for camping. I assume they would be nice for chillier bike ride, but seeing as how it’s 100 in Denver, I have yet to test.
These are now available in a number of colors and patterns at Camp Well ($15).
Easy
Twang
The Camped Well Collection is a carefully curated selection of vintage camping gear and goods available at Camp Well. New offerings will be added often.
Recently added:
Camp Mugs
These are one of the most iconic mugs available and are well-suited for being around the campfire. They won’t melt, they clean easily, and they’re good for hot and cold liquids alike (from coffee to whisky on the rocks).
Camp mugs available now for only $8/set.
Cheers,
WGP
Camp Well is open. Sort of. It’s fully functional. It’s stocked with some early items from Topo Designs, Gether Clothing, Wintercheck Factory, and Form Function Form. There are a few URL glitches I am working out, currently, but it’s being taken care of.
Products from Hella and Woodworks are on their way as well. Think slingshots and bandanas.
Thanks to those who made the opening day (May 31) a great one! Check out the store, let me know what you think, and I look forward to seeing you all around the (metaphoric and vicarious) campfire.
Cheers,
Will
Hey there friends. Well, it’s been awhile, hasn’t it? I know. It has. I was reminded today of something I wrote year ago. I wanted to take this site in a new direction. While I explored a few different avenues, it occurred to me that what I want to do is not too far off of what i’ve done. I’m not going to talk about double-breasted Brooks Brothers suits or leather wingtips, though I may sneak in a pair from time to time, I’m just going to talk about what I know. And what I know, as a Denver native, is the art (and I stress art) of “headlight camping.” Headlight Camping? Yes. I am not one to backpack in 11 miles before finding a spot to pitch a tent. I prefer to have the car within sight, a fire raging, and plenty of whiskey and guitars to make the night a blur of amazing. 
I would like to introduce you to the new venture, Camp Well. Right now, yeah, it’s a baby of an idea, but the goal for this is so much more. An online shop stocked with items I believe in and would actually use camping versus what it might LOOK like you would take camping. Trust me, ain’t no one gonna wear that $150 “rugged” shirt camping just to get drunk, climb a tree, and rip the shit out of it when you jump down and nearly stumble into the fire.
So stay tuned. This is gonna be fucking fun, man.
Here’s the philosophy: just be cool, have fun, don’t be a dick, and, above all else, camp well.
Peace trails,
Packaging is the jam
So I was approached not too long ago by some good friends.. Jeremiah, specifically. Basically it went down, “Dudes. A friend is making some legit shit. Wristgear. Real deal. Check it.” So that’s not verbatim whatsoever, but that’s kind of how I remember it. At any rate, I was initially hesitant. “Ah, I got a watch and a friendship bracelet my lady any I bought for each other in San Diego. I don’t need more on my wrist.” Wrong sauce.
Form Function Form has it on lock. Not just for looks, either. And that’s why I got so into FFF’s offerings. Anyone cane make some leather goods. But what set is apart? In this case, function. The braiding on the lure bracelet can easily hold a few lures, should fishing be your fancy. Plus, walking around with an old lure as the focal point, hook included, it’s something new. And I am a fan.
The Lure. (Original momentum fans might gets that....)
I was swung a lure wristwrap and a mini multi-tool carrier complete with lighter. Both should come in handy when camping. Especially the multi-tool holder. Light for fires and smokes and mallows (if fire fails) and whatever else I want to burn.
lighter. tool. tool. lighter. leather.
Check out Form Function Form here:
Topo in Topo. Bagception
Saturday turned out to be one of the most productive and inspiring days in recent history. I awoke when the sun hit my face, mulled about the house for a minute or two, played with bird in the back yard, and hung out with the lady friend. When noontime came, and I rode my bike clear across the city to meet up with Mark, my friend and one of the brain trusts behind Topo Designs. It’s pretty rad having one of the best new brands around living basically next door.
We chatted for a few hours over French Toast and mimosas, real manly like, about product, shops, ideas, the future, Australia, Fancy Tiger, Left Field, and destroying. After settling up, we rode to his casa. I had promised a friend I would pick him up a Klettersack in the duck camo colorway (pictured). I got to peep Mark’s house, too, which was rad as he has done some killer remodeling. So, yes, dinner parties will be had.
One thing that Denver really has going for it is the community vibe and everyone working well together. Whatever industry it is, everyone pretty much has everyone else’s back. Don’t know too many other places like that. Plus, we have ghost pepper vodka at Sputnik… and $5 mimosa carafes. Sort of hard to beat that.
Onward, 5280,
WGP
Enjoi X Independent X Ricta
I bought this set up from Blades one night in NYC after a long shift at the Tribeca Grand. Having an affinity for pandas long before any pre-teen girl ever did, I was immediately a fan of Enjoi. Then, when you add in the Tilt Mode Man Down video with the likes of Louise Barletta and Marc Johnson, things got real.
Seeing as how I bought this complete and never really used it, save for some evidenced FS boardslides (I was never good at nose and tails), it’s still in good condition and is back on the streets.
Those are Rowley Style 99 Vans I picked up from a shop in Breckenridge, CO. Best shoes I’ve skated in since the eS Koston2′s. Damn, man. Remember those Mayhew’s too? I had a set. So big. SO big.
Thanks for reading this short post today. And because it reminded me, here’s Marc Johnson’s part from Tilt Mode’s Man Down.
Links today:
Now, go do something outside.
Cushing: A living legend
Roughly 5 years ago, give or take a year and a couple months, I left the skatepark without realizing it would be the last time I rode for a good long while. Call it moving on, call it losing interest, call it saving my knees for more important things: I stopped skating to pursue other endeavors. Not that I think I was an idiot to do so, it’s more just I am kicking myself for letting it go this long. So I said, “Fuck this noize,” (spelled like that in my vernacular), and I dusted off my old Enjoi deck, bought a fresh pair of Vans, threw on a Supreme hat, a pair of Levi’s and a Thrasher tshirt and headed to the skatepark.
“You can’t just get in the ring with Ali cause you think you can box.” Jessie from The Fast and The Furious (the first and still best installment) says this to Spilner before he and Vince go at it man-style. This was sort of my mentality as to why I drove 20 minutes to Cushing in lieu of riding my bike 5 minutes to the Denver park. I’m not going to kid myself into thinking I can roll with the Denver hessians and rippers.. yet. So I opted for the small, somewhat janky metal ramps of Cushing, a park I frequented in high school but haven’t returned to since. Save for some new ramps, the spot was exactly as I left it in 2000. Shit… 12 years… I just thought about that.
I was the only one pushing around for about 30 minutes. Just then, a somewhat disheveled kid rolled in and promptly sat atop the quarter pipe to roll a joint. “Want some, dude?” He asked as I took a breather. “Nah, man, I’m straight. Thanks, though,” I replied. “Fuckin a, man. I love this place.” It’s behavior indicative of Cushing, or what I remember the park as. Not that I was ever one to smoke weed, kids doing it at skateparks just seems natural. …Especially when no one is there, and you’re hung over (as this kid appeared to be).
I worked on relearning the frontside flip on the banked ramp as he puffed away and sloppily did a few 5-0 grinds and hard plants. About 45 minutes later, this girl comes in and proceeds to absolutely destroy the mini-ramp. Blunt stall, kickflip out. nollie shove-it to stall to flip out. It was awesome. The other dude there joined her on the ramp for a bit, taking turns with their lines, chatting it up, etc. I think they were friends. Maybe. I don’t know. I focused on landing that effing frontside flip, which didn’t come. I got a few other cobwebs swept off the bag of tricks, though, so the day wasn’t a total wash. Plus, it felt phenomenal to be back on the board.
It’s gonna be a long, hot Summer of skating and camping and drinking and skating. Each week, I will attempt to find a new skatepark spot in Colorado and give it a go. Should be a good time. So if you want, you should join. I will keep you updated where I will be.
Next post: My setup. Stay Tuned.