Krug Snapbacks

The blog used to be the first place where all the info went down, then it became FB, then it became Twitter and now all things happen thru the Cavotu Instagram page.

I have to remind myself that these social networks are just tools for sharing information. The products, the apparel, the goods etc ALL STAND ALONE without the constant online barking. We are flooded with the barking from everyone and everything, at least I feel that way, a bit overwhelmed, meh.…

Circles…

One of the first Cavotu stickers was this simple circle design. Classic lines never go out of style.

The new Winter headwear collection is now LIVE in the Cavotu online store. The 4th and final colorway- SILVER, will be released this coming Cavotuesday. I am really stoked on how this collection turned out. Fun colors, simplicity yet heavy on the trims. Details matter folks, details freaking matter. 

Get some!

The Cavotu Goldie

I am not Willy Wonka (I rarely eat chocolate, candy sometimes, but chocolate never) but Wonka's story truly helped inspire this Cavotu Goldie contest. So I guess I can say I was Wonka for the month of October and hell yeah I enjoyed it!

The Cavotu Goldie contest was a great learning experience in regards to taking risks, utilizing my network, creating brand awareness, and spreading some love to total strangers. Yes, I could have easily just placed all ten hats around the Los Angeles area and maybe got better/same/worse results but that was not the true Wonka spirit. I wanted these ten strangers to feel lucky, feel the randomness and feel like they were meant to find this Cavotu Goldie hat for some odd reason. Hopefully I made someones day, made someone smile and made someone think. If anything I gave a complete stranger a cool hat and story to tell their friends/family.

I must say that this contest would not have happened without the help of my foot soldiers aka my friends. I want to thank them for their participation. Everyone was stoked on the idea and eager to play along. We were all anticipating what would happen next…creating excitement is cool! 

If you are new to the blog, let me fill you in on what the hell I am talking about…

On October 1st, my foot soldiers openly placed one Cavotu brand mesh back hat in a popular public place in the following cities: Phoenix, Seattle, Vancouver, Denver, Chicago, Madison, Philadelphia, Singapore and Gold Coast. Each hat had an envelope attached with a Golden Ticket inside. The rules of the contest were simple, take a photo of the hat somewhere famous/recognizable in your city and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #cavotugoldie. The most creative photo wins, it was that simple.

Now I clearly made some assumptions here. I assumed the person picking up the hat would be able to read english, have an Instagram account or know how to get one. I also assumed the person would have a cell phone or mobile device with Internet capabilities. I assumed that they understood how to use Instagram and that they were familiar with the term hashtag. I assumed that if this person did not have any of this knowledge that they could ask someone who would know exactly what I was talking about. Maybe this was too much to ask society? Maybe folks are not this tech savvy?

The deadline for the contest was Oct 31st. I felt a month was fair amount of time for the strangers with their new hats to figure out the rules and participate or not. I am stoked to say that we had…wait for it….only 4 people out ten who actually submitted entries. Maybe I was feeling too optimistic but I was really hoping for a better ratio. Now I am even more curious as to what happened to those remaining 6 hats? 

The first entry came from Norwich, England by @jamminbegood. I love that this dude is shredding at his local skatepark without his shirt on. Great action shot, the ticket and the hat are in the photo. Very creative. I was super stoked to see this one come thru. Thanks for following the rules!!

The next entry came out the Gold Coast, Australia by @dreadsflow who is showing off his skills on the local artificial wave machine. This dude has additional videos posted on his Instagram from this same day and he definitely knows this wave like the back of his hand. Again great action scene, key shot of the hat and this is definitely popular attraction in his home town. Bravo!

The next entry came from Phoenix, Arizona by @coopthompson who is showing off his love for Mother Nature and finding adventure in the great outdoors. I really love the colors in this image, great hat placement, amazing background location and representation of pure freedom and living life!!

And the final entries came from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by @andrewdelquadro in a set of 3 photos so I grouped them together for the sake of this blog. Stoked on the use of the national monuments and statues in his home town as well as skatepark shot with the Golden Ticket too. Nice work dude!

I just want to thank everyone who participated in the contest. 

I will announce the grand prize winner tomorrow aka Cavotuesday on the Cavotu Instagram page.

No control

My ex girlfriend called me out last night about never being happy. First of all, they say an "ex" is an "ex" for a reason but when the smoke clears and a decade has passed I really have no issue with being friends with them. So yes her comment stung for a minute or two. People that truly know me know exactly how to break me but then again I have had complete strangers crack me too so what do I know. So yeah, I struggle with my happiness in regards to my life choices over the years. I have grown to accept all the negatives, still not happy with their outcomes but the more I think about it the more I realize why this brand makes me smile. Cavotu is the one constant, the one thing that I have full control over and yes it brings me happiness. If only I could control other areas of my life then I would be happy as a fucking clam 24/7. So happiness equals control…interesting.

Which reminds me of this rad Bad Religion song…

Willy Wonka

Cavotuesday:

I was recently inspired to create a contest after discussing all things Willy Wonka for the first time with my kids. The look on their faces was priceless when I explained how the golden tickets were hidden inside chocolate bars and the lucky winners were…well you know how the story goes. 

So I got an idea and I ran with it. On October 1st, ten Cavotu Goldie mesh back hats will be placed around the world in various cities. There is an envelope with a golden ticket attached to each hat. The  golden ticket explains all the details of the Cavotu Goldie contest. 

The cities were chosen randomly, but narrowing it down to only ten was actually harder than I thought. 

Phoenix, AZ

Seattle, WA

Denver, CO

Madison, WI

Philadelphia, PA

Chicago, Il

Vancouver, Canada

Singapore, Singapore

Gold Coast, Australia

Norwich, England

I am stoked to see what will happen next. Stay tuned folks!!

…and leave it on!

I turned on the light, the Gaslight that is…I was just reminded of the classic Grateful Dead jam. Yes, I was a Deadhead in my teenage years, nothing beats listening to the Dead on those random nights when nothing else mattered but music, friends and chilling. Unfortunately my "Love Light" has not been on for quite some time but there is a time and a place for everything. The roller coaster of life will come around again and hopefully this next version of LOVE will last for a while...

I have yet to hear from the Gaslight Anthem boys regarding the "STAY VICIOUS" issue. But I won't give up, I have never been a fighter but the one two combo punch of persistence and patience has always worked in the past. I am just curious..

Like I said earlier, the Light is on…I have been listening to new and old Gaslight Anthem tracks for the past few days. The sound is growing on me, maybe I am late on this trend or this trendy band (I don't even know if that applies here but might as well)…new (as in new for me) music helps regardless.

I will never forget that day I was crossing through the crowd during Warped Tour 1998 and I bumped directly into Tim Armstrong of Rancid (idol dude right there) and I looked him in the eye and we connected, I said "hey brother, how are you?" and he replied "everything is cool man!"….

"When I got the music I got a place to go."-RANCID

STAY VICIOUS- the lyrics….

Well I feel just like a stranger
I don't sleep at all anymore
And the arms that used to hold me
Well now they done me harm
And I feel just like a murderer
And I feel just like a gun
I've been shakin in the hand of somebody
Whos finally had enough

As you step out into the city
No one to find you or recognise
As your black heels kick out the beat
Of my heart in perfect time
Singing la la la la la lala la
Look at you saving my life
Singing la la la la la lala la
Tonight you're saving my life, yeah

Now I've had the saints and patience
And I wait on the telephone
I have bills for this
Tabs for that
Something that used to resemble a soul
So wont anybody take my hand
And wont anybody ease my ache
And I still love rock n roll
And I still call somebody baby

As you step out into the city
No one to find you or recognise
As your black heels kick out the beat
Of my heart in perfect time
Singing la la la la la la la la
Look at you saving my life
Singing la la la la la lala la
Tonight you're saving my life, yeah
Singing la la la la la la la la
Lean on the end of the knife
Singing la la la la la la la la
Tonight you're saving my life, yeah

STAY VICIOUS

Let's start a fire...

Taglines are probably the second most noticeable element of a business identity. Taglines are often just a few (powerful) words that define the product or service offering, they can incite to buy as well as build trust. We all can name several famous taglines without any hesitation. I will list a few just so you get the idea…

Nike- Just do it

Chevy Trucks- Like a rock

BMW- The ultimate driving machine

Subway- Eat fresh

McDonald's- I'm lovin it

Trix Cereal- Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids

Since 2006, Cavotu has been using the taglines "STAY VICIOUS" and "GET BARRELED". Both taglines are printed on every single Cavotu label and/or packaging materials etc. Here is an example of our tagless screen printed tees as well as a woven patch inside our headwear. Details matter!

I realize this blog post is about "STAY VICIOUS" but I have never fully explained the meaning behind "GET BARRELED" which I coined in 2006 while I was obsessed on the feeling of surfing inside (the barrel) of a wave. "GET BARRELED" has roots in surfing but I cannot help but think of LIFE as a wave, we are all riding different shapes and sizes, we have to learn how to adapt in order to get the best ride. In 2013, I wrote a blog entry about a similar topic, you can read it HERE and HERE. I take this shit serious, like an elephant I never forget!

In 2005, I was reminded by several fashion industry folks about the importance of protecting my artwork, logos, names, photos etc. I have a BA in advertising/marketing so I am familiar with how things work in the biz. Creative cats are always looking with eyes wide open at how they can flip/twist/distort and recreate what has already been done. I knew my taglines were solid even back then (yes I can say that with confidence) and I knew it was just a matter of time before others used them.

Officially registering the word Cavotu and the Cavotu logo was a major priority so I focused on accomplishing that goal first. I was designing several graphics all at once (slightly carried away/excited) and not worrying about protecting my taglines. The trademark process took 15 months to complete. One of my screen printers suggested that I mail myself my original sketches/art as protection in the event that someone tried to steal my ideas as their own in the future. I followed his advice and still have the envelopes dated and sealed. I realize these are not official documents and will probably not hold up in a court case but I never imagined having to battle it out with anyone. Today is still not the day but it still makes for a great story aka blog entry.

In the early years, I would often listen to old school punk rock such as the Sex Pistols while I was designing products (music still inspires tons of ideas even today). I became obsessed with the rawness of Sid Vicious, his energy, his defiance, his signature necklace etc….I know the dictionary defines the word Vicious as wicked or cruel, villainous, unpleasantly severe but that is not why I was drawn towards it. I really liked the way it sounded as it rolled off your tongue.

In 2006, I coined the phrase "STAY VICIOUS" as in "be cool and deviate with attitude." The first graphic tee using this tagline was a hand drawn profile shot of Sid with a Cavotu neck tattoo (still ink free but maybe someday I will slap this bad boy on my neck- never say never). The original concept was to create an all over print (this was HUGE/played out back then) with Sid's profile shot but my screen printer said it was "too complicated" so I ended up with a centered version with only 6 Sids instead. I hate settling but what can I say. I later released a right chest version on Athletic Grey.

The meaning of "STAY VICIOUS" has evolved over the years as life did a wonderful job at kicking me in the nuts. I was forced to overcome obstacles and tackle new challenges. If you asked me today what the tagline stands for, I would say "never give up and never forget." Cavotu has survived because I have "STAYED VICIOUS"and I will continue to do so. I did it my way and the ride has just begun.

Cavotu has had an active presence on Instagram for a few years. If you follow our page you will notice that I use hashtags on every post. Hashtags have proven to open several doors aka connections for the brand so I am a believer, I am drinking the Kool Aid. My bread and butter trio of #stayvicious #getbarrled and #cavotu hashtags are added to every picture that I post. 100 weeks ago I posted a picture of my daughter and used the hashtag "STAY VICIOUS" for the first time. This photo is the 17th post ever on Instagram of someone using the "STAY VICIOUS" hashtag. As of right now there are 1,103 posts with the hashtag "STAY VICIOUS."

Now apparently I am not the only one who has embraced the "STAY VICIOUS" life. Etchy, a white female rapper from middle America has the tagline tattooed on her wrists and it has become her mantra after her child passed away. Etchy reached out to me on Instagram and thanked me for joining "her movement" to which I replied that "STAY VICIOUS" has been my tagline since 2006 so instead I thanked her for joining my movement! Etchy never replied again but she still uses the hashtag "STAY VICIOUS" in every single post. This is a screenshot of a simple IG search under the hashtag "STAY VICIOUS" and basically the pattern goes Etchy, Cavotu, Etchy, Cavotu repeat.

So about a week ago something new appeared while I searched the "STAY VICIOUS" hashtag. Yes there was still the Cavotu and Etchy pattern but we had a new friend (a logo) in the mix. A red and white upside down heart, a band name I was familiar with…a new album?…a new song?…a song called "STAY VICIOUS"….Really?

Unfortunately the one thing I lost track of lately was the music scene so I don't know much about the Gaslight Anthem boys other than they are from New Jersey and people are calling them a modern day Bruce Springsteen type of rock and roll.

For 8 years I have associated the tagline "STAY VICIOUS" with Cavotu and now the Gaslight Anthem fans have an entirely different association with the word and its meaning/history. Where did the Gaslight Anthem get the tagline? Who thought of it? Will the Gaslight Anthem thank me for joining their movement too?

If the Gaslight Anthem had decided to call their new single "Just do it" we would all say why the Nike reference?

So why the Cavotu reference guys?? Please feel free to contact me!

New Lids

Cavotuesday:

I have been busy, busy working…working on new products, new ideas, more more more…

There is something about the hustle, no it is never easy but when everything comes together the reward feels great. The sense of accomplishment, the sense of pride, good feelings emerge, the natural ones that don't come because of someone else or because of a substance or magic potion…I have been fortunate to experience happiness on new levels…watering my own grass daily, despite the haters, despite the past…just stay in GO MODE…see where I came from and watch me where I am going…

Now let's talk Trucker Hats…(LOCAL fresh mesh- buy NOW)

I will be completely honest here, I have never owned/purchased or even borrowed someones trucker hat. A trucker hat is a mesh-back snapback type of hat for those of you living under a rock yet somehow have access to the Internet, yes it is amazing indeed…so now I have never been a "trucker hat" dude but as a designer I love to explore and experiment aka try new things…

I will admit that I had quite a few bumps in the road with this round of caps, almost didn't even release them because of the back and forth yadda yadda. I am not in a position to completely manufacture my own hats in house but believe me I wish I could. I can stand dealing with people in the fashion game, sloppy folks who frankly don't give a damn, and no its not just one company, I seem to find em all in every product that I design…

I would also like to point out something here. I am not in the business of buying a blank product and then simply slapping my name on it. I personally go above and beyond to create Cavotu brand products from the ground up. Real clothes are being manufactured here. Factories are sewing together fabrics and colors that I personally designed so "thanks" if you like my hat or shirt or socks…but no you can't just can't buy that particular hat color way and put your own name on it. I have been getting a lot of that lately, folks asking questions…yes I am well aware that there a several cheaper ways to do clothing but I still believe quality of the product is far more important than price points. I am hoping to someday have 100% made in the USA everything Cavotu…but for now I will plug away.

Stoked on these new hats. They are lightweight for Summer season. I have a feeling they will be sold out soon. More stoke is on the way for FALL…charge heavy, keep the fire going!!

Sith Snapback- Black/Black

Almost Cavotuesday…

Tonight at midnight (12am PST) will be the official release of the Sith snapback. I have always wanted to design/produce an all black collection so this hat is just the start of future all black everything Cavotu brand premium goods. 

Only 50 of these particular hats were produced and I am betting that they will be gone in a few days. 

The Sith is just a small taste of the FIRE that is coming in July. Stay posted

Get some!

San Pedro Shred

There is a HUGE skateboarding festival going on this weekend in San Pedro, which happens to be my home town. Skateboarding has come along way in the past decade, not just on the professional level but on the local level. With the rise of new skateparks being built in various cities and big organized events like this one, it is great to see politicians and city officials putting their money and energy towards skateboarding.

If you want to skate the event (free to the public) you have to fill out a waiver form on the website. Click here for more info.

Even if you don't skate, it should be an exciting, free, entertainment to say the least. Stoked!

SALE

Hey there, 

Life has been great. 

I have been super busy juggling this and that (as usual) and once again the old blog post action gets the backseat, more like the 4th row seat on the station wagon…

However I am feeling in a generous mood today. Maybe it is the sun shining through my window...so anyhow let's have a SALE!

Cavotu is a lifestyle apparel brand offering premium quality products at very reasonable prices. I am not a fan of "SALES" but I understand why they are necessary. The warehouse is in desperate need for more space for the upcoming new collection so the time has come to move some products. Wait did I say NEW? Yes, indeed my friends, new product is coming and I am totally stoked (bet you are not surprised).

The in-house inventory of socks is sold out but you can still find the Goldfish and the Emerald City socks at 2 of our fine retail shops in the South Bay (South Bay Skates and Badfish Clothing). These particular designs will never be printed again so if you want them then you know where to go.

Ok so to get the sale price, enter the word SEASONSALE inside the discount box in the shopping cart before you checkout. 

Stay stoked people!!

Brewer Patriot

Cavotuesday:

Stoked to announce that we have restocked the popular Adams snapback in our official online store. This is actually a first for the brand, our pieces have always been offered in limited edition runs only. I damn near never reprint or restock anything but this hat was an exception. The fire was too hot to put out. I knew back when I was designing it that it was going to go fast. The killer combination of navy with the red and 3D puff embroidery on the front, plus the grass green under the bill just screams lifestyle Americana for young and old, its a universal one two three combo, you dig it, we all dig it, so I restocked it, rereleased it…I am stoked on the positive vibes and support from all the FAM. Thank you thank you.

Boats n Hoes

Cavotuesday:

I thought about taking a sailing class after I saw this photo...then I thought about San Diego. (I believe this photo was taken near by). I lived in SD for almost 5 years but I never spent that much time near the ocean. Yes I took a ton of surfing classes, I mean "college one unit electives"…but in the bigger picture of all things San Diego, I was not a beach bum. I guess we all have our phases in life, I won't deny that I never had a "bum" phase but it definitely wasn't spent near the ocean. A friend of mine asked me to go surfing yesterday, I said "sorry dude, but I gotta work, maybe next time" but lately I have been thinking about this thing called LIFE, I have to start living more and working less or at least figure out a better combination of the two. Which reminds me that I will research the sailing classes, sounds like fun, sounds like NEW, and NEW is all good!!!

Eyes on the horizon boys…LOCAL TEE and ADAMS SNAPBACK. Represent!!! Keep it Cavotu boys.

Wes Wee

I need to come up with a contest, gotta get creative here…

So the one thing that I wasn't able to pull the trigger on before I released the latest Cavotu collection was the "LOOKBOOK" concept. All the cool brands have this locked in before they release anything, they hype up the release with pretty pictures of pretty people wearing NEW, new everything…speaking of NEW, there is new snapback color way coming soon, maybe I will hype it up with some pretty photos…maybe.

Some fans have been sharing their recent pics, rad to see folks representing on the daily, I say Cavotu all day everyday but you say?? Wait what is really going on in this photo???

HUGE

Pretty stoked on this one…

I had a HUGE interview yesterday with a popular local magazine. The article is still in the early stages so I will keep it hush hush for now but the issue will be coming out this April so I am grateful and appreciative of the press, I mean press is press, media hype is real son!

Things are going great here at Camp Cavotu, not sure why I keep using this "camp" reference, I never went to camp as a kid and I have really only been officially camping once and once was fucking enough. Regardless I like the way the alliteration rolls off my tongue. Yes, I like words and yes I like colors…

Still got some fresh threads in the webstore, have a looksy baby.

Keep jamming folks…

Ok ok

I rode my skateboard down by the marina the other day, it was a mellow cruise, mostly inspired by the sunshine, Vitamin D is a good thing but in moderation I suppose (skin cancer is real). I have been going through some new/old adjustments aka changes (no one likes changes)…I had a pretty solid weekly routine of being a parent, working, Cavotu, weight lifting, typical baby mama drama etc but I shook it up a bit…I have been struggling to get things back on track. 

I just read one of those silly FB posts titled "50 Things Every Man Should Realize" and for some odd reason I got sucked in. Here are a few I liked the most…

10. A strong work ethic is a good substitute for being smart.
I guess it all depends on who judges your level of smartness, I am not a doctor or a lawyer but I do have a college degree. For years I have been belittled by people in my circle as the "non smart" type yet, sounds like I need a new circle (I know!). For years I have slaved away at jobs that I don't love, working like a dog to make ends meet, saving up cash in order to invest in my brand as I try to not complain about my steady work schedule. I am a worker bee, I always have been. Yes I have a strong work ethic and yes I am fucking SMART. 


12. Don’t let your friends drift away, because they will if you let them.
As we get older this is pretty common thread, paths go different ways, with new jobs, schools, cities, families, the crew that we once had dwindles. Sure I let some good friends go and others for more obvious reasons. I have never been the type to run with the wolf pack but a solid support system is definitely appreciated when shit hits the fan. The lame part of this is that at 33 years young it is not easy to make new friends, not quality ones at least. 

14. If you’re not happy, stop what you’re doing and do something else. Right now.
This one is super powerful, I get it, I get it. I am happy when I am blogging so I will continue rambling on...


19. Don’t be an asshole. Seriously. Just don’t.
I tried being an asshole but it didn't even work. I realized that being assertive and standing up for myself was a much better approach. The reality is that I am still a nice guy who does the right thing but I have a tendency to forgive those who ruined me waaaay to easily.


29. Quality trumps quantity every time.
I have been a HUGE fan of quality in many areas of life, from the tee shirt on my back to the food in my fridge, to even friendships. Quality is key.


35. You can’t change the past. Let it go.
I have been a rearview mirror type of dude since day one. I know that I can't change the past but the letting go part is still a struggle.


45. Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve. A real man can control his emotions.
Now this is definitely a manly one. Full testosterone in #45. The funny thing is that one of the first ever Cavotu zip up hoodies that I had designed, it was actually a sample that never went into production but it had an embroidered heart on the inside left forearm. Love was part of why this brand got off the ground and unfortunately I was raised by a bunch of women, so when it comes to being emotional I am totally fucked in this area, I am not trying to fool anyone here.

New Sleepyface!

The East Coast cats strike again releasing some brand new tracks yesterday on Valentine's Day, folks be showing LOVE. Click here to download and stream the goodness.

Cavotuesday LOVE

cavotuesday

Hey,

So its an new year but I am already back to my old tricks aka habits or what not. I don't have so called bad habits but being a full time dad consumes me. Balance is the real challenge.

We as humans have the power to change our ways, we can choose whatever the hell we want to do, most of us choose to continue doing the same damn thing, status quo or whatever is most comfortable, I don't want to call this laziness because it really is not, its just a way of life. I am not lazy.

I rarely feel as if things are comfortable so therefore I keep going, can't stop don't stop. I charge heavy, which doesn't mean I am loaded off drugs and or booze but at one point in my life the term "charge heavy" was used in that way. My version of charge heavy now is burning the candle at both ends, doing as much as possible until I completely crash. I know it is not a healthy way to operate. I know sleep is important but I really need to feel productive and for some odd reason that is how I roll.

As a small time dude in this fashion game, I have the freedom to create my calendar, run my own schedule and set my own deadlines, I have been thinking a lot about the Spring 2014 release, the collection is not completed yet but like I said it doesn't have to be. Changes are in the works, inspiration keeps me focused.

Full circle feelings are in my head, I don't care for full circle life but life has a way of happening, for the better or for the worst.

It's Cavotuesday, go out and get yours...

Family First

The new Sleepyface album The Aquaholic is now available for download. Click here to experience the magic.

Twenty Fourteen

Happy New Year.

Raise your glasses, let's have a toast to a clean slate and a fresh start. The future is flawless. 

I am not one for resolutions but I am feeling rather optimistic about this coming year. Storms don't last forever and the waves have been treating me well lately so let the good times roll.