The Islands...

I over heard an older gentleman on the Hermosa Beach strand yesterday complaining to his significant other "why do we need to go to Hawaii? Especially when we have this..." The "this" he was referring to was a beautiful day on the beach, the scene was actually rather picturesque with the white sand, blue water, bikini clad females wandering about...yes Hermosa is beautiful (no pun intended) but its a far cry from Hawaii.

I have been fortunate to visit Hawaii a handful of times in my life. It truly is a magical place, I highly recommend it if you can save up because its far from cheap...but soooo worth it. Here are some classics from the past...

The constant contrast of blue vs green is all over the islands. I love it.

I was never a big fan of sweet drinks but when in Rome you can't help but order multiple umbrella drinks. This Mai Tai was mighty tasty!

Little geckos running around all over the place...

My son when he was only 11 months old. Taking a baby to Hawaii was challenging to say the least but super fun. The shirt I was wearing was a sample that never made the official cut. I still have not been able to pull the trigger on releasing a red shirt....never say never. Hint HINT

The condo we rented was literally right on the ocean, cant complain about that, every room had a killer balcony with an amazing view. In this picture I am rocking the Feint shirt in Orchid. Orchid was a tough sell, most dudes don't rock shades of purple on the regular but I have always liked this colorway more than the Tan shirt with Brown print. I was pretty stoked in this selfie, dare I say HAPPY...I need a vacation dude, sign me up, my bags are already packed.

full circle

I have been working on a writing piece for ______ and I find myself struggling. I know exactly what the F I want to say, I know exactly how I want to come across but something (ME) is getting in the way.

I went to college. I graduated from college. Yes I was a good student, damn near straight A's but always had that one B lingering in the mix. In college I wrote tons of papers, I killed at the bullshit format, convey the message, get it done type of shit.

Now as an adult, a single dad, a dude with a "unique look" as my son just said earlier....I rarely write. Sure I try to dabble in my thoughts on this blog but from my track record and my subject matter well it is like why even bother. No pressure, no expectations, no hype, no bullshit...I do it for ME. I keep the small flame, smaller than ever yet still lit.

Listening to tracks to feel inspired, to feel....its funny when I catch myself utilizing a "go to" catch phrase over and over. I have done this since I was a young child, I pick up on something and then apply it to everything. I still remember hearing "my bad" used for the first time and thinking that I would never use that ever. I still hate "my bad". But this week its "dare I say" and I don't even know where it came from but it stuck in my head and it wants to come out like after every 4th sentence. I was never this crazy. I know I know

on a sunday

I am awake and designing some tags that will be placed on the inside of something cool. I say cool with mad confidence because the reality is that I have not even seen the final product but on paper it looks rad and in my head its looks even better. There is nothing wrong with believing in the power of turning things into gold.

Saturday Night Live

Weekend nights were once something special! Now everyday/night feels the same. It's always Wednesday in my world, just another...Wednesday.

I have been running this Cavotu blog for 8 years (feels longer) and I have tried really hard to keep the swear words out. As a writer (me) or as one who appreciates writing, I am well aware that the English language is filled with thousands of eloquent descriptive words yet there are times when the F word gets the point across so well.

I over heard this female the other day dropping the F bomb in every sentence. It didn't even sound cool or tough or dare I say necessary in my opinion after piecing together the topic of her conversation. Bottom line, talking like trash is just lame so don't fucking do it.

I've been working on several different projects this past week and I am feeling super productive. I am actually making progress toward my goals which in my world is really really cool. My cheerleading team consists of two lil monsters (age 3 and 5) so I don't get a ton of "so proud" yadda yadda moments...but I'm proud. I'm clapping. I'm cheering.

I stumble across random stuff on IG...words to live by or common sense or total nonsense.

I have always been a loyalist. It's hard to just walk away. Firing up the middle finger is easy. But giving up on something you have tried soooooo hard for just sucks.


This one below always kills me, such a tough pill to swallow. How long does one suffer before they say enough is enough? I mean at some point you completely go insane, you lose yourself, nothing makes sense anymore, one can only suffer for so long...love is gnarly and hope is a motherfucker!!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Good Samaritan, I forgot to say "FUCK YOU"

Four years ago tonight I was in jail. No it wasn't my first time in the slammer but fuck I made sure it was my last. Today has been a long day to say the least. My memories of my last four years have been haunting me all day. I actually took a nap from 5:30pm to 6:30pm just so I could escape. Sleep is really the only way out. My mind is exhausted. My body is pretty much in that same boat.

Do the right thing (easier said than done).

Stay distracted (easier said than done).

Get lost in music....I can do that.

I was never a super fan but Jimmy Eat World had its moments in my life. I love/loved this track. Rad energy.

Seven Eleven

A friend of mine who recently turned 33 was telling me that 33 is considered to be a mystical number, "you know like Club 33 at Disneyland dude." I really wasn't sure what he was talking about so I did some research. Apparently the number 33 has its share of stories... Jesus performed 33 recorded miracles, Bird/Kareem/Pippen all wore the number 33 with valiance and it is also the highest degree in the Scottish rite of Freemasonry.

I have always been stoked to say my birthday was on seven eleven. I am not a big fan of the actual store though and believe or not but I never gone to 711 to get a free slurpee. I am sure someone will remind me today that I can do that.

My kids are stoked about my birthday. I easily forget how powerful birthdays are in their little eyes. The cake, the presents, the celebration of all things...ME!

I can't help but look back on this past year. Look at my accomplishments and my failures. I still have yet to do anything substantial with the brand. Sure I have a few big things in production as I type but as usual I let my head/emotions dominate most of my decisions this year.

I wrote this blog entry on my birthday last year. I am obviously a rearview mirror thinker lately. At the time, I thought I did a nice job breaking down some of my most memorable birthday moments. I was asked about my 25th birthday today and for the life of me I could not remember what I did. Our conversation was mainly about birthdays after 25 not really having much significance. I think if I was in a better mood I could have argued that they just keep getting better but now that I have kids, I truly feel the age factor, I feel time passing faster and faster.

My expectations are low. I do not foresee any gifts or any surprises. Hello 33, I hope you treat me better than 32.

Time

In the past couple years I have been taking notes, I guess you could call it a diary. I have always enjoyed writing and it just felt natural to document my thoughts and reflections. Let's face it, real therapy is expensive and never really did much for me besides drain my bank account. Someone suggested that I take up yoga (pass). Another friend suggested that I read books about peaceful topics like the art of zen (not there yet). Instead I chose the journal method, writing small entries on the daily. I am not planning on releasing any of these notes to the public, just acknowledging my overall action. Obviously the better I feel, the less I write (those days are rad). The themes are truly the only constant: heartbreak, loss, starting over, hesitation, defeat, hope, and love.

I have performed 360 degree backflips only to realize that the world around me is basically the same. I am well aware that I cannot change anyone. I am convinced that most folks just get older and never change. I am coming up on another birthday (711)...another year older (who fucking cares?)... I am also coming up on my 4th year anniversary of my sobriety (who fucking cares?) To be honest, I don't care to think about it anymore. I am not proud of my sobriety, it has not been a hard thing to do so I am not  looking for any "good job" or pat on the back. I am like an elephant, I never forget but as the time goes on I think less about it. Sure life is totally boring without substance but I have come to accept this. I never said never but timing is everything and now is not the time to be fucked up. I know a few heads who would argue that statement with me till the cows come home but at this point I will keep on keepn on.

I still have my hope. I still have my small list of "never give ups" but I am highly sensitive to where I stand lately. My list has possibly stunted my growth as a human being. I have never been the type to run with the wolf pack but the more i trip on that concept I think maybe that would have saved me from falling into this big ass hole. If everything happens for a reason then I am supposed to go thru this crap (my destiny, ugh). Lessons will be learned and mistakes will not be repeated (fingers crossed).

I was once a night owl, becoming a dad changed that, my kids are exhausting but I love them dearly.

Fuck you groundhogs day, fuck you.

Osker

I grew up on punk rock....

(side note) My previous blog entries have been totally lame. I just asked myself why I bother leaving them on here but then I answered my own thoughts. Any idiot can delete away but what idiot has the balls to post it publicly. I need to see my own reality. "Never forget"shall be my status. Anger is real. Pain is a fucking joke. I have had some really great ideas for future blog entries but I cannot seem to get into the flow of daily blogging (boring topic but a constant challenge). A valiant effort will be made towards something and/or anything. (hopefully not all lies, I am actually a horrible liar...) (fuck side notes)

So this dude aka the lead singer, Devon Williams went to high school with some dudes that I call my friends. Treatment 5 was one of those albums that I borrowed, dubbed and listened to over and over. The band, Osker actually got pretty big at one point, signing with Epitaph (which used to be a big deal but not sure if anyone cares anymore??) and touring. And like all good things, the band came to a crashing halt and died. Call it creative differences, call it drugs, booze, woman aka rock n roll but in the end it doesn't really matter. The music was good and I still enjoy listening to their music. Idle Will Kill is a great album too, super mature compared to T5 but still all good.

Taste it. You might like it.

Life

"What is happiness to you David?"

#Cavotuesday

During my prime, yes there was a time when I was on a GOOD ONE, I found myself watching the film Vanilla Sky all the time. It seems silly now but back then I was stoked on it. I have never been a super fan of Tommy Cruise, although I give him a ton of credit for some of his more classic roles over the years, maybe I am just partial towards Cameron Crowe or maybe this movie was just rad, I mean it still is rad.



Certain quotes from the film often ring in my ears at random points through out my days/nights of thinking. I think too much. I have been tripping on the happiness thing for a minute. Also Maslow's hiearachy of needs with the concept that one cannot function properly and will ultimately fail if their physiological needs are not met. These needs are breathing, food, water, sleep, sex, homeostasis, and excretion...I am pretty sure that I have the breathing one taken care of.

Yet the happiness question lingers, it is a heavy one. Happiness is never constant, never a given yet should be a priority. I am tired of saying that I am grateful, I am appreciative...I just want to say "I am happy"....but those 3 words don't quite roll off the tongue that easily.

I came across this quote earlier this week and I wrote it down over and over

"If you change nothing, nothing will change."

My problem with this is that my idea of change is some major drastic shit and that scares me. I have never been a risk taker, maybe that is part of the problem. And now when I read that last sentence over I realize that I need to come up with solutions. I need to push myself more. I have to learn a new way to play the fucking game. I hate games.

cool grey

#Cavotuesday

The theme of the week is a simple task.

Find something NEW to obsess on.

If time is precious, ok. And if this is my one shot at life, ok. Why did I get so stuck? I find myself coming full circle with everything, no really EVERYTHING. I can easily say nothing matters and then feel as if everything matters five seconds later. I feel as if I am entitled to get stuck but what bothers me the most is that I do nothing about it. Character flaws if you will, sure we all have them and I must remind myself that I still have some damn good qualities in the mix.

Let it be known I am grateful. Let it be known that I was once a completely different person. My life has changed before my eyes and I totally get the "only you can change it" idea. Retraining your brain to think differently is by far the hardest task I have had to come to terms with. No, it is not just acceptance, I will not believe that statement. The challenge of going against ones natural inclination "to do" is mind blowing. Like seriously, the whole don't think...just do...I clearly do not understand.

I will repeat this over and over...stop trying to control the things you have no control over.

I think its time...

Listen Up

Word of mouth is often the best form of advertising. I told ___ about ___ and then he/she loved it and then he/she told ___ and so on and so forth. Well the homey, Pete, said "hey do you like Radiohead?" I replied "yes" and then he said "well dude you gotta check out Atoms For Peace." True story. Enjoy.

Get Barreled #2

#Cavotuesday

Daily blogging is damn impossible in these shoes (I am actually barefoot) but I am the story teller here so let's pretend I am wearing shoes, not just any shoes but fancy dress shoes, that you only wear on special occasions. Fancy shoes are never comfortable because you never wear them enough to break them in. Shoes are meant to be broken in. I am clearly not a shoe person but I really need some new shoes. Obviously the shoes are a metaphor por mi vida. No I don't speak Spanish (lies) but yes I have quite a few stories in this bag, not a purse, just a bag. I will go easy on the tangents (never).

In 2012, Billabong began using the tagline "Life's Better in Boardshorts!" in their major ad campaigns. Every Sunday while I sold mushrooms at the Santa Monica farmers market, I would stare at the tagline prominently displayed in the surf shop window directly across the street. I fell in love with this tagline. Life is what we make it and if we can make it better, yes please do so. I associate boardshorts with warm weather, sand beneath my toes, ocean mist in the air, scantly clad females, less responsibility, the list goes on. Yes life IS better in boardshorts (truth spoken). I might add life is also better barefoot. Barefoot is the business.

Last Cavotuesday I was spitting fire about my barrels. I added the possessive on purpose. I am taking ownership here because no one was talking barrels in 2006. After I wrote the blog, I thought ok you talked about the Nolan tee, cool, nice little summary piece now let's go back to our regularly scheduled program then I saw this today...

Jack O'Neill is a legend. In 1952 Jack invented the wetsuit and changed the world of surfing forever. The dude is clearly an icon and yes he also rocks a pretty sweet eye patch on the daily!

Pabst Blue Ribbon is a dinosaur in the game of beer but has proven itself lately to be quite the popular kid on the block. PBR can thank the good old fashion American public for bringing their brand back from the dead. Great read right here.

So the two icons got together and created a collection for Spring 2013 release. First off, as I mentioned before I played with the idea of a single keg barrel and my tagline (get barreled) for quite some time but it never looked right. It was hard for me to visualize a person wearing a tee shirt with a huge keg barrel on it. Then I saw this chick on the Internet and I thought well thats um creative...

I guess I still find humor in all this. I appreciate branding collaborations. Sure they don't always make sense but I like the idea of merging two different target audiences and taking a chance. It sort of comes off as one brand piggy backing on another or maybe just one brand looking for new life from the other. One could argue that surfing and beer go great together. But then not all surfers party and not all beer drinkers are alcoholics...you can see where this is going. Personally I am not a fan of PBR in the surfing world but hey that is just me. Me as in the guy who coined "get barreled" in 2006. Hype or not, bottom line is that I am happy that the barrel is finally getting its time to shine.

Call it a coincidence or not but this just popped up in my News Feed on FB. This proud father and his happy FAM BAM live in Sydney, Australia. A little international love is all good. What can I say? I am sucker for Dads, kids, babies and people who support my project. Thanks Kyra! Much love.

Get Barreled

#Cavotuesday:

In my youth, I was often labeled a “surfer” based on the fact I had long blond hair, I wore surfer clothing and a majority of my friends were in fact real surfers.  I spent a great deal of my free time hanging out at the beach, paddling out and riding waves. I learned how to surf in high school and later sharpened up my skills in college by taking surfing electives. The “A’s” helped boost my GPA and the units went towards graduation but more importantly the class motivated me to be in the ocean 3 days a week and I really needed that. I appreciate the ocean and I appreciate the scene however I never fully dedicated myself to the sport. To this day I have never owned my own surfboard and/or my own wetsuit therefore in my mind I am not a surfer.

I have always loved surf culture. I enjoy following the trends, the brands, the professionals, the artwork and the history of all things surf. Cavotu (est. 2005) has always been dubbed a lifestyle brand long before the phrase became a hip cliché used by the masses. My inspiration for the brand today is still drawn from surf/skate/California culture.

In 2006, I rounded up a few surfers to be a part of the first Team Cavotu. (Parker, Prunckle and Boyle in the photos above and below) I honestly had no idea what I was doing (still don’t to this day- cheers to consistency!) but I knew sponsoring young talented athletes was a great way to get the Cavotu name out there. Around this time a major shakedown went down in the surfing industry with the closure of Clark Foam. You can read all about it here but it really was a big deal. Now that we had a Surf Team it seemed like the perfect time to release a “surf” tee. I coined the phrase “get barreled” and “stay vicious” shortly after.

I became obsessed with drawing barrels and taking pictures of barrels. I was researching all types of barrels from old school wine barrels, to rusted out oil drums to silver beer kegs etc. I watched endless hours of surfing videos as I fantasized about what it felt like to be inside the tube aka getting barreled. A “barrel” in surfer terminology is where the wave is hollow when it is breaking, for some surfers it’s the be all and end all of surfing, and sometimes called a “tube.” The Nolan tee was the design that emerged during all this madness.

Asher Nolan was a professional surfer that I befriended in one of my court ordered (yes I have been to jail, yes more than once, don’t judge me) classes back in 2002. Nolan rode for Hurley, got paid to travel the world and surf everyday. We were both in our early twenties so our weekly conversations were short and meaningless mostly about surfing, partying, and girls. I wanted his life. I am pretty sure he didn’t want mine.  When it came down to naming the “get barreled” design, Nolan was the first word that came to mind.

Since the Nolan tee was released in 2006, I have often gone back and forth with the idea of designing a new version with the same “get barreled” tagline.  More often than not, I am never 100% satisfied with my artwork hence the major delays/procrastinations/excuses as to why I have not released more products with more frequency. I will admit in retrospect, the Nolan was not my favorite design. My fans, supporters, friends ate this one up and the limited edition run easily sold out despite the fact that I never fully loved it. The story on the other hand is great; great as in everything made sense. So the idea of a new version has always remained in the back of my mind…

I realize that everything in the fashion game has usually been done at least once in one form or another so I am not taking this one personal but I do find it rather amusing. I would easily argue that I bet the story behind this tee, whatever it might be, is far inferior than the story behind the Nolan tee but regardless I came across this earlier today while looking thru the latest catalog from Swell.

The “gettin barreled” tee is offered in 3 different color ways and is part of the 2013 Spring Men’s line for RVCA. I have been a fan of RVCA since their humble beginnings. Pat Tenore, founder, seems like a real genuine dude. RVCA was purchased by Billabong a couple years ago so they are definitely setup for the future when it comes to financial backing. RVCA now has the opportunity to take their brand to the next level to which they have and continue to do so.

All this talk about surfing, designing shirts, ideas, telling stories…it really puts a smile on my face. I have been told that I have nice teeth and that I should show them off more often. There are quite a few things I don’t do anymore and smiling was added to that list for some stupid reason. I raise my glass of water to you my friends, here is to the future, here is to the future, cheers!

 **SIDE NOTE**
Cavotu (the word and the logo) is a registered trademark. However I have never trademarked or registered any of my phrases/taglines but I have an extensive hard drive of original Cavotu designs. I also make a habit of mailing my own personal artwork to myself and never opening it; therefore it is sealed and dated by the postmark.

...once

I was editing the website earlier tonight, minor tweaking/tinkering of this and that. Years ago I would spend hours every night messing with the damn thing. I am still far from an actual web designer. Yet I still call myself an artist. I still enjoy the design process, the simplicity of how colors relate to one another, how it defines my current mood. I was feeling a bit green tonight for some odd reason.

I have not been feeling well, I will be honest and say that I do a great job of letting my emotions and feelings get the best of me. I remain hopeful, although it seems like a waste of good energy thinking about hope all the time. I suppose I could focus on blank...the color green is most commonly associated with hope among other things...

I have not listened to this album in quite some time but tonight it brought a tear to my eye along with a smile at the same damn time.

"...remember to breathe and everything will be okay"

heart transplant

My right hand and a paper heart that I found on the floor