Back 2 Back

Lakeshow!

In 6

Everyone loves a good tee shirt. These pretty much sum up the general vibe of the NBA finals from the west coast perspective. Enjoy the show.

And I know

I was just talking with my wife about Sublime the other day. Hard to believe that it has already been 14 years today since the passing of Bradley Nowell. The former Sublime front man was found dead in his hotel room in San Francisco on May 25th, 1996, just weeks before the release of their debut major label album and days after his wedding. Cavotu rider, BT had tickets to see Sublime that night in SF but the show never happened. They definitely had some classic anthems and will continue to inspire. Moral of the story- drugs are bad, reggae is good. Enjoy.

The irish ways

I had to call in the troops over the weekend to help out with the huge annual event. We chef'd it up for at least 200 people. They pretty much ate and drank up everything. Hungry hungry hippos. The homey, Brannon aka Forrest was actually one of the first team riders back when I was sponsoring 2 plankers. Brannon still resides in America's finest city and will be a married man by the end of this summer. Congrats and thanks for your help bigg dogg.

#24

Yes, I am a fan of the purple and gold. People often assume that because I am tall that I once played or play basketball, sorry to disappoint but no skills here, I'm just tall. So I wasn't 100% convinced that the Lakers would win another title, back 2 back is not an easy task but as these playoffs move forward I'm thinking it could be in the bag. Lakers Celtics finals, the show takes it 4-2, dare I say 7 games, but maybe, yikes.

Not that guy on Fox news

The history of Cavotuesday:

Back in the day, I worked 7 days a week and partied 7 nights a week. I didn't make much time for the dream, the fun, the Cavotu. The equation is a bit different now (work 7 days + work 7 nights + no party + no sleep = madness.) I set aside Tuesday as the official day of all things Cavotu (art design, web design, blogging, team management, accounting, finances etc etc. The catch phrase- Cavotuesday was soon developed. It has a nice ring to it and also helps folks pronounce the name more accurately. No it is not Cavuto and no it is not Cavot-toe. Cav as in Cavaliers are now Mike Brownless and soon to be without a King. O as in ohh yeah. Tu as in your mama. Booyeah.

I took the fam bam to the beach yesterday. Awesome day. Happy Cavotuesday.

Est. 2005

Yes, I like fashion. Not like Project Runway type of fashion, but don't get me wrong, I appreciate the artistic abilities of those contestants as well as those who work in the field on the daily. Those folks have mad skills, beyond the FIDMs and art academies, as in experience coupled with true talent. One could argue that your city defines your fashion sense and that true fashion only comes out of New York, Paris and/or Japan. I am from San Pedro, part of Los Angeles county, but LA is a BIG place. Cavotu is San Pedro. Cavotu is Los Angeles. Southern California culture is what it is.

What do I know about fashion anyway? I can't even sew, well actually I can but not like a dress or pair of slacks. I didn't go to a fancy art school, fancy could easily be replaced with ridiculously expensive. I like to think I have an eye for fashion. I appreciate the thought process, the themes, the color ways and the motivation to create something that people will fall in love with. As an artist, I can't help but watch my world around me. I study this game everyday. I follow the blogs, visit the brick & mortars and ask questions about all the major/minor players. My focus is primarily action sports and the street-wear industry but yesterday I came across a pair of $300 Gucci shades that blew my mind.

The other night I was telling a story about the time I got blood on my kelly green Hurley shirt (circa 98). Now the point of the story had nothing to do with Hurley but it forced me to go back to when the brand began. In 1998, Hurley was formed by dudes from Billabong, it took off from there and now owned by Nike which translates as not cool anymore. One of the cats listening to my story was like "man, how old are you?" I quickly replied "1980 son, 1980..." The year 1998 was not that long ago but to some the brand Hurley seems like it has been around for ages. Hell even Volcom was established in 1991, but I never heard of it until 1994. Timing is everything.

I started this project in 2005 with my blindfold tightly fastened. Five years later I am still here. Amazed at the rise and growth of other 5 year old startups. I took a two year hiatus to focus on my family and now I feel as if I am starting from scratch. Unfortunately I am still working out all the kinks. Taking a chance on new screen printing options as well as branching out from my previous supplier of fresh cotton blends. I am even talking with folks overseas on a special project. As much as I like to keep it made in the USA, I felt I had to test the waters outside of my comfort zone. So far so good. The month of May will be the ultimate challenge.

When I got the music...

"The best blogs are those that are updated daily." So much for the being the best. The pot is brewing. Dinner is almost ready boys. Stay vicious.

Creative Workshop

I met up with our head art designer at his studio this afternoon to see what he has in store for the upcoming Cavotu Summer collection. For the past few months, S has been grinding away on fresh artwork and innovative design concepts but has yet to show me anything. S has kept the entire project a secret but continually reminds me that this will be our best drop ever. I have never doubted his skills and as the boss I am trying my best to respect his methods of the design process. Luckily I brought my camera along so I was able to snap a couple shots of S in action as well as a couple pieces that were still being fine tuned. Pretty sure this dude is going to be HUGE someday. I am grateful to have him on the team. Colors are rad.

Consistency (I fail)

Some heads have been asking me about the "dude" on the Cavotu home page. The featured rider is the one and only Joe Prunckle. I have known Joe for about 15 years now and he has been a proud member of the Cavotu family since day one. Joe recently purchased a race car and has been spending more time dropping the hammer (racer speak for put the pedal to the metal) rather than getting barreled. Far from Nascar nonsense but actually looks like a hell of a good time, check out the 24 hours of LeMons when it rolls thru your hometown.

Great hair Joe. A legend in the making. Pit lizards wanted.

Cavotuesday

Hammer Them Down

We go about our daily lives, often being slaves to the routine. We get our gas, groceries, car washes. We eat. We sleep. We spend time with loved ones. But, then there are those days when we do something completely out of the ordinary; something that challenges the routine.

Today, I found myself with a hammer in hand and a fistful of old rusty nails. I have never been comfortable using a hammer; either I bend the nail, bang up my fingers, or bang the wall itself (completely missing the intended target). There is, though, a feeling of accomplishment when you get the nail in just-so, where you can hammer along at that point without any further worries.

The irony is, that when I challenge the routine, I change it up and life is, once again, if only for a second, fresh- like a momentary facelift on all that is typical. expected. routine(d). But, then, as soon as the nail is half-way in, the fear of impending pain or unintended damage is absolved, I am relieved. I am relieved to find that the routine has once again been restored and I can pound-away at a comfortable pace, and go about continuing to expect the expected.

Vinyl Style

Green, clear, white, oh my!

Unfortunately I do not own a record player. Ebay potential? Staple on the wall? Pedro memorabilia archive? Coming to you by way of y(our) local record company: Water Under the Bridge.

Monday Blues

Most people despise this particular day of the week. I live in the world of a 7 day work week so when Monday rolls around it really doesn't bother me at all. Just a friendly reminder of another week to come. I guess the phrase 'here we go again' sums it up. Cavotu rider, Wesley loves Mondays, playing with his farm animals, and spending quality time in the ocean. The ocean sounds nice right now, lucky I only live 5 minutes away. Pedro is what it is...charge it heavy boys!

Concrete Jungle

I drive by the skatepark at least a few times a week but rarely stop to check out the ongoing expansion. Hard to believe that Channel Street began back in 2002 with a little quarter pipe and a slab of concrete. As a father of two, I don't get the chance to ride anymore but I'm stoked to see the youthful energy that continues to thrive under the bridge.