Here are fotos from my recent visit to the SOLITARY ARTS headquarters and road trip-adventure from SF to LA for a group-art opening at the SCION INSTALLATION L.A. gallery. AMAZING 8 back to back days of skating, art, and travel. Much MAHALO’s to everyone on this trip for their ALOHA & GOOD VIBES and making this such a EPIC & INSPIRING trip… Special THANKS to Yong Ki Chang & Geoff McFetridge of SOLITARY ARTS unconditionally, Christopher & Kathleen Sleboda of GLUE KIT for curating a AWESOME show, Edith Mondragon and Kenton Parker and everyone at SCION INSTALLATION L.A. gallery for all your support & help, Isaac Mckay- Randozzi for documenting & recording our skate-art-installation-trip and making it FUN, and to my fellow Solitarian on skate… Bob Lake for driving all of us in the VW skate-bus and STOKING and INSPIRING i&i with your skating & upful vibes!!!
Day 1/ arived at SFO around 4:30 am on a “red eye” flight from HNL, 1st skate-spot after a great breakfast and a quick visit to the SOLITARY ARTS office & warehouse…
Pacifica Skatepark… nuth’n like good “pool coping” after breakfast!
More writings on the wall, i see CHRIS COOK & FISH’s names on this piece… GREAT WORK my braddah’z!!! Pacifica is such a beautiful town, surf was clean and going off on this morning too!!! The last time i was here was with Fred Smith and Kevin Thatcher(OG. THRASHER editor) to skate & shoot at the infamous DEVIL’S PIT when we first started riding for ALVA SKATES in the mid 80’s…
Haha… trip out, i even see a HARTSELL on their…
KT foto from the last time i was in Pacifica(Cooksie’s hometown) almost 30 years ago. Devil’s Pit “sweeper”… ‘85-’86??
Same day, next spot… and still in Pacifica, is the LOG SHOP. One of the RADDEST indoors skate shop-park-events-skate-school-facility i’ve ever been blessed to visit and experience! Family owned and operated by the Taits and everyone who works here skates & surfs!!! I’m actually riding one of their “shop boards”(7.5 x 31) for street right now and loving it… you gotta’ visit here if your ever in Pacifica California. Where the heck was Chris Cook at on this day?!?!?! We called you and left you a message homie…
Skate-lesson in progress, todays lesson is… “Axle drops” for the skate-gromlets. AWESOME!!!
Since their beginning, SOLITARY ARTS mantra has been “JOIN US”. So please JOIN US!! (www.solitaryarts.com) Within the shell of the SOLITARY ARTS egg…
Solitary crafts, tools, & objects…
Yong Ki Chang at the controls… YKC designs all of the skate-goods and headz all of the SOLITARY ARTS operations, and Geoff McFetridge is the creator of all the AMAZING art and graphics for everything, such an amazing, efficient, & inspiring operation…
GM & other designer produced pieces perfectly displayed in inspiring arrangement around the SA office…
YKC of SA grew up with all da’ boys here in Honolulu, Hawaii Pride New Era’s from Rene Matthyssen’s(NEW DEAL) label & store FITTED…
Classic GM prints…
GM x NIEVES x Where The Wild Things Are & SA “moon lights”…
Krooked retro Stereo…
A right tool for everything, and a place for them too…
Truck bushing “cup washers” never looked so beautiful…
More writings on the wall…
There were many great lessons on this 8 day trip…
The SA skate “build-out” workshop area…
Now “Vintage” Tommy G. & Cooksie setups… RAD!!!
The SA office is like a dead-stock record shop of “test pressings” and “white labels” but with skateboards from every era! SA rider Bob Lake art & collab skate by SA & UNDEFEATED and other great decks are all here…
Recently purchased JGB print of the GONZ at the infamous “Gemco” bank…
Original Mark Gonzales art…
KENNY BRIMER 4 LIFE…
Don Pendleton art…
A Neil Blender “wood block” print…
This is a “dream come true” type of DIY pool that i would LOVE to one day have in my own backyard…
Everything about this privately owned & built spot by the beach was RAD…
Special THANKS to Aaron(owner), Bob Lake, YKC, Scott McPherson(SA rep), and good homie & Hi-SF local Chane “Lord-O-Mercy” Wilson for sharing the skate STOKE & LOVE…
Great memories for LIFE, SF 2011 with TIGHT skate homies…
(Bob Lake shredded every inch of this pool… too RAD!!!)
Stopped by the MOLLUSK surfshop in SF…
Art from the mini-gallery at MOLLUSK…
GM art print…
“I don’t much believe in the hoo-doo of most popular religions of the world but sometimes just sometimes I think signs do appear to us if we pay attention. The sunglasses in the shadows meant shit was going to be cool on this trip with the Solitary Arts on their first ever mission. Hours later, I’m still in stupification of what an experience it was. Thank you!”
(Due to some lap top issues – mine is full and broken, I was unable to blog from the road as planned.)
Sorry.
-Isaac McKay-Randozzi
The above & below foto’s and story is from Isaac Mckay-Randozzi’s blog on COLOUR skate mags website. This was my first time meeting and traveling with Isaac on this road-trip… MUCH THANKS Isaac for the great times, stories and your insights… MUCH RESPECT!
Meeting of the Solitarians. Bob, Jef and Yong-Ki (l-r).
Packing Bob’s van aka the Mule. Jef Hartsel loads up a box of display items with an energy that lasted all trip. Dude was all smiles.
Bob Lake, driver, pool madman and fellow bearded creep assesses the situation of his Vanagon.
Yong-Ki and Hartsel talk about shapes of the soon to come pro boards for Bob and him.
Rest stop find.
R. Kelly inspired pee-pee art.
We pulled into LA, checked into the hotel then hit a local Indian spot for some good food. Jerky gives me the winds.
LA.
Bob checks out one of Jef’s set-ups. Even after 3 decades of skating bob is still a kid.
My office, before I realized my computer is utter poop and I need something made after 2003. At least I don’t have any flat spots.
Chillin’ in the hotel room, thanks Scion!
The next day we hit the gallery and started to get organized, the Quiet Life was right next to use, stoked!!!
The theme of the show was passion projects. Endeavors of artists who do something outside their regular jobs in the industry. The items they have created and that were showcased came from their hearts. Axes to the heart.
Hartsel scopes out the layout.
Bob cuts some paper for layout use.
Quiet Life display items.
Outside I saw this guy.
More info on Isaac McKay-Randozzi…
www.mydumbluck.com
www.equaldist.com/collections/isaac-mckay-randozzi
Freshly printed SOLITARY ARTS “Hartsel” stickers on the trip…
Back home in da islands and inspired… the next 2 new shapes from EZ RYDER ORIGINALZ in production now!! We’ll be posting more info on the upcoming board release, new T-shirt collection, and more SOON…
As our skate homie Bob Lake would say, “Happy Trails” everyone!!!
