Speak Easy Big Daddy IPA

Was able to sample some of these before I went back to New Jersey for a week.

I've never had Speak Easy before, but their Big Daddy IPA was something I'll grab again.


Very hoppy, unique taste and not for everyone though (plus, it's 6.5% alcohol), so be careful before offering it to friends who aren't beer lovers. If someone considers a regular Sam Adams as a step on the wild side, hold off on offering them this, they're definitely not ready. Definitely offer it to me though!

I still like my local brewer Stone Brewing a lot as well, and I'll be blogging on Lost Coast soon, but this is definitely a sixer that'll go into rotation in the fridge.

Picked it up @ Bevmo for about $9. And check out that bottle!!!

Nike SB P-Rod Oreo's

Sneakerfiles just posted these.

Don't know much about them, but they're close enough to my Dan Murphy's in style, so I dig them. Love or hate Nike, they put out a lot of stuff.

Thanks to Sneakerfiles for the pic.

Kid Robot Beach Towels

I must have towels on the brain. First, the South Park Towlie towel. Now this.

Pic courtesy of CtotheJL.

Know what would really get me in the mood? Limited Edition wet suits. Come on Quiksilver, know you have it in you!

Pume LE Folding Bikes

Doobybrain has some info on the new LE folding bikes from Puma.

When I first heard about them, I was stoked because I love Puma. Then I realized they were folding bikes, which made me less stoked. Especially for the BMX.

Has anyone ridden a folding Puma bike? How do they hold up abuse?

What I find really cool about what Puma is doing is that each color is only made available for purchase onces from each Puma Black store. So when it's gone, you need to go to another store and hope it's there. That's a nice take on the over-done LE marketing trend.

By the way, this is my first time checking out Doobybrain. I dig it.

Lupe Fiasco's New Track 'Pedal, Coast.. Pedal, Cost"

CtotheJL just dropped info on a Lupe Fiasco bike collab.

Not to much info on the Ride Black Lightening blog, except they made four. I'd like to know more about this bike... is it more than just a BMX with some stickers?

Kick down the info Lupe!

Nike Air Max 90 Sneaker Book

I don't know why, but I love these.

Nike ACG always has some wild stuff. These are the Nike Air Max 90 Sneaker boot. Not a limited release, not made from faux baby-seal skins, just utilitarian and kinda ugly.

I'm not sure I could rock these, but they definitely look like something I would have worn in college. Maybe.

Reminds me, I have a great pair of Nike ACG clogs I should blog about soon. Haven't worn them in five years, but I do love them.

Todd Oldham x Nike Christmas Dunks

Even Todd likes the Nike.




Not to pass judgement, but he's looking a little tired here, no?

Southpark Towlie Towel

Im watching a South Park rerun right now and totally want one of these.


The South Park store has them for $25.

It'd be great to have, especially if the San Diego beach booze ban ever gets torn down.

New Balance Super Team 33 "Luggage" Series

High Snobiety just dropped info on the New Balance Super Team 33 Luggage series.

I wouldn't rock these, but that means nothing. I still think they're pretty cool, just not my style.

Arbor x Rogue Status

Chris Lee over at CtotheJL.com jus dropped images of the new Arbor x Rogue Status collab.

Not a ton of info on the board here, but I think a lot of the guys buying this deck will buy for looks more than anything else.

Some other pics on the Rogue Status blog too.

This pick courtesy of CtotheJL.com

New Shaun White Burton Collab with Beaver Creek PD

Of course, he's guilty until proven innocent by the popular media, but I'm stoked for Shaun. Not stoked he got caught, but it's good to know he's having a little fun.

If you haven't heard, Shaun supposedly got caught messing around with a girl and a fire extinguisher @ Beaver Creek.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/1219071tomato1.html

PS. No one in snowboarding calls him the Flying Tomato.

Brenter Snowbike C4 - Do people really use these?

Not sure how big these are overseas, but I've never seen one on the east or west coast in the US.

While I am a big fan of alternative methods of snowsliding (I have an original release Burton snowskate that we tool around with in parking lots and post apres happy hour), I just don't see me (or most) wanting to get on these death sleds.

If you want to buy one, check them out here.

Trojan Condoms x Jamie Lynn Spears

Not really, but I think it's a good idea.

Ritual - Shaving Gear For Guys

The Bachelor Guy just dropped some info on Ritual.

I actually own some of this gear and I'm impressed. Their Razor Rinse is probably the better product in the bunch, altough the Nature Calls drops get some laughs in our bathroom.

Grenade x Jim Phillips Gloves

Everything You Love To Hate just dropped info on these.

No idea on the tech, but the skater in me loves them.

Photo courtesy of Everything You Love To Hate.

O'Neill Nav Jacket - No Trail Map Required

I've seen this one around and I'm just not sure about it. O'Neill is dropping a jacket with ultra-tech features.

It has a GPS unit equipped with speakers inside the hood and a display on the arm that delivers weather conditions, navigational guidance, speed route details and distance.

One cool thing it has is a buddy finder function, that'll help. The speed monitor idea is cool also. Navigation? Well, Killington can be hard to get around.

Here's what I'd like to know; Is this something snowboarders were asking for or O'Neill is dropping because the tech is out there?

Magic Hat #9

I recently got an email from the Magic Hat marketing department asking me to re-sign back up for their newsletter (I stopped because they don't sell in San Diego... or west of the Mississippi for that matter).

Well, I'm in New Jersey now, home of Nike's Danny Kass ;-), and as usual went to go buy some Magic Hat. Bought a lot actually, but I'll blog first about the one people seem to know best, Magic Hat #9.

It's good stuff. A little fruity, maybe apricoty, it's an almost pale ale that is easy to drink. One of the better things to come out of Vermont, along with eesa and the Rome SDS.

Look for me to blog more about Magic Hat before I'm back in SD.

Nike Dunk Snowboard Boots?

Not yet, but they're coming. Let's hope they're better than these puppies.

Lots of discussions going down on the TWSnow.com message boards.
http://www.transworldsnowboarding.com/snow/products/article/0,26719,1687898,00.html


Thanks to Casanova Adventures for the pic.

JJ Abrams - He Gets It

Smart idea for Cloverfield.

Burton/Stratton “Kids Parkway”

Good post on Liv2Ride about something Burton Snowboards is doing.

I fully back this idea... keeps younger kids and their families out of the park and at the same time, teaches them not to be a danger when they're ready for the big time.

Oh, and it also builds affinity for Burton with the kids and their parents, who at the end of the day, are probably buying the boards.

Fixed Push Skateboarding

I just blogged about one of the raddest trends in skateboarding.


This is definitely going to take off.

UNIV x Signal Snowboards

I'm a big fan of the folks @ UNIV (watch for me to blog about some of their gear I own in a few weeks) and looks like they're up to a little collab with Signal Snowboards.

I don't know too much about Signal except that OG shred Dave Lee owns them and details on this board are limited, but if you're in Encnitas, check it out. The ever helpful Allan Abillar is usually manning the store and he's super helpful when it comes to picking out gear (not to mention he has a mind like a trap and will remember what kicks you bought a year later).

What I didn't know was that Signal makes coffee. I'm a big coffee drinker and like to leave the house to get it, but if I had some signal, maybe I'd drink it at home on the weekends. Kick down Signal, kick down!

More info on the deck can be found on UNIV's site.

JP Walked Jibs onto Stepchild

Hugh over at Liv2Ride posted about JP making the jump from Forum/Burton to Stepchild.

I like this brand. They have cool retro graphics on some models, a funny logo and legends backing them like Kidwell, Ranquet and Johnson. I have no idea about how the boards ride, but who cares?

For the jibbers, they have this new rounded edge technology. I've never needed to dull my edges (but I'm not a serious jibber, either), but for those that do, Rome's got a cool option on their Artifact too.

Format Mag Interview With Gravis

Format Mag just did an interview with Joe Babcock from Gravis.

I've rocked Gravis gear since almost day one (I used to work for a Burton vendor). Not too much in the way of new information, but if you're new to the Gravis brand, it's a good refresher.

Back in 1999, I can't say I totally understood the direction. Skate looking shoes that weren't meant to be skated in? Who needs that? Now, it all makes sense. I give the heads at Gravis, including one of the brand's founders who has gone onto do other great things, a lot of props.

Collabs and accessories have always been a big part of the Gravis brand. While I just threw out my last pair of Tarmacs from those days (hey, they're almost 10 years old!), I still have a pair of the Cue's I rock on occassion.

Pic courtesy of Format Mag.

Simpson's Sprinkliscious Donut

I have to laugh every time I'm a victim of marketing. I consider myself fairly savvy, but after years of not touching donuts (not for any particular reason, probably because they're less healthy than beer), I'm grabbing a 7-11 Simpson's promotion Sprinkliscious Dounut about once a week.


This donut was released as part of the cross promotion 7-11 did with Fox for the Simpsons Movie.

I thought this promotion was excellent, but was saddened later when I heard there was a chance the idea was stolen from a pitch Leo Burnett did. If never heard this, check out the interview one of their execs did on NPR.

Puma Clyde Poison Pack

I'm a big fan of Puma. I haven't worn them in close to a decade, but I've always liked that they've done.

The guys at Sneakerfiles have featured a few cool drops from Puma. The Clyde Poison Pack and the XR Runners are two of my faves. Again, I'm not rocking them, but I think they're pretty cool, not just a new design for the sake of doing a new design.




I think I havea fondness for the Poison Pack because of my ever so ugly Arnette goggles in leopard anti-freeze, which I'll blog about soon enough.

Stone Ruination IPA

Could a six pack be worth $12? If it's Stone Ruination IPA, heck yeah!!!


This isn't a light beer drinker's beer. All my friends know I'm a huge fan of PBR and Miller High Life Light, but if you're not a big hoppy beer guy, then steer clear of this one.

Bev Mo gives the Ruination IPA 98 points and Stone themselves call this beer a "massive hop monster;" I have to agree with both.

What adds to my love of the Stone Brewery in general is that their based in San Diego! I've yet to head to their brewery, but rumor has it in their beer garden is some super fine furniture from my friend (and client) Johnny West @ Maku.

If you like bold and bitter tastes, this could be worth it for you. Word to the wise though, it's 7.7 alcohol by volume could have lightweights out of commission by the end of beer two.

Motorola Q - Semi-Good

Been running with the second Motorola Q available on Verizon for about six months now. It's an ok device, not great.

Pros:
* Slim design. Fits in my back pocket without bulge, which I like.
* Rubber coating that keeps it from sliding all over my car
* Can act as a bluetooth modem for my Mac Book Pro, which is great when I'm in places that don't have wifi access.
* Online capes are ok. Not stellar, but adequate.

Negatives:
* Shuts down on it's own, no rhyme or reason. I'm not the only one to have this issue.
* Battery life sucks. It just doesn't live up to what they tell you it is. 12 hours on standby is a dream.
* Alerts are horrible. If you miss a call or have a message, you have to check it or else the alerts will keep going off, which is inredibly annoying. The only way around this is to disable he alerts, which would then require you to check your unit for messages.
* It's pretty difficult to syn with my Mac Book Pro, but Eltima just came out with a solution, so I'll let you know where I net out there.

Flying Dog Tire Biter

This isn't a new beer, but we're not always about new, are we?

A staple in my fridge is the Flying Dog Tire Biter Ale. It's a little on the light side, but not super light. Good for people that want to get away from the macro-brews and are intimidated by some of the other things out there. Or, they're good for people who like taste with their beer, but want to have more than a couple.

I don't know much about Flying Dog, but I've had a few of their beers in the past and they're pretty solid. Check them out here.

Kid Robot Goes (Do)Nuts

High Snobiety ran a little piece on this new drop from the folks @ Kid Robot.

Honestly, I don't love the shirt, but I think the hat is awesome. At the same time, I'm not sure I can pull it off. I'm a fan of New Era fitteds, they just look funny on my head unless it's time for me to get a haircut.

Pics borrowed from www.highsnobiety.com

Spy Zed Goggles

I'm in a goggle mood today. Just checked out these babies from Spy.


I don't know how they'd look on me, but on the screen, they're pretty rad.

Dragon DX Cerveza Goggles

Snow is falling and with it, my gear is coming out of the closet. I recently ordered a pair of goggles from WhiskeyMilitia.com, the fine purveyors of closeout action sports gear.

As I'm known by friends for not exactly having the best style out there (usually on purpose), no one should be shocked by my new Dragon DX Goggles, in the Corona colorway!


While I'm usually a Spy guy, these are pretty sweet for the deal. I scored them for about $30, including shipping. Came with two lenses, one mirrored (which you can't tell from the image because of the flash) and one amber. Used them at Big Bear Mountain this weekend and they held up pretty good. Not ground breaking, but pretty good. Fit with my helmet, didn't fog, not much else to ask.

I especially like the Dragon writing on the back.



One gripe: Since I wear a helmet, I could see these slipping occassionally because they lack that rubber band on the strap that a lot of Spy's and other have. But these are old, so maybe the new Dragon's have them?

Hollister Has New Competition - Steve & Barry's

Kids that don't surf have a new option besides Hollister. According to DNR, Steve & Barry's is launching a surf line with Laird Hamilton.


I'm torn on this. On one hand, they make affordable clothes, which is a good thing. On the other, they don't sponsor anyone in the industry (besides Laird), host events or give back to surf/skate/snow/hacky-sack in any way, shape or form, so the only people that benefit are Laird and S&B (besides the people who buy the clothes).

Without those brands driving and pushing the industry and its talent, action sports will start falling off again. After all, those jet skis that towed Laird into monster waves didn't sponsor themselves. I'm interested in seeing where this nets in two years.



Pic courtesy of DNR.

Skateboarding meets Parkour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksGlbmpx_Rg

This video is a crazy mix of skating and parkour. Not totally my thing, but you have to respect it. It's pretty nuts, this guy is talented. Except for when he caveman's handrails... that's been done.

Nike SB J-Rod II Hi

Two Nike SB posts in one day? I know, I'm out of control.

I dig high-tops and everyone from Kick Fiend to Rule of Next and Hypebeast are loving these, but I just don't know.

Nike SB Classics Dan Murphy

I have a love/hate relationship with the Nike. Regardless that I'm not thrilled to have them in action sports (see here for my marketing blog post), they do make some cool kicks.

While I'm not a fan of seasonal sneakers like my Jersey brother Hugh is (he loves these Banksgiving Air Insurgents... I have no idea why), I'm not going to lie and say I don't buy their products. I will tell you I've skated in Dunks before and they didn't hold up great, but these kicks I bought purely for fashion reasons.

Out of my closet are my Nike Air SB Classics Dan Murphy editions. I bought them purely for style reasons and it was well worth the $70.

These are not box fresh. I wear them. Often. They're super comfy, a rad fade with the paint and a cool little dog on the back heel.

Add in an ok insole that may actually hold up to skating.


But again, I don't skate in them, I just chilllll. Probably like most people I see wearing Nike SB's.

Like'em? Hate'em? Let me know.

Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale

I like beer of many shapes and sizes, with the exception being many of the Mexican brews out there (but I do enjoy Negra Modelo and Sol). Nothing against the good people of Mexican heritage, I'm just not stoked on their beer. Hey, I'm Irish and I don't like Guinness either!

Each year for Thanksgiving I grab a few six packs of Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale. It's a novelty beer for the novelty that has become my San Diego Thanksgiving (surfing, ping-pong, Wii and lots of beer with other SD transplants). Brewed by Bill Owens in Hayward, CA, the Pumpkin Ale did us right this year. Using a combination of baked and roasted pumpkins with cinnamon spice, BB's Pumpkin Ale hits the spot for someone who wants a festive brew.

In year's prior I was the only one to enjoy it, but now I have new friends with new tastes, so I was stoked to see Justin and Chris gripping bottles in between matches on the pong table or while playing DDR Hottest party on the Wii.

If you can try some, do. It's not a beer I can have more than four of in a sitting, but it's definitely worth checking out. Bevmo has it right now!

IPOD Mini - and CNET's IPOD Vs. Zune Review

First, I'm stoked that CNET did this review of the IPOD Classic and compared it to the Zune. I'm really tired of everyone just giving little 101's on whatever new IPOD is out now. The NY Times, Wired, etc., handles those nicely. Do I really need Topeka Monthly to waste 200 words and tell me there's a new IPOD out? No, but maybe you do?

Anyway, I have a love/hate affair with Apple. I first got into them through a PowerBook G4 Titanium, which worked incredibly well for five years before crapping out.

Mid-way through that though, I was given an IPOD mini (original version) as a gift.

For a long time I was a Sony MD fan, because I didn't own a computer and you can record onto MD's via optical jack from your stereo. But since I had the PowerBook, I could enter the world of MP3's, which made getting playlists dialed for the gym or snowboard trips much easier.

All of the other Apple products I've owned since the PowerBook have been defective right out of the box. This one was no exception.

First issue was the pause button wouldn't work. I could start playing music, but I couldn't stop it. I returned it, and on the new one, the menu button didn't work. The only way to make it functional was to hold down menu an toggle the hold button. Not rad.

Three separate times after, the thing just crapped out on me.

Thankfully, I was smart enough to buy the Apple Care Protection Plan, which meant I could return the thing for another year and a half or so, but that didn't help with my level of frustration.

I have say, while I am a fan of Apple, their quality seems to be spotty, especially on first generation products. Watch for entries down the line on my MacBook which suffered from Random Shut Down Syndrome and my new MacBook Pro, which is pretty good, but not as great as the PowerBook was (obvious differences in updated tech aside). Customer service has been hit or miss as well. Either really great, or really poor.

This IPOD, version five I guess for me, seems to be ok. Battery is fading, but it's more than three years old and that's to be expected.

Watch for me to blog about Mac's poor handling of the Random Shut Down Syndrome and other customer service snafu's on my other blog, Smoke & Mirrors Marketing.

I'm on Technorati Now

Technorati Profile

I guess I'm taking this semi-seriously. Let's see how it goes.