So I wanted to follow up my 5ones post on Summer Lovin' (aka what to do when the snow melts) with some of my favorite new gear for this summer.Ando and Friends
One of the hippest little brands is Ando and Friends. They make men's, women's and kids'
clothes (and I'm hoping that they have some baby stuff on the way). Board shorts, t's and sweat shirts that will keep you feeling the flow from beach to breakfast. Ando and Friends is an art driven clothing collection from the artist, Andy Davis, the creator of brands “free” and “bird” and his friends. The stuff is super stylie and unique. It's hard for brands to pull off the "soul-surfer" image without seeming trite, but Ando and Friends nails it and just makes you wanna smile.Quiksilver
Hyped more than Kelly Slater's 9 world championships is Quiksilver's new Diamond Dobby technology. Quiksilver says "think of it as... little diamond shaped pillows" and they advertise that it offers: No more rashes, Perfect Stretch, Ultra Lightweight and Quik Dry (2x as fast as the average boardshort). That's some tall talk from a brand that ha
s been seen as much ink in the Finance pages as it has in Surfer or Surfing. Now I gotta say I was/am skeptical, but I took them for a dry-run (still too cold to go without a wetsuit here in New England), and they're pretty damn comfy and pretty damn light. I hate getting board rashes and am still running an old pair of Analog board shorts (water camo) because of it. I'll be taking them for a spin in some warmer climes and will report back, but now that most major board short companies are selling trunks for $50-$100, $59 doesn't seem outrageous for good board shorts, especially if they keep you from getting the clap.Pro-tec
You may recognize Pro-tec as the helmet company of Scotty Arnold, Danny Kass or Andrea
s Wiig. They also make some great skate equipment. Recently, the VF/Vans-owned company has been making in-roads into the BMX and mountain bike scene. For the last three seasons, I've been running their Hi-5 glove for pretty much anything that involves two wheels from spring/fall road riding to XC trails with the dogs to downhilling at Highland. And my busted pair? It make an excellent pair of work gloves. They're pretty low frills, but I've learned over the years that a basic set of gloves with a dab of padding and a snot wiper on the thumb is all that you need for most mountain biking applications. A high five for the Hi-5! (you knew that was coming)Oakley
In the category of everything you need and nothing you don't, you gotta check out Oakley's
HiJinx sunglasses. They come in every possible style that you can think of, including custom and Oakley has released a limited-edition artist series (including Will Barra, Robert Pimple and Art Chantry) over the last few months. The latest is the Propaganda which ties into their new board short. Totally functional and repped by Bruce Irons and half the ASP. I opted for black on black with black polarized iridium lenses. Sickter.Krochet Kids International
I know that you still rock your stinkie beanie in the summer while you skate. It's time to get a
new beanie, and ditch that promo Burton one you got from spinning the Volvo wheel at the Open. At least get a new one for when you're in the presence of the ladies. Krochet Kids is a collaboration of love between a small group of indie peeps in the Pacific Northwest and the African nation of Uganda. The beanies are sewn in Uganda and proceeds go directly back to the manufacturers. The styles are super tight, and you're doing the right thing for people in need. You even get to see who made your beanie by looking at the inside tag. Take a roll through their site. It's truly inspirational. You'll see me rocking their logo on all my shizz.Ok. It's time for me to go back to prepping for the impending arrival of the baby or kicking this nasty cold that I got last week.
