Chaos...Mayhem...Helter Skelter...oh fuck it

It's one of those days...

1) Email not working - Outlook freezing up...virus scanner not finding virus...hmm
2) Facebook fucked with their UI once again.
3) It's raining.
4) Contracts for clients' deals are way overdue.
5) People are not returning emails or calls.
6) People are reneging on deals.
7) People are acting like a-holes.
8) I give up.

See you all next week... Read more!

Die Antwoord is the answer

I was just turned onto this and I can guarantee this will be as big as M.I.A. Get on the Die Antwoord train now..It is the HOT SHIT out of South Africa. You heard it here first...
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Peace train to ASR - a wrap up

So once again the surf and skate industries descended upon downtown San Diego for yet another lackluster ASR trade show (though I dug Class and Crossroads as additions to the stodgy ASR offering). In my view, fashion trade shows are a dying animal. Buyers are forcing road reps to come to them since they hold the power and aren't making the treks to far off shows...smaller regional shows seem to be the steez these days. I predict a major change in the mass trade show model very soon or else the business will cease to exist (P.S. I am available to consult on how to do this trade show companies.).

Anyways, I headed down with my brother-in-law Daws to ASR to scope the scene and slap hands with some friends and clients. Here is a recap:


We took the train down from Irvine to San Diego so we didn't have to worry about traffic and parking. Was a nice change. Plus we were able to check the surf all the way down.


At the Crossroads section of the trade show there was all the usual suspects in skate. Here the boys from Baker Boys get the cube truck they rented all Deathwished out. Greco in the forefront, the boys from the warehouse taking direction from Ellington and team manager DJ holding it down.


Deathwish's latest offering...the Blacklight series. The Ellington board (upper left corner of picture 1) comes wrapped in black censorship packaging...for obvious reasons. I need one of these.


THE MAN...Andrew Shusterman...holding down the fort for Flip Skateboards. I love this kid. Works his ass off. Never complains. Does what he says. A great add to the Flip family and a hell of a drinker.

Curren Caples and Louie Lopez on top of the half pipe before taking a run or two. The good folks at Volcom had 10k in cash on hand and were peeling off bills for best tricks, great attempts and insane slams. Andrew Langi from Flip was throwing it down hard and walked with the $1500 trick of the day cash. Don't tell the IRS.


Jeff Kendall...selling the crap out of all the great NHS product. I was stoked I got to talk to Wingnut about the Santa Cruz surfboards offering and I think I may have to try one of these pop out boards soon.


It's Beer O'Clock at Volcom. A great way to end the day. Volcom always does it right. I am in awe of how they manage to run a corpo company and maintain their culture, have FUN, make $ and keep people stoked (unlike some of those other "surf and skate" corpo companies).

Thanks to Jim Shubin for getting me in on the VIP tip. Congrats on the new gig boss.
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Curren infiltrates the competitor's ad buy

This month's Transworld (Best of the Decade issue) was a coup for RPRT clientele. Mark Appleyard was called one of the decade's top ten most influential skaters and Geoff Rowley was the cause of one of the top ten most influential moments in skateboarding over the decade. Love to see my guys killing it!

Anyways...the best part of the issue was a Globe ad (RPRT clients Mark Appleyard and Louie Lopez are on the team) where Jake Duncombe was shot with Curren Caples in the background. Who cares you say? What is so magical about that? Curren rides for Vans and is seen, clear as day, with Vans on and a Vans logo on his board.

The action sports industry is pretty tight knit and often incestual but helping other team riders get photo incentive dollars rocks. Thanks Globe!!!!

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Modern Amusement No Mas??? The bird is dead

Wow...just got wind through Transworld Business that iconic label Modern Amusement has shuttered its doors. I remember when I worked at another now defunct surf label back in the day in Costa Mesa and MA opened up a showroom up the road. They always had the coolest stuff even though it wasn't my style.

Sad to see them go but I am sure someone will buy the license...thanks economy.
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Hey Ladies! Su-Yoon Shoes

OK! In case you weren't aware The Plop is all about family. We support our friends and family in everything they do. When The Plop left our cushy high-paid corpo job 2 years ago (almost) to start our crappy little agency (not so crappy anymore!) family came out of the woodworks to support. One of the first people to hire me for a gig was Christine Su, who at the time was full time at Complex Magazine. She hired me to do a bit of celeb and press wrangling for a Complex x LRG x Courvoisier party. Good times for sure (http://plopculture.blogspot.com/2008/04/complex-x-lrg-x-courvoisier-event.html).

Anyways, since then Christine has moved on to work for Adidas and done some great stuff...I got an email yesterday from Christine to check out a shoe line that she is working on (turns out it is her's) called Su-Yoon. They did a promo video of their photo shoots and I was REALLY impressed with the designs. My take is glam chic meets athletic edge. If I were a girl I would rock these. Anyways, here is info on the brand. I suggest you support (don't make us make you):

SuYoon is a holistic collection where fashion fuses with sportswear athleticism and classic styles become slightly provocative.

Launching in Fall 2010, the collection features a mixture of traditional materials, unique hardware and a custom women’s specific last, applied with sport influences such as EVA rubber inserts, knee pads, and color-blocking executions. These details help support re-engineered silhouettes such as the “not so basic” pump, a sculpted wooden wedge, the “everyday” flat boot, and an over-the-knee boot.

The collection is accompanied with a small capsule of handbags and apparel which marry the footwear through color, materials, and shared sport-inspired details. The main philosophy of SuYoon will be to harmonize the worlds of “laid-back” comfort and leading fashion, without succumbing to trendy fads.

SuYoon is based in New York City and their shoes are all hand-made overseas.

Price points are between $300-$400 for the boots and $200-$300 for the pumps/sandals.

People can email info@su-yoon.com for more info about stores and where to buy.

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Expose NY evolves - Expose NY/JC Report Edition

I am sitting here in my office lamenting not attending NY Fashion Week this season with Expose NY. However, it is good reason that I am skipping as I have a new partnership with Jason Campbell of JCReport.com. Jason is the one person I know who goes to every show in the world and works with top clients buying them the hottest and most aspirational products on the market. A perfect partner for Expose NY.

We will be partnering to make Expose NY JC Report Edition a super exclusive media and fashion buying event. On the best collections from around the world and only high net worth clients inviting to the private buying event. A hybrid of what Expose NY was...only better.

More details to come, but we are excited as Larry.
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SIA in Denver - So-Gnar HQ - Making DEALS

So I took a last minute trip to Denver to go to the SIA show and take some important meetings. I had only been through Denver once going way too fast in a Mercedes SL55 during the Bull Run. Anyways, I headed to Pat Milbery's house to get some business done and here is a quick account of the trip, that is fit to print:


So-Gnar HQ = Pat Milbery's pad. Stayed there to get the local flavor and we had a blast. At any given time there were at least 4 or 5 hangers on at the pad working on film edits, doing art, sleeping on the floor or ??? (Thanks for the hospitality to Pat and crew.)


Pat driving the Windell's team van...freezing out...Dog is his co-pilot.


Pat and I walked the trade show which was the first time I had been to SIA. This show is a much more mellow version of ASR but with only snowsports. The only happening part of the show was the snowboard area (and more exact Volcom and SkullCandy). Pat and I took some great meetings with all his current sponsors and linked up with a few possible new ones. We got to meet with Von Zipper, Capix, Skull Candy, Pow Gloves, Zumiez and LRG. We also have some hot new prospects for board sponsors since Pat is not re-signing with Arbor. We are stoked about the opportunities that are popping up for PM!

Here is Pat at VZ checking out the new goggles.



This is how we do it...high level "board meeting" discussing Pat's LRG deal with Jesse Fredd and Dave Birnie of Team LRG. Looks like Pat is going to sign with LRG!


Baron flew in for a night so we could sit down with the sickest snow team in the business - Volcom. Team Volcom, Baron, snowboarder Gigi Ruf and his filmer all sat down to an insane dinner to discuss Baron scoring the soundtrack to Gigi's film due out in September. Looks like Baron will be scoring the film and we all had an amazing sit down and dinner. So stoked about this project...it may even require a meeting or two out to the Volcom house on the North Shore...that will suck.

Baron will now have the honor of being the first person to score not only a skate video but now also a snow video.

Thanks Billy Anderson and Volcom for the opp...We love us some Volcom.


So there were parties. We went to them. The alcohol was cheap, lines were minimal, it was cold as balls out and there were a shit ton of dudes in the house. One of the memorable parties was with the Von Zipper boys G.T. and Brian Harris. We went to a place called The Church and Mickey Avalon was playing. Talk about a dichotomy. Anyways we drank a lot of PBR (that is all they drink out there I guess...doesn't hurt to support since Pat's roomie is the PRB events rep for Denver) and had a blast.

The next night Pat and his crew threw a private warehouse party that was packed to the gills. Free PBR and Red Bull/Svedka's. Again a shit ton of dudes packed into a print shop/house turned party space. We were there til 4 am and there will stills people showing up. Del The Funky Homosapien played what seemed like a 40 song set...people were stoked.

This is a "Where's Waldo" type print on the floor of the party space...really cool so I had to shoot it.


Del the funky and his DJ Bookoo 1 rock the mic. I love seeing white hipsters dance to hip hop.
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