HEX is kicking off the summer trade show tour with a stop in Berlin, Germany for Bright. Bright takes place twice a year where you can find all of your favorite streetwear, sneaker, fashion and boardsport brands under one roof. It was kind of a bitter sweet show as this was the last year Bright will be held at the old Stasi AKA East Berlin Secret Police Headquarters... but Bright didn't disappoint and went out with a bang!
That's right! A full on skatepark with team riders competing and demos from RVCA, LRG, Element and more...
Last month we co-sponsored an insane Kendrick Lamar show at the Music Box theater in Hollywood to benefit Project RISHI and the DWC. And today, we were sent this amazing video from our friend MK-1 who was afforded some insane on-stage access. Peep the video below, and for a full in-depth story about Kendrick check out MK's vimeo page!
Event champion Owen Wright. Quite the crowd pleaser.
Last week we were on scene in New York to hang at the biggest surf contest the east coast has ever seen. The Quiksilver Pro was held on the sands of Long Beach, directly in front of the Allegria hotel and for three days in a row Hurricane Katia blessed the contest with some of the best surf New York has seen in years. The atmosphere at this contest was unlike anything else we have ever encountered before. Many New Yorkers in fact had no idea that their small state even possessed quality surf, and when they made the trek from the city to the beach, their astonishment was noticed in the forms of outrageous cheers and a sense of pride that was overwhelming. Especially coming off an emotional week prior, when Hurricane Irene stormed through leaving heavy damage and flooding, the contest was cancelled, back on, cancelled again and then ultimately set back on all in the course of three days. New Yorker's are a very resilient bunch if you ask me...
The city was very much alive and with the contest coinciding with Fashion Week, there was always some sort of trouble one could get themselves into if they were looking. However, the main story was all about the young guns on tour who instead of showcasing traditional on-rail surfing, decided to take to the air for some high flying antics that left the older guys stunned in their tracks. The approach of the young guns also got the attention of the crowd, who were some of the loudest fans I have ever witnessed. I do have to admit that I felt rather sorry for some of the WCT tour veterans who were knocked off the circuit after years aboard-this contest being the mid year cutoff-and hopefully they can claw their way back soon. But, with the direction I'm seeing surfing headed I wouldn't hold my breath anytime soon.
In the end, the contest finished up four days early due to the excellent swell and the organizers not needing to use the remaining days in the waiting period. That was bittersweet as this contest will surely be one that will be heavily talked about up until it comes back next year, and, hopefully the fans don't riot if there's no hurricane swell in the water. It seriously was one of the best weeks ever and not only was there insane surfing, but there were also tons of events going down in the city like the Art of Flight premiere and the Monster Children party which we will bring you shortly. In the meantime, please enjoy these photos. And, oh, by the way, did we mention that young buck Owen Wright ended up taking out Kelly Slater for the $300,000 first place prize? See, we told you the young-ins are coming up!
Check out the official event highlights video below.
Last weekend we were fortunate enough to be invited to hang with our friends the Far East Movement at the ISA Seattle concert. ISA, which is going into its fourth year gave us way more than we bargained for. With a line that stretched three city blocks and a sold out venue of screaming fans and star studded lineup to boot, we could go on and on telling you how great it was. But, instead we made a little video recapping all of the nights action. Here are some quick basics to prep you for the video: Ryan Higa, Cathy Nguyen and KevJumba were insane hosts. Local Seattle band New Heights rocked the house as the opening act. IaMmE Crew, David Choi and Victor Kim each did their thing and were amazing. And, last but certainly not least, our boys the Far East Movement put on another stellar performance playing for close to an hour. We wanna give huge thanks and shout out Wong Fu Productions for organizing such a radical time, and we will no doubt see you guys at the next show! Enjoy!!!
Told you the line was crazy!!!
The IaMmE Crew digs their HEX gear!
Backstage with Cathy, Kev and Ryan.
Team Wong Fu!
DJ Virman loves his new HEX Icon band.
J-Splif rocking the house in his Original White band.
Virman in the Icon.
This day in age it’s truly hard to do something different and distinguish yourself from the rest of the proverbial pack. But, our friends at VICE Magazine have been doing just that for many moons now and when the opportunity arose to support their annual Photo Show celebrating their annual Photo Issue the decision was literally a no-brainer.
Now, for those of you not familiar with VICE Magazine it is one of the largest, most raw and in your face independent publications out there. To be 100% honest, it is not a magazine for the faint of heart or emotionally sensitive. With features that range from discussing illegal drugs to celebrating mental handicap, VICE is always pushing the envelope of what is politically correct and socially acceptable-which is why we like them so much. We’re not saying that we agree with (or even support) all of their viewpoints or liberal rhetoric, but we do live in America and we do support their right to freedom of speech and are intrigued with the cunning way they go about it. Not to mention, the magazine itself is a one of the best artist platforms in the business and the unique style they have cultivated is something to be admired. So, that is why we were happy to be a part of their 2011 Photo Show that went down in SoHo, NYC on the night of July 21st on Elizabeth Street.
The HEX display was a huge hit!
It truly was a packed house.
Brad from RadCollector checking out the new line of goods with lady friend in tow.
With photographic works from: Richard Kern, Ryan McGinley, Peter Sutherland, Terry Richardson and Tim Barber there was a flavor to be devoured by all taste buds. The gallery was packed to the brim and at one point in the night they were actually turning people away with over a two hour wait to get in, and that was with a guest list! Despite the 100-degree heat, people just couldn’t get enough. Maybe it was all the free vodka being poured from the folks at Kru or our killer watch and bag display, or the DJ spinning hits in the basement, or the free discount cards from Ben Sherman, whatever the case was this was one happening party that we can’t wait to be a part of next year.
The basement was one sweaty place....
*Out of respect for the artists we will not be showing photos of their photos, just go pick up the newest issue of VICE for that you lazy bones.
Richard Kern's cover photo...that's all we're giving you!
See you next year-if you can even get in. This was the short line...
Today was International Surfing Day, and, although the waves were small that didn't stop us from heading down to Newport Beach for a good ol' fashioned kickback with the boys. Whether you are an experienced surfer, avid beach goer or landlocked web monkey who hates the sand, today was a day that afforded one the opportunity to hang with friends and truly take a minute to be thankful for the ocean or any aspect of Mother Nature which you thoroughly enjoy. There was literally no right or wrong place to be just so long as you were outside, we just happened to stumble upon a cool little party in Newport put on by our friends at Surfing Magazine. With tons of events going on up and down the California coast and across the globe, we are hesitant to claim that we were at the best spot to be, but we sure did have loads of fun. From squeezing in a surf, to participating in a beach cleanup to chilling porch-side and talking shop with friends, we can't wait for what International Surfing Day has in store for us next year. And who knows, with the amount of awesome feedback we received today Hex could very well have a sweet as can be Surf Team by then...
The beach was packed to say the least. Groms outta school = first real day of summer!
Surfrider was on hand for the beach cleanup.
...While Longboard Ale and Barefoot Wine provided cool refreshments...
Ricky Whitlock, Phillip Goold and myself about to help in the beach cleanup.
Stairway to heaven...back at the Surfing Mag house good times awaited.
Our office for the day.
Meanwhile back on the beach these girls receive the good Samaritan award of the day for their extended cleanup efforts.
Parker Coffin showing off his special ISD artwork...that's whats up dog!
On the way out we bumped into Newport's finest, the ever so stylish Andrew Doheny walking his dog.
