October 23, 2009 at 6:47 pm | Spongercity Moving Pictures News
Chris White (maker of the TENSION video series) and Jake Stone recently partnered to film a new bodyboard movie. The movie is called GROW UP (as you can read in Movement Mag issue 30). They created a new video production company called Whitestone Productions and have been filming heaps already. There are some pretty pranks in the movie with Jake doing some Jackass-like pranks with Jet (Chris White’s son). Watch the teaser here on the GROW UP website and froth: http://growup.com.au/
Some great action and pranks ahead ! Movie will be released in April 2010. We’ll keep you posted.
October 23, 2009 at 10:59 am | Spongercity General, Industry, Interviews News
We had the opportunity to work a couple times with TOYS Bodyboards on different projects and one of them was logo designs for some of the boards in the TOYS 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 range.
We thought it’d be cool to let you know how logos are designed, from which ideas and what the pros actually want for their logos when you work with them on a new board logo from scratch.
Among some of the logos we worked on for TOYS we really liked working on Aka Lyman’s new logo for this year and it’s our favorite among the ones we’ve done, mostly because Aka Lyman and Will George (Toys Boards Owners) kinda let us do whatever we wanted with just a few directions from Aka. So we’ll use the aka logo as an example and will explain (or try to) what the different steps are to design/work on a logo with a brand and a rider:
1. The brief and talk:
Here was pretty much Aka’s brief we got for his new logo – “for my new Aka II logo I had an idea with the number “II” and the AKA letters for the logo and I told Theo (Spongercity editor/designer) to run with it and come up with what ever he thinks looks best”.
So the only real obligation we had was to include Aka name’s and the number “II” because it was Aka’s second board with Toys.
2. Research:
We started working on heaps of different ideas and weren’t happy with any of the logos until we eventually came up with a logo that had a big AKA lettering using a clean sort of roman font and the roman numbers “II” right under it. The II and AKA are sealed together and we only left the contour on the logo. It looks like a movie or video game logo somehow and we sent it to Aka and Will for feedback.
3. Feedback and potential changes (sometimes endless changes and modifications!)
Aka actually wanted to keep it. We got lucky and were stoked. This doesnt happen too often. Usually you need to go back and forth a dozen time and sometimes start from scratch again and again, trying to find a logo that matches the rider’s style and what he likes. Aka – “The first logo he sent me is the one that is one my board now. He nailed it on the first go at it! It’s simple, visible and that’s what I wanted. I’m not into logos where there is a bunch of stuff going on. The Aka II logo is perfect for me cause it reminds me of a jersey with my name and number on it. Being a big sports fan I really dig that.” Here’s the logo:
- Original logo as we designed it
- Logo on the finished boards for the 2010 range
- Close up on the logo (Will George’s beer on the pic)
4. The details and technical info:
On the technical side of things a logo must be really clean and completely vectorized to be used either by a screenprinting machine (in factories like Mez in indo who builds the Toys boards) or to be transformed as an iron stamp (for factories like Toobs or CustomX / Cartel in the US or any custom board shaper in Oz for example like QCD, Turbo, Fish at Manta/4Play or G.Edwards at Unknown).
Here the vectorized version of the logo.
The process is different but both need vectorized logos, with clean edges and you alwyas have to pay attention to the size of the logo and the thickness of all contours to make sure it will come out clean on boards. Screenprinting logos is pretty much like screenprinting tshirts, it’s basically paint applied on the boards.
Stamping is slightly different: the logo has an iron stamp mold, you need to heat the mold, once it’s hot enough you apply a sheet of special foil paper with paint on it in between the mold and the board and you apply a gentle pressure for a few seconds to let the paint that is on the paper print the board. Both process are really different but at the end the logo will pretty much look the same on the board. The stamping process usually leaves a mark on the foam. The hot mold leaves a mark on the foam under the paint.
Let us know if you have questions or want to learn more about logos and logo designs for boards or leave comments on this post and we’ll try to answer questions.
October 16, 2009 at 9:36 am | Spongercity Industry News
Looks like Joe Clark will be getting his own board soon with NMD. (Seen on the Riptide blog here). Must be good seeing how hard Joe rips. Can’t be wrong with this new ride ! We’ll keep you posted regarding specs / cores & dimensions ASAP !
October 15, 2009 at 6:07 pm | Spongercity Magazines News
The first issue of Seventy One Magazine is now online! Check it out here. It’s got cool interactive features with videos and sequences and you can pretty much flick thru the pages like a paper mag.
October 12, 2009 at 9:50 pm | Spongercity Industry News
We’re a little late on this one but while checking the few emails we got recently we realised we never posted this news about the EBB team for 2010. Shame on us coz EBB has one of the finest team in the industry:
ALEX BUNTING / male model or master chef – Bunts, is a great bodyboarder.
BRAD HUGHES / engaged and red hot – simply the best big wave bodyboarder in the world right now.
RYAN HARDY / pipe 2009 perfection – the fire is burning still to stay the best.
THOMAS SMITH / black sheep – technically perfect but not in the norms of common style or equipment
Alex Halsey – Future Trading star and already earning his own sections on DVD’s.
Chase O’Leary – check latest movement for the proof
Lewy Finnegan – young and gunning to be great
Check out the EBB site for more.
October 12, 2009 at 9:43 pm | Spongercity General News
Search no more and contact our good friend Brandon Foster. Here are the house details below.
ODB HAWAII HOUSE 09-10 Season:
Coming to the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii between 1 November 2009 and the 1 March 2010. Looking for a spot to stay in a clean, safe house with some other great people in the surf and bodyboard world including me. We have a spot for you. We have the best priced accommodation on the North Shore of Oahu in a great 3 bedroom house situated in the best spot on the North Shore half way between Pipeline and Rocky Point and just 2 houses back from the sand.
If you are interested in being in Hawaii get a hold of me asap so that I can save you a spot in the house.
We are not fulling the house with people. This means spots will go super fast.
Rate Card:
1-6 Nights – $35/night
7-29 Nights – $30/night
30 and over Nights – $25/night
These rated are for a spot in a room. The rooms each sleep 3 people in a incredible 3 bed room house Two house back from the beach. If you want to have your own room or share with just one other person let me know and we can work out a new rate.
Thanks
BRANDON FOSTER
Contact me at this email thanks:
rockypointhouse09@yahoo.com
PS- It will be first come first serve as usual so let me know asap if you are interested. There are only 9 spots.
PSS- I have photos email me if you want them.
Pics from the house: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6
October 9, 2009 at 8:30 pm | Spongercity Spongercity Store News
The Spongercity die-cut (vinyl) stickers are back in stock and there are new colors available ! Gold is back by popular demand, same for white and red, the classic ones, and we added blue ones and silver ones ! They look sick in silver ! Check them all here on the Spongercity Store
All prices are in US Dollars but payment can be made in all currencies, via Credit Card or Paypal and it’s all secured. We ship all orders on the day the order is placed or on the next day. If you have any questions regarding payment, shipping or whatever just contact us on the Store contact page.
October 7, 2009 at 3:08 pm | Spongercity Magazines News
Is coming out ! It’s got a sick & well designed cover with Thomas Robinson shot by Brandon Waluew. Can’t wait to get this one in the mail box!
Here’s the excerpt written by the cool people at Movement:
Mitch Rawlins says he sometimes wakes up not knowing where he is, a reference to his hectic travel schedule and not an undisclosed drinking problem. It’s hard for us to fathom a life of unlimited options and having the resources to execute any of them. When we followed Mitch, Jeff Hubbard and Ben Player for a month earlier in the year the most startling aspect of their schedule was the spontaneity with which they moved. Most trips were booked a day in advance with no prior planning and no accommodation, just jump a plane and sort it when you land. As long as the fins and board were loaded and the passport was safely tucked inside the pocket of that sport’s jacket you prefer for flying then everything will be just fine.
Spontaneity is also the word for the creators of Bodyboard Expedition, a test pilot for future competitions. Created by American pro Jacob Reeve and James Prola it is a concept based on picking a country, travelling where the waves are good, filming everything that moves and then posting the clips online and letting the world decide who surfed best. It’s a contest continually being refined, year by year, but one that promises a glimpse of the future for its understanding of the internet and where bodyboarding looks best. This year they took their road show to Mexico where we spoke to Jacob.
Paul Roach recently travelled back to Australia as guest of the DKS events. The mythical father, as one young rider called him, arrived to throw lightning bolts from the tail and the young aspirants didn’t go home disappointed. He’s a father himself these days, living the real life in California, while still being the greatest dropknee rider alive.
Finally, and against all of our better instincts, we’ve got a pictorial feature on how to tow. It’s spring now and shortly the summer blues will have us all wishing we could feel the burning sting of petrol exhaust in our eyes as we hurtle towards an approaching pulse at 50 clicks. It’s an expensive game but on hot, flat days it’s the only alternative for those of us who can’t book an international ticket on the sponsor’s card.
- Yes, that’s Thom Rob on the cover, shot by Brandon Waluew. First time on top for both gents.
Read more and peep more at Movementmag.com
October 1, 2009 at 10:12 pm | Spongercity Magazines News
LeBoogie Magazine needed its own little review. Have you ordered issue one yet ? Nope ? Arhhh not good ! You’re missing something we tell you.
Issue one is about twice as thick as your standard mag (not that being thick is cool but it helps in some ways specially when it’s a good mag) and there’s just a million money shots inside. It’s almost like a coffee table book that you leave in your living room hoping for a girl to grab it and ask you “what ? this is bodyboarding ? i didnt know it was THAT cool !”. Yeah issue one rocks with only pure gold inside, it’s mostly pictures with just a few texts and features here and there. It’s kinda like a photo annual thing but it’s not annual, it’s every 3 month ! Sick hey !
The main features are: A Winchester profile, a cool double page with tech details on pictures and annotations by the photographers themselves, a SNAP feature with/by Spencer Skipper himself, an article about a Tom Morey shot with a cool history behind it and last but not least a Ryan Mattick feature. All texts are well written and a pleasure to read.
There are shots from about 25 different photographers in the mag, with well knowns and lesser knowns. Just to name a few: Phil Gallagher (obviously… since Phil is the man behind this awesome LeBoogie project), Luke Shadbolt, Alex Turoy, Mike Maxted, Tungsten, Chris Gurney and more…
There’s only 4 ads in the mag so ads wont bother you at all ! It almost feels weird not to see more ads, we’re so used to it actually.
It would be too hard to tell you which shot stands out the most or which one we prefer, there’s so many sick shots, it’s unbelievable and you’ll froth for hours. There’s a Jake Stone shot from Macauley that is absolute gold with perfect lightning, perfect move, really good angle and engagement from the rider. There’s a sick Thom Robinson double spread fish eye shot by Phil Gallagher that makes you feel like you’re out there with them in the water, there are great shots from french photographer Vincent Devert in Tahiti. There’s a massive invert from Brendon Backshall by Alex Turoy. There’s a huge reverse air from David Phillips at Pipe by Luke Shadbolt. And so on…
It’s seriously a mag that you need to get. It’s more than a mag it’s a thick piece of bodyboarding art printed on paper. It’s well printed, it smells like good ink, it’s got lifestyle and action in it and it paints a picture of bodyboarding under its best light. Definitely the kind of project we’re all proud to support.
More dropknee would be good maybe. That’s the only thing we would have liked to see more.
Visit LeBoogie site here and get your copy or subscription here.
September 28, 2009 at 9:56 pm | Spongercity Magazines News
Riptide Mag issue 172 is now available. Check the cover here and check the website for more info about this issue out there: http://www.riptidemag.com.au/current-issue.
Josh Garner death drop on the cover. In this issue you have a Joe Clark profile, a Winny + Novy desert feature, a world tour article, a store guide (OZ), and much more.
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