So my good friend Jussi is over from Finland and together with our homegirl Margaret, we went on quick roadtrip to San Francisco. The city was beautiful as I remembered it. Don’t get me wrong, SoCal is great. But being from Berlin, I really dig the young and artsy atmosphere in SF. It’s just exciting when you ride on the bus and suddenly spot a random Mike Giant wall piece at the corner. Had a great time, thank you for Ben and Chris for letting us stay over.

After the day started out with rain, we were at the beach in Encinitas as soon as it cleared up. Summer is around the corner, I can feel it. Photos by Jussi Uusitalo.

Last night, my friend Marissa and I went to North Park in San Diego, where a lot of art and creativity seems to be happening behind the facades and doors. Restaurants with delicious vegan and vegetarian treats and small vintage boutiques or record stores dominate the main and side streets. Agitprop, an independently run gallery space, had put on a beautiful and intimate event that featured the authors Mark Wallace, India Radfar and Simone Forti reading from their works. The event also featured a selection of works by Tim Schwartz. If you looked at the framed images from a distance or from the side, they appeared to be black. But they were actual prints of botanical imagery, showing what parts of a picture get lost in the process of digitalization, an issue a lot of museums and libraries face in this modern time. If you ever have a chance to visit North Park or Agitprop, you will be positively surprised. Support your local gallery.

Spontaneously went to Petco Park with my good friend Margaret last night. I felt better after that rainy game the other day. It was a close call when the Padres took it home at the bottom of the eleventh inning and won against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Good times.

So these are some of the shots my man Jonathan took. The group shot looks like a cast photo for the next season of Friends. Also, some not too serious shots in front of the stars and stripes. Again, check out Jonathan’s work at Facebook. He is a good friend and loyal supporter of my brand.

Had a great Sunday afternoon at my boy Jonathan’s ranch style home in Fallbrook today. The house is not only beautiful but is surrounded by gardens and orchards with the most delicious oranges I have ever tasted. Grilled Kebap, amazing salad and great people made this a beautiful end to the weekend. And the weather was amazing… We finished the evening off with a fun little photoshoot in Jonathan’s home studio. He is a talented phtgrphr with a lot of creative ideas. Keep an eye on him. See a selection of his work here and make sure you give him some like-love.

So today’s afternoon took me and my good friend Marissa to Pacific Beach, where Wes Humpston celebrated the opening of his art show at Surf Indian store and gallery. The small but cohesive exhibit displayed Wes’ skateboard art that draws inspiration from his time with the Z-Boys of Dogtown (Venice/Santa Monica) and especially 80’s Heavy Metal and SoCal hot rod culture. I was impressed to see signature decks for legendary riders like Danny Way or Shogo Kubo. If you don’t know who Wes Humpston is, he grew up as part of the Dogtown skate scene in the late 60’s, pioneering vert skating alongside legends like Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Stacy Peralta (the man who discovered Tony Hawk). With Jim Muir (fellow Z-Boy), he founded Dogtown Skates, whose iconic Dog Town cross logo you have probably seen if you’re into skate culture and aesthetic. Got a signed print and met the man himself, pretty stoked.