Think Local Skate Global

Interview by Justin “Scrappers” Morrison // @scrappers 

Are you open to suggestions? I’ll pretend you said “yes” if you’re still reading.

Suggestion #1: Bring a skateboard when you travel. Suggestion #2: Stay home.

Why bring a skateboard? Duh, it’s a free ride. Beyond money stuff, it’s also a more sincere way to get to know a place. Like a dog sniffing the cracks and curbs of a sidewalk, you’ll get to know the flow of a new place with an intimacy some uber-dumb taxi app could never give you. With those wheels you’re also more free to flow, and free to invent new routes with each swoop of a kick and push. The strongest reason, though, is that traveling with a board is more fun and surprising. 

Why stay home? Duh, it’s cheaper. But for reals, travel is expensive and can be harmful to the eco/socio-environment. Ain’t nothing wrong with a staycation. There are always new places to explore in your own special part of the planet. Get to know your local spots and become an actual local. 

These are just suggestions. Take ’em or leave ’em. I’m not going to try to convince you that traveling with a board and being more local is good for you. Instead, I’m going to ask some of my favorite Vans global skate team riders what they think. 

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Yndiara Asp // Brazil

Where are your favorite local spots to skate?

My favorite local spots to skate are Hi Adventure in Florianopolis and Cave Pool in São Paulo.

How would you describe the local vibe towards visiting skaters?

Skateboarding is a big family. Most of the skaters I know are very respectful most of the time. 

What advice do you have for visitors who want to skate your special part of the planet?

You got to have respect, be nice, and have fun!

Do you take a board with you when you travel?

Always, it’s me and my skateboard around the world. Skateboarding is more than just my “job.” It’s my lifestyle, my hobby, my vehicle—it’s my partner in life.

What advice do you have for other women who want to skate, but hesitate to get out there?

You don’t have to be good to start something, you just have to start to be good. A lot of things in life seem so hard, but once you start to try it, you realize it’s possible. Believe in yourself and be persistent.

How far has skateboarding taken you?

Farther than I ever thought I could go. 

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Mami Tezuka // Japan

What is your favorite local spot? 

Huckleberry Skatepark in Shiga.

How would you describe the local vibe towards visiting skaters?

They have a skate session together and then take them to a local food spot!

What advice do you have for visitors who want to skate your special part of the planet?

I recommend the DIY park in Ryuou and the rice ball-shaped tunnel. 

Do you take a board with you when you travel? 

I have my skateboard with me most of the time since the purpose of most of my travels is for skateboarding. 

What advice do you have for other women who want to skate, but hesitate to get out there?

Be brave! If you don’t want to skate by yourself, bring your friends to the park! I can’t take any responsibility if you become addicted to it though, haha.

How far has skateboarding taken you?

I now have friends from all over the world. I have had the chance to travel to many different countries and got to meet a lot of great people because of skateboarding.

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Lizzie Armanto // California

Where are your favorite local spots to skate?

Vans Huntington Beach, Vans Orange (Combi), Tony Hawk’s vert ramp, Prince Park, Linda Vista, and Washington Street.

 How would you describe the local skater vibe towards visiting skaters?

The skate vibe in southern California is for the most part really mellow and welcoming to skaters from all over the world. Of course some of the private places tend to be more exclusive and you have to be friends with them to skate there, but any public park in Southern California will welcome you with open arms.

 What advice do you have for visitors who want to skate your special part of the planet?

Be respectful and know that we’re all there for the same reason: to have fun.

 Do you take a board with you when you travel, and if so why?

Absolutely. I’m always late for my flights and it’s way faster skating through the airport and looks better than running like a maniac, haha.

 What advice do you have for other women who want to skate, but might be afraid to get out there?

There’s nothing about skating that’s any scarier than driving a car or walking through a Trader Joe’s parking lot. Don’t be intimidated and know that everyone at the park started exactly where you are. 

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This story was made with our friends at Vans.com // @vans

Far Gone Fishing

Three Dudes, Six Wheels, and a Quiver of Fly Rods.

Story by Elle Ossello // @eossello

Photos by Mark Welsh // @markwelshphoto

Adventuring by Jonathan Jones @redbeard 

Jimi Damone @jimibobi_d

Jess Mudgett @jessmudgett

Imagine your last vacation. Only nix the flight booking, tank filling, and three square meals per day. Add in a winter’s worth of hand-tied flies, extra tubes, and a whole lot of lactic acid, and you’ve got yourself a rough picture of the bikepacking/fishing adventure Jono Jones, Jimi Damone, and Jess Mudgett got themselves into during summer 2018.

By the time Jimi and Jess hit Jono’s house in Fort Collins, Colorado, their bikes had already seen some long, hard pavement miles. But, with sights set on the Sawtooths and the promise of tight mountain creeks and feisty brook trout, the three made a week-long snack of southwestern Wyoming, kissing the bottom corner of Yellowstone with pedals.

Six-packs filled their saddlebags and helped slow life’s pace once the tires finally crunched down dirt roads winding around Idaho’s most jagged and impressive range. That first night, they poured over maps, affixed lucky flies to Coal hats, unearthed Tenkara rods from gear towers, and reminisced about past hogs while watching constellations meander amongst craggy peaks. The next morning the guys housed raspberry crumble in the alpenglow before pedaling twisted dirt roads paralleling bony creeks. “There’s something about the way the fish hit hoppers in the Sawtooths,” Jimi said, “hatches, sights—it’s all about just heading north and staying upright, letting the adventure take hold and riding with it.”

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The trio quickly fell into the trip’s rhythm: coffee, dawn casting, packing up camp, and mashing out some miles before a little honey hole called them off their bikes. “Days and laughter felt endless,” Jono remembers. “When the fishing was slow we had flat tires to fix, would slip into the river, or simply sit back and soak it all in while the conversation flowed.” 

The miles were easier, the winding creek more familiar, and choosing spur roads felt effortless as time passed. “It was so good to slow down and focus on simple things,” said Jess. “Where we are going to eat next, what river holds trout, is that ground flat to sleep on, and where can we find cold beer.” Over the miles, they hooked plenty of trout, saw mining caves, soaked in tucked-away hot springs, and took riverside cat naps. “In the end, we got into some good fish.” Jess says, “but honestly I couldn’t stop staring up the entire trip. The mid-summer Sawtooth sky is incredible. Trips like this are important to test yourself and your friendships, not to mention getting time to stop and look around. I now have a greater appreciation for the Sawtooths and friendship with these mates.” 

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This story was made with our friends at Coal Headwear 

coalheadwear.com // @coalheadwear

Finding the Feast

Eating Out in Oregon

Story by Kara Parker // @thekaravan

Featuring Kenny Hamlett // @kenny.x.hamlett

Photos by Daniel Cronin // @dcroninphoto

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I used to think that all the life within the ocean made it ripple. As if the smooth stroke of a whale’s tale and the flickering movements of krill push waves onto the shore. I still like to imagine it that way, acknowledging all of the life hidden beneath the reflection of blue. 

Along the Oregon Coast, the mossy forest makes its way down to the shoreline. Life is everywhere, from eagles nesting in trees to sea lions feeding along the shallows. As whales play elsewhere, the tide recedes, and small pools filled with vibrant green sea anemones and barnacle-speckled mussels emerge. This is what we came for: mussel harvesting. 

Using a knife, prying mussels off of the rocks after getting my shellfish license was a fun challenge! Sinewy strands extend from their shell and keep the mussels rooted to the shore and each other. We kept them in a bucket of salt water on our journey back to camp. Sitting beside the fire, simmering the mussels in butter and beer, it wasn’t hard to say how satisfying it was to collect our meal.

Oregon is one of the few places where toxins remain low enough to allow for shellfish consumption. The neurotoxins are produced by algae, which shellfish then retain as they filter through the seawater. Unfortunately, warming ocean temperatures have expanded the areas in which toxic algal blooms occur. Harvesting mussels was bittersweet because who knows how long our coast will be open to doing so. 

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This adventure was made with Keen // keenfootwear.com

What Is a Sustainable Hotel?

These Worldly Hotels Might be the Answer.

Story by Madeline Weinfield // @madolionw

The world is smaller and more accessible than ever, and a growing appetite for modern amenities in remote locations is seemingly insatiable. Is sustainable travel possible? Contemporary travel culture is increasingly labeling everything as sustainable, green, and eco-friendly. But who’s thinking beyond simply changing sheets daily and using LED bulbs? Tucked into some of the most rural areas of the globe, or front and center in major cities, a few properties with visionary owners are leading a sustainable travel movement that cares about the land they’re on as well as hosting guests.

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Aldea Kuká

Isla Holbox // Mexico

More Bali than Cancún, Isla Holbox’s bohemian aesthetic is ominously under threat as the island grows in popularity. Lodging options have grown likewise, with accommodations ranging from no-frills camping to five-star hotels. The unease is a concern Aldea Kuká, Hobox’s newest boutique hotel, hopes to settle. The idea for Aldea Kuká was born during owner Marco Z. Garcia Marquez’s childhood. His mother brought their family on a Yucatan-wide trip wandering through the peninsula. A love affair with the island began at first sight. After yearly visits, Marquez finally purchased a parcel of sandy, sea-facing land in 2013, which has been transformed sustainably into an eco-friendly boutique hotel, and one of Holbox’s most beautiful. Opened in May 2019, Marquez sought to design the hotel as a cluster of bungalows reminiscent of a Mayan village. The design of seemingly simple bamboo and log structures topped with palm roofs which ring around a pool and look onto the sea beyond was executed seamlessly. Inside are lofty cocoons adorned with furniture and accessories collected during Marquez’s travels through Mexico. Handwoven beach blankets and bags, hand-carved tables, and enormous soaking tubs with hollowed out gourd calabashes makes for barefoot luxury glamping at its most appealing. In sourcing the materials and décor for the interiors, Marquez built strong connections with artisans across the Yucatán and beyond. Aldea Kuká curates a monthly artist-in-residence program to highlight the region’s cultural heritage. He hopes to be a leader in a movement to create hotels that leave the least possible footprint. With equal attention paid to mechanics and aesthetics, there’s an extensive on-site water treatment facility, allowing the hotel to become fully plastic bottle free. Solar panels and a grove of trees are being added to the sandy courtyard to offset C02 emissions. The restaurant serves fresh local cuisine sourced from a small farm exclusive to the hotel in the port town of Chiquila. The seafood, pulled from viewable waters, is as fresh as it comes.

aldeakuka.mx

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1 Hotels

New York City & Miami, U.S.A.

“Earth Day every day” is the mantra of 1 Hotels, the luxuriously leafy oasis in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and South Beach. 1 Hotels have become the poster children of sustainable urban luxury. As their popularity grows, they plan to open offshoots in West Hollywood, Silicon Valley, Haitang Bay, and Cabo San Lucas. Entering their airy, open lobbies adorned with vertical gardens are more tropical oasis than urban hotel. Teslas take you anywhere within a three-mile radius and electric cars park for free. Sand-filled timers in the bathrooms encourage five-minute long showers, filtered spigots discourage bottled water use, and recycling bins are ubiquitous. Coat hangers are made from post-consumer recycled materials, room keys are recycled wood, chalkboards over
notebooks, and iPads replace local attraction fliers and house menus. 

1hotels.com

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The Linden Centre

Yunnan, China

Located in the town of Xizhou on Erhai Lake, The Linden Centre is an ambitious feat of social enterprise and sustainable tourism in a remote region of China removed from modernization and pollution’s haze. Mindfully owned and run by Brian and Jeanee Linden, it’s the gold standard in promoting tourism, infusing the local economy, and maintaining the integrity of the region’s history, architecture, and sense of self. The Lindens began their Centre with the vision of incentivizing locals to stay rather than move to the city while restoring Xizhou’s architectural gems and creating an exceptionally curated immersion into rural Chinese life for inquisitive travelers. The painstakingly restored Centre spans three century-old mansions of jaw-dropping monuments to past architectural grandeurs filled with an impressive collection of local antiques and art. The Centre employs over fifty locals, fostering pride in local heritage. More than an inn, the Centre serves as a base for American high school and university study abroad programs, focusing on first-hand cultural exchange and appreciation, where students undertake internships with local craftspeople and record oral histories with older Xizhou residents. The result is both a gem of an inn and a thriving small town where antique dealers, local craftspeople, enticing street food, famous black tea, and straight-from-the-oyster-shell pearls abound. 

linden-centre.com

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The Brando

Tetiaroa, French Polynesia 

Few places conjure private luxury quite like The Brando, a resort on the French Polynesian island of Tetiaroa, so named for the island’s one-time owner and legendary actor Marlon Brando. Brando first came to the island while filming Mutiny on the Bounty, purchasing it in 1967 with a goal to preserve its Polynesian culture, beauty, and biodiversity. Built on such vision and passion, few places—luxury or otherwise—are so thoroughly dedicated to sustainability. Brando conceptualized the idea of a self-sustaining luxury resort and research center to meet the goals of preservation wherein the resort was constructed to leave the smallest possible footprint with guest villas built exclusively from local, renewable, and/or recycled elements. The air conditioning uses a deep seawater air conditioning system. The first of its kind, the system utilizes cold water from the bottom of the ocean to supply extremely efficient and low-energy cooling, reducing energy demands by nearly 70 percent. What energy and water heating needs remain are produced from photovoltaic panels that line the airstrip (The Brando is only accessible by private plane). The resort is now very close to reaching its goal of being completely self-sustainable and carbon neutral—no small feat for an immaculate retreat set on a private island.

thebrando.com

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The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille

Laikipia, Kenya

What impact do luxury safaris have on the communities in which they’re built? That’s a question British couple John and Gill Elias sought to answer in developing The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille, a compound of four private villas in a remote stretch of the northern Kenyan bush that is largely considered to have some of the most beautiful views in all of Africa. The Eliases developed the concept of the Sanctuary with the goal of preserving the culturally and ecologically rich land while also supporting the Masai and Samburu communities who live there. The resulting retreat features unparalleled privacy, solar heated water, and solar generated electricity. The lodge not only employs over 100 locals, but since the Sanctuary opened in 2007, the Ol Lentille Trust has raised over $5 million to support grassroots community development projects, public health initiatives, and conservation efforts, reaching over 10,000 people in an area spanning 1,000 square kilometers. The Trust currently supports a small government-run hospital, a dozen mobile health clinics, and a dozen local schools, all while conserving 40,000 acres of land.

ol-lentille.com

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Fogo Island Inn

Newfoundland, Canada 

The visually striking Fogo Island Inn lies at the crux of one of the four corners of the earth. The crown jewel of a remote, tiny island in Atlantic Canada, the Fogo Island Inn has earned an Instagram reputation due to striking design with a backdrop of caribou and icebergs. Designed by the Newfoundland-born, Norway-based architect Todd Saunders, Fogo Island Inn sits upon stilts that minimize the building’s footprint atop jagged rock, berry patches, and lichen, with a composition that neatly embraces its otherworldly landscape. Saunders designed the building to be of maximum energy-efficiency, with insulated steel windows and frame. Rainwater is collected on the roof and used for the inn’s laundry, kitchen, and toilets. The rooms have been constructed using only natural wood, linen, cotton, and wool: The only plastic you’ll find is the telephone. Soundproofed guest rooms mean the only sounds one hears is the ocean. But how and why did this modern beauty wind up in the middle of a remote Newfoundland fishing village? The Inn made its debut after the collapse of a once-thriving cod export industry. Through the Shorefast Foundation, the inn provides direct employment for the people of Fogo, while shifting their economy from fishing to tourism, supporting local crafts and vocations. The Inn’s Woodshop on Fogo Island sells furniture and textiles designed by artists the world over and made by those who call Fogo home. The Inn seeks local suppliers for nearly all of its needs, with 100 percent of operating surplus funneled back into the community. Giving back is so central to the inn’s philosophy that nightly prices are broken down by the percentage of where your money goes, 15 percent of which is dedicated to the Shorefast Foundation.

fogoislandinn.ca