Every season Burton throws a "Ladies Night" themed party at their LA Flagship store. Well that night will be gracing us once again this Thursday November 19th. Burton and Teen Vogue goodie bags for the first 100 gals, drinks, grub, and the opportunity to check out what the Burton 2010 women's collection has to offer.

All the info you need belooowwww:

Attention all you little fashionistas that need a new pair of jeans every few month to keep up with the changing seasons of steez. Do some good and collect all those old pairs that are collecting dust in your closet, and donate them to Volcom's Give Jeans A Chance drive. All jeans collected will be donated to the National Coalition For The Homeless. Check out the video for more info:

The Volcom Give Back Series Presents: Give Jeans A Chance from Volcom Stone on Vimeo.

In a move that makes total sense Jamie Thomas has joined the skate team over at the ever growing Aussie clothing brand, INsight. Oh yeah, the reason it makes total sense. Well, you see last July INsight and Black Box Distribution, a company Jamie owns, inked a deal that gave US distribution responsibilities over to Black Box. So, if you're overseeing the distribution of a brand, why not ride for them right? Hell yeah, INsight makes some best clothes in the industry and I'm glad to see their skate team just got that much better. Jamie's a legend on a board and in a boardroom, can't wait to see where things go from here.

All photos courtesy of RVCA.

There are several routes for struggling artists to get recognition and praise they so deserve. When it comes to our scene there's one in particular that seems to be used as much as any, and that's the unsanctioned beautification of city streets. If corporations are allowed to plaster their logos all over everything, why can't the average person put his or her spin on the urban landscape as well? I know, I know, the answer is money, but isn't it refreshing to see works of art in your neighborhood that aren't the offspring of the all mighty dollar?

There have been more than a few of these artists to get work in the surf/snow/skate world. Names like: Shepard Fairey, Skullphone and Neck Face have used their tweaks of city streets to get noticed, and now do work with brands such as: Obey, Volcom, Vans, Altamont and RVCA. Speaking of RVCA, that brings us to what I'm getting to. Actually, who I'm getting to; Barry McGee. He's another of these guys who's getting to do shows around the world because his early tags got him noticed.

Twist, Twisty and Ray Fong are some of the alias' he goes by, because as you may know everybody needs a good aka, especially when you stir up some controversy. Barry's part of the Low Brow art movement that gets a lot of love in the skate/surf/snow world. This type of art is perfect for board graphics, and the current trends in tee shirt fashion. One brand in particular who has taken interest in this style and Barry in particular is RVCA. The fashion forward clothing company from Costa Mesa has been backing McGee for more than a minute, and they will continue to do so on Friday November 20th, on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood. The mindthegap showing will be curated by RVCA founder, PM Tenore, and will feature the works of Barry McGee and Philip Frost (flyer at very bottom).

Below are some of the works of Barry McGee, and a little video that lets you into his world:


Barry creating.











Another lady snowboarder has partnered up with her longtime sponsor to create an extensive signature collection. Gretchen Bleiler has her own '09/10 signature line with Oakley that includes street apparel, sunglasses, goggles, and a wide selection of outerwear. I first saw some of her pieces during her part in the movie “Stance” and almost immediately was wondering about it because her outerwear spoke so clearly “Gretchen”. They are all feminine but edgy with tons of small details from back embroideries to chains to customized buttons. This girl thought of everything including making sure the quality and fit can keep up with the girls that are shredding these days. The Oakley website featured a quote from Gretchen expressing her thoughts:

“From the Olympics to the X games, I’ve experienced the power of Oakley’s innovations for 10 years. The Gretchen Bleiler Collection pushes the limits of technology and design to elevate your riding to an art form.” – Gretchen Bleiler


(above) Gretchen in her Mane Jacket 2.0

Gretchen obviously put a lot of energy and thought into creating her collection out of her respect for Oakley and it shows. To view the entire collection click HERE.

Here is a PREVIEW of some of the outerwear that she came up with for this season.

Brewce Martin, the madman behind Skatopia has team up with Volcom to bring you a collaborative clothing collection. Skatopia is one of, if not the, craziest skate facilities in the world. I think it was actually named the only thing cool in Ohio by the state's governor. It's out in the middle of nowhere, and is full of sketchy pools and bowls, and just everything hesh. It's a place you go to blow shit up, shoot guns and skate.

The boys behind the Stoneage gear, Volcom's skate line, thought what would be better to associate themselves with than Skatopia? A magical land of concrete and explosions that every true skateboarder should experience at least once. Click here to check it out.

Here's a little video of what Skatopia is:

When it comes to style in modern skateboarding there are many names that come to mind, but one in particular is Sewden's own, Ali Boulala. With a name like that how could you not be stylish? Shit, just signing his name is steezy. Ali is the complete package when it comes to creating a cool persona around professional skating ability. While he was skateboarding for a living he was simply put; different. The way in which he skated was like no other, the way in which he dressed was like no other, and the way he acted was like no other.

That brings us to what is so sad about the skate career of Ali Boulala; it was cut short. He is currently incarcerated in Australia after a motorcycle accident that killed his friend and fellow professional skateboarder, Shane Cross. Boulala had a blood alcohol level of .162 at the time of the incident and was found to be responsible for the crash and sentenced to 4 years in prison, even though the Cross family never pressed charges. Boulala was critically injured in the crash and sustained brain injuries that will have life long affects on his motor skills. It was just an all around sad thing that happened on that Australian night two-and-a-half years ago. Ali made a gigantic mistake, and is now paying for it.

His friends in the skateboard community have done a great job of making sure his contributions to the skateboard culture are never forgotten. He hasn't stepped foot on a skateboard in over two years and still managed to have a part in the biggest skate video release of 2009, his long-time board sponsor, Flip's Extremely Sorry. Out of all the brands in skateboarding, Flip was affected by that crash more than any other, by far. They lost two riders, as Cross was one of the deck manufactures best up-and-coming ams. Even though Shane and Ali haven't skated in years, if you go to www.flipskateboards.com, you'll see that both still are listed as team members (with profiles on each), and Boulala still has pro-model decks, and Cross has a limited edition Extremely Sorry deck. Never Forget Shane Cross.

To keep the memory of Boulala alive the guys over at Shake Junt have even released a limited edition Ali Boulala tee shirt that features the one and only Swedish ripper in mid Michael Jackson tip-toe pose. That's the thing with Boulala, he was such a unique character that he will never be forgotten, and this shirt parallels his persona to that of the King of Pop on a skateboard.

Just like Jackson, Boulala combined great talent with a unique sense of style that set him apart from the rest. His get-up could best be described as a modern day gypsy, meets pirate, meets jester. He would combine some of the most outrageous pieces of clothing together perfectly, and that combined with the way he just chose to skate made his video sections some of the most anticipated. Whether it was old Baker videos, or Flip's Sorry trilogy, he would always find some sketchy thing to ollie off of, onto something even sketchier. He would find some ledge that went down an insane amount of stairs, and do the most stylish nose slide down it perfectly, and in some crazy gear to boot. One of his most famous displays of sketchiness, came in Flip's first video Sorry, when he attempted two 25 stair ollies. Not one but two, and the compression his body experiences in the second sends shivers down anyone's spine.

Style in skateboarding is such a subjective thing, but at the same time one of the most important. If you don't have style no one wants to watch you skate. From the way you just push, to how you skate, to the clothes you wear. It all comes into play. One Ali's impacts on skateboarding can be seen in the pants a lot of skateboarders wear now. During his infamous Piss Drunx days he was one of the first to start wearing the super tight pants. He combined them with leather jackets, and punk rock accessories. Then 10 years later you have a guy like Corey Duffel, but Ali did it first. Then, he moved onto his gypsy/pirate/guitar face and that's about the time we lost him.

Ali Boulala was a style master on a skateboard, who threw caution into the wind with every crazy thing he attempted. It was that ultimate risk taking behavior that ended Shane's life, and his own skateboarding career. Everyone makes mistakes, some worse then others, but with this one it's hard not to be mad at Ali. Let's just hope that something positive can come out of this, like someone thinking twice about driving drunk. I would be a lier if I said I've never driven after some drinks, but with events like this on my mind I don't anymore. I hope there more out there like me. Skateboarding lost two very good skateboarders, and two of it's most stylish. NEVER FORGET SHANE CROSS and FREE ALI BOULALA.

Here's Ali's two 25 stair ollies:

If you thought Nigel Sylvester was going to lay low after immense exposure in the past few weeks I'll be blunt with you... you're wrong. After dropping his Because I Grind Tour web videos all over the web, doing a Vital BMX Q & A video, being featured on MAESTRO KNOWS of vimeo with his bike shop, and re-releasing his Mirraco signature frame this year (which looks better than ever)... Nigel is still on the grind releasing his signature Nike MAVRK shoes (AVAILABLE NOW!)

The coolest thing about Nigel's release of his new shoes is that they are a serious sneaker collector item. This one isn't just for the ratty BMX kids trying to sport their favorite rider's kicks. The 'Chocolate' Mavrk shoe has shown up on popular fashion websites such as High Snobiety and Sneaker Files. The shoes are officially called "Chocolate, but for your feet." At least I think that's the full name. I suppose it's appropriate to abbreviate these shoes as simply "CHOCOLATE."



400 pairs were produced and so far I have only heard of them being sold through DAN'S COMP. So hit up Dan's to order because they're available right now...

Look at me, getting ahead of myself. Let's talk sneakers! Let me start off with the interior (yes, I said interior like it's a luxury automobile). When we're talking fashion forward sneakers you can't go wrong with purple. It sticks out but at the same time it isn't sticking out too much like lime green or preppy pink. The interior's diamond pattern reminds me of a nice jacket. Nigel is from Queens, NY and some would say he is the BMX King of Queens so purple and gold are only fitting for his signature shoe.

Of course the sole is designed for BMX usage. Sticky gum soles to hug your pedals tight. This is especially important for all you plastic pedalers out there who need the extra grip to avoid the slip. The shoes are also extra flex so you don't feel like you're wearing blocks on your feet that are just sitting on your pedals. You want to hug the pedals with your feet to achieve maximum control of foot placement.The tongue strap keeps the shoe tight on your feet so there's no wobble and you won't have your shoe fall off when you take a dive. That doesn't look cool kids, seriously.

Did I mention some of the materials used for these kicks are ostrich leather and crocodile leather? This is truly a King's luxury pair of sneaks...

For sh*ts and giggles we thought we'd do a little photo review of Louie's costume changes on "Dancing With the Stars". To check out video of the dances and even more photo's head on over to Louie's profile here on GrindTV.com.

Fact: Louie didn't get to pick out his outfit's.

Fact: Louie is a really good sport.

Fact: Louie has good style on and off the hill. He usually dresses quite well.

Fact: Louie really is 5 feet, 5 inches tall.



Louie busted out the classiest of all his outfit's for the two-hour live season premier. This was outfit number one, worn for the "Foxtrot" dance.


Outfit number two for the night. There's nothing manlier then red sleeveless satin.


Aww, look... someone bedazzled Louie's shirt! This leather jacket outfit was for Louie and Chelsie's "Jive".


The "Rumba" is where he got a little creepy looking. Greased back hair and all.


Cowboy up. Everything but the Ass-less chaps for the "Two-step" outfit.


Louie really got his sleeze on for the "Argentine Tango". In real life Louie is not sleezy at all.


This was the fated "Jitterbug" outfit (nerd glasses and all)... the dance that the public voters decided put Louie and Chelsie in the bottom two. (Darn you America for not voting!)


And finally, the "Dance Off" outfit. Before he stripped down to the wife-beater and suspenders Louie had on a crooked black fedora and suit jacket that made him look like a 1920's gangsta.