Do not put Best Made’s Smokejumper belt next to any of your other belts. It will eat them alive. Made from Kevlar by a turn-of-the-century textile manufacturer, this belt is resistant to every form of damage. In a word: Indestructible. Styled after parachute harnesses, the Smokejumper has a melting point of 800 degrees Fahrenheit and over 10,000 pounds of tensile strength.
As a part of the #LiveMarley contest on our Facebook page, we’ve been asking you to submit stories of how you have personally been inspired by Bob Marley’s values. The first winner of one of our sick new watches is Jeremy Hopwood, a 27-year-old skater from Seattle, who is also the owner of Caravan, a mobile skate shop.
OK. Your first thought was “What’s a mobile skate shop?” Right? Well, Jeremy was tired of the old skate shop model — he wanted to move it out into the streets. Instead of waiting for someone else to do it, Hopwood bought a van, tricked it out with a quarter pipe and stocked it full of decks, wheels and trucks. Forget the ice cream man… Kids are now running to the Caravan Skate Shop van. We spent some time talking to Jeremy about the shop, his charity work with Skate For Change and the future of the van.
Caravan evolved out of boredom and a desire to do something meaningful. The whole idea didn’t come to me at once, but it was a feeling that I had… A burning. After I thought of the mobile skate shop idea, it took me a few months before I actually bought the vehicle. It was Earth Day 2012. My friend and I went out for a day trip here in Issaquah, Washington, starting at 6 or 7 AM. We actually didn’t know it was Earth Day until we got back from the trip.
The charity aspect came out of pure desire to continue what I started. I went to a local skate shop with the idea and the owner and I began converting the van to have a better aesthetic and functionality for skateboarding. I got word of Pam Miller (a skate event organizer) and her work, and was able to go to that first event at Samammish Park and volunteer with set-up/breakdown for the event. I passed out water and had tools and extra bearings/hardware for people skating. It slowly evolved to where I was accepting donations of skateboard equipment and shoes, and then going to events and giving them out to kids who needed them.
Getting involved with Skate for Change (a non-profit group of skaters who give back to low-income families and the homeless) was another blessing from Pam Miller, and the skate park competition circuit she runs. I took the Caravan out to Woodinville Skatepark with a pack of younger rippers, Jaeden Ovenall, Kyle McQueen and we entered the contest as a team. It was the first contest I had been in since I was 18 or so. So Skate for Change had a booth set up and it was about as natural as it could have been. I was already doing the charity aspect of Caravan and it was a perfect fit.
Caravan and Skate for Change are starting to come together, but it hasn’t happened just quite yet. Mike Smith [the founder of Skate For Change] travels the country and speaks at high schools, and is gaining a huge following. They just won the State Farm $25,000 grant for the second year in a row, and just recently opened up the Bay in Nebraska, an indoor skate park/youth facility. So as far as my part, I go out with SFC Seattle most Sundays and spread the word about what we are doing in our community. Besides that, I am working to recycle used skateboards by shaping, sanding, and painting them, and by leading by example.
I’ve had conversations about the connection between skating and society since I was a lot younger. The first skateboard video I was in was called Wood Relation. To me that title says a lot on its own; skateboards are a vehicle for positivity and growth for individuals. They don’t pollute the environment, at least their carbon footprint is much smaller than most other modes of transportation. Beyond that, skating is an outlet for creativity, in art, in the physical form and with photography/filmmaking. It’s an extremely positive activity, but I believe anything active can be good. A lot of skaters don’t like scooters, rollerbladers, bmx or traditional sports. I think those are great and much better than kids playing Call of Duty any day.
Some people just don’t understand skaters. They think they are lazy. They think they are destructive. “A skater comes down the street and it’s loud… It shocks people,” Hopwood says of skaters’ reputation. “They think you are reckless and are going to run into them.” Through his work with Caravan and his latest adventure (a summer spent acting as a counselor at a Massachussets sports camp), Jeremy is doing his part to keep the skate community in a positive light. He’s even considering making Caravan a bi-coastal project with a new van on the East Coast.
If Bob Marley’s vision for a better world has inspired you to hit the streets, plant trees, pick up trash or spend time helping others in your community, then we want to hear your story! Visit the #LiveMarley contest page on our Facebook profile and tell us what you are doing locally to improve the planet for a chance to win a new watch.
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Bob Marley didn’t just land on the planet one day like some sort of musical superhero. Most people know he was born in Jamaica, but what else do you know about the Marley family tree? In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re taking a deeper look at the strong and independent women who carry on Bob’s vision.
Remember the “three little birds” from Bob’s song? He was actually talking about the I-Threes, The Wailers background singers, which featured his wife Rita Marley. Marrying Marley in 1966, Rita was Bob’s wife until his passing and became mother to six of his children. Continuing her husband’s charitable efforts, she has given help to children all over the world through the Robert Marley Foundation and the Rita Marley Foundation.
Known as the “Keeper of the Flame” and matriarch of the Marley family tree, Cedella Booker gave birth to Robert Nesta Marley at the age of 18. A singer herself, she took care of Bob by herself after his father passed away when he was only ten-years-old. As the historian of Bob’s life and author of two biographies, Cedella spent most of her life raising her son’s family and keeping his spirit alive.
During his life, Bob Marley had four daughters that would follow on his path of creating art in many different mediums. Through music, fashion and museum work, Sharon, Cedella, Karen and Stephanie all made significant contributions to the Marley family legacy. Banding together with their brothers Ziggy and Steven, Sharon and Cedella toured together as singers in the Melody Makers.
The women of the Marley family have been able to do some amazing things throughout their lives while still keeping Bob’s legacy alive and intact. Just like the Marleys, mothers all over the world are capable of doing incredible things. We honor and thank them for all of the contributions they’ve made to our lives.
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Separated. That’s how Bob Marley must have felt while making his album Kaya. Forced to flee from Jamaica after an assassination attempt, Bob created a record in England that was more in tune with the more peaceful times of Trenchtown. Yet, no matter how great the music… Jamaica was still 4,000 miles away.
In celebration of the album’s 35th anniversary and Bob’s return to Jamaica, Island Records is releasing an expansive two-CD set of Kaya. Perfect for the beach or any place summertime relaxing can happen, the album is full of heavy grooves and motivational words.
Kaya’s earth-friendly lyrics have had a huge influence on the direction of our brand’s Earth-friendly headphones, portable audio systems, bags and watches. Check out some of our favorite cuts from the album below and commemorate this amazing anniversary with a listen to music that will satisfy your soul.
Setting the pace for Bob Marley’s Kaya, “Easy Skanking” features a slower, more reserved groove than many of The Wailers early tracks. With the promise of “taking it easy, taking it slow,” Marley creates a new vibe for his band that would last for the rest of his career.
Amongst a number of songs rerecorded for Kaya, “Sun is Shining” trades in its sparse sounds for a heavier guitars and bass. Offering up the line “Sun is shining, the weather is sweet / Make you want to move your dancing feet,” Marley captures the beauty and spirit of nature in Jamaica.
As the inspiration for our Smile Jamaica in-ear headphones, this song is new to the latest edition of Bob Marley’s Kaya. Written as an uplifting anthem for Jamaica, Marley first played the song at a concert of the same name shortly after an assassination attempt in 1976, prior to leaving for England.
In addition to the full Kaya album, the new edition of the album features some odds and ends like a live concert from Amsterdam. With the Wailers in fine form after countless recording sessions, this version of “Get Up Stand Up” acts as an eternal document of Bob’s energy-filled live shows.
Kaya‘s closing song “Time Will Tell” is a relaxed meditation on the history of Jamaica’s citizens. Beckoning to his people that they should “weep no more,” the music of this song signifies some of the newfound freedoms of Jamaicans in the late 1970s and their closeness to Jah.
Retro for the sake of being called such is lame. Instead of sticking with something safe, Foxygen sketched out a new formula of their own. Combining dusty folk with glam rock ambitions, the California band has created playful pop on par with the classics. Check out the group’s single “San Francisco” from their latest album, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic, available now on JagJaguwar.
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Around the globe, little groms hit the skate park every single day with the dream of having a chance to win a major competition and take home the big prize. We’ve teamed up with Transworld Skateboarding on their current Come Up Tour to offer amateur skateboarders the chance to bring home a championship of their own.
The C.U.T. tour starts with underage skaters submitting footage to become prequalified for a skate jam at their local park. The best of the best qualify for the finals, while hundreds of their skate brethren continue to battle it out for the chance to be called C.U.T champion.
This past Saturday, Chicago’s finest took over Piotrowski Skate Park, vying for three gear-stuffed Lively Up bags. From the techie switch flip crooked grind of Kevin Braun to the giant kickflips of Jorgey Rodriguez, the competition was hot and heavy. In the end, no one could match the flip-in/flip-out tricks Emmet Duffy was throwing down as he walked away with the C.U.T. championship for the Windy City.
Transworld’s C.U.T. continues to roll on down the road this weekend for a stop in Phoenix on April 27. We’ll be taking over the Peoria Skate Park with Cowtown skate shop and getting skaters to go big for some Lively Up bags and more prizes from Independent, Deathwish and Shake Junt. Skaters can still apply for the Phoenix contest by sending a one-minute video with their best tricks to Transworld Skateboarding.
Bonus: Check out this sick contest recap from the Chicago stop of the C.U.T and get some inspiration to shred:
Google+The evolution of recycled water bottles has had a tremendous impact on the Earth. In an effort to leave our own positive imprint on the environment, we are working to take these bottles out of the waste stream and recycling centers and create something new with them.
Utilized in the creation of our REWIND fabric, recycled water bottles are a large resource for the products that we create. When blended with organic cotton and reused hemp, the resulting fabric is highly durable, stylish and Earth-friendly. “It’s important to embrace the world around you and avoid focusing solely on yourself,” says brand manager Daniel Kaufman. “It’s worth the extra effort to do the right thing.”
Just what goes into creating a pair of Rise Up over-ear headphones or a Lively Up Leather Scout Pack? Together with our team of sustainable living experts, we have worked to incorporate recycled water bottles into nearly every item that we create. Check out the breakdown below and find out the positive impact that you’re making when you satisfy your soul with our products:
By broadening the horizons of design with Earth-friendly materials, it’s possible to create style where there was thought to be none before. In the right hands, recycled water bottles can be transformed into something beautiful.
BONUS: While we believe every day is Earth Day, we will be donating 36.5 % of sales to 1Love during Earth Week, in honor of our commitment to the environment 365 days a year. Support now by checking out the REWIND Collection and help make a positive impact by purchasing sustainable products.
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Simplifying your life is never easy, but a new wallet might be a step in the right direction. Forget leather and think Bark. This new streamlined wallet from AMCW are made with sustainable cork and offer a fresh minimalist restart. Head over to the group’s Kickstarter campaign, back the project with a $25 donation and you’ll be one of the first to receive a Bark wallet. Style + Sustainable = Awesome.
Google+When we last caught up with freelance photography Izzy Guttuso, she had taken in a day of relaxing beachside fun with her friends. Check out Izzy’s second DayCation below, as she leaves behind the comfort of the ocean for a skateboarding mission. A few arm scrapes, shredded boards and hundreds of miles later, her crew has had another successful adventure. Stay tuned to the House of Marley blog for more day trips with Izzy and get some inspiration to go explore your own world.
Getting up early is always a part of the deal. You get in a good meal, relax for a bit, prepare your deck set up and cruise a little. Living in Florida, where the land is so flat, we have to head north to find the right hills for longboarding.
One of my favorite places to skate is Hiawassee in Northern Georgia. When we get to the hill, there are no cars, no city sounds, just the nervous chatter of friends, snaps of helmets and rips of velcro as we re-adjust our slide gloves. When stopping isn’t an option, padding isn’t really an alternative or choice. You just gotta have it.
Being able to fly down miles of winding roads through fog and nature awakens the senses. The cool air rushing past my skin forms goosebumps on my body, and the adrenaline pumping through my veins gives me the most incredible feeling.
Despite the cuts, road burns and broken bones, I don’t ever want to stop getting that feeling that skateboarding gives me. It just wouldn’t feel right. Growing up, learning to skate came before I even learned how to ride a bike. To me, it’s not a sport or pastime anymore, it’s a lifestyle.
Photography/Words by Izzy Guttuso
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When looking for Team Marley members, we aren’t just looking for the most skilled and stylish at their craft. We want people who are committed to living life the way they want to live, while still respecting the earth and the community that surrounds them. That’s why we’re proud to announce the addition of two lifelong surfers, Tyler Wright and Owen Wright, to the ranks of Team Marley.
Born and bred surfing off the coast of Australia, Tyler and Owen got their start at an early age thanks to their older brother and father. The brother and sister duo’s dedication to surfing every single day has paid off as they have quickly risen through the ranks to become the hottest surfers on the ASP World Championship Tour.
In addition to ripping up the ASP World Tour and repping our line of Earth-friendly headphones, watches, portable audio systems and Lively Up bags, the Wrights are also taking the time to give back. Recently, the duo taught a surfing clinic for kids in Northern New South Wales at the Hurley Australia High Performance Centre. Check out the video below of the Wrights teaching a new generation of rippers and offer them a warm welcome them to Team Marley:
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