Photo: Fyasko
Fyasko presents the Summer of Love partyQ: What beats a Thursday Summer night in Southern California?

A: A FYASKO party on a Thursday Summer night in Southern California!!

Fyasko, a clothing ambassador of the artistic street movement, wants to kick Summer off...and kick it off right. You can expect Fyasko give-aways, food, booze and DJ Big Chunk on the turn tables...doesn't get much better than that! Mike Murphy even promised a dance-off of epic proportions!

Summer of Love Party Details

What: Fyasko Summer fiesta

When: Thursday, July 22 - 10:30PM - 2AM

Where: The Trocadero - 8280 West Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046

Why: Because they can!

Photo: Metal Mulisha
Metal Mulisha team rider / Marketing Rep, Ryan HagyFounded in 1998 by Brian Deegan and Larry Linkogle, Metal Mulisha has a passion for Freestyle Motocross and a habit of merchandising. Over the span of a decade +, Metal Mulisha has grown to produce mens', womens' and kids' clothing, sunglasses, footwear and more.

The Mulisha has been called many things, but I'd say they're r-cubed: rough, rugged and well-respected. To quote Jay-Z, "You can't knock the hustle." I wanted to learn more about one of action sports' best-known groups, so I hit up team rider/marketer Ryan Hagy. Enjoy!

- Danny Spyra

Photo: Metal Mulisha
The Fall 2010 Metal Mulisha line features black, and
a lot of it

BNQT - WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE FALL 2010 METAL MULISHA CLOTHING LINE?

Ryan - The basic formula is still black -- and lots of it. As is the case for our apparel, we are focusing on the importance of artwork. From custom hand-drawn designs to the inclusion of our big signature logo, everything we do has that stamp. On the Juniors side, more specifically, we're also following the trends that designer brands set, and putting our own unique Mulisha twist on them.

BNQT - A NUMBER OF MULISHA ATHLETES ARE ENTERED IN X-GAMES 16 EVENTS LIKE BEST TRICK, FREESTYLE AND STEP UP. IF THE MULISHA COULD SWEEP THE PODIUM IN ONE EVENT, WHICH WOULD YOU WANT IT TO BE?

Ryan - We don't want to sweep one event, we want to sweep ALL of them. Our goal at competitions is to always dominate.

Photo: Metal Mulisha
Metal Mulisha team rider Ronnie Faisst with MM
eyewear

BNQT - IN ADDITION TO PRODUCING MEN'S, WOMEN'S AND JUNIOR'S CLOTHING, METAL MULISHA RECENTLY STARTED A LINE OF EYEWEAR. HOW HAS THIS NEW VENTURE BEEN RECEIVED?

Ryan - Many retailers have been willing to take a chance on our eyewear, mainly with respect to sales channels. The Moto-specific dealers and clothing retailers are seeing the success of our brand in their shops and, consequently, willing to take a risk on different categories like eyewear.

Much of our business is still first and foremost on the West Coast and in warm weather climates (California, Puerto Rico, Florida, Hawaii), which gives us an opportunity to sell eyewear year round. Since we are still new in the eyewear game, there's no place to go but up. With that said, stay tuned for more styles coming soon.

Photo: Metal Mulisha
Brian Deegan, aka The General, has recently ventured
into NASCAR

BNQT - BRIAN DEEGAN, AKA "THE GENERAL," CO-FOUNDED METAL MULISHA AS A FREESTYLE MOTOCROSS BRAND. HOW DID HE MAKE THE JUMP TO COMPETITIVE OFF-ROAD RACING AND EVEN NASCAR?

Ryan - NASCAR has been a passion of Brian's for quite a while. His transition from off-road and freestyle to NASCAR was the next big thing - why not dominate in every motorsport and let the masses know that Metal Mulisha is here to stay?

Photo: Metal Mulisha
Backflipping, probably at the AFMXA training
facility

BNQT - THE AMERICAN FREESTYLE MOTOCROSS ASSOCIATION HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR THE SPORT OF FMX. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE NEW AFMXA PALA RACEWAY TRAINING FACILITY?

Ryan - The new AFMXA training facility allows riders who do not have access to our Compound to practice and perfect their tricks that may lead them to riding freestyle as a profession, rather than as a hobby. The facility is also a great way for riders to learn about safety and become better athletes. Pala Raceway has really helped out in bringing both motocross and freestyle into one solid facility.

Photo: Metal Mulisha
The Mulisha throws down the best FMX demos around

BNQT - ONE OF THE RAD THINGS ABOUT THE MULISHA IS HOW OFTEN YOU GUYS THROW DOWN FOR THE PUBLIC. HOW MANY DEMOS DO YOU TAKE PART IN PER YEAR?

Ryan - It's really hard to put into numbers how many demos we do per year. We are heavily involved with the Rockstar Mayhem Tour, the Nuclear Cowboys, Lucas Oil off-road races, not to mention our Poaching Ads, which take freestyle riding to a different level.

Whether it's roosting the sand trap on a golf course or setting up a ramp-to-ramp jump on a bridge that's 600 feet above a highway, we always try and think outside the box so that our fans look forward to poaching their city and getting a taste of what the Metal Mulisha is all about.

Photo: Metal Mulisha
A Mulisha Maiden modeling the womens line - try
saying that 5x fast
BNQT - FINALLY, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A MULISHA MAIDEN?

Ryan - Hmmm, well first off, you have to pass a rigorous test that involves jumping thru hoops that are lit on fire, and making sure that you can drink 15 jager-bombs without puking your brains out. Just kidding, we are always looking for new maidens. So ladies, if you think you have what it takes, log into http://www.metalmulisha.com/maidens and show us why you deserve to be the next Metal Mulisha Maiden!

Street Beat Archive:

Dustin & Dylan Odbert with ambsn

Chad LaBass with Freestyle

Joey Jorgensen with Analog

Kelly Magrath with DC

Frank Delgadillo with COMUNE

Derek Boucher with Vestal

Steve Van Doren with Vans

John Harbin with West Wetsuits

Ryan Rush with ECO'Neill

Nicole Hanriot with TAVIK Swimwear

Matt Gleason with Liquid Force

Eric Mehlberg with Kustom

Mike Murphy with Fyasko

Ian Foulke with ISIS

Jonathan Paskowitz with Lightning Bolt

Matt Harkins with SPY OPTIC

Chris Brunstetter with Goldcoast Longboards

Damon George with ERGO

Charlie Setzler with Rusty

Photo: DC
King of the castle - Rob DyrdekGuess what? Your favorite skate-trepreneur (skater + entrepreneur) Rob Dyrdek is back on the boob toob for another season of his MTV show, "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory." Make sure to tune-in to MTV for the premiere of season three TONIGHT, July 12th, at 9:30 PM EST/ PST.

Dyrdek has clearly been a busy man and 2010 has been a whirlwind year for him. Not only did he go rogue status and create his own skateboard league, but Rob has found time to open several Safe Spot Skate Spots, design his own Wii skateboard and even throw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium. (In case you were wondering, Rob's Street League will be broadcast on ESPN.)

Photo: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers
Yup. Rob threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium

DC would like to congratulate Rob on another season of his hit show. "Rob has been an integral part of the DC brand since 1995," said Kelly Magrath, DC's VP of Marketing. "We are proud of all of his accomplishments over the years as an athlete and an entrepreneur and we couldn't be happier to be supporting him and his show for another season."

This season follows Rob on many adventures in and outside of the Fantasy Factory and chronicles his journey to launch his new DC apparel collection for Holiday 2010. Look for DC's Danny Way to make a special guest appearance this season as he takes a trip to Hawaii with Rob and surfing legend, Laird Hamilton.

You can relive all of the funny moments from last season, including appearances by DC's Ken Block, Dave Mira, Travis Pastrana, and Jolene Van Vugt, with the second season now available on DVD. The DVD set includes all of the episodes as well as behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes, and a tour of the Fantasy Factory.

For more information on Rob including photos, videos and exclusive content, visit www.dcshoes.com/skate.

Photo: SPY
You know you want a pair...win one from SPYIt's July 9, 2010. Do you know where your favorite wakeboarders are?

All signs point to Bull Shoals, Arkansas, as Liquid Force throws the best annual wake event of the year, BROstock. The 2010 event takes place July 9-11 and features wake's cream of the crop doing battle for some $$ and respect.

SPY's defending champ Danny Harf will be back to reclaim his title and team rider Parks Bonifay will be in the mix as one of the judges. As you know the TRON sunglass is his go-to piece!

Photo: Liquid Force
The 2010 BROstock event takes place this weekend!

The SPY + BROStock Tron sunglass features everything you love about the Tron, with a few special touches to commemorate the BROStock event. Bright green temples, a blue spectra lens mirror and BROStock signature logo prints make it truly collectible. It's better than anything you'll get in a Happy Meal!

You're probably wondering..."How can I get my paws on these sick Trons?" Well, SPY is giving away this limited piece through their Facebook page. Enter to win 1 of 3 SPY BROStock TRON giveaways at www.facebook.com/spyoptic

Be sure to stay up to date with the latest about BROStock at www.liquidforce.com/brostock10

Photo: ambsn
Dustin and Dylan Odbert of ambsn"My friend got hit by a train and lost both his arms and his right leg. To help pay for his medical expenses, we started selling t-shirts." If I had a dollar for every clothing company I know which started like this...I'd have a dollar.

The Odbert brothers, Dustin and Dylan, are like Bengal tigers: they're a rare breed. As you'll come to read, they wear their hearts on their sleeves...literally.

Founded in 2005 to help their friend Cameron Clapp by raising $2,000, ambsn (pronounced "ambission") picked up steam and now the boys run a full-fledged clothing brand. When creating each seasonal line of clothes, Dustin and Dylan derive creative vision from previous experiences and eras. The guys recently swung by the BNQT offices, and hearing their ambitious tale was quite inspiring. Enjoy!

- Danny Spyra

Photo: ambsn
The ambsn logo, a mix of a heart and an a, on the
Fired Up tee

BNQT - THE AMBSN LOGO LOOKS LIKE A MIX OF A HEART AND AN "A." CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE LOGO FOR US?

Dylan - The ambsn logo was designed by Aaron Drapplan out of Oregon. When he interviewed us on how we wanted our logo to look we told him our company story, which had to do with helping people. So he started coming up with concepts and it always came back to the heart. When we can help people, we will. We do an art show called Champion Hotdogs, where we donate money to kids in need. The heart really represents who we are as a company and as human beings.

Photo: ambsn
The Popsicle tank, a best seller

BNQT - LOOKING AT YOUR PRODUCTS BRIGHTENS MY DAY. YOU CERTAINLY USE A WIDE SPECTRUM OF COLORS; WHY IS THAT?

Dustin - We don't want to just blend in with everything. It's really good for us to use a wide color palette because it enables us to stay fresh and give a really youth-vibrant look to our line. It seems like some of the trends tend to go towards darker, earth tones, but for us it's just not our story. We like cool, poppy pieces that people are going to be like, "Wow, I know exactly what that is." I think it's one of the things that sets us apart. If you see an ambsn piece, you know exactly what it is. From a mile away whether you see the logo or not because of the bright colors we use and the pop-art my brother uses.

Dylan - Another part is that we never worked at other surf or skate brands so we're not jaded on not using colors that might be a little bit more out-there. Due to our company size, we might not have the set of color rules other brands might use I guess.

Photo: ambsn
The Hypnotic, like all ambsn boardshorts, comes in
18 inch outseams

BNQT - AMBSN'S SUMMER BOARDSHORTS STICK OUT TO ME; THEY'RE ALL A BIT SHORTER AT 18" LENGTH. DID YOU CHANNEL THE 80S WHEN YOU SET OUT TO DESIGN THEM?

Dylan - Haha, ya you know I think so. I always try to look back at things that used to be cool. For example, I might check out old patterns or designs and try to make them relevant today. Definitely looking at 60s, 70s and 80s color palettes and the shorter shorts. When we first offered boardshorts, we offered 21" and 18" length and it seemed the 18" outseams did so much better than the 21" outseam for the customer we bring in. So we just decided to go full 18" and it's worked out great.

Dustin - We like 18" length and realized after doing both cuts you can't be all things to all people. We realized our customer is going to wear 18" or shorter and decided this is what we're going to do.


Photo: ambsn
The Popsicle boardshorts - every pair is different

BNQT - I HEARD EVERY PAIR OF THE POPSICLE BOARDSHORTS IS DIFFERENT. IS IT DUE TO THE DIE? WHAT KIND OF A PRODUCTION PROCESS DO YOU UTILIZE?

Dylan - The first round of Popsicle trunks that we did, we had them sown all together as one solid boardshort. Then, just the way the sublimination paper lays out; some might be higher, some might be lower where the print actually lands and there's folds in the fabric that sublimination will not land on and there might be white streaks. Just kind of a different way of doing things and I think people like one-off items and they work really well for us.

Dustin - For that particular boardshort, it came down to a sourcing thing. We figured, well this would look cool. We had one of the best strike-offs done and it looked insane so we went ahead with it. The Popsicle and Popsicle II both have sold well. We actually sold out of both.

Photo: ambsn
The Upper II shirt, part of the Summer 2010
collection

BNQT - AMBSN CAN BE FOUND IN CORE SURF SHOPS AS WELL AS MORE CONTEMPORARY STORES LIKE FRED SEGAL. WHO IS YOUR TARGET CONSUMER?

Dustin - I'd say our target consumer is 17-22 year old. The kid that that is not necessarily trying to stand out but doesn't want to look like everyone else and appreciates differentiation in what they wear. Someone that can say, "That's my style, I can throw that in with my jeans." Not the kid that wears a "I'm with stupid t-shirt."

Dylan - Ya probably someone who appreciates a different approach to design. Both skate and surf have worked really well with us, as well as a bit of a higher-end fashion. Trunks kind of span all genres, because a guy shopping at Fred Segal is looking for a rad pair of boardshorts that you're not going to get anywhere else. Same thing with a surfer.

Photo: ambsn
The Haole boardshorts, inspired by the 80s and North
Shore

BNQT - HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME FOR SOME OF YOUR PIECES? FOR EXAMPLE, THE HAOLE BOARDSHORT.

Dylan - Haha, it's a Hawaiian short, so I thought it would be funny to name it the Haole. It just works really well with that piece. It's shorter and has a scallop on the side, so it's more of an 80s style short. I didn't want to just do a basic floral print; I wanted to do it different. So I added the half-tone to it and Haole stuck really well. You know, it's like North Shore: "You're so haole you don t even know you're haole."

BNQT - ANY LAST WORDS?

Dustin & Dylan - We have to thank our parents and brother Ricky for all of the support as we have grown ambsn over the years. They have been the biggest and best supporters we could have ever asked for and we wouldn't be anywhere without the fam. Also the late great Dick Baker and his wonderful wife Una and kids Jack and Ryan who have treated us like family; those people have been huge in our lives and the growth of ambsn. There are too many industry people to thank but there is a huge list and we are great full for all the backing. And last but definitely not least are all the retailers who have taken a chance on us and carried ambsn over the years.

Street Beat Archive:

Chad LaBass with Freestyle

Joey Jorgensen with Analog

Kelly Magrath with DC

Frank Delgadillo with COMUNE

Derek Boucher with Vestal

Steve Van Doren with Vans

John Harbin with West Wetsuits

Ryan Rush with ECO'Neill

Nicole Hanriot with TAVIK Swimwear

Matt Gleason with Liquid Force

Eric Mehlberg with Kustom

Mike Murphy with Fyasko

Ian Foulke with ISIS

Jonathan Paskowitz with Lightning Bolt

Matt Harkins with SPY OPTIC

Chris Brunstetter with Goldcoast Longboards

Damon George with ERGO

Charlie Setzler with Rusty