Photo: Freestyle
Chad LaBass, Marketing Director for FreestyleEstablished in 1981, Freestyle was the brainchild of a few surfers who wanted to create a watch line to withstand the abusive conditions of their beach lifestyle. The result was the "Shark" watch, a lightweight and extremely durable timepiece that is the cornerstone of the brand.

Headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA, Freestyle's Marketing efforts are spearheaded by industry-veteran, Chad LaBass. I wanted to investigate this feeding frenzy, so I hit up Chad with some q's. Nothing too formal, it's more like...Freestyle-ing. Enjoy!

- Danny Spyra

Photo: Freestyle
The Shark - the foundation of Freestyle

BNQT - THE SHARK IS AN ICONIC FREESTYLE WATCH; NOW THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT MODELS. CAN YOU BREAK DOWN THE SHARK SPECIES FOR US?

Chad - The Shark Series is really the foundation of the Freestyle Brand. The long history of quality and durability allows us to keep bringing new Shark's into the mix while at the same time re-issuing old favorites. The latest feeding frenzy is all about the new Killer Shark, an oversized version of the original Shark Classic measuring in at 48mm wide. The original Sharks are 38mm, with the Shark Mid sizes at 30mm. So we now have something for all wrist sizes and tastes. We've also brought back some of the original sharks from the late 80's, such as the Shark Clip and the Shark 88, these have the original style band featuring the plastic clip or Velcro. For the ladies we are about to release a Shark with a crystal bezel, it's going to turn some heads for sure.
Photo: Freestyle
The Durbo - the signature watch for CT slayer, Bede
Durbidge

BNQT - BEDE DURBIDGE JUST GOT HIS FIRST SIGNATURE FREESTYLE WATCH, THE "DURBO." WHAT MAKES HIS TIMEPIECE UNIQUE?

Chad - We are so stoked to be working with Bede, he is a tremendous surfer and a genuinely great guy. We wanted to do something really special for his timepiece, so we found a way to integrate a fin key into the case. For a surfer it's like having insurance, we are always losing our fin keys at the worst time. On a trip, just got a new board, and doh! You don't have a fin key! Well that problem has been solved with the Durbo. The fin key tucks neatly into the case, you don't even know it s there until you need it. The watch itself is a really good looking piece, the fin key is just a bonus feature. It's compatible with both FCS and Future fin systems.

Photo: Freestyle
The Summer - just in time for its namesake
BNQT - IT'S JULY 1ST...SUMMER IS WELL UNDERWAY AND YOU RECENTLY INTRODUCED THE "SUMMER." WHAT DOES THIS WATCH HOLD FOR THE LADIES?

Chad - You've done your research, we like that! The Summer is a watch for girls that just want to have fun. It's got all the standard feature of a digital watch but it's the cool color combos that make this watch dance. Like we say, from the pool to the party, The Summer will keep the heads turning and the seconds burning!

Photo: Freestyle
The 20X10 Shark line is super limited
BNQT - WHAT IS THE IDEA BEHIND THE 20X10 LINE OF SHARKS AND WHERE CAN WE FIND THEM?

Chad - Due to the construction of the Shark Watches, we have unlimited possibilities as far as color ways and band options. As a result we decided to celebrate 2010 by bringing out 10 special edition sharks throughout the year. Each shark is colored based on a theme of the particular month. For instance, in July we just launched a Denim Shark to celebrate the 4th of July because denim is an iconic American clothing invention. The 20x10 Special Edition Sharks are only available at select retailers listed here: http://www.freestyleusa.com/20x10/

Photo: Freestyle
The Speed Dial - a unique watch with a jog wheel to
scroll through modes
BNQT - THE "SPEED DIAL" WATCH ACTUALLY HAS A SPEED DIAL. WHAT DOES THIS FUTURISTIC ELEMENT BRING TO THE TABLE?

Chad - The Speed Dial is the result of our designers putting a new spin on an old design. In a nut shell, the "speed dial" or "jog wheel" simply takes the place of the mode button. So instead of pressing a button to scroll through the modes, you just dial them up by spinning the wheel. We gave the watch a retro look even though it's a new concept.

Photo: Freestyle
The Killer Shark - an oversized version of the OG
Shark
BNQT - THE KILLER SHARK WATCH CERTAINLY GRABS MY EYE. IT'S ALSO QUITE AFFORDABLE AT A MSRP OF $60. WHAT DIFFERENTIATES THIS MODEL FROM THE SHARK?

You hit the nail right on the head, the Killer Shark is an eye grabber. Big watches are on trend right now, so we super sized the original shark to create the Killer. The first 3 colors we brought out sold out quick, so we have 6 new colors about to drop. For a big watch, the Killer Shark is the lightest and most comfortable you will find, not to mention the price will make your wallet happy. We didn't cut any corners either; the Killer Shark is packed with the same quality and durability of the original shark, just in a bigger case.

Street Beat Archive:

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

American Eulogy: one of the Rusty x Green Day Wired
Series sweatshirts with machine-washable headphonesAs the Rusty Wired Series hooded apparel collection hits stores this month, excitement is also building for the upcoming release of Rusty's Wired Series collection with award-winning rock band, Green Day. Fully equipped with HB3-powered, machine-washable headphones in the drawcords and a music player jack in the pocket, Rusty's Wired Series Green Day Collection includes two men's and one women's style, with original artwork from the group's classic albums.

Rusty's Wired Series Green Day Collection: womens
Hand Grenade and mens Breakdown
The Green Day Collection will be available at PacSun stores nationwide starting July 17th, celebrating Rusty's Wired Series Listening Tour and Green Day's highly successful Broadway musical "American Idiot," based on the band's 2004 album of the same name. As part of the launch, PacSun and Rusty will be hosting numerous summer promotions.

Fans will have the opportunity to win their own Wired Series gear and a Grand Prize, which will include two VIP tickets to Green Day's August 31st concert in Los Angeles, airfare and hotel accommodations, a Rusty surfboard signed by the band, a Green Day Collection Wired Series fleece, and more. Participants can enter online at rusty.com, pacsun.com, greenday.com or affiliated Facebook pages.

The Stealth Wired Series jacket
Rusty and PacSun scavenger hunts on Facebook will have fans curious for clues to win more Wired Series prizes. Starting in July, both brands will conceal Web banners on their sites, and the first person to uncover the banner's secret code will win a prize.

Green Day fans will also have the opportunity to play MTV Games all-new, recently released Green Day: Rock Band game and compete against others to win Wired Series and other Rusty products during Rusty's Wired Series Listening Tour, currently visiting concerts and events in Southern California, now through August 8th.

For the ladies, the Glam Rock Wired series jacket

"This is going to be a memorable summer for Rusty and Green Day fans," said Charlie Setzler, President of Rusty North America. "We're excited to launch our Green Day Wired Series collection with such a great retail partner as PacSun and look forward to hitting the road all summer long."

Rusty's Wired Series collection is available at select surf shops and specialty stores nationwide starting this month, with retail prices ranging from $49.50 to $74.50. The Green Day Collection at PacSun starts at $59.50.

For more details on the Rusty Wired Series and Listening Tour, check out http://www.rusty.com/wiredseries/.

Photo: Analog
Analog Design Director, Joey JorgensenAs the saying goes, "Success is in the details." By this adage, Analog is killing it. Originally founded in 2001, Analog (or AG for short) provides clothing with a flair for precision to the surf, skate and snow communities.

But how would you classify AG clothing? According to Joey Jorgensen, Analog Design Director, one word often comes up: "smart." After taking a look at AG's upcoming Fall 2010 line, I'd go one step further and call it "genius." It's summer, so I served up some questions to the AG crew and Joey spiked these answers back. Enjoy!

- Danny Spyra

Photo: Analog
Go ahead, do it...

BNQT - WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE AG MANTRA, "DESIGN UNLIKELY FUTURES?"

Joey - We believe in taking a chance on something new and realize the potential residing outside of our awareness. If we attempt the extraordinary, we accept the possibility of failure. It's a positive message in an uncertain world. Things aren't what they used to be. You can create your own destiny by doing things differently. In a world that's digital, we choose to be ANALOG.
Design Unlikely Futures...
Photo: Analog
The Arto - pro skater Arto Saari's signature Analog
jeans
BNQT - ANALOG DENIM IS SOME OF THE FINEST ON THE MARKET. WHAT KIND OF WASHES AND FITS DOES THE FALL COLLECTION HAVE IN STORE FOR US?

(Answered by Marketing Manager, Adam Warren & PR Manager, Lori Epner)

We offer 7 fits in over 15 washes. Fall 2010 offers 2 signature team rider fits;

ARTO - regular fit with standard rise and tapered leg, twisted leg seams, 16 leg opening.
DYLAN - slim fit with medium rise and tapered leg, twisted leg seams 15.5 leg opening

And 5 standard fit denim;

STOCKTON - slim slouch fit, med rise/tapered leg ,15.5 leg opening
REMER - slim fit with low rise/tapered leg, 16 leg opening
MEDIAN - relaxed fit with standard rise and straight leg, 18 leg opening
CREEPER - skinny slouch fit with low rise/tapered leg, 13.5 leg opening
STINGER - slim fit, trucker jacket styling, tacked down pleats/denim shank buttons

Photo: Analog
Dylan Rieder's signature jeans feature a slim fit
with a medium rise
BNQT - PRO SKATER DYLAN RIEDER HAS HIS OWN SIGNATURE DENIM; ONE OF THE WASHES INCLUDES THE INK KNIFE COATED WASH. AT A MSRP OF $130, HOW DOES THIS STYLE DIFFER FROM THE REST?

Joey - The Knife Coated Fabric is a premium quality with a unique finish that you won't find executed this way anywhere else in the skate market. Other cheaper versions of this waxy looking finish are done with spray-on or rolled-on coatings. The Knife coating is done differently, using a metal blade (imagine a metal squeegee) to push the coating into the fabric. This way, the coating lasts longer and ages over time extremely well as the jeans wear in, which is a huge priority for our entire denim collection.

Photo: Analog
The Spectrum S/S shirt - part of the Fall 2010 line
BNQT - AG TOPS BLOW MY MIND BECAUSE THEY HAVE ARTSY STYLE YET ARE CLASSY ENOUGH TO WEAR IN FRONT OF YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE FALL TOPS?

Joey - When we sat down for Fall and blocked out the line, we decided that we really wanted to have our tops tie directly back to the styles that come subtly through the signature denim styles and the skaters. There's something in there for everyone but at the same time it flows great as a collection. Dylan obviosly pushes things one way, a little narrower and more forward in terms of what you see in the market, while Arto inspires us with a more structured / military type look.

Photo: Analog
The Folsom top - part chambray, part awesome
BNQT - CHAMBRAY SEEMS TO BE THE NEW BLACK. WHAT'S UP WITH ANALOG'S VERSION - THE FOLSOM?

Joey - The Folsom [top] came out great. We wanted to make sure we got credit for running a chambray style as some fabrics are subtler than others. This particular one we ran has a great cross hatched texture and some good contrast in the yarns so it comes off really well. We detailed the pockets and branding to have an authentic work wear look to them.

Photo: Danny Spyra
Images involved in Analog's Permanent Light Archive
series
BNQT - THE "PERMANENT LIGHT ARCHIVE" SERIES T-SHIRTS REALLY STAND OUT TO ME. HOW MANY TEES ARE IN THIS SERIES AND WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT?

Joey - The PLA series has been working for about 2 years now. It started as a really tight, limited tee grouping to showcase the photography of our team/ travels / etc. At current, I think we've run around 40+ images over the seasons, and are moving into more categories outside of tees.

People gravitate to photo tees because the imagery is real and direct in terms of what it's about. A bit of a statement, but also has a gallery type of look that feels more premium / sophisticated.

Street Beat Archive:

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