Drawn to San Francisco’s skate culture, photographer Ken Goto moved from Tokyo, Japan to The City by the Bay in ’97. Only knowing a bit of English, the transition wasn’t seamless, but through skateboarding he quickly picked up the language. “I knew basic English from school and learned more from hanging out with my skater homies,” remembers Goto. Along with his English, he also developed his photographic skills capturing SF’s finest rolling up and down the city streets. Read more…

NEVER PREDETERMINED
The balance between positive and negative space can be a frustrating battle for many artists, but not for San Francisco-based Aaron De La Cruz. De La Cruz instinctively lays contrasting lines on “white” like water filling a network of straws. His fluid technique is inspirational to witness and the process itself helped to bring recognition to his work. Read more…

JOHN CARDIEL
In 2003 while on a skate trip in Brisbane, Australia, legendary skateboarder John Cardiel (1992 Thrasher Skater of the Year) took an untimely fall while running alongside a van in their entourage. John suffered a major spinal cord injury and was told that it was likely he would never walk again. Deeming the diagnosis unacceptable, John was determined to prove the doctors wrong. In just five months, by sheer will John regained the use of his legs and has been defying medical science ever since. Read more…

BRUCE IRONS
Spirituality is such a loaded word these days, but when Bruce Irons was forced to deal with the tragic death of his brother, Andy Irons (1978-2010), it was spirituality that saved him from the depths of depression. At this point in his life, the 32-year-old is in a happy place as a father of two and a professional free surfer. In the past year, Bruce has become increasingly more visible in the surf once again, charging decade-defining swells in Tahiti and Fiji, and making the semifinals of the 2012 Volcom Pipe Pro. He’s very candid about his overall feelings about contest surfing, and is also very honest about his newfound outlook on life. Read more…

CONRADICAL
Having just finished his international debut in Mexico City at Yautepec Gallery, watercolor artist Conrad Ruiz is busy in his studio prepping for the NADA art fair in Miami and his second solo exhibition at Silverman Gallery in 2012. This dateless workaholic will sparingly venture from his desk, unless called upon by The Boys of Summer collective to discuss future projects, eat or play video games. Read more…

ZAC CARPER
LA resident by way of North Shore, Oahu, 23-year-old musician/engineer Zac Carper (son of legendary surfboard shaper John Carper) and his newly formed rock outfit FIDLAR are taking back parking lot punk shows one flaming dumpster at a time. Contrast sifted through the mountain of empty Four Loko cans, leftover pizza boxes, and broken skateboard decks, to sip some beers and talk shop with Carper at the infamous House of FID. Read more…

LITMUS
When you hear the word “indigo,” the first thing that usually comes to mind would be a pair of jeans. Or at least that’s what I think of. We all know indigo as a color, but Yuji and Yoshi from Litmus in Shonan, Japan, have a lot of the answers as to what else indigo is. The pair work with natural indigo, which comes from plants that contain it in their leaves. Read more…

DAVID CHOE
Multi-media is an understatement. David Choe could manipulate a pile of wolf shit into a treasured piece of art. From watercolors, oils and acrylics to photographs, pencil drawings and sculptures, South Bay, LA’s Choe has taken himself from an artist from the ground (you could say gutter) up to one of the most sought after artists of this generation. Pulling inspiration from graphic novels and graffiti, Choe’s art has an edge to it that is often imitated but never duplicated. His work is unmistakable at first sight. In a word, his art and his persona could be described as raw. Read more…

RENE MATTHYSSEN
The first time I saw Rene Matthyssen was at a skateboard contest at Fort Shafter Military Base in the ‘90s. It was hot and I remember closing my eyes every time the Hawaiian trade winds blew, which wasn’t very often. The parking lot that the obstacles were set up on was on the rough side, but somehow Rene ollied off a bank and did a rail slide on the side of a platform that was 10-feet tall and landed it on the asphalt like butter. Read more…

REAL TALK WITH MIKE POOLEY
In terms of music careers, moving to an island smack dab in the middle of the Pacific some 5,000 miles from the nearest continental body of land is probably not the smartest move. Luckily, rock and roll ain’t about smart moves. The serendipitous happenings that lead the Highways to the islands have become their bond, and instead of treating their separation from the industry as a disability, the band uses the isolation to take a more clear-headed approach to creating. Read more…