Volcom Danchi

Car Danchi on the Volcom website much thanks to the Stone Family!

http://www.volcom.jp/

Snowboard contests need to start like…

We need to learn from contests like this, how to have a proper opening ceremony respecting the local customs!

9191 Teaser

Just found the teaser for Volcom’s upcoming snowboard movie release “9191″ feature the riding talent of Gigi Ruf and friends.

The movie is directed by Jake Price who made the classic snowboard film December. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Jake for a week about two years ago when Volcom came to shoot here in Hokkaido. Great guy and very talented film maker.

Also anything that Gigi does is sure to be amazing and this movie is going to be no exception.

Check out the teaser. It is casual, it is real and it doesn’t smash you over the head with branding, energy drinks and dolly shots. I like it already!

A message from Volcom

My latest package from the Mother Stone arrived!

Let the fun begin!

TKY wrap up!

A few shots and stories from the Tokyo trip.

Stopped by the new Volcom HQ in harajuku.  Very nice to be able to visit the showroom, and marketing team right in the heart of the city.  The Volcom staff seemed to be enjoying their new digs.  We talked about doing a possible photo exhibit in the fall at the Volcom store….

Lunch at “Shanti” for soup curry Sapporo style.  Soup curry still tastes better in Sapporo, but it was still nice to get a little spice in Tokyo.

Art at the Volcom office.

Shinjuku snap

Harajuku snap

Weirdo snap.  Chatted with this drunk dude outside the North Face store for a few long minutes.  Turns out he spent a lot of time in Hokkaido and we know a lot of the same people…  Told me how he is a DJ and then told me how he is a photographer.  Then he set of his computer on the street for an inpromtu slide snow to show me his photos.

Complete crap photos they were, but amusing to watch this character in action.  Oh yeah then he told me how he is a pro snowboarder and he is planning on getting The North Face to sponsor him!  Hell will freeve over before that happens buddy.

the best camera shop in Japan.  had to stop by and check it out, didn’t buy anything though….

Salary man moment.

Cafe at Montok with long time friend Fuji.

You know I used to really hate Tokyo.  I would always try to make my trips there as short as possible, now the tables have turned and I actually don’t want to leave.  Really enjoying the time spent in the urban jungle.  Thanks for the good times big city.

Volcom flowing

Some new Volcom summer gear arriving here in the One Films office recently.  Stoked on my selection for this summer season.  Here are a few items.

Sticking with the V.co-logical organic cotton t-shirts whenever I can.  I like the feel of the organic cotton better than the regular.

Surf trunks look like they are made from denim right?   Wrong, it is just a print.  Looks amazingly real!

Mega beach towel

Off center V-neck is cool and material perfect weight.

Can’t wait to rock this shirt.  Need a good party or some kind of special occasion for this one though…

All in a days work

Another day, of manual labor, tv show guest appearances, massage therapy and new gear.

Together with Tsukasa my loyal worker, we have finished painting the house!  7 meters high on a ladder today trying to paint the highest spot, had plenty of time to wonder why I didn’t buy a one story house.

After the painting, tsukasa suggested that we wax the roof!  As you can see I am putting a few friends to work waxing the loft section roof, in hopes that the snow will slide off after each storm.  We seem to have a problem with that section.  A thick layer of ice builds up and when it does finally break off it feels like the house is going to fall down.  Hope the wax works. 

At about noon the “No Matter Board” TV show crew showed up and we filmed a section for an upcoming program.  Looks like they are doing a special on the Car Danchi lifestyle to air on the 27th of this month.  The guests were Yamauchi and Mino.  

I used to host No Matter board in the 90′s, there have been a few different hosts, but Matsui is holding it down nicely now!  Check out his blog here.

After the No Matter shooting, rushed downtown for my appointment with “Sensei” to work on my neck.  Found an old friend on the table getting worked on.  Sensei had predicted that it would take up to three months to fix my neck, but now seems to think could be better in a month or maybe less!  Maybe all the painting this week helped.  It sure is painful though.  Thanks to Sensei for the good alignment.

Box of Volcom gear appeared on the doorstep, with this nice new shirt/jacket!

Volcom steps up!

New gear from the Stone arriving recently. Clothing for the fall and winter season. I always order these items at least six months in advance so I have forgotten what is coming when the box arrives. fun to open it up and spy the new threads. This time I picked some winners. Volcom stepped it up with some new material and artwork from my favorite snowboarder Bryan Iguchi. Check out the heavy duty sweatshirt. I don’t know what this cloth is called but it feels great. More like a jacket than a sweatshirt.

This sweatshirt is another Iguchi piece.  Same Mammoth design, reversible is claimed on the tag, but kind of looks inside out when you wear it that way.

Finished off my Iguchi collection with a nice beanie, he certainly likes the wolly mammoth.

Hokkaido is cold really cold, you must have a face mask to snowboard or rob a bank here.  I will stick with the snowboarding.

America still seems to be into the beanie with a small bill.  I was never really into that style except for days when you can ride with sunglasses.  It gets in the way with goggles and when it is snowing it piles up on there.  Decided to give it one more try this year.

Car Danchi on Volcom!

Volcom.jp web site just uploaded the teaser, so you can take a look at it. They are using a largeer screen size and better quality than the YouTube version so you might want to take a look at it there if you are picky about the quality of your web movies! Thanks Volcom crew! Watch here.

Here is what they are saying in Japanese!
サンディエゴ生まれ札幌育ちのマルチメディアプレイヤーであるNeil Hartmannの力作、CAR DANCHIシリーズが1年越しで復活。SNOW界の名作がこの夏ブレイクの兆し。VOLCOMからは、UE、今井孝雅、山内一志、土井隼人、吉野ヤットがレギュラー出演しているが、今年は中型二輪の免許しかない17歳の増田ルイキもフィーチャーされているという。

Too hot! Volcom to the Rescue

What a day in Sapporo. the news said 26 degrees, but my car thermometor said 31 degrees outside and 44 inside! My car was hot today, way too hot for May the 2nd in Sapporo. I’m sure we are setting new records over here for high temps in May. I wore a long sleeve shirt to go shopping today, but changed to a tank top as soon as I got home. I have never ever worn a tank top in May, they usually only come out in August for about two weeks and then go back in the closet.

I was starting to get annoyed with the heat and with my allergy to the tree pollen that is flying through the air right now, when a package arrived from Volcom. Summer V.co.logical gear just in time!

Dope hat for the summer.

Hemp surf trunks! This is an item I have been wanting for a long time. Hemp swim wear from an established surf brand. The design is perfect and the material really lightweight, just what I wanted. Will probably be wearing them all the time this year.

Organic cotton with a logo to make you think.

A tank top that is going to get some early use this year.

Nice organic cotton v-neck with the killer logo: “The only constant is change.”

I always like the Volcom designs that poke fun at suits and work wear. Check out the fake pocket and pens. Will be wearing that one when I go to meetings in Tokyo later this month!

Shot some pictures of cherry blossom trees and Japanese “Koi nobori” today. Want to put a few cultural shots in the next Car Danchi movie to set up a spring riding section. Think I got a few good shots today.