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Random Acts of Adventure

With all the talk about the 4th of July occupying the hearts and minds of citizens of the good ol’ U.S. of A., it’s easy to forget our northern sisters and brothers. That’s right folks, Canada! They too celebrate their proverbial birthday in July, and ironically only three days ahead of us … what are the odds?

Canada Day (Fête du Canada) is on July 1st of every year and is often thought of as Canada’s birthday. In 1867 the enactment of the Britich North America Act, which united Canada into a single country, marking the beginning of a beautiful life as a great country.

I for one will be celebrating this fine day with a Molson beer, maple syrup, grilled salmon all while clad in my Carhart overalls. Happy birthday Canada!

If you are looking for a an outfit for your Canada Day party, check this out. Hilarious.

Duzer Does America - Part 1

June 30, 2009

Aaaand he’s off! Ryan Van Duzer, a friend of ours, is taking a three-speed (count ‘em 1… 2 … 3) across America. This lovely bike was supplied by our favorite beer company, New Belguim – yay beer!

A week ago he started in Oceanside California and is biking all the way to Washington DC clad in Horny Toad duds to raise money for a non profit called Community Cycles in Boulder Colorado. Why? Well, Duzer is powered by an endless supply of optimism – and a goofy whirly gig – to change the world for the better. He bikes to inspire others to get out of their cars. He bikes because he loves it. He bikes because girls love riding on the handlebars. Chicks dig bikes – and clothes that you’ve been in for days on end.

You can follow Duzer's adventure's here on Fun Hunting or on his page Duzer Across America.

Check out his first three days here. He’s a one-man crew. Go Duzer GO!

National 40-oz. Day

June 29, 2009

Some may think they are “trashy,” others may think they are “excessive,” but we just think they are hilarious. They’re a 40-oz. bottle of beer – mainly containing beer that you would never normally drink for fear you may lose your sense of taste or smell or both! The upsides: 40-oz. of beer, buying bulk saves the planet, cheap and leaves you with a little extra to memorialize your homies with.

We’re not the only ones out there that think this giant bottle of beer is something worth giving thanks to. A brilliant group of folks in the Chicago area are having a week of celebratory events all surrounding this bottom-shelf treat. So, if you happen to be in the old town of the Toads – join in the fun and pour a sip on the old Toad concrete for us. Heck, even if you aren’t in Chicago, enjoy a big tall frosty one anyway – ‘cuz why not?

Chris Pierce Bows To The King

June 18, 2009

Our friend Chris Pierce made a recent appearance at the House of Blues opening for the king of blues himself, B.B. King! Chris is a truly special person, warm and always genuine and sincere – but he also brings down the house with his pipes. That guy can sing! Hear it for yourself.

The Binary Chef - Get On The Burger Bus

June 17, 2009

Here at Horny Toad, we are obsessed with food. Sure, we make and are passionate about our clothes, but we are driven by good food and lucky enough to have an office full of some amazing chefs. From gourmet grilled cheese cook offs and backyard office barbeques to weekly doses of banana bread and some killer hand-made guac, we take our food very seriously. And, just to clarify, not "serious" in a buttoned up, stuffy way, but we Toads (an Nauians) are always actively engaged in finding and experiencing what life has to offer, and often that search leads us to finding and eating great food.

Sometimes these discoveries come from unexpected places. Knausifer (Jenn Jenn) and I recently had the pleasure of experiencing Santa Barbara's newest lunch adventure, The Burger Bus. For anyone that has yet to have the pleasure, The Burger Bus [http://theburgerbus.com/index.html] is a converted school bus (short and yellow) that migrates around the Santa Barbara/Goleta area to serve up gourmet burgers (with ciabatta bread and jalapeño jelly), Telegraph [http://www.telegraphbrewing.com/purchase.htm] beer battered onion rings, kick-ass veggie falafel and fried pickle chips to those in the know on where it will be that day. It ponies up (well, drives) to several key private parking lots around town and makes it's whereabouts for the afternoon known via Twitter (@TheBurgerBus). The husband and wife owners/chefs seem to delight in serving up grub to the lunchers and pride themselves on using local SB farmer's market ingredients mixed in with breads and cheeses (from Our Daily Bread and Spring Hill Cheese of Petaluma, respectively).

Now, as we were waiting for our order yesterday and watching the throngs of other eager eaters gravitate towards the beacon of deliciousness, all we could think was "Why didn't we think of this?" quickly followed by "Why don't we have a parking lot?" Kudos to The Burger Bus for giving us and our taste buds something else to take very seriously.

P.S. Did you know that the Italian translation for "ciabatta" is literally "carpet slipper"?

Lessons For An Optimist - Off The Grid

June 16, 2009

Wherever you go to get off the grid, clear the mind and recharge, I suggest you get to it as soon as possible … it is so fulfilling to reset at this moment as the summer of 2009 arrives. I am just re-entering the grid after several days in my favorite getaway in the Eastern Sierras near the east entrance of Yosemite.

All that kept coming to me as I reflected on the last nine months was how fortunate we are to still be here making it happen at Nau, Horny Toad and the Lizard Lounge. While these are and will be tough times for the foreseeable future, we imagined far worse just a few months back. I feel like we have turned that psychological corner from managing fear of the unknown and managing a baseline level of productivity to really being able to think long term, plan and be fired up for the potential for the future. What a refreshing change and one that could not be more exhilarating at Nau given the chance for a second life.

That said, we should remember the many lessons learned to not let history repeat itself.

Here was my short list of things not to lose sight of:

1) The things that really matter, are often those that get neglected – quality time with family and friends, pursuing your passions and maintaining balance. Live fully everyday because it is what really matters.

2) All the stuff that appeared unsustainable or too good to be true was exactly what our instincts told us … it just took longer than we expected to unravel.

3) When the shit hits the fan, you learn who your true friends are and we really now know how strength and loyalty of our community. Thanks for the support of customers, vendors and partners alike.

We are back at our passion of building meaningful products, brands and a lasting company and will remain dedicated to enjoying the journey as much as the results.

Thanks for reading,

G

Rock, Paper, Scissors - Sock Monkey

June 11, 2009

I also have this deep, driving need to do something with everything that has exceeded its regular life, like socks. But socks are a problem here in beautiful Santa Barbara because we don’t usually wear them. In fact, wearing socks has become somewhat de rigeur. I have friends who don’t even wear socks under their boots - wouldn’t want to whiff that closet.

Anyway, I tire of my sock drawer laying unloved and unused, so here’s how to make a sock monkey and give an old pair a new lease on life.

Note: If you have wool socks, wash them in hot water and shrink them. Shrunk socks make great sock monkeys. If you have white athletic socks, use them to clean your windows, because they make sick looking albino sock monkeys.

1. Flatten one sock so the heel faces up (no bends), see “Sock 1 Figure A.”
2. Cut from the rib to 1” from the heel. See “Sock 1 Figure B.” These are the legs.
3. Take the other sock “Sock 2 Figure A” and
•   cut down the rib to the heel to make arms. I like long arms
•   cut off the toe to make the nose
•   cut out a tail, ears, a hat, anything else you want your monkey to have

4. Turn the body inside out. Sew the leg seams. Leave a hole in the crotch. Turn right side out and stuff the body. You can stuff the legs or not. Sew the crotch closed.

5. Figure out where the neck will be. Tie a string around it. This defines the head.

6. Fold arm pieces right sides together and sew them. Stuff or not. Attach to body at shoulders (unless you want the arms somewhere else).

7. Stuff and sew on the nose, ears, and tail embroider a mouth (or use fabric paint).

8. Sew buttons for eyes.

9. You’re done.

10. WHEW!

Keeping Us Real - Remembering Jonny Copp

June 9, 2009

I was on an amazing surf trip in Costa Rica when my husband called me to let me know that our friend Jonny was missing on a climbing trip. My heart sank immediately because missing generally translates to passing in these situations. Jonny was a friend and a great being and I will miss him dearly. I’m glad that the last time I saw him he was swinging me around the dance floor at 2:00 a.m. and we were laughing our asses off. The man knew how to live and for that I will continue to pay attention to the minutes, hours and days I have left. Love and peace to all who are missing these great people.

A message from Eugenie at our sister company Nau.

The outdoor industry is collectively mourning a terrible loss with the recent deaths of climbers Jonny Copp and Wade Johnson. They and fellow climber Micah Dash (who is, as of this writing, still missing) were attempting a new route on Mt. Edgar’s Minya Konka massif, in China’s Western Sichuan Province, when an apparent avalanche swept across their path.

I only knew Micah and Wade distantly, and send love, strength and condolences to their families and friends, as have hundreds of people from all over the world, whose support continues to stream in at an impressive volume via Facebook and the Adventure Film Festival blog. (Facebook, I am learning, can have some real heart, when used toward the good of a thing.)

Jonny was an early member of Nau’s community of Influencers, those artists, athletes, and activists who unabashedly rock our world through their authentic pursuit of their passions in outdoor sport, design, and environmental and social activism.

We established the Influencers early on, knowing we would need a community of peers not only to review our products each season, but also to keep us real; to remind us, when wandering astray, of our priorities, which are, simply put, to move, be moved, and move others.

Through his work as a climber, photographer, filmmaker, and Director of the Adventure Film Festival in Boulder, Jonny was, in his never tiring, slightly goofy, and always humble way, an Influencer to a tee.

As the photo editor at Nau, I first met Jonny through his eyes. I was immediately drawn to his photographs and films, not only for the way they captured the breathtaking rarity of the people and places he knew, but also for their clarity and honesty. There wasn’t a lot of clutter, just clean lines, clear faces, and a direct route from me, the viewer, to the essence of whatever he was trying to convey, whether it was to get me outside, to show me someone’s spirit, or to make me laugh my ass off. His view to the world was rare, curious, courageous, real, fresh, funny, and inspiring.

As was Jonny himself. During Nau 1.0, we met or spoke every few months, and I always looked forward to those meetings. I was impressed (given his lifestyle) with his ability to sit still, to look me in the eye, hear what I had to say, offer constructive feedback, and to tell tales of his mind blowing adventures without ever spinning off into a space of self-congratulatory bravado.

We tossed around how, then when, we could fold his work into our ever-evolving efforts at Nau. Things never lined up, not for lack of trying, but only because Jonny was always about to leave, or already gone, off to his next best thing.

There never seems to be enough time. This can be an annoying thing, but occasionally a good thing, too. Jonny made the most of this – not wasting a single moment of his very full, but far too short, life. Thinking about my own experience of this man, I am also reminded that sometimes a blip in time is all it takes to reveal a powerful force. I did not need to know him for years to recognize how profound Jonny’s impact on our world would be.

I will miss his bright eyes, his crushing hug, and his ear-to-ear smile, but I will not miss his inspiration, because that will stay right here, in his lasting work and in my mind, a little nudge from Jonny here and there, keeping me motivated, keeping me real.

Love to you, Jonny Copp.

Love to the crew at Sender Films, too, who, along with everyone at Adventure Film Festival, are still working around the clock to find Micah and bring these guys home.

Learn how you can help here.

(photos gently borrowed from coppworks.com and adventurefilm.org, and I am hoping that in this case it’s ok…)

- Eugenie

One Word of Wisdom

June 2, 2009

See the new Pixar movie ‘Up!’ as soon as you can.

Like Walle, the underlying life message is likely more meaningful to its adult audience yet it will be equally appreciated and inspirational for kids if only from a perspective. Prepare for some tears in the first 15 minutes and lots of self reflection and life appreciation to follow.

And as always, feel free to let us know what you thought…

Urban Bike Polo

May 29, 2009

Having just taking a gigantic spill on my mountain bike last night, I'm ready to try a new sport where crashing is just part of it. However, in this case, the civilized side of two wheeling is shown in all its urban glory. This is great!

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Crusade Against the Mundane

Welcome to the Horny Toad Community. This is where you get to tell us what Every Day Is An Adventure means to you. The best part is that you will help define what the Toad Community becomes. So let us know what you think, check out an event in your area, or just sit back and laugh a little. The idea is to have fun!