Help Keep Juice Magazine Alive - Pools, Pipes, And Punk Rock!

Juice Magazine is arguably the very heart and soul of Venice, California. They have been documenting the skate, surf, and music scenes around the world since 1993, and a lot of the town's cool can be easily traced back to Juice. Publisher/Editor/Owner, Terri Craft, and Assistant Editor, Dan Levy, have been bringing everyone the Juice for over 26 years, and now it's time to return the favor.

With the Covid-19 crisis, magazine shipments have been put on hold, which means the Juice lifeblood (money) has also been on hold. With a looming line of credit that must be repaid, there is a very real threat that the magazine would have to shutter without the means to continue publishing. We, as a global and local community of skaters, surfers, musicians, and artists (and those who love them), now need to step up to provide some assistance in order to keep them going. And we will.

A Go Fund Me has been set up for just this purpose, and you may donate HERE to help this excellent-  and vital - publication keep on trucking long into the future. All one has to do is glance at the beloved Venice Skatepark currently all filled in with sand to visualize what a (temporary) loss that is, and what the loss of Juice would be. Juice Magazine is pretty much the Bible to so many in the skate world, not only in Venice, but around the world ... Venice just gets to call them our own.

SO many awesome times have originated with Juice ... from skate contests to ragers at the Juice headquarters, from epic art exhibitions like Beyond The Streets to little art shows in local galleries.

From collaborations with the California Locos and Shepard Fairey (and a new print for Juice is coming very soon by Fairey in another effort to fundraise - how cool!) to showcasing the work of local and coming up artists - and bands and writers and everyone who gets and appreciates the Juice vibe - and who doesn't? Lizzo knows ... Blame it on my Juice!

My brother Paul and I have had the true pleasure of covering things for Juice, and are honored to call them our friends ... our Venice family. The Go Fund Me tells the whole story of the Juice origins up to now, as well as all of their accomplishments and credits, which are a great many. They were fundamental in helping to get the Venice Skatepark built, as well as getting the documentary about it made - Made In Venice is crucial viewing for anyone who cares about skating and/or Venice.

I know how hard it is to ask for help for these friends, because I'm a lot like that myself. More than happy to step in and help anyone, but super hard to put yourself out there to let people know that you are in need. That's when you hope that your friends will do it for you ... so here we are.

PLEASE kick in whatever little bit (or massive, some of you bands and pro skaters and artists that have been featured in Juice!) you can, because we want to help keep alive the only skate publication used by the Smithsonian Institute - it's that legit.

And Juice really needs your help NOW. We have already lost so much from this awful virus, don't let it happen to one of the very best things about Venice/the skate/surf/art/music world. I miss being in Venice so much right now, and the Juice family is one of the things I miss the very most. PLEASE let it still be there when I get back. PLEASE let us now have their back.

One more time, you may donate HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping to bring so many more awesome times to us all! You're awesome too.

LONG LIVE JUICE!


*Photo of Terri Craft by Dan Levy.
*Photo of Dan Levy by Pep Williams.
*Photo of sandy Skatepark by Twistedsifter.com

A Decade Of Blogtown 9/9/09 - 9/9/19!

What. TEN YEARS has gone by since I posted my first Blogtown story back on September 9, 2009! It's hard to believe ... but here we are. SO much has changed in Venice - and around the world - that it's a real trip to read back over the years and really absorb how much we've lost ... but also how much we've gained.

Writing these stories has built bridges for me, and opened me up to so many new friendships. I can see in my analytics how Blogtown (Rhymes with DOGTOWN!) has grown to have readers all over the world ... and that was one of my intentions when I set out to do this - to make the world a little smaller for us all. To get to know each other all a little better, and to learn that there are so many cool people that come through Venice that it will always remain special, no matter how much it changes.

I recall a guy telling me once that Blogtown was important because it was really capturing the disappearance of one of the world's last Bohemian surf/skate culture places - in real time. You can go back through the years and see how many places have left Venice in the last decade, and how many of its citizens too (whether they died, couldn't afford it anymore, or just thought it wasn't the same and had done their Venice time. You can also go back and attend some pretty great shows with me over the years ... !

I asked my brother to tell me off the top of his head what his favorite story of the last decade had been, and he said, "The World's Greatest Wino" - and that tale of the late, great Bobby Brown was definitely one of my favorites too.

The beautiful send-off day for Jay Adams sticks out to me as a highlight  ...  and who can forget my bike Delores being stolen ... and then getting her back!

I was the first journalist to write about the Venice Freak Show - which lost its home on the Boardwalk a few years ago, and we're still trying to get it back there where it belongs. The farewell to Abbot's Habit was a special one ... as was the one the very next day about getting to be the Neptune Queen! 

The story about Venice's Bordello Alexandra house was one of my favorites ... as was a simple little story about a friendship I had with a little old man at the beach, Leon. Often the little things/stories have been the best things.

There have been SO many stories about so many people and places, and there is going to be a book one day soon (Please help me find my publisher!) of all of my favorites that have already been written - and the ones to come. Though Venice is not the same Venice it was when I started Blogtown, it still has that magic dust that we all know and love it for. It lives inside of each of us that care about it, so it can never be truly gone. We love our Venice, and that love has gone into every word I've ever written in Blogtown - and will go on.

Blogtown will be getting a new look soon for its new decade (I'm just waiting on the art work!), but the stories will always be about the special people, places, and events that have made an impact on myself, and on Venice - a place like no other in the world. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to share its stories with you, and I hope you will keep visiting Blogtown in its new decade of fun, creativity, friendship, community, and heart.

It means so much to me when someone shares with me that they enjoyed a story, or were moved by it in some way (either to tears of being touched or mad at an "epic rant" of mine, usually). That they learned something, or tried a new place because of a story that they read here. That they made a new friend, or learned a new skill. That they were inspired, even just a little bit, to appreciate the little things that make us all connected.

Thank you for reading, truly. Cheers to TEN YEARS together! xoxo

Do What You Love!

I've had a gnarly week, with no time to do what I love - telling the great stories of Venice. Everything and pretty much everyone (except my Mom) has been frustrating and difficult to get answers from, and I had a real feeling of what the hell is the point of it all? Gnarly.

Then I was walking down Washington Boulevard to a meeting, and there on the side of the smashed in Van's store (a car ran into the building last weekend) was this great new mural by Ruben Rojas bringing me back into focus. DO WHAT YOU LOVE!

THAT is the point of it all. I needed that reminder, I guess, as signs always show up when you most need them. Nothing has really changed, other than my attitude, but that is always the best place to start.

Happy Weekend, All! I hope you get to do what you love.

Hecho En Venice - Outfitter To Venice Locals

You can't go very far in Venice without seeing someone wearing something with "Hecho En Venice" on it, and that clothing brand starts with Oscar Galan. I've wanted to know this story for a long time, so I called him up and we made plans to meet at his "office" - which was the tailgate of his truck parked in front of Hinano's. We sat and chatted in the sunshine as a constant stream of friends went by shouting greetings and stopping for a handshake, and I saw firsthand just how much a part of Venice this cool cat is.

Galan was born in El Salvador, but his family with six kids came to Venice in 1979 for a better life. He attended Venice High, where he fell asleep in class a lot due to a dish washing gig his brother got for him, keeping him up late. Whenever he wasn't working, he was hanging out at the Breakwater, learning to surf. One day a local asked him to fight him for being a kook, and Galan shrugged and said "Sure". His confidence probably prevented that brawl, and gained him the respect of those locals who then deemed him to be cool (and still do).

Circle Skate (now what was Subway by Windward Avenue) hired Galan to work at the skate shop, and after a while of owing him money, the owners gave him the shop instead - complete with their inventory - as they wanted to hang it up. The name was changed to "Venice Extreme" (then "Venice Breakwater") and it became a hangout in its own right, where local kids learned to surf and skate and hang out with those kinds of dudes vs. the gangs. Galan moved the shop across the street to what is now the poké spot under the Venice sign, and all the while kept working at restaurants, now as a chef (which he still does in addition to running his own business!).

While working at the Venice Breakwater shop, Galan had spied a girl looking for change for a parking spot out in front of the shop. She wouldn't give him her number, but he went back inside the shop and said, "I'm gonna marry that girl."

As it goes, once he blew her off, she was interested, and gave him not her number, but her address. And he showed up. That was Galan's wife, Rita, and they've been together ever since (and just finally got hitched last year!). Two sons came along - Isaac and Jason - and soon thereafter, Galan closed the shop. He didn't want to, but he had to cut the overhead, and that was the end of his brick and mortar shop.

The surf/skate culture was in Galan's blood by now, and when he saw the "Hecho En Mexico" logo, he thought, "Hmmm, I could change that to Venice", and quickly taught himself to sew on YouTube. He created a bunch of shirts and hats with the new "Hecho En Venice" logo, and they've been in hot demand ever since. "I do this for fun," says Galan, and you can tell that he means it. I've always been kind of reluctant to don this apparel, as I was NOT made in Venice, but when I expressed this to Galan, he answered, "I wasn't born here. But I grew up here, and became who I am here." I guess I did too, so now I feel like maybe I can sport these duds. The only thing Galan asks is that you wear the almost always navy blue items with PRIDE. No problem.

"Real locals that know me get the secret stash. Before it was if you didn't know me, you can't have a t-shirt. Now, everyone knows me, so they can all have a shirt!", laughed Galan. That certainly seems true, as the respect and friendship continued to be shown to Galan the entire time we talked by everyone going by that knew him - and several were already in Hecho En Venice gear. "The people of Venice is what it's all about. Be friendly. Support local businesses." Yeah. For Galan, that also applies to sticking up for people. You may remember the brawl on the pier a few years back between the lifeguard and drunk tourists. Galan had been dining with Rita in Washington Square, and said, "I'll be right back". Those tourists soon found out what it meant to mess with a Venice lifeguard, as Galan came in swinging - and they left hurting. Venice will have your back.

With all the cool stuff in Venice, Galan's favorite thing about it is still "The water. Go surf!" And he's out there all the time. You can find him out in the lineup, having coffee at The Cow's End, or in his truck office. You can find Hecho En Venice all over town, but for sure at Maui & Sons on the Boardwalk, Rider Shack, Titanic, District, Rip City, Bay Street Surf Shop, Principessa, or at their online store, ShackedStore.com.

Oscar and Rita Galan are the real deal, and it's an honor to know them, and now their story. Their Hecho En Venice line (now including everything from shirts to hats to coffee mugs!) have given all of Venice a way to show their pride - worldwide. Get yours!

*All photos (after the first one) are courtesy of the Galan family.

New Mural On Speedway Celebrates Muscle Beach

There's a big new mural on Speedway right behind Muscle Beach at Speedway, and it shows off some of the things that have historically made Venice a cool place to be. Skating. Surfing. Babes. Boards. Muscles. The good stuff.

Jonas Never has been making his mural mark around town for a while now, and this is another good one that gives passersby a true sense of place. A place that has its fair share of problems, but none of them outweigh the good vibes, and the general aura of letting the good times roll.

There is yet another VNC meeting tonight that will deal with affordable and homeless housing, both sorely needed in this place where Art has always met Crime (and now Eviction - thank you Attaway and Gallo for coining these phrases). I hope that if you're planning to attend (and you should if you care about the future of Venice), and if you do, and you're planning to speak, I hope you're coming with ideas for SOLUTIONS, and not just your complaints. Everyone knows people don't like needles and human waste and people sleeping on the sidewalks, and that you don't want your kids seeing these things on the way to the beach. We get it. But if you're new, and you're freaking out about that, well ... you probably shouldn't have moved your kids here. If you're old school and freaking out about these things, come with solutions, not just shouting over other people. People just embarrassed themselves (but were so self-involved that they probably didn't notice) at the last one, and I'm hoping for a much more civil evening tonight. A meeting where mature citizens who can agree that we all love Venice can come together as the intelligent and creative people that we are (or can be) for the greater good. Come on. Make us all proud. One Love. Thanks in advance.

On a cooler note, right after I saw this new mural this morning, I also saw dolphins! Another bit of glory we get to witness in this excellent (perhaps last) beach community of color and diversity and art. These are the moments you put in your back pocket to get you through things like tonight's meeting - and what makes it all worth it. V's up!

The 2018 Neptune Festival - Venice Summer Opening Ceremonies!

Venice, you're awesome. One of the very best times of the year here in our beach community is the annual Neptune Festival ... and this one we just had was a doozy. As happens just about every year, the June Gloom cleared out just in time for our yearly bacchanal of fun in the sun, as we officially declare it Summer in Venice!

This year's headquarters was at Surfside, who were also celebrating their one year anniversary. Live music jammed all day, and mermaids and mermen made merry all day long.

Neptune King 2017 Jeremy Marco and Neptune Queen 2017 Me were honored to pass along our beautiful, handmade (By the ultra-talented Rebekah Ozier) Neptune crowns to the newly chosen King Tonan Ruiz and Queen Beth Allyn, who presided over the day's festivities.

We made our departing speeches outside in front of Surfside, and implored the new royalty to carry on our traditions, and spread the good Venice vibes during their reign, from sea to shining sea. Once King Tonan and Queen Beth were crowned and given their scepters, and gave their speeches accepting their royal duties, it was time to parade to the ocean to mark the opening of Summer!

The fun people of Venice dressed up as merpeople or just colorful, fun people (and there was a Wizard, I saw), and we all traipsed across the sand under the portable Venice sign, shouting the traditional "Hail the King! Hail the Queen! Hail Summer! Hail Venice! Hail Yeah" all the way.

Tourists scrambled to capture the action on their phones, as we all gathered at the shore. King Tonan was, I believe, the first King Neptune to arrive from the water via his surfboard, and Queen Beth showed the summer spirit by going all the way underwater. It was all, quite simply, RAD.

The royal court of revelers joined Tonan and Beth in the water, and it was time for a zillion more photo ops, while the Hails continued to be yelled throughout the proceedings. So fun.

Once back on dry sand, King Tonan read the royal proclamation truly and officially declaring it SUMMER! And the royal subjects rejoiced!

We all paraded back across the sand, where King Tonan and Queen Beth were picked up in pedicabs and pedaled around back to Windward, where the party was well under way to greet the new royalty.

The Brobots were going off, and they had a special guest, former Neptune Queen Miss Jessica took over the mic, and belted out a Hendrix cover, and everyone wanted to stand next to her fire, believe me. She was awesome.

And so were The Brobots! They ripped up the stage all day, with the guitar player even climbing the walls at one point - as you do. People were dancing (and it's not easy in mermaid tails!) and day drinking and hugging and loving Venice all day long ... which is exactly the point of our traditions like these. Keeping it cool, keeping it special, keeping it unique, keeping it real Venice.

A blast was had by all ... but probably no one was feeling it more than King Tonan in this moment ...

And that's how the whole day felt ... groovy. Summertime is here, Venice! Make it a good one.

Great White Opens On Pacific Avenue - Get Bit!

A brand new spot just opened up in the space left vacant by Seed on Pacific, and Great White looks to be just what that little stretch of Venice needed - already.

Serving up healthy breakfast and lunch fare every day from 7 am to 6 pm, it's close enough to the beach that you can get both your pre and post-surf/beach day grinds on foot. It looks DELICIOUS - and I'm told IS extra delicious - with great service to top it off. It sounds like a home run right out of the gate, with unanimously positive reviews from all who have had the pleasure of trying it out in week one. Cheers to owners Sam Trude and Sam Cooper, Chef Alex Thomopoulos, all the staff, and to all in Venice that get to go here. Yum.

I presume they've named the place after the shark and not the band, and the beachy vibes are on theme. The drinks all sound incredible, and as it's an Aussie-owned venture, you absolutely will find a legit flat white.

There is no liquor license as yet, so they're only open for breakfast and lunch so far, but I can't wait to get back to town and try everything on both of those menus and chill on the breezy patio. Welcome to the neighborhood, Great White!

Great White
1604 Pacific Avenue (At Windward)
Venice
424.744.8403

*Photos courtesy of Great White. 

The Cali Locos Hit The Manhattan Beach Art Center

The Cali Locos took the fun to Manhattan Beach last Saturday night, and it was definitely one worth heading to the South Bay for (which I don't say all that often). A nice Venice contingent represented, as we got to have the first Cali Locos show last Summer. The Somos Locos show took place at the Manhattan Beach Art Center, and was an all day affair for M.B. people.

They dedicated a new skatepark, they had a book signing of a new hard cover Cali Locos book (California Locos -from Coagula Curatorial), and then they had the one night only art opening in the evening, with live music and a bunch of good food and drinks.

It was a beautiful night outside, and art patrons enjoyed an indoor-outdoor party the whole time. The Cali Locos were all present, and basking in the congratulations of all of their friends and fans.

There was a new Dusters California skateboard released for the event, and they were displayed prominently in the center of the gallery. And everyone wanted one.

My brother, Paul, installed the art for the last two Locos shows, so he's pretty much an honorary Loco now, and was warmly greeted at every turn, especially by Locos ringleader, Dave Tourjé.

 John Van Hamersveld held court in the middle, shooting photos and shaking hands.

 I particularly love Van Hamersveld's Indian series. Clearly.

Gary Wong and Chaz Bojórquez were also there mingling and catching up with folks, while Norton Wisdom also made the rounds discussing his work. All had new pieces in this show, one better than the next. This group makes it tough for collectors, because it really is so hard to choose one that you like best.

Each of the Locos' styles is so different, but they compliment each other so well. Each piece in the show appealed to a different part of me, and I really had a hard time coming up with a favorite. I guess the best answer would be to aspire to own one (at least) of each!

Outside on the patio there was live music by a young lady on a ukulele (reminding me that I want lessons), and a bar set up with wines from Rebel Coast Winery that were really good. And so was the owner/bartender Doug, who gave us stickers that said "Don't Be A Dick". Right on.

Waiters were circling the place with trays of good stuff, like Chinese chicken salad in their own little containers, and doughnut kabobs. Yes, doughnut kabobs. My brother and Jeff Ho got down on that.

Juice Dan was there documenting it all for Juice Magazine, and comparing jackets with Paul ...

While Juice's Terri Craft  got us all caught up on the latest skateboard shenanigans. What a treasure Terri, Dan and Juice are to this skate and surf community. It cannot be overstated or mentioned often enough. Love them.

There's really nothing better than a good party in the name of art and creativity. Saturday night's Cali Locos shindig was one of the best. You want to make sure you get out to see anything this groovy art collective ever comes up with ... it's always something to remember. As is their philosophy, "Somos Locos". We are crazy ... about LIFE.