I’m a sucker for boarders. Skateboarders, snowboarders, surfers – it doesn’t matter, if you can do any or all of those things I will probably worship you. Pretty sure this comes from my own suckiness levels of all three. I’m not the most coordinated of people, which is probably why I admire and hold high people who can. And come on, let’s face it – boys on boards are fucking hot.
Last night Jared and I headed out to see Board Culture.
Earlier in the day I was debating about whether or not I would be wearing my raddest heels, my somewhat iconic red Chucks or my cherry Docs. When we got there and I saw the staircase I was glad I went with the flats and not the heels. The gallery itself is on the second floor of the old Crazy Gideon building – up a narrow metal staircase where the young and artistic hang out and do young and artistic stuff. We are artistic (yeah I said it) but we are old (comparatively speaking of course). We didn’t hang out on the staircase, we just walked straight in like we owned the place, and compared with the people inside we were the same age, but less sweaty.
Wait, what?
LA Compound itself is pretty small, last night wasn’t the hottest of nights, but with all the people packed in to check out the raddest of boards it was more than slightly warm inside. The walls were covered with various sizes and types of skateboards that had been customized in the most unusual ways by some really talented artists. Every show I go to seems to have a piece by Two Rabbits Studios (whose work is plastered all over my apartment), and this show was no different. I spotted their board a mile away. The boards on the walls were mainly skateboards (swoon) and there were some snowboards over by the DJ’s. I really dug one of the snowboards, and as always I wanted to buy most of the work on display. Leaning up against the column in the center of the gallery were two customised surfboards – one of which was just amazing. The backroom was the place to watch a film of different kinds of boarders doing their thing. It was also a good place to catch your breath and the breeze. The stripper pole, the photo booth , the mobile bar and Hit and Run t-shirt printing made everything that extra bit golden.
I asked Jared his thoughts about his friend’s gallery:
“I’m proud of my sexy, nasty, drunken friend. Years of raising a tattooed middle finger paid off. Sarah is like those lame military ads – “We do more before 9am than most people do all day.” This girl never stops, never hesitates, and never asks for permission. But I’m buying you a room fan girl. That place is muggy!”
Fans galore.
Check out LA Compound: Board Culture - running from now till June 16th
Photos below are in no particular order – LA Compound and Phillipe’s.
