Tag Archives: Commentary

Local | Winnipeg’s Got Sole

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Oak and Oar

Winnipeg’s Got Sole is the brain child of Frendell Cano. Mixing his passion for sneaker culture and philanthropy, Frendell reached out to Jerry Legaspi and Johann Generao. The crew began formulating a plan that would see the growth of sneaker culture in Winnipeg while lending a hand to local charity and community groups. “Winnipeg’s Got Sole was just an idea that I had simply based on the premise of doing something I’m passionate about while giving something back to the local charity or community. When I had established Winnipeg’s Got Sole, I had 3 missions in mind. First, was to connect and unite all the sneaker connoisseurs or sneakerheads in and around the Winnipeg area through various events, programs, and initiatives as well as via social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Second, was to promote the steady growth of the sneaker culture in Winnipeg and to show how solid and diverse it really is in our city. The third and last goal is a unique one. I wanted to incorporate the charity aspect and be the first non-profit sneaker group in Winnipeg that partners with local charities and communities by giving back gently used/worn shoes collected at all our events and ensure that we donate them at no-end cost to our charity partners.” Their inaugural event will be The Winnipeg Sneaker Swap Expo which is slated June 29th and will be the first ever sneaker convention in Winnipeg’s history. Attendees will have the opportunity to buy, sell, trade and/or showcase their sneakers at the event in a similar format to that of Dunkxchange or Sneakerpimps. What makes the upcoming event unique and different however, is that Winnipeg’s Got Sole will be incorporating a charity aspect in which participants will be encouraged to bring gently used/worn shoes that will … Continue reading →

SXSW | NARDWUAR

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Oak and Oar

Nardwuar is at it again generating phenomal interviews at SXSW. The most recent include Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Trinidad James and Joey Bada$$. I am sure there are a few other good ones on the way. Nothing is better than the reaction this dude generates from this guests. Watch for the confusion, fear, jaws on the floor as dude makes the most obscure connections. Two claps for the Canadian illustrating research at its finest.

Documentary | Big Lake Surf

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Oak and Oar

Film maker Quinn Merkeley set out on a documentary here in Manitoba featuring the Landlock Surf Crew. The Manitoba based crew, consisting of  Tom Stimson, Colin Fuchs, Stephen Carroll and Will Bergmann (whom for the record allowed us the use of his barn to shoot our first Homegrown video with Del Barber), have spent years, not only perfecting the art of lake surfing, but hunting for the ideal surf location on Lake Manitoba that today is only referred to as location X. I would love to know the amount of miles these guys have put on their cars pursuing their passion. The hunt for location X begins. _________________ Quinn Merkeley is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Directors’ Lab and the National Screen Institute’s Totally Televisino program. He studied filmmaking directly under Ron Howard through all phases of production on the Universal Studio’s feature, Cinderella Man. On top of that he has four feature film scripts and numerous television series currently optioned. (via. NiceProductions)  

The Next One | Andrew Wiggins

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Oak and Oar

The hype surrounding Canadian NBA hopefully Andrew Wiggins continues to snowball. We asked our good friend Alex Paterson to shed some light on the Canadian hopeful. Through 2011-12 Alex focused his Master’s Research Project at Carleton on profiling the wave of young Canadian basketball talent migrating to prep schools in the United States. ______________ If there wasn’t enough hype surrounding 17-year-old Canadian basketball phenom Andrew Wiggins before, there certainly is now. Look no further than the front pages of Monday’s Globe and Mail and Toronto Star newspapers, or segments on Canada’s two largest sports networks, TSN and Sportsnet. Wiggins has officially arrived on Canada’s radar. People in basketball circles around the world have known about Wiggins for a few years now because of the numerous YouTube clips that show his highlight-reel dunks and scary athleticism. But until recently, he was largely unknown in his native country. That all changed when he arrived with Huntington Prep (his high school team in West Virginia) to play an exhibition game in Hamilton, ON Sunday against a regional all-star team from the Greater Toronto Area. The meaningless game had the makings of a high-profile US high school contest foreign to Canadian basketball fans. The bleachers were packed. Hoards of Canadian media were on hand. People cared. And they should. Wiggins is a once-in-a-lifetime basketball prodigy. You watch him play and you get the sense he was put on this planet to play the game. Just look at the genetics. His dad played in the NBA, his mom ran track in the Olympics. He’s 6-foot-8 with an imposing wingspan and wiry frame. He’s gangly, but not awkward like most high school boys who don’t know where all their parts go yet. In fact, he’s the opposite. His talent is a smooth balance of power and … Continue reading →

SHAD | BEST OF 2012

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Oak and Oar

Shad’s Best of 2012 List… favourite song: jai paul – jasmine, major lazer – get free favourite album: good kid, m.a.a.a.d. city – kendrick lamar, the heist – macklemore and ryan lewis favourite music video: Kiss From A Rose favourite line: “scrambling, selling susan sarandon” – action bronson favourite wayback playback: higher love by steve winwood favourite tv show: homeland favourite 30 rock line: Jack: “Do you think I’m a villain? Liz: “I have heard you say ‘Guards, seize him!’” Jack: “I was a Knicks game, they needed to stop the clock.” favourite internet thing: kyle: https://www.youtube.com/user/kyle favourite non-internet thing: my new nephew’s don king-like hair. favourite dunk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOzo4pHTZ-M favourite read: carmen aguirre – something fierce favourite movie: moonrise kingdom favourite sports doc (aka actually my favourite movie): 30 for 30: BENJI favourite show (played): tie* cologne, DE, Southampton, UK favourite show (watched): krs one – van, BC, david bazan – seattle, WA, blitz the ambassador – calgary, AL favourite quote: “elevation of style is a by-product of passionate conviction” – uptown sinclair Photo: Christian Bortey (via)

Andy Oliver’s 100 Favorite Sneakers of 2012

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Oak and Oar

Sneaker aficionado and complex contributor, Andy Oliver, put together an impressive list of his picks for the top 100 sneakers from this past year. From the Ball and Buck x New Balance 574 Camo to the Ronnie Fieg x ASICS Gel Saga Neptune the founder of KicksDeals does not mess around, laying out some gems from the past 12 months. “This was an incredible year for sneakers. When I started to mentally comprise my top top 10 sneakers of 2012, my head got so clouded with leather and rubber that I had to start writing it down. Very quickly, 10 turned to 25…which then turned to 50. I soon realized that 50 wasn’t even going to cut it, and so begins my 100 favorite shoes of 2012. If nothing else, this list is a testament to the sheer number of great shoes that released this calendar year.” Check out the list in its entirety on Andy’s blog over on the Kith NYC site to see who he crowned as this years best sneaker.  

The Blog Cycle | Always A Fire – Chad Jones Documentary

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Oak and Oar

Always A Fire | Chad Jones Documentary from Union HZ on Vimeo. Been watching a lot of vimeo lately… “ALWAYS A FIRE is a short documentary film on former New York Giant CHAD JONES—a star athlete from LSU whose promising professional career was put on hold by a tragic car accident before it even had a chance to begin. The film details Chad’s incredible rehabilitation and recovery from the horrific accident that nearly cost him his life. Comprised of intimate interviews with Chad and his trainers, as well as never-before-seen footage of his long road to recovery, the film provides an unflinching view of an elite athlete facing unimaginable tragedy and refusing to submit.”

CABIN ESSENTIALS | ZINKA

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Oak and Oar

We took a week away from the city and took off in search of sun and water. It was a bit of a trip and I found myself in front of a WestJet inflight monitor watching a combination of the Women’s Canada/USA soccer semi-final – which was likely the worst display of officiating I have every seen in a professional sports game. That Gold Medal will always have an astericks beside it for me (*). When the states got their penalty kick I had to switch over to beach volleyball to cool my jets and to stop my lady from getting us air marshalled off the flight. I love watching beach volleyball, mens or women’s, I don’t care. It still remains one of my favourite Olympic sports and the one I wish I could play at that level. As I watched, I was remind of American beach volleyball stud Karch Kiraly. He always played in that fluorescent pink hat with the brim flipped up that either sported his last name or Speedo on the under brim. That got me thinking to the days of the flourescent Zinc Oxide nose block that surfaced during the 1980′s. I was curious as to if that was still around. Random enough the next day I walked into a surf shop and found the original OG Zinka. Memories flooded back of those photos of skiers, lifeguards and beach goers alike who would use the colourful nose block as a facial accessory while blocking out the UV rays. Zinka is still the best stuff out there. It is water-resistant making it a staple for the lake and beach. It is \o7 complete \f7 sun block meaning no light gets through it and you rarely need to re-apply. Sure if you are out in the sun long … Continue reading →

MAY LONG WEEKEND | THROUGH THE INSTAGRAM LENS

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Oak and Oar

(via. @schellzy) This past weekend a crew of us hit the Whiteshell to catch some sun and indulge in some May long festivities. That and a little video shoot in support of our pals, and homegrown talents, Saint Kris and Rupness. The two have been in the studio working on a few tracks for Saint’s up-coming album including the single ‘Pretty Face’. In the words of J. Cole, it’s about to blow up. I thought about dumping my memory card on here but everyone who came out somehow managed to get up some stellar photos on Instagram. It only made sense to get a well rounded recap of the action so here are a few photos from the weekend from those who managed to find reception. Thanks to Michele, I did learn that even though you look a bit ridiculous holding your phone up under the umbrella the result is instant Instagram upload every time. So next time your at the cabin walking around aimlessly with your hand in the air, offering your phone to God, give it a whirl. The video and single for ‘Pretty Face’ should come out in the next two to three weeks. Make sure you go out and grab the track on iTunes. (via. @japay) (via. @oakandoar) The BBQ got a work out, which only makes sense when you’re at the cabin. All is well when grill master Jeremy Lin Eric is on the grill. And yes he did have a 22 pt lead when we faced off in NBA Jam late Sunday night. I managed to shave it down to 9pts but just couldn’t catch fire in the home stretch and ultimately ran out of time. Although if you cross paths, asked him how it felt to get pumped by the Spurs. I feel like this will become … Continue reading →

CABIN DECOR | STEPHEN KENN FURNITURE

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Oak and Oar

A few years back, while living in the Big Apple, I was introduced to a brand called Temple Bags. The company, a project of one Steve Opperman, was an America-made bag and luggage company that sourced and produced everything in Los Angeles, California. The materials, primarily pieces of WWII canvas, were hand selected during countless hours searching through dusty warehouses. Though the inspiration remained, Steve continued on to a different project. Following along the same journey of hand-selecting the best vintage military fabrics Steve and his wife Rebecca started a new furniture company in Los Angeles called Stephen Kenn. This furniture is amazing and I can only imagine the story that not only goes into the production but into the parachutes, jackets and packs that survived WWII. The first sampling of the collection is the above steel frame couches with repurposed WWII military fabric pillows and cushions. I love everything about this project, the story, the process and the dedication. These fabrics, that began with the intentions of withstanding the elements and combat would make an amazing set up inside at the cottage, in the loft above the boathouse or out around the campfire. (via. ajchen)