Tag Archives: Recommended Read

THE WEEKEND DUMP | WINNIPEG RIVER SYSTEM

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Oak and Oar

For about 15 years now the annual Father Son fishing trip has unfolded in mid June. A weekend of fish slaying and hours of laughter as sons battle their workaholic fathers for bragging right supremacy. Hot tip: The Winnipeg River system is 235KM long and flows from Lake of the Woods. After a 45 minute boat ride or a quick flight from Pointe Du Bois you end up here. At Eagle’s Nest Lodge. The Winnipeg River System boast trophy Walleye, Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. Highlight is always leaching up and going after some Smallmouth. They may be small but they have some fight. The old man’s fish was larger but if I have learned anything, hold it up high and as close to the camera as you can. Seasoned veteran. The homie Matt usually provides the laughs, clearing the weekend schedule to come back to town. Formerly calling Calgary home where he oversaw footwear for the Source he has now moved on to running the West Coast Sales and Marketing for Adidas Originals. Always a good soundingboard, offering up some great business advise and networking. Matt took it on himself to read more books this year which I can appreciate so I snagged Rework. It’s a quick read that basically boils down to underdoing the competition, the fact that meetings are toxic, emulate drug dealers and the fact that planning is guessing. It might sound a bit wonky but its a good quick read. Perfect for a rainy day at the lake especially if you are any bit a self starter looking to branch out on your own. The second recommended read came from his homies at Herschel which had recommended Do You Matter? How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company. A few laughs, a few drinks and … Continue reading →

Alex Petric | HelpAlexHeal.com

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Oak and Oar

I woke up Thursday morning and like most mornings, rolled over, fumbled my hand for my phone and then proceeded to make my way through the Winnipeg Free Press app with one eye squinting to read the latest happenings in the city. The last story I read was about Winnipeg Paramedic Alex Petric and for some reason it was fixated on my mind for the next few days. WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Mike McIntyre It was going to be a dream vacation for two Winnipeg paramedics as they set out last month for a lengthy trek through Central America. But an accident just four days into their two-month journey resulted in a life-changing nightmare for the young couple. Alex Petric, 28, was paralyzed from the ribs down after diving head-first into what he thought was deep water on an island in Panama. Doctors say he will never walk again as a result of the March 4 accident. Petric’s girlfriend, Meagan Minaker, was forced to put aside the emotions of witnessing the trauma and calmly use her medical training to get Petric out of the water and stabilized. “I just remember him saying ‘Meagan, I can’t feel my legs,’ ” Minaker told the Free Press Wednesday. “I jumped into the water to keep his spine straight. I could feel the fracture, I could feel the bulge.” The couple had been staying at a hostel and had walked out on a pier that was about 30 metres from shore. The owners had told them the area at the end of the pier was popular with swimmers, and Minaker said the water was dark and cloudy, which hid the fact it was only about a metre deep. “It doesn’t drop off as much as you’d think. The paralysis was instantaneous when he hit,” said … Continue reading →

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.  

CABIN FEVER | BOTTLE BAY BY BALANCE ASSOCIATES, ARCHITECTS

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Oak and Oar

Tucked along the shores of Lake Pend Oreille near Sand Point, Idaho this Balance Associate Architects design has every imaginable amenity. The Bottle Bay residence is built on a sloping site with entry to the house made on the upper level of the cottage via a footbridge. Large sliding glass doors separate the patio, mountains and lake from the main living space. The bedrooms are situated in a separate wing of the home with the master on the ground floor. A guest room and bunk room can be found on the upper floor with double bunk beds. The best part though can be found lakeside in the form of a boat house. The flexible space houses the boat in winter and in summer is transformed into the ultimate recreation room. (via)

CABIN READ | THE WORST CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK BY JOSHUA PIVEN AND DAVID BORGENICHT

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Oak and Oar

This most recent Cabin Read feature comes courtesy of the homie Jordan Brugger. This weekend while we were out enjoying lake life he brought out Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht’s book “The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook” and proceeded to educate me on how to conquer life’s worst case scenarios. If you ever have a chance to hire this kid to read to you aloud, I highly suggest you do. However that is beside the point. This book has been around for a while. In fact I am really over 10 years late on this, seeing that this book was published in 1999. I mean how can 10 million people in this world have this book and I have never seen or heard of it. The book essentially provides a synopsis of an array of crappy predicament and follows it up with some slightly useful information, that should you have be caught in that mess, improve your chances of getting out alive. The book is crammed with how-to’s, hands on lessons and step by step instruction that improve your odds if you ever drive your car into a lake, stumble across some bears, have to land a plane or delivery a baby in the back seat of a cab. All the information you would ever need, is found between its lustres white pages. And once you’ve crushed this book cover to cover (which honestly should only take you an hour or so) you can hop onto any of the anthology, like The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook Weddings, Golf, Manhood, College or Dating and Sex. I’m waiting on the Cabin Edition. A few of the problems I would like to see dealt with: – What to do when your boat runs out of gas in the middle of the lake in … Continue reading →

X-GAMES MYSTERY MAN | BRUCE COOK

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Oak and Oar

Kelowna native, Bruce Cook is set to make a little bit of X-Games history tomorrow night. Cook will be the first Canadian to participate in the ‘Best Trick’ category and judging by the buzz Cook has a little treat in store (Link). Not too much is known about this Mystery Man but one thing is forsure, the stage doesn’t gets much bigger than X-Games let alone in Los Angeles. The virtually unknown Canuck will face off against 7 others, as each rider gets two chances to throw the most captivating and insane trick. General rule of thumb and strategy – go big – high risk, high reward. The 5’11″, part-time contractor, sent in footage of himself attempting a Rock Solid backflip (basically lets go of the back of the seat while upside down) into a foam pit and that secured his invite. Rumour has it that fellow competitor, Japanese rider Taka Higashino, plans on attempting the same trick so we definitely will have a bit of a competition. Especially considering that Taka was the first rider to land said trick. Best of luck Bruce. Can’t wait to see what you’ve been cooking. ESPN caught up with the young gun to discuss X-Games and this mysterious trick. You can read it in it’s entirety here. Bruce Cook Reel from Andy Holmes on Vimeo.

THE BLOG CYCLE | HOW TO MAKE IT: 10 RULES FOR SUCCESS FROM FASHION INDUSTRY INSIDERS

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Oak and Oar

A few years back I was looking for an opportunity to gain some experience in the industry. Through a series of fortunate events I met Andrew and Johan, owners of 3sixteen and now co-owners of Self Edge LA and Self Edge NY. After meeting at Project and grabbing a bite at the MGM Grand Buffet they offered me the opportunity to join the team for a 6 month stint in New York. During my time I learned a lot about business, retail, design and the ins and outs of the industry – but more importantly, maintaining your integrity in an industry often flawed by inconsistency, smoke and mirrors. Complex magazine ran a feature called How To Make It: 10 Rules For Success From Fashion Industry Insiders that featured advice from the the likes of Eunice Lee (UNIS), Chris Gibbs (Union), Mark McNairy (New Amsterdam/Woolrich Woolen Mills) and Andrew Chen (3sixteen/SENY/SELA/Chapter & Verse Agency). Andrews Advice – Transparency Is Key. “Whether you’re running a business alone or with partners, it’s important to be open and honest with everything you do. If you’re going to be a little late in paying your manufacturer, let them know. If you need an advance on your paycheck because you’ve got some personal stuff to handle, say something to your partner. All company owners should have open access to the books at all times. I experienced this firsthand when some bad stuff went down with a former business partner. In retrospect, it was my fault too because I didn’t put my foot down with having access to the information, and because of that it gave an avenue for dishonesty. Transparency is paramount in running a successful business.” Something to chew on. Follow @andrew3sixteen and @johanlam

WINGS + HORNS TALKING TO SERIES | JESAR GABINO

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Oak and Oar

This week Canadian brand Wings + Horns debuted an interview series entitled ‘Talking To’ over on their blog. The first in the series catches up with one of our favourite designers and former Winnipegger Jesar Gabino. Jesar has held all types of titles from Senior Designer at Goodfoot, Creative Director / Designer Ransom Holding Co and Owner/Creative Director and Buyer at Nomad. name: jesar gabino twitter: @jesargabino store: nomad role: buyer/creative director/ owner hometown: winnipeg, MB current city: toronto drink: pineapple juice vice: cigarettes what is your favorite thing about the city you live in…. best about toronto? variety. people always talk about how canada is multicultural but toronto is really the place where this is most evident. i’ve been & lived in a few canadian cities & for the most part toronto really holds true to that. food, people, neighborhoods, culture, city vibe… it’s all a mixture of cultures. toronto always gets the bad rap of being “the center of the universe” in terms of how other canadians look at toronto but it has stepped up in terms of being that place for canada. our little shop is a microcosm of that, we get all types of guys shopping at nomad… young &old, grimy & clean cut & guys of all shapes & sizes. when you’re not in the shop where can we find you… i’m usually roaming taking in this fine city of ours or seated at one of our fine restaurants in the city. more likely than not i’m roaming for food to eat or make at home. i also love being at home. i’m lucky where my better half & i have a great place with a fantastic piece of backyard in the city that is off a private lane. feels like the country back there … Continue reading →