Designing Decks at Namtec

A while ago Boris hooked me up with a youth support officer called Jocelyn from Namtec in Nambour who runs a programme for youth who have trouble staying in school. They run alternative classes in an attempt to engage the teenagers and get them into anything productive rather than just skipping school. Jocelyn asked me to come in for two weekly sessions and run a class for the youth to design and make their own skate decks. It's been ages since Create2Skate and what they're doing is sweet so I was keen to get involved.

Yesterday was the first session in which I helped them hash out a few designs and decide on their final layout, colours and materials. Three girls came and one guy who left quickly, obviously not keen on being the only dude. Two of the girls enjoy art so were pretty into it and one was less keen and got a bit bored after sketching out one idea. I tried to keep them engaged and pushed them to consider all elements of their designs, encouraging them to look through the books and magazines I'd brought for inspiration and reference.

The girl who seemed least keen found an image in a book and ended up doing the most bold and striking design which was great and I found it easy to compliment them all on what they had come up with to make next week.

After an hour and a half it was time for them to go and I asked Jocelyn how she felt it went and if it had been what she expected. She told me that normally they don't all stay for the whole session, someone usually goes for a joint and doesn't come back. And for them to remain engaged in an activity for that long with no dramas was really unusual.

I'm stoked.

More love from Starbucks

SUP SUP SUP

Starbucks are awesome. Did you know that? They are giving Boardstore 5% of all purchases made using a Starbucks card in their Mooloolaba branch from now until the new year! So legit.

Now I already know you go to Starbucks Mooloolaba. It's like YWAM SC's second blue room. I can't walk past the place without seeing someone having a "one on one" there. And I know you SC skaters are way classier than you want people to know and sneak around with Flat Whites pretending they're Redbulls. So I am asking you please please please don't pay with cash or eftpos! You can get any amount put on a Starbucks card and pay with that instead and then we get cash! COLD HARD CASH!

And if you are frequenting a different coffee establishment, please consider switching to Starbucks for a spell. You're planning on meeting up with someone to catch up on their life and all their comings and goings? Why not choose Starbucks Mooloolaba for their friendly laid back atmosphere and their awesome choice of business partnerships? Going away drinks? Starbucks Mooloolaba. Birthday party? Starbucks Mooloolaba. Wedding reception? Starbucks Mooloolaba. Secretive courtship non-date? Say it with me... Starbucks Mooloolaba.

Here is an example of a conversation you can have with your friendly Starbucks Mooloolaba barista:

"Hi, I'd like a Supremo Chai Latte on Soy with a shot of Espresso and extra syrup with a rasher of bacon in it"

"That's not at all disgusting and will be $6.95"

"Sure, can I please put this cash in my hand onto a Starbucks card and pay with that?"

"Absolutely, you must be friends with Boardstore, how very on the ball of you!"

"Yes we love Boardstore, they're the best most yo dizzle skateshop in the whole of Australia and straight after I drink my franken-chai I'm going to go there and buy all my Christmas gifts!"

"Great idea, me too."

The end.

Thanks guys, we love you!
Claire

Getting Boardstore out there

Advertising! Come to our store! Please!

Desmond's multi media talents are off the chain. Where would we be without him? And thanks to Kristen, Cody and Morgan for not minding falling down on TV.

Me X Sacrifice X Boardstore X Movember

This is Mark aka Geltchy. The bobble-head version.

He and his wife Melissa have three boys. Energetic alliteration pocket rockets called Jye, Jesse and Josh. They have always had a heart for skaters and have been super faithful putting on Skate Church in Coolum and feeding free snags to the skaters at Coolum skatepark. Mark is a really talented artist and graphic designer and set up his own company Sacrifice Industries, one can check out all the pies he has fingers in by going to his website here.

Mark approached me to do a collaboration tee to raise money for Movember. And here it is! $10 from each shirt sold will be going to charity. It's the first time I've had my drawing on a shirt and I'm really flattered he asked me. And everyone Derek knows can have his face on their chest. I'm not sure how he feels about this but we're all enjoying it... Derek can even go double Derek. That won't feel weird at all. Thanks Mark!

Burgers, S.K.A.T.E. and Starbucks

I used to have a certain view of Starbucks. As a non-coffee drinker I didn't frequent their shops so it was formed by other people's representation of them and I wasn't really interested in forming my own. I had good friends that worked there and I certainly wasn't anti-Starbucks but generally I thought it was just another big chain taking over the world. I had no idea what values they were trying to implement in their stores but Rob Hensser (our base director), Boris and Derek knew alot more about it than I did. Aside from being coffee connoisseurs they've read the Starbucks story and knew that Starbucks value community and want to be a force for positive action in their neighbourhoods. And so they have been meeting with the big wigs from Starbucks Mooloolaba and it turns out that they are Christians and have been looking for ways to get involved locally outside their stores. Thus begins a beautiful partnership. Starbucks usually works with registered charities which we are not but they really grasp the concept of business as missions and want to support what we do. Huzzah for Starbucks!

Our first outing with them was a couple of weeks ago. We put on a free BBQ and a free game of S.K.A.T.E. and Starbucks brought along free coffee and cakes. We emailed a flyer to a popular skateboard website for them to post up on their forum and we got some interesting responses...

One of the guys goes on to call us "biblestore." It's uncomfortable to be hated but whatever you're doing you're going to get hated on and I'm stoked that of all things, they're hating on us for giving away free bibles. They got the church funded and SBA backstabbing bit wrong but it's pretty rad that people know us for being about Jesus and they're even putting it out there for us. Biblestore. Cool.

Regardless of the negativity Friday night was busy and people were loving the free goodies. The crew from Starbucks were so awesome and friendly. I had a good chat with their manager and she was saying how excited they are to be able to get out of the shop and do something in the community. The comp was super laid back - no PA system, no registration, just rock up and play skate and maybe win $200. It was pretty cool hearing one guy in the middle of a game say "oi watch my coffee!" forget Red Bull, Boardstore comps are way more classy.

Cheers to Desmond for the photos.

And... you're back in the room

My wonderful sister Lisa is expecting my first niece in a couple of weeks! I couldn't be at her baby shower which sucked big time so I made some bunting to decorate it. She loves Sausage dogs. And these colours tie in with the blinds in my niece's room. And I put a leopard print one in there just to remind my niece of me but coupled with the red satin it turned out a bit sexy which is less me and perhaps more than a little inappropriate for a baby's room but then I guess being a little inappropriate is quite me so it works. Maybe.

I skyped into the shower and it was just lovely sitting listening to everyone chat and being able to take part in a couple of games, I really felt like I was there. I'm so excited for Lisa and Dave, please pray for them as they get ready to be parents to my niece!

From Australia...

... to England!

My view - note the food baby*!

*Not a food baby but in fact an actual baby.

Making a molehill out of a mountain

I took a day off and hung out with my friend Nikki, her sister and a couple of her mates. We climbed Mt Tibrogargen. No big deal. Actually a lot of it is proper climbing handholdsstretchinghowoneartharewegoingtocomebackdownthiswayholdonmyfootgoeswhere?! so it was kind of a big deal and very fun and very beautiful. Thank God for friends and mountains!

(Click to see what we saw)