Indosole Blog & News

BEACH ODDITIESI prefer living in the city than a beach town. I'm not trying to discredit your sandbox, but some California beaches can become too predictable.Last Saturday, city residents woke up to unusual warm rays and needless to say....things started getting odd. I like odd and I'm hoping you can appreciate it too. My good mate Anton and I skated to the local coffee joint and briefed over the day's possibilities. Somewhere during our muffled, hungover conversation, we realized that the dark roast cup was not going to cure the morning grogginess. Rather than be lackadaisical, we check the buoys and found some bumps in the water. We packed our grimiest beach gear and headed to Nudie Beach for head high close outs.- J.U   A day inspired by RunMan

"Design Different, Make Different, Sell Different"There's a notion telling me that this guy is on to something. It's not backed by the statistical research junk, but rather that the mind conceptualizing the needle designs is Jeff Yokoyama. Yeah...that's right, Jeff Yokoyama. Name not familiar with you? Hmmm... I could proceed to write a couple wordy paragraphs of praise and respect; however, I'm choosing to insert this link instead since it's concise { Yokoyama Bio }.Basically, I'm alluding to the fact that Jeff is one of the forefathers to surf (if I shall label) fashion. I say "surf", but c'mon and let's get real. You would have to be cryogenically frozen for the last two decades to not notice how the surf / skate culture has influenced other subculture fashion trends. His new project doesn't have any branding labels and rightfully so since one who purchases an item from Yoki Shop, Jeff's in-house design and retail store, knows that the item is not in a collection line thus will not be seen on some neighborhood passerby. Jeff is smart and may be indirectly changing the whole game up for any company's design strategy.I share the same philosophy. I wake up in the morning, percolate some joe, read the paper and finally make my way to the closet. I live for creativity since I believe the day has no right to be mundane. But, most of us will eventually get to an office desk by 9:30 and have an oriented list of duties sent from someone up the chain. Nonetheless, not much room for creativity. Picking out an outfit may possibly be the only self expressionist opportunity one has throughout the day. Whether it is contrasting colors or selecting an era of time, we should appreciate the originality and freedom of dress. Jeff understands that people enjoy seeking out outfits for an element of surprise and originality "think thrift". Listen to man himself in an interview done by our good mates at Korduroy TV.J.U.

Mary Osborne is an icon in the international surf industry. At her young age, she has already accomplished opportunities as a competitive surfer, fashion model, writer, and environmental advocate. Traveling to remote places, she has become an ambassador for environmental causes as well as female empowerment.??Mary is Indosole’s newest "sole surfer.” We are extremely proud and honored to welcome her into the family and its not only because of her effortless surfing style. It's more so for the journey that she has chosen in her life in making a difference in the environment’s stability and that is what impresses us the most. ??Mary has a long list of impactful travels to reflect upon:• Gulf coast to help clean the coastal environments after the BP Oil spill of 2010• Sailed from Brazil to South Africa studying the effects of plastic pollution in the South Atlantic• Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Safe Campaign and the 5 Gyres Institute• Traveled to China twice to surf the tidal bore of Qiantang River, the world’s largest and fastest bore, and become the first female to surf the natural phenomenon, a roaring river-wave with recorded heights nearing 30-feet.• She even has a visit to the White House and a photo chilling out with Obama “What other surfer has that in their Facebook album?!”?These are just some of the latest events in the wonderful life and career of Mary Osborne. Please stop by on occasion to see which surf break and environment she impacts next. ??Mary is a Sole Surfer. And for that Mary we thank you.??For more on Mary Osborne please visit http://maryosbornesurf.com??Photos by Justin Bastien www.justinbastien.com

SHHH...today is NYEPINyepi is a Hindu tradition and a day of silence that is commemorated every new year. It is a day of silence, fasting and meditation. Observed from 6am until 6am the next morning, the Balinese Hindu populations respect this day as self-reflection. The main restrictions are: no lighting fires, dim lighting, no working, no entertainment, no traveling, and for some, no talking or eating at all.

We recently received an online article from Sole Surfer Mary Osborne about a great organization that is making a difference in Bali, the East Bali Poverty Ptoject (EBPP). Below is some exerted text and the subject matter put in our interpretive."In the past few years, it seems that many have made the conscious effort to be social responsible, or green. In fact, the amounting public pressure has somewhat become a necessary branding tactic for the “right of passage” to advertise one’s ethical demeanor. The list can include box store brands and even those articulate politicians. Certainly, these marketing icons and redundant green slogans are truly representing the “green” entity…. In the hard light of day, people need to make the conscious effort to truly investigate what one may say they are contributing. We have the power to mitigate our effect.""Nevertheless, where does one begin? It must begin with the individual. The Laws of Exponentiality and the tenet of Ephemeralization, developed by Buckminster Fuller in 1938, essentially says that we ought to be able to do more with less. This really is the key to going green. Unfortunately, it is the polar opposite of capitalist commerce and most political systems of governance. Finding the balance between the two is maybe what green can only really be……"The article is definitely insight for us to think about what we can do less as a brand and more as a community member. Even we get wrapped up in our own operational issues. It makes us pay the bills; however, there is a core value that IndoSole was founded on and if we lose it, we are no longer in touch with ourselves. It is community, happiness through simplicity, education through diversity and awareness in the environment and culture of BALI that keeps IndoSole what it is.For more on the East Bali Poverty Project please visit. www.eastbalipovertyproject.orgFor more on this article please visit http://www.deepzine.com/site/articles/296 Photos and excerpts by David Pu'u

Crooked Bloke gets Capturedwhile in BALI, have you ever had a near and dear possession stolen? i can relate. my western naivety put me in check on my first trip. even worse, i shed remorse over the camera equipment for a couple days and had a plausible self-injunction of recapturing the stolen items. on an island where the police are as corrupt as the bloke who stole my equipment, the grand ol motto of "to protect and serve the people" is also snatched right from your comprehension. ha. this is BALI and you are on your OWN. that is, unless, you are Mr. X, The Captain, Slice and Dice and The Cameraman.possibly one of thee greatest stories of VIGILANCE / read on....via Bali Belly

Air Traffic Control would I be confound to mention the topic? others seem to be talking about it. for many, this may reach beyond personal perspectives, thus it is a ideal paradigm for unsustainable development.i see, feel, hear and taste the allure of BALI, yet so do a few others….in a time when the island has received on record the highest number of tourists annually, we are left to recall back on memories without fuming, gridlock motorist traffic and the sights of flourishing subak rice paddies.when you have time, read these two articles below. 15 minutes should suffice. job well done Diane Darling for your Yak article Boomtown Bali.Boomtown BaliBali Facing Food Crisis- J.U.

Flat SpellsUnlike those who solely jet to Hawai‘i for the "da kine" winter swell, I don't mind when the nearby buoys seem to go dormant for a couple days. Exploration is Hawai‘i. There are not many rules to obey other than MALAMA or {respect and care for the land}. After reading the grim swell forecast, kama‘aina Kevin and I decided that it was an ideal day to begin construction for our new colony.A few days prior, we had ventured down to some old beach property his family had inherited from King Kamehameha III and started scanning the grounds for loose kiawe wood for that nights BBQ. Throughout the islands, kiawe wood is regularly used for grilling and is the Hawaiian word for mesquite. Noticing that there was an abundance of kiawe along with other indigenous wood on the beach's perimeter, we played with the idea of building a hut. We had an axe and a case of beer. After discovering a few pieces that would provide a solid structure, it was apparent that our clouded induced vision could actually be tangible. The entire day was spent walking back and forth from the construction site to the resource wood pile that resembled a rat's nest.Although riding the surf provides unparalleled stoke, I will no longer be able to frown upon the next flat spell. There's a colony to build. The name has yet to be determined thus will wait for the next clouded induced vision.- J.U.

One Winter in Hawai‘iLast October, I had an issue with staying focused. This wasn't exactly the attention deficit disorder one experiences in 7th grade algebra class. I was stoked on my assignments at work..and well, projects were completed before deadlines and bills kept being paid; however, my mind still wondered to a place without ten story buildings, congested crosswalks and cafes that damper with egocentricity. It was the middle of October, the meteorologists guaranteed warm San Franciscan rays , but I still felt the summer chill. After numerous check-ins and check-outs, I soon realized my mind was encapsulated in a setting that was all too familiar.In a landscape that can simulate Mars while adjacently offering Windex blue waves, not even the toughest wrangler cowboy who wears skate shoes and listens to reggae is far fetched. Nowhere else can allow my imagination to be so far away from The City but here....So, here I am // Finally made it to "The Ranch". Brought over a couple of IndoSole assignments (mega thanks to Kyle Parsons) and a few other personal projects that include cameras of all sorts ...oh yea...wave sliding devices too.Much love to the Nobriga and Jewell family for hosting me at Mehealani Ranch.I'll be posting more photos and stories in a day or two. Mahalo- J.U.