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Freestyle Wheelchair Riding with Aaron Wheelz Fotheringham

Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham is truly raising the bar with his freestyle wheelchair moto cross riding skills.

Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham is a 21 year-old wheelchair moto-cross athlete from Las Vegas, Nevada. Aaron was born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect of the spinal cord, which resulted in him having no usage of his legs. He is the third of six children, all adopted.

Aaron never let anything stop him. Even as a baby and small child, he did anything anyone else his age could do; he just had to figure out how to make it work for him. He rolled over, sat up, and even crawled (on hands and belly, no leg action) pretty much on schedule. Within days of receiving his first “walker” he was off and running. Next came crutches, which he mastered quickly. He would put on a “Superman” cape and blast down the hall on crutches believing, as any other 4 year old, that he could fly.

Aaron started riding at skate parks at the age of 8 when his older brother Brian said he should drop in a quarter pipe. He had been going to the park with Brian and their dad for weeks, but Aaron would just watch from behind the fence. The first time was scary, and he fell, but he was never one to give up just because it wasn’t easy. So he tried again. From then on he was hooked.

He has won a few BMX free style competitions, including the 2005 Vegas AmJam BMX finals, but for Aaron that is secondary to the joy of riding and hanging out with friends at the skate parks.

Learn more here..

Jan 16, 2013 | Categories: BLEND, MOTO | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

A New Thread Of Shoes, Handmade in South America

Shoes Made in South America

Shoes from South America are here and about to drop on to the Market.  These hand weaved fabrics are ready for your long boarding and skateboarding sessions.  The shoes have a flat sole base and will come equipped with custom printed footbeds to customize the customers needs and wants.  The shoes are an amazing and fresh design.

Its a new brand, a new thread, an uncommon weave of hand made vitals that essentially make up this shoe.

This was a discovery made by entrepreneur John Centi while on a snowboarding trip to South America this past summer.  It goes to shoe that its much more.

Source : John Centi Site.

Jan 14, 2013 | Categories: BLEND | Tags: , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Drift Launches app for HD Ghost Camera for Action Sports

Drift Launches Mobile App Enabling Remote Control Over the Drift HD Ghost Action Camera
Drift App gives users unique ability to preview videos / photos in real time and download content to share instantly on social media platforms

Drift HD

Drift App for compatible Apple™ mobile devices available now, with Android version slated to launch in Q1 2013

LONDON – January 3, 2013 – Drift Innovation, the award-winning action sports technology company specializing in the capture and sharing of digital imagery, launched the Drift App for compatible Apple™ mobile devices which pairs with the Drift Datalink system found in the Drift HD Ghost action camera. The Drift App provides remote control of the camera allowing users to use their mobile device to set up camera angles, stream video playback and share content instantly via social media platforms. The Drift App is available now in the Apple™ App Store and is coming soon to Google Play for Android.

“Whenever you have the Drift HD Ghost mounted to a helmet or positioned somewhere out of reach, the mobile app is essential to frame your angle and ensure you get the best shot,” said John Rounds, Managing Director of Drift Americas. “The Drift App features extremely low latency so you can see exactly what the camera is looking at on your mobile device and line up shots instantaneously. The Drift HD Ghost also comes equipped with its own Wi-Fi network enabling users to stream and download pictures and videos on the spot, using their phones to upload content instantly to their favorite social media channels.”
The Drift HD Ghost communicates with compatible Apple™ and Android mobile devices to a distance of up to 295 feet (90m) using its built-in Wi-Fi network. When the Drift App is paired to the camera’s Drift Datalink system, users have the ability to control their Drift HD Ghost remotely, set-up and playback shots within the view screen, and also monitor the camera’s battery life, all on their mobile device. The Drift App also filters content by media type for playback in the gallery, allowing users to select their best video and still shots to share on social media sites.

The Drift App uses a similar user interface as the Drift HD Ghost making it intuitive to control, with a built-in ‘how to use’ section highlighting the small differences between the App and camera.
For the latest information and a video tutorial on the Drift App, visit http://www.driftinnovation.com/driftapp. To learn more about the Drift HD Ghost action camera, US $399, visithttp://store.driftinnovation.com/cameras/drift-hd-ghost.

The Drift App works only with the Drift HD Ghost (using firmware version 1.1.40 or newer) and is not compatible with older Drift cameras. The Drift App is compatible with iPhone 5/4S/4, iPod Touch 4, and iPad (all generations). For optimal stability, users should deactivate the 2-way remote control from the Drift HD Ghost settings menu. While using the App, video mode is restricted to 25/30 FPS in any resolution.

Learn more about Drift Innovation’s full line of accessories and high-definition cameras athttp://driftinnovation.com and follow Drift Innovation on http://facebook.com/driftinnovation and on Twitter, @DriftInnovation.

ABOUT DRIFT INNOVATION

Drift Innovation is an action sports technology company specializing in the capture and sharing of digital imagery across all platforms. Drift manufactures quality point of view HD cameras, mounts and accessories, inspiring action sports enthusiasts to document their experiences, capture the emotion and share their vision with friends and family. Drift’s mission is to ensure that their unique product features such as an LCD screen for instant playback, wireless remote control, rotatable lens and intuitive interface, guarantee a simple, positive user experience. Drift sponsored professional athletes in moto, auto, outdoor, snow, aquatic and airborne sports, are an integral part of the R&D process, testing the performance and durability of Drift products in the field. Drift, widely recognized as one of the top three point-of-view camera brands globally, distributes its products in more than 25 countries. For more information about Drift Innovation, visithttp://driftinnovation.com and follow Drift Innovation on http://facebook.com/driftinnovation and on Twitter, @DriftInnovation.

Find Drift Innovation Online

http://store.driftinnovation.com/cameras/drift-hd-ghost

http://driftinnovation.com

http://www.facebook.com/driftinnovation

http://twitter.com/driftinnovation

http://youtube.com/driftinnovation

http://vimeo.com/driftinnovation

Jan 06, 2013 | Categories: BLEND | Tags: , | Leave A Comment »

Photo Hoodies, Its a hoodie with real photos

Photo Hoodies are really awesome. We have seen full print t shirts but these full print hoodies with real photos are something different. Presented by artist John Centi and Ink Wells Co these are something we have wanted to see and now its happening. John tells us a brief about the story behind the hoodies with photos below.

Photo Hoodie with a Sunset Photo by John Centi
- This photo hoodie features a sunset photo I shot in Bariloche Patagonia Argentina. This one comes free with a matching phone cover and is full print hoodie and the hood looks like a mexican pancho style.

John Centi Photo Hoodie
- This photo hoodie features a photo of a dock in Nahuel Huapi National Park in Argentina. This hoodie turned out awesome with the look and feel of a vest but with sleeves and in the form of a photographic hoodie piece of art.

John Centi Photo Hoodie
- I shot this photo hoodie while looking for inspiration with model Laurynn Dillingham. We used a projector and a blank white wall in Ink Wells, killed the lights and blasted images from Nasa of real galaxies on the wall. These turned out really cool. This photo is me with my camera kneeling down in front of the wall image and you see my silhouette here with my head in the sky.

Notorious BIG said The Sky is the limit. So at Ink Wells the crew is keeping our eyes to the skies and focusing on creating new and different art. The Photo Hoodie series is a part of this new inspiration we are trying to deliver. Enjoy Photo Hoodies by Ink Wells and John Centi.

Oct 25, 2012 | Categories: ART, FASHION | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Skateboarder Sundays: Wrap Up

 Photographer- Ashley Rosemeyer

When I landed my internship with Ink Wells, I was eager to use my platform maintaining the blog on The Blend to develop a compelling series of features that focused on the Pittsburgh skateboarding culture. This series turned into “Skateboarder Sundays” and derived from the decades-old tradition of skateboarders getting together to shred on Sunday afternoons with their homies. Interning for Ink Wells encouraged me to stay motivated and to constantly network with area riders and photographers.  I explored new possibilities daily and pushed myself to take photos every day. At my last count, I’ve taken about 4,000 photographs since I began my internship in July.  

Prior to my internship, I had limited experience in new media, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to maintain The Blend’s blog using WordPress tools. While learning the ins and outs of online publishing, I reached out to collaborators Alice Groesbeck and Dean Liebau to help me shape “Skateboarder Sundays” into a compelling, online interview series.  Alice edited the series while Dean created the graphics.  I met Alice while studying at Edinboro University. We both worked for the campus paper, The Spectator. Alice was a section editor and has since edited other articles for various online publications including Forbes.com. I also met Dean while attending Edinboro. Along with our mutual interest in action sports, Dean and I are also having joint arts exhibition at the Bates Gallery which was just featured on the Blend earlier this week.

Although it’s bittersweet that my time with The Blend is coming to an end, working for Ink Wells has been an extremely rewarding experience. I want to give special thanks to my mentor, John Centi, for giving me this incredible opportunity to explore the field of photo journalism and for letting me discover different aspects of the industry. The lessons and skills I am taking away from this experience are almost immeasurable, and I am just so thrilled to have been a part of an independent, action sports publication.

As I mentioned previously, I’m showing some of my work this week in Bates Gallery in Edinboro, Pennsylvania with an art opening this Wednesday, October 10th. The show, “This Is Private Property,” holds a special place in my heart because it features some of my favorite photos from my “Skateboarder Sundays” series as well as some new work.  In November, more of work will be featured in another show called, “We: A Collection of Individuals//Pittsburgh Premiere//Mind the Video Man.

 Looking forward, I’m eagerly anticipating my graduation from Edinboro University this fall, and am excited to continue showing my work in more galleries.

 If you’d like to see more of my work, please visit me online: www.ashleyrosemeyer.com.

 

 

 

Oct 09, 2012 | Categories: ART, BLEND, FEATURES, SKATE | Leave A Comment »

THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY: A Conversation With Illustrator Dean Liebau & Photographer Ashley Rosemeyer

It was another long night of illustrating for designer Dean Liebau last Friday in Edinboro, Pennsylvania.

“I just doodle,” he said modestly while drawing a new character for his blog at the kitchen table with photographer Ashley Rosemeyer. ”I really need to update that thing.”

The pot of coffee was now empty while Rosemeyer sat across the table reviewing photos she took just hours earlier at a spot in Erie, Pennsylvania.

“It was crazy,” she said. ”We almost got kicked out.”

“People tend to kick her out of spots usually,” Liebau told me as his “doodle” is suddenly transformed into a geometric character design.

The photo Rosemeyer was working on was of Tommy Crail, a BMX rider from Erie, dropping onto the ground from the rooftop of a middle school.

“We just got to the spot as it was hitting dusk,” Rosemeyer recalled.

As Crail was about to land the trick, a woman came out of the school and, according to Rosemeyer, demanded that she and Crail leave immediately or the cops would be called.

“What she failed to realize was that the only way he could come down was to land the trick,” said Rosemeyer.

When asked if this photo was going to be appear in her upcoming show with Liebau, Rosemeyer responded with a resounding, “hell yeah.”

As we talked, Ashley and Dean work diligently to put the finishing touches on their art for the much anticipated opening of their joint exhibition, “This Is Private Property.” The show is running from October 6th to October 13th and the realization that its October 10th opening is swiftly approaching was exciting to Liebau.

“Ashley and I have been working hard towards this goal of having a show for four years,” explained Liebau as he circumvented the head of his character with his pencil.

“It’s going to be a good time.”

Along with designs and illustrations by Liebau and photographs by Rosemeyer, “This Is Private Property” will also feature a custom-built miniramp, available for free skate, on display in Bates Gallery. During the open skate, DJ DISRUPPTION will be performing a live set of hip-hop remixes. While the show will live up to its promise of being a “good time,” “This Is Private Property” will also offer the public a candid look into the “rebel” society of the skate and snowboarding counterculture.

“There is such a beauty to snowboarding and skateboarding, so it’s disheartening that the two aren’t given hardly any respect by mainstream society,” Liebau said.

“People have a tendency to overreact and over analyze things when something appears to be straying too far from normal.”

In this exclusive, in-depth interview for The Blend, Liebau and Rosemeyer explain how they are using their art to blur the lines between the alternative and the mainstream by not being afraid of anyone- not even a “bitch dressed up in a dress suit” on a hot, summer day.

♦

Alice Groesbeck (AG): So you’ve got to tell me, who’s this “bitch” in the dress suit you keep talking about, Ashley?

Ashley Rosemeyer (AR): I got a good cop story to go with that.

AG: I’m ready to hear it.  (more…)

Oct 02, 2012 | Categories: ART, BLEND, BMX, DESIGN, FEATURES, MOTO, SKATE, SNOW, Snowboarding | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Skateboarder Sundays: Francis Connelly

Rider- Francis Connelly Photographer- Ashley Rosemeyer

Francis “Franny” Connelly’s head is in the stars, and for Connelly, a skateboarder hailing from the small town of Oil City, Pa, that’s where he wants it to be. “I just find space fascinating,” he says. “The sheer size of it, and (the) fact that everyone of us are microscopic.” When he’s not dreaming about the final frontier, Connelly is thinking about where he’d like to skate next. He says that he’d like to try skating Spain at some point in the future. “I’d really like to (…) see that country and hit some spots, along with a blunt or two while I’m there,” explains Connelly. In the final installment of “Skateboarder Sundays,” Connelly waxes on why he likes drawing farts and why he enjoys walking around with a woman-eating zombie all day.

Age: 23

Where you’re from: Oil City, PA

Skate Deck: Blackout

Trucks: Destructo (trucks)

Bearings: Bones Reds

Wheels: OJ’s or something

Tell me a little bit about your gear. What shoes do you wear and why: I have a pair of Emerica Jinx’s now, and they’re pretty terrible, as far as durability goes. I usually skate the Emerica Hermans/G Codes. I like them a lot ’cause they’re comfortable and last a while- if you slap that shoe goo on ‘em here and there.

 

(more…)

Oct 01, 2012 | Categories: BLEND, FEATURES, SKATE | Leave A Comment »

Skateboarder Sundays: Jordan Valdez

Rider- Jordan Valdez Photographer- Ashley Rosemeyer

Jordan Valdez couldn’t care less if people think he has the right “look” of a good skateboarder. In fact, he resents how society has turned the art of skateboarding into a fashionable fad. “Fuck places like Zumiez, where you got some idiot talking about who invented the whoopdy do grab or some shit that nobody cares about,” he explained.  Valdez believes skateboarding is about vibing off of riders and harnessing that mutual appreciation of the sport into building a strong skateboarding community together. Valdez credits his success with skateboarding to the support he’s received from his fellow riders and mentors, particularly from Erik Williams, owner of Greensburg, Pa’s Shop Skateboarding, fondly known as “The Shop” around the Pittsburgh area. “The first time I skated with Erik, I knew I was down for The Shop,” said Valdez when recalling how he became sponsored by them. “It’s sick to ride for a shop with an owner who skates harder than most kids and rips just as hard.” In this week’s installment of “Skateboarder Sundays,” Valdez shows some more love for The Shop and how the best part of waking up is slamming your head face first into some concrete.

Age: 24

Where you’re from: Dallas, Tx and Greensburg, Pa.

Skate Deck: 8″ girl deck.

Trucks: Indys for life!

Bearings: Swiss does fine.

Wheels: Bones stf’s are my fave, for sure.

Tell me a little bit about your gear. What kind of shoes do you wear and why: Nike SB Janoski’s have been the only shoe I’ve skated in for the last few years. They’re the best shoes I’ve ever skated: they have a great board feel, and they don’t blow out.

(more…)

Sep 23, 2012 | Categories: BLEND, FEATURES, SKATE | Leave A Comment »