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Paulo Diaz, Switch Ollie at Lockwood. September 16th, 2012

Saturday around noon I got a call from the Toy Machine crew, who were currently on Thrasher Magazine’s King of the Road, inviting me and a few other “early nineties” heads to session Lockwood yesterday. One of the many highlights of the day besides still being able to jump over that beast fence was seeing Billy Valdez. Hands down one of the funniest humans on the planet, and was skating super good. Another was seeing Paulo. I think the last time I skated with him was twelve years ago. Magical to say the least. The young Toy squad were ripping too. Future looks good.

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The following is how our Horse Belly Fob was handmade by skateboarder and shoemaker Daniel McRorie of Rickard Guy. Filmed July 2012  in Brooklyn, New York at Rickard Guy Studio. Shot by Tracy Allan Bailey, Jr. Will be available October 1st at select Heel Bruise retailers and online at www.heelbruise.com

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I met Travis a few years back through Tim Dowling.  We had similar things going on in our lives at the same time so we connected right off the bat.  Being a fan of what he does in and throughout the city of San Francisco with his life and photography got me super stoked at the idea of having him apart of our Summer offering.  Thank you Travis!

- Richard

I moved to San Francisco by way of Milwaukee 15 years ago, fresh out of high school, to be a part of the skateboard movement happening here at the time. I had $600 and some change to my name. It didn’t take long before I found myself living in an SRO (Single Room Occupancy) in the Tenderloin, one of the City’s less desirable ‘hoods. The rent was $125 a week, cash. I split the room with a friend that I had met skating at Pier 7. My money ran dry quickly, resulting in eviction.

From there, I couched and floor surfed around the Tenderloin — accumulating bed bug and flea bites, going days at a time without eating. About a year had passed before I eventually scored a closet space in a skate house in the Lower Haight. My life has been a gradual progression, with various ups and downs, ever since.

Fast forward to present: I’m in my early 30s, married with two kids and work a full-time job at a law firm downtown. Life is good, but I now face a whole different set of problems, like the fact that the City has been gentrified to the point where it’s becoming almost too expensive for the working middle class to live here. I also worry about schooling for my kids and making sure all my bills are paid on time, amongst other things.

“The City’s Getting To Me” speaks to the notions of trying to make it in The City, any city for that matter. City life is not easy. Simple tasks like going to the grocery store, dropping your kids off at school and going to the post office can be a nerve wrecking experience, but this is the life I choose. At times, I feel like one of those birds in the photo, just trying to survive amidst the chaos like everyone else.

This photo was snapped in the Tenderloin, a place I frequently shoot photos and serves as a throwback to where my adventure in The City began. I feel like I’ve truly paid some dues to live here and am damn proud to call myself a San Franciscan.

Big thanks to Rick Ibaseta, a native San Franciscan and one of my all-time favorite skateboarders, for modeling the shirt for me. Much love and respect, my man…

- Travis Jensen
travisjensenphoto.com

Rick Ibaseta, July 2012. photo by Travis Jensen
“The City’s Getting To Me Tee” is available now at all Heel Bruise stockists location.

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The concept we presented for the store was based on “Kilroy was here“, which is an American expression that we’ve flipped into “DC Chapter is here!”, which is fitting in regards to the grand opening of the DC Chapter plaza, our brand personality, and the Dragon (2012 year of the Dragon).

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California 2012

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