As my daughter and I were walking up 2nd Street from the Naples side we came across Station No 8 and it’s doors were open. The station is situated in a building in line with other businesses so the opening to the station is quite small. Just wide enough to fit the fire engine in. Reminds me of some of the driveways to the homes in Daily City. I just thought this was pretty unique considering most of the other stations I’ve seen are stand alone buildings.
This mural wall is half way down 2nd Street on the side of a chain vintage resell shop that’s new to the area. I just so happen to be watching a video of Ray Barbee on YouTube and he was skating in front of this mural. I immediately knew where it was. It’s always cool to see Ray proudly representing the city he lives in. Always stoked to see this legend out and about here in Long Beach.
Took some time off from training and spent the evening with the fam instead. We took a walk around the neighborhood and enjoyed the nice weather we’re experiencing here in Long Beach. Couldn’t help but notice some of the changes happening around the neighborhood.
Last night I came across this video on Fitted Hawaii on PBS Hawaii. Highly recommended watch if you want to know a little bit more about the people in Hawaii who carry on culture and tradition through their own views and creative expression. Ola, Rene, Jared and the rest of the Fitted ohana have an incredible story to tell about the people and the places that make locals proud to call Hawaii home. They aloha their community and their community alohas them back.
The above photos were from back in 2018. I was back home on vacation and I was taking a stroll at Kewalos and Ala Moana Beach Park. I gave Ola a call to check in and he said they were having their 13 year anniversary release at the shop and to come by. Ended up seeing some friends I haven’t seen in awhile. I even got behind the grill for a little bit. The Fitted Team was serving up hot dogs and refreshments to everybody who was in attendance. Both Ola and Rene took the time to walk up and down the line and thank everybody for coming and offered food and drink to show their appreciation. It’s all about the experience and these guys never forget the importance of this. This is why after 20 years in business they’re still around and still get the love and support that they deserve.
Oh my!
Hangin’ out with the friends at Gusto Bread on a beautiful afternoon here in Long Beach.
Aloha From Long Beach (AFLB).
Coffee x Roll supplies at the REI in Huntington Beach.
Good to see this braddah back on the mats. Alliance Jiu Jitsu in Waipio.
Beautiful color selection by the artist.
The OG spot for pho. At least amongst all the skateboarders I know. Lots of love for the owners by the community.
Aloha From Long Beach (AFLB).
Every time I take my daughter for a walk to get coffee, I always feel grateful to be able to do something so simple yet enjoyable together. Even though it’s the same route we always take, the experience is always different and we always see something new.
Love walking into Gusto and seeing this braddah. Even Avi loves to see uncle Jose everytime we walk in. She always greets him by saying hola. Love it.
Mandatory cafe de olla from Gusto Bread.
I’ll never take for granted the beautiful view we get to experience every time we step outside our door to take a walk. Aloha From Long Beach (AFLB).
Tuttle Cameras is a pretty cool spot that’s been around for ages here in Long Beach. Glad to see they’re still around. Great service from some really nice people.
Today is Mother’s Day in Hispanic culture from what I am told. I had no idea, I was just trying to get a head start and beat the rush. Learn something new everyday.
Baby girl and I worked on a project for mama bear. It was fun doing this together!
Nothing big just something simple and from the heart for the person who works so hard to provide for our ohana. We appreciate you babe more than you know. We are blessed and grateful for you.
Our little sassy girl.
An early Mother’s Day lunch from our favorite little mom and pops restaurant . Working all weekend so had to squeeze this in before I head in to work.
It’s the simple times like this that we’ll look back on and reflect. We are blessed.
Amazing artwork and color fade on this board. Love seeing the wood grain with artwork over laid. Bravo!
Today is actual Mother’s Day and we had to work up early so we could spend some time together as a family before I head into work for the day. The line at Gusto Bread was half way down the block. Everyone getting there goodies to celebrate all the wonderful moms out there.
We are so luck to have you mama bear.
Love seeing some of the old bikes coming thru the shop for restoration work. It’s amazing these things are still around and haven’t been tossed into the dumpster. Good on the young fellow who recognizes the value and history of this classic Schwinn step thru.
What a beautiful end to the day. My drive home down Ocean Ave. Aloha From Long Beach (AFLB).
New projects on display in the work space / dining room.
My man Mauricio wins the Mr. Aloha award for the month. Appreciate the hospitality and aloha he and his wife shared with us at their beautiful casa. Amazing food with amazing people.
Matilda loves to grapple. You don’t believe me just try her!
Morning light in the work space. A different perspective.
Baby girl likes it. She sees big sis and cousins on display. This makes me happy and makes me feel like I’m back home in Hawaii.
Morning silliness.
This is so dope. Love the whole underground DIY aspect of this secret show the Beastie Boyz put on at Slam City Skates in London. Check it!
Been working on a few things that I hope sees the light of day one day. I’ve wanted to make some band style shirts as well as some simple jersey style front prints. Most people want more of the Hawaii inspired designs and those are good too. I want to make something that’s not so obvious and a little obscure to be honest. Designs that are influenced by other things that I’m into like coffee and bikes amongst the other stuff I find interesting. For now I made these for myself so I could at least scratch that itch. I’ve made a few other tees with designs and images I like that I’ll post later. I am stoked on how these came out. If you like what you see give a holler and let me know your thoughts.
Let me see what dad has got going on.
Ya’ll ready for this?
This is off the chainz dad! Great job!
Time for a stroll through the hood.
Sharing is caring. Mandatory cafe de olla at Gusto Bread.
If you live around 4th Street near retro row, chances are you’ve been here. Never bought alcohol from here but have indulged in some snacks from time to time.
Broadway
Here’s one from the archives. Steve Saiz art show at Port back in 2018 I think. Enjoy!
Haven’t brought out the G ride since December. Since mama and baby are off to the Valley I thought it would be a good day to go for a quick ride before work.
I found this handlebar bag at Doughboy’s on Artesia. It’s not a handlebar bag but when I saw it I knew I could figure how to make it one. A couple days before I found this bag, I had bought a Chrome handlebar bag. I only had it on for a couple days before I stumbled upon this and quickly retired the Chrome bag.
A little rust and water in the steer tube from sitting so long. Bike was covered too. We got alot of rain the first three months of the year.
The spot formerly known as Portfolio is still empty after all these years. This is prime time real estate at the beginning of Retro Row. Too bad Portfolio left and turned into Alder and Sage. Portfolio was the gathering spot for everyone who lived in or was visiting the Retro Row neighborhood.
Met up with braddah Mike for breakfast. We rode down 4th Street and ended up a this little obscure spot located on the side of a house. Family owned and operated. There was a pop up canopy in the back area with a couple of tables underneath it. There were three or four groups eating out back when we got there. We had to wait a bit to get our food but it’s all good. There’s one person in the kitchen cooking up breakfast as the orders came in for both dine in and take out. This is one of the whole in the wall spots that only the people who live in the neighborhood know about. Good food and good service in a spot that would easily be passed by if you were driving. You’d have to be walking or riding a bike to stumble upon this modest gem of a spot.
Here are a couple of tees that I made in small quantity. I wanted to make these for myself and for a few friends. The first tee is an image of HR from the band Bad Brains. The photo was taken back in 2006-2008 at a Bad Brains show at the Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu. The second tee is a design I call the AFLB Band. I’ve used it on my Coffee x Roll Dry Fit Tee before. It reminds me of a soccer jersey even though I don’t play soccer. Living here in So Cal there’s a lot of soccer fanatics especially in the hispanic community. I just wanted to make a design that represents Long Beach through my lens. It’s by far one of my favorite designs I’ve made. Plain and simple. IIf you like them hit me up! Mahalo for supporting your local mom and pops shops!
It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Coffee Drunk. Decided to stop in and grab a latte before training. Miss seeing some of the old baristas. Hope they’re still around. They really made the vibe here good and worth coming back too.
AP x Fitted x Sig Zane for the local Waikikian.
Coffee x Roll is a real thing. Just ask Warren.
Cierrny has tapped me many a time. He’s also been good a great training partner for me to really work on technique. If I get something with him and get pass all his defenses then I feel like I’ve accomplished something. Thanks for being a great training partner Cierrny.
No more x-guard Warren only half shin on shin. Hahaha.
My man Allen is one of my favorite training partners. We always work on positionals instead of just rolling.
Da boish!
Omi cookin Nalu Boy. Nobody gets an easy roll…nobody.
Aren’t we all so lucky to be able to train and bbq together along with our families. What a great way to end the day after a long day at work. Big mahalos to Nelly for hosting and to Omi, Diego, and Sean for bbq’n. Good times and even better grindz.
Changed it up today and walked a block over from the crib to Rose Parker Roasters to grab a cold brew before heading into work. They do have the best single origin cold brew of all the coffee shops in my opinion.
OG Gary has seen it all. Gary is a true dirt bag and is one of REI’s oldest tenured green vest in the entire company. We are ever so lucky to be working sided by side with this legend.
Juan and Doyle talking shit again! These guys are the hammers when it comes to cycling. One a road racer and the other a fixie rider. Lots of knowledge between these two guys. Always stoked when I come into work and these two guys are there. I know it’s gonna be a good day.
Here’s a bad angle of the finished Schwinn step thru that I posted earlier. Came out clean as a whistle thanks to our girl Desi who wrenched on this from start to finish. Fire!
AFLB
Memorial Day at the Bluff.
AFLB
It’s been awhile. Dropped in to say hi at The Bicycle Stand.
Inside this magnificent structure lies the hopes and dreams of people who have been working hard to achieve greatness.
From the outside it’s peaceful and calm.
I’m truly fascinated with the design of this beautiful structure. It’s even more amazing that it’s housed many a memorable moment for many.
A place where dreams are realized and shattered but everyone comes out a winner whether they realize it or not.
The design process was well thought out and incredibly executed.
Jiu Jitsu is one of those sports where the athletes and the crowd share a common space. The athletes are accessible and there are no boundaries like in other major sports.
This is baby girls second straight year at Worlds. She enjoyed last year as a one year old and seems to be enjoying once again as a two year old. This is slowly becoming a tradition for us to come and be a part of.
For me I enjoy watching everyone in the crowd and seeing who I can spot. I also like to check out all the designs people are wearing. Here is Murillo Santana wearing his Unity academy tee. I really love the understated simplicity of the design. You would never know what the logo stood for if you weren’t into jiu jitsu. I love the mystique and the meaning behind the design. I still associate Unity with their first academy and the video of the Miyao brothers training and taking showers in their gis in between rounds and then coming back out to train. You could literally feel the heat and the intensity of that place.
I’m still not sure what the Alliance logo is nor have I looked into it. At a glance it looks like a seal. I also think of a moving company because I believe there is a moving company called Alliance. I also think of the Cobrinha, Malfacine, Marcelo Garcia, and Michael Langhi. All legends of the sport and reasons why Alliance is such a legendary powerhouse team.
I really liked these guys Caio Terra Competition Team hoodies. Very simple yet very cool design.
Maybe one day.
When I first moved here 8 years ago and made my first trip to the Walter Pyramid I would’ve never thought that my life would’ve turned out the way it did. Life is amazing and the universe is looking out. I truly believe this. She is proof that I did something right and I was blessed with her.
Wow just wow!
Hope you enjoyed all the different looks and perspectives of this beautiful place. Aloha From Long Beach.
Thursday night after class open mat at Conde Koma.
Margot Ciccarelli stopped dropped into to Conde Koma to get some reps in before her matches on Saturday.
Spotted the Ole Surfboards sticker on this VW Thing. Perfect choice.
Pretty typical here in Long Beach.
This Mazda SE5 brings back memories of the old El Paso days back in the late 80’s.
Aloha From Long Beach
Hawaii fam representing at TRXTR Studio. Mahalo fam!