Great Googley Moogley!

The Great Googa Mooga is upon us!  Food, drinks, music, friends, and a beautiful day!  We were in Prospect Park yesterday kicking off the Brooklyn 1/2 Marathon - looking forward to another sunny day in the area.  For the inside scoop follow Instagram & Twitter @NYCUrchin.  Wherever you end up, enjoy this beautiful day!!

Balancing  City / Surf since 2011  /  NYC Urchin

 

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Brooklyn 1/2

Learn more about W4W clean water initiatives!

For insta updates on the race follow Instagram & Twitter @NYCUrchin.

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Fish Fry is ON!

The 6th Annual NY Fish Fry is on!

Swap boards for the afternoon to try out some shapes you’ve probably never experienced before…no RSVP or tickets necessary, just go! Oh and the weather is looking sunny and the water crisp and cool on Saturday.

Saturday, May 19th @ Washington Blvd
9AM-2PM

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Stoked on Spring

Stoked Mentoring empowers youth through board sports and outdoor activities and encourages local skaters and boarders to get involved.  And their main fundraising event of the year is coming up on Wednesday!  Expect music, hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and an art auction – 15 decks designed by professional artists and students in the after school program will be up for auction.  If you can’t make the event, you can still volunteer in the NY area – the skate season is underway and surfing will be kicking off shortly.  More info!
Balancing  City / Surf since 2011  /  NYC Urchin
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Brooklyn Board Swap


Yeah that’s right!
10AM to 8PM rain or shine

Pilgrim Surf + Supply
68 N 3rd St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211 + (718) 218-7456

Balancing  City / Surf since 2011  /  NYC Urchin

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Volunteers Needed @ House of Vans

ASkate is an amazing non-profit we recently discovered (thanks for the heads up Blue Sky Longboards)!  ASkate founder Crys Worley shared some info about the event coming up on May 19th at Brooklyn’s House of Vans

“Askate is an organization that helps children with autism be a part of our social world through skateboarding!  On May 19 Vans will be hosting the annual House of Vans x Askate day at their Brooklyn location.  70 children with autism will be attending to receive one on one instruction from a skateboarder & have the time of their life!!  Vans is providing food, drinks, bounce house, arts & crafts & the venue to help make this day magical for the kids! Skateboarders from all over NY and NJ are coming out to help mentor the children & Askate is hosting and organizing the clinic and lessons at the event.”

We have some NYC Urchins going already, so feel free to message NYCUrchin@gmail.com and we can connect you proactive skaters!
Balancing  City / Surf since 2011  /  NYC Urchin
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Undercity – Exploring the Underbelly of NYC

 

 

Mountainfilm in Telluride is coming up May 25-28 (full lineup just announced).  Unfortunately, few of us NYers will make it out there, but we can still catch some clips online and then close our eyes and dream about the crisp Telluride weather, breathtaking views, and sunny local lifestyle.

We’re especially psyched about one film – Undercity.  Andrew Wonder captures Steve Duncan, urban explorer and guerrilla historian, as he winds his way through the tunnels and sewers under Manhattan to reveal a history that lies beyond our eyes.  Glad to have this NYC Urchin on the radar!  Watch Undercity by visiting Outside Mag’s site between 9pm – 12am EST on May 10th with a live Q & A with Wonder and Duncan at 10pm.

 

Balancing  City / Surf since 2011  /  NYC Urchin

 

 

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Pilgrim Surf + Supply Throws Down

 

Balancing  City / Surf since 2011  /  NYC Urchin

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8knots Weekly Towel Giveaway Kicks Off

Oh have we had some adventures out in Montauk!  Camping Hither Hills, surfing Ditch Plains, exploring the lighthouse rocks, nibbling on fresh sweets at the bakery… Though every trip out east turns into a refreshingly unique experience, one spot that we always pop by is the Surf Lodge.  This summertime hotel hangout has become an emblem of the youthful surf culture in NY, a gathering spot for a salt-minded crowd….and some refreshing companies too!  We love that Sir Richards is the official condom, Giejo will be selling at Surf Bazaar, and now we are SO excited to know another member of this salty family…8knots, the official towel of the Surf Lodge! Unbeknownst to you, these delicious little towels have enriched your Surf Lodge experience.  Learn more about 8knots by reading our interview with founder Marcia Bayard!  So on your next visit to Surf Lodge, you can delight your friends with the derivation of the pestemal. A what?? Read on and then enter to win your very own…
NYC Urchin + 8 Knots will be giving away one towel each week throughout the summer!

To enter: ‘LIKE’ NYC Urchin and 8knots on Facebook and e-mail your response to NYCUrchin.8knots@gmail.com or use hashtag #nycurchin8knots on Twitter or Instagram.  Send us a photo that captures your coastal lifestyle and a phrase or personal anecdote to accompany it.  Winners will be announced every Sunday.

Colors: Sunset, Sea-Kelp, Marine-Blue & Kona-Coffee 
Where did it all begin?
8knots was introduced by its sole proprietor (that’s me), designer Marcia Bayard, on Shelter Island, NY in the summer of 2009. The classic sailors’ ‘figure-of-eight knot’ and the nautical measure for speed ‘knots’ bring to mind the sea and a coastal lifestyle, inspiring 8knots’ characteristic range of products for coastal dwellers, boaters and beach goers.

 

As the official Surf Lodge towel, 8knots must be ideal for a beachy lifestyle, right?

Right. Our signature piece, a Turkish pestemal (pronounced: pesh-te-mahl), is very lightweight, highly absorbent and quick-drying. Its generous size (average measure 36 x 70 inches) makes for a perfect beach-towel/blanket or pareo that rolls neatly into a small size, ready to pack or stow.

 

What is a pestemal and how were you introduced to this thread of Turkish culture?

A pestemal is the authentic Turkish Bath or Hamam towel. Traditionally woven of 100% cotton with hand-tied fringe, it is the essential element of the legendary Turkish Bath experience. At the Hamam, the pestemal is used as a drying towel and worn like a pareo, wrapped around the waist.  My work as a designer in textile related businesses has taken me often to Turkey. It is a wonderful country with a rich cultural history centered around water, with its age-old tradition of the hamams, natural mineral hot springs and being encompassed by the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas — 5,000 miles of beautiful coastline.

 

NYC Urchin is all about balancing urban living with the beach. How do you find this balance in your daily life?

My husband and I share a midtown home-office in Manhattan, where we spend most weekdays. We love the city, but come Friday we go by Hampton Jitney and then a short ferry ride over to Shelter Island, where 8knots is based. Nice balance. My husband, a journalist, swims the island waters year-round and likes to quote the originator of his favorite wetsuit, Jack O’Neill: “It’s always summer on the inside”.  After the swim, he dries off with his 8knots towel of course. For me, summer weekends are busy, delivering 8knots goods around Long Island’s East End and beyond. But I always make time to get on the water for a row in my Feathercraft [kayak], which rides smartly on top of our beloved Blue Mini-Cooper. Then, it’s back to the city.

If we were visiting Shelter Island for one day only, what should be on the itinerary?

Lets pick a summer day.

First, a little background: The island is nestled between the North and South Forks of Long Island, with Orient Point to the North and Montauk to the South and can only be reached by boat, or by ferry from Greenport (The North Ferry) or North Haven (The South Ferry). About four miles across in any direction, you’re never too far from water. Nearly one-third of the island is protected wetlands and nature preserve. The Mashomack Preserve has several nature and bird-watching trails varying from 1.5 to 11 miles in length.

By land, bicycle is a great way to get around and see the island. Swing by the Coecles Harbor Marina to catch a glimpse of a Shelter Island Runabout, a classic Down East style boat, built by CH Marine and designed in collaboration with singer/songwriter Billy Joel. Then take-out lunch from Reddings Market and eat out on the Piccozzi’s dock in back. At sunset, find a spot at the Sunset Beach Hotel bar, order a mojito and watch the show. For me this is the best spot on earth to watch the sun–set. Then move over to the porch of La Maison Blanche, our favorite SI boutique hotel, which offers 8knots pestemals for purchase on its mini bar menu and at poolside. Best dinner: Fresh fish cooked how-you-like at local legend Commander Cody’s.

 

Best beach you’ve ever been to?

Hmm, I’ve been around the world a bit and to some amazing coastal regions. Difficult to say which is best. I love being at the seaside anywhere. But am always struck by the beauty and diversity of our own Long Island beaches and coastline, whether it be the dramatic rocky shores along the Sound’s North Shore, the wide sandy surfy ocean beaches on the Atlantic’s South Shore or the calm of local bays and inlets.

 

Where can we purchase our own 8knots?

To name a few places: Surf Bazaar at the The Surf Lodge in Montauk, Steven Alan Stores, including SA Annex in Tribeca, Brooklyn, East Hampton NY, Venice CA and more) … or you can pick some up on-line through 8knots website with direct link to Lekker Home.

 

Balancing  City / Surf since 2011  /  NYC Urchin

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Happy Holidays!

Featured board: 5’10 Joe Bauguess Mini Simmons (Mollusk). Featured beer: Brooklyn Summer Ale (preferred in can).

Balancing  City / Surf since 2011  /  NYC Urchin

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