Tag Archives: Carlsbad

ivivva Carlsbad Grand Opening at the Forum

I’ve always been thrilled to work with ivivva.  And working the grand opening at the new Carlsbad store on 9/1/16 was thrilling.

My mom was kind enough to take photos so here goes my post on the evening.  Below the store right before the VIP Event which went from 5 – 7pm.

Lisa and the store staff put so much planning into this event.  I go to lots of events and this was top notch.  In addition to having the store stocked to the brim, they anticipated a huge crowd so they had tons of activities that made the wait fun plus built community.

calm go

The night started with check in where you received your goodie bag complete with a raffle ticket.  The raffle was amazing for several reasons – starting with your stub was already in the bin so you didn’t have to worry is my ticket in.

sign in and enter

The raffles went on every 15 minutes.  The winning numbers were written on the store board – if you weren’t there you have a week to go claim your prize.   So if you weren’t there the entire night – I’d go back to the store to see if you won.  The jacket below was just one of the amazing prizes, plus you got to pick your prize in your size & color.

raffle

As more people arrived – the store kept getting busier.

to packed

To make sure everyone was comfortable looking at all the selections – tops, shorts, leggings, jackets, backpacks . . .

selection

there were the activities including hair braiding

hair

photos – both a photo trailer and IG frame

photo trailer

tattoos & of course delicious food & beverages

tattoo and food

The activities were fun and I believe they built community because I saw people making friends.  Below are real life people having fun talking in a fitting room line.  Fun in a fitting room line only happens when you’re with friends.

fitting room

And I know I made friends.  All the girls in the purple tanks were volunteers – who I met for the first time last night.  They’re all active girls (Syndi, Maddi, Rheigan, Kayla & Joy) who are passionate about their sport, their fashion, and making a positive impact on the world.  Here I am with just a few of them.

squad

It’s more than ok to be a girl – it’s something to celebrate.  All girls have strength, beauty, and individuality – ivivva celebrates this by designing beautiful athletic wear and giving girls opportunities to meet & connect through movement.  The grand opening last night was just the beginning of how the Carlsbad ivivva store is building a community of strong girls.  You can follow them on IG ivivva_carlsbad to see all the activities and when you’re in the store you can look at the board behind us in the picture – written in the map of California are all the monthly events.

ivivva communities offer a variety of complimentary athletic classes and Dreams & Goals programs. Through these events girls get to connect and celebrate each other – where they can push their boundaries, knowing that falling and getting back up is all part of the journey.

skateboarding is all about pushing the boundary, falling & getting back up so be looking for an ivivva_carlsbad skateboarding event soon

Building a “Right Sized” Skateboard at SkateXS

Smaller feet benefit from a smaller board because the skater has better balance and it’s easier to maneuver.  It’s like riding a bicycle that’s too big for you – riding a big board won’t stop you from riding it’s just not as much fun.

Lucky for us – there’s a skateboard company made by the parents of real skateboarders who faced the dilemma of where to find a small board by making them.

I recently needed a small board for a new friend.  So I headed over to SkateXS in Carlsbad to build one.  To be honest I thought I was going to watch them build the board, but turns out these are some hands on people so I used tools.

You start building your board by selecting your deck.  First figure out your deck size.  SkateXS recommends skaters under 60lbs (generally ages 5-7) find a deck that is 7″ wide and 28″ long. Skaters between 60-80lbs (generally ages 8-10) find a deck that is 7.25″ wide and 29″ long. Skaters over 80lbs can safely start to use “standard” skateboard decks which start at 7.5″ wide and about 31″ long.   Then consider the graphic – yes it’s true it will get scratched but it’s still an expression of you & your beliefs so make sure it’s something you’ll like today and tomorrow.

deck

The next thing to select is grip tape. Grip tape is the gritty, sand papery layer that’s applied to the top of a skateboard deck, so that your shoes can grip the board.   Not everyone is going to warn you about this – but I will – grip tape can ruin your clothes.  Always be mindful of the grip tape or you’ll get snags in your clothes.  Be creative with your grip tape – we used red and blue and personalized it with a name.

grip tape 3

Applying grip tape is a process onto itself.  Yes, they trusted me with a  razor and yes by some miracle I got it on without bubbles but my future is not in grip tape.

Moving along I was entrusted with several drills which I used to get the trucks and wheels on with.

drill

trucks

smiling while we work

tighten with the boss

For details on how all these parts work – I highly recommend checking out the SkateXS Parent’s Guide to Skateboarding – they cover safety, equipment, basics,  and FAQ.

For this board which will be used both on the street and the park – we used softer wheels.  And because we used a pack of different colored wheels we kept our warm and cool colors separated.

Want to get a fabulous board like this without the work – easy buy a complete.  SkateXS offers completes for beginners, advanced and pro.  You of course can customize yours and you don’t have to live near Carlsbad.  SkateXS ships internationally.

Like Goldi Locks – you don’t want a board that’s too big, or a board that’s too little – you want the board that’s right for you.  Same goes with your wheels and other equipment.  All the stuff you read are guidelines – as you skate you’ll feel what you like better and that’s what you should ride.

Stay tuned for who’s getting this board – hint he’s a very special five year old whom I recently met at a Learn to Skate Clinic.

XOXO

skatingfashionista

ps – this lucky girl won a SkateXS at EXPOSURE Skate because her parents entered the silent auction.  Thanks to all the parents, organizations, and individuals who support girls skateboarding!

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