I recently had the opportunity to visit Immortal Laces in their new San Diego location.

I took my tour with Damien, Immortal Laces Brand Manager, below the heart in the picture above. Also in the picture Eric who’s the artist of the skulls made from recycled skateboards.

They are already moved into the space and are waiting for Slappy’s Skate Shop to move in up front.

They’re also waiting for the new Linda Vista Skate Park to open down the street. They’re all skaters and created Immortal Laces out of need.

One day in 2014, they were skating when Eric’s shoelace broke for the millionth or so time. Dan, who I met but avoided the photo, started wondering if it was just them or shoe laces were a problem for all skateboarders.

To find out he ran an online survey on Facebook asking 70K skateboarders if they could make one skate product better what would it be? They could choose from five options: skateboard deck, skate shoes, trucks, wheels or shoelaces. Overwhelmingly the response was shoelaces.

The problem was confirmed so it was time to create a solution. Hence Immortal Laces was born out of need and are guaranteed to last through your hardest skate session & life.

REPLACE the LACE Guarantee:  We guarantee that if you wear your Immortal Laces for 14 days and if you break one of them while skateboarding then we will ship a replacement pair of laces to you absolutely FREE!

Yes, since February 2014 Immortal Laces has been manufacturing and selling superior laces. How can they say their laces last five times as long as normal laces?

Above the scientific face off against grip tape shows Immortal Laces last where normal laces fail.

Immortal Laces are still handmade in San Diego but are available outside of San Diego – soon they’ll be available worldwide.
If you’re in San Diego area you can pick yours up at Slappy’s Garage, McGill’s Skate Shop, Claremont Surf Shop, Clairemont Skatepark, Aura Skatepark.  Outside of San Diego you can order them on-line through Amazon, SoCal Skates Online, Facebook, and Immortal Laces website.

But wait, do these laces look weird? NO, I would never blog about something that wasn’t stylish.

They come in a variety of sizes – yet all for the same price.

There is a “technique” for tying them.

or watch the video where Eric talks you through

Originally made for skaters by skaters others are taking notice of the durability. Immortal Laces can last through anything you give them – roller derby, BMX, motocross, street bikes – if you need a lace, this lace will perform.

Immortal Laces loves all their wearers and I love a happy story so if you want to share your Immortal Laces story just let me know.

Immortal Laces gives back to the community through several charities – including several of my favorites Clash at Claremont which will be August 12th this year, EXPOSURE Skate, and the Sheckler Foundation. Random Act of Kindness week may be over but everyday is a good day to be kind.  Giving someone a shoelace when there’s is broken is simple and could make the biggest of differences plus positivity grows as people Pay it Forward!

Stoked 2 Skate is a non-profit private indoor skatepark for the youth in Sonoma County, California.

Recently they opened the park for the Quit Your Day Job SF Bay Area Premier – an all-female skate video by Erik Sandoval & Monique O’Toole.

Proceeds from the event went to Skate Like a Girl SF Bay Area.  I wasn’t able to go but you can see tons of rad shots from MAHFIA.TV

Just click above or below to see all of Carmen Z’s photos.

I wanted to get this post up during Random Acts of Kindness Week because I think the pictures from the event show kindness in action (girls supporting girls) plus it’s truly kind that Stoked 2 Skate opened their doors for this event.

To find out more about Stoked 2 Skate I asked Moniz some questions.

Why and when did you open Stoked 2 Skate?

Moniz:  Since we have two kids that have been skateboarding since they were very young,(Finnley and Minna Stess), we’ve witnessed first hand what skaters are like when they can’t skate for the entire rainy Winter. Have you ever seen a wild animal trapped in a cage? haha It’s like that, but then multiply that times two at our house.

We also met a lot of skaters over the years lamenting about the rainy times and also many kids who wanted to learn to skate but either couldn’t afford the gear or their parents weren’t really into the idea of them skateboarding. We knew we could help with all of that, what Northern California really lacks are indoor skating facilities, so we decided to take it head on. It has been a long but satisfying process and we are still growing.

We’ve had lots of wonderful people join us over the years in the many stages, like our incredible fiscal sponsor Mentor Me Petaluma.

To sum it up we provide a welcoming environment to encourage the instruction, practice, training, enjoyment and advancement of our youth members in all aspects of skateboarding within a safe, supervised indoor environment.

What programs/sessions does Stoked 2 Skate offer?

Moniz:  Our programming is in the planning stages and we will have multiple clinics, classes, events and skate camps.  So far we have partnered with San Francisco Skate Club  and now we are adding  Skate Like a Girl to programming this Summer.

We have hosted many sessions randomly since we’ve built the bowl and street course. It’s been incredible hosting skaters of all ages and abilities from literally all over the world as well as many from all over the U.S.!

We’re just really happy to finally have a facility that makes skaters really stoked especially when it’s raining outside.

Was this premier one of your first “big” events?

3 of the realest just conducted a clinic at @stokedtoskate ?? @jennsoto_skates ? @samarriabrevard? @mariahduran_ ?Give them all a follow for more sickness and check our story for more from the event ?: @rickyflipsk8 ?#metrogrammed

A @SamarriaBrevard@StokedToSkate/SOMA park’tage – Inspiring watching the ladies of @Quityourdayjobvid raise the bar off its hinges this weekend! Stay tuned for more throughout the week and give em a follow for more sickness #metrogrammed +?: @rickyflipsk8

@MariahDuran_takes the safety off at @StokedToSkate/#SOMA ???Great to see the ladies of @QuitYourDayJobVidrip the Bay last weekend ?? Give em a follow for more sickness ?

In 2013 Cindy created a brand called “Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word” and came out with a collaboration skateboard with Dwindle Inc. (the largest company in professional skateboarding) by designing a skateboard aimed at the female market. The GN4LW brand gives back to women in action sports with every collab it does.

Who are we talking about?  Cindy Whitehead and this post is about the kindness she shares through skateboards.

Above the Gypsy Queen which benefits EXPOSURE Skate available by clicking above, at skate shops worldwide and at Zumiez.com.

Below Cindy INAP (It’s Not About Pretty) which also benefits EXPOSURE Skate & is also still available.

Cindy’s giving through skateboards started with the White GN4LW which benefited GRO (Girls Riders Organization) and is now a collectors item.

One of my favorites the Black GN4LW benefitted Poseiden Foundation.

the board is now a collector’s piece & I look a lot older

Also benefitting Poseidon Foundation was the GN4LW Longboard below.

Cindy is not done giving.  The Hermosa will be available March 1, 2017 and will benefit Bridge to Skate; so be on the lookout for that and all the other rad things Cindy has in store for the world.

possible sneak peak of the Hermosa

I have the pleasure of knowing Cindy and that these boards are just one of the many acts of kindness she does daily.  To me the greatest act of kindness she does is encouraging all girls to believe in themselves both on & off the board.

Girls who support (are always kind) to other girls are angels on earth!

I love when girls meet up to skateboard and LA Girls Skate Sesh made their session even radder by collecting canned food.  Collecting food for the hungry is an awesome act of kindness!

Thanks Jazzmen for organizing the event & taking the extra time to collect the cans!  She’s aka wake bake_skatecreate and her “service” to get these girls events happening inspires me.

The following photos are from LA Girls Sesh IG and Heidi Lemmon – they show how much fun was had by all.  They collected almost 50 cans for the LA Food Bank in South Central!

photo LEIA Juliette

@melani_skate in this picture by Heidi showing us you’re never too young to have fun skateboarding

Hannah as captured by Heidi

my yoga buddy Bridget with friends Alysia & Traci

Kala with her stylish GN4LW sticker

More girls skateboard when they see girls having fun skateboarding so share your pictures and stories.

This week is Random Act of Kindness Week, so the posts are about skater girls and organizations that spread kindness.  Kindness really does start with one smile, by welcoming everyone, by cheering someone on and it grows.  Collecting even one can means someone will not be hungry, so I hope this post inspires you to do a random act of kindness today.

I met  NIGHT:SHIFT Goods at Agenda in January 2017.  As I blogged in my recap, they made me re-think my bedding situation.  I was in a rut – living with boring blankets.

As you see above – I’m not bored anymore.  I love the color blue because it’s calming and looks fabulous in so many shades.  I prefer a throw size blanket because it’s easier for travel and I prefer woven blankets because they’re cozier.  Deciding which blanket at NIGHT:SHIFT Goods was still hard because they have so many that fit my preferences.

In the end Osmosis won my heart.  Having just gotten out of biology, I remember that osmosis is all about bringing concentrations into balance.  I think that’s fitting because my blanket should keep me balanced.

Why do I think a blanket will keep me balanced?  Linus from Peanuts had a blanket and it helped him through life.  The Great Pumpkin didn’t show up – the blanket stayed with him, never mocking always comforting.

There’s even a charity – Project Linus – that

Provides love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need

by giving them a blanket.  As part of Random Acts of Kindness Week I encourage you to check out Project Linus they’ve given over 6 million blankets since 1995.

Plus when you’re blanket looks as incredible as Osmosis, why leave it at home?  Take your blanket with you.  It can be a cold & lonely world.  Don’t face it alone take your blanket with you.

You may have to get out of bed, you don’t have to go alone – skatingfashionista

I will be updating this post with pictures from my blanket adventures.  Going into this, here’s what I think my blanket will help me with:

1. Cape – be your own superhero.
2. You need a hug.  Blankets are made to hug.
3. Hide.  If you’re under your blanket they won’t see you.
4. It’s cold outside.
5. Block out the haters.  If you cover your ears with your blanket, you won’t even hear the gossip.  They just jealous anyway & sad because no one buys a bully a blanket.
6. Yoga – be different strike a pose on your blanket.
7. Build a fort.
8. Protection during scary movies.
9. Time out – so much easier to just take a nap if you have your blanket with you.
10. Avoiding the school dress enforcer.  (Really couldn’t our tax dollars be better spent than having someone play fashion police.  Crop tops & tank tops like skateboarding are not a crime!)

Keep checking back for updates & if you have blanket adventures to share just email or DM the world always needs more stories to smile about.

As part of Random Acts of Kindness Week #RAKweek2017 from 2/12 – 2/18 – I wanted to share some of the kindness Rastaclat is spreading.

I’ve blogged about Rastaclat several times including their support of Tilly’s Life Center.

They also support Breast Cancer Awareness with Classic & Miniclat:  Awareness bracelets.

Yes, they donate 100% of the proceeds to the American Cancer Association.  And for the Classic: Futures

they donate 100% of the proceeds to the Boys & Girls Clubs serving youth in Carson, South Angeles, & Watts.

Why are they so generous with their support?  Because they are all about kindness.

When you’re living righteously and sharing positivity you just do kind things.  I also believe that a Rastaclat bracelet can remind you to stay positive.

I look pretty positive in the picture above, but it was far from a story book night.  I was lucky to have the reminder on my wrist that in the end it’s always my choice to be positive.

Hoping you all choose to do an act of random kindness a day & if you need a reminder wear a Rastaclat bracelet.  Imagine how beautiful the world would be if we all chose kindness and to #SEEKthePOSITIVE!