Chris Geer

Added on by Pat Fisher.

We'd like to introduce you guys to our friend, Chris Geer. Chris is a photographer and athlete based out of southern California, who specializes in landscape and abstract photography . Here's a little more on his story:

"Hi my name is Chris. I’m 33 and grew up between southern California and Texas for most of my life. Although, most of my time has been spent by the ocean. My love for photography has always been a part of me. I remember taking a black and white 35mm class at (Orange Coast College) and just loving every minute of it. However, at that time I had another calling to pursue a career as a fireman.

While pursuing that career I was in an accident caused by a drunk driver which ultimately led to the painful reality that I could no longer pursue firefighting. It was one of those cliché moments that changed my outlook on life. My mindset changed and I went from feeling as if I “have” to do things versus focusing on the things in life that I wanted to do. Even though my career in firefighting had been cut short I was thankful to still be alive, which lead me to start to love the little things in life. One of those loves is the simple nature of the ocean. Luckily,  I happened tolive on 34th street which is steps from the water.

After a few months of rehabilitation I was able to walk on the sand and get back to body surfing. For me there is nothing like being in the water and taking in the ocean air. A few months back I told myself that I wanted to become free of working for someone and start working for myself. I began to pursue my talent as a photographer. I had taken some sunset photos here and there but never got serious about it. A close friend of mine, Dan, kept encouraging me to buy a dslr camera and get serious about shooting. I wasn’t too familiar with a dslr at the time and all I had ever used was an old AE-1. At the same time I had another friend, Morgan, providing advice and giving me the confidence to shoot every day as much as I could.

I began shooting for a few months and people started to take notice on my social media and suggested I go back to school for it. I started back at Orange Coast College in 2016 to gain a technical knowledge of photography to pair with my natural talent to shoot. Going back to school took some getting used to. Once I got into the groove of things and began to focus on my talent and technical abilities as a photographer, I won a scholarship for my photos. In addition, I have made some solid connections being back at school which has confirmed this was the right path to take. When you step out on your own there is no safety net. Its something you have to work at 100% of the time and beyond that. It consumes you.  For me photography lets me be free. I can shoot what I want when I want. Shooting seascapes was a natural progression for me and I continue to dedicate my efforts in making powerful images come alive. 

Photography lets me break the rules, it lets me be me and show people how I see the world.  For me, photography, has a never ending opportunity for change. It is something that cannot be conquered, and it always pushes me to do better.  I’ve got to give thanks though to a few people, My family, and some close friends who push me and have helped a long the way, Sam, Sarah, Nick, Dave, Chris, Sean, Aaron and Mike."

Follow Chris on Instagram: @mullins083. 

Valerie Schlieper

Added on by Pat Fisher.

We'd like to introduce you guys to our good friend, Valerie Schlieper. Valerie is a photographer, designer, and surfer from Germany, who has spent the last 6 weeks traveling the California Coast in search of uncrowded waves and new places to shoot. 

When asked about surfing, Val said that, "Surfing has become a part of my life. It is like an incurable sickness unit with which learn one learns to live - but surfing is very positive."

When asked about her surfing and style of art, she said, "Defining your own style takes time and is only created through much trial and error. But I want as well not to define it and essentially do everything from painting and design to photography."

We're sad to see Val leaving (with her Australian boyfriend Benny), but they're taking off back to Germany where they'll be for 4 weeks before taking off for Oz. We wish them safe travels and an abundance of swell!!

Follow Valerie on Instagram: @einwal. 

Also be sure to check out her website at: www.wale-design.com. 

MARCUS BROWN (MARATHON MARCUS)

Added on by Pat Fisher.

We'd like to introduce you guys to our friend, Marcus Brown. Marcus is a long-distance runner from the UK, who uses running as a way to spread awareness for mental health. Here's a little more on his story:

"I was born and I still reside in North London, England. I got into running through a bet from a friend to do a 10k, I loved it and shortly afterwards I completed my first marathon in 2008. I've gone on to run eight marathons including, the London, Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Edinburgh marathons plus others. I've found that other people and ourselves can put so many limitations on what we are and what we could be, that it constricts you as a person. But self belief requires daily nurture, like other things. You can’t train a muscle once and expect it to stay strong for life. I use marathon training in the same fashion. I use it as a challenge to remind myself to not place unnecessary limitations on who I am, and it helps me with the challenges I face in my life.

1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. From my own experience I believe that exercise greatly benefits this condition, alongside other treatment. So my challenge for 2016 is to run four UK marathons in one year starting in Manchester and ending in Chelmsford. I'm documenting the journey in my blog with the intention to bring awareness to the fact, that mental health is just as important as physical health."

Follow Marcus on Instagram at: @themarathonmarcus. 

LISTENING PARTY FOR HBK CJ W/ LA PULSE MAGAZINE.

Added on by Pat Fisher.

Thank you to LA Pulse Mag x Collective Lifestyle LA for hosting last week's listening party for HBK CJ's new album Crash Course 2.

CRISTIAN PLASCENCIA

Added on by Pat Fisher.

We'd like to introduce you guys to our good friend, Cristian Plascencia. Cristian is a recent college graduate who is pursuing his dreams of one day becoming apart of a professional basketball training staff. Here's a little more on his story:

"Wassup y'all! My name is Cristian George Plascencia and I am a Salinas, CA native. I am currently 23 years old and have spent the last 22.5 years in between both Northern and Southern California. I graduated from California Lutheran University in the Spring of 2015 with a B.S. in Exercise Science after spending my first two years at Cal State University Channel Islands. When I was 11 years old, I sprained my ankle playing the game I love (basketball) and was forced to go into Physical Therapy. I will forever remember that day as it sparked the flame that is still lit today. That flame is my love and passion for fitness and the human body. Motivated and naive, I told myself I would one day become a doctor of physical therapy for the Los Angeles Lakers. This led me to completing 400 hours of PT internship hours before the time I set foot on a college campus. I had experienced rehabilitation practiced with individuals from elite athletes to patients with Multiple Sclerosis from offices in San Francisco, CA to hospitals in Southern California. It wasn't until my senior year of college that I decided to apply to not only Physical Therapy schools for graduate programs, but also programs for strength, conditioning, and human performance. During this time, I was also granted a two week internship at an unconventional fitness gym by the name of Onnit Academy in Austin, TX. Having experienced training Division III athletes in the weight room including the football, track and field, and volleyball teams, as well as conducting 2 research projects during my undergraduate career, put me in an opportune position to receive such an internship. I will also never forget the 10 clients/classmates/homies for life that trusted me to train them early mornings and late nights in my garage in Camarillo, CA. After the two weeks at Onnit, I was offered a job as a personal trainer for general population clients here in Austin, TX. I was also admitted into the Exercise Science graduate program at University of Texas in Austin (UT). Although, after a month of school, Onnit offered me a full time position. Today, I am currently training general population clients, elite athletes (NFL, NBA, MLB, UFC, NCAA) as well as teaching seminars for continued education courses where a group of colleagues and I certify doctors, therapist, and trainers to become certified personal trainers underneath Onnit Academy. I will say that without the trust and love from my family, nothing would have been possible. Also the love and support I receive from my old college roommates/classmates keeps me hungry and motivated to one day be apart of a professional basketball training staff. If not, this awesome place I call home here at Onnit Academy is a dream come true. I can say that being here for six months, I have yet to work a day as the love I have for fitness keeps me blinded to the late nights and early mornings."

Follow Cristian on Instagram at: @see_dotg.

SAN FRANCISCO | DAY 1

Added on by Pat Fisher.

Four friends, one ginormous city, and the new year. What better way to bring in 2016 then with a last minute trip up the coast? And how bad could things get with a good-sized swell headed right for Ocean Beach?

Well...it didn’t take long for things to get interesting. Not even 40 minutes into our trip, Keegan realized he had forgotten his wetsuit at the house, so we had to turn around. (Are you kidding me!?). In his defense, we had left the house at 3:00am and he had gotten off work at 2. Straight from an 8 hour night shift into a crammed Ford Focus stacked with coats, surfboards, and soaking wet wetsuits from the day before. We turned around in Santa Barbara, floored in back to Camarillo, and grabbed a few essentials and we were off again.

Fast forward, another 3 hours and things got even more hectic. Just on the other side of San Luis Obispo (in the middle of nowhere) we were 25 miles until empty and only 12 miles to the nearest gas station. I pulled into the far right lane, coasting at 55 mph, and hoped for the best. At 18 miles, the car started chugging and then the inevitable happened. We were stuck. It was 23 degrees outside, our car was packed to the brim, and we weren’t going anywhere. Do we call AAA or just start walking? 

While all of us were sorting through our wallets trying to find our AAA cards, Tracy thought of calling one of our friends who was making the trip up to SF with us to see if they grab us some gas on their way. They were only 30 minutes behind us and said they’d pick some up. Four guys in a stuffed Ford Focus was pretty entertaining. It was in the mid-20s outside and being from southern California we thought it was going to start snowing at any second. (It never did.) After another 45 minutes, we finally linked up with our friends, filled up with a couple gallons, and moseyed on over to the nearest gas station. 

We had been on the road for only 4 hours and we’d already forgotten a wetsuit, run out of gas, and we still had another 3 hours to go until we reached the city. It felt like we were driving and going no-where. 

We drove another 2 and a half hours (after re-fueling a number of times) and we were finally starting to see signs for San Francisco. 100 miles away. 85 miles. 50. 20. And then we saw it. It was like we had all just run a marathon and we finally had the finish line in our sights. 

We drove around for a bit to check out the sights then made it to where we were staying for the next 3 days and got to unpacking. It was roughly 2 o’clock at this point. Yes, I know we lagged. But the important part was that we made it and we were all in one piece. We got our boards and suits together and headed to the beach. 

In the days leading up to the trip, we had been watching videos of pumping surf at Ocean Beach. 8-10ft barrels spitting their brains out. With the forecast looking favorable we were hoping for something similar. When we reached the parking lot, we were a bit stunned. Uhhhh, is this it? It was barely head high and there were only a handful of guys out. Why couldn’t we have pulled up to pumping OB?

We watched the waves for another 30 minutes and then Keegan and I finally had had enough and we were going to paddle out. Neither of us had surfed this far north before and we were prepped for the cold. Armed with booties, a fresh 4/3, and hoods, we ran down to the line-up. We started paddling out and saw a proper set roll through and things took a turn for the better. Wedge after wedge started rolling through and we were by ourselves. 

With the skyline behind us and row after row of housing, we had never seen a more attractive backdrop for a session. We surfed for about an hour and had the time of our lives. That session will go down in history. It wasn’t that the waves or weather were perfect, but it was the progression of our trip. 

We had forgotten a wetsuit, run out of gas, missed our exits off the freeway, and almost been in a number of car accidents, but we had finally completed what we had set out to do. It was the perfect day in the weirdest of ways, but it was a great way to cap off 2015.

Carla Miguelina

Added on by Pat Fisher.

We'd like to introduce you to our new friend, Carla Miguelina. Carla lives an extremely active life and is a mother of 5. She uses yoga as a form of mediation and as a way to remain fit. Here's a little more on her story:

“I made a promise to myself before my kids were born that I would stay in shape and not let age or circumstance affect my wellbeing. Going through 4 pregnancies that resulted in 5 kids certainly made it difficult to keep that promise but my mind was set and focused on following through. Through the years I've tried different diets and exercise routines but I would go back to my old habits when I would reach my post pregnancy weight goals. As time progressed I realized the issue was not the food but the emotional state that needed to be addressed. As soon as I was able to get that under control, maintaining a healthy lifestyle became easy and a way of life. It was no longer a chore to eat healthy and live healthy. My body now craved it and needed it to feel good every day. Now I keep eating simple. I don't measure or count calories but I eat as much raw and unprocessed food as possible. Of course I indulge once in a while. If I want ice cream I eat it and I don't beat myself up about it. I've also simplified my exercise as well to just yoga 5 to 6 days a week. I found that this gentler approach keeps me balanced and my stress levels low. My body is also more toned and lean. Not stressing over my body also helps me to be a better mom and helps to set a positive body image for them that they emulate. I never tell my kids to diet and exercise. I lead by example and tell them that eating heathy and exercising is not about wanting to be skinny and fit into a size 2. It's about having a quality and healthy life for many years."

Follow her on Instagram at: https://instagram.com/fitmomsinspirations/

Twenty88

Added on by Pat Fisher.
 

Gamut Happenings

Added on by Pat Fisher.

 

SAVE THE DATE:

August 14th- FLOPPY HAT NIGHT AT THE COMPOUND- We will be having performances by The Vim Dicta, Sophi Alexis, and Kendall Custer. Show starts at 7:30. Free.

August 16th- 18th ANNUAL ENDLESS SUMMER BIKE SHOW AT VENTURA HARLEY-DAVIDSON- We will be set up at this community event benefitting Food Share of Ventura County from 11am to 3 pm. Free.

August 19th-20th- FRESHMEN ORIENTATION AT OXNARD HIGH SCHOOL- We will be hanging out with the incoming high schoolers and encouraging them to be active in their new environment. 

August 21st- "CALIFORNIA CULTURE" ART SHOW AT BOMBAY'S IN VENTURA- Pat will be featuring his work alongside some of Ventura County's best artists and photographers. There will also be live music. Show starts at 8 pm. Free.

September 10th- BEARCUBBIN', PRETEND, AGILE SUN UP, & LAVENDER JAY AT THE COMPOUND- We will be having 4 hardcore bands takeover the studio. Show starts at 7:30 pm. $2 at the door to help cover gas for the touring artists.

September 12th- "CANINE CASABLANCA, A RESCUE AFFAIR" - Pat will be doing a live art demo during Ventura County Animal Service's 1st annual gala. Tickets start at $125. 

September 12th-13th- VENTURA ART & STREET PAINTING FESTIVAL- We will be set up at the Ventura Harbor from 10am to 5pm. Free.

September 19th- FASHION SHOW AT STUDIO CHANNEL ISLANDS ART CENTER- We will be showcasing our newest apparel this evening at the Blackboard Gallery. More details to come.

September 26th-27th- C ST. CLASSIC AT SURFER'S POINT IN VENTURA- We will be down at the beach supporting some of our Gamut Goons as they compete in the surf contest.

 

**MORE EVENTS AND DETAILS TO COME. 

SO MUCH STUFF

Added on by Pat Fisher.

Save the date: January 30th is our early spring clothing launch!!!! Can't wait to show you guys what we've been working so hard on.

 

Also new spot The Compound is cranking!

 

Address is 

 

3201 Corte Malpaso #306

BRANDON LOPEZ

Added on by Pat Fisher.

Just wanna say congrats to Gamut athlete Brandon for taking 1st place in both of his last 2 competitions. Follow him HERE

THE GAMUT CHALLENGE

Added on by Pat Fisher.

THE 1ST ANNUAL GAMUT CHALLENGE is going down starting September 1st and will last 30 DAYS. PLEASE READ ALL RULES below!!!!

1) The Gamut Challenge will consist of fun daily goals to capture on video/photo and will be posted on Instagram.  Some will be ridiculous, some will benefit others, and some will let us all learn more about how cool/buff/smart/talented/GAMUT-y you are.  Every challenge you complete you have to hashtag  #gamutchallenge on INSTAGRAM in order to be eligible for a prize that day.

2) You don't have to complete all 30 to be eligible for daily prizes!!! Each day is a clean slate to win a small prize such as a Gamut T, tank, hat, beanie, art print or sunglasses!!!! YES I'M GIVING AWAY 30 PRIZES!

3) Each day I will announce the challenge in the AM via INSTAGRAM. I will also announce the winner in the PM.

4) The posts each day will be judged on a combination of things…most creative, best composition, funniest, most idiotic etc. etc. etc.

5) Anyone that does all 30 daily challenges will receive a custom Gamut Challenge T and you will be idolized as a GAMUT LEGEND.

 

 

 

THE ODD COMPANY

Added on by Pat Fisher.

"The Odd Company is a full-service communication agency specializing in events, marketing, and promotions within the fashion, art, film, and media industries. We are a progressive and creative free-thinking agency bringing a  fresh and new-school approach to conventional marketing strategies."

 

Check these guys out at THEODD.ORG

 

These guys are into helping people and being super active and creative. They thrive on action not words and are young up-and-comers that you want to surround yourself with.

BUDDHA PROCESS

Added on by Pat Fisher.

I thought you guys might want to see how I do a painting…kinda just figure it out as I go! The initial canvas was a fun project a few weeks back that didn't pan out then but I was eyeing as a good background for an elephant or Buddha. Enjoy!