Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
HOT FUN: Lightning Bolt featured in Vanity Fair
Lightning Bolt's classic Bolt tee is featured as a must-have for this summer's surf and sport essentials according to prestigious Vanity Fair magazine. ENJOY!
Summer Fitness Gear for Women
Lightning Bolt's tie-dye bikini and girl's classic boardshort featured on AZ Central's "Summer Fitness Gear for Women" segment.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Lightning Bolt Surfboards featured in Vogue Magazine
One of Lightning Bolt's surfboard was recently featured in VOGUE Magazine's "Need It Now: Surf's Up" story, along with Alexandra Cassaniti's ever-so-stylish board bags.
“My work is not really about if you’re a surfer or not. People have told me when they wear the bags they feel connected to them. They are aware of my company and how we make each piece, so they feel they’re part of the process," says Cassaniti.
Looks amazing with that Bolt board either way!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Steve Garbarino, editor-at-large, Playboy Magazine
Catching up with Steve Garbarino, editor-at-large, Playboy magazine, and contributing editor, Vanity Fair
"Unpretentious surf- and lifestyle wear, smart enough to not lose touch with its golden-era ‘70s inspiration. Bonfires on the beach with a blonde-haired girl wearing your flannel shirt to stay warm, saddled up to you. The salty, chilly smell of fog burning off the ocean in the early morning, while eating a breakfast burrito at the Ditch Witch stand at Ditch Plains Beach in Montauk by the East Deck Motel."
(On most influential person on the world of surf) “Rabbit” Bartholomew. In the ‘70s, when surfers had a tendency to take themselves a tad too seriously, Wayne brought a rock-and-roll spirit to the proceedings—the same as what Ali brought to boxing: be cocky, but get the job done…with flair and theatricality, and occasionally Falstaffian behavior."
"Nearly ten years ago, I was commissioned by GQ to interview Jonathan at San Onofre for a surfer style piece. Afterwards, we all went to a rib shack by the beach, and laughed and toasted beers. It was just a little taste of the chill that these guys have. And respect they have for each other and even outsiders to the sport and lifestyle."
"Unpretentious surf- and lifestyle wear, smart enough to not lose touch with its golden-era ‘70s inspiration. Bonfires on the beach with a blonde-haired girl wearing your flannel shirt to stay warm, saddled up to you. The salty, chilly smell of fog burning off the ocean in the early morning, while eating a breakfast burrito at the Ditch Witch stand at Ditch Plains Beach in Montauk by the East Deck Motel."
(On most influential person on the world of surf) “Rabbit” Bartholomew. In the ‘70s, when surfers had a tendency to take themselves a tad too seriously, Wayne brought a rock-and-roll spirit to the proceedings—the same as what Ali brought to boxing: be cocky, but get the job done…with flair and theatricality, and occasionally Falstaffian behavior."
"Nearly ten years ago, I was commissioned by GQ to interview Jonathan at San Onofre for a surfer style piece. Afterwards, we all went to a rib shack by the beach, and laughed and toasted beers. It was just a little taste of the chill that these guys have. And respect they have for each other and even outsiders to the sport and lifestyle."
Friday, May 7, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Lightning Bolt featured in California Apparel News
"LEISURE WORLD - Somewhere, well-dressed old men are missing their favorite cardigans, vintage shorts and sensible trousers. For Fall 2010, designers raided their grandfathers' closets for hipster staples. All that's missing is the scent of Old Spice." - CAN, featuring the Pelican Boardshort from Lightning Bolt
Joshua Hunter - Editor in Chief at Transworld Business - Encinitas, CA
"Surf lifestyle is impossible to encapsulate. That’s why companies and brands that don’t truly live a “surf lifestyle” can never get it right when they try and portray it in their marketing and products."
"At Surf Expo, I had on a Lightning Bolt tee on. Randomly out of nowhere Johnathan came over, slapped a one dollar bill in my hand, and said "thanks bud." I don’t think he had a clue who I was, but pretty funny either way."
On the most influential person on the world of surf:
"I’d say it’s a tie between Duke Kahanamoku and Bob McKnight. Each—in their own, very different ways—have introduced surfing to the world."
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL
Every April, Coachella Music Festival attracts nearly 100,000 of grungy, beer-chugging concertgoers to California desert city, Indio. Gossip Girl star Penn Badgley was in attendance Saturday for headliners Muse and Tiesto. Unshaven, sans socks and full of style with his Lightning Bolt Pelican Boardshorts in awesome black, Penn fit right in — looking good!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Surfline.com Boardshort Buyers' Guide is Up for Summer 2010
Lightning Bolt's "Pelican Boardshort" featured on Surfline.com's Boardshort Buyers' Guide.
Lightning Bolt's "Classic Pipe" also featured on Surfline's S10 Guide.
Lightning Bolt's "Classic Pipe" also featured on Surfline's S10 Guide.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Lightning Bolt featured in Sportswear International
Lightning Bolt "Mermaid Tee" featured in Sportswear International - April 2010 issue
Monday, April 12, 2010
Spotted: Gossip Girl's Blake Lively Wears Lightning Bolt
Last weekend, Blake Lively, star of hit show "Gossip Girl," received surf lessons from Jonathan Paskowitz, Lightning Bolt, USA president and pro-surfer Rob Machado. The actress and her boyfriend and co-star, Penn Badgley, were also outfitted in some choice Lightning Bolt pieces. Below, Lively wears Lightning Bolt's Vintage Tee in Lightning Stripe.
Friday, April 9, 2010
BNQT.com - Street Beat: Lightning Bolt
Last week Danny Spyra from BNQT`s street beat came by our office here in Venice, to interview Jonathan. Heres what he had to say:
In this week's Street Beat, we're going retro. The time is the 70s, the place is Hawaii and the brand is Lightning Bolt. What began on the Hawaiian Islands spread rampantly throughout the world. Unfortunately, many infringed on the usage of the Bolt brand logo and it slowly faded away.
However, these past few years there has been a Bolt resurgence. By embracing it's heritage and utilizing some tactical sales practices, the Bolt is back. I recently visited the Lightning Bolt headquarters in Venice Beach, CA, and President Jonathan Paskowitz was stoked to answer my questions. Enjoy!
- Danny Spyra
Read more
Friday, January 8, 2010
Lightning Bolt Hawaii
We headed over to Oahu, Hawaii in December with our fathering company Lightning Bolt Portugal for a surf trip/ photo shoot.
check out the footage from our trip!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
New School Old School
Jed Noll Hosts Lightning BoltUSA team Ambassador Dustin Franks in his New Surf Shop Gallery. Jed talks about what the Old school boards mean to the History of Surfing, and Dustin recalls his intro to riding the classic shapes. Click here to watch the video:)
Monday, May 4, 2009
LIGHTNING BOLT | The Spirit of Surfing
The Spirit of Surfing
by Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz
http://www.alohadoc.com
It was mid morning in Honolulu. My wife, Juliette and I were strolling around Magic Island near Waikiki,
when I heard the sound of an ambulance approaching. Looking up the path I could see a surfer lying on the grass. A small group had gathered about him. Running toward them I found this young Japanese surfer unconscious and terribly wounded. I put a t-shirt over the gash in his chest and leaning close to him I kept repeating, "stay awake son, stay awake the ambulance is coming." The surfer opened his eyes and gazed around him. Then he looked at me and said, "Where's my board?" I had to laugh. "There’s the Spirit of Surfing," I thought.
When I myself was a young surfer in 1936, (I was 15) there really weren't many surfers in the country--maybe 500 to 600 at most. Three of these to me symbolized the "Spirit of Surfing": Preston "Pete Peterson, Lorin "Whitey" Harrison and George "Peanuts" Larson. Each was his own logo so to speak. The logos, the symbols, the emblems we create often define the spirit of our time. 3000 years ago the symbol of one Pharaoh was a Hawk, another a Jackal. People worshiped these images.
In ancient Greece a thousand years before Christ the symbol of a ferocious tribe called the Dorians, was a special curly cue at the top of every marble pillar. The Doric column labeled their architecture. The first king of Rome, Romulus, had a she-wolf as his insignia. Look at the best known figures today--Coca Cola, Ford, Gucci, Burger King, etc.
In 1970 Gerry Lopez and Jack Shipley started a surf shop they called “Lightning Bolt Surfboards”. A colored lightning bolt was on the deck of every board they sold. Next year Jeff Hakman won the first Pipeline Masters with a Lightning Bolt on his surfboard. Gerry Lopez won this event twice in a row in 1972 and1973 a Lightning Bolt on his 6-9 pintail. Actually Lopez had been putting lightning bolts on his surfboards since 1969.
In the mid '70s, when "Rocky" and "Star Wars" were the rage, Rory Russell, Gerry's best pal, goofy foot like Gerry, also won the Pipeline twice in a row. Of course he also had a Lightning Bolt on his 6-8 roundtail.
The short board revolution spanned the decade of the Seventies. Boards went from 9-6 to 6-9. Jeff Crawford, Shaun Tomson and Mark Richards won the Pipeline championships, sporting Lightning Bolt labels on their boards.
The Lightning Bolt was the spirit of surfing for the 70's. No other logo before or since has dominated the surfing media as has the label of The Lightning Bolt.
THE BOLT IS BACK
by Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz
http://www.alohadoc.com
It was mid morning in Honolulu. My wife, Juliette and I were strolling around Magic Island near Waikiki,
when I heard the sound of an ambulance approaching. Looking up the path I could see a surfer lying on the grass. A small group had gathered about him. Running toward them I found this young Japanese surfer unconscious and terribly wounded. I put a t-shirt over the gash in his chest and leaning close to him I kept repeating, "stay awake son, stay awake the ambulance is coming." The surfer opened his eyes and gazed around him. Then he looked at me and said, "Where's my board?" I had to laugh. "There’s the Spirit of Surfing," I thought.
When I myself was a young surfer in 1936, (I was 15) there really weren't many surfers in the country--maybe 500 to 600 at most. Three of these to me symbolized the "Spirit of Surfing": Preston "Pete Peterson, Lorin "Whitey" Harrison and George "Peanuts" Larson. Each was his own logo so to speak. The logos, the symbols, the emblems we create often define the spirit of our time. 3000 years ago the symbol of one Pharaoh was a Hawk, another a Jackal. People worshiped these images.
In ancient Greece a thousand years before Christ the symbol of a ferocious tribe called the Dorians, was a special curly cue at the top of every marble pillar. The Doric column labeled their architecture. The first king of Rome, Romulus, had a she-wolf as his insignia. Look at the best known figures today--Coca Cola, Ford, Gucci, Burger King, etc.
In 1970 Gerry Lopez and Jack Shipley started a surf shop they called “Lightning Bolt Surfboards”. A colored lightning bolt was on the deck of every board they sold. Next year Jeff Hakman won the first Pipeline Masters with a Lightning Bolt on his surfboard. Gerry Lopez won this event twice in a row in 1972 and1973 a Lightning Bolt on his 6-9 pintail. Actually Lopez had been putting lightning bolts on his surfboards since 1969.
In the mid '70s, when "Rocky" and "Star Wars" were the rage, Rory Russell, Gerry's best pal, goofy foot like Gerry, also won the Pipeline twice in a row. Of course he also had a Lightning Bolt on his 6-8 roundtail.
The short board revolution spanned the decade of the Seventies. Boards went from 9-6 to 6-9. Jeff Crawford, Shaun Tomson and Mark Richards won the Pipeline championships, sporting Lightning Bolt labels on their boards.
The Lightning Bolt was the spirit of surfing for the 70's. No other logo before or since has dominated the surfing media as has the label of The Lightning Bolt.
THE BOLT IS BACK
lightning Strikes Twice...
"LIGHTNING
STRIKES TWICE"
by Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz
http://www.alohadoc.com
It was a chilly morning on the beach at "Zippers" in San Jose del Cabo, Baja Mexico. In the distance I saw a lone figure standing on the sand looking at the ocean. As I drew closer I recognized Gerry Lopez.
I walked up to him, put out my hand and he greeted me warmly, which pleased me very much. I'd known Gerry Lopez since he was a little boy, Maybe 9 or 10, when he was just learning to surf at "Baby Queens" in Waikiki. I knew his Mom who was a school teacher in Honolulu.
We stood there "talking story" for about half an hour, but all the while I was remembering those exciting days in the late sixties and seventies, when Gerry was known as "Mr. Pipeline" I recalled him riding with such grace and elegance on the wave considered to be the most dangerous surf spot in the world. Someone died at Pipeline every other year.
When we parted I kind of laughed to myself reminded of the time Jeff Hakman won the Pipeline Masters in 1971--the first Pipeline Masters. Gerry didn't even show up because that mongoose, Corky Carroll told him the contest was postponed.
Several special surfers had greatly influenced Lopez in the early days of his career: The "silky smooth" surfing of Paul Strauch and Jock Sutherland,deep tube rider who was the worlds greatest switch foot surfer. Sutherland had won the Duke Invitational in '67 and was known for having ridden big surf, Waimea at night. Jock Sutherland was also mentor to Gerrys' pal, the happy go lucky Rory Russell. Both had won the Pipeline Masters twice
in a row--Lopez '72 and '73, Russell, '76 and '77.
As Fate would have it, in 1968 when Rory was 15 and passionately in love with surfing his folks moved to the North Shore in a beach house right next to Jock Sutherland.
Jock informally guided Rory to become a master of the Pipeline, finishing in the championship, '73 to '78 third, second, second, first, first and second.
The symbol of the Pipeline in that decade was the Lightning Bolt. It became the symbol of the short board revolution ----the colorful emblem on the deck of goofy foot Gerry Lopez 6’-9” pin tail and goofy footer Rory Russells 6’-8” round tail. There was a Lightning Bolt logo on the boards of many of the North Shore champions: Mark Richards, Rabbit Bartholomew, Shawn Tomson and Lady Margo. And of course the great Jeff Hakman. As surfing historian, Matt Warshaw put it "...no board making label before or since has dominated the surf media the way Bolt did in the mid-70's.
NOW IN 2009 THE BOLT IS BACK Like his predecessor, Duke Boyd, the financial wizard of Lightning Bolt and Hang Ten, Jonathan Paskowitz, past marketing executive of the ultra successful Black Flys eye wear company is hoisting anew the ensign of the Lightning Bolt up the masthead of the present global surfing industry.
Aloha,
Doc
STRIKES TWICE"
by Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz
http://www.alohadoc.com
It was a chilly morning on the beach at "Zippers" in San Jose del Cabo, Baja Mexico. In the distance I saw a lone figure standing on the sand looking at the ocean. As I drew closer I recognized Gerry Lopez.
I walked up to him, put out my hand and he greeted me warmly, which pleased me very much. I'd known Gerry Lopez since he was a little boy, Maybe 9 or 10, when he was just learning to surf at "Baby Queens" in Waikiki. I knew his Mom who was a school teacher in Honolulu.
We stood there "talking story" for about half an hour, but all the while I was remembering those exciting days in the late sixties and seventies, when Gerry was known as "Mr. Pipeline" I recalled him riding with such grace and elegance on the wave considered to be the most dangerous surf spot in the world. Someone died at Pipeline every other year.
When we parted I kind of laughed to myself reminded of the time Jeff Hakman won the Pipeline Masters in 1971--the first Pipeline Masters. Gerry didn't even show up because that mongoose, Corky Carroll told him the contest was postponed.
Several special surfers had greatly influenced Lopez in the early days of his career: The "silky smooth" surfing of Paul Strauch and Jock Sutherland,deep tube rider who was the worlds greatest switch foot surfer. Sutherland had won the Duke Invitational in '67 and was known for having ridden big surf, Waimea at night. Jock Sutherland was also mentor to Gerrys' pal, the happy go lucky Rory Russell. Both had won the Pipeline Masters twice
in a row--Lopez '72 and '73, Russell, '76 and '77.
As Fate would have it, in 1968 when Rory was 15 and passionately in love with surfing his folks moved to the North Shore in a beach house right next to Jock Sutherland.
Jock informally guided Rory to become a master of the Pipeline, finishing in the championship, '73 to '78 third, second, second, first, first and second.
The symbol of the Pipeline in that decade was the Lightning Bolt. It became the symbol of the short board revolution ----the colorful emblem on the deck of goofy foot Gerry Lopez 6’-9” pin tail and goofy footer Rory Russells 6’-8” round tail. There was a Lightning Bolt logo on the boards of many of the North Shore champions: Mark Richards, Rabbit Bartholomew, Shawn Tomson and Lady Margo. And of course the great Jeff Hakman. As surfing historian, Matt Warshaw put it "...no board making label before or since has dominated the surf media the way Bolt did in the mid-70's.
NOW IN 2009 THE BOLT IS BACK Like his predecessor, Duke Boyd, the financial wizard of Lightning Bolt and Hang Ten, Jonathan Paskowitz, past marketing executive of the ultra successful Black Flys eye wear company is hoisting anew the ensign of the Lightning Bolt up the masthead of the present global surfing industry.
Aloha,
Doc
Authors
note : This article could not have been accurate without the help of
Matt Warshaw and his fascinating, "Encyclopedia of Surfing".
Saturday, April 25, 2009
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