The Other Guy | Interview

Lets start off with a little introduction, tell us about yourself.

My name Is Trevor Gusikoski. I’m a husband, a dad, i love to paint and make shirts, i rarely sleep much, i’m addicted to caffeine and i like angry music. Pretty much sums me up in a sentence.

What is The Other Guy? What does it stand for or mean?

I’m The Other Guy, It’s a nickname i got a long time ago.
What does it stand for?....don’t follow people, don’t be like everyone else, do your own thing, do what you want to do...be the other guy.

Art comes in many forms, what are some of your favourite styles?

graffiti, when it’s done well, i love it. I’ve never tried to do it, i have no urge to try it, but it’s one of my favourites.
 t-shirts (obviously). you can say a lot with a single t-shirt (they can be offensive, religious, funny, evil....) because it’s right there in peoples faces, people notice them and look at them all day everyday, it’s a form of art that most people don’t think twice about or care about, but it’s everywhere.

They say art is like a sport, where you have to be hours and hours in before becoming good at it. Would you agree with this or did art come more naturally to you?

i agree, i have been drawing/painting since i was a little kid, but to get good at it, you have to put some time in, lots of time, practice and patience.

Is painting something that you have taken up on your own or has someone been there to teach and guide you?

everything i do, draw/paint/illustrator/photoshop is all self taught, i took the time and figured out how things work and what works best for me. I did take art classes throughout high school (and learned a lot about air brushing) but that was mainly because i hated school and they were an easy credit.

Pieces of art can be found for literally nothing or millions of dollars, how is art given a price?

i'm not totally sure, this is just my opinion....i feel like it's all in the 'name' of the artist, which to me, is stupid. Their are some artists out there who put everything they have into every piece they make/design and they are just scraping by, but then some one with a 'popular' name just quickly throws something together with no thought is selling millions....makes no sense to me at all.

Do you have any priceless pieces of art that you would never consider selling?

i have a lot of toys, and a lot that i really like, i have a chrome Terminator Bearbrick that i’ve never seen another one, but, i guess for the right price i’d sell them haha

Hobbies are not only important to people because they’re fun and pass the time, but they often have a deeper meaning. Are there any reasons why you continue to work on pieces other than personal enjoyment?

yeah, i won’t get into deep detail, but, i have a few health/medical conditions that i’ve been in and out of the hospital for for the past 5-10 years. When i’m painting, they don’t seem to matter, i don’t think about them. I know it probably sounds weird or crazy, but painting is one of the very few things that i can do to totally take my mind off of everything.

Favourite artist?

Suedehead, Johnny Crap, Drop, Bryan Espiritu (it would be a dream to ever work with any of them)

Favourite piece of art?

that i own? ‘Yore Demons’ by Bryan Espiritu

Favourite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon in the city?

go swimming, go to the park or go for a walk with my wife and daughter (and Elvis)

Three things you never leave your house without.

simple. keys, wallet, phone. yes i’m one of those people who has his phone all the time, that’s mainly how i’m The Other Guy.

Any Last Words?

shut your mouth, and open your eyes.

Follow The Other Guy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

And stay tuned for a giveaway!

Yours Truly

Plains Hardware | Interview

To start things off, give us a little introduction of yourself.

Hi, I’m Derek, I just started a skateboard hardware company called Plains because I love skateboarding and want to contribute positively to its growth in Canada.

A lot of people have a “light bulb” moment when coming up with a business idea, did you have one?

It started when my brother and I were making t-shirts a few years ago and we were talking about possibly sponsoring some skateboarders. To me it’s weird for a clothing company to sponsor skateboarders so I started to think of products we could make that could actually be used by skaters. Nothing ever happened with that but I always had that thought in my brain of how rad it would be to sell some legit skate products. Then I made some more t-shirts on my own and found it somewhat unfulfilling. If I was going to have a “brand” and be involved in skateboarding it had to be through a proper company and for me, hardware was the perfect choice.

Is this a project that you have been working alone on? Do you have a partner or mentor, or are you going in solo?

On the business side it’s been just me. A photographer friend of mine basically set up the team for me as a favour and I still can’t thank him enough.

And the name? How was Plains chosen?

I had this name in my head for other things I had been working on but never used it. I wanted something simple that didn’t have any inherent meaning attached to it and also a name that could somewhat describe the company as well. Plains is perfect as a nod to the type of design aesthetic and skating I prefer as well as representing where the company comes from geographically.

Do you have a vision for Plains?

To support Canadian skateboarders and skateboarding any way we can.

The skate industry is filled with large corporations and well matured companies. What generally stops smaller companies like Plains find success and growth in the market? Could be a variety of things. Maybe someone got into it for the wrong rea$on$, maybe their products suck, maybe they don’t sponsor the right skaters? It also depends on how you choose to measure success. To someone success means getting rich, to someone else it means making a living, for me at this point success is getting the company launched and having such a good team backing it and the best stores that are willing to stock it.

Past experiences lead us to our present. What sort of projects have you done previously that have given you experience?

Well as I mentioned earlier I did a t-shirt company with my brother from ’08-’11 called Single Second. We had a lot of fun doing that and learned about everything involved in producing clothing and trying to sell it to strangers. Then when we stopped doing that I kept making clothing under the brand name Heathens which is still sort of going but is now on hold so I can focus on Plains. So I had experience in starting a couple companies as well as learning how to promote them, even though I’m pretty sure I was awful at that part.

With these previous endeavors, do you have any advice for entrepreneurs?

Over 6 years ago my brother and I had an idea to make some t-shirts and be a Canadian “streetwear” brand, we put out a few designs and sent a few emails, our stuff ended up on some of the biggest blogs and websites in that scene and we sold out a number of designs fairly quick. If you really want to do something then do it, it sounds dumb but it’s that simple. Your own thoughts and doubts are usually the biggest hurdle to get over when doing something creative. But the best form of advice I could give would be to always do your own thing and to learn when to do things by yourself and when to ask for help.

Where can someone find and buy your products?

Right now Plains is stocked at Ninetimes and Momentum in Saskatoon, Tiki Room in Regina and New Board Shop in Moose Jaw. Hopefully we’ll be adding a whole bunch more locally owned skateshops before the end of summer.

Saskatoon hidden gem skatespot?

The west side. I drive by cool spots all the time but they all need to be broken in (waxed,fixed,swept etc.) and most of them would need to be skated at night. 

All time favourite professional skateboarder?

Keenan Milton

Favourite place to grab a quick bite?

EE Burritos on 22^nd

Any final words?

Keep skateboarding fun!

Thanks Derek for your time and your story. You can see what Derek has been up to via social media, hit the link to view the Plains' Facebook and Instagram.

Yours Truly

Oak + Oar | Interview

What’s your name and tell us a little bit about yourself.

Chris Watchorn. I’m a University of Manitoba Graphic Design grad who was fortunate enough to get an internship opportunity with New York based company 3sixteen following completion of my Honors Degree. The internship confirmed my passion for design and allowed me the opportunity to get some hands on training in all aspects of running a successful business. From there I decided to move back to Winnipeg and start Oak + Oar alongside my full time job as a designer/product developer at FXR Racing (action sports outerwear).

What is Oak + Oar?

Oak + Oar is a creative outlet for me built around graphic tees and fleece. The name in particular stems from a failed outing on the lake with an unpredictable 9.9 Evinrude. I won’t bore you with the whole story but it’s on the blog if people want to check it out.

Oak + Oar also serves as a platform to put forth some of the stories, music and products that I am inspired or interested in. One of the highlights for me this past year was our Homegrown video series that I put together with friends of mine at Nice!Productions. I encourage people to check it out on the website.

Where and what does the inspiration come from?

Pretty much everything in the collection has come to fruition during weekends spent at our family cottage in the Whiteshell out on the deck or the water. With that said I draw inspiration from just about everything. From the creative people I surround myself with to the photos you guys post on Instagram.  I like to think inspiration can come from even the routine and mundane.

Before doing Oak + Oar, did you gain experience or knowledge from other activities and projects?

I have never been one to be content with just sitting still and always like to have some sort of project on the go. For me it started with a charity event called Face Off for a Cure. Essentially an event I planned where a crew of us raised money for the Canadian Cancer Society while temporarily securing a spot in the Guinness World Record book for longest street hockey game.  This led to an art show I put on in association with Vans called the 1 of 1 Project, which raised money for the Children’s Hospital of Manitoba and featured the likes of Mark Dean Veca, Blaine Fontana and Phil Annand.

But of all the experiences I would say the most influential stemmed from having the opportunity to interview a couple of the industries most respected which included Ben Shenassafar and Bobby Kim (The Hundreds), Benny Gold and Greg Rivera (Mishka) for a University assignment. It was during my interview with Greg at Magic that I met Johan and Andrew, owners of 3sixteen and Self Edge New York, who let me tag around with them for the weekend before offering me the opportunity to work with them for a 6-month internship in their New York office.

One of our contributors (Brennan), used to follow your old blog “The Life After Midnight” which is now the name of Fall/Winter 2012 line-up. What does that mean to you and how does it relate to the clothing that you put out?

Thanks Brennan. I started that blog the night I interviewed Bobby Kim. I got back to my hotel and started transcribing the interview for my class on the Monday. As I began, I started to research the people and brands he mentioned in his interview and realized my knowledge of art and clothing was only the surface. Through the blog I began documenting the products and people as a visual record of the stuff I was inspired by.

I always wanted to build a collection around this theme though. For me personally the hours after Midnight are always the most productive for me. It’s the time when I can focus on my creativity a bit more freely. The best stuff and ideas for me always come after midnight. The theme seemed to be a no brainer transitioned into lake life. The hours after midnight always seem to be the hours when people let their true colours and personalities show, which in turn seem to generate the best stories and memories.  

What are your favourite pieces from this current collection?  

I don’t know if I have a one specific favourite. I am a big hoodie guy (sorry bunny hug), so I would say the Life After Midnight hood. It was penned by our homie Sergey Shapiro who is one of the most talent typographers/calligraphers I have ever seen. I definitely take pride in the quality and fit of our hoodies. That and I was really stoked on the pocket tees and the tonal Oak + Oar stuff.

What can we expect to see in the upcoming collection?

I kind of take it in stride. The nice thing about just selling primarily through the online store is I can really leave it to last second and create pieces I am really into at that specific time instead of designing product a year in advance and trying to forecast what I might be into in a years time. This summer though I think I will take cues from everyone’s favourite cabin pastime…and no it’s not drinking.

I have heard that you donate some of the profits to organizations, who have you guys been involved with in the past?

 I understand that people can spend their hard earned money on a million different things and support hundreds of other brands. So when people decide to support Oak + Oar it only seems right to further extend this support to something greater then a t-shirt. This year I partnered with and cut a cheque for the Masicgine Children’s Home in South Africa. I had the opportunity to spend a couple weeks there and it seemed like a very fitting first partnership. They do incredible work. I am still looking into options for this year but I am leaning towards taking the proceeds and invest them directly back into the local community. Not sure how this will look quite yet but have some ideas.

It must make you proud seeing people support the things you put out and I don’t know if our readers have seen but “The Life After Midnight” Fall/Winter 2012 was posted on Complex. How did you manage to get on their website?

That’s just one of those lucky things I guess. I sent out a couple press releases and had a few sites post it. I am always reading Complex Fashion blog and Matt Welty always has his finger on cool products so I sent him a message on Twitter and he must have checked it out and thought there was some merit to it.

Like Oak + Oar, there are many companies entering the market. Do you have any advice of how to survive in the dog eat dog world of the fashion industry?

As redundant as it sounds you have to design for yourself. If you aren’t compiling a collection of stuff you yourself would want to wear you won’t have any fun doing it. You really can’t concern yourself with what others are doing. That and take care of the small things. Fit, quality and details go a long way. Any way you can differentiate yourself while staying true to your vision goes a long way. I guess an example of this is I wanted to put something small in with every order. In the end I went with a guitar pick. For our group it seems that the guitar always makes its way out around the bonfire so best to be prepared.

Where can people purchase your clothing?

The full collection is available at www.oakandoar.com/shop and also stocked in Winnipeg at The Urban Bakery.

Who is your celebrity wifey?

 My real, born in Saskatoon - former Evan Hardy Soul wife might not approve but I am a fan of Kate Beckinsale’s “acting” abilities.

Top three favourite sneakers? 

I am a Vans Era/Authentic guy. I have this thing where I hate wearing socks so I don’t feel bad when I have to toss a pair of these away. Something about a fresh pair of white Eras.

With that said my top three sneakers would be 1) Ronnie Fieg Asic Gel Lyte III Salmon Toe 2) Parra x Patta x Nike Air Max 1 3) Concepts x Nike SB Dunk Low 'Red Lobster'

Favourite beverage?

Arizona Green Tea

Favourite movie?

Happy Gilmore. That is a cabin must have.

Favourite midnight snack?

Brownies.

Favourite clothing brands?

3sixteen, Wings + Horns, Reigning Champ, Benny Gold.

Chris, I know in the past that you make the odd trip to Saskatoon. I am curious about the things that you do and the places that you stop at while visiting.

Saskatoon is one of my favourite cities. Seems each time I am back the city has expanded ten fold. We have a lot of friends and family in Saskatoon so most of our time is spent visiting and though me make frequent trips they always seem to be short ones. My wife's family is over in Erindale so I usually make point of stopping in at Momentum off Attridge which usually leads me over to the 8th street spot. Asif and the team at Momentum really have one of the best curated shops I have been into so I love to swing by there and harass him, check out what's new. If it's winter I usually try to take in a Blades game as well. Next time I'm hitting you guys up for a taste of the town.

Any last words?

Thanks for the opportunity. I am a big fan of the blog so it's cool to finally connect. Thanks to everyone in Saskatoon for supporting the brand. Listen to Saint Kris haha.

Thanks to Chris for spending time for us and stay tuned for a contest that we will introduce this weekend!

You can follow Chris on Twitter and Instagram at @OakandOar.

Yours Truly

Interview: Phil Mainville A.K.A. CTRL

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Phil Mainville, also known as CTRL, is a resident DJ at many locations across the city, between 302 Discotheque on Wednesdays and Beily's Ultralounge on Saturdays, Phil releases Always Killing It, a monthly hour and a half mix that ranges from Indie Dance to Dubstep and everything in between.

A few months ago I got a chance to ask Phil a few questions, and this is the short and skinny of it.

When and why did you start DJ'ing?
I started DJing around Christmas '09. I had fallen in love with Justice and after watching their documentary 'A Cross The Universe' and Daft Punk's 'Alive 2007' I knew that DJing was something I'd like to try.

What was your starting gear and what are you using now?
Scratching was never my goal so instead of getting vinyl turntables I wanted a setup that was digital with lots of versatility. At that time, the Pioneer 400 series had recently been released and were some of the first turntables to also double over as midi controllers. So I purchased 2 CDJ-400s and a DJM-400. Shortly after I purchased a Serato SL1 interface to run Serato Scratch Live, as well as an Akai MPK Mini for additional midi control.


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What DJ software do you use?
I've only given Serato Scratch Live a worthy amount of time, however Traktor is something I'd like to try one day.

Biggest influence?
Justice and Daft Punk are probably my favorite artists. They both have heavy rock influences as well as unique images with Justice's religious feel and Daft Punk's robotic disguise. Other influential artists include MSTRKRFT, Boys Noize, The Bloody Beetroots, SebastiAn.

There's always been a big stink about using sync to match BPMs when DJ'ing, what'd you think of it?
Sync is fine as long as you're spending your time doing other things to wow the crowd. It's simple in a Top 40 ultralounge where they mostly care about what you're playing instead of how you're delivering it. And at EDM shows most of my music stays between 125-132 BMP, therefore what's the difference between hitting 1 button and tweaking the tempo/jog?



Be sure to check out more of CTRL's mixes, every first day of the month, located on his Soundcloud page: Always Killing It
Also if you like what you heard, you can like CTRL on Facebook.

YXE: WakeUp Apparel

How was the name “WakeUp” chosen?

I got the idea while driving back from the lake last Summer. I was bouncing around ideas with Malerie. I wanted to do something that makes a difference while selling clothing to create awareness. Initially, “Wake” was chosen because of water sports and “up” was chosen to get people up and active. But when I put more thought into it, I really wanted to integrate the ideology of “waking up” and being aware that we take a lot of our great times for granted and there are youth out there that experience none of it especially the lake life. The Canadian Summer is the best season of the year and we want to share that with youth who don’t have the opportunity to experience it.

What does your business do?

WakeUp Apparel is a non-profit organization. There are two aspects to the business. First is the apparel side, sales of clothing stay within the organization to go towards camps and the shirts are only the beginning of a full apparel line. The brand is to be run like a regular clothing company.

The second part of the business is the operation of day-long wakeboard and youth development camps. The wake camps provide youth who do not have the opportunity to get out and experience the things we get such as going on a boat, hanging out with friends and hanging out at the beach. The camp teaches kids how to wakeboard or water ski and maybe wakesurf. The camps will also provide the youth with leadership and goal-setting skills to empower them make positive life choices.

Who it benefits?

We have begun to meet with an assortment of organization within the community to develop partnerships to ensure that we are positively reaching out and impacting a deserving group of youth in the community. That is our number one focus for the organization and it always will be. That being said, we also like to think that other parties involved with the development of our programs are also benefitting. When we seek out corporate sponsors, we want to ensure their contribution, whether is it in-kind or cash based, is fully recognized and aligned with their nature of business.

How it benefits?

First off, the youth who attend our camps are going to experience some of the best of times out on the water. That being said, we can rely on that alone to empower them to make positive life choices. Sure, it may motivate them to strive to be able to afford a massive boat but we aren’t shooting for that. The organization will be recruiting committee members and board members to ensure that our camps are powerful and motivating on a personal level with the attendees. I want them to leave with skills that will enable them to make the right choices in life, to be motivated to lead others, and to create positive examples of their actions to their peers.

What is the yearly plan for Wake Up Apparel?

The focus this year is the camps (self sustained and growth)

There will be three camps this summer, which have already been budgeted for and after only a few weeks of operations, we are very much on track with that. The support has been gratifying and overwhelming. Approximately 10 kids will attend each camp in July and August at Blackstrap Lake, if the support continues to grow, we will be able to either increase attendance or hold another camp. The camps encompass water sports lessons, semi-pro demonstration, leadership and goal setting sessions, campfires, meals, as well as some swag for the children and a series of photos and videos to capture memories.

How can people contribute?

First off, purchasing a shirt or any product. Since we are a non-profit organization, we are retaining all of the revenue within it so every item sold will have a direct impact on the success of the organization.  

Business can get involved through strategic partnerships. Properly aligning their offerings to our offerings. For example, gear, printing, food and cash donations. Businesses will be recognized for it. We will also be developing some pretty sweet marketing campaigns that will require the assistance of in-kind sponsorship. This will not only allow us to offer some wicked prizes for these campaigns but it will also allow for businesses to receive substantial recognition alongside.

We also have various volunteer positions available. We are seeking committee members, who will directly work in the planning of our camps, advisory board members, who will oversee the committee members, as well as an assortment of camp volunteers that will be present during the day-long wake camps.

History in the industry

I grew up spending my summers at Murray Lake, Saskatchewan. I spent every summer there for two months a year. My family has been involved in water sports for my entire life. I started with water skiing at a young age and then began wake boarding which lead to wake surfing. The past two summers I have been teaching friends and kids of friends how to surf behind the boat. Seeing their expressions and the sheer joy they had just rocked my world. From surfing without the rope or just getting up, it was always such a blast!

One thing you can’t leave the house without?

I am so reliant on my iPhone. I could probably leave without pants before I could separate from it.

Favourite beverage?

Hands down, Dr. Pepper. I swear I could drink about 15 of them… Just like Forest Gump.

Celebrity wifey?

Good question… I don’t even know…

Favourite restaurant?

Would people frown at me if I said McDonalds… Kidding. Umm… I have three go-to places in the city that I will always love. Sushiro, Amigos, and The Wok.

Who inspires you?

My number 1 is Steve Jobs for so many reasons. 1. His ability to communicate his vision and passion for Apple was huge. If more people could do that with businesses today, we would have so many awesome entrepreneurs out there. Thankfully people are getting better at it and there are so many cool ventures popping up in our own backyard because of this! 2. He rarely gave a sh*t about what others thought of him and his ideas. I think that is what made him so successful. The more people spend hiding from other’s nasty comments and jealousy, the greater chances for them lose focus of what they love.

Locally though, there are so many stunners out there doing amazing things and that is driving me to do something awesome too. You have people like Bryan McCrea of 3Twenty, Ainsley Robertson of The Princess Shop, David Luba and the Emsley bros at Ten Tree, and Kendal Netmaker of Neechie Gear to name a few. These people, all young, are leading a generation of game changers, they are going against what is “safe and secure” and are creating the most amazing of ventures. I come across more ever so often and that just goes to show how awesome some of the people are right here in Saskatchewan.  

Any last words?

If you just sit there in school, finish your assignments and get your good grades, you receive a piece of pretty paper in return. You and 5,000 others. Make your move. 

Check out his website and his social media accounts below:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Thanks Toran for spending time with us to do an interview. Good luck in the future.

Yours Truly