Homebase Skateshop | Bethlehem PA » lost soul skateboards

for all your modern needs

homebase — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:30:08 +0000

Lost Soul Skateboards represents a good portion of what’s lacking in skateboarding . . . in my mind at least.

They and all the other skateboard brands that decide they want their board company to have a certain feel, go in a specific art direction and represent a style of skateboarding make skating unique. So what if it’s not for everyone or if some people don’t understand it. For those who understand it, it’s for them.

In 2010, Lost Soul under the new owner ship of Ray Gurz put out Modern Needs. Not just because they’re my homies, but I like this video. I like direction Max Zahradnik went with the editing. I like the music selection for the video- even though it’s not what I listen to in my own time. Ehhhhh, enough ranting from me, watch and decide for yourself.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Modern Needs

We may not carry every independent brand out there but we do our best to support the ones we can. Lost Soul’s full line of boards and DVD copies of Modern Needs are available at Homebase. Thanks to everyone who supports independent skateboarding.

the thursday drop: diamond supply co, l-r-g, herschel bags, lost soul, homebase & hardgoods

homebase — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:22:22 +0000

Let this be fair warning:

Nothing like a Diamond Supply Co delivery to get people running into the shop and the phone ringing off the hook. All I’m saying is if you want your size, then move quick.

The Diamond x Hall of Fame T-Shirts and New Era Snapbacks. If you’re a size large, I hope you roll through tomorrow because I can promise you they’ll all be gone by Sunday.

See the rest at the bottom after the jump. . .

L-R-G is already prepping you for Back to School. Oh, did I just type that? Yeah I did, and the freshest freshmen know not to wait til the Fall if you want to take the rest of those mall shopping kids to school on the first day.

But before it starts we still got tank tops for the Summer.

Remember that panda from the 9 Year BBQ? He’s back. . .

Herschel Supply knows that that bag with all those zippers, random straps and pockets is played out. Keep it clean homie.

New styles of classic backpacks and duffel bags so you don’t look like a child when you step outside.

Lost Soul Skateboards just released their Summer catalog and Homebase was the 1st shop to get the new decks.

We also just got a re-up in the classic Homebase Deck in 8.0, 8.25 and 8.5 with more on the way. They come in hunter orange because its spot hunting season on the streets.

“Not Another Transworld Video” is one of TWS’s best DVDs yet. Even Billy agrees and he hates on everything!

Wheels, trucks, tools, wax, pads and more. We got everything to keep you rolling.

See everything after the jump. . .

cutting it up with andy v. (nyuck, nyuck)

homebase — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:30:50 +0000

Andy Vasquez is a talented individual- on and off his board but he’d never tell you that. I’ve known him since his early BM2K days and have been proudly watching him mature from the sidelines into an amazingly creative friend. His latest venture is his wood working company and website: www.AndyVasquezFurniture.com. He had one of the most unique art shows at Homebase a while back so it was nice to catch up with him and his creations when he brought in a Pennslyvania shaped cutting board into Homebase.

So how are things going with Andy Vasquez Furniture these days?

Things are going well. I’m working on pieces whenever I’m not at the ‘Za or at home, doing things around the house. And when I’m not in Kutztown, I’m trying to work on the website (www.andyvasquezfurniture.com), and sketch new ideas for future pieces. Basically, I’m not able to be in the studio all day, every day anymore, but I’m not trying to stay productive with furniture, as well as skate as much as I can.

You’ve been an artistic for as long as we’ve known you V, but how long have you been working with wood?

I was always helping my Dad with projects around the house, learning the basics like using a drill, circular saw, and jigsaw. And then, when I was picking classes one semester for my Art Education major about 3 years ago, and I saw that Wood Design was an elective I could take, and seemed like a very logical class to take being that I thought I had a little bit of knowledge already and I could combine functionality with a more artful approach. And to be honest, I wasn’t that into it at first, but the next semester I was finding myself using woodworking in most of my projects for other classes. So I gave furniture making another shot, and I was hooked thereafter. I can say the furniture making and skateboarding are similar in that it’s so meticulous to learn your basic tricks and basic methods, but once you have those down you’re free take all different approaches and really put your own voice into the activity.

What kinds of pieces have you made? What’s the funniest piece you’ve created and what’s been the most challenging?

A lot of my older pieces come from an approach to make functional sculpture, and while my work can still be considered as such, I’m looking to address function and aesthetic more now, while still having some content involved. For instance, I’ve been working on this Neo-Nakashima series for almost a year now, and that’s been both the funnest and funniest (I couldn’t tell if you’re question had a typo in it, haha). [Po: I did mean funnest!]

I love making those pieces because it’s mostly all in the moment. I have basic sketches, but there’s no way to make the supporting structures match a sketch with how complicated they are. And I would say they’re funny in a way, because I throwing in some historical reference to George Nakashima, a world-renowned furniture maker, who worked in New Hope, PA as a matter of fact. Nakashima made these beautiful, but very simple pieces of furniture, utilizing natural slabs. While, I love Nakashima’s work, I really don’t care for all of the people who have just kind of ripped off his style.

I think of it in the same way that you can really admire the way someone skates, or paints, but I can’t get behind skating or painting exactly like someone.

So I think or my Neo-nakashima pieces as being an homage to Nakashima, while putting my own style into it, and poking a little fun at those who have directly copied Nakashima.

Sorry, I’m going on forever, but to wrap this up: My most challenging piece was definitely my City Grid coffee table. I was experimenting with combining the use of copper and wood in equally complicated construction methods.

While some of my other pieces took just as much time if not more to create, this one was the most difficult because throughout the last half of the project I kept realizing, “This isn’t me.” But I completed it to have the experience of really working through a piece that I didn’t feel was really my own, or all that exciting.

Being a fan of all things local and PA related, we’re obviously fans of the State of Pennsylvania cutting boards but what gave you the idea?

Well I set out to make smaller items, so that I could have pieces that were affordable by people in similar financial situations as myself. I can’t remember exactly how the idea came to me, but I remember being very enthusiastic after I thought of it because up until that point, making cutting boards seemed so familiar and unexciting to me. I’m happy to be able to show my pride in my upbringing (and current location) and make something that people can relate to and use.

What do you suggest we cut these cutting boards?

Ha, well I know myself and fellow PA cutting board owner, Giancarlo Demarchi, use ours for vegetables and tofu, but you’re free to cut whatever you’d like on it, I do not preach. I use a food safe finish on all my cutting boards, so if it’s food, and you can cut it, aaaaand you’ve got some PA pride, I’ve got a cutting board just for you, haha.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Say I’m just your average skater reading this interview and I want an Andy Vasquez cutting board- where can I by one?

I have them for sale at Home and Planet on 3rd Street in Southside Bethlehem, and I just got them into Loose Threads boutique across the street from Homebase. I make them in smaller and larger sizes, so if they don’t have what you’re looking for in-stock, or aren’t in the immediate area, you can e-mail me at andy@andyvasquezfurniture.com, and I’ll get you what you’re looking for. At any location, the small boards are $20 and the larger boards are $25, and come in oak or walnut (locally harvested, and from scrap pieces whenever possible).

Have you had any shoes (shows) lately and are there any coming up?

I’ve read this question over and over again, trying to figure out why what shoes I’ve worn lately have to do with my furniture and cutting boards, haha. But I have had some SHOWS lately, haha. I just had a solo show in Kutztown in April, I was in a group fibers show in Reading in March, and I had pieces in the Senior Show for my furniture design degree at Kutztown in April as well. I will be in a group show opening July 1st at the Eckhaus in Kutztown, and I’m really psyched for it. The show is called Wood and Evil, and it features myself, Alex Echevarria, Sydney Howell, Mark Mahoskey, Martha Summer, Darren Beck, Kevin Travers, and I believe a few others. I excited for the show because while I will have furniture in the show, the other work will be painting and sculpture, and I think it will be a really good mix, because I think our work has a lot of commonalities. Also, we’re really committed to transforming the gallery and even ourselves, because the show is all about the appearance and texture of wood. I’m leaving the evil part as a surprise. I will be posting more info about the show soon.How do we find out about future projects for Andy Vasquez?

I just started a blog to go along with my website, so I’m trying to stay current with updating the blog to give a glimpse of how the pieces are made, and also to provide unofficial photos of completed pieces before I get around to having them professionally photographed. www.andyvasquezfurniture.com/blog.html

Thank you very much, Po, and thanks to everyone who read this.

No, thank you V.

thursday drop: prizes piling up for the bbq & new goods this week

homebase — Fri, 20 May 2011 01:23:55 +0000

So just in case you’ve been under a rock, THIS SUNDAY is the Homebase 9-Year Anniversary BBQ.

Prizes for this weekends events are piling up. Bring some extra cash for your chance to leave with some.

Try your luck on the raffle, putt some golf balls or challenge your homies to a game of quoits. Either way all the funds we raise will benefit the Bethlehem Skateplaza.

Deathwish and Shake Junt soft and hardgoods

Zoo York boards and wheels

Lost Soul decks and glasses

Adidas Skateboarding

Nike SB

Nike

first friday artshow-a-thon: ray gurz at loose threads & dst at homebase.

homebase — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:10:20 +0000

If you’re not on the Southside tomorrow then you’re blowing it. Not only is it First Friday but it’s the opening of two local artists who are very close to Homebase, Ray Gurz and Dane S. Thompson. But it doesn’t stop there, we’ll be celebrating our neighbor’s across 4th St, Loose Thread’s 2 Year Anniversary. There will definitely be pretty girls there. . .

Ray Gurz does not stop. He is constantly building and creating. Whether it is for Lost Soul Skateboards, any one of his respected bands, hosting Homebase events or helping The EASA design and build their first skatepark- he stays busy. This is all in between family life, working, skating, a new love of bowling and creating for himself.

Tomorrow night, Ray will help Loose Threads celebrate their 2 year anniversary by opening his solo art show in their newly remodeled shop from 6-10p. “Catalog of Dysfunction” will debut Ray’s most recent work created especially for this event with Loose Threads. As well as an artist collaboration t-shirt he designed for Simply Anti.

Located across the street from Homebase at 9 w. 4th st, Loose Threads is the woman’s boutique that always has a great window display helping our block shine. Check out Ray’s newest works, have some food, drinks, music, and pick something up for that lady in your life. Congratulations to both Ray and Loose Threads.

Photos courtesy of www.MaxZahradnik.com (Text by NoNo)

Dane S. Thompson is master of mixed media. He can paint, draw and use a Illustrator to produce his signature style prints which you may have seen wheat pasted around town or stuck to a street sign next to a Homebase sticker.

Dane is Homebase’s May/June LVAN artist and his show, “A Delectable Pedigree” debuts at the shop the same night as Ray’s show at Loose Threads. The show features a large collection of his past prints as well as some made specifically for this show.

I heard of Dane’s work through his father a few years ago when the LVAN was just getting started. He talked about his son who was going to art school in Hartford, CT at the moment, had been to the store several times and liked what we were doing.

Some time later Ray told me about a artist named Dane but couldn’t remember the last name but felt his work would make a really good art show at Homebase. It wasn’t until later that I pieced it all together but by then we lost contact with Dane’s and his Dad.

Then one day a wheat paste of Gordie LaForge from Star Trek popped up in the alley behind Loose Threads. The concept and style was so fresh it was almost like it belonged on a wall next to a Shepard Fairy or Faile piece but instead it was in Bethlehem. I posted it up on the Homebase Twitter and went on my way. A little later, I get a retweet from DST46 saying he was glad I liked the piece.

We went back and forth on Twitter and I offered him an art show at the shop if he had more pieces. Dane directed to his facebook and then it all the pieces came together. DST, Dane S. Thompson. Since we were already friends, I checked out his photos and immediately recognized him and his Dad.

I’ve never told Dane this but I guess he’ll know now and we’ll have a good laugh at the open of “A Delectable Pedigree” this Friday night. Hope y’all can make it out and watch my face turn red.

Both shows debut this Friday night so livelocal* and support the local arts and business communities.

time travel impossible? go to bangor.

homebase — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:00:46 +0000

Bangor? I hardly know her. Even the jokes about Bangor are old.

When you visit some rural towns it sometimes feels like you go back in time. Not that it’s a good or bad thing. If the 70′s were awesome and you want to stay in that era. More power to you.

You want to make union made, locally made apparel instead of shipping the jobs over seas? MORE POWER TO YOU. That’s exactly what Windjammer Inc has been doing for over 25 years in Bangor Pennsylvania.

Chris Reject runs Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations and does a lot of the screen printing for the Homebase apparel. We’re working on a few new pieces and figured we’d take a little field trip. Chris also drives with his eyes closed.

Ray G, Lost Soul Skateboard’s owner was actually off and not working any of his 3 jobs so he tagged long for the ride.

Country roads, take me home.

I could have snapped a whole blog post of photos of the houses we passed but I was already at half battery and we didn’t even set foot into the factory.

One day I hope to have a painting like this hanging in Homebase.

Nice font design.

Time to clock in.

Now entering the 70′s.

No jokes about little Asian kids behind the sewing machines please.

Handmade classic construction starts here.

Then goes here.

And then here.

It was literally a maze of satin, nylon, polyester and cotton.

Handwritten carbon copy receipts? Windjammer is killing the game.

SALUTE.

Gutter Gods.

Thanks Slate Belt.

Pieces printed by the LVAC for Homebase will be available in the shop and on our online store soon.

small talk with ray gurz

homebase — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:00:46 +0000

Focus Skate Mag recently ran a little interview with Homebase rider and Lost Soul Skateboards owner, Ray Gurz to get some real talk on Modern Needs, skating in the 610 since the 80′s and reaching into young ladies fishnet stockings. . .

Surprisingly enough it was all skate talk and no talk of his and Pensyl’s latest obession- bowling. They go regularly and Ray can consistently break the 2′s on any given night. You know its serious when you have a blog around it too- The Gutter Gods.

You know it’s a serious problem when tattoos get throw in the mix. . .

Support a truly local skateboard brand, Lost Soul Skateboards. All their merchandise is available at Homebase from decks, beanies, t-shirts and the Modern Needs DVD. All DVD purchases get a limited edition Modern Needs print while supplies last.

Read the whole article on FocusSkateMag.com

procrastinate now: skate jawns, ‘zines vs. blogs, bonds & rotm’s

homebase — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:00:24 +0000

I saw a sign that said “Read ‘Zines Not Blogs.”

I don’t know why they have to bully blogs and bloggers but the homies that put together Skate Jawn give that sign a big F.U. These dudes are on a whole other level: Skate Jawn is a ‘zine, on a blog. You can go online and flip through it like a ‘zine or you can send them a few bucks and they’ll send you a copy.

When we’re lucky we get copies of it sent to Homebase where we give it out for free because in the end- I like ‘zines. They’re awesome when you have to kill some time on the good ol’ porcelain thrown. I’d much rather read a ‘zine or magazine while dropping off the kids instead of staring at my Blackberry screen- and I’m notorious for never not having my phone in my hand.

Issue #4 covers the Lost Soul and Totally Nector video premieres which I’m hyped Homebase was a part of both.

Check out the full Skate Jawn Issue 4 HERE.

It’s surprising how consistent Geech is with his Bonds clips because all I see him doing is playing Scrabble on his iPhone. No doubt, he’s reading Skate Jawn on his phone and not the actual ‘zine. Either way, I’m a fan of the Bonds clips so check out #8.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Roger Skateboards is run by “skatrist” Michael Seiben who most likely has a made a ‘zine or two in his life. Scott Gall is the December ROTM (Roger of the Month) and he looks like the type who might be into reading ‘zines.

I make that judgment based on the fact he has glasses, has a creative griptape job, skates all unique-like and most likely listens to good music I’ve never heard of. Watch him skate then go skate because he makes me want to go skate instead of typing blog entries.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“modern needs” premier 10/29: save the date, call off, hitch a ride.

homebase — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:00:24 +0000

The countdown til the Lost Soul “Modern Needs” Premiere is on. Save the date, call off work and start planning how you’re going to hitch a ride now. Bring some extra cash to buy 1 of the 250 LIMITED EDITION copies being made, hand screened packaging and packed with gnar.

Happy (belated) Birthday Ray, your master copy is done.

Friday Saturday 29th.

Video starts at 8pm sharp so don’t be late.

$5 Admission.

At the American Legion- 1205 Broadway Fountain Hill, PA ( Click here for directions).

procrastinate now: habitat “origin” premiere tonight!

homebase — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 22:02:07 +0000

I really am procrastinating right now. I have a bunch of work I should be doing but I’m making up a BS web post instead as an excuse to watch skate videos on the internet.

Don’t forget tonight at 8pm we’ll be showing Habitat’s 3rd film, “Origin.” Apparently Habitat AM, Austin Gillette kills it.

Here are a few other clips I’ve been psyched on watching while working inbetween customers at the shop.Nike SB is known for their extravagant tours- when’s it going to come to the East Coast? More specifically the Bethlehem Skateplaza? The Bird is the Word Tour needs to be recreated in the 610 for sure.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Repping for the Black & Yellow is Axion Footwear’s newest rider and one of the rawest on the squad too, Austin Kanfoush.

Click here to view the embedded video.

He had a part before this in Pittsburgh’s, One Up Skatehop’s video called “Bolts & Buttah.” Definitely worth checking out the whole video too- it one Stereo Skateboard’s shop video contest.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And I can’t stress enough how bad you’ll feel if you don’t come out to the Lost Soul Skateboards “Modern Needs” Premiere on Friday October 29th or the Homebase Halloween Skatejam the next day at Saugy. History in the making for the 610 skate scene right here. Come out and support those who support you.

Click here to view the embedded video.