Season 2 of Maestroknows.com starts with a Flip

Maestro Knows - Season 2 Intro from Maestro Knows on Vimeo.

Check out this killer intro for the next season of Maestro Knows. Notice RPRT client Flip Skateboards representing...SICK!!!!!!!!!! Read more!

R.I.P. Walter Cronkite

You were a seminal newsman, a voice of our time, an icon. Life is quick and it comes and goes, "and that's the way it is."
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Rock band Towers of London cheeses out - we have nothing else to post

Not quite what this was all about but Alfred and I headed back to our old offices of employ for a new business meeting over in the E! News buildings on Wilshire. Anyways on the corner of the street the band Towers of London was outside of Seacrest's offices with a sign that said "Put us on Air" and on the other their band name. I don't have any idea of why we are posting this and giving yet another calculated boring hipster rock act free press but we basically have been so busy with new client signings, contracts, potential endorsements and tv deals that we have been neglecting on the Plop.

In other Plop news, we welcome Johnny Strange (posted yesterday but Google his name) to the client roster and are just about closing with Flip Skateboards' team (minus one or two people) finally (so stoked about that). Also today Warren G is filming for www.maestroknows.com and then Monday I will down at the Flip compound and Volcom filming with Maestro again. We have also been making progress with our North Shore TV show which looks like it is finally going to get moving. ROCK...this weekend is much needed. See you all at the Roxy party tonight on Abbot Kinney...if you can get in. Read more!

Johnny Strange on Conan - Check this kid out

So thanks to Greg Longstreet at Polaris PR, I just had a meeting with a potential new client named Johnny Strange. Johnny holds the record for being the youngest climber to summit the 7 largest peaks on all 7 continents. He is an insane surfer, mma fighter and is about to do a stunt that is going to blow the minds of the free world. TV deals, endorsements and the like are pouring in for good reason and Johnny is definitely going to be huge. More on this soon...we hope!

Female groupies, you are free to line up now. Boy did I waste my teen years... Read more!

Titanium makes us giddy like a little girl

Just had a meeting with a couple of cats out of Australia/Encinitas about a couple of their skate based brands that are going to be making a splash here in the States come October. Talking about some of our clients who might be a fit for their skate accessories company (Armourdillo) and their new truck company, Theeve.

Theeve makes a titanium truck (hanger and kingpin) that is absolutely insane. Having worked with titanium when I did the Gary Scott USA wallets and money clips, I love this metal amalgam like no other. Light as hell and unbreakable, titanium looks great and lasts forever. The boys from Theeve (Brian and Trevor) left a few samples for my clients to try and I can't wait to get a set for myself (even though I skate like a baby chicken).

Check out http://www.theevetrucks.com/ and http://armourdillobrand.com/ to get the steeze...
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AT&T sucks - the Plop suffers

The Plop has been a little quiet the last day or so (and might be today) because our office internet connection keeps going up and down (more down than up). Been a hard go functioning and running a business. Tech support insists it is on my end though nothing has changed and all of a sudden we started getting black outs in service so on I trudge while contracts, pitches and emails pile up.

We will try and post some interesting crap while we fight through the lack of connectivity (what did we ever do without the Interwebs?????) but if you must know what I am up to, you can always stalk me on Twitter @MattRPRT or try as you might to find me on Facebook.

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Black Dogs Book Reading with Jason Buhrmester (Inked Mag) - July 29th

Jason Buhrmester Editor from Inked Magazine just finished his novel "Black Dogs." He is doing a reading from it on July 29th in L.A. at Stories on Sunset from 7:30-10:00 p.m.

Black Dogs is the fictional imagining of the story behind one of the most notorious crimes in rock history: the disappearance of $203,000 of Led Zeppelin’s cash, which vanished from New York City’s Drake Hotel in July 1973 in what was at the time the single highest safe deposit box theft in the city’s history. The robbery, which remains unsolved and the money never recovered, is briefly featured in the Song Remains the Same, the film that chronicles the band’s 1973 North American tour, which is rumored to have been delayed due to this huge financial loss.

www.blackdogsbook.com

www.myspace.com/jasonbuhrmester

I tried to write a book once but it was a huge fucking disaster and I only got to chapter 5. Props to JB for busting this one out. What an accomplishment.

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AMAZING car accessory of the day

So I was driving behind this sweet Honda Accord on the way to the office this morn and couldn't help but notice the amazing tail it had on it. Not only did it look like it was off an airplane with a bunch of cool aerospace bolts and rivets on it, it also had two faux hydraulics to make it look like the tail would move if the car got up over 12 MPH. I also loved the two dangling round brake lights which draws eyeball attention to this amazing piece of auto fascination. I wondered to myself, "self...where do you go about getting one of these great tails and do they make them for Audi's?"

I bet it makes the car go as fast as Flash Gordon!

Also, check out the billboard for Orphan in the background. They are promoting the hell out of this picture. If you are an avid Plop reader you would know that the little girl, Isabelle Fuhrman, who stars in the pic came in here to get some tees. Was almost a client here but wow that movie looks freaky.
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We are the source for what's hot for women

For some reason my friend Alison Stewart wanted my expert (hahaha) opinion on hot women's fashion for summer and I gave it. I laugh at myself, but what better person to sound off on what makes women look good in summer than a straight guy? It all boils down to one thing - LESS IS MORE.

Check it here: http://www.runningwithheels.com/index.php/2009/07/lets-hear-it-for-the-boys/ Read more!

Venice Skatepark Sneak Peek via Cindy Whitehead

So I am pretty stoked that there is going to be a new 18,000 sq. foot public skatepark right at the Venice Breakwater. Not that I will be able to skate it better than the youngest skater there but I will sneak in a session or two. My friend, sports stylist and female skate legend Cindy Whitehead, recently got a tour of the park and posted these pics to her Facebook. Check out the pics...I am sure to spill blood here...can't wait:






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Maloof Money Cup Roundup - pro skaters, snoop and a good ole' hand gash

So it was another 3 day summer weekend for me...sort of. I spent Friday out of the office at the qualifying rounds of the Maloof Money Cup. Before heading to the contest I met my brother in law Daws at my old surf spot - 46th St. in Newport. It was a total blast as an under the radar swell hit and the warm water and small crowds mixed with fun 3-4 foot peaks. We surfed for 3 hours and on my last wave I bailed out of a close out and the white wash pushed me into my board and my right hand got to tumble around with my fins causing gashes and cuts in 5 places. After that I pretty much spent Friday and Saturday baking in the 97 degree sun at the Maloof Money Cup with a Frankenstein wrapped hand to support the Flip and Deathwish cats in the contest. Like a total asshole I forgot my camera and the camera on my BB is a pile of ass so I didn't get ANY good skate pics. Instead, I am just going to give a faces in the crowd look at the weekend. I am still a bit baffled why the Maloofs are buying their way into skateboarding (such a weird combo) but they put on a great contest. Here is the round up:


My pinky got the worst of meeting up with my board's fins. Always a great way to start a day but well worth it after getting to surf my old haunt for 3 hours of fun rights and lefts.


On Friday I got to the stands really early and having a purple bracelet meant all access so I was able to sit on the insane course that my client Geoff Rowley designed and watch the street course practice. This is the only skate action shot I managed to get (purely accidental). Theotis Beasley mid flip off the big 4 stairs.


Flip grom rippers Louie Lopez and Curren Caples did well in the am qualifiers.


The half pipe with the bridge of death...Didn't really watch much vert to be honest but this ramp was insane and had a huge mega-ramp attachment through the bridge of death.


Joe Maynard...great friend since I was a grom in O.C. came to hang out and catch up since it has pretty much since high school since we have seen each other. Joe and I skipped the VIP area to cool off in the covered bleachers. Joe and I have been talking shit on Facebook for months and I am stoked he rolled out. Always good to see someone from my youth...especially someone like Joe who OOZES Warrior pride.


Pro's street course practice..in this pic somewhere are Mike Vallely, P Rod, Lizard King, Terry Kennedy, Chaz Ortiz and one of those MTV skater kids with really bad tattoos.


The man, Geoff Rowley, in all black braving the 100 degree heat. David Gonzalez from team Flip as well pushing off behind TK and Lizard King somewhere in there. Team Flip had a great showing with Mark Appleyard taking 10th over all and David Gonzalez hitting 8th. Rowley was skating with a gimp leg so he just went out to have fun and played over the platform gap turning it on for his third heat with a huge drop in from the platform into the brick wall transition. Appleyard was going big and pulled an insane kickflip off the far platform into the brick wall tranny causing a roar from the crowd. David Gonzalez was landing insane rail tricks and is a huge star. Other notables that I liked to watch - Chaz Ortiz was super consistent and Lizard King went BIG...trying for some absolutely mental blasts until he landed them. How Lizard can skate for 6 hours and try big tricks and sometimes fall bigger and get back up to try it again is beyond me. Double hat tip to Lizard from Team Deathwish. I am bummed Ellington didn't show up to the contest but he had to bow out last minute.


Only Maloof money would bring Kobe Bryant to sit course-side and watch the contest. My guess is they paid him $50-$100k to show for a few hours and watch a sport he doesn't give two shits about.


Finally I was back in the sponsor area and out came Snoop (check Warren G right behind him). He played a 5 song set and the crowd of white kids seemed to like it. Again Maloof Money - at least $50k.

All in all it was a solid weekend and makes me realize my job ain't so bad. Read more!