Hot spot of the week - Hermosa Beach, CA

Hermosa Beach has an average of 325 days of sunshine a year and is located in South Los Angeles county.

Hermosa's average temperature is 70 degrees in the summer and 55 degrees in the winter.

There is always soooo much to do, but my favorite past time when in Hermosa (besides the bars) is beach tennis. Hermosa is home to the first permanent beach tennis courts on the West Coast!


Hermosa Beach pier is at the end of Pier Avenue which has some of the best surf shops (Pier Surf and Spyder surf)in the South Bay, where you can find everything you need for your day/summer/life at the beach. Coincidentally, the pier is also cluttered with 10 bars and restaurants, all within stumbling distance of each other. It just so happens that about half of Hermosa Beach's population consists of people between 25-40 which is perfect for the young, fun, laid back, party scene.

My personal favorite bar on the pier is the Lighthouse which has live music almost every night. Spanning from country, to jazz, to 80's, dj battles, reggae and rock and roll it is sure to provide something for everyone you're hanging with.

If you're really looking to party the night away (and probably not remember the next day), you can pop over to Sharkeez which is just about 3 doors down and dance the night away.

The Surf City Hostel is located directly over the Lighthouse on the Pier, which makes it quite convenient to stay, party and crash. All you need is an out of state or country id and $30 and you're set. I've never stayed there but I have met many fun travelers who have. ;)

Whatever you're looking for, you are bound to find it down in Hermosa. Be it shopping, sightseeing, bar hopping, music, eating or relaxing. Hermosa Beach is the place to be.


Where is your hot spot of the week?!

http://www.surfcityhostel.com/
http://www.spydersurf.com/
http://piersurf.com/
http://www.westcoastbeachtennis.net/
http://www.thelighthousecafe.net/

Health Tips of the day

Here's some health tips that we find beneficial in our day to day lives. Us 'em and see a difference! xo

1-After working out, eat foods high in fiber, antioxidants and proteins, and try to stay away from fats, even natural ones. You could try a smoothie with protein powder, or lowfat yogurt with fruit, like blueberries or strawberries.

2-Don't eat after 6pm. The later it gets, the more your body is trying to stop working so hard, relax, and be done for the night. Eating late can effect your weight and create bloating and indigestion, as well as effect how well you sleep at night.

3-Eat little meals all day, not 3 big meals! Keep your body working by munching on healthy delights. This way your body can digest the food you are intaking easier. If you are starving and then eat a huge meal, think about how this must effect your body ( kind of like a shock to your system) Try munching on carrots, blueberries, apples, tangelos, spirulina bars, and grapes whenever you get hungry and maybe make yourself a full sandwich and eat half of it and save the other half for another little meal later.

4-Try not to mix your food types (ie, combinations) if you are eating fruit, don't eat anything that isnt fruit for at least half an hour afterwards. This way your body doesnt get confused by having so many different things in your stomach at the same time.

Krushe feature of the week - Christy Baker

Where are you from? Middletown, Rhode Island

What's your favorite Nickname? Hmmm…I don’t have any good one’s Jessica. I think like C-Bake or Baker.
When did you start surfing? 7th grade.

There's surf in Rhode Island? Yeah, but I only surfed when the weather was warm. In Rhode Island there’s snow on the ground and you have to wear booties and hoodies. I wore all my brothers stuff and he is nine years older than me, so nothing really fit. My brother was doing it so I thought it was cool.

Long or short board? Both

…or SUP (stand up paddle)? I like that too.

What are you riding right now? 5’10” fish, quad fin. I love that board.

What is it about surfing that draws you in? Well there are two things. One, is because I grew up at the beach and I just liked being in the water. I played sports growing up and I think it’s really cool to be able to combine the two together. The second one is because I grew up watching my brother and I looked up to him. I wanted to hang out, so I learned how to surf.

At what point did you decide that the action sports industry was for you? It’s been something I have been interested in since before I went to college -- I used to subscribe to Wahine magazine. I think I was like 15 years old. I knew that I wanted to work for a girls surf mag. I wanted to be a part of it. That was my goal.


You worked at SG magazine for a while? How was that? It was f****** rad. I landed an internship in their editorial department. I was able to go to the U.S. Open of surfing to cover the Jr. Girls competition. [I] Watched Coco Ho and Carissa Moore shred. They are 17 or 18 now and I interviewed them when they were 12.

Now you work for Surf Diva. When did you start working there? I started working for Surf Diva in the summer of 2001 when I was 17, about to be a senior in high school. I moved out to San Diego from Rhode Island, to live with my sister for the summer. I worked for Surf Diva for free as the Beach Diva.

I was a beach Diva too! I know, we're like the Baker girls.
I was the only girl that surfed in Rhode Island so to be surrounded by a bunch of girls surfing; it blew my mind. Once I graduated from college, I got your typical 9-6 job working for a sunglasses company and I was stuck in a cubical all day. I hated it. Even though it was a good job, I told Izzy (owner of Surf Diva) and she offered me a job as the head coordinator for their surf school in Costa Rica. So, I told my boss at the sunglasses company and he jokingly, but probably jealously said “fine, go ahead and be a surf instructor your whole life”.


So you were the Surf Camp Coordinator/ Director of the surf school in Costa Rica? Fancy. How were the ticos? Flirtatious, but they were fun to surf with. They are the best surfers I have ever seen. They’re crazy, they leap out of the air--because they’re small dudes--they are like...Hey, I gotta watch what I say, I don’t want to be like John Mayer. [laughs] The girls are really good surfers too. There are not many, but they are really good.

You spent time in Costa Rica heading up their girls clinics and now you are starting the first Surf Diva camp in LA? You are a pioneer for Surf Diva. Ya, well I wanted to help Surf Diva expand. They have been wanting to do LA for a while and I told them that I’d be on board, so here I am.

Where is it at? They say Venice Beach but it’s really North of Marina Del Rey. It’s a cool spot to have a surf camp though because there are a lot of cool restaurants, bars and shops. If the students want somewhere to grab a drink after the lesson there is a lot to choose from. That’s what you have to do after you surf; Mexican food and beer.

What kind of beer? Oooh…probably Pacifico…with a lime.

What’s your idea of the perfect session? Going out with friends. I don’t like to surf alone. A few of my best friends but that’s it! Warm water, surfing a reef break, 4'-7' waves that are fat and fun. Maybe some dolphins, oh and a rainbow, and margaritas waiting.

Ummm..can we go now? That sounds amazing. [laughs] Ya, let's do it.

What is your ultimate dream job? To make my lifestyle my job. Kind of what I am doing now.

You’re living the dream. Yep. Even though I’m only 25 and graduated from an expensive school. As long as I’m surrounded by ocean, helping others and doing what I love. Awesome.

Let’s play a word association game. I will say a word and then you say the first thing that comes to mind. I'm not good at this.

Reggae- Awesome
Air- Life
Jersey Shore- Ewww
Skinny dipping- Taboo
Jolly Ranchers- Sticky
Old English 40’s- Huh? Oh, like the beer? Yeah Oh! Like a 40?! Gangster.
Dropping in- Not cool.

Interview by: Jessica Baker
Photo's courtesy of: James Reese

Massive 15 Fashion Show w. DJ TONY TOUCH in Portland!

Massive 15, Quincenieros@ The Crown Room in PDX, Oregon.

The last saturday of every month, Portland’s very own Crown Room holds a huge fashion show and dance party, featuring Leigh Fieldman’s (promotor) choice of a DJ or Live hip-hop/rap group for entertainment. Massive is notorious for bringing elbow to elbow crowds to dance the night away while watching some of portlands hottest fashions/ styles hit the runway.
Last saturday night, Massive 15 featured DJ Tony Touch aka Tony Toca, an influential DJ in the Urban Hispanic genre of music from the 90’s until present. He kept the crowd moving all night with tons of classic hits that even had the models backstage bobbing their heads.
On the fashion tip, Massive 15 featured styling from St. John’s own Veronica Swim, avid stylist, fashion coordinator, and wholesale vintage clothing saleswoman. She is also a full-time mother and wife, as well as an amazing female skateboarder known by many. She is the perfect example of a powerful woman doin’ it all!
Veronica had about 10 models to adorn with her unique styles. The styles she incorporated into the show were vintage mixed in with present, futuristic, & emphasis on the 80’s and 90’s. She had a full team on hand, makeup artists Nimai and Nadia Marsden, and Photographer Betsey Mcleod, As well as stylist assistant Alethea Garcia.
She sent the ladies out onto the runway to Iggy Pop and the crowds went wild. Flashes and snaps, oohs and ahs from everyone. Two private booths on stage where the boys from @Capital Brand sat poppin bottles of champagne and checking the view from the high side. The show went smoothly and the whole night was a perfect example of talented people coming together and making a work of art happen for everyone to enjoy. X0x0

Some photos of the styles Veronica Swim @Gypsy Yardsale brought to the table!




via @ http://www.facebook.com/gypsy.yardsale

Photos courtesy of Kimberly Thompson

Copyright Krushe2010. All rights reserved.

Winter XGames 14

I think all sports enthusiasts out there can attest that this past weekend was an epic weekend in sports. Florida hosted the Probowl on Sunday which was won by the AFC. The Lakers vs. Celtics game was a nail biter and came down to the last second with a come behind win from none other than Mr. Kobe Bryant from the Lakers. The Australian Open, which played live for us west coasters at midnight on Friday and Saturday night, featured two beasts and reigning champions, Serena Williams and Roger Federer. For those of you who turned on the t.v. this weekend, you were bound to see some pretty kickin' sports entertainment.

I've got to say though, the most entertaining of all, was the Winter X games which consumed most of ESPN's air time over the past four days. Thank god for Tivo, because without that, I would have missed some classic never before seen tricks on both the men and the women's side!

The girls competed Saturday night in Aspen, CO in front of a record attendance. The air was crisp, the skies were clear, the pipe was icy but the girls came to bring it. Gretchen Bleiler and Kelly Clark stole the show and provided for an intense, fist pumping rivalry between two fellow teammates in the Women's Finals of the Super Pipe.

Gretchen, the home town favorite started her first run of three, throwing down her signature move, the frontside 720 inverted, better known as The Crippler. She scored a 90.00, which set the bar pretty high for the rest of the competition. It wasn't high enough though, for Vermont native, Kelly Clark who came out and killed her first run, scoring a 94.66 with massive amplitude, the biggest on the girls side by far. There were now two runs left for the two and although there were four other contenders, Gretchen and Kelly were really the only two in the competition. Gretchen picked up her second run by incorporating a backside turn, and nailing every other trick with some big air off the 22 foot walls, which scored her a 96.66. Umm...96.66, are you kidding me? The highest womens score in the super pipe is held by 2009 XGames Gold Medalist, Torah Bright with a 97.76. Kelly was left with no choice but to go big or...get silver (Bummer). So, naturally Kelly went big on her second run, but fell in her attempt at the gnarly Frontside 900.

The competition was on and Gretchen and Kelly came to play. As Elena Height unsuccesfully attempted her final run, Gretchen set the playlist on her ipod, zipped it snuggly into her jacket and got set up for her last run of the night as well. Gretchen's third run didn't last long as she crashed at the top of the pipe, which left the last and final contendor. Kelly Clark was left now to bring the heat and score above a 96.66 in order to take the gold at the XGames 14 and bring it she did. Gretchen nailed her run, and put everything she could possibly into every turn, landing and air. She was almost flawless.

As she slid into the bottom of the run to await her score from the judges, she was greeted with accolades and congratulations from opponent and teammate Gretchen Bleiler with an embracing hug. The two exchanged kind words and turned to look up at the scoreboard to see the fate of their position on the podium. 96.00 was quickly posted under Kelly Clark's name. .66 of a point below Gretchen Bleiler, which put Gretchen in Gold and Kelly in Silver.

The competition was tight all the way up to the finish and the level of athletisicm was at an all time high in Aspen this weekend. Imagine if former Australian Super Pipe champ, Torah Bright was healthy for this event? Let's just say I can't wait for the Olympics. You know that Torah Bright is going to be amped and ready to compete after sitting on the sidelines for the X Games. If this is any testament to how the Olympic Super Pipe will be, you better believe I will be tuned in.

Check back for event updates, summaries and highlights of upcoming events. Stay tuned for the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver, Canada! February 12th, 10 days and counting.