Happy Holidays from Maku! (don't forget to recycle)

it is estimated that between Thanksgiving and the New Year an extra million tons of waste are generated nationwide each week. In fact, 38,000 miles of ribbon alone is thrown out each year--enough to tie a bow around the Earth!

As we all prepare form xmas day here are a few tips to lower your impact on the earth

• Use old newspaper to wrap gifts. Not only is it a unique look, you can recycle it!
• Switch over to rechargeable batteries for all those new toys. Here is some great info on rechargeable batteries. (from the state of CA no less!)
• According to the National Christmas Tree Association's website, "There are approximately 30-35 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year." The website also notes that real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Try and replant or better yet recycle your tree for mulch that reduces the need to water all the time, it's a double winner!
• If you are lucky enough to get a cool new 46" Plasma flat screen from Santa this year but aren't sure what to do with your old TV, PDA, IPOD, or computer check out these guys Erecycle.org

Happy Holidays and wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperous and green 2008!

Trash Blob 2X's the size of Texas

So I talked about this trash blob in the December Newsletter to our awesome retail partners and to update everybody on what's new with Maku.

While eating breakfast this morning, I happened to flip past the "Fair and Balanced" news channel as they were doing a story on this issue which you can check out here. It's good to see the mainstream media starting to take notice to things like this!! And here is a report that the ever progressive (insert sarcasm here) CBS news did on this issue almost 4 years ago. You can also check out up to date info on this by clicking on Capitan Charles Moore's website The Algalita Foundation

Long story short, there is this blob of viscous trash floating in the North Pacific gyre where all the currents meet and the trash collects. It's twice the size of Texas and floating just beneath the surface. Made mostly of decaying plastics, it's pretty knarly. The thing is plastic does not Bio-degrade, it Photo Degrades meaning it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces yet never totally diminishes. Despite this area being a veritable oceanic desert the few Fish, sharks, birds, whales, and dolphins basically all parts of the food chain in this area of the North Pacific have been affected by this mess. Birds mistaking the small pieces of plastic as bait fish, bigger fish eating smaller fish, sharks eating bigger fish you get the picture and it's ugly! How long until this affects the dinner that end up on your table? Truth be told it probably already is...

The solution to keep this blob from growing is simple RECYCLE. The solution of how to clean up this blob is not so simple.

For more ideas on easy eco living check out our buddy Josh Dorfman's book "The Lazy Environmentalist" and his website Vivavi.com for some excellent sustainable products including Maku!

Politicians making it happen!

While I usually try and steer clear of politically charged issues and discussions, I can't help but congratulate the House of Representatives on passing a new energy bill (H.R. 6) that could have a significant positive impact on our environment - Of course this seems like a no brainer to me but then that's probably why I am not a politician... :)

- Raising fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 -- the first such increase in more than 30 years.

- Requiring 15 percent of our country's electricity to come from clean, renewable, homegrown sources such as the wind and solar by 2020.

- Will dramatically increase production of biofuels to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Now it's up to the Senate to pass the same bill and put it into law. To contact your local Senators and let them know this issue is important to you click here

Technical Difficulties...

For those of you that have checked the Maku website in the last day or two, you might have experienced some navigational and technical issues. Sorry for the problems and our trusty computer wizard Josh is working to get them fixed.

By the way, while the website was breaking, the waves were really good!

Early Xmas from Mother Nature!

The biggest swell of the year is currently making it's way down the coast from the Pacific NW and the waves are going to be macking in the morning! Yet another Big Wednesday here in So.Cal. The last time we had waves this size was Dec 21st, 2005. By the way, those "little specks" in that video are guys surfing....

I've got my 6'10" Rounded Pintail waxed up and ready to go but I might be undergunned on this swell. Anybody have a 7'6" gun they want to loan me...?

Here are some of the latest buoy and forecasts. For up to date info click here.

Holiday Love from the Chicago Tribune

The Three Ways of Christmas! The Chicago Tribune ran a cool little gift guide in the Sunday Home section and featured the Maku Bench as one of their "Sky's the Limit" Gift Choices.

For the Full Story click here

Many thanks to Lisa and Dina @ Cattails in Chicago for the props and holiday stoke! Everybody in Chicago should go and buy their holiday flower arrangement from them!

Mission Playground Warehouse Sale

My good buddy Mark and his peeps @ Mission Playground are having a warehouse sale this weekend. If you are in So.Cal or SD County cruise on over and check their stuff out! Not only is the style rad but it's also good for ole mother nature!

Welcome Soho Living!

Welcome to the crew @ Soho Living in Florida! With 3 stores in the state we are really stoked to have Anand, Joe, and the rest of the staff preaching the power of Maku sustainable outdoor living!

A fresh shipment of Maku goods are on their way to Soho Living and if you live in Florida, have friends in Florida, are visiting in Florida, or just want to check out a really cool retailer that is taking an eco friendly stance by brining in products such as Maku, then go to their website for all details and contact info!

Now I can go see my buddy Rob, surf a good hurricane swell, stop in on the Soho Living crew and call it a business trip, sweet!!!

Singe Speed Cyclocross World Championships

As you may have read in an earlier post, our buddy Dennis @ Eclectic Home in Portland but a deal together for Maku to sponsor the Lounge area of the World Single Speed Cyclocross Championships.

What are the World Single Speed Cycloross Championships you ask? Well, mix a bunch of PBR which is one of my favorite beers by the way (my wife is gasping that I have actually admitted this in public forum... hahhaa!) a limitless supply of local Portland Micro Brew, 140 contestants, a tequila shortcut, a golden speedo, some muddy terrain, single speed bikes, and you have the making for a great contest!!

By the looks of it, I'm going have to start training for next years race and get in on the fun!!

Click here for a great recap of the races from Bicyclenorthwest.com and here for a full list of the winners from cycling news.

Congratulations to the winners!

Wendy Williams


Barry Wicks


All the crew celebrating a great day of single speed in the NW!


And of course no contest is complete with out a Kiss Fan!


All photos courtesy of Carson Blume. Here is a direct link to all the killer shots!

Do something good for yourself and the environment this holiday season!

Check it out, our good friends at 1% for the Planet are having an online auction featuring all kinds of cool stuff from a Maku Limited Edition Lounge Chair to Surfing with Eco Warrior and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and a bitchen bike from one of my favorite breweries New Belgium and the home of Fat Tire!

You can take a look and bid on all the items here

Make somebody's xmas that more special by taking a vested interest in our environment!!!

Eclectic Home - Portland

In any retail sector, there are going to be slow times because of the economy or maybe because it was a bad snow year (hearkening back to a few of Johnny's former employers). The smart retailers will always survive though and Maku likes to think we work with only smart retailers.

Have you ever heard of Eclectic Home (www.eclectichome.com) in Portland?


Dennis, EC's owner, is one of those guys that gets it. He doesn't just put an ad in the Portland Oregonian and hope people come buy furniture. Dennis thinks differently, he wants people to associate his offerings and store with a lifestyle and passion. Maybe you don't surf like Johnny does, but it doesn't mean you lack passion for life.

Dennis has done a lot lately to help his store and promote the Maku brand. Last month he setup the eco-lounge @ Portland Fashion Week (www.greenlivingonline.com/HomeGarden/lounging-in-style-at-portland-fashion-week).

This month he sponsored a single-speed bike event (http://eclectichome.blogspot.com/2007/11/single-speed-lounge.html), in addition to his new Web site.

Know what's even better? He's blogging about it all right here .

Just a couple extra hours a month in time (not everyone has to hire the over-paid BBPR (www.bbpublicrelations.com) like Maku does ;-) and Dennis is transforming Eclectic Home from a store to a community.

Even if you're not looking for home furnishings right now, just pop into Eclectic Home while you're cruising Portland. Dennis is a super friendly guy and his team there will make you feel at home. You won't need to purchase anything to feel good when you leave (although you may come back later to do just that).

W.R.O.N.G. - World Riders of the Next Generation!

First off a Big Thanks to all the Veterans out there that have so bravely defended our freedom and the democratic process!

Not that this has much to do with furniture, but a nice sunny fall day in Maku'ville and the groms having the day off from school for Veterans day made for a great skate session on the ramp here at Maku HQ. Check out their t-shirts - W.R.O.N.G. - World Riders of the Next Generation!

Fun was had by all and these guys were killing it!

Lavish Lifestyles

Cynika Drake and Fox NFL Weather Girl Jillian Barberie hosted the debut of Cynika's new venture Lavish Lifestyles at the Jim Henson studios in L.A. earlier this week. While there were no drive by muppeting's taking place I did get an inside look at the cool world of muppet creator Jim Henson!

Lavish Lifestyles is a personalized concierge service that can pull off pretty much anything if you got the doh re mi ($$$). The VIP Invite Only party was attended by some of Hollywood's tops and of course Maku was there to furnish the event! Check out all the of the pics.

The Hosts


The Crowd


Who is the guy on the left...


The Furniture looked great!

Seattle Chic & Maku

Hello again from Maku PR. The fires have calmed down , but our hearts go out to those that lost their loved ones or homes.

A big trend in media is localism. Not the kind of localism you see in surfing, more the support of local brands by locally based media.

While Maku isn't based in Seattle, we are sold at the very cool Velocity Art & Design.

Why am I bringing this up? It's because Kate, who writes the Seattle Chic blog wrote about Maku today. Thanks Kate!

While I don't know if Kate surfs or not, she digs our affiliation with One Percent for the Planet , which means all of us at Maku dig Kate.

More news to come from Team Maku, thanks for all your support!

Green Living online

check out the love from Green Living Online and all the coverage of the Portland Fashion Week!
http://www.greenlivingonline.com/HomeGarden/lounging-in-style-at-portland-fashion-week/

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful...

What a day here in Carlsbad. Our little piece of paradise is amidst the worst wildfires we have ever seen... Yet at the same time the combination of 2 solid swells and the Santana Winds (more commonly referred to as Santa Ana winds) blowing off shore are making the waves the best we have had in years! Mother Nature sure is a fickle and torturous entity...

Not a lot of work getting done at Maku HQ today as we are currently under a voluntary evacuation and packing up valuables, etc. right now just in case the fires continue to move west towards the beach... My thoughts are with those that have lost their homes today and many thanks to the brave firefighters out there trying to control the beast...

Here are a few pics from today:

The Good -
My local Spot Going Off, Had a great 2 hour session this morning with only 8 guys out!




The Bad:
Early Morning Smoke moving in from the east


Looking East from the Beach


Looking South Down the PCH Mid Morning....


The Beautiful:
The Smoke made for some great lighting

Maku / Eclectic Home and Portland Fashion Week!

Sorry for the lack of updates, been swamped! Check out our latest press release below. Stoked to support the independent designers of Portland Fashion Week along with Dennis and the crew at Eclectic Home.

MAKU FURNISHINGS AND PORTLAND RETAILER ECLECTIC HOME
TO OUTFIT PORTLAND FASHION WEEK’S ECO-LOUNGE

Innovative Maku Furnishings and Eclectic Home Combine Efforts to Support Like-Minded Fashion and Design Enthusiasts During Portland Fashion Week

PORTLAND (October 17, 2007) -- Eclectic Home, Portland’s leading retailer of environmentally sensitive home resources, together with Maku Furnishings, are pleased to be the lead sponsors of Portland Fashion Week’s Sustainable Lounge. The lounge will provide an area for Portland Fashion Week’s sustainable-design enthusiasts to relax and also to showcase that modern design can co-exist with sustainable products within the home.

Taking place October 19-22, Portland Fashion Week brings renewable and independent products into the mainstream. The show’s commitment to the environment is all encompassing. Besides showcasing clothing from environmentally conscious designers and Maku’s most recent furniture offerings, eco-friendly styling products will be used on the models and earth-friendly materials have been incorporated into the production of the show’s runway.

“In Portland, being green isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle. With the eco-lounge we’re showing Fashion Week attendees that green living can be brought into the home without compromising style or quality,” said Dennis Rose, owner of Eclectic Home. “Anyone who has ever seen Maku knows that modern design and sustainable products can go hand in hand, without compromising comfort or quality.”

Eclectic Home’s participation in Portland Fashion Week is the continuation of a greater trend in specialty retail, where independent entities succeed in the face of larger big-box retailers through innovative thinking and a commitment to the community.

“When Dennis approached us about participating in Fashion Week, it reaffirmed that Eclectic Home was the right retail partner for Maku in Portland. Out of the box thinking, a commitment to the community and a friendly environmental stance are the new prerequisites for surviving in the specialty retail marketplace,” commented Johnny West, co-founder of Maku Furniture. “While some complain the big chains are killing their business, Eclectic Home is succeeding by giving Portland a reason to shop in there. Eclectic Home is more than a retailer, it’s an incubator of ideas and sustainable design in the community.”

Portland Fashion Week will be held at the Cascade Shipyard, 5555 Channel Drive on Swan Island in Portland. More information on Portland Fashion Week can be found online by visiting www.portlandfashionweek.net.

About Eclectic Home
Located at 2259 NW Raleigh Street, Portland’s Eclectic Home offers unique products from around the world to enhance your lifestyle. More than just a furniture store, we strive to create environments which promote good health and energy while being sensitive to the resources used to make those products. Many of our products are made from either reclaimed materials, sustainable resources such as bamboo or woods from managed forests. More information can be found online at www.eclectichome.com or by calling 503.224.0551.


About Maku Furnishings
Maku Furnishings (www.makufurniture.com) is the first home furnishings line designed to encompass the global consortium of action sports athletes, design enthusiasts and passionate lifestyle participants. Founded by action sports veteran Johnny West and business partner J. Michael Johnson, the Maku collection consists of authentic and contemporary furnishings that are relevant to today’s lifestyle consumers.

For additional information on the Maku product line, visit www.makufurniture.com

To schedule a time to speak with Dennis Rose, owner of Eclectic Home or receive images of Maku’s sustainable furniture elements, please contact:

Bill Byrne
BBPR
858-652-0153
bill@bbpublicrelations.com

The North Pacific Finally Awakes

After Taking the summer off and letting the South Pacific Generate a few meager swells, the North Pacific is finally waking up and our first NW Swell of the Winter season is on the way! Which also means it's snowing in the Pacific NW and Shredding (snowboarding) season is just around the corner!

Check it -

Californication

Nope, not the song by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, it the new series on Showtime featuring David Duchovny a.k.a Agent Mulder from the X-Files plays Hank Moody a famed novelist with a bit of writers block who is struggling to get his career back on track, raise his teenage daughter, has the hots for his ex who is now engaged, all the while dealing with his own vices of Women, Drink, and drugs.

Sounds pretty rad and makes me wish I had Showtime. Especially so I could see all of the Maku furniture out on the deck of his pad in the episode that aired 2 weeks ago! Stoked!!!

Here is a podcast interview with David Duchovny. If anybody happens to have a dvr that you can burn this episode to a disc and send it to me let us know!

New Board Stoke!

Just picked up a new board from Cole. 6'6" x 19 1/4 x 2 1/2 rounded pin with future fins. Stoked and can't wait for that first solid overhead NW to roll in. Good riddance to summer of 2007 - crowds, no waves, and more crowds...



Here's the quiver -
L to R - 6'1" Bat tail Quad, 6'4" round tail X's 2, 6'6" Rounded Pin, 6'10" C.I. K-Step Up for the big days!

Global Warming, hot or not?

At the risk of taking a minor political departure from the melding of passionate lifestyle enthusiasm and contemporary furniture I submit 2 articles for your review.

The First article is from NASA saying they have overstated the rate at which the earth is warming. Click Here

The Second article I found while perusing the BBC news website talking about the alarming rate in which Arctic Sea Ice is shrinking. Click Here

It's no secret that I have long been a fan of taking care of our environment. From growing up in the mountains and joining the Sierra Club at the age of 14 on through moving to the beach and being a longtime supporter of The Surfrider Foundation (and more recently 1%FTP) I have seen firsthand the effects we as humans can have on our environment and the blatant disregard that many people take towards their surroundings.

Mind you I am not an overzealous "eco-nazi" or anything but it's not that hard to do little things like recycle or turn off a light in an empty room. If you get a chance, grab a copy of "The Lazy Environmentalist" written by the ever passionate all around nice guy Josh Dorfman.

To see "Green Products" continue to infiltrate mainstream life and media is great and only good things can come from added awareness.

My take, we are seeing a pattern of global warming that modern society has never experienced. Has this pattern taken place in the past before meteorological records were kept or are we going down a path that Mother Earth has never seen, we will never know...?

But one thing is for sure - Each and every day people across this planet take a new interest in our environment and what they can do to make a difference and thats a good thing!

Is anybody out there.

Last day of the International Casual Living and Accessories show.

Hello....................................

Hot Child in the City...

running wild and looking pretty! (albeit a little bit slower today after last nights festivities)

Day 3 at the International Casual Living and Accessories show was... well it was day 3 and I'll spare the rant today. But we did meet with a number of really cool retailers that "get it". (see day 2 comments) So there is hope that Maku will still be able to save the world of Casual outdoor furnishings from itself...



Enough with the furniture show how about the parties! My good friends at Burton Snowboards had the grand opening of their new Chicago store last night. A rocking good time was had by all who attended including VIPs like Mr. Chris Bachman retail hero to the Midwest snowboard scene with his store Shred Shop. Here some pics



Is she dancing or checking her pits...?

Groundhog Day...

Day 2 at the International Casual Living and accessories show was somewhat like the movie "Groundhog day". Aside from a bit more traffic you would not have known that yesterday was day 2 of what is touted as the "Largest Casual Furnishings Tradeshow in the World"

Liking to have a bit of feel for the marketplace and starting to understand the dynamics of Casual Furniture it is no wonder all of these companies here are whining about how bad specialty retail is and how the big box guys are taking over. Hearth and Home magazine has a number of company profiles in their show edition.

The funny thing, not one of these companies mentions targeting a younger more vibrant consumer. Even more interesting is that only 1 of the companies makes mention of "eco friendly" products as an emerging category.

Maybe I'm way off here but last time I checked Baby Boomers weren't spending a lot of money on their homes, in fact many as they grow older were down sizing or using their disposable income for travel - cruises, RV, or going to see their grandchildren...

Exhibit 1 - 3 "different" wicker and rattan brands pictured below. See if you can tell a difference in the product....






Exhibit 2 - Traditional "Teak" furnishings. Again 3 different companies...







And there are 2 full floors of temporary exhibits as well as 3 floors of permanent showrooms all with the EXACT same products. How can a specialty retailer in any sector of consumer goods be expected to compete with a large national chain when all they are battling over is the same consumer, same pricepoints, and same products...?

A specialty retailer is just that - Specialized. But when an industry of manufacturers all make the same stuff and there is no significant point of differentiation (branding, pricing, products, etc) for the specialty retailer and more importantly the consumer these guys just can't compete.

I just don't get it?

I guess the only plausible answer is Maku! I mentioned in an earlier post that we pretty much stick out like a sore thumb at this show - an oasis of cool in a Kook-e-cutter desert... The good news there are retailers here that "get it" and understand they need more specialized products to attract and retain their customer base. A customer base (Insert Gen x) that is younger, more contemporary, vibrant, and passionate about living but most importantly has a substantial disposable income and wants to take their house and turn it into a home.

Hopefully they will all buy Maku...

Stay tuned for day 3 rantings on the show.

International Casual Living and accesories show!

Making our Debut at the International Casual Living and Accessories show!

Took the redeye into Chicago today, arrived @ 4:30 am (2:30 am PST, departed SD @ 11 pm PST) with a few hours sleep on the plane, my favorite mother in law was kind enough to pick me up at O'Hare that early. Thanks!

A side note and the reason I was on the redeye..., a big congratulations to the Carlsbad Mighty Mite Shining Lancers for a great win on Saturday. As the head coach of the team, I couldn't be more proud of not only my son but the entire team! Great job boys!!!

Went on down to the Merchandise Mart and proceeded to set up our stand. I gotta tell you, I think Maku is a refreshing Oasis of cool in an desert of cookie cutter mass production. Here's a few shots of our stand.







By the way, did you know the only building in the USA larger than the Merchandise Mart is the Pentagon. This place is HUGE!