The Scaglietti Ferrari That Was Lost and Found

November 10, 2022 Paul Misencik

1958 Coupe des Alpes

February 8, 2022 Paul Misencik

In a world where 2 minute videos now seem luxuriously long, and where 10 and 15 second clips get most of the eyeballs, a 35 minute video might feel absurd. A half hour? Who has that kinda time?

In this case, we respectfully suggest you make the time.

Back in the day, Shell Oil produced a host of short films summarizing motorsports events all over the globe, from Le Mans to Bonneville, and from the Nordshleife to the RAC Rally, and each is as compelling and well-produced as the next. Vintage, for sure, but charmingly so, and with a level of detail that cement them in the category of “historical record.”

So grab a beverage and sit back to watch the story of the 1958 Rallye des Alpes, or “Coupe des Alpes” as it was technically named. Marvel at the bravery, smile at the risks (likely taken by the competitors as cavalierly as they are reported here) and chuckle at how impossible it would be to do something like this in a modern world.

Los Mejillones Tigre...

November 18, 2021 Paul Misencik

Enjoy…

Longboard Style

September 2, 2021 Paul Misencik

Longboarding is all about style and grace, and I can’t think of a more gracefully elegant or classically stylish surfer than Josie Prendergast.

Enjoy…

Spring Playlist - 2021

April 5, 2021 Paul Misencik

“We’ve been shaking off the cobwebs here in the Den of Adventure, and as the vaccine effort continues to propagate around the globe things are decidedly looking UP. And that hope, that passionate desire to return to normal, has had us kickin’ out the fun-loving sounds of Spring a little early around here. What have we been listening to? Pull up a stool, grab a cold one and enjoy…”

TECHNICOLOR DREAMS - Porsche Paint Codes

April 5, 2021 Paul Misencik

*Porsche “Auratium Green,” a rare color from the 356 days, used briefly in the early 1960’s.*

“Paint says a lot about a car. It says a lot about the owner, as well. From the chrome-orange Lamborghini parked in front of the nightclub to the murdered out Defender 110 5-door to the hand-flamed T-bucket hot rod, a choice of color speaks pretty clearly to the world what you’re about. It showcases what drives you every bit as much as it showcases what you drive…”

Series IIA For Your Wrist - The Loveable Vostok Amphibia

February 18, 2021 Paul Misencik

“There is nothing flashy about the Vostok Amphibia. Nothing fancy. Nothing luxurious. Quite the opposite, actually. It’s a chunk of relatively crudely finished Soviet-era design, utterly devoid of pretense and which cost me about eighty bucks. But it’s also a watch which has wormed its way into my heart, and the hearts of myriad other devotees around the globe, and has established itself as a cult classic - an icon of rugged simplicity - and a triumph of functionality over frivolity. Bill Murray’s character ‘Steve Zissou’ wore an Amphibia in the movie ‘The Life Aquatic,’ and it was a perfect fit for that quirky Wes Anderson classic. The fact that it can be replaced for less than it costs to take my family out to lunch is irrelevant, because the Amphibia can shrug off an unholy beating on sea or land, from the sandy shores of the Mediterranean to the rocky mountain peaks towering above, and it doesn’t need to be replaced. Or repaired. Or even serviced.…”

Winter Playlist - 2021

February 3, 2021 Paul Misencik

We’ve lately been decidedly uptempo with the tunes around the shop. I mean, there are some more relaxed cuts in here, don’t get me wrong, and this one starts off pretty mellow, but as the season has worn on, more often than not we’ve been kickin’ out the jams to blow the blues away…

BRANDS WE LOVE: Vallon Classics

February 1, 2021 Paul Misencik

*The Vallon “Ski Aviator.” A lovely modern homage to the iconic classic 1970’s ski aviator.*

“Mine were layered, red white and blue, and I lived in the things. Wayne Wong, hotdogger extraordinaire, was as famous for his all-white versions as he was for his shit-eating grin and “Wong Bangers.” Surfers loved them too, as did mountaineers, because the same full coverage anti-glare design works as well on the beach or base camps as it did in the powder. Yeah, baby. If you were into outdoor adventure, speed and thrills back in the day, these shades pretty much ruled the roost…”

Kings Of The Hill

January 25, 2021 Paul Misencik

“Even among ski racers, downhillers are a breed apart. Regardless of gender, downhill specialists are typically the swaggering alphas of the sport. The fighter pilots. The emergency room surgeons. Full of confidence and wearing their courage on their sleeves, as much a way of convincing themselves as others that they belong out there on the ragged edge. These are the men and women who put it all on the line, every event, nine or ten times a year, fully understanding that the winner is often the one who takes the most risk, and technical precision can be, and sometimes is, trumped by a willingness to put themselves and their bodies into situations from which they might not be able to retreat…”