Surfing is one of those sports infused with a mysterious aura. A cult sport. One with defined traditions and cultural connotations. Michael Fordham’s The Book of Surfing puts all that into perspective. With sections on the roll of surfing in film and art, surfing legends, cultural constructions and generally riding a board, it’s a pretty complete effort. Those of you who haven’t been on the waves, but fell for Riding Giants (or if you’re older Endless Summer) will surely get great pleasure from the books pages. (via It’s Nice That). 
Check out some page shots after the jump.

This year, the Stussy tribe has increased its retail presence, hooking up with noted local retailers in each of the new cities. These Chapter Stores continue the unique aspect of Stussy culture that merges the local with the global. They also represent cities that have grown in stature within the “streetwear” community in recent years. This growth is due, in large part, to the efforts of a few people who’ve worked to change the retail landscape of those places.
Over the course of the next couple of weeks we will present you in-depth looks at the most recent Stussy Chapter Store openings and the people that are behind the respective stores.

In Washington, DC, COMMONWEALTH founder Omar Quiambao is that person. His vision has taken DC retail away from it’s traditional core, and transformed a stretch of Florida Avenue into a streetwear mecca. I spoke to him about the Stussy Chapter store and how it fits with the city and his other shops.
Read The Interview Here…

Located in Neal’s Yard, near London’s Covent Garden, Slam City Skates is one of the worlds most recognizable skate shops. A friendly place. A well stocked place. Their new look book covers some of the great new garments and product bearing the stores name and logos. Tees, hoodies, New Eras and a great collaborative piece from Penfield are all part of the mix. 
Head to the jump to look at what they’ve got to offer.

Monument Snowboards has launched their new website and with it presents the line-up of their artist driven Fall/Winter 2008 collection. 
The new line-up of snowboards features the works of renowned artists Krink, Todd Tourso, Kime Buzzelli, Thom Lessner, and Owleyes. 
Have a detailed look at the entire collection of snowboards by Monument after the jump.

A couple of days ago we first reported about Taz Arnold’s new brand Tisa Vision and their collaboration with MCM and Phenomenon. Here we present you now the "Obama For President" capsule collection by the brand.
"T.I.$.A. has designed a Limited Edition three piece collection in honor of this years historical presidential election. The collection, manufactured in Japan by Phenomenon, includes a cap reading "OBAMA" across the front, and two t-shirts bearing the slogans made known from TI$A’s song and music video released earlier this year entitled Vote Obama. These pieces are extremely limited and will be released only through select stores or through www.tisavision.tv."
We will keep you posted about the release.

In4mation got in some first pieces of the Stussy Fall/Winter 2008 collection. Guest artist this season is Delta and he designed some New Era caps and trucker caps for Stussy, featuring his instantly recognizable 3D art.

The GT II is one of the gems of the Asics archive. For August, a grey/purple/navy color scheme has dropped. Pink and black laces are included. The show is limited to 700 pairs in production and will be hitting European boutiques now. (via Endorsed). 
Detailed images after the jump.

Incase, creators of premium carrying solutions, introduces a collection of high-performance skate travel bags with professional skateboarder and four-time X Games medalist Paul Rodriguez. Built of durable materials tailored to withstand the most demanding travel environments, this innovative three-bag collection provides a vast array of skateboard-specific storage options and truly unique functionalities. The Paul Rodriguez Signature Collection will be available October 2008.
More images of the entire collection to follow soon.

San Francisco heritage skate store FTC introduces their "Classic" t-shirt series. The series consists of overall six t-shirts, each featuring an affiliated pro skater (i.e. Jovonte Turner, Keith Hufnagel, etc) or FTC team in the form of a photo print. Each t-shirt comes in both black and white and is now available at Stless.
Have a detailed look at the rest of the FTC Classic Series after the jump.

Monocle Magazine branches forward with a branded newsstand in Fitzrovia, London. "In June, Monocle opened its inaugural branded news outlet in Fitzrovia, London. The new-look Charlotte Street News bears the magazine’s livery inside and out: a signature awning protects browsers from the vagaries of the UK weather, and slick Monocle-black strips divide the shelves of titles within – making for a smarter way to consume printed matter."
Definitely an interesting move by the magazine and yet another step in the direction to bring magazines and newsstands into the next century. If you are familiar with Monocle, you know that they feature in each issue an outstanding magazine stand from around the world. Setting an example might just be the right thing to do!
Via Selectism.