Since most of us around here are getting back in the saddle after a rather soggy winter (and it’s bike month), we decided it’s time for the third installment of our blog series— The Camera Steals the Soul. You might remember it—our compilation of cheesy Hollywood flicks that have sucked the living soul out of sport (and a few that haven’t). Born out of a few drinks on a cold winter’s night some years ago, our “ode-to-trash” anthology has tackled the ski and surf genres. Now it’s time to shift gears to—yeah, you guessed it—cycling.

Of course, this time around, we’re drinking Prosecco and staring down an 80-degree weekend, which is why our list is short. Plus, we got sidetracked on youtube. You’ll see why.

The Good
Breaking Away
Better off Dead
Napoleon Dynamite
Revenge of the Nerds
A Sunday in Hell

So Bad, It’s Good
American Flyers
Quicksilver
Pee Wee’s Big Adventures
RAD

The Guilty Pleasures
Sh*t Cyclists Say
Performance

Honorable Mention
Wizard of Oz
The Goonies
ET

What did we miss? Let us know.

Courtesy of University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Last August in the Thought Kitchen, we featured a two-part, behind-the-scenes look the Eco Index—a collaborative effort with the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) to create an industry-wide standard in sustainability. Well thanks to OIA and their tenacious work on the Eco Index, the organization was recently recognized by the White House.

Yes, that’s right: the Barackness Monster (thanks to Jimmy Fallon and his slow-jamming term of endearment) selected the OIA Sustainability Working Group (SWG) as a Champion for Change for Environmental Sustainability. The Champion for Change program was created as part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative to formally recognize extraordinary efforts across different industries and communities.

We’d like to extend a big congrats to OIA SWG’s volunteer collaboration of more than 250 outdoor industry brands for their persistent effort to create higher standards in sustainability. And, more specifically, thanks to Jamie Bainbridge, our Director of Textile Development and Sustainability, for her tireless work representing Nau as part of OIA SWG’s Advisory Council.

While the industry still has a long way to go, it’s comforting to know that sustainable efforts are being recognized by our governmental leaders.

You have to have a rig like that to get to a place like this. You know, that place? That place where depth, time and geology is laid open like no other landscape; where high plateaus, alpine peaks and deep river canyons conjoin; where, in a world of 7 billion people, it still remains relatively isolated and unscathed. For Mark, our GM, that place is somewhere in Utah, along the White Rim Trail and the San Rafael Swell.

Toni Greaves, award-winning documentary photographer, unveiled in Afghanistan (Photo by M. Ashraf Wahidi)

We’re not sure what’s more impressive: her list of accolades or the stunning beauty of her work.  In just three short years since being selected as one of PDN magazine’s “30 Emerging Photographers to Watch,” our good friend and documentary photographer, Toni Greaves has graced the pages of TIME magazine, The New York Times, Communication Arts, The FADER, and Marie Clare (to name a few).

She has traveled to Paraguay and rural Nepal as part of projects for Outside magazine and The Gates Foundation. Most recently, she returned from Afghanistan where she photographed for an organization dear to us—Mercy Corps, one of our Partners for Change. We were lucky enough to sit down with the award-winning photog to talk about the art of becoming invisible and what it’s like to shoot behind a burqa.

OTG: You’ve been shooting professionally for a little less than four years and you’ve already won numerous awards and have been published in an impressive list of publications.
Toni: Yeah, I feel very blessed. But I have a 15-year background in art direction, design, and creative direction, so I understood SEEING before I was professionally trained in photography. And I was always doing it as a hobby. But there came a point when I realized that I wanted to make it everything I was doing. So I made some major life changes and personal sacrifices to go back to school. I decided that if I was going to do it, I was going to do it right. And I feel very lucky it’s working out.

Can you give us some insight into some of the projects you’ve enjoyed the most?
I have a long term project called Radical Love that spans the course of three years, which is about a community of cloistered nuns. I have spent a lot of time with these women, being in their monastery, being around their lives, and I love it. One of the great things about documentary photography is getting to experience different worlds.

From Radical Love: The Dominican Nuns of Summit, New Jersey are a Roman Catholic cloistered monastic community. In this photo, the youngest nuns enjoy playing basketball during their half hour recreation period. (Photo by Toni Greaves)

So when you’re on assignment, do you have an idea of what you want to see behind the camera or do you let things organically unfold?
The thing about documentary photography is that you never know exactly what’s going to happen and you can’t plan anything. That’s one of the things I love about it—this dance of figuring it out while it happens. There is a kind of magic of getting into the moment of everything…of developing relationships with people you engage with and being able to help them feel comfortable. Because their level of comfort, as well as yours affects the quality of images that you take.

Do you ever coerce your story?
Here’s the thing, in your job as a writer, you’re asking questions right? And the simple act of asking questions, you’re helping to initiate something that helps guide and direct….

Exactly. Like leading the witness.
But in documentary photography, you can’t do that. I get to be aware and observant of everything that is around me, and my job is to take all that in and process it, in order to be in those situations when they happen. Of course, there are different approaches, but from my background and training, if you start influencing things, you’ll lose your credibility and honesty in what you’re doing and you’ll immediately be dismissed.

But you have to make people feel comfortable with your presence, so there has to be some level of influence.
That’s true. But in the same way if you, as a writer, were sitting there watching somebody and taking notes, they are aware of you sitting there, so to a degree that will changes things. However, I’ve also had clients tell me I become “invisible” over time.

From Birth in Rural Nepal: An aid worker examines Maheshwori and determines that her unborn baby is breech. Each year in Nepal more than 6,000 women die during childbirth. (Photo by Toni Greaves/Getty Images)

So there’s got to be this sweet spot in documentary photography where you’re constantly trying to capture the moment, but also have the perfect eye. Obviously, you can’t set up your shot.
No you can’t. So it all comes from your training and background and they way that you SEE.  In studying documentary photography you learn to SEE differently. And when you’ve been doing it long enough, it becomes a part of you. Recently, I photographed a friend giving birth. Since I’m close to her, I noticed when sorting through the images, that I had removed myself from the photographer role at times and the images weren’t as strong in those moments. So there’s a balance: you have to be comfortable with people, but you still have to maintain a level of disconnection in a way that you are more active in your SEEING.

So let’s switch gears. You just returned from Afghanistan where you were on assignment with Mercy Corps. How as your trip?
It was one of the most interesting trips I’ve been on. Fascinating, actually.

Did they give you a burqa?
Yes, they did for security reasons. But I always respect cultural norms when I travel. I was in full head scarf, starting from the airport, and only took it off in my room. Whenever we would leave, I would be covered in a burqa. If not, I could put their projects at risk if anyone saw me and my photography gear.

So what exactly where you doing?
I was photographing a women’s and girl’s education program called INVEST. They teach computers, embroidery, sewing, and English. It’s an incredible program that is changing the lives of these girls and also the women who teach there. I interviewed five women who were teachers in this program. In fact, Mercy Corps just put together a multimedia piece of my work that is now live on their website.

A woman takes a tailoring class in Mercy Corps' INVEST program in Afghanistan to learn how to design and sew garments. (Photo by Toni Greaves for Mercy Corps)

You know, most of us only experience Afghanistan through the media as this kind of vapid, hopeless, almost apocalyptic place. What was your experience?
It’s mind boggling to learn about what Afghanistan was like in the 1950’s. It was this beautiful, tourist destination. Then Kabul was severely bombed from the late 70’s. But there’s a sense, with the youth that I was around, that there is potential for something for the future. Nobody wanted to talk about anything being bad. Maybe because there is danger in talking about what is going on or maybe it’s just a cultural norm. But they were very happy and excited about school, about what is to come.

I guess you just never know how a society might react under dire circumstances, eh?
If you’re put in the worst situation, you have two choices: you can give up or have hope. Which one would you choose? These are human beings living in this place of war. And they are choosing to have hope in the midst of often very difficult situations.  It’s an incredible demonstration of the strength of the human spirit.

To view more of Toni’s work, visit her website at www.tonigreaves.com.

Just in case you were wondering why things have been a little quiet around here….

We experienced our first 70 degree day of the year yesterday punctuating a brilliant end to our record-breaking deluge in March (that’s right, nearly eight inches in 31 days). Luckily, most of us were able to escape the sogginess for a much-needed break from our northwest spring. Here’s a few photos of our travels, near and far.

Josie “claims” she was sworn to secrecy (by a friend of a friend) never to divulge the whereabouts of this tourist-free, utopian Mexican paradise. That’s alright, we’ll find out soon enough. A little beer, some peach schnapps….we’ll get her talking.

That’s Sarah, the Goat Whisperer, down in Arizona, far from the soggy northwest.

Leigh’s happy feet somewhere south of the panhandle, after she was unexpectedly sidelined in Dallas (for two days) by last week’s tornadoes.

Brett’s mini road trip through Eastern Oregon: fossil beds, lots of wide open spaces and cattle farms. Yeeehaw.

Dear god (or whomever you worship): Thank you for the epic surf today.  Love, Susan

While most of us were off recreating, Tyson was building this impressive bee house. Time from start to finish: 12 hours.

Bry, exploring a new part of town. (Also, a big congrats to Bry for moving into her new abode last week).

We haven’t seen Peter in the office yet today, although he did send us this photo. Location: somewhere on the Oregon coast.

Me: enjoying the first 70 degree day of 2012 at the confluence of the Sandy and Columbia Rivers.

There’s something about 37 degrees and raining that makes us want to ride a bike—indoors. Seriously, this is about the time of year when we start dreaming of riding in shorts and a t-shirt, or maybe even a light wool sweater, not waterproof down. But while winter hangs on in the Pacific Northwest, it’s spring break everywhere else. (It’s currently 73 degrees in NYC and 83 in Chicago.) Despite the weather, here are a few urban rides that might spark your lust for sunnier days. At least, it did for us.

Courtesy of Ziba.com

All we need are some aviator goggles and maybe a small dog (like Dick Dastardly and his dog Muttley) for this urban bad boy. Our neighbors, Ziba Design, partnered with Signal Cycles to create this utility bike that pays homage to the classic side car. To learn more, go here.

Lagomorph Design

Wood is sexy. Wood on a bike is even sexier. Lagomorph Design, out of Chicago, custom built this single speed out of American Black Walnut.

Courtesy of Adventure Journal

We stumbled upon this classic beauty over on Adventure Journal. It’s a 1930’s racer called the Pashley Guvnor, retrofitted with the stately thread we’ve come to know as tweed.  Its creator, Ian ‘Corky’ Chisholm, is prepping it for London’s annual Tweed Run.

Rob's Woodgrain Bikes

Looks like wood; rides like steel. Why? Because that’s exactly what it is—steel. Rob Pollack, a retired panel beater, paints these faux woodgrain cycles with such detail it’s hard to tell the difference. To learn more, check out Etsy’s handcrafted portrait on Mr. Pollack, here.

Today, in the Thought Kitchen, Peter, our Creative Director (aka Maestro of Panache), reveals a few secrets behind the new spring line, why it’s different from seasons past, and why he likes a good pair of heels.

Off the grid: There are 35 new styles for spring with a lot of jackets and blazers. Why so much emphasis on outerwear in a season that is traditionally more about shedding layers than adding them?
In reality, the spring and summer season travels through a lot of weather conditions. With that in mind, we wanted to make sure that our collection was well-rounded and reflect the seasonality of this time of year. When a brief storm flies through, you want to make sure you have the proper outerwear. So the key to the collection is creating pieces that, although they might have an outerwear sensibility, they have a great quality that you can layer with all of the other items in the collection.

Ok, can we talk plaid? It seems like such an antiquated pattern, yet it’s back.
When people think of plaid they always think of multiple colors and 90’s grunge. But plaid is a great opportunity to express 90 degree lines in subtle context and colors, so it becomes an architecture of the cloth and an expression of the weave. Plaid is a great way to take a technical fabric and soften its presence by offering this classic weave that has been around for decades. For us, it means taking something that is perceived to be technical in a solid fabric and making it more approachable, more stylish and more familiar.

And there’s a lot of plaid in the women’s line and a lot more styles on the women’s line.
This season, we wanted to expand our women’s collection, so we spent a lot of time focusing on special silhouettes and how they can layer with one another. It’s a beautiful collection that offers both wonderful textiles in checks and plaids and beautiful cotton Tencel knits, and interesting silhouette changes. Our Ribellyun Long Sleeve is an interesting study in oversize, drapey, very luxurious feeling fabric. We have some beautiful textiles in our studio group. The cotton/lycra blends are done in silhouettes that are approachable and less specific in their end use. They are great in a gym or a studio setting, bouldering or climbing, or worn with jeans.

Draping fabrics, tailored pleats, 1950’s inspired designs, even some new colors in the line: how does this mesh with or deviate from Nau’s overarching design philosophy?
We take a lot of inspiration from a lot of different eras for every one of our collections. And inspired by a lot of retro, tailored clothes. Whether it be the high waist of yesterday’s chino, or beautiful pleating and draping, beautifully crafted couture pieces, or vintage pieces for that matter and we apply them to present day use with the intent of performance and comfort. We are obviously drawn to end use and how it interacts with the wearer and how it makes someone feel confident, stylish.

And your favorite piece to design?
It was the whole gesture of the pieces. When I approach the season, I look at silhouettes I want to explore, then I create a palette of silhouettes. What I enjoy the most is refining and subtracting what all of the styles represent in the expected world. Take the traditional trench: it’s boxy, geriatric, with clunky fabrication. You take away all those things, then you add what a concept of a trench could be in today’s world, like protection, minimal pocketing. If it’s for the bike, you add an expansion pleat. Leaving your office at dark, so you need reflectivity. So you’re breaking down how a design is good, then rebuilding it using today and tomorrow as the guideline and the judge.

Ok, here’s a free ticket to New York. You’ve got to leave now. What are you going to wear?
Most definitely, the People’s Chino Pant, the Basis t-shirt, and I would throw the Jaunt and the Succinct Trench in the Motil Ped. Every single one of these items is easy to take care of and stylish enough so I could go out to the galleries or for a nice long hike.

Now if I were cross dressing, I would take the Ribellyun Long Sleeve top for sure, the Ribellyun Tank, and I’d also have the Check Me Out shirt to throw on top of that. I would also take the Succinct Trench, the Flaxible Skirt and the Stylus Pant. So you would have this really beautiful, stylish set of layers perfect for styling up or styling down. Oh, and a good pair of sling back heels to accentuate the calf muscles and draw the booty out.

We couldn’t imagine a better way to spend our Friday morning than hanging out with the brainchild behind Grain Surfboards, Mike LaVecchia, and his West coast point man Allen Anderson. They were in town from Maine (and Allen from LA) teaching one of their highly sought-after traveling board building classes. (You might remember, a few weeks ago, we featured one of Grain’s founders—Brad Anderson—on our blog).

From 7:30am till evening, for the past seven days, Mike and Allen’s intimate class of west coaters have been learning the fine craft of wooden surfboard building. Using classic boatbuilding techniques and locally harvested Northern Red Cedar, they’ve been carving, bending and shaping a floatable world.

We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the process and meet of few of their aspiring apprentices. You’ll find a few of our captured moments, below.

To learn more about Grain Surfboards and a class near you, check out their website: www.grainsurfboards.com. And definitely, check out their most recent write-up in Slide magazine.

Alan and Mike, the guys with all of the knowledge.

Notice the wooden tepee in the background? Although it has nothing to do with Grain (as it was already part of the existing landscape), this week’s class took place at the Instrument builidng—an old boatbuilding warehouse in inner NE Portland.

Justin and his 8′ steamer, applying the bead and cove method. This is an old shipbuilding technique which uses 1/4″ strips of wood in which one edge has a groove cut and one edge is rounded. Thus, they fit together like a ball and socket or a tongue and groove, creating a tight joint. This is a relatively new method for building hallow wood surfboards (HWS) as opposed to the more well-known chambered technique.

Gluing down the planks. No foam core here.

Ed, a professional woodworker by trade, fairing in the top planks. So close to perfection.

Courtesy of Grain

If you were lucky enough to score a spot in this week’s class, you not only walked away with a floatable work of art and a lifelong sense of accomplishment, you also gained an invaluable knowledge of the craft and a community of like-minded surfers and craftsmen.

This morning’s meeting consisted of a cup of stumptown, a voting ballot and a wall plastered with instagrams (thanks @connecsean for the captured moment). Our task? To pick the winners of our first #nauwinter instagram contest. (We say first, because there’s a good chance we could do this again.) First of all, thanks to all who entered. It was a tough decision, but we ultimately chose three of our favorites. Check out the winners below as well as all of the entries at #nauwinter. And for future instagram contests as well as a behind-the-scenes look at who we are, what we do and what inspires us, follow us @nauclothing.

And now for the winners…

@bendcyclocross

@doryrice

@tri_kiet

If you’re one of the lucky winners, contact us a share@nau.com to receive your $100 gift certificate.

We recently received this vintage plate in the mail from one of our loyal customers. It has since found its home near Caitlin’s desk.

Thanks Jon. Keep on rocking, yourself.