Journal
Cinematic Cuba by Stijn Hoekstra
'The Jurassic Park for cars' When Fidel Castro came into power in 1959, he placed a ban on foreign vehicle imports, making it nearly impossible to buy a brand-new, foreign-made car. As you navigate the roads of Havana, you'll find a rolling museum of classic '50s American automobiles. Vibrant paint-jobs and those iconic space-age tail fins are seen at almost every turn - each booming reggaetón from aftermarket speaker systems. Dutch photograper & cinematographer Stijn Hoekstra spent 3 weeks in Cuba capturing its cinematic land & cityscapes, but what particularly caught our eye was his photoset on these beautiful classic cars. We at Tens maintain a love for all things retro, and this photoset is simply bathed in nostalgic warmth. American cars were previously considered something of a burden; gas guzzlers whose parts were impossible to replace thanks to the US economic embargo, which makes most commercial transactions with the island illegal, and has effectively limited ties between the US and communist-run Cuba for much of the last half-century. Some of the smoke-belching monsters had so many adapted Chinese and Russian parts inside that Cubans nicknamed them "Frankensteins." They were rusty beasts that almost no one thought about painting or fixing up. Few people could afford to do much else but keep them running. But as tourism to the island increased and the island's government loosened restrictions on travel and car ownership for Cubans, more and more mint-condition beauties emerged from their long state of abandonment. Cuban entrepreneurs realized there was money to be made in offering vintage car tours and fanned out across the island in search of old cars to repair and fill with paying customers. It's easy to fall in love these cars that possess a style and vision that automakers lost long ago. They act as a gleaming testament to Cuban ingenuity and perseverance rolling down Havana's potholed roads. Check out more of Stijn's work via Instagram here, and his Website here.
49 Hours in San Francisco
“Hey do you fancy going to SF next month? My dad has a trip flying out there and we can tag along…” “Yeah, sure how long for?” “Erm… its only 2 nights” “F**k it lets do it” Having a friend whose father is an airline captain has its definite perks. Arriving late in San Fran suitably tipsy from 11 hours of continuous champagne however was probably not the best way to start out our trip and set the tone for what turned out to be a manic couple of days. With such a short amount of time in city we felt that we had to make the most of the time available to us. An early jetlagged start down to grab tickets for the day trip to Alcatraz Island after approx. 3 hours sleep + the hangover from 8 (or was it 10?) beers from the night before meant that we were probably the loudest and jovial members of the queue. Making friends with some Swedish travellers we toured the prison island. It's remarkable the views these inmates had over the Bay Area and the audio tour proved to be super immersive. We’d been recommended that the best way to see the Golden Gate bridge was on tandem bike. It definitely proved to be the most comical and unpractical way to squeeze through the crowds of tourists on the way across. The sheer size and colour of the bridge is as impressive as it looks in photos and I hope I’ve been successful in trying to capture it in interesting ways. After a late lunch and some Irish Coffee, we met up with our friend Dan who we first partied with whilst travelling in Vietnam last year. He now works for Google and was happy to show us the city. Bouncing from bar to bar in China Town (with the distinctive memory of throwing up after a shot of strange whisky) we ended up partying in a club near Golden Gate Park 'til the early hours. Dan had work in the morning and offered us a bleary eyed tour of the Google SF offices. Hungover AF we met up early to see whether they were as awesome as they’re hyped to be. Turns out they are. The entire front of the building has stunning views of the Oakland Bridge and inside it is like no other office, with nap pods, cocktail bars and one room entirely filled with 3D printers. Wandering the city, the divide between the rich and poor is evident, with SF social benefits policy requiring no fixed address to claim, meaning that the homeless roam even the most affluent streets. It’s a strange comparison to draw with the super rich tech elite who work mostly in the area and endemic of the divide we see in the US today. With a quick tram ride and trip up to the top of the iconic 8 hair-pin turned Lombard Street complete, it was time to catch our flight back to London. Total time in SF – 49 hours. Thankfully the flight home was quiet and the captain was able to upgrade us both to First Class for the journey. Finally, time for some rest! Iain is a serving British Army helicopter pilot with a passion for photography. Check his work at @imagesbyiain.
City Guides: A Long Weekend in Barcelona
by Iain With its long dry summers and admirably laid back atmosphere - Barcelona has always been a favourite destination of the Tens team, whether it be with friends, family, partners or solo. As a city with limitless culture, history and cuisine - you could explore for months and still uncover something inspiring each day. Here is a quick guide to some of our favourite sights, activities, eats & drinks perfect for an escape to the heart of Catalonia. GETTING AROUND The city centre is roughly 20 minutes away in a taxi from El Prat Airport, and will cost around €25, which is reasonable if there are a few of you. Might be a bit expensive for solo travel, so you can just take the bus. They are very frequent and will get you to Plaça de Catalunya in around 30-40 minutes. If you’re limited for time, or not that keen on walking, buy what's called a T10. It's a 10 journey ticket you can use on all transport. Multiple people can also use it too, so you can put it through the machine and pass the ticket back to the next person. We would recommend just walking to most places in the city though, as you can pretty much get anywhere in less than 30 minutes, and you get to discover more of the city this way. If you are going to use transport a lot then you can maybe look at the 2-5 day tickets. The ticket machines can be changed to English and will tell you everything you need to know. TO DO You can tick off the more popular places first by starting off at Plaça de Catalunya and taking a stroll down La Rambla. This is very touristy, so I would avoid going to any bars or restaurants here. You will pass the grand Bocqueria Market though, and this is a great spot to pick up some cheap breakfast and local meats, seafood and cheese. Towards the bottom of La Rambla you can cut left into the Gothic Quarter which is a labyrinth of beautiful architecture, shops and bars. You can weave your way through here towards the famous Cathedral. Regarding the major sights I would recommend going inside the Sagrada Familia, Parc de la Ciutadella / Arc de Triomf. You can book your time slots for Sagrada Familia online to avoid queues - it could be the most impressive building you’ve ever seen. Parc Guell is another Gaudi sight, built high up overlooking the city. Great views and a nice way to spend an afternoon, would recommend bringing a packed lunch to have at the top as you’ll want to hang there for a while. Barcelona played host to the summer Olympics in 1992, and not only can you check out most of the grounds, you can also take a dip in the pool. It’s not glamorous by any means, but we love the brutalist concrete surroundings, and the pool itself is perfectly cool - a great place to relax and sunbathe for a few hours. Once you’re done you can either get the cable car, or walk up to the top of Montjuic and see the castle. Barcelona is famous for its beach right there at the edge of the city. We always started the day with a stroll through Barceloneta, past the super yachts and towards the sand. The beach gets VERY busy during the day, so either head here early for a Clara (cloudy lemon shandy) at one of the beach bars and watch the world go by for a moment. If you do want to spend a day at quieter beach it is best to take a train to go out of the city along the coast. The train is cheap and in around an hour you can be at Sant Pol de mar. You take the R1 train from Plaça de Catalunya in the direction of Mataro. Worth the trip for a nice, chilled beach day. Sitges is also a great day trip only 40mins away with some great beaches. Montserrat is also a nice trip outside of the city, well worth the trip if you have a day to spare. For some more, free, sightseeing it’s nice to walk from Plaça Catalunya up Passeig de Gracia. The Gaudi architecture there is amazing with a lot of nice terraces to stop and grab a bite to eat. TO EAT If you have time to kill during the first half of the day, check out these brunch spots: Tropico (just look at that Açai bowl), Milk, Federal, Alsur, Flax & Kale, or El Flako which is a 'trendy' novelty cereal bar. Later on, for something easy I would highly recommend trying the burgers from Bacoa and we'll let you off for eating a burger in Spain. For alternative quick bites there is an incredible hot dog joint called ‘The Dog Is Hot’ in Raval, or Rosa de Raval if you're in a taco kinda mood. For something a bit fancier try Tickets (the holy grail), or either of the two Sensi restaurants in El Born. These are the places you’ll have to book in advance, so prepare accordingly. Inside the old Biblioteca, within a courtyard you'll find this al fresco restaurant called El Jardi - ideal for date night. For more of a traditional tapas vibe, check out Quimet & Quimet (they brew their own beer), or Can Paixano (for proper Cava) - both standing tapas bars and very Catalan. For cheaper tapas, spend an evening on Carrer Blai in Poble Sec. There are lots of small tapas bar where you just help yourself to what's on the counter, then they charge you for the number of cocktail sticks / plates you have at the end of the night (Yo! Sushi style). For an incredible bargain, try La Malandrina - it’s a great South American restaurant that do MASSIVE steaks and creamy potatoes for roughly €10. On top of that they’ve got a lovely house red wine at only 6€ a bottle. For sweet things, be sure to grab ice cream from VIOKO (in Barceloneta & El Born), or eyescream and friends. TO DRINK We enjoyed every single bar we visited. Barcelona is great for just wandering around and jumping into various small bars for cañas (small beers) - as long as you stay away from La Rambla, most places are well priced. Nevermind is a cool alternative bar with a skate bowl inside. Paradiso is also well worth a visit. On the outside it looks like a standard pastrami bar, where you can sit and order small plates of meat and kimchi. However, if you open the refrigerator door on the left, you’re taken into a dark, clandestine cocktail bar with a stunning interior and wild cocktails. Another great cocktail bar is L'Acensor. A 1920s-style elevator leads you into a very old school Catalan bar. It is a bit more expensive but definitely worth it for the atmosphere. We came across a pretty special spot on top of the Barcelo 360 Raval hotel. If you walk into the lobby straight to the elevators, you can take the last one up to their roof terrace for a drink. It offers 360 views of the city and is the perfect spot to watch the sun set behind the hills. It’s not cheap, but the views are breath-taking. Words & photos by Iain. If you'd like some more tips, or want to learn more about the suggestions made, send us a DM on Instagram!
Empowering Youth Through Skating
“I support Skateistan because I believe skateboarding can be a catalyst for positive change, especially among children." Tony Hawk, pro skateboarder Skateistan is an award-winning international non-profit organisation that provides programs combining skateboarding and education to children and youth aged 5-17 in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa. Through the hook of skateboarding they engage children, especially girls and children from low income backgrounds, and provide them with access to safe spaces and education. Skateistan's innovative programs teach children valuable life skills that go beyond the skatepark and the classroom. Their core programs aim to keep children and youth involved in the Skateistan community for the long term. As students get older, they become role models to the younger children and the wider community. Join us in Donating Today The animation below, created by Berlin-based illustrator Maria Giemza and animator Dominik Grejc, tells the story of an Afghan girl empowered through skateboarding and education. Based on the real life of a Skateistan student in Kabul, Afghanistan, the animation showcases the impact Skateistan's programs have on the lives of children and how the charity works to empower children and youth around the world. Skateistan Students Over 1,800 children and youth are part of the programs worldwide. Skateistan believes that positive social change happens when children are educated on how to take care of themselves and their community. Skateistan addresses gender inequality by including as many girls as possible in their programs. Over 50% of registered students are female, and Afghanistan has the highest percentage of female skateboarders in the world. Skateistan offer girls-only sessions at all of their Skate Schools worldwide. Educational and recreational services for youth are often compromised in places of long-term conflict and concentrated poverty. Yet, when millions of youth miss out on experiences of playing and learning, they lose opportunities to develop essential life skills, to imagine a new world for themselves, to evolve into leaders, and to develop effective solutions for their communities. Skateboarding is accessible to children with physical and cognitive disabilities as it can be practiced in some form by virtually anyone. The ability to take part in sport and creative activities builds students' confidence, self-esteem, and provides a valuable platform for self-expression. For children of migration backgrounds there are many obstacles to accessing education. Skateistan works with internally displaced youth, nomadic communities, economic migrants and refugees. Q&A How do youth benefit from skateboarding?Skateistan’s model is founded on the belief that skateboarding is a great equaliser. With a safe space and staff trained in delivering quality programs, we develop community leaders and skateboarders who know how to safely fail and persevere through adversity. This new generation of role models is equipped to tackle complex problems in their own lives as well as in their local and global communities.What are the benefits of children being part of Skateistan’s programs?At Skateistan, children find a fun, safe community where they can play and learn, free from discrimination and violence. Within a diverse peer group they come to understand themselves as equal with others, while learning new skills and building friendships. As members of a thriving learning community, youth develop key life skills and increase their confidence. Youth set goals, stay in school, and become involved in civic engagement activities. Many become role models for their peers in the skatepark and classes. At 18, youth graduate from Skateistan and from high school with an expanded notion of community, and the tools to seek out further education and employment. Some become Skateistan volunteers and staff, and all join a global community of active, engaged citizens - promoting such values as equality, education, and inclusion.Was the community involved during construction of the skate schools?Yes. Involving the local community was important for consent; we put in the effort to operate in a culturally-sensitive and appropriate manner. It is common for local government, youth, parents, and community groups to work together to build safe, supervised, and youth-friendly facilities. Watch how the Skate School was made in Johannesburg.Can girls participate?More than 50% of students are girls! Getting girls on a skateboard has been a priority since Skateistan's beginning. However, we acknowledge that there are many obstacles to teaching girls — and that is why we hold the support of the parents, local community and government in such high regard. Half of our students are female, giving Afghanistan the highest rate of female participation in skateboarding in the world. They are taught on separate days at the park, by an all-female staff. In South Africa and Cambodia, Skateistan hopes to address the gender gap through their girls-only sessions. We run 14 of these girls-only sessions each week around the world.Can people with disabilities participate?Yes. A focus of ours is working with youth living with a disability. Students can take part in our Skate and Create program and we run Outreach sessions with partner organisations. Skateboarding is accessible to children with physical disabilities, as it can be practiced in some form by virtually anyone. The ability to take part in sport and creative activities builds students confidence, self-esteem, and provides a valuable platform for self-expression.Are the students safe?The Skate Schools are supervised and secure private facilities that are built and run with community consent. We are in regular communication with local safety organizations, as well as with government and local community leaders, so that we receive regular security updates and conduct activities safely. When skating all students must wear a helmet and safety pads.Are the programs free for children?Yes, this is essential, as most participants of Skateistan cannot afford to pay for lessons. There are absolutely no costs incurred by students for any activities, for example, all materials needed in the skatepark or the classroom are provided to students by Skateistan. Additionally, we arrange transport for girls in Afghanistan to make it easier and safer for them to attend. Images & words courtesy of @skateistan. Learn more at skateistan.org.
Escape to Puglia
by Sam Smith We went to Italy for pizza, but little did we know seafood pasta was the cuisine of choice in this region of Italy... Jess and I grabbed an albeit delayed Ryanair flight to Bari, to escape the pretty abhorrent Summer London had served up for us. Looking for a few days chilling poolside, we rented a pretty mean hotel outside Torre Dell’Orso to chill and take in the scenery of the surrounding towns.Empty roads winding through overgrown fields filled with farmhouses and Fiats in every garage; mussels, Peroni, suncream, sun, turquoise coastline - this is Puglia.
Best of the Month - Vol. 5
The brightest and longest summer's day has passed, but there's still plenty of tropical heat and ice-cold mojitos to consume. Whilst the world news has its ups and downs, we're here to share the things that have made our month ten times better. So here are our favourite things, accounts, tracks and community photos. So grab an appropriate hot / cold beverage and enjoy! Best of the Web Casey Neistat shares his 'First Day Of Summer' video, which captures his teenage fantasies and explores what summer is all about. Which, in his case involves sports cars, superyachts and helicopter rides. We're perfectly happy with poolside cocktails, though. French fashion brand Pigalle teamed up with Parisian creative agency ILL-STUDIO & Nike to give their Rue de Duperreé basketball court site a vibrant makeover. The walls feature hot gradients and hues of fuchsia, dark blue, canary yellow and burnt orange. Vox share this vibrantly fun video exploring the '80s design aesthetic. The 'Memphis Design' movement dominated the '80s with their crazy patterns and vibrant colors. Many designers and architects from all around the world contributed to the movement in order to escape from the strict rules of modernism. Jordan Griska‘s sculpture 'Wreck' - a non-functional model of a Mercedes Benz S550, made entirely from reflective stainless steel. The piece, which is composed of nearly 12,000 individual parts, is meant to highlight both luxury and mortality from a removed perspective. Ustwo Studios released the sequel to their incredibly beautiful, incredibly popular Monument Valley mobile game. The isometric MC Escher style draws you into its world with beautiful colour, and is the perfect train-journey accompaniment. You can download it here (iOS). Tens Soundtrack Early summer is always fantastic for music new and old. We've upped this playlist to 30 tracks, share on Twitter if you're feeling it. Be sure to follow & save your favourites as we update this every month. Who to Follow Here are some of our favourite accounts to follow on Instagram. If you know anybody that we should be following, let us know! This month we've got @bigntoasty, @mycameramyrules, @thatshitbuttery, @candyminimal & @aperturefnd. Best of #FilterYourWorld At Tens we put our community first, no matter what it is that we're up to. Here's where we share some of our favourite customer photos with Tens from the last month. We love seeing your tags with Tens, so be sure to tag us + #FilterYourWorld for your chance to be featured! Photos submitted (in order) by @alexanderjdunn, @jmow, @livography, @imagesbyiain, @jocopops, @geobell95, @wcatchpole13, @tomadamgreen & @beckie_finch.
Paris' Pigalle Basketball Court
Formerly cast in a bold, primary coloured scape, the Pigalle Duperreé basketball court has just been given a vibrant makeover. French fashion brand Pigalle teamed up with Parisian creative agency ILL-STUDIO & Nike to give the court site a vibrant makeover. The walls feature hot gradients and hues of fuchsia, dark blue, canary yellow and burnt orange. The court re-up came as part of a new collaboration between Pigalle & NikeLAB, and is sandwiched between two apartment blocks in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The colours match the '90s basketball aesthetic on which the collaboration is based upon. "The anatomy of the human body as well as its performances have had a lifelong relationship with art, since the legacy of greek and roman antiquity, sport is represented as a dominant idea within the beauty of an era. This never-ending quest for modernity has forged a strong bond between functionality and aesthetics over the decades. Through this new court, we wish to explore the relationship between sport, art and culture and its emergence as a powerful socio-cultural indicator of a period in time. We aim to establish visual parallels between the past, present and future of modernism from the ‘Avant Garde’ era of the beginning of the 20th century, to the ‘open source’ times we live in today, and our interpretation of the future aesthetics of basketball and sport in general." - ILL-STUDIO Images by Alex Penfornis & the court's set designer Sebastien Michelini.
Watch: A Tens USA Road Trip
"We drove for 90 hours across 3,392 miles to discover the States' finest views." Follow young Swiss filmmaker Kevin Ringli through west-USA with Tens. He brought with him a very talented crew who dreamed of capturing a new part of the world in a different light. After growing up and developing their skills in and around the Swiss alps, the golden light of the west was calling... Images by David Hubacher Follow the Crew @davidhubacher, @kevlevitate, @opticchina, @dom_nike & @kevin_mr Gear (video):Canon EOS 1DX MKIISigma 20mm f/1.4Sigma 35mm f/1.4Canon 100mm f/2.8Dji Ronin MDji Phantom 3 ProGear (photo):Canon 5D Mark IIICanon 16-35mm f/2.8Canon 35mm f/1.4Sigma 85mm f/1.4
Desert X: Bringing Illusion to Coachella
Running until April 30th, the Coachella Valley and 45 miles of its surrounding desert landscape is being disrupted by 16 contemporary art installations. The free event, curated by Neville Wakefield serves as the perfect bridge between Palm Springs Modernism week and Coachella music festival. "What excites me about this project is it’s an opportunity to see how art behaves outside of institutional walls," says Wakefield. "To see what it does to communities and how it draws different people in." 'Mirage', by Doug Aitken is modelled on a typical California-style family ranch, only the building is an empty shell that's fully clad in mirrors. The effect camouflages the building against the horizon from afar, but serves to internally ricochet the light of the desert valley from the inside. This creates a fractured, kaleidoscopic effect which adds an angle of discomfort within the empty family home. "After World War II, the ranch style's streamlined simplicity gained popularity as commercial builders employed a simplified assembly line approach to create this efficient form, matching the rapid growth of the suburbs," said the artist. "The mass-produced ranch home became a familiar sight across the country, the style filling the American landscape as quickly as each new subdivision was built." Aitken describes the Desert X experiment as “a vast sprawling parkour” and “puzzle of pieces that are all different within the land”. “I wanted to be here to see where suburbia ends and the landscape begins. This location was kind of perfect in a way. You have the seductive beauty, and then you have the wind farm, and suburbia.” Another display, created by Jennifer Bolande features billboards with snapshots of the mountains behind. Driving slowly down the desert road through Palm Springs, the billboards satisfyingly 'click' into place in front of their backdrops. The artwork was birthed from classic 'Burma-Shave' style sequential billboard ads, which told a story that could only be experienced in motion. Desert X will disappear from the valley after April 30th, however Aitken's mirrored house will remain through 'til October later this year. If you're in the area or travelling there, visit the Desert X website for information on how to / when to attend. View more works below from Claudia Comte, Phillip K Smith III & Glenn Kaino. All images by Lance Gerber.
