Design Backstories

"THE OG"

This is “The OG” - This logo is the epitome of my life.  At the young age of about 5 years old, I started riding dirt bikes.  In the winter time we would go camping in the desert. We hopped in an old Ford pick up, with a camper,  pulling a trailer with our bikes on it. Camping in the desert, riding dirt bikes & having camp fires was one of my favorite things to do as a kid.  Now that I’m older, it’s still one of my favorite things to do with my wife & kids. At around the same age I started water skiing. We jumped in the same old pick up and pulled our little 18’ boat to the lake & spent many weeks camping on the lakes edge. As I got older I got into snowboarding, I’ve always loved being in the mountains, so that was a perfect fit for me. With all that said, 

 

I introduce to you “The OG”  -  This is “Life Out There” 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THE FREEDOM"

We live in the best country in the world. This logo is an early 4th of July release, plus with what’s going on in this crazy world we live in right now, it was inevitable that we release this now.  I am proud to be an American . I’m proud to show support and proud to rock the bold stripes & brightest of stars. I would personally like to thank all the men & women (past and present) who have served our country.  Y’all are the true hero’s of this beautiful country we live in & the sole reason that we’re

“The Land of the Free / Because of the Brave”  -  

I introduce to you   

“THE FREEDOM” 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THE JJ"

As a young teen, I literally lived at the beach during summer vacations. Surfing, boogie boarding & body surfing. We would jump on a bus, to get to the beach, real early in the morning - then take the bus back home at the end of the day.  This was pretty much a daily ritual during the summertime.  Little did I know it, but my wife was the same way when it came to the beach. 

She would go to the beach with her friends - tanning & riding beach cruisers on the strand. Some years later when we started dating, we would occasionally drive down to the beach and hang out & ride bikes on the strand. Huntington Beach is a very special place to both of us. This logo is a tribute to my beautiful wife, somewhat signifying where we both came from. The significance of the #25 on the lifeguard tower is - This June 21st, 2022 will be our 25th wedding anniversary. I wouldn’t want to live this “Life Out There” with anyone else on the planet baby.  

I love you JJ. 

Please wear this one proud!  

I give you - “THE JJ”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THE HOOKER"

I have very fond memories of doing a lot of fishing when I was younger. Heading out very early in the morning with my dad & my uncle, freezing our butts off. We did a lot of fishing in the ocean, as well as a bunch of different lakes. I’ll never forget the storytelling, the jokes & especially the practical jokes that were played while we were out there. Great memories for sure. If you knew my uncle, you know he loved his jewelry. I remember him always wearing a necklace with a gold fish hook on it (with a diamond in the middle). I lost my uncle a little over a year ago. So this design is a bit of a tribute to him. I know he would be proud of me and this new journey I’ve embarked on. I also know he would definitely wear this shirt proudly, mainly because of the name - I give you

“THE HOOKER” 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A NEW PATH"

This one is real deep y’all. About 5-6 years ago I was in a really dark place, one I never wish to visit again. With every ounce of strength in my body, I “WILL NOT” go back there. I made a commitment to myself, my wife and my kids that will be kept.  Unfortunately this is a sickness, that is more apparent then we all may think.  I’m releasing this new design for September, which is Suicide Prevention / Awareness Month. Unlike me, I had a close friend of mine commit suicide, just a few short months after I choose “A NEW PATH” ~ It was then when I realized: people do care if your going to show up the next day / there are a lot of people that care about you & love you, more then you could probably ever imagine. I think we all need to communicate a little better & we all need to listen a little more.  Don’t be afraid to open up to people, it could save you.  I sure wish I had with my buddy, not knowing we were possibly both going through sort of the same things. He had designed an area of his backyard with a big compass, which was the inspiration for this piece.  “I sure do miss you brother”  

*I will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this tee shirt to ~ The Waymakers Huntington Beach Youth Shelter in honor of my buddy. 

I give to you ~

“A NEW PATH” 

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THE YEEHAW"

The backstory for this design is sort of an extension to last month’s backstory for “A NEW PATH”.  I personally converted over to country music during the dark time in my life, because it reminded me of my wife & kids I especially gravitated to the stories that country music songs tell & with the mental state that I was in at that time, it was something I truly needed. It didn’t take me long to get hooked and it was something I truly needed at that time.  Not to mention we live on a 4 1/2 acre ranch with 15 animals, so it’s safe to say that I’m pretty much a part time cowboy anyway . Music for me is “MEDICINE” & I always have to have it on ~ the louder the better.  I never would’ve guessed that I would be Livin’ this kind of “Life Out There” , with my family, since we bought our ranch 12 + years ago, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. So throw on some jeans, boots & a hat & rock this one proud y’all. 

I give you ~ “THE YEEHAW”

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you’ve been following “Life Out There Apparel” from the beginning you know that I’m all about anything that has to do with the dirt ~ moto, camping in the desert, ranch life, etc. ~ I was pretty much born into it & I haven’t stopped embracing it (dirt) since then.  If you know me personally, you know that I’m kinda of addicted to Starbucks. So with the month of November pretty much being the start of desert season, I decided that I would collide these 2 different worlds together and give you something badass to rock in the desert, or while your grabbing your favorite drink in town. 

I give you ~ 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"SLEIGH RIDE"

I like to think that I am Santa Clause. Christmas is definitely my favorite time of the year.  For as long as I can remember, I have loved spoiling my family especially during this time of year.  Doing scavenger hunts & different kinds of surprises. Don’t tell the kids but for the past 22 years I leave my house on Christmas Eve, close to midnight, & drive around to a few friends & family houses that still have younger kids. Once they’re asleep - I leave Santa Clause Sleigh / Boot & Reindeer snow tracks in the driveways of their houses.  So, when the kids wake up, they truly know that Santa was really there. So, in the spirit of the holiday season

~ I give you

“SLEIGH RIDE”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"SNOW B.U.M.P." 

Back in the day, before my kids were born, I was really heavy into snowboarding. I’d go up at least 1-2 times a week to the local mountains. I had a buddy of mine that was the epitome of (a great snowboarder) I met him while working in the automotive industry. His dad owned the dealership where I worked and he came down to work in the summertime during college break. We shared a lot of the same interests so naturally we became pretty good friends. Now fast forward about 20 + years and we still keep in touch at least once a week. When I started “Life Out There Apparel” he was one of the first buddies I called to share the news with. He of course embraced what my goal and purpose was and immediately offered any help he could. We met up with people he knew in the “brand” industry / etc. He turned me on to a couple different companies to help with apparel & embroidery.  He’s just one of those dudes that’s amazing to have in your corner.  We bounce things off each other all the time and I’m very grateful for the friendship we have. He has always told me that Brighton Utah is his favorite Mountian to go snowboarding at. So of course an idea popped into my head and I wanted to show a little love & appreciation. If you look closely at the sign on the tee, the elevation shows 8707 feet, which is the elevation of Brighton Utah. The guy on the snowboard ~ is an actual photo of my buddy Matt  I love you brother, thanks for always being there. Now keep this in mind...

(Brighton. Utah. Matt. Piercey.)

~ I give you ~ 

SNOW B.U.M.P.  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THE CRAWLER" 

Another chapter in the world of having fun in the dirt. With growing up going to the desert & riding dirt bikes, it was always a blast jumping into a truck or a Jeep to do some 4 wheelin’ ~ As I’ve gotten older the analogy of “with age, get a cage” has been mentioned to me many times, but I don’t see myself giving up 2 wheels anytime soon.  But I do love some off-roading & rock crawling for sure. This one is for all the die hard desert junkies & the rock crawling Jeep peeps.

I give you ~

“THE CRAWLER”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"CAPT. PATRICK"

This fun St. Patrick’s Day tee is a tribute to my late grandpa (whom I’ve never met) Grandpa Patrick. This was my dads dad & he actually found him, well his widow, when he was about 40 years old. He was a professional boat Captain, which explains my love of boating on the water. He lived in Southern California, but he was actually born in Cork, Ireland. Learning about him and his life is what inspired this design. Obviously he is the Captain and the lighter colored stripes on the flag are actually “corks”. I tried to combine the 2 worlds of the USA and Ireland together for a fun tribute to my late grandpa. 

I give you ~

“Capt. Patrick”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"ON MY WAY"

The 1 year anniversary of “Life Out There Apparel” is here. It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year. I am still having the absolute time of my “LIFE” with this journey. When I talk to people about the brand, I always seem to use the same phrase “that I am full throttle - no brakes - all in with this brand & there is no stopping me” Hence the pegged Speedometer. I cannot wait to share with everyone what is coming for the rest of this year.  Please stay tuned and follow along. To everyone that has been supporting me and this brand from day one - THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart - It is seriously the most amazing feeling having y’all’s support. 

I give you.

-  “ON MY WAY”  -

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"LOVE MOM"

My beautiful wife lost her beloved mom when she was just 14 months old. She really has no recollection of her mom, but about 15+ years ago we were working in our backyard and a black & yellow monarch butterfly was flying around us & my wife said “butterflies remind me of my mom” - After that,  we saw black & yellow monarch butterflies at so many random places, and my wife would always say “my mom is here”. Fast forward to now, on this Mothers Day, I pay tribute to my “mother-in-law” whom I never got to meet. I know she would be unbelievably proud of the amazing women her little girl turned out to be.

~I give you~

“LOVE MOM”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THANKS DAD"

A tribute to Dads! The ones that have taught us the mere simple things in life like changing a light bulb, hanging a picture, to fixing a leaky toilet. To more complex things such as maybe building furniture, painting and hooking up a washing machine. For me, building confidence while learning these different tasks would eventually help me branch out to bigger things like laying tile & building patio covers. In my opinion, some of these things should’ve been taught in schools. Nonetheless, these are small life lessons that will go a long way in this world and things that we can pass down to our own kids.

With all that said,

~ THANKS DAD ~

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"THE HAVASU"

If you know me, you know that Lake Havasu is one of my favorite places on this planet. One of my grandpas had lived there as long as I could remember. When he passed away, we had a memorial tree, and a plaque with his name on it, placed for him in the Chanel. A few years back we lost one of my aunts & a couple years after that, we lost my uncle.  The family was able to place another plaque near my grandpas, in front of his tree, to commemorate my late aunt & uncle too. This tree is one of my favorite places to visit in Lake Havasu. Along with the Lighthouse at Windsor Beach, the Sandbar & of course - The London Bridge. We have spent many, many years water skiing, wakeboarding & tubing on this lake. Both of our kids have grown up coming to this lake. In fact, they had both been here a couple times while still in my wife’s stomach. To say this place is very special to me, would be an understatement. This design definitely brings those summer / lake vibes. This is  
 ~THE HAVASU

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"FUN IS NOT A CRIME"

These laminated pieces of wood with 4 wheels were a huge staple in my teen years. All through high school all I cared about was riding my skateboard.  I had a half pipe / mini ramp in my backyard where you could find me (every single day) To this day, I do not drink, smoke or do drugs (and never have) & I owe it to skateboarding & riding BMX bikes. A lot of my friends were doing those kinds of things, but my drive was to progress at skateboarding and pushing myself to learn tricks daily.  I had a couple small sponsorships while in high school where I got free boards, wheels & shoes (I was on top of the world). Supporting & repping the brands that helped me back then was a highlight for me.  Hence, why I am so grateful for all of you that support my brand today. In 1988 I entered my first C. A. S. L.  (California Amateur Skateboard League) contest where I won 1st place 🥇What an amazing feeling & accomplishment for me. 

      Back then the backlash from businesses and police officers, to us skaters, was crazy. Little did they know, that what I was doing out there helped shape the man I am today.  
Skateboarding & BMX = “Is Not A Crime” 

Rep this one proud for all those kids out there having fun doing something they love 

“FUN IS NOT A CRIME”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"BEST FRIEND"

Dogs, our best friends. They are the ultimate listeners & give us continuous unconditional love "always"! Whether you've been gone for a week on vacation or taking a quick 20 minute trip to the store (or to Starbucks) the excitement they have when you return home is the most heartwarming thing for me. If only I were worthy of the way they see/look at me! I love their different personalities and the way they express themselves, just like we do. It is also so impressive to me just how smart they are. I have had quite a few dogs in my lifetime & have suffered many broken hearts when it's their time to go, but I'll never forget the love they gave me throughout their lifetime. My dogs are my babies & I can't live without them. When it's my time, I could only hope to come back as a dog, to an owner like me - Here's to our
"BEST FRIEND"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"GRAB LIFE BY THE HORNS"

My outlook for this design / launch is to send a powerful message. The young lady in this design is the grandchild of a very dear friend & supporter of mine. Little Ms. Hailey Fay (Lady Bug) @haileywatson9909 has been around horses all of her life. At the age of 11, she entered her first barrel race & (as her mom put it) she was extremely slow, but she had the time of her life. From that day forward, she was hooked. Fast forward 3 years later and she has grown so much in the sport and is ranking so well at her different races (sometimes in the top 5 out of 500+ people - including adults). She is living her best "LIFE" and chasing her dream. Her grandpa is her "roadie" and carts her around to all her races - now what grandpa wouldn't want to do that. Their family bond is very inspirational! The real message here is to chase your dream, or you'll always wonder "WHAT IF" so whatever is is that you want to do / or to be doing - get up & 

"GRAB LIFE BY THE HORNS"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"LEAVE IT BEHIND"

PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) is something I believe a lot of us out there deal with on a daily basis. Especially our "VETERANS" along with our active military service men, women, & dogs. They live with this day in and day out. This design is to depict travelign to a better place in life & leaving the past, behind you. I believe you don't have to have been in the military to suffer from this disorder. We have all been through something that has put us in a bad position / state of mind. I really think how we learn and rebound from these traumatic situations shows us really how strong we are. I personally have never been in the military, but my grandfather was one of the original 10th Mountain Dision members, in the Army, & my father in law was in Vietnam (Army) I'm releasing this design in November ~ in honor of "Veteran's Day"

Please thank a veteran today, and always & represent this one proudly. 

I give you, 

"LEAVE IT BEHIND"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"DECEMBER 26TH"

It's that time of year again. A tribute to the one man that works extremely hard, 1 day a year - Santa Clause. Seeing that he travels all over the world, in just one night, it's inevitable that he deserves a vacation starting on December 26th. Some quiet time out camping in the desert should do the trick. Relaxing during the day and a cozy campfire in the evening as he burns his Christmas tree (It's a desert thing) here's to the most wonderful time of the year!

I give you ~

"December 26th"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"FLY SAFE 38"

If you know me, you know I love everything that has to do with "dirt bikes" - so our January release comes at the perfect time (the start of supercross season) one of my favorite times of the year. We met the Downey family around 2006-2007 as we did the flowers for their oldest daughter's wedding. We instantly became pretty close friends through that process. Shortly after meeting them we were advised of the devastating loss of their young son Brett. As a parent, I couldn't have imagined what they went through. Brett was an up and coming supercross rider and lost his life doing what he loved. In his honor, they formed a motocross safety foundation to bring more safety and awareness to this amazing sport. This design pretty much speaks for itself (with exception to the green balloon). I watched every video on the MXSafety38.org website - but there was 1 in particular that tugged on my heart strings. Brett's mom explained how Brett handed her a green balloon the morning him and his dad left for the track (he asked her to hold it for him until he got home) unfortunately, he never came back home. A few days later Brett's mom found that green balloon in his room & had the thought that "Brett's breath blew up that balloon". She gathered the immediate family together, cut a small slit in that balloon, and they all took turns inhaling the breath of their beloved son / brother. 

I am donating a portion of the proceeds, from the sale of this collection, to the Brett (38) Downey Safety Foundation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"MUSIC IS MEDICINE"

 

Music ~ My Oxygen ~ My Way of Escape. For me, it's country music. The relatable stories the lyrics tell just resonate with me like no other music has. It is a solo concert every time I'm in my truck (or with my airpods in while on my riding lawnmower) just ask my wife ~ it ain't pretty ~ Music is such a big part of my "LIFE", a couple years back, I made a custom country song for my wife for our 25th wedding anniversary!! So throw on this tee / hoodie & sing your favorite song at the top of your lungs! 

~ I give you ~

"MUSIC IS MEDICINE"