13/12/2011 Photos I grumbled as I heard that the lowest…read moreprice was $160 for a beginner's ready-made skateboard (Come on! It's just a skateboard, right? I have a feeling I'm wrong.) I'm dying to try my first skateboard sometime in the next few weeks. I wonder how many times I'll stack it? I don't think I have to worry about DJ Shep (owner) staying in business: there are always young and very hip customers, and they not only have the coolest skating products and workshops to choose from, but the prettiest rack of the latest shoes, clothes, rollerskates..and wait for it....private breakdance classes any day of the week upon your booking, for only $10 (for yourself) - $45 (for a group of 3) an hour! Graffiti decorations and hip-hop features and smooth touches merge with modern graffiti Australian artwork around the shop and products themselves, and yes, it's true, there is another hidden room that have turn-tables and old school original American hip-hop music (think 'Tribe Called Quest') playing in them! But what I went for was the hidden basement break-dancing class next door. I ended up doing more than half a dozen beginner's classes with this shop, and if I could afford it, do more in the near future! Shep's 'Da Klinic' is a precious jewel in the Adelaide CBD, and this is definitely the most memorable destination skate shop, and has been for many years. If you're a cool kid, this is definitely the place to hang out.

If you are rolling about on a skateboard or have a skater in the family chances are you have…read morealready visited Da Klinic for a pair of shoes or some funky accessory. Maybe you were dragged in there to check out the latest board or discuss wheels with the helpful and uber kewel staffers? Even if you were dragged in without knowing what was going on you probably stopped and looked at something that seemed other worldly on some level... not the baseball caps or the fashion, but certainly some of the shoes! Nike and Addies (as they are called by the tribes) are completely on the money - and cost a lot of it - but you know, you have to have a empty hip pocket to be truly hip in some circles. Mum and dad know this already, and there's no better incentive for the skater in your family to find a job, forge a career, than to come in and check out how much a pair of super sports shoes colour designed to be uber kewel costs! Seriously the prices here are no more mayhem and madness inducing than anywhere else, it's just the fun of seeing how they fit with the product. The diversity and totally sick quality are what's completely gnarly. Your young or middle aged skater will love browsing and be very happy to come back again and again. Z-boys have been around for a long time now, I even bumped into a very hip young woman on her board cruising through the city street recently, so it's totally gender nonspecific these days (and why not?) so yeah, come in for all your skateboarder needs, and even a few that are wants rather than needs... What you will find out when you chat with the shop keepers is the extra stuff you can get here that doesn't appear on the shelf; no I don't mean contraband! I am talking about workshops on how to skate, or dance the Hip Hop style or even produce music. Yes believe it or not there's a career associated with all of this tom foolery grandpa! Your little Z-boy or girl could grow up to tour the globe playing tracks at dance parties and strutting their stuff on great big stages with lots of very groovy sponsorship deals, so if you are dragged in don't go without chatting to the staff, they'll gladly give you the heads up. They have the lot - and a great website if your wheels are square and wont get you this far into the city!

Adelaide doesn't get much surf, but as an avid surfer I wanted a custom board from an SA shaper,…read moreand Ben Wallbridge was the best! Me and my sister both got custom made and sprayed boards here and are very happy with them, mine is the one in the picture. Wallbridge is located down south, semi close to the beach, with a store and factory on site. He shapes, repairs, sprays, sells and works all from this one area. His services include surfboards, surf life saving, all equipment, 2nd sales, stand up and kite boards, covers, everything you would need surf-wise. He takes orders through the website and provides quotes but I preferred to go down there and chat to him myself to source the best board for me and design my spray for the top. It took a couple of weeks and cost the same as a normal brand new board, which is usually plain white and not specific to you. I am very happy and proud of my board and love using it and showing it off. The service was fine, your typical surfer dude but also a business owner too. He spoke to me directly, along with other staff, and was very helpful in all aspects.

An ex-girlfriend and I went on a long road-trip together. Call it a bonding experience. We had one…read moresurfboard between us (hers) and kept to the coast, so there was a LOT of surfing to be had. There was also a lot of sun. Since we were all packed up in a camper-van, there wasn't always a lot of room to move around. Sometimes we neglected the board and left it outside, where the sun made quick work of the wax. When we got back, we let Benjamin re-wax the board. He did a nice, quick job of it and didn't charge as much as we expected him to. While I was there we talked about getting a board done for me. A big one, for a beginner. I wasn't exactly a beginner, having spent the entire road-trip learning, but I was a... slow learner. I can't talk much about the process beyond that, 'cause I ended up receiving that beginner's board as a birthday present. She'd gone behind my back to get it for me as a surprise, and in doing so compromised the quality of this review. Women! Am I right? But from what I remember of Benjamin, he was a good guy. He was very 'laid-back', and 'down-to-Earth', and all that. And he's not afraid to engage in some conversation.

I walk in slowly...knowing that after my last painful fling with Valleygirl, I'll most likely leave…read morewith no-one that paid attention to me...you know...like an abandoned stray cat. I had to walk all the way through to the back wall of the store before I am greeted warmly by an employee. I replied, "Hello! I'm looking for an outfit!" "Sure!" she said genuinely, "Let me help you! I'll take you around the store." I can tell she's going to be good at this. "Oh, don't worry about remembering everything I've picked out, I'll write this all up for you at the end." Wait. Is this surfy looking hot shorty actually HELPING me? Or is she just into the fact that I look like a businessman today because I am wearing my best baby blue business shirt and carrying my professional-looking black suitcase? The surf shop located 112-118 Rundle Mall is clearly "one of the best" I've experienced so far. (Am I allowed to say that cliche phrase again?) I was there for quite a while for what felt like at least 45 minutes, the employee was amazingly helpful, very friendly, got my joke about how "that red dress you've chosen is not going to last very long on my imaginary girlfriend" and...dare I say, she was sexy-lookin'. Not only was she sexy, but the beach straw hat, sexy red dress, sunnies, and shoes that she picked out for me was definitely the best looking outfit chosen by a a shop assistant so far. Obviously coming back here to bring sexy back. Honeymoon holiday gift for my next girlfriend? This is the place for that. I wonder what other shop can top this?

I can't quite remember the last time I saw anyone wearing Billabong or Quicksilver merchandise but…read morethere must be someone! *CUE HEAVY INTRO MUSIC AND SURF VIDEO* Jetty Surf will have most anything you want as far as surf and skate goes. Clothing, swim wear, shoes, boards, and bags. The staff are generally very helpful young whipper snappers. I don't shop here anymore, however I certainly used to. Surf shops were once my only outlet for fashion items, but my taste has since matured. But, if you feel like being a walking advertisement with the brand logo of your new t-shirt splashed across the fron of it, be my guest, it's one of the best places to go!

14/12/2011 OMG - I want a KATHMAN"DU-RABLE" BOOT…read more My lust was developed quickly as soon as I walked in - I was singing like Jessica Simpson: "Those boots are made for walkin'...." I regained my self-control and came to realization that $289 is well over my price range...simply too expensive for a working class man like me. But here's the thing...the service attendant in Kathmandu takes his time with you. It's like a form of "welcome to the wonderful outdoors". And when the time comes when you are booked in for a holiday hiking, be ready to have the dough, as you will soon know when you look at the red price tag on another pair of boots: 239 DOLLARS. Are you kidding? Can something this good, this strong, this Kathman"du-rable" boot really be this expensive! But hang on, if you ask, you will be led to the "Kath-man-"do-not forget your" water bottle before your long hike, for a minimum of only $40 as well! It is in the back wall in the next room where you will find the real deals. The tall wall was a sight that left me in awe - from small backpacks to larger heavier backpacks to water bottles, I wanted to grab these $40 dollar backpacks off the rack (...which I did on my future second visit, bought one for my Dear Mum for Xmas!)! And if you give the service attendant a chance to warm up, he might start sharing his deeper love of the outdoors. Ummm...no complaints here! But listen walkers and professional hikers - this is not a cheap activity. All I'm saying is that after the exceptional service received after a long day of occasional rudeness, I walked out singing, "Those boots are made for walkin, and that's just what they'll do, one of these days these boots are gonna walk back into Kathmandu!"

I don't like Kathmandu. The staff seem inexperienced. The gear isn't well-made. It's the sort of…read moreplace people shop to by stuff to make them look outdoorsy. (You know the types I am referring to. They walk by, fully kitted out, with barely a mark on their boots.) If you want quality go across the road to Paddy Pallin, Scout Outdoor Centre or Annapurna--they're not as cheap as Kathmandu, but you pay for quality and experience.

A shop Bear Grylls would approve of and even purchase his supplies from as they are the ultimate in…read morecamping stores. They stock a massive range of camping, hiking, water and biking equipment plus suitable footwear and apparel. I purchased a marquee from here two years ago as it was a good price and was red opposed to everywhere else, which had blue and I didn't want to have the same as everyone else. In regards to camping they also have navigation devices which is very important, power supplies such as generators which run on solar power or plus into the car battery, fridges and freezers and alot more. I'm thinking with all this gear may aswell stay in a cabin or a hotel, this is elaborate and expensive roughing it gear. There's also a good range of bikes for kids and adults, not all mountain bikes either...trainer wheels don't go well on the rough. Every section has a item clearance on a regular basis and they also have catalogues which come out for their major sales. Prices are reasonable depending on what you're purchasing or need to have when going camping, cycling, rafting or for anything non urban.

I keep trying to give Anaconda a go, but I always leave disappointed and empty-handed. I've gone…read morethere on different occasions to get a compass, hiking shoes, waterproof jacket, tent, replacement swag poles, bike lights, head torch, sleeping mat, bike tyre tubes, day pack, camping chair, and water bottles. I've walked out with less than a third of the items on that list, and often very grumpy and vowing never to go back (but as you can see from my giant list I keep getting sucked back in). Outdoor products are so expensive, and while Anaconda markets themselves towards a family market with more affordable products (affordable compared to Kathmandu and Macpac), it is still pricey. With that in mind, you often require assistance when purchasing expensive specialised products - Hello? Anaconda staff? Where out thou? Today at Anaconda there was more staff than customers. I felt like I was someone on the corner street asking for donations and the Anaconda staff were giving me the quick walk and look ahead. If you do manage to wrangle someone down, they often have no clue about their products, resort to looking at the packaging, or what I go today when looking for a sleeping mat, "dunno, just look at them and work out which one you want". Geez thanks for that. On a side note, my partner bought a bike, and it fell apart after a year. Also, it was a hybrid road/dirt bike that had a warning not to ride on dirt (luckily it didn't say road too, or he would have been doing laps around our kitchen bench). Anaconda has a lot of products. If you know what you want, great! If you in the market to look for a new pair of hiking shoes, take some deep breaths, because it is going to be a stressful and unhelpful ride.

Sometimes you come across a store that has been there for as long as you can remember and you just…read morehave no explanaition as how they survive! I get this vibe from Sports Power at Firle, which has a number of factors working against it. Firstly it is a small sports store, they don't have a lot of stock and the prices don't really blow your tighty whities up your butt crack if you catch my drift. They do have a shoes specials table out the front, but again the 'bargains are not 'amazing'! Considering these things alone, one would think they may struggle to make ends meat, but they are also right outside a KMart and just down the road from Campbelltown Sports which is a well established and much larger sports store. I really just don't get it!

I've had my surf craze, which essentially has ended with a mini-mal in my spare room and a wetty in…read moremy boot gathering dust. However, I'm still a fan of the beachwear that surf shops are full of. This store has a huge range of teeny, tiny bikinis, and all the well known brands like Roxy, Quicksilver, and Rip Curl (who I'm so proud of for having a store in Times Square). Now I'm extra sun-smart in my ageing state I love checking out the hats as well, anything to avoid that leather handbag look when I'm 40. I still don't think the city stores can compete with the surf shops down south on the coast, they feel super authentic, but for some beach babe clothing it's all good. In a nutshell - surf rat it up!

The shop itself is actually divided into two different shops and is clearly advertised on the front…read morewindow as such but I'm not convinced the two work together in harmony, as I get a sense of they must've thought it was a good idea at the time perhaps to save money on rental. The front room is The Sandy Shack and the second through the centre doorway is She's My Baby, which has change rooms and sells maternity wear and some kids clothing...hmmm whatever. If you are redecorating a shack or creating a coastal theme in your home, then add a touch of beach inspired decor from The Sandy Shack. There are starfish ornaments, an interesting shell picture frame which has been strung together with twine, sea shells and other nautical items. It also supports local artists by stocking and offering for sale their various artistic endeavours such as photographs, decoupage art, ceramics, etc. There's also surf style jewellery, caps and lotions. Anyway, worth a look if you're down that way.

The Sandy Shack is great because not only does it stock cool beachy decor but the stock is locally…read moremade :) Sandy Shack use to be more of a surf shop but has now turned into a place where you can buy paintings, jewellery, soaps, home wares and even maternity wear by She's my Baby. I'd definitely recommend coming in and supporting local South Australians. There's some great finds and of course the stock is unique and hard to find anywhere else.