Hey!

Shawn Hale here. Although most of you know me as a friend/professional skateboarder, I’m also the creator/founder of AVOS. After years of hard work, my co-founding partner Jorge and I are very happy with the results we have seen and the perspectives shared.  Over the past few weeks I’ve been wrapping up my personal site, organizing contacts, and preparing this — glad this recap is finally out.

Today I also want to express my gratitude for all the support over the years and share my mid-summer highlights to keep everyone updated as I continue this journey of entrepreneurship and skateboarding.

AVOS is finally ready for a new chapter. After years of testing, fine tuning, and building, we are finally ready to raise capital. I’m not asking for anything here — just sharing the path and how I’m going about it. My hope is that it offers some inspiration or insight for any of my like-minded friends working toward their own vision of a better world. With that, I understand it could lead to investment interest most likely from places I could have never imagined.

If you know someone who might be interested in following along, feel free to forward this to them. They’re welcome to reply here or join my mailing list if they’d like to be included on future monthly updates.

Growth and Connections

July was all about building relationships, expanding opportunities, and guiding AVOS through the startup challenges of bringing a novel product to market.

• Palm Springs Surf Club Event: AVOS was invited to set up a pop-up for Colby Raha’s world record 197’ jump over 23 BMWs. We had a lot of fun seeding AVOS to the MX riders, skaters and surfers (big legends) who attended, and finally activated our retail rep Conor Fournier. Additionally, Greyson Fletcher and Aaron Jaws Homoki had really cool mini events that I got to skate as well.
• First Retail Test at Food Court Skatepark: We sold out of sizes 9 & 10 in 24 hours during their summer Cook Off contest for the youth, stoked, and since we stayed for two weekends to also support The Damn Am (larger national contest series), I was finally able to see the quick results and enthusiasm AVOS creates when customers came back with their thoughts. I hear it often, nearly everywhere I go, but to witness it so closely was icing on the cake. I also finally overcame my fear of speaking on a microphone (lol), and was able to make changes on the spot to our booth, creating unique window displays and ways for people to try AVOS easily, huge thanks to AVOS artist Andrew Tamlyn for collaborating with me on the last-minute designs. 
• San Diego Sports Innovators: To summarize, SDSI is a community-driven business accelerator that connects entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors to grow sports, active lifestyle, and wellness companies. When my friend John Morgan mentioned to me that I may be interested in their venture.. I jumped at the opportunity to meet and join their group.  Their space has more than enough insight and motivation to keep me on my path with experience that is not found often. Big shoutout to Justin Renfro. 
• Dennis Martin: Creator of Hours Is Yours Footwear: I had a great chat with Dennis about his incredible journey in skateboarding, starting as a pro skater and then videographer for Digital Skateboarding (big fan growing up). He’s been involved with some iconic brands’ beginnings, like KR3W/Supra Footwear, co-founded Human Recreational Services with Erik Ellington, and later launched Hours Is Yours with Bryan Herman. I got to try his latest footwear, and they feel/look great. Skate culture is usually quite dynamic and sometimes highly volatile, often championing fashion in a different way than the rest of the world can see. Dennis has been part of those waves. It was inspiring to hear about his vision and the uniqueness of his projects with a big focus on people feeling the brands are their own. That is true skate culture most people forget about.
• Mirko Mangum: An original Z-boy (‘Dogtown and Z-Boys’) and owner of Opus Footwear, Mirko and I had an amazing conversation about his exit from skateboarding professionally in the early ‘90s and his time working with Powell Peralta, Jamie Thomas and many more. His deep understanding of grassroots skate culture and marketing for legendary brands like Adio Footwear and Zoo York gave me valuable insights into marketing and production techniques, and high-level shoe industry advice from his experience with Ecko/Skechers. I very much respect what Mirko is building, how he is doing it, and what he is striving for with a more personal feel unlike other shoe companies. He also runs a weekly chat called Coffee with Mirko, which I’m looking forward to attending soon. A personal highlight for me was Mirko’s advice that helped me overcome a challenge I’ve carried with me as a pro skater. I’ve always received so much free product that giving it away, even my own, felt natural. The very next day, I sold my first pair of AVOS to a customer — something I’d never allowed myself to do.
• AVOS Media: We’re working on several AVOS videos for Instagram and YouTube with Justin ‘Phil’ Desembrana, including coverage of the Damn Am Buffalo, a chaotic day trip to Toronto, and another fun one at Niagara Falls. Variations of these will be dropping soon on YouTube.com/@avos.therapy and @avos.therapy on IG. Phil & I have a clear path set for entertainment — starting small, but it should be fun; after all, we’ve both been acting for a while.

On the Skate Side:

• OC Ramps Demo in Big Bear, CA: Great time skating with Mark Appleyard, Greg Lutzka, and the OC Ramps crew. Coincidentally I had met a member of The High Curbs just days before and was stoked to see them perform a really amazing set. I also got to share a couple pairs of AVOS and the feedback was excellent. Shoutout Lutzka, truly an inspiring man, well beyond his skateboarding skills.
• Megaramp Waterslide: Got together with a group of friends to send off one of our favorite people, Feder Romo, as he crossed the border at Tijuana, Mexico for the first time since he was a kid. What a trip to be with him for that. It really pained me to see him leave due to recent ICE difficulties, but I am proud to see his devotion to his family, protecting them from any potential issues that his frustratingly difficult citizenship situation/status could cause. He has always spoken of true freedom by returning to Mexico and I am so happy to see he finally gained that much. He is busy traveling around Europe, enjoying all his hard work, and I’m really stoked to see where he goes from here.
• Gorilla Energy Drink: Proud to announce my new endorsement with Gorilla, which has recently entered the US market. We had a pop-up skate event with Keen Ramps in the LA River. Epic! It’s pretty wild to say that I am their first US athlete, with UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov as their Global Ambassador — and I can definitely see why he loves the drink. Can’t wait to share our upcoming projects.
• Daiki Hoshino: Hosted my good friend Daiki from Tokyo, Japan at my home near Santa Monica, California. I live with a group of skaters/videographers who have a long history behind the scenes in skateboarding, and we love to lend our place to friends from around the world. I can’t even count the number of floors and couches I’ve crashed on over the years so it means the world to me to also provide this to so many inspiring skaters.

All this hard work is finally coming together and I can’t wait to share what I truly have in store for AVOS. This month has really shown me how powerful the skateboarding community is and how it helps give life to my creative passions. I’ve had the privilege of working with incredibly talented creatives, many of whom are so natural that they don’t even realize it. It’s inspiring to be surrounded by others who share the same drive and it only grows my excitement for what’s ahead. Every conversation has pushed me to further refine the mechanics behind what it takes to actually make a difference in people’s lives.

Giving back to the community has always been my primary goal, whether it’s through skating, business, or simply connecting with people. Sharing the knowledge I’ve been seeking, or just sharing good times, it’s all about growing together. Our next steps are exciting and I’ll be sharing them here and via personal email.

If you’d like to participate in this blog, I’ve got a couple questions that have been on my mind:

• What methods for growth might I be overlooking? I’m about to apply for a recyclability grant, if you know of other solutions I would love to discuss.

• As we grow, which partnership makes the most sense?

Thanks for getting this far. Major shoutout to my team: Jorge Hidalgo (master strategist), Paola Gonzalez (factory support), Anthony Alagna (online advertising), Andrew Tamlyn (art creation), Justin “Phil” Desembrana (media/communications), Max Hamilton (3PL & major supporter), Shelby Wright (customer service), Monica DeAngelis (shipping), Conor Fournier (retail), Dr. Kyle Brown DPT (clinical advice), Jonathan Bird (legal counsel), Tony Hawk (board member) & The Critical Co (investor relations/backend). I couldn’t do this without their help and expertise. It means the world to me. Thank you for your support as a friend, fellow human, or skater ~ even if it was a long time ago.
Please share this with anyone who might be inspired.

All the best,
Shawn 

First album borrowed from my sister: Deftones Adrenaline
One fav artist right now: Ultra Q – Waiting
Currently reading: The Science of Self-Realization, How to Pitch Anything, Secrets of Sand Hill Road
*All-time favorite mind-fixer: The Four Agreements
*Respiratory aide / sickness prevention: Yin Chiao
*Natural alternative to antibiotic ointments without chemicals: Pur03 Ozonated Olive Oil

*Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases — but you don’t pay anything extra. These three links above to remedies are ones I personally believe in and stand behind. Anyone who knows me understands why I recommend them so strongly. By sharing these links, I’m also learning and practicing how affiliate programs work — including the AVOS affiliate program.