OJ WHEELS SMOOTHIE: SALAD GRINDS & BEAN PLANTS #46
OJ WHEELS SMOOTHIE (ORANGE, BANANA, AND CARROT SMOOTHIE)
WORDS: Johnny Lozano
Roaming the aisles of Agenda last month, I came to the startling epiphany that the majority of both hard and soft goods in skateboarding rely almost entirely on lifestyle branding. Okay, I know that’s not startling, but let’s unpack it some: we are a demographic that is fiercely reluctant to give the reigns to ingenuity. Lighter, stronger decks with carbon fiber inlays? If the traditional seven-ply ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Trucks with slider pads for buttery noseslides and tailslides? But why? Shoes with a bulletproof toecap? Just get some CONS, bro. Our unwillingness to change much by way of functionality (whether warranted or not) narrows the subset of creativity allowed in skateboarding, and, as a consequence, most companies make virtually identical products differentiated by branding alone.
And for the record, the Tensor slider pads were the truth. Bring ‘em back, Rodney!
Hence the opening epiphany regarding Agenda’s hundreds of clothing brands that all sold the same cotton tees with different philosophies and identical boards that resorted to self-deprecating humor as their unique shtick. While many hard and soft goods brands produce virtually identical products, some companies manage to do the near-impossible of both killing it in the lifestyle advertising game and providing a product that out-performs. Enter OJ Wheels.
We could cue the jokes about reinventing the wheel, but in actuality, the redesigns have been surprisingly bountiful since the switch from clay to urethane. You’ve got your hollowed-out wheels, speed rings, lock-ins and street tech formulas, to name a few; when the graphics are almost uniformly flipped so that nobody can see them, the need to create a product that speaks for itself is heightened and OJ is holding it down. Let’s face it, you don’t amass a team with riders like Nora Vasconcellos, Tyler Surrey, Madars Apse, and Jon Dickson without making a product that steps up to every demand.
Speaking of stepping up to demand, I have the pleasure of skating from time to time with OJ rider (and Austin, TX legend) Max Taylor. With a penchant for creative lines and perhaps the quickest feet in The South, Max is always on the lookout for the next healthy thing to keep him pushing through the Texas streets. He shared a recipe for a delicious orange, banana, and carrot smoothie that energizes and fights inflammation that I felt compelled to share with you (with just a couple of minor adjustments to cater to my love of sweet potato and ginger).
If the thought of mixing carrots into a smoothie bothers you, let me assure you that this orange blessing is worth your time. The orange gives it some tang, the banana and the carrots mellow it out a little while giving it a simultaneously creamy and pulpy consistency and the hemp milk and seeds offer a little extra protein to help keep those muscles pushing try after try. Easy to make and relatively inexpensive, this one is a true tribute to OJ Wheels in that it’s gone “way too fast.”
INGREDIENTS:
- One banana (chopped up and frozen for 1-2 hours)
- ½ large orange (peeled)
- 2-3 carrots (peeled and chopped)
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla hemp milk
- 1/3 cup sweet potato (optional)
- 3 tbsp. (15g) hemp seeds
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger
DIRECTIONS:
- As promised, this one is easy and requires relatively little prep work: chop your banana and throw it in the freezer for a couple of hours. If you’re using sweet potato, simply poke some holes in each side with a fork and then microwave for 6-7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Let it cool for a few minutes before cutting it open and scooping out 1/3 cup. Peel your orange and peel and chop the carrots.
Throw it all into a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes or until the carrot chunks are largely blended out. Pour into a glass, drink it down and go grab some OJ Wheels!
Happy shredding,
Johnny
For more recipes, check out_ www.saladgrindsandbeanplants.com _or find us on Instagram at @salad_grinds_and_bean_plants.
