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Fyasko is hyped to welcome a new Explorer to the team! Meet Benjamin Douglas Classen.
Born 3/23/1982 in Saint Charles Illinois, lived there until ages 6 then “went gypsy” and has moved 28 times since!
A man of many talents: a former barista, he has worked framing houses, on cars, as an interior design, a landscape architect, in a surf shop, private label design and the former digital marketing manager at Skullcandy.
Has a Theoretical Physics and Philosophy degree for University Colorado Boulder.
Today his portfolio of work includes: columnist for karmaloop.com, photographer, graphic designer, web designer, marketing consultant, web analytics, design concept consultant, aesthetic architect and now a Fyasko Explorer!
Sorry gals, he is the self proclaimed winner of the woman’s lottery – in just 3 short weeks he is going to marry the woman of his dreams!
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Went to middle school in San Juan, CA and would always get his ass kicked by the San Juan Crips!! So in high school at Capo Valley, where he played football, he picked up Brazilian jui jitsu. Since then he has only been in one fight! He now trains at the Guillobel Academy in San Clemente.
Although he is a Lost Winds local (where he recently proposed to his fiancé) at heart you can find him surfing anything shorter then a 6’ at salt creek, his new homebreak table rock and stealth missions to the Ranch.
During his 5 colleges years at the University of Colorado he picked up snowboarding and from his surfing background, was able to transition into a sponsorship in just 2 short years. That is where he found his love of the camera. Instead of riding, he was more interested in shooting his fellow riders and surrounding scenery. (Ben’s first camera beside Quicksnaps was an Olympus E3, his current camera is an A77 and his fav camera is an 1981 cannon AE1).
We asked Ben, “Why Fyasko?” He stated. “I choose to work with Fyasko because they are a Brand that is built around a central core idea of expression through collectiveness. They have their own sense of identity that it is expressed in the garments they design. I feel that they are not looking to fill a niche, they are not asking what’s cool and then designing from there, they just make stuff that they say is cool and then they live by that…..”
This interview happened just hours from Ben stepping down from his post at Skullycandy, Ben soundly looks at me and closes with this famous quote by Corrie Ten Boom “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God”.
Ben is a guy with a ton of talent, life experience, travel, and grit. Fyasko is proud to announce him to our growing list of Explorers, whom through their cultured eyes and captured images, will open your imagination to get off your ass and go explore this great planet…..
www.benclassenphotography.com
