Billabong Design For Humanity 2011

June 20

Giving back never looked so good....

Photos & Words: Laura Austin

Picture a night filled with beautiful half naked women, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, never ending drinks, and Hollywood’s Paramount studios. Got it? Doesn’t sound bad right? Now take all that and consider the fact that your partying is benefiting a good cause… it makes you feel a little less guilty about your hangover the next day. Last week Billabong hosted their fifth-annual Design For Humanity event at Paramount Studios in Hollywood raising over $100,000 for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. It was a party not to be missed, and what I’ve heard many consider the best extravaganza the action sports industry throws. The photos and video will explain the rest.

The woman behind the bikinis. Billabong's design director Mandy Robinson.

The man... the myth Robert "Sticky" Shaw and Thania Peck poaching the red carpet.

Extreme Home Makover's Ty Pennington

Ummmm.....

Art pieces sold to benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.

Embossed leather skate deck. I wonder how bummed the artist would be if someone actually rode that thing.

I ran into Ashbury's Lance Hakker (far right) and crew. Is it me or does he have the whole Wolverine thing going?

Becker was shaping surfboards onsite...

A caption wouldn't even do this justice.

Or this one.

Not this one either.

Billabong's design director Mandy Robinson with her ladies in their Rock N' Roll era inspired swimwear.

Mammoth's Josh Chauvet and Joanna Kaylor made an appearance. As well as Billy Stade (far left).

A whole hell of a lot of people must have had a bunch of metal in their pockets because they obviously couldn't fight the pull of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros.

Most things in Hollywood are fake... including these buildings.

Running into and talking to Kevin Jones was definitely a career highlight.... eventhough he refused to make a normal face in my photo. L to R: Kevin Jones, Shayne Pospisil, and a guy who's name I feel guilty for not remembering.