Surf Fridays!

Happy Surf Fridays! This is a pretty exciting day for me because I get to share the news about my new surfboard!! But first, I have to show you something pretty darn amazing.

Clayfin, otherwise known as Ted Gallup - what an awesome guy. You may know him from Six Foot and Perfect. I have long been admiring Ted's clay fins and own 3 of them. They make our house look so much cooler. Well, Ted and I did a little trade last year and along with my San Ono print, I sent him this print below. He really liked it and decided to put it on his board, so he took it to the geniuses at Moonlight and...behold the Maui Dreams Noserider!



That was like a dream come true that I didn't even ask for - pretty amazing! Now, here is the dream that I did ask for. I put it out to the universe (via Twitter) that I wanted a 9'0 board. Clayfin comes right back and says he has a 9'0 blank. And off we went...

Below is the beautiful board Ted shaped for me. You can check out the early stages under Project Dole (get it?) on his blog. It is now off to Moonlight for some special treatment, which I will happily show you when it's all finished. This is going to rock my summer and many years to come. Don't worry Jay, I'll let you use it sometimes.



I hope you all get some good surf this weekend, and for everyone some good R&R, good music, good food and good lovin'.

Pluv

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Good golly, more closeup photos of the Maui Dreams board at Surfy Surfy.

Twist

"There's a lot of talk of how damaging graffiti is and the destruction that happens with graffiti, but there's actually no damage. It all can be removed or painted over with a roller. So there's the media's idea of damage and destruction, this thing that's slightly askew. To me, if there's commercial jingles from the '70s or '80s that I remember and that are stuck in my head, that's damage to me." Barry McGee

Twist - freight train
Photo by All Seeing

Twist - SoMa, 1998

Twist - Dogpatch, 1998

Twist - Dogpatch, 1999
bottom 3 photos from The Transit Project

Interview with Lydia Fong (aka Twist, aka Barry McGee) at Ratio 3 Gallery, SF

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Bonus: Next in the Netflix queue is Piece by Piece, a documentary about San Francisco graffiti - "The film puts you alongside the graffiti writers, police and local San Franciscans affected by this misunderstood art form."

Surf Fridays!

I couldn't wait to tell you guys about the winners and my surf story.

OK, so I don't love surfing in Pacifica. Everyone is super nice there though and that is worth a lot. I think I don't love it because that's where I learned to surf and I'd go there a lot and just get worked. But I am so glad we went today and here's why.

After suiting up, I was waxing my board on the bed of the truck. All kinds of old, dirty wax started easily coming off and I grabbed a comb and started removing it all. It was long overdue. I ended up with a huge ball of grey wax, as big as a softball. I walked over to the garbage can at the wall near the beach, and there was a group of guys there who'd just gotten out of the water and were standing next to a white van, chatting.

One of them said, "Whoa is that wax?" I said "Yes", and the guy said, "Can I have it?" I said, "Sure" and my heart skipped a beat because I handed my dirty ball of wax to none other than one of my art heroes, Mr. Barry McGee. In my mind, I was running and skipping back to the truck to tell Jay, but I'm pretty sure I walked. Check out this great article about the man also known as Twist...

Other than that, the water was extra cold and it was pretty windy, but how do you do it, ocean? It cleansed my soul. Seriously, that feeling like if you have any kinds of irritation inside of you - poof, gone. Gone and then you eat tacos and pick up some farm fresh strawberries, and maybe take a little nap.





Devo was taking a nap too, but I woke him up and gave him a dog biscuit and he was ready to pick the winners of Saltwater Buddha. Big congratulations to Ashley Moffat of Southern California and Kate Banazi of Sydney, Australia! Ashley is a surfer who rocks it on a Michael Junod pumpkin seed and Kate is an amazing artist who specializes in bold, graphic silkscreens. Please send your mailing address to pineappleluv @ gmail dot com.

Time to reward Devo with a walk. Happy weekend to you! I hope you smile a lot.

Gone Surfin'

I am happy to say that I took the day off work to go surfing with Jay. I was kinda bummed to discover that Santa Cruz is flat, so we are going to Pacifica and Jay is packing up the truck right now. I will report back early this evening with the winners of the books and if I caught any waves.

Aloha!

You're a good town, Pescadero, California

If you're ever in Half Moon Bay, it's worth driving 20 minutes south to the small seaside town of Pescadero. I went there recently so I could go to the one bakery in the world that makes artichoke bread. It's a round loaf of bread - made fresh daily - with artichoke hearts and garlic cloves inside and you finish baking it at home.

I've been there before, mostly on family trips to Duarte's Tavern. My mom loves eating there with its laid back vibe, wood paneled walls and the only place I know of that makes artichoke soup. Their green chile soup is delicious and my brother has figured out how to make it at home, quite well. They also bake their own pies.

My mom likes to go to Pescadero in the summers, to pick ollalliberries (similar to blackberries) at Phipps Country Farm and then she make lots of jam.

I got my bread and was going to head home, but decided to drive down a road I'd never been on, and pretty soon found myself at a goat farm with a dairy shop. I got there in time to watch the feeding of the baby goats, and taste the amazing sundried tomato goat cheese. I like those kinds of adventures.

I also watched a lone surfer at Pescadero State Beach. I had a fantasy of buying property there for Jay and I to escape to and make art, kind of how T. Campbell 1 & 2 are tucked away in the wildnerness just a bit further south...

Sexiest song in my playlist

This song has always been the sexiest song in my playlist. Wild West End by Dire Straits, 1977. The lyrics, the guitar, the whole sound...the idea of walking with your wild best friend. I always picture Jay and I holding hands and walking on Haight Street.

Surf Fridays!

Happy Friday everyone and I hope everyone is feeling great! Gosh I feel like I've been away for a long time. Sometimes life gets busy and all the fun things you want to do, you kind of have to put off. But not for long, right?

I can't wait to tell you about a surfboard I've ordered which will be shaped in the coming weeks. A little dream come true. I'll keep you in suspense just for a short while and will share more very soon.

Today is going to be fun because PLuv is having a giveaway of a wonderful book! Two of them in fact and they are signed by the author.

Jaimal Yogis reading Saltwater Buddha

I met Jaimal Yogis at his book reading in Half Moon Bay a couple of weekends ago, and he struck me as being a really great person. Jaimal is an award winning writer who has penned articles notably for San Francisco Magazine and the next issue of The Surfers Journal. His home break is Ocean Beach and he is currently touring California with his first book, Saltwater Buddha.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading his autobiographical story about discovering oneself through Zen and surfing. There is a lot of wisdom in this book, as well as some great stories from his journey, including running away from home to learn how to surf.

When Jaimal was sixteen, he left his parents the following note:

Dear family, please do not worry. I am somewhere in the world and I will call you when I get there. I had some dreams that led me to believe that I need a change and I could not make it here. I'm sorry. I took some money from Mom's credit card and I apologize. I plan to pay it all back when I get settled. I love you very much. Jaimal

He went to Maui. Tales ensue.

He started as "a white boy who couldn't surf". Even while studying at a monastary, he started to become in his words, a Surf Nazi, a fanatical surfer who woke up at five AM every morning, surfed twice a day and yelled at a kid who dropped in on him. This is one of my favorite parts of the book because he candidly admits what a lot of us have gone through.

Surfing becomes your life, your religion and in Jaimal's words, "...in my confusion I was twisting it into something unrecognizable, mistaking the method for the goal, the means for the end. I guess it happens all the time, to religious fanatics of all stripes."

"I knew very well I wasn't enlightened. And the day I screamed at the kid, I finally understood that I was carrying my surfboard around on my head and it wasn't getting me any closer to freedom. In fact, it seemed to be making me into an asshole."


Jaimal surfing Ocean Beach

There are so many good stories in this book and I can think of several more I want to tell you about, like when he surfed a gnarly break with a balls out Aussie and wasn't sure if he'd make it out alive...or a beautiful section where he took a job as a caregiver for a man and they laughed while passionately discussing their different viewpoints on religion...or when Jaimal got on a commercial fishing boat during winter conditions in Montauk for his thesis...or got wedged under some boulders surfing in Brooklyn.

In the book, you come to understand how important water is to Jaimal. He writes, "Upon his deathbead, the Buddha spoke these final words: All things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence. Ridiculous as it may be, I see myself doing just that as I flail around on the sea, gliding on the fringes of our blue world."


You don't have to surf or be a Buddhist to enjoy Saltwater Buddha. Leave a comment and we'll put Devo to work next Friday, May 22 to pick the two winners.

Aloha! I'm feeling so much Aloha that I want to say it again the way the Hawaiians do... A lo - HA!

Thread Book Launch Party in San Francisco

From The Fader... Thread began as a film project shot on 8 and 16mm and evolved into a collage of still frames and personal photographs taken by Patrick Trefz while wandering the world's oceans. With imagery from both displaced city surfers and seaside community life, he finds the atmospheric snapshots undoubtedly lead back to the surf and his board.

If you're in San Francisco on Friday night, make your way to the Thread book launch party. Complete with signings, an art show, live music by Dan Hulphers + and hod and a whole truckload of Primo island lager.

Friday night 7pm - 11pm at Kirkeby's Place, 128 Texas St., Frisco

What we have here is P. Trefz's truck containing the launch party goods. Drive carefully, Patrick!

Spiral Mollusk Blue 1 and Blue 2

The Alley in Oz

I check out Grant Newby's blogs, The Alley Fish Fry and Wooden Surfboards and when I commented on a particular incredible photo (the top one), Grant was kind enough to email it to me. Upon my prompting, he told me more about The Alley and sent more beautiful photos. And then he was off for a surfing/camping trip. Lucky guy - and thanks, Grant!

I've wanted to visit Australia ever since my parents made me go to John Newcombe's Tennis Academy in Texas when I was 13 years old (I was totally scared to go away to camp for a week, after an unfavorable experience at Girl Scout Camp two years earlier). All of the instructors were from Australia and they made such an impression on me with their humor, sense of fun and kindness. My backhand really improved too, thanks mates!

In Grant's words...

The Photographer is Lincoln Williams, a local guy we use to shoot video. The Alley Is the Currumbin Alley where the Currumbin Creek runs down from the hills behind the Gold Coast.

This time of year especially in winter when we get morning off shore winds from the West, they come down the valley and out to sea. Even if there is the slightest west in the wind it will be offshore. And on the other side of Currumbin rock it could be more south and not half as clean.

Point break that can be very hollow when the sand is built up at low tide. Then long walls across the river mouth to Lacey's the beach on the other side. The sand bank the trails off to the North from the river can hold a great high tide wave when it is big as well. Nothing to get 3 - 400m long nose rides in winter when the banks are stable and the offshores calm it all down.

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Other blogs from Oz that I like to check out:

Critical Slide Society - The creative blog for Shortstraw.

Kurungabaa - a journal of literature, history and ideas for surfers. Some good dialogue going on here.

Look and Sea - Nathan Oldfield is a photographer and director of two lovely surf films, Lines from a Poem and Seaworthy. In his blog he shares lots of beauty and nuggets of wisdom.

Making Friends With The Neighbors - Rebecca Jane lives in Sydney and is doing her PhD about women and surfing, and looking at surfing as a culture. She shares some of her experiences on her thought-provoking blog. She also likes marshmallows. Hi Bec!

Oceans Other Offerings - Luke Taaffe is simply one of my favorite artists.

Safe to Sea - Mick Sowry of St. Kilda, is the director of the beautiful film, Musica Surfica. He shares his very fine storytelling on his blog, along with beautiful photos of his surfing adventures.

Smart Casual - Creative blog from surfer/photographer/designer Ryan Heywood. You've probably seen this.

Sully Mc Ched - of Bondi Beach (or Bondage Beach as he writes in his profile). I get the feeling this guy knows how to have a big time.

The Other Wave - Artist Ben Waters lives in Avalon Beach. He's got a great style. Check out the cool boardshorts he did for Shortstraw.

How cool does this book look by Switch-foot? Scroll to the bottom and click on Spreads.

Anyone else I should know about, please set me straight!

Surf Fridays!

LeRoy Grannis surfing Hermosa Beach, 1969 - around his neck is the Calypso amphibious camera, invented by Jacques Cousteau. Photo by John Grannis.

The famous sticker was designed in 1963 by Stuart Lough and is a collectors' item. Grannis still gives one out to everyone he meets.

I am the overjoyed recipient of the beautiful book, Leroy Grannis - Surf Photography of the 1960s and 1970s. The book is 276 pages of gorgeous photographs and rich history lessons and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

LeRoy "Granny" Grannis started surfing in 1931 at the age of fourteen, on a borrowed redwood plank that weighed close to a hundred pounds. He was raised a block from the ocean in Hermosa Beach and began photographing the surf scene during the longboard era of the early 1960s in California and Hawaii. In 1966 Leroy was inducted into the International Surfing Hall of Fame as best photographer.

Leroy dedicated this book to his wife Katie, who passed away last December. It reads, Dedicated to my wife, Katie, for being behind me all those years, making it easy for me to shoot pictures, and waiting patiently for me on the beach.

Hap Jacobs, Hermosa Beach, 1963
Jacobs handcrafts one of his prized boards. Today, a mint-condition Jacobs from this era can fetch thousands of dollars at auction.

Mike Hynson, Hermosa Beach, 1964
The brash and stylish San Diegan went on to costar in the 1966 documentary The Endless Summer.

Johnny Fain, Miki Dora, Malibu 1965
The infamous Dora "tap" - Dora loved scams and pranks. His most famous caper was releasing a jar of live moths during a surf movie premier.

Greg Noll Factory, Hermosa Beach, 1965
A pair of Australian surfers drove this classic Westfalia Kombi throughout Europe before shipping it over to pay homage to surf mecca.

Huntington Beach Pier, 1965

Malibu, 1967
When Grannis returned with a friend to Malibu shortly after World War II, they found a crowd of twelve people surfing. "That's it," he said. "This place is ruined."

Margo Godfrey-Oberg, Makaha, 1968

Aikau Family, Sunset Beach, 1967
Myra, Mama, and Sol Aikau watching Eddie compete in the third Duke Classic. Eddie won the contest in 1977, and died three months later.

Duke Classic Finalists, Sunset Beach, 1969
L to R: Joey Cabell, Eddie Aikau, Billy Hamilton, Fred Hemmings, Gordo Barreda, Paul Strauch Jr., Mike Doyle, Rolf Aurness, Felipe Pomar.

Midget Farrelly, Pupukea, 1970

Makaha, 1975

I hope your weekend is as poetic as Leroy Grannis' photos. A heartfelt thank you, Mr. Grannis. The surfing community is very, very grateful for you.