BL!SSS Magazine | January 2014 | #77 by Blisss Mag

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– WINSTON SMITH COLLABORATION

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RVCALOHA, OA HU, H AWA II PHOTOS BY KEEGAN GIBBS, BRENDAN JENSEN & TOM HAWKINS

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LAUNCHING 3.25.14

Derrick Disney

Creators & Innovators

VISSLA.COM

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RANDOMS // 30 NEW YEAR NEW GEAR // 36 TAI VAN DYKE // 38 RAMI // 40 CRSL // 42 LILIA MAZURKEVICH // 44 KENNY HURTADO // 46 ZIO ZIEGLER // 48 PINK HELMET POSSE // 50 INSTAGRAM // 52 SUPER TASTE // 54 ART BASEL // 56 RVCALOHA // 60 KELVIN HOEFLER // 64 SHOWTIME ON THE NORTH SHORE // 72 THE ART OF ARYZ // 76 FASHION // 84 KURTIS COLAMONICO // 90 #TOURNOTES WITH PK // 96 T9 JAPAN // 102 SURFER POLL 2013 // 110 THE SEVENTH LETTER FLAGSHIP STORE AND GALLERY OPENING // 112 PBRJ // 114 HERE TODAY... GONE TO CABO // 116 CHERRY GLAZERR // 118 CD REVIEWS // 120 GROMS // 128

Art: Aryz

ASH LEY S M ITH BY M A RG AU X A R R A M ON -T UC OO, 2 0 13 . MIX ED MEDIA ON GR AIN PAPER. PORTRAIT BY KEEGAN GIBBS.

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E DITOR-IN -CHIEF nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com

E DITOR joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com

CREATIVE DIRECTO R mark paul deren : madsteez madsteez@madsteez.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR spencer pirdy spencer@blisssmag.com

EDITOR AT LARGE liz rice mcCray liz@blisssmag.com

SNOW EDITOR jon francis jon@blisssmag.com

MUSIC EDITOR max ritter max@blisssmag.com

ADVERTISING ads@blisssmag.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason Kenworthy, Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom Carey, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran, Dave Nelson, Pat Eichstaedt, Julien Lecorps, Ryan Boyes, Zach Hooper, Tim Peare, Michael Lallande, Bob Plumb, Peter Morning, Bryce Kanights, Arto Sarri, Anthony Acosta, Cameron Strand, Brian Fick, Deville Nunns, Gage Thompson, Derek Bahn, Tom Cozad, Robbie Crawford, Ryan Donahue

CONTRIBUTORS Willie Marshall, Daniel Russo, Jason Arnold, Greg Escalante, Nathan Spoor, Tom Carey, Travis Millard, David Choe, Kai Garcia, Mickey Neilsen, Peter Townend, Hamilton Endo, Tawnya Schultz, Mike Murciano, Geoff Shively, Casey Holland, Steve Stratton, Robbie Sell, Andrew Miller, Pat Towersey, Raul Montoya, Ian Dodge, Richie Olivares, Eric Meyers, Kelly Shannon, JP Olson BL!SSS Magazine 413 31st Street

JANUARY 2014

Newport Beach, CA 92663 www.blisssmag.com Disclaimer: Although all best efforts are made to avoid the same, we reserve the right to publish unintentional mistakes and/or factual errors which may occur on a monthly basis. No responsibility is assumed by the publishers for unsolicited materials/articles/letters/advertising and all submissions will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright and/or appropriate licensing purposes subject to Blisss’ right to edit and comment editorially. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine reﬂect the opinions of their respective authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Blisss Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising matter which may reﬂect negatively on the integrity of the magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form [print or electronic] without prior written consent from the publisher.

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ARTIST: ARYZ

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NIXON

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SKATE MOSS What’s better than being with Kate Moss in her prime? Skating on top of Kate Moss in her prime! That’s where artist and designer Nick Thomm’s mind was when he produced the latest edition of an ongoing skate deck series entitled Skate Moss. The Skate Moss deck itself features a signature Thomm collage of alluring Kate Moss images screen printed on a 100% Canadian maple deck that’s been handcrafted in North America. These decks are the perfect provocative art piece to hang on your wall, or you can take Skate Moss to the streets and dirty her up all you want. The decks are exclusively available at nickthomm.com/shop, so make sure to get your piece of Skate Moss while she’s available. Like the latest issue of Playboy, this is something you’ll wanna get your hands all over.

WINTER BEAT OFF WINNER Well the polls are in and it looks like Keauna Asing got a little more this holiday season than what Santa dropped off. His soft-top antics at the Pipeline scored him $1000 worth of Catch Surf gear and a new quiver of Catch Surf Beater Boards. It was a close race with dozens of submissions, showing the world that all types of people can have all types of fun, in all types of conditions. Be sure to check out the four runner-ups on our Instagram spread on pages 52 and 53. And if you haven’t ﬁgured it out yet these things are nothing but a good time, so head on over to your local retailer, grab a beater and get out there.

HOBIE It’s not an easy task to vividly bring to life the history of Hobie Alter. In fact, it took 26 months and 130,000 words to achieve, but thanks to exSurfer editor and talented author Paul Holmes, Hobie: Master of Water, Wind and Waves is on the shelves waiting for you to grab. From innovative ﬂeets of surfboards that changed the course of surf design to the introduction of the Hobie Cat, the iconic brand and more, Hobie: Master of Water, Wind and Waves covers all of the facets of Alter’s life. In producing the book Holmes uncovered rare archival photographs, and the book contains some of the most in-depth detailing of surf culture in the past 60 years that we’ve ever seen. A fascinating read that should be added to everyone’s library, head to croulpublications.com today and make this book your own.

MI-PAC

BRIXTON STRATUS PACKABLE JACKET Here at BL!SSS we love to see clothes that offer durability and function while maintaining a strong fashionable sense. The new Stratus Packable Jacket from Brixton is all of this and more. The Stratus is a weatherproof, DWR-coated packable nylon jacket built to withstand heavy rain and snow. It features a 20,000 mm waterproof rating, taped seams and waterproof zippers. It also features a convertible left pocket that allows the jacket to be easily packed into a small bag with a zipper and snap hook. This jacket is a no-brainer for anyone who enjoys being outdoors, so head to brixton.com or your local retailer today to get yours.

You can guarantee things are going to get interesting whenever industry liaison Jim Shubin stops by our ofﬁce. This past month’s visit was no different, and in between all of the story swapping he gave us the lowdown on a company he’s been consulting for by the name of Mi Pac. Mi Pac is a creative accessory company that specializes in individualized backpacks, rucksacks, cases, sleeves and luggage pieces that emphasize stylish expression and practical purpose. Started in August of 2012 in the UK, Mi Pac is now making its presence known on American soil with a few fruitful projects in the works and an endless supply of unique products for everyone. Check them out over at mi-pac.com, where you’ll ﬁnd something designed for your style and needs.

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DUVIN Lately, a new brand by the name of Duvin Design Company has quickly grabbed our attention. Duvin Design Company, also known as the Filthy Flamingo Surf Gang, is a surf lifestyle brand based out of Florida. They manufacture in both Florida and California and carry a unique blend of style and function in every piece in their line. They’re turning heads with all sorts of unique aspects. Whether it’s pockets on the right side or sunglasses holders on tank tops, they’ve always got something new and innovatively stylish up their sleeves. Overall, Duvin focuses on an uncommon combination of simplicity and uniqueness. Keep an eye out for their new Spring line, Beach Brigade, that just released this month and start visiting duvindesign.com to add a little radness to your daily routine.

ESKUCHE CONTROL V2 Our favorite seventies-inspired, retro headphone company, Eskuche, has stepped up their game for 2014. With new color ways, upgraded drivers and ultra-plush cushions, the Control v2 is where it’s at. Founder, liaison and all-around handsome dude, Andrew Schulenburg popped in our office right before this issue went to press and dialed us in with some new goodies. The rectangular on-ear square cups have that over-ear fit, once again proving that you don’t need to spend a couple hundred bucks to obtain premium acoustics. These things truly are classic design meshed with modern sound; get yours today at Apple, Best Buy or other fine electronic retailers.

SKULLBASE

By now you’ve probably seen this brand via Instagram, caught a glimpse of their logo being dawned on the big guns of Jaws chargers or being promoted by MMA heavyweights and motocross stars. The brand we speak of is Skullbase Brand, headed up by Shaun and DK Walsh and based right in the heart of their home on Maui. Skullbase Brand is different from all others in that its main focus is being a premiere water safety provider, having already achieved this at one of the heaviest lineups on earth – Jaws. They’re also producing hats and tees that embody their Hawaiian upbringing and the lifestyle they’ve come to enjoy. Skullbase looks to be a staple in the industry for a long time to come, so check them out and get in on the Skullbase action at skullbasebrand.com.

MAKUA ROTHMAN - SOUND WAVE Makua Rothman has just come out with his first studio album – Sound Wave. Just a year ago Makua’s first EP album Makanale Road hit iTunes and gave folks a taste of the hard-charging Hawaiian’s musical talents. Now, with more experience under his belt, Makua’s album Sound Wave is coming in with strong reviews across the board and a laidback vibe that’ll put you on island time, regardless of how landlocked you may be. We’re excited to see Makua making moves in the music scene and can’t wait to see more from him on the surfing side as well. Download his new album at iTunes.com today. 32

REVOK : MADE IN DETROIT The ever-talented Revok has come out with a new book that’ll be a must have for every grafﬁti enthusiast. The book goes by the name of Revok: Made in Detroit and candidly depicts two years of Revok’s living and creating works in and around the city of Detroit. Within the book’s pages are images of his work, his most cherished stomping grounds and insight from the man himself on his encounters and inspirations found within this ﬁnancially troubled, yet culturally rich city. There will be a limited run of 2600 copies all with hand-painted covers and hand-placed labels. Revok: Made in Detroit is available this month, so make sure to get your hands on one before they run out.

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OTIS Geoff Moysa came by this past month to ﬁll us in on his new position at Otis Eyewear, and to show us what the Otis crew has in the works for 2014. Otis is originally out of Australia, but it is making moves quickly into the US market. They blend high-quality materials and unique frame designs to produce shades that are eye-catching, innovative and feel just right. The best thing about Otis’s shades is that their lenses are made of optically correct mineral glass that resists scratching. Seriously though, we took our keys to them and not even the slightest mark was left. Our personal favorite shade was the Last Night in black with cool grey lenses, but for 2014 they’ve got a huge array of models coming out, polarized and non-polarized, for you to choose from. Keep an eye out for Otis Eyewear to be launching in February of 2014.

CAPTAIN FIN SUITS The Captain Fin Co crew has parlayed into the world of rubber and is supplying warmth to surfers all over with Captain Wetsuits. The new Captain Fin 3/2 wetsuits are made of Yamamoto Japanese rubber, built with butternutz squash plush ﬁnex lining, and the seams are glued, double-blind stitched with liquid-taped insides. Apparently, they can make you hold your breath longer too! But don’t take our word for it. These suits are team rider approved and selling out faster than the iPhone 7. So head on over to thaliasurf. com or keep an eye out for more suits wherever Captain Fin Co. supplies are sold.

VISSLA X BOBBY O Vissla is making big moves, and in doing so has brought one of Orange County’s best young surfers to their team – Bobby Okvist. Bobby’s a classic kid who ﬁts right into the Vissla mold. He’s known for riding waves from two to twenty-foot with reckless abandon and a style of his own. Whether it’s massive punts at 54th or pulling into gaping tubes at the Wedge and beyond, Bobby will be a guy to watch for years to come, especially with his newly acquired Vissla backing. Bobby will join the likes of Keoni Jones, Lucas Dirkse, Derrick Disney, Jeff McCallum and many other creators and innovators. Keep up with Bobby and the rest of the Vissla team at vissla.com or on Instagram @visslasurf.

TC : TOM CARROLL There’s plenty of people in our industry who have compelling stories to tell, but few have seen everything from glory to gutter and back like surf legend Tom Carroll. Tom recently opened up to 60-Minutes Australia about his meth addiction, and now he’s telling all in his new book TC: Tom Carroll. The book delves into his fame in the sport of surﬁng, his family life, his struggle with drug addiction and where he is now. Tom’s brother Nick, a wellknown wordsmith and notable surfer himself, is co-author of the book and helped out in making this book a true raw account of Tom’s life tale. TC is out now and can be bought at randomhouse.au or anywhere else ﬁne leather-bound books are sold. 34

REFL3CT There’s an up-and-coming brand that caught our attention this past month by the name of Refl3ct. One of their founders, Jonathan Teller, came by to show us some of the custom tees they’re pumping out and gave us the lowdown on what Refl3ct is all about. This is a 100% Southern Californian-made brand that grabs its inspiration through individuals, issues and relevant surroundings in the action sports world. Refl3ct is a brand with strong surf and skate influence at its core, as well as a healthy respect for people who pave their own way, otherwise categorized as their Reactivists. Refl3ct clothing is available at Collective in Newport Beach and you can learn about the brand and what they’re reflecting on at refl3ct.com.

LIRA 2014 SPRING COLLECTION W W W. L I R AC LOT H I N G . C O M

1. Nixon, The Magnacon Leather, nixon.com // 2. ourCaste, Brock Woven, ourcaste.com // 3. Broken Homme, James Boot, brokenhomme.com // 4. Hurley, Fusion 302 Fullsuit, hurley.com // 5. RVCA, Gauged Sweater, rvca.com // 6. Vans, Van Dore II, vans.com // 7. Ambig, Noor, ambig.com // 8. Smith, Touchstone, smithoptics.com // 9. Volcom, Lo Fi, volcom.com // 10. THRILLS, Bush Ranger, thrill.co // 11. Roark, Castro, roark.com // 12. Electric, DW01 PU, electriccalifornia.com // 13. Ezekiel, Beezly, ezekielusa.com // 14. Catch Surf, The Original 48â&#x20AC;? Twin Fin, catchsurf.com 36

Words: Richard Olivares :: Photo: Andrew Christie

If you’ve ever been to the North Shore, you’ve seen or heard about the Volcom houses at Pipeline. I’ve been lucky enough to stay in the Gerry Lopez house, and every trip gets better and better. I couldn’t imagine visiting the North Shore and not cruising with Tai Van Dyke. Here is a little insight on how it all goes down from the man himself. How long have you been in the Volcom family and who brought you on board? I have been with Volcom since 1992, and Wooly put me on the team. You started off as a team rider from Maui back in the day, but what is your current role for the brand? I currently help with the running and upkeep of the two pipe houses, and run the VQS Surf Series in Hawaii. I love to help out with anything that our team needs handled over here in Hawaii, whether it’s promo events or whatever. No job too big and no job too small, I just feel lucky to be a part of such a solid program. The houses look amazing. Who keeps up on the houses and handles the chores?

I do, with the help of Kaimana Henry and Tom Dosland. Whoever is lucky enough to stay here is expected to pull their own weight and help out around the houses. There have been some upgrades on the old house. Can you explain a little what was done? This past summer we did a lot of work around the OG house. We put in a new boardroom, new bathroom and did some ﬂooring, painting and kitchen tune-ups. We tore out a couple walls, and basically just gave her a much-needed facelift, and she is beautiful again. How do you earn your spot in the Gerry house? Put in your time, be humble and earn it. Or sometimes you just have good timing. What’s up with the dungeon? The dungeon is epic! It used to just be dirt under the house the ﬁrst year we had it. When we dug it out in 2003 they found some old burial site with the bones of a 10-year-old girl. We had to stop working and have the state come and check everything out. They said they were over 100 years old, and

we had the area blessed and ﬁnished it. It sleeps eight, and it is a perfect spot for all the groms from everywhere to come stay and surf over here. We’ve been hearing a lot about Kaimana Henry lately. Tell us about him and the other standouts of the house? Kaimana is an animal! So stoked to get him on the program and have him here helping around the houses and surﬁng. Everyone surfs great and has their days too – like Tom Dosland, Carlos Munos, Zeke, JD, Dusty, Mitch. All the international kids are sick too like Shun San and Guy Sato. With all the contests and mayhem around the house, what’s your favorite time of the year and why? I love it here all year round. Obviously, when it’s less crowded it’s my favorite, but we have these houses for a reason so I try to embrace the circus and just enjoy everything. My best meals have been cooked by you. Your Tai chicken is my favorite. What’s your favorite meal to cook? I like to cook big meals that

can feed everybody: beef stew, Shoyu chicken, big casseroles... We have been making some killer big salads lately too: Purple cabbage, kale, red onion, spinach, carrots, apple, and home made dressing with olive oil balsamic vinegar, Shoyu, honey and dijon mustard. It seems like all the groms that stay at the house have fresh haircuts. Is that your artwork? What’s up with that? Yeah, sometimes they just need a haircut. They don’t realize it, but the north shore can be tough, kids get rousted. Sometimes a crazy mullet or something will bring them out of their shell! Heard you’ve been taking photos? Yeah, I just started this summer and it’s pretty addicting. It’s just another form of “aqua therapy” for me. What’s for dinner? #buttsfordinner! Just kidding, a big platter of baked spaghetti with some ground venison that Matt Meola brought us from Maui. Thanks, Matt! Sounds good to me! Thanks, Tai.

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Interview: Kelly Shannon While it may not be the ﬁrst artistic genre that comes to mind, humor is most certainly an art. And where humor is intertwined with perfectly detailed illustrations to match is where Sweden-based drawer Rami Niemi enters the picture. Born and raised in Finland, Niemi resides today by the coast of southeast Sweden. “I love the countryside, it’s got a very calming effect on me,” he says. “It’s making me Zen. The Baltic Sea is also making me Zen, as are the cows mooing.” During his early drawing career, Niemi was sought out as the talent for a ‘corporate booze fest’ that took place in a large industrial hall in the outskirts of Helsinki, Finland, about 14 years ago. He was hired to draw cartoons of the drunken business-types all night long. “They hated me,” Niemi stated. Today, he has created some of the most fantastic illustrations for The Art Directors Club, one of the most concentrated groups of creative

talent in the world. And unlike most of his fellow advertising creatives, Niemi’s humble. “I sit behind a desk in rural Sweden and drink coffee and red wine and draw. I’m not an elite creative.”

Where does your sense of humor come from? The funny little disappointments and grimness of life. Hatred, greed, backstabbing, the usual! It’s hilarious.

A lover of hard rock, metal, and some soft punk, if Niemi weren’t so talented with his drawings he states, “I’d rather play punk rock if that was possible.”

You incorporate a lot of pop culture into your work. Can you tell us which pop artists have influenced you and how? For example, Kurt Cobain has told me which Levi’s to wear; James Jarvis influenced me to simplify my drawings and use a pop of nice color; Anthony Kiedis told me to grow my hair long. And whoever published Kerrang and Metal Hammer in the early ‘90s influenced me a lot.

Simplicity can be so difﬁcult, and your illustrations are so simple and so smart. How do you do it? Wow, thank you. It’s just that I’ve gone through a lot of drawing styles and noticed I don’t really have the patience to sit around drawing for a long time anymore, even if that was my favorite thing back in the day. So partly because of that I keep it simple, get the stuff done, and leave it like that. It’s a gradual development from too much detail to real simple.

Was getting into the advertising business a natural progression for you with your level of skill or was it just something that happened? That was the only way in order to make a living, as I’m not a ﬁne-

art maker per se, but rather a commercial hack. But I’m really happy I’ve managed to get a foot in the door. Of course, a big thanks for that belongs to my agents who are busting their asses every day so that I can pay for my bungalow. What’s next for Rami? There’s a pre-production going on for an animated TV series that I’ve co-created, co-written and drawn. I’m doing it together with my friend; I’ll call him ‘The Bipolar Pastor’ here, because that’s his pseudonym in the art world. The TV series is a great, dream-fulﬁlling project, because it’s so much more spectacular in many ways than just the illustration world… A bigger piece of cake or something. We were just putting ﬁnal touches on the pilot script here at my ranch a few weeks ago and The Pastor said to my daughter, “Look closely, little human. This thing here will be your ticket to Harvard. This will be your pension plan.” That’s how I like to think about it.

“B cr n I ab pr If de pr a an co m ev th m ex tr te I dr pr

CRSL has officially launched. Can you tell us how that’s going? We’ve been building this online store and it took us a bit, but we finally launched in early December. It was really cool. I didn’t think it was going to be as big of a turnout but so many people went online and bought a bunch of gear. It was really cool and a big weight off my shoulders. For those who don’t know, where does the CRSL concept come from? It was a really deep story and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have to do with a certain someone in my life. But it’s just really about believing in karma and that whole “what goes around comes around” kind of thing. I’ve been obsessed with rides and amusement parks my whole life. A carousel is something you always notice when you walk into an amusement park; it’s usually one of the first things you see. I love the art aspect as well; I come from the art community. If you look at a carousel there’s always so much detail on the horses. Everything about CRSL has to do with my life, and because I always loved

carousels I thought that was cool. The name was taken though, and because I come from a graffiti background you’re always looking for abbreviations, the C-R-S-L just clicked right away in my head. That was the vision and I was super stoked. Does CRSL encompass a lot of what the action sports, art and music world has to offer? It definitely goes out to the whole action sports community and to the art world. I’m more from the art world than anything. I’ve been a part of graffiti for 15 years, and I’ve opened up to different kinds of art and I love it. It definitely has to do with different kinds of art, skate, snow, surf – it’s a great lifestyle brand that anyone can relate to. Who are some of the key players behind CRSL? I hired George Thompson, EWOK, as my art director. He was at RVCA, LRG and has been one of my favorite artists of all time. He and I have been in the same crew and I just told him he should come be apart of CRSL. He’s been doing some amazing designing for us and is just unbelievable. I’ve had so many people already do graphics with the likes of Pose,

Revok, Richard Oliver, Axis and hopefully Madsteez soon. It’s pretty awesome, the people who have been getting my back, and I’m truly blessed to have the friends I have. You’ve also got quite a few notable brand ambassadors too, right? Yeah, Austin Carlile from Of Mice and Men has been a huge supporter, Da Kurlzz from Hollywood Undead, Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park, Pink, Carey Hart, Ryan Sheckler has been a huge supporter, Machine Gun Kelly, Nicole Richie, Joel Madden, Samantha Ronson, Lindsey Lohan and the list goes on for days. Everybody that I’ve ever worked with has been really good to me. What can we expect next from CRSL? Well, we deﬁnitely launched the name at Agenda Vegas, but I think at Agenda Long Beach is where you’ll see us really make some noise. I think we’ll be starting by opening up with shops that I grew up in, and then hopefully we’ll be at a store near everyone very soon. Check out the freshly launched CRSL site that is live now at crslco.com.

It’s just really about believing in karma and that whole “what goes around comes around” kind of thing.

“I tried to create a reality of my own, which looked believable to a viewer and yet allowed me to express my fascination with controversy of human behavior”

Interview: Liz Rice McCray

When asked, “What do you do?” how do you answer? I say, “I am an artist, a painter,” with a slightly apologetic tone in my voice. Will you tell us about your earlier work? My earlier works are different from my current ones. In my younger years I felt very strongly about absurdity and injustice of the world, and because at that time I was in my twenties and just discovered it, my paintings represented what I called “tortured soul.” It was also highly inﬂuenced by the writers whose books I enjoyed reading those days, such

as F. Kafka, M. Dostoevsky, F. Nietzsche and E. Fromm. I would say that that getting familiar with their work actually provoked me into painting. (My ﬁrst degree was in design.) And your later work? Later, as I came to term with the world’s faults, I think I tried to create a reality of my own, which looked believable to a viewer and yet allowed me to express my fascination with controversy of human behavior, tensions in society and emotional struggles of individuals. How would you put into words your current work?

My current paintings are about the intriguing nature of sexuality. I ﬁnd the objectives of sexual preferences very interesting indeed. I think using animals, who have very strong characteristic features of their own, as metaphors or symbols of sexual attraction give me a better chance to express my confusion with the choices people make and why we are attracted to one person but are not by another.

all I wanted to on the subject and feel that I am ready to move on to the next one. I see my work as chapters. Forthcoming one is going to be about “love.” I have quite a few paintings developing in my mind constantly, and because I cannot work on all of them at one time, I write them down, waiting for their turn. So far I have about 35. My ambitions are to realize as many of them as possible, especially when new ones keep coming in.

How would you like to see your future develop? For the past four years I tended to work on a certain theme for a while, until I think I’ve said

Where can people check out more of your art? My work can be seen at www.liliamazurkevich.co.uk and at www.hayhill.com.

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Interview: Joey Marshall

At the young age of just 21, Kenny Hurtado was quickly on his way to becoming a household name, as he already laid claim as staff photographer for Surﬁng Magazine. Three years in the biz and boredom and redundancy had taken its toll, so 24-year-old Hurtado packed his bags and relocated to SF to study at the San Francisco Art Institute. Three years at SFAI, and with less than twenty dollars in his bank account and no way to pay tuition, another move was in order and this young photographer found himself working at a super market in Memphis, Tennessee. With no real home, he spent his nights on the “couch surﬁng tour” or sleeping in his car. Fed up with that, and heartsick from a relationship gone south, he pointed his car West and vowed to never look back. Less than a month ago he was stationed in Oakland, washing dishes every night at a local bar and scraping to make ends meet. A call from Corban Campbell and Kenny once again found himself

behind the lens shooting photos of Danny Hess for the newfound company VISSLA. So impressed by his camera work, the boys offered him a fulltime gig, and it looks like mister Hurtado is back in Southern California, back in the industry and back on his feet. He’s got an uncanny ability to make his subject feel at ease with an eye that any photographer would kill for. Fresh out of his car, we had a few minutes to catch up with Kenny and pick his brain to see what he thinks his future holds. So Kenny, now that you’re back here in Southern California, what would you say you’ve missed the most? Well I didn’t miss much this go around. I was only in Oakland for one month. I’ve been in Los Angeles for the past two years. Things got out of whack for me a few months back, so I packed up and bailed to Oakland. I was expecting to live there permanently until Corban at Vissla called me up and gave me an assignment, which ended up changing my

direction. Glad it worked out the way it did. Looking back on the past decade or so, what was the reason you packed it all up and left, what most would consider, a really good career path behind? My setup back then was ideal, especially at that age. At the time I burnt out on photographing surfers, I felt that I couldn’t make it look interesting anymore. That’s when I knew I had to get out and try something new. That is how I ended up at Art School in SF. I’ve never stopped creating and being a photographer, my focus and subject matter just changed. It’s wild to come full circle at age 30. I never thought I’d be back at it, but I’m so stoked to be involved and still have a place. I’m sure you’ve seen some crazy shit, living out of your car and whatnot. What stands out as the craziest or scariest situation you’ve ever been in? Ha, nothing too wild has

happened. Except maybe developing back problems and knee problems from sleeping in the back seat of my shitty car. Now that you’re back at it and putting in serious work behind the lens again, what’s your new role at Vissla and what are your future aspirations? Still trying to figure this out. I don’t officially start until January. As of now I think I’ll be in charge of everything lifestyle for Vissla, which is right where I want to be, and I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make this work for me in the industry. But I want to focus on surf as well. Vissla has a rad, unique crew of guys: Brendon Gibbons, Lucas Dirske, Keoni Jones and Derrick Disney. All surf very differently, so I’m curious to see what I get out of these guys once we start globetrotting. You can check out more of Kenny’s work at kennyhurtado.tumblr.com and at kennyhurtado.com.

Words: Zio Ziegler Painting is my attempt at self-understanding. I create an experience for the viewer that parallels my own search in creation. This process, my examination, is a constant balance between reason and intuition. I make in order to understand, rather to explain what has been made. Whether I am painting on a public wall or in my studio, my craft is a vehicle that shows me how to turn every crisis into an opportunity. The naiveté and freedom I see and admire in the physical world directly inﬂuence the most primitive aspects of

my work. My materials are the tools I use to try to understand my human condition. The paint, surface, and subject matter parallel my subconscious call to action and often manifest themselves in the same forms; however, each form displays varying levels of emphasis, color, line and pattern. I paint how I feel, not how I see. Rather than ﬁnding a concept and executing it in a linear fashion, I react to my questions, life and awareness. My work is not about a ﬁnal product, rather the process that helps me solve a problem.

I’ve often been asked what my symbols mean in relation to one another, and while I hint at their meanings with a reference in a title, their meanings are as ephemeral as the process itself. This transience of meaning serves as catalyst for each viewer’s understanding. Because each painting lacks a singular explanation, the viewer is faced with self-reﬂection of his or her own life and internal pursuit. My paintings have subjectively different meanings for each person that views them, and through the observer’s own balance of reason, context, and intuitive

reaction, each one serves as a starting place of thought and reﬂection rather than a means to an end. There is no conclusion, only more questions. There is no meaning except for that which the viewer designates. My paintings begin with an existential journey, and can only end with an absurdist conclusion – the rest is just a vehicle for conveying this. To see more of my work check out zioziegler.com or follow me on Instagram @zioziegler.

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Words: Spencer Pirdy :: Photos: Jason Kenworthy

Girls just want to have fun. And what’s more fun than growing up skating with your best friends, ripping up your local park and having backyard jam sessions all while wearing a pink tutu? Well, absolutely nothing, and, to be honest, these young ladies are just getting started. The crew that’s having all of the fun has adopted the name “Pink Helmet Posse,” aptly named because of the pink helmets they dawn, and it consists of Bella Kenworthy, Relz Murphy and Sierra Kerr. But don’t let their colors fool you, these girls mean business. Around a year ago the trio started meeting up to skate together at the Encinitas Y Skatepark. There they became

instantly enthralled with the sport of skateboarding. The only problem came when they were unable to ﬁnd boards that were the correct size and had the proper colors to ﬁt a little girl’s personalities. So, they took matters into their own hands and had some decks made by the guru himself, Professor Schmitt at PS Stix, and soon after they were out achieving the unthinkable for anyone, girl or boy, of adolescent age. Only a year into their skateboarding careers and they were conquering the Vans Combi Bowl, hitting tiles, grinding pool copings, rock and rolls, airs and even dropping in on vert ramps. Remember, these are six- and seven-year-olds we’re talking about here. They’ve been

giving all the guys, including their brothers, a run for their money, and all the while are spearheading a renaissance for young girls in skateboarding. Turning heads is nothing new to the Pink Helmet Posse. In their short careers they’ve gained recognition all over the action sports and news worlds, having been profiled on GrindTV, Yahoo, Daily Mail, the Huffington Post, and they were recently the stars of a documentary done by a Chapman University film school student. With the help of their newfound big sister/mentor, 14-year-old Jordyn Barratt, they’ll continue to push the limits of skateboarding.

The Pink Helmet Posse seeks to inspire young girls to come out and skate with them, and they have specialty made boards and t-shirts available for other girls so that they can enjoy skating with equipment that’s distinctive in style. They still stack it every once and again, get heckled by their brothers or jealous young boys, but they’re used to it by now. After a little chocolate milk they’re right back out there, all smiles, letting their laughter and skateboarding do all of the talking. The overriding goal of the Pink Helmet Posse is to enjoy skateboarding to its fullest, and they are doing that in spades. Make sure to keep up with all of the Pink Helmet Posse action, join their movement and ﬁnd gear for your girls at pinkhelmetposse.com.

Photography: Dominic Petruzzi :: dominicpetruzziphoto.com :: @dominicpetruzzi This gorgeously glowing beauty, featured as our very ﬁrst Super Taste for 2014, is none other than Priscilla Quintana. Priscilla resides in LA and is leaving her mark on the city of angels, dropping jaws by the hundreds, one day at a time. Fresh out of the water and onto the pages of lucky issue #77, she’s ready to take on whatever the world has in store for her. We’re certain this won’t be the last time you see or hear of Priscilla, her beautiful smile and bubbly personality pretty much guarantee big moves for her in the new year. So be like Priscilla, let those pearly whites show and get ready for an awesome new year. Model: Priscilla Quintana :: Otto Models :: Makeup: Lettie Mix

Words & Photos: MADSTEEZ “Nothing is sacred.” That’s what I was thinking as me and a dozen or so other degenerate “street artists” laid claim to a street corner on Miami’s South Beach while publicly drinking two cases of beer we just stole from an unfortunate “art fair,” indulging in some of Jamaica’s ﬁnest and doing rental-car key bumps of Columbia’s purest that was bought from the local ice-cream man on a tricycle. The streets of Wynwood were metaphorically being torched on ﬁre by the tens of thousands of fucking moronic art tourists that turned hell into reality that we coined “Artigras.” Art Basel 2014 went from industry-only to popular culture to mainstream to complete shit-show in just a few short years. There is this insane cultural subdivide between the actual artists and the millionaire/billionaire d!kheads that actually buy the art. I realize I do sound extremely pessimistic, but I will admit there was no other place on Earth I’d rather have been than painting and sharing miserable comedic memories with some of my best friends.

Sam Friedman

HACER

MADSTEEZ

Maya Hayuk

ROID

OLEK

MTO ROA

Patrick Martinez EVOCA

BEZT

POSE

FAILE

FAITH 47

CRASH

Geoff McFetridge

Kris Kuksi

Aaron De La Cruz

REVOK

Ian Kuali’i

RONE X MEGGS X MADSTEEZ

Wayne White

Photos: Brandon Shigeta Posting up on the North Shore of Oahu during the late fall and early winter seasons is obviously not a new concept for the surf crowd, nor brands that support that world. However, this year that few-mile stretch of shoreline experienced something a little different. Instead of the staid and standard surf houses, all walks of life were invited to the houses that RVCA inhabited from midNovember through the end of December. Along with the eclectic RVCA surf team, one would run into rappers, artists, skaters, legends and iconic photographers like Estevan Oriol and Mike Miller – RVCA founder PM Tenore has a knack for connecting disparate folks, which quickly become lifelong friends without even knowing it. There was a constant ﬂux of people throughout the days on Oahu. Early on, A$AP Yams – the brains behind A$AP Mob and spirit guide for A$AP Rocky – made an appearance and ended up boar hunting with Makua Rothman. Artists Kelsey Brookes, Benjamin JeanJean and Kevin Ancell dove into several surf sessions with the guys, between creating some amazing paintings. And tattooers Bert Krak and NORM set up shop at Off-The-Wall and made some permanent marks on Matt Archbold, Christian Fletcher, Tori Praver and CJ Kanuha. But one of the most interesting events was yet to come… an extremely over-capacity YG concert on the South Shore at The Republik. I

imagine that venue has never seen that amount of screaming, jumping, and bobbing kids. Nuts. As the days lead on, more and more RVCA family made an appearance: REMIO and DMOTE showed up to paint walls all over the city (thanks to Jasper at Pow!Wow!), Kevin Long, Josh Harmony and Julian Davidson made some trips to the park and infamous Wallows, and famed artist Julian Schnabel took up residence just as the Pipe Masters was kicking off. As of press time, things have started to mellow a bit along the Kam Highway, and a lot of the crew has drifted back to the mainland. However, all of the creative fun and games culminated in a very serious matter – the Dustin Barcaorganized “Aloha Aina March” to protest and raise awareness of the dangers of GMOs in Hawaii. Though people across the country are negatively affected by what companies like Monsanto are propagating, not many go to the lengths of what Barca does to bring attention to protecting Hawaiian’s land and ultimately the ocean. As anyone who has been to the North Shore knows, by itself the place is already a swirling cacophony of locals, guests, tourists, contests and parties, but when a mix of people, like this RVCA crew, are thrown in, one’s experience is multiplied tenfold. Cannot wait to see what PM delivers next year.

DMOTE & REMIO

Estevan Oriol

Katch 1

REMIO

NORM

Spanky

A$AP YAMS

YG Barca, Rich, ET & Makua

Kevin Ancell

Aloha Aino March : Kelly Slater, Sunny Garcia, PM Tenore & Eddie Rothman

REMIO

Julian Davidson & Spanky

Fuller, PM Tenore & Julian Schnabel

DMOTE

Age: 20 years old Hometown: Guarujá, SP Brazil Occupation: Pro Skater Began Skating: 2002 Began Competing: 2004 Turned Pro: 2011 Favored Discipline: Street/Park Stance: Goofy

Interview: Manny Santiago :: Photos: Ana Paula Negrao Kelvin Hoefler looks as relaxed and comfortable on a skateboard as anyone could. He’s consistent and very powerful. On top of that, he’s able to bust out with some incredible tricks. Hoefler is one gifted skater who was born to ride. Taking the world by storm, Kelvin, age 20, is from São Paulo City, Brazil. When he was little he always dreamed of becoming a professional skateboarder. He never imagined that it could be possible, but his hard work, sweet optimism and passion persevered. Kelvin started skateboarding 11 years ago in the streets of Brazil and never stopped. He’s redefining the next generation of skateboarders, as he continues to travel to film, compete and meet people internationally. What’s up Kelvin, how’s everything been this past summer? Hey brotha, it’s been quite fun. I started my year doing all the WCS events around the globe: Poland, Russia, France, England, Germany, Prague and Brazil. Got to skate [Red Bull’s] Bomb The Line in Berlin, and it was fun to skate in a downhill contest with real street spots. Went to Barcelona for some street skating, and now I’m in Los Angeles just living and breathing skateboarding. Just finished filming my intro part for Theeve Trucks. Yeah… just skateboarding. As a Brazilian skater, growing up skating sketchy spots, how does it feel to skate all the spots in California? 64

Well, I grew up in a very humble neighborhood in Guaruja, and my street didn’t have any asphalt. It was all dirty so I had some rails and boxes we made to skate and we skated in my garage. It was a pretty small place but it worked. When I grew up I used to go to the city close to my town, about 45 minutes away and I had to take a ferryboat to go skate. São Paulo, where all the street spots were, it was like an hour and a half from my house. The spots in Brazil are very hard to skate and the parks too. California has buttery ledges, perfect rails and the most amazing skate plazas... it feels like a candy store to a kid. What are the best spots to skate in Brazil? Praça Roosevelt in downtown São Paulo is one of the best spots to skate. Rodrigo TX grew up skating there before they rebuilt the whole park at the old Roosevelt. Vale do Anhangabaú is a paradise for the ones who like ledges and is also located in downtown São Paulo. How does it feel skating around California and seeing all the pro skaters you have watched since you were a kid? I feel very honored to be a part of it because I was a little kid watching them on TV and videos and now I’m here. It’s pretty amazing. Which pro skaters did you look up to as a kid? Paul Rodriguez, Nick Dompierre, Greg Lutzka, Rodney Mullen, Daewon Song and many others... I

B.S 180 : Prague

K-Grind : LA

B.S H-Flip : LA

have a lot of respect for all the pro skaters that have done a lot, and thanks to them we have all this opportunity now. Steve Berra and Eric Koston have done a lot with the Berrics as well. Congratulations on Dew Tour SF. We were all so proud of how you skated and getting second place. What other contest do you have coming up? Thanks, Manny. I was very nervous but I just said I’m gonna skate, and I’m very happy I landed the tricks I wanted. Now I have some contests in Brazil but I want to stay in Cali and go street skating every day. Tampa Pro is coming up next year and I’m looking forward to go and see all the homies. You kill it in contests and a lot of people know that. Are you working on any video parts right now? Oh yeah, I’ve been ﬁlming everyday, and as I said before, just ﬁnished my Theeve intro part and I will stack some more footage because it’s so fun to go street skating. I wanna do more for sure. It’s just a matter of time and where my footage will go.

K-Flip F.S Blunt

B.S N-Blunt : LA

What are your favorite skate videos? That’s a hard one; there are so many great videos and video parts. Duo Tone is a great video. I like all the Zero videos. Deathwish video was very good, and Jim Greco and Lizard King killed. DGK video is awesome and pretty sweet as well. There are so many amazing videos. What are your favorite tricks? I like any tricks that are done with passion. To me, learning a new trick is the best feeling. That’s why I try to always push myself and learn new tricks. My favorite tricks are kickﬂip b/s smith, ss bs tailslide, ss f/s blunts, big spins fs board... there are so many and I like them all. I like skating handrails. Are there any spots in California you would like to skate that you have not? Oh yeah, there’s a lot. I wanna skate Hollywood High for sure and I will. Let’s go together. It’s

always fun to skate with you. Talking so much about California, do you plan on moving to LA at any time of your career? I just got an apartment in downtown LA so I guess I live here now. I just need to manage my time between USA and Brazil. I do wanna stay here as long as I can. I love California and I can go skate everyday and anytime. You know this question has to happen: who do you want to thank and also who do you skate for? I would like to thank everyone that helped in my career and all the ones who believe in me. Steve Mateus at Rockstar Energy Drink, Dave Duncan (Daggers), Manny Santiago and Spanish Mike (MSA), Elliot, Adrian Lopez, Alesha Sands, Yulin Olliver, Don Bostick, Jose Gouvea, Ricardo Pinguim, Trevor Ward, Steve Mcinnes, Tomas Vintr, Ana Paula Negrao, Olivia Elizandro,

Ollie : Redondo Beach, CA

K-Flip : Hollenbeck Park, LA

everyone at Skatepark of Tampa, Rob Meronek, James Craig, Nilo Jones, Nathan Alton, Edgar Gonçalves, Chris Ortiz, Marcelo Vendramini, Caio Notaro, Minha Familia, Ramon Muller, Daniel Vieira and a special to my fans. My sponsors are Rockstar Energy Drink, Theeve Trucks, Spitﬁre Wheels, MSA, Everlong, HD, SWAE and Qix International. Last but not least, you and I skate a lot, so when are we gonna do some MSA projects? Every day Manny... if you’re in town and when I’m in town. We travel a lot so we just need to be in LA at the same time brother. Let’s slay! K-Flip N-Slide : Prague

Bluntslide Transfer : Prague

dragonalliance.com

@dragonalliance

QIPUP TIFSNBO

Words: John Gothard Photos: Dave Nelson I arrived on the North Shore the afternoon of November 12th. The surf that evening was small, but the Northwest Hawaii Two buoy was spiking. A large north swell was on its way and some guys were saying that it would be the largest north swell in five years. The next day the Waimea Buoy registered 18-feet at 17 seconds from the north (353°). Some of the best big-wave surfers excitedly checked the outer reefs from a lookout well above Kam Highway. The Gudauskas brothers, Nate Fletcher, Ben Wilkinson, Kohl Christensen, Danilo Couto, Jensen Hassett, Emi Erickson, and Kirk Passmore watched as huge lines of water exploded on the outer reefs. This would be the first significant swell of the 2014 season, bringing forth the power and ferocity the North Shore is known for, setting the tone for a high-octane season to come. Like most North Shore winters, this season started off with a handful of more northerly-angled swells. Big outer reefs, perfect Lani’s, picturesque Backdoor, and other north-loving reefs fired. The Haleiwa contest enjoyed solid surf (a big improvement from last year) and a local favorite won Sunset in solid five-foot surf. In between the Triple Crown events the sandbars fired as groms, legends, and well-known pros took full advantage. A few days before The Pipeline Masters started, local spectators were blessed with a Black Friday show of epic proportions; perfectly groomed second-reef bombs detonated as the world’s best surfers logged rides worthy of winning the “Wave of the Winter” contest. John John Florence, Flynn Novak, CJ Hobgood, J.O.B, Nat Young, Kalani Chapman and many more put on a show. Matt Archbold

Dave Wassel & Christian Fletcher

Eala Stewart

Keoni Jones

Mick Fanning

Dane Reynolds

A couple days later the Pipeline Masters kicked off for a massive crowd, and a solid northwest swell was on offer. While tour veterans, locals and up-and-comers battled in front of the crowd in colored jerseys, a reef down the beach quietly funneled the northerly swell for a select group of daredevils. Most notable was John John, who played with the triple-overhead waves on his 6’2, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he’d have to surf in a heated competition at Pipeline a day later. At 6:00 a.m. on the ﬁnal day of the Pipe

Masters, trafﬁc was already backing up on Kam Highway – tents were strewn across the beach by spectators hoping to secure a place to watch. Many said that it felt like the Eddie was running. Later it was reported that 10,000 people descended upon Pipeline to witness the Mick Fanning/Kelly Slater showdown. The dedicated fans were not let down with last-minute heat wins, controversial judging calls, and some very small bikinis grabbing the crowd’s attention. Everyone went home with a prize; the local favorite won the Triple Crown, the World

Title favorite won his third World Title, and everyone’s favorite surfer (KEL11Y!) took his 7th Pipe Masters. For now, the Triple Crown season has come to an end, and a good chunk of folks have left the seven-mile miracle. But another large swell has begun to slam the outer buoys, leaving the willing and hungry surfers left with more than enough to deal with. It’s a common sight and it lets us know that Hawaii’s winter season is still just getting started.

Balaram Stack

Dustin Barca leading the Oakley house workout

Matt Pagan

Reef Mcintosh

Backdoor

Bruno Santos

Kalani Chapman

Evan Geiselman

Gavin Beschen Flynn Novak

Chris Ward

Danny Fuller Kai Garcia & Billy Kemper

Herbie & Nathan Fletcher

Pat Gudauskas Alex Knost

Mike Ho

Jamie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien

Dane Reynolds

Billy Kemper

Sea turtle & Nelly

Interview: El Mac

Okay let’s start with a basic one: Where and when did you start painting large-scale public art? I am from a small village and when I was growing up grafﬁti didn’t mean much there. Grafﬁti is fun when you have other players in the game… if you are alone it is not so cool. So, painting in the middle of the city was something unbelievable, so I had to paint in hidden spots. I started painting regular walls under highway roads, train tracks and abandoned areas with spray paint together with some guys that lived nearby.

I see my evolution as a process driven by the circumstances. If I didn’t have the chance to travel for painting big facades I would still be painting those factory walls, and they would be considered big walls as well. Around 2010 I had the chance to do one building facade in Italy. That mural, plus the fact that I already had quite a few pictures on the Internet, helped a lot to get some attention of a few people. Some of those people were organizing some other festivals or projects, and that’s how I started traveling more and getting invited to paint bigger walls.

My village is near Barcelona; it is something in between a rural and an industrial area, and because of the recession we have had in these last few years there are quite a number of abandoned spaces. In 2008 I started focusing on abandoned spaces. When you go to those spaces you realize how big those surfaces are and it was disturbing me, the fact that I could not even reach halfway of their heights. So the sizes that those spaces offered made me think bigger. My friends and I were using everything we had to reach the top of the walls, or at least as high as we could. With six-meter extendable poles, roller paint, and a ladder we could reach a height of nine to ten meters.

What are your biggest motivations behind your art? Artists used to get better over the years. I mean, the more experience or craft (or both) the artist had the better the artwork became. Now this is not the case for many people. We can see “young guys” playing in the art game that are around 30 years old and of whom we already have seen their best and relevant stuff. We also can see other people that live from what they did 10 or 20 years ago. That is really sad because most of them have/had a huge talent, but they got stuck once they reached a formula of success.

A current problem is that we live in a moment in which we consume thousands of images a day. To be in somebody’s mind and to appear like an active guy you need to produce and publish a lot of stuff and to be quite repetitive in your work, plus having imagery that is recognizable. There are a lot of people that produce like crazy and show everything they do; quite a few are doing really well, but when you see their body of work most of the times it’s not so good. You need to be productive and have a formula that works, and that is what I don’t want… I mean, I wish I could be productive and show all my stuff, but I like to have some space and time for making mistakes and trying to evolve a little bit. I don’t know if I’m really changing something or if people see anything, but I like to think that I’m evolving or exploring something. Besides all of these issues, my main motivation behind my work is to live from what I enjoy and spend as much time and energy on it as possible. Who or what have been some of your biggest inspirations or influences? I guess everything influences me somehow; the fact that I’m not from a city, being part of a generation that had more information and facilities than the one before… but there was a period in which many things happened that became very important for me. It was when I was a teenager, looking at the graffiti magazines, going to Barcelona to see walls, jams and breakdance battles… That period was magic, everything was so interesting and new to me. That made me be selective, made me follow the

guys of which I liked their stuff, focus on what I liked from them and try to be as good as them. There have been people that have inﬂuenced me a lot, with just meeting them or having a talk with them. For example, two years ago I had the chance to meet Gustavo and Otavio (Os Gemeos), and for me was great to see such cool guys with so much nice projects going on, they’ve been and still are one of my latest and biggest inﬂuences. The context from where I come helps me to have my feet down on earth, maybe even too much. In Spain, not many people care about the newer artistic paths, the people that have money don’t invest in them. As a consequence there are not many people that can make a living from their art. It’s quite sad because there are people with a lot of talent and potential that have to stop their artistic career and work

doing whatever. When I started traveling and learning about other realities I realized I could actually work and make a living from selling my stuff. I had never thought I could make a living doing what I liked. As a best-case scenario I had expected to end up being a bad graphic designer. Who are some of your favorite contemporary artists? That’s a question that is really difﬁcult. I’m ignorant and I’ve seen a lot of stuff that I like but I have never paid attention to the name of the guys. If I have to name a few of the ones I remember I could say that I like the stuff of Gehard Demetz, Henrique Oliveira, Blu, Boris Tellegen, Neo Rauch, Barry McGee, Os Gemeos, Escif, you… I also like older artists like Miquel Blay, Rodin, Goya, Velazquez, Picasso, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Bernini.

One of the things that stands out most about your work is your sense of color. Is that something intuitive, or is it consciously thought out? When I started painting by my own in abandoned areas, I was using recycled colors. All of them were buckets of rotten house paint and I rarely had strong colors; all of them were pastels and grayish tones. When I began to travel for painting, I didn’t have to pay for the paint so I was ordering the most expensive colors, the primary ones, and from that I was mixing. It was so cool to have those strong colors but I realized that it was not reﬂecting myself. Those recycled pastel and de-saturated colors were describing better the way my surroundings are and the situation that we live in. I have the feeling that what we do on the street is really aggressive for the viewer. We are imposing our work to people. If you work with brighter colors you have easily more

attention, but I like the idea that the viewer ﬁnds the piece by himself. Trying to work in tones that are not really far from the surrounding colors, it’s not something that I thought before doing it. I’ve realized that after a while, and I was doing it totally unconsciously. I always get asked if I went to art school or not. I think many younger artists wonder if it’s necessary. Any thoughts on that based on your own experience? I think you can learn everywhere. Nowadays, with such information and video tutorials you can be wherever. I started painting on walls when I was in high school. By then I didn’t have any formal training on art. When I had to decide about going to the university and I saw that painting was more than a hobby for me, I decided to study Fine Arts. The painting department at the University of Barcelona is a bit fucked up – they do everything except painting. You can do video art, performance, whatever,

but when you bring a painting they look at you like you didn’t belong there. I understand new artistic ways, I even like some of them, but when it’s called painting class, it has to be painting.

really balanced. So back to your question, I think that you learn as much as you want to learn. Also, if you have a good teacher that helps a lot, but I actually didn’t have much luck with that.

The ﬁrst year of the Fine Arts program you have to do a bit of everything so that in the second year you can choose “your own way to be an artist.” I decided to try again with the painting department to see if I actually had bad luck with the teachers or if that department was truly a disaster. In my ﬁrst class of the second year, called “Painting II,” the teacher said right at the beginning of the class that taking drugs helped a lot. I never went back to her classes. Instead of doing painting I decided to do a bit of everything else: drawing, etching, silkscreen printing, lithography, wood and stone sculpture. I didn’t get deep into any of them, so I know pretty much nothing about any of them but I know a bit of the process and a little bit of the results you can get. And that helps a lot when you need to get involved in new projects. There are plenty of techniques that give you a whole chart of opportunities. Last year I started doing a wood sculpture and actually those few things I learnt from university helped a bit. But if I have to make balance of the hours I spent there, and the things I learned, I don’t know if it’s

You’ve painted huge murals all over the world. Where have been your favorite places to paint? Where has your work gotten the most appreciation? I normally don’t see much of the city, but if I had to choose a surface, I like the ones in Eastern Europe countries ‘cause the buildings and surroundings are grey. Everything’s grey and any color you put is already something. You also have such interesting surroundings next to your piece… but the food is quite boring. The appreciation of the people from the place of the paintings is hard to see. Most of the times once I ﬁnish the wall I leave the country or city right away… so I don’t know. If you paint in the big “ﬁrst-world cities” people take pictures, publish them on Instagram and it doesn’t go much further. Well, maybe you get a few “followers.” We are used to seeing a lot of stuff a day and seeing one more piece of an artist doesn’t change our day, most of the time. I had the opportunity to go to Madagascar this September and that was a totally different experience. There was not a

single Instagram picture, not even a single normal picture. I’m sure that in places like that, the impact is much bigger in people’s mind than if you paint in any “big city.” Where I was painting there was not a precedent, they had not seen anything related to that before, so for them it must have been shocking to see some ugly guys arrive and paint some weird designs in their village. I know you like to draw and sketch a lot. Any thoughts on the importance of this for you? For me, it’s really important. I don’t draw as much as I would like to but I try to sketch every time I can. If you take a look at my sketchbooks they are really bad, nothing really serious in there but I enjoy ﬁlling them a lot. Do you enjoy creating smaller “gallery” artwork as much as the larger outdoor murals? I actually never had a proper studio since [until] one month ago, so I hope that being in a more comfortable space will help me enjoy more being indoors. Until now I was working in a very small space and I was not really happy when I had to work there. I just started working again on a sculpture. I just love to produce stuff that you can

touch and take a look around it. Last year I made a wood sculpture, but it took a lot of time so now I’m trying to ﬁnd a media that I can go a bit faster and have more fun during the process. Canvas is a problem for me, the artist’s best friend and worst enemy. In my case it is still an enemy. When you paint a wall you are playing around with many things and you are just adding something in the whole area, so you don’t need to do much ‘cause before you painted it the whole building was already something. But when you paint a canvas it has to stand for itself and it needs to have enough strength to be placed anywhere. It stills needs to become a proper object by itself and I am the one responsible for making it happen. Why do you always cover your face up in photos? I want people to take a look at what I do, not how I look. Of course, if you search around you will see my face ‘cause I don’t hide myself when I paint, but I don’t want to appear in pictures every time I have the chance to do it. I don’t feel comfortable becoming the center of attention, so I prefer to stay away in my shitty village, far from Instagram pictures and unfortunately, also far from grafﬁti.

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Interview: Joe Krolick It’s a bird… It’s a plane… No, it’s Super Kurtis! That is what it was like when I ﬁrst saw Kurtis skate about 10 years ago at a contest in Huntington Beach... Superman. That day he put down so many tricks in no time, and a few I hadn’t seen before. The only thing that’s changed is Kurtis is a little older and has more tattoos. Just know that when the session is cracking and he is in the zone it’s a sight to see. With more heart than a little bit, this new family man is a soldier for a cause of choice and a great friend. Don’t get him on your bad side though; he is more bothersome than an invisible mosquito. I am writing this little paragraph on my friend and have not seen anything he has shot, but I know one thing, I can congratulate him early ‘cause he does the damn thing! Props, Kurtis… skateLife ‘til the afterlife! – Felix 2013 (@onefelix) Let’s get the Tattoo questions out of the way. What tattoo did it start with? Well, I went into the tattoo shop the day I turned 18 and got a broken skateboard on my wrist! Reason I

made it broken is because there were plenty of skaters getting skateboards tattooed but I always had a temper as a youngin’ and would always tear my board apart and break it when I couldn’t get certain tricks. So I decided to get mine broken – it just all added up. What got you addicted to them? Since about six or so I would see cats walking around my neighborhood all tatted up. I used to always say, “I’m going to look just like that when I get older!” Soon enough I was 18, had some money and just never stopped. Do you feel that you are instantly judged by other people? I’m deﬁnitely instantly judged by other people (not all). I think it’s funny ‘cause people will give me a bad look or I feel they maybe feel uncomfortable around me but as soon as I either open the door for them or say “please and thank you” and just other kind acts I get that second look like, “Wait, you’re supposed to be mean.” I just smile to myself and keep on just being me.

F.S T-Slide :: Photo: Ortiz

Switch K-Grind :: Photo: Matt Dao Are there any you regret? Everything on my body means something so I can proudly say I am happy with and don’t regret any of my tattoos. Where did you grow up? I started in East Long Beach then moved to Norwalk ‘til I was about 10, then Huntington Beach, then as soon as I was old enough I went back to the LBC and haven’t left yet. I love this place! First skatepark you remember going to? HB Skatepark. I remember watching

the news and hearing they were putting a skatepark outside of a high school. I was so hyped to hear that, then a few years later I moved out there and that’s where it all started. Thank God. I miss that place. Do you skate with the same people as you started with? Well, I have always skated with and been good friend with Joe Krolick, and he’s helped me so much along the way, but I’m hyped to say Scott Kane has been back on his board and we have been hitting the streets as much as possible. It feels so good to have the homie back out here with

Ollie :: Photo: Keith Robertson me. There are days we get the whole crew back out: Bryan Wilson, Scott Christiansen, Nissay Sao, Boston, and John Berry even came out in a ﬁlm mission the other day. So that was rad, and I gotta say those are always some of the best days… with the ones you started with! Do you think growing up in Cali gave you an advantage of getting noticed/ sponsored? It was a blessing being in Cali, and it deﬁnitely gave me an advantage. Especially going to HB Park to practice all the time. Every pro that lived within an hour or so would

F.S Pop Shuv Gap :: Photo: Ortiz

always start out the day at HB Park. That place is what helped me get in the mix. Thanks to Chad Fernandez for taking me under his wing. Got any good Scott Kane stories? It was always fun to skate with Kane. I remember going to spots and we would both want to do the same trick so we would just make a deal that whoever gets it ﬁrst gets to use the trick. That was so much fun. We would be hustlin’ and grinnin’ back and forth with big smiles like, ‘Who’s gonna get it?’ Hahaha, the good old days.

F.S Blunt K-Flip :: Seq. Andrew Dusso Seems like a lot of the kids you came up with seem to have vanished from the skateboarding limelight... Evan Hernandez, Jeremiah Vance, Jason Jones. Do you still talk to any of them? I still talk to Jason Jones. He just had a baby not too long ago. Congrats, homie. He’s still working in the skate industry. Evan (Hernandez) I see here and there and Jeremiah not at all. Wish I could get a sesh in with those guys again in the near future! What made you stick with it? I just have always loved my skateboard and was going

somewhere traveling around the world. I didn’t want to stop that so there was no stopping for me. No matter the injury or any other setback, skateboarding was always my getaway and passion and that will never stop. Was there ever a point that you wanted to quit? Never. Was there ever a point it wasn’t fun for you? I wouldn’t say wasn’t fun, but when I was just skating solo and most my friends stopped it was hard to get

that “homie hype” with no homies there, but I still loved every second of being on my board.

Did you ever have a pro board? I had two pro models that dropped with World Industries.

Do you still fan-out when you see any pro skaters? Wouldn’t say fan-out but deﬁnitely get extra hyped to see Koston, Reynolds, Rowley, Daewon, Kalis, Christian Hosoi, Jay Adams… The legends around.

Rumor had it that you were on DGK. What’s the real story? Yea, that’s what I was told. I got some checks, got some boards, then shit got real shady.

Are you a contest skater? I did well in contests but wouldn’t call myself a contest skater ‘cause it all came from the streets.

Are you cool with Stevie Williams now? Let’s just say I respect his skateboarding but I don’t respect him as a person. You dropped a life hammer about a year ago (having Kruz). How

F.S T Slide Big Spin H-Flip :: Seq: Andrew Dusso

F.S Blunt :: Photo: Ortiz

has your life changed? It was actually 2 1/2 years ago, and yes it changed it for the better. Having Kruz was the most amazing thing to ever happen to me! I love Kruz like no other, and watching him grow is the most amazing thing in the world! Teaching him all these sports and watching him progress is just priceless. Has it changed your outlook on life? Having Kruz deﬁnitely changed my outlook on life. It’s not about me anymore; everything I do is for Kruz. I do my best to take care and provide for him. I just try to be the best possible father I can be. How about your outlook on skating? Well, being a single parent I have responsibilities to take care of him half the week, which is a blessing and the most fun ever. So, I’m just dad that half. Then, the other half I’m back to skate mode. And having Kruz pushes me to try stuff no matter what, knowing I have to because what

B.S T-Slide :: Photo: Matt Dao I do in the streets is only going to give my son a better life. Do you still party? No. If the 29-year-old Kurtis could tell the 17-year-old Kurtis one thing, what would it be? You got a fun life ahead of you kid, live it up! Sponsors: Mophie, Common Knowledge Apparel, Diamond Supply, Furnace Skate Shop, Blessed Individuals, Team BK, Mob Grip Tape, Kontrol Wheels, and Munitio Head Phones.

Words & Photos: Peter King

Nathan Florence

Mason & Coco Ho

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“The North Shore is Disneyland for surfers. So many fun moments this season. When it’s been small it’s been loose and lovely. When it’s been big it’s been clean and smooth. Can’t think of a better way to spend the days than clicking away!”

John John Florence

Herbie Fletcher

Curren Caples & Greyson Fletcher

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Curren Caples

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Kelly Slater

Nathan Fletcher

CJ Hobgood

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Greyson Fletcher

Mason Ho

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Sullivan otos: Sean Words & Ph

The night was dark, darker than anything I have ever seen. When the generator roared to life and the lights ﬁred up, the scene I saw in front of me was madness. Bamboo trees shuddered violently as the storm grew stronger, the smell of mud, wet concrete and melting snow was thick, and raindrops the size of golf balls fell with the force of an attacking army. Dylan Thompson wrung a gallon of water out of one of his mittens, Nick Pooch leaned into the rain as he pulled the winch line back up the stairs, and Cole Taylor was ﬁghting what looked like a losing battle with an umbrella that the wind was trying to rip from his hands. “Shaaaa yooooo camaaaaa,” was all I heard. Andrew Brewer was standing next to me, and even though he was screaming at the top of his lungs, his cry of ‘Sean, your camera!” was carried away by the monsoon-force winds, and I looked over in horror as my tripod, with my camera on top of it, and the 25 lbs. of weight stabilizing it, was knocked over by the wind like it was a piece of paper. It was nearly two in the morning, our guides were back in our warm hotel, and the Technine crew was in full battle mode at a spot we had been kicked out of twice, in the middle of a fullon monsoon, all the while the wind carrying away our curses and our laughter. I know I wasn’t the only one thinking to myself, “How did we get here and how badly do we want this shot?”

Two weeks earlier the call was made that the street season was pretty much done in North America, but Masaki Toda and Reo Takahashi had spoken with Cole Taylor and mentioned that that obscure city on the far reaches of Japan’s main island had received record snowfall for the season, and that if we hustled, we could get a week or two of good riding in before the spring rains started. We arrived at Tokyo-Narita International airport at 9 p.m. and were greeted by a cold drizzle. Our guides were Kyo Kaji and Japanese Technine rider Masaki Toda. They tell us not to worry, and that after our 10- to 12-hour van ride north to Aomori, that the weather will be colder and that there was still plenty of snow. Aomori is the northernmost city on the main island of Japan, and people have been living here for almost 5,000 years before the birth of Christ. With a modern population of over 300,000 people, it’s a bustling area with universities, art museums, highrise buildings, bullet-train service, a busy port for shipping and fishing, and is surrounded by farmlands and mountains. At that point though, all we knew and cared about was that the city averages almost 300 inches of snow per winter. We slept as best we could and pulled into Aomori just as the sun began to rise. Everybody was fairly exhausted, but a city like this, unravaged by other films crews, had us excited. We skipped checking in to our hotel, opting instead to split the vans up and spend the morning and afternoon scoping. By 3 p.m. we had a good idea of what we wanted to hit for the week and all met back up at our first feature. Aomori has an

amazing art museum, and outside of it, in its park, was one of the craziest features we had ever seen – massive cement blocks shuffled like playing cards lined a pathway, over which was a bridge with perfect rails that offered up four different rail-toredirect possibilities. It was actually the first spot we came across when we pulled into town. While we pulled our shovels out of the van and tied our boots on, we saw a curious sight:15 meters from the rail to bank we wanted to hit, it looked like somebody was pulling a bungee and passing it to... a snowboarder? WHAT!? We finished gearing up and walked over and it turns out that after nearly two days of travelling, that we have ended up sharing our first zone with Frank April, Will Lavigne, Anto Chamberland and the Déjà Vu film crew. They had a sick air-to-bank setup, but unfortunately it had already attracted the attention of the museum security. With no guides, their attempts at sign language and French were going nowhere with the guard who spoke zero English and was threating to get kick them out as well as close off the whole zone before we even got a crack at it. Kyo Kaji stepped up the plate and helped me bypass security and get a meeting with the head honcho at the museum, and he translated every excuse I could throw at them, which worked. We were granted an evening session and morning session for both crews. Unfortunately, the museum boss thought we were doing something similar to the Déjà Vu guys and as soon as they saw Dylan hit our feature the first time he immediately changed his mind, but by then Brewer was dropping in and it was too late to stop the session. The riders were just as stoked as Cole and I; it was a rail to a huge, steep concrete bank that was coming out of the rail at a 45-degree angle. We did what we could with the last of the daylight and then packed it in for the night, ready to return at dawn to finish what we started.

The next morning we rolled up and before we could even get the snowboards out of the van, security was on us and was super pissed off. They fully gave us the boot and withdrew the permission they had given us, so it was off to the next spot. Dylan had found a heavy down-rail closeout coming out of some bleachers at the sports park near the museum and handled it second try, and then got a 180 out of it first try. It was nice that he smashed it so quick because a gigantic body builder type guy came out of the building super pissed off, kicked us out instantly, and looked about ready to kill anybody who lipped off to him. We went up to the local college for the rest of the day where Brewer and Masaki sessioned a heavy quadruple kink ledge, and Pooch and Dylan set up a crazy flat-ledge that gapped out to a downledge right next to it. This spot also turned into a bust and we got kicked out before Pooch or Dylan could get anything solid on it. By now we had been kicked out of every spot we set up and had gotten super lucky to squeeze shots out of each feature. We wanted to change our luck so we did some scoping further out of the city, and Pooch Kyo and myself found ourselves up at a reservoir, high above town, that had some serious possibilities. We made our way up there the next day, and up on the back of the damn we set up a knobbed aluminum flat bar that dropped into a massive and rough concrete bank that Dylan effortlessly got 180 on 180 off. Later in the day he did the same thing with a cab 3. Reo Takahashi had joined us a few days earlier and did an

Masaki Toda insane boardslide to hop-over to surf slash on the concrete bank and was backed up by Maskai Toda, who took a really heavy fall but went back up and did boardslide, hop, boardslide on the sticky aluminum before bombing down the bank. Considering all the kickouts we had gotten in the days before it was crazy to me that we had the zone to ourselves all day. After we wrapped up that session, Pooch led us over to the biggest concrete bank I’ve ever seen in my life, where he had set a lip into the snow about 15 feet above it and immediately went up and did a cab 180 into it, and then a stalefish and a few indy grabs for good measure. Watching Pooch stomp the thing four times in a row was a good way to end our first day of not getting kicked out of every spot. We ended that good day with a huge dinner of udon noodles, which was one of my favorite meals of the trip. When you think of Japan, so many different things come to mind that it’s almost a little overwhelming. The same can be said about the food; even the 7-Elevens boast more variety than you could ever find in the states, and our twice-daily visits were where we got to soak up most of the culture on our trip. It’s not that we don’t like doing the tourist thing but we came out there to finish video parts and do a feature story, so we were out of the hotel at 6 a.m. every day and returning around midnight, every single day of the trip. That left little time for being tourists, but we did manage to visit the 21-meter-tall Showa Daibutsu, which is the biggest Buddha in Japan and is located on some beautiful temple grounds. This visit was super important to Cole, Dylan, Reo, Masaki, and Kyo because on the last T9 trip to Japan they were there when the earthquake and tsunami struck. While they were safe, high in the mountains, thousands of people closer to the coast had lost their lives. The crew said prayers and thanked the gods for the crew’s safety on the last trip and on this one, and prayed for those whose lives were forever changed by the earthquake.

We started getting warmer and warmer weather, so we decided to push higher inland into the mountains to a new town, which ironically was warmer and had less snow than the zone we had left. Everybody was super tired and since there was absolutely no snow in town, Brewer and I decided to go out and see what kind of nightlife the place had to offer. There’s something beautiful about going from one karaoke bar to another on a rainy night in some random Japanese city, and it’s even better when you don’t even know the name of the city or where you are. At one bar a classic child molestertype took a liking to Brewer, and as he swayed in his barstool and stared intently at Brewer thru his purpletinted molester sunglasses, I knew Brewer was about to break his first Japanese heart. While the drunken and slutty barkeeper and I sung karaoke, the molester made his move on Brewer while in the bathroom and tried to grab his dick and make out with him at the same time. A frantic Brewer was soon pulling me out of the bar and into the rain, and the hangover the next morning was world-class. We set out in the vans early, determined to do a little recon in our new zone. We soon found ourselves in thousand-year-old rice paddies, riddled with fog and holding tiny bits of snow on the north facing dykes. No shredding here, but perfect scenery for a hangover. Miles from anywhere, we came across a lone figure walking down the foggy road and we stopped to have a chat. It was a local woman, over 90 years in age and four feet tall at the most. She told us that she takes her walk along that road every day and that we were crazy for trying to snowboard, but she got a kick out of our gear and told us to stay safe and to get moving! Ha, hangover cured! We busted back to Aomori to poke around a few of the places that still had snow and discovered one of the coolest features of the trip. It was a crazy outflow structure on a dam for a reservoir near the airport and it offered up a huge gap with a less

Brewer & Andrew than steep landing that Dylan and Pooch tore into immediately. Pooch laid down switch back 180s and frontside 360s with trademark style, and almost got a front 7. Dylan put down some cab 5s, and then went into one-foot mode, sending some of the biggest onefooted indy grabs any of us has ever seen. He was on the verge of landing it when sirens started blazing and a security vehicle with a mega phone drove up super fast. The diver was screaming something about calling the cops and our guides recommended falling out immediately. Dylan however was determined to get his trick and he got 3 or 4 more hits in while the rest of us contemplated spending a night in the Japanese jail. Finally, he sent one and sloppily rode away, so we

Reo Takahashi bailed, just before the cops arrived. Upon reviewing the footage, he thought his landing was too sloppy to use in his video part… so heartbreak hotel. The photo was unusable as well. This was not just any photo either, it was the cherry on the cake, and to delete it didn’t feel good, but that’s part of the game and we were still beating the house. By this point we were all exhausted. There was not a single moment of sleeping in or just cruising. We had been on the grind forever, and nine Andrew Brewer

Dylan Thompson

out of ten spots ended with kickouts and near arrests but we couldn’t stop. We had gotten into the zone and nothing was stopping anybody, so when Dylan wanted to go back to his ﬂat-ledge gap to down-ledge, we were all down. Out of nowhere a storm rolled in and probably dropped over an inch of rain per hour as the wind threatened to rip trees out of the ground. Dylan gave it his best effort, but this time it was the weather that was kicking us out. The storm was so ﬁerce that no security was bothering doing patrols, and two hours into

Nick Pooch

the session we called it quits. It was a harsh moment admitting defeat, but sometimes you have to deal with the cards you are dealt, and the hot pastries and snacks at the 7-Eleven on the way back to the hotel never tasted so good. So many kickouts and sessions ended halfway would have discouraged us big time, but the features were the sickest we had ever seen so nothing was going to stop us from working harder than we ever had worked before. The T9 boys are known for

going above and beyond the call of duty, but this work ethic was something I had never witnessed. Considering our luck with kickouts, I had started to grow a little skeptical at even the mellowest of spots, but Cole Taylor has the most contagious energy and with him on our side anything was possible. The next spot we hit was an absolute miracle. We found a perfectly sized and perfectly smooth bank, but to get to it you had to jump a fence surrounded by surveillance cameras and with sharp spikes on top. And the drop-in was on top of a tunnel exit for

Dylan Thompson a bullet train. Yes, a bullet train. Every 30 minutes a train would come flying out of the tunnel, at approximately 130 miles per hour, and I was sure this would be the feature to get us the full cultural experience in Japan, A.K.A. a free trip to jail. We sessioned the zone for hours, everybody got shots, and believe it or not, we didn’t even get kicked out. It seems like maybe our prayers to the Big Buddha had worked. A final noteworthy spot was a sick down-rail we found while on our way home from the dam-gap session. It came out of a small and beautiful Japanese temple, and the landing was directly in the middle of the busiest road in town, the road to the airport. Knowing our kickout history on this trip we were sure the combo of the temple and highway landing would make this session a quick one, so we laughed like madmen while we shoveled, contemplating the early morning session that we had planned for it. We arrived early, and got to work, every two minutes or so there was a break in traffic that allowed just enough time for a rider to get a hit. And in between hits, Cole and I threw shovelfuls of snow into traffic, fighting a loosing battle to keep the landing fresh for the dudes. Traffic was flying, some drivers slowed down

for the random patch of snow in the highway and others sped up, smashing our landing and sending chunks of debris flying in our faces. Every so often a semi-truck would come through and put some insanely deep ruts in the landing, which were impossible to repair. Pooch ended up getting a pretty sick trick and Dylan kept at it for his. Three hours after the session started the cops finally showed up but didn’t really seem bothered. It was a crazy moment where they let Dylan ride for another 20 minutes, but eventually some other cops showed up and ended our fun. I’ve never been on a trip like this or seen a crew work so hard to do their thing. Melting snow, kickouts left and right, rainstorms, 6 a.m. hotel departures every day… Dylan Thompson led the gang like a true boss, figuring that the only way to beat the jet lag was by staying ahead of it, waking up early and working hard all day. There’s something to be said about crews and trips like that, where every day is a battle full of shoveling, coffee, and rushing from spot to spot. But those trips are often the most productive, and looking back at a whirlwind mission like that, from the comfort of my couch in the middle of summer, I cant wait to go back and get kicked out of 20 more spots.

Rider: Jesse Merle-Jones Photo: Joe Foster

l w o b e h t in e f li e iv L

www.banzaibowls.com

Words: Darren Brilhart :: Photos: Grant Ellis // Kelly Slater, showing us one eye and one trophy, because he’s number one // John John looking sharp and taking home the hardware // Mick Fanning all smiles with a third place // Fourth place finisher Julian Wilson – Australia’s golden child all grown up // Congrats to Dane for “surviving the massacre,” and finishing fifth in the poll // Joel Parkinson with a stylish seventh place finish // Taj, still one of the world’s best after all these years, taking home the number eight spot // Young Brazilian Gabriel Medina came in ninth // Lyndie and Bruce Irons accepted Andy Irons’ tenth place finish // Shawn Dollar, two-time big-wave world record holder and recipient of the Heavy Water award // GoPro Hero award winner and all-around legend Mike Coots // Dustin Barca and the Hawaii Seed ‘Ohana ‘O Kaua’i crew deservedly won the Agent of Change award // Congrats Alana Blanchard on the top spot for the women

On the eve of December 6th, just days before the Pipe Masters started, the Turtle Bay Resort was the place to be. The packed house played host to the best surfers on the planet, beautiful women, Hawaiian aloha and just about everyone in the surf industry was on hand enjoying the evening. This was my ﬁrst time attending the Polls since the big move to Hawaii, and there is no better place to be than the North Shore. The warm night and big smiles set the mood for the engagement, and the excitement was so thick that you could literally feel it in the air. Surﬁng’s biggest night was hosted once again by Hawaii’s own Freddy Patacchia and everyone’s pal, Sal Masekela. They were on-point as usual and kept everyone entertained throughout the entire night. It’s usually no surprise when Kelly Slater wins, and this made it number

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19 for him, but the room thought that maybe, just maybe, John John might dethrone the long-lived king. That didn’t happen, but there’s always next year. The big surprise of the night was Alana Blanchard taking top honors for the girls, once again proving the power of social media gets more votes than winning world titles. Highlights of the event include Andy Irons keeping his presence in the top ten, Dane Reynolds’ speech being even better than last year’s, the touching Buttons tribute and Dustin Barca’s ‘Ohana ‘O Kaua’i team receiving the Agent of Change award. The ceremony commenced, drinks were downed and all those who weren’t cracking it early the next morning celebrated the night away. It was a special event and I was stoked to have witnessed it ﬁrst-hand. ‘Til next year, aloha!

RI LEY HAWK Crook po p over / San D i ego, CA. / PH OTO:RH OAD ES WWW.ACTIVERI D ESH O P.COM

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Words: Liz Wachs :: Photos Willie T. // Casey Eklips Zoltan, Sear AWR, Pasquale Rotella & Holly Madison // The crowd // Saber AWR MSK & Shiver AWR // El Mac, Phable & Big Country // Slick signing for the fans // TSL’s EmJay & friend // Huero & his better half // TSL supporters // Grafﬁti legend Seen

On Saturday December 7th, over 1,000 fans and industry insiders came out to celebrate The Seventh Letter’s flagship store and gallery opening. Featuring over 150 of the top graffiti/street artists and photographers in the world, the lineup included Shepard Fairey, Retna, Eric Haze, Risk, Revok, George Thompson, Saber, Sage Vaughn, Mr. Cartoon, PM Tenore, Dabs Myla, El Mac, Pose, KR, Keegan Gibbs, Push and many more. Limited-edition, one-night only exclusive brand collaborations with the likes of The Hundreds, Rook, Us Versus Them, Frank151, RVCA and Dissizit were for sale. The lines of fans snaked around the block, creating a mob scene that was cut short when the cops and fire marshal showed up to shut the house down. Thank you for all of you that came out to support. If you were unlucky enough to miss out on the chaos and/or missed the opening viewing of the original pieces by your favorite artists, the gallery is now open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the new Los Angeles location in the Fairfax district.

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Words: Jared King :: Photos: Jared King & Chris Martinez // Tom O’Relly, kinky-frontboard // Open Division 1st thru 5th // Eric Thomas: Gap-out backlip // Buzz: Method disaster // Jed Sky: Lip-locked // Unknown ripper: Tire bonker // 16-21 year-old Division 1st thru 5th // Jared McDaniel: Switch Nosepress

This season’s venue consisted of all types of rail features, putting the “rail” back in rail jam. The Unbound Terrain Park crew laid down an elbowed flat down lift tower in Zone 1. Zone 2 was the fan favorite down-flat round rail with stairs, and Zone 3 boasted a flat-round tube with a truck-tire closeout. Competitors studied the features as they ran hands and boards across the frosty morning steel gathering internal inspiration for the day that lay ahead. The 15 & Under competitors lit things off and exploded through the zones like a M80 firecracker. New Zealand’s Sam Christie slayed the three-headed rail dragon and took home the win, Dray Gardener got the second-place nod, and 12-year-old Judd Henkes wrapped up the top three for the day. The 16-21 Division was up top and ready for the “tusk” at hand. Riders got technical as the perspective of what was possible opened even further. Style was key to get on the podium,

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and Tom O’ Relly was king standing in first place. Jed Sky took home second and Finn Westbury landed in third for his efforts. The Women’s Open Division is always a great time to stand up and watch. The effort it takes and the skills possessed are truly remarkable. Mariah Dugan proved to reign supreme once again and took the top honors. Jenise Spiteri showed her skills along the way for a sound second-place finish, while Jene Dietz established herself in third. The Men’s Open Division concluded the day with a performance that had everyone cheering from start to finish. It was anyone’s ballgame but in the end Mike Gray took home first along with $250 cash, Will Ermish ran away with second and $150, and Eric Royce took home $100 and placed third in this highly contested division. Electric’s “Gooeyest Moves of the Day” awards went to Tessa Maud and Eric Thomas. This was just stop #1 on Volcom Stone’s Peanut Butter & Rail Jam tour, so click on over to snow.volcom. com and see when the tour’s invading your local mountain today.

Words & Photos: Joe Alani // Joe Alani, Thunderfoot & Matt “Kingpin” King // Cheeseburger & fans // Under the mistletoe // Brunette or blonde, you choose // Bobby Okvist robbing the cradle // Tunnel Vision // Don’t Care crew // We’re here to party Who doesn’t love a good ol’ house party? Let’s be honest, one of the main reasons we go out on weekends is to get loose and meet people of the opposite sex. Why spend all that money at the bar when you can get booze for free at someone else’s house? And if you’re really lucky, they might have live entertainment and surf videos playing. And if you’re too drunk to drive, you can try convincing the homeowner to let you crash on the couch. So to celebrate the DVD release of …Lost Enterprises’ series “Here Today… Gone To Cabo” they threw a mega house party at an undisclosed location in Costa Mesa. Complete with live living room performances from San Clemente bands Tunnel Vision and Animal Style. There weren’t any five-dollar drink specials or wristbands, but there was plenty of free beer (Pacifico, of course), good times to go around and couches to crash on. If you were there, then you know it was a hell of a time, and if you weren’t… well, these photos will have to suffice.

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Interview & Photos: Max Ritter

The coolest kids in school right here! I wouldn’t call them kids, though. This is Cherry Glazerr from LA, fronted by the talented Clementine Creevy. They have jams for days and do it with style. We highly recommend you check out their new album Haxel Princess, out this month on Burger Records. Here is our chat with Clem Butt: Your new record is done – exciting stuff. What kind of direction were you pushing for with this? From what I have heard it sounds a little more dark and up tempo, yeah? Yeah, I think it was more of a collaborative album in a way, whereas Papa Cremp was pretty much my demos that took not so long to record. There are four new songs on it and a bunch of re-recorded songs. It’s faster tempo. It’s a little punk-ier. In terms of song structure I think I’ve really grown. Lyrically, it’s not Grilled Cheese surface level; it’s a little deeper and heavier. Where did you guys record this? We recorded it at our sort of mentor/producer/manager’s studio in Eagle Rock. It was awesome. He is amazing. He has recorded all of our songs so far. He totally knows our sound and he’s really rad. He’s like our older brother. He’s our musical

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guide and guru pretty much. Who is this Wizard? His name is Joel Jerome. He has a band called Babies On Acid. They play around all the time in LA and he is awesome. The album cover is great, I really like that photo. Who is that kid and what is the story behind that? That is our friend Issac. I had this image of him eating a taco without his shirt on. I thought it would be really funny and I sort of wanted it to be editorial like. Hannah’s family friend is a photographer and she took the photo. We wanted it to be recognizable, sort of like Radiohead’s In Rainbows cover, where you just see it and know that is a Radiohead album. What is funny is I didn’t actually send our label a high enough resolution photo so the physical album cover is actually kind of low-res. I wanted it to be more high res but that was kind of my fault (laughs). You are a pretty all-around creative type; I know you also came up with the video treatment that Jamie Heinrich shot for the ﬁrst single, “White’s Not My Color This Evening.” How does all this stuff come to you? I guess like most artists it just kind of comes to me naturally. I have been writing since I was a little kid. I’ve always wanted

to make a good music video and I knew Jamie would make an awesome video. We raised the money on Kickstarter and it came out great. I wanted it to look clean and nice and Jamie did a great job. It looks so good! One of the things I really like about your band the few times I have met you is how mature you guys are for your age. Everyone talks about how young you guys are, and I have to say it’s a little bit deceiving. When I met you guys I felt like you were more mature than I am, and I am 30. Where do you get that? We’ve been getting that ever since we started. I have always been surrounded by people that are older than me, and a lot of my friends are much older than me. Sean (bass) is in his twenties. People who do writeups just sort of label us as this young band, which can be frustrating because it feels like sometimes people don’t take us seriously. Sometimes I feel like people use it as justiﬁcation if they don’t like our music. Sort of like, “Well they are pretty good for a bunch of teenage kids.” It’s like, hey, if you don’t like the music just say you don’t like it. We don’t care. I would prefer that much more than trying to come up with an excuse because we are young. I want to be treated like every

other band. We just played with Redd Kross and they are like 50. Looking forward to this year, what do you guys have planned? We are signing with this label called Autumn Tone. They have some good bands on the label like The Orwells and Twin Peaks. They are rad guys and I think we are going to make a really solid album with them. It will probably come out sometime this year. How does touring work when you are 17 and still in high school? We desperately want to go on a US tour. It’s hard with school. We have the summertime. That is three months and we can do a solid US tour in less than two. It’s kind of a question right now with what’s going to happen because there is the college option. I am doing ok in school right now so I have choices, but I would absolutely rather just play music. But, you know, I think education is important and I want to have a back-up plan. I want to go to Occidental, which is a liberal arts school in LA. I could do the band and be in school at the same time. That’s a wrap. Thanks Clem for dropping knowledge on us old geezers! You heard it kids, stay in school and be cool. Check out Cherry Glazerr’s new album Haxel Princess.

Photo

CALIFORNIA stockist

Thee Men’s Warehouse Live Review & Photo: Max Ritter November 14th, 2013 Anaheim, CA

There is a shortage of small venues around for kids to see and play music, and it’s awesome when new spaces to play and create come to fruition. Case in point, Anaheim’s creative space/venue/label/studio Thee Men’s Warehouse. BK, NY punkers So So Glos were really pumped on this little operation and gladly laid down a fun set before splitting back to the East Coast. The band founded and runs their own DIY shtick in BK called Shea Stadium, and they are always creating awareness and campaigning for the cause. They have a new record out called Blowout. Check it out and make sure to support your local scene, kids!

Reviews: Max Ritter

Night Sun No Pressure b/w On My Way 7” Burger Records

Various Artists I Need You Bad Polyvinyl Records

Natural Child/Guantanamo Baywatch Surf N Turf Split 7” Suicide Squeeze Records

Curtis Harding, Cole Alexander (Black Lips), and Danny Lee Blackwell (Night Beats) have debuted their ﬁrst single from their new collaboration together entitled Night Sun. Just three friends channeling their inner love for gospel in the garage. They made a nice little baby. Check ‘em!

Can’t go wrong with this really great compilation of SF, OR, LA based bands curated by the scene’s country club president Sonny Smith with artwork by Shannon Shaw of Shannon and The Clams. It comes on slime green vinyl and features some bands you’ve heard and some you probably haven’t but they are all good! It’s a play-through! Happy New Year!

Various Artists Burger Tribute To VU’s White Light/ White Heat Universal/Burger

Natural Child from Nashville, TN, and Guantanamo Baywatch from Portland, OR, sold out this limited seven in a hurry. If you can ﬁnd one you’re in luck because these three twangy stompers are the jam! The Child’s tune is a little more country and Baywatch’s tune is a little more surf-y. Both are grimey and most importantly bitching.

Last year marked the 45th anniversary of The Velvet Underground’s record collection staple White Light White Heat, and late October unfortunately marked the passing of its legendary writer Lou Reed. He went ﬁttingly on a Sunday Morning. I think? RIP Lou. The good folks and bands at Burger Records, in collaboration with Universal Music (also known as the devil), have amassed a tribute album in Lou’s honor.

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S C O T T

B L U M

S Y N C R A T I C

V E S T A L W A T C H . C O M

DEC.20 DEC.21 DEC.28 DEC.30 DEC.31 Jan.04 JAN.10 JAN.11 JAN.17 JAN.18 JAN.24.25 FEB.01 FEB.07 FEB.14.15 FEB.22 MAR.07 MAR.08 MAR.28.29 APR.04 APR.11.12 APR.18.19 APR.25.26

MNDR Kitten Kiev Bobby French Gatsby NYE 2014 w/ RAC + Fmlybnd Those Darlins FILTER First Friday w/ Bleached White Arrows Grand Prix Weekend w/ Z-Trip + Brillz Grand Prix Weekend w/ Danny Brown AWOL Snow K Flay FILTER First Friday w/ Fidlar Underground Presidents Weekend The Weeks FILTER First Friday w/ Deap Vally Dirty Ghosts Outlaw Snowdown Cayucas DJ Twist Duffle Bag Divas Grenade Games

Tickets available at MammothMounta MammothMountain.com/Underground For VIP reservations email: Underground Undergroun @mammoth-mtn.com 6201 Minaret Road 路 Suite 153 路 Mammoth Lakes, CA 760路934路0707 + @undergroundmammoth UndergroundLoungeMammoth

Fresh Juice t Smoothies

Acai t PorroVita Cleanse

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BOOM! WINTER IS BLOWING UP IN MAMMOTH

DON’T MISS THE FAINT AT CANYON LODGE ON JAN 18.

INFO AT:

800.MAMMOTH MAMMOTHMOUNTAIN.COM FACILITIES UNDER PERMIT FROM INYO NATIONAL FOREST.

HELP US CELEBRATE THE OFFICIAL NAMING OF THE U.S. SNOWBOARD TEAM IN HALFPIPE AND SLOPESTYLE. Final Qualifier and Olympic Team Naming Sprint U.S. Grand Prix, January 16-19, 2014.

Photo: Jason Kenworthy

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