BL!SSS Magazine | January 2015 | #89

T H E

B A L A N C E

ELLIS ERICSON

O F

O P P O S I T E S

MAKUA ROTHMAN

FOREIGN

DOMESTIC

SUMMER

WINTER

YIN

YA NG

RVCA.COM

F E AT URED A R TIS T

BENJAMIN JEANJEAN The RVCA Artist Network Program is an ongoing venture which aims to showcase the talent of accomplished as well as emerging artists who inspire our generation and push the boundaries of creativity; providing something of substance and culture.

MAKUA ROTHMAN NORTH SHORE

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Creators & Innovators

Skeleton Coast Boardshort

Eric Geiselman

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Our Upcycled Coconut Stretch Board Shorts are made with yarns upcycled from coconuts. Upcycling is the process of converting useless products into new garments. This allows us to create performance garments with faster dry times and UV protection while reducing the amount of coconut husk waste in landfills.

DANE REYNOLDS

GHETTO YOKE BOARDSHORT

CONVERSE CONS KA3

• LUNARLON SOCKLINER • CONS TRACTION RUBBER • GUSSETED TONGUE

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RANDOMS PRODUCT REVIEW ERICA ELAN CIGANEK ODDLY HEAD ONUR DIRTY GIRLS MICHAEL MURPHY INTI - MURAL OF THE MONTH CATALYST - SHOP OF THE MONTH

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INSTAGRAM SUPER TASTE JOHN JOHN FLORENCE GREYSON FLETCHER KEEGAN VALAIKA RONE MIKE COOTS OMAR HASSAN ART BASEL ELLIS ERICSON SUPER TASTY RIVAGES

80. MASON HO 82. TERJE HAAKONSEN 84. PAT GRAHAM 86. DUSTY PAYNE 88. COLLIN PROVOST 90. JACK ROBINSON 92. BLAKE PAUL 94. NOA DEANE 96. SUPER TASTIEST 100. EDDIE AIKAU OPENING CEREMONY 102. SURFER POLL AWARDS 104. VOLANIC ROCKOUT

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SWIMM - CUBE SHOW CUTLASS GRAND OPENING HIDEOUT REVIEWS GROMS

Artist: RONE

F E AT URED A R TIS T

MICHELLE BLADE The RVCA Artist Network Program is an ongoing venture which aims to showcase the talent of accomplished as well as emerging artists who inspire our generation and push the boundaries of creativity; providing something of substance and culture.

RVCA.COM

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Editor-in-Chief nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com

Editor joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com

Creative DirectoR 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

adver ti sing 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, Joe Foster, Sean Sullivan, Delon Isaacs

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 2015

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.

artIST: RONE

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THE GROOVE-ARNETTE Here’s a new frame the crew at Arnette just sent us called The Groove. A throwback to groovier times, The Groove is a modern classic created to make a statement. Its unique lines and sculptural design give it a one-of-a-kind look and make it standout amongst the many shades out there. Aside from grabbing the best of yesteryear’s style, The Groove boasts slim temples with pressure-reducing D.O.T. tips that make it an ultra comfortable shade for all-day wear. With plenty of colorways to satisfy all tastes, this is a shade for everyone. Head to your local shop to grab a pair or visit arnette.com.

NOW COLLECTION GABRIEL MEDINA WORLD CHAMP There’s no denying this young Brazilian. From the first event at Snapper Rocks all the way through to Pipe it was his year, and 20-year-old Gabriel Medina is now dawning the crown of World Champion for his efforts in the 2014 World Tour season. Gabriel is truly a freak of nature and showed composure and strength well beyond his years in ousting his fellow competitors and securing Brazil’s first surfing world title this past month. With only one other 20-year-old having won the title, Kelly Slater, Medina will be a force to be reckoned with on tour for years to come. A huge congrats goes out to Gabriel on a well-deserved ending to an unbelievable year.

QUIK NEWS There’s been a lot of news coming straight out of Hawaii revolving around team Quiksilver.

First off, did anyone see Tommy Carroll’s wining performance in the Pipeline Heritage Event? He blew everyone out of the water and looked just as sharp in the pumping Pipe conditions as he did when he was crowned Pipe Masters champ in ‘91. Then, there was Travis Logie surfing in his final heat at Pipe as a World Tour competitor. His retirement is well deserved after being a tour dark horse for all of those years and we wish him well. Two guys taking his place on the next year’s tour are Quik’s Wiggolly Dantas and Matt Banting. Make sure to keep an eye out for the two, as they’ll definitely be threats at any stop. And last but very not least, our favorite tube maestro Reef McIntosh, a.k.a. La Reefa, took out everyone in winning the Pipe trials. Congrats to Reef, the rest of the previously mentioned fellas and Quiksilver for having some insanely talented team riders.

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Ezekiel is coming out with a collection in 2015 entitled NOW. The NOW Collection is 12 pieces of fashion loungewear featuring ultra-soft fabrics and comfortable silhouettes. Think of putting yourself in the most comfortable clothing possible without compromising style one bit. A percentage of the sales for this collection will be donated to Life Rolls On, a foundation that Ezekiel and Brand Manager Danny Kurtzman have worked closely with over the years. The great cause this collection stands for is a perfect example of Ezekiel’s motto “All We Have Is Now,” showing young adults faced with physical limitations that life has infinite possibilities. The main goal of the collection is to grow further support for Life Rolls On by raising funds to throw more events and spread this positive message in the process. For more info, visit liferollson. org or ezekielusa.com, and make sure to keep an eye out for the NOW collection to be hitting stores in Fall of 2015.

NIKE SB BLAZER LOW GT Here’s a shoe that caught our eyes and is well worth wearing in the New Year.

Grant Taylor’s new signature shoe from Nike is what we’re fixated on, the Nike SB Blazer Low GT. The Blazer Low GT carries that ‘70s hoops classic look to it with a clean finish and unrivaled board feel. Plus, with all of the Nike Zoom tech and vulcanized construction support you’ll have low-profile impact protection and durable flexibility ensuring you with a reliable yet stylish looking shoe. What more could you ask for? Visit your local shop to get these new kicks on your feet or head to nike.com/ skateboarding today.

CONVERSE CONS KA3 The Converse Cons series is consistently popping out fresh new kicks for all of us to slip in to. We caught a glimpse of Kenny Anderson’s third signature Converse Cons sneaker that’s releasing this month, and we must admit they’re looking mighty fine. The KA3 is all you need in a shoe with the perfect blend of style, comfort, durability and simplicity wrapped into one. The first step to start the year off right is to get yourself a solid pair of sneakers, and the KA3’s are what we’re recommending to start off the New Year with a clean slate. Head to converse.com for more info or check your local shop on January 15th for the release of the KA3.

GREENNIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Danny Kass and the boys from Grenade sure know how to have a good time. Actually that’s an understatement, they’re experts at having a raging time! This past holiday season they had their annual Grenightmare Before Christmas Party in New York City and it was an all night bash.

The Misfits shook the house so hard that we’re not sure if Santa was able to make his way down the chimney this year. Long time friend and BL!SSS contributor Geoff Shively was on hand to snap some shots and capture all the debauchery, which seemed to be levels above any other holiday party that we’ve ever seen. For more info on the night, to find out about future Grenade events or just to kill a few minutes of your workday head on over to grenade.com.

DEPACTUS ANNOUNCEMENT By now you’ve seen and heard a lot on the launch of the new company Depactus. Depactus is founded on the basis of facilitating the extraordinary pursuits of man on land and in the water. With a team roster including Ry Craike, Mark Healey, Chris Christenson and Matt Meola, they’re pretty much some of the most exciting ambassadors you could have, and it’s going to be very fun to sit back and watch as the brand grows and their pursuits are chronicled. We’ve gotten a sneak peak into what Depactus is pumping out product-wise, and they’re crafting some of the best looking, most technical boardshorts, outerwear, apparel, bags and accessories we’ve ever seen. Their gear will hit shops and be available online this February, so mark your calendars. Be sure to keep up with all of the Depactus team’s #extraordinarypursuits via depactus.com for all of their crazy antics taking place where the land meets the sea.

PORT X WONDERLAND This is what happens when two of SoCal’s favorite brands join forces to create something amazing. For those of you who don’t know, Port is a standout retail space in Long Beach and Wonderland has been producing premium shades for a few years now. All these dudes have been friends since day one and we were wondering when they were gonna team up and create something unique for us all to enjoy. Well, that day has come and you can now have the Port and Wonderland logos adorn your face at the same time. It was legendary Kiyoshi Kawai who hand-painted the Port “ Minato” figure that is embossed on the inner arm of the sunglasses. These things are limited edition and in high demand so head on over to Port in Long Beach or order them online at wonderlandsun.com or portlbc.com today.

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JIM MUIR DOGTOWN DECKS The folks at Branch Distribution are always pumping out some pretty insane-looking skateboards. This time around they’ve given us straight up gold with their new Jim “Red Dog” Muir curated collection of decks. The original art for the decks was created by Ric Clayton, a.k.a. RxCx. His art integrates three pro models featuring Jim Muir, John Cardiel and Scott Oster. These are truly one-of-a-kind, badass collectibles that are limited in supply with only 75 made, each signed by Jim Muir himself. The collection is also complimented by a limited edition Suicidal Tendencies compilation. If you know your skateboarding then you know how unique of a collection this is. To get more info and to find out how to get your hands on one of these decks visit elementbrand.com.

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waves & Wolves Every once in a while a brand will emerge that sets itself apart from the rest of the pack. In this case, we’re talking about our friend Chris Pollock’s new company, Waves & Wolves. Waves & Wolves (W&W) is an authentic SoCal alternative lifestyle apparel brand using unique, premium apparel as a platform to storytell, share and connect people together. W&W is designed with a full “punk rock” heart and is built for those who are undefined. Sunny and innocent by day, violent and sexy by night, W&W stands for empathy, compassion, tolerance, freedom, individualism, brotherhood, community and equality. Waves by morning/ Wolves by night – an all peoples show. Visit wavesandwolves.com to keep up with their happenings and to join in on this movement.

julian takes pipe & tripple crown After having somewhat of a shocker of a year on tour, Julian Wilson rebounded huge in Hawaii to finish the season as strong as ever. After coming in second at the Haleiwa Pro behind Dusty Payne, Julian was immediately a frontrunner in the race for the Triple Crown title. Then came a solid finish at Sunset and it was narrowed down to Dusty, Michel Bourez and himself. At Pipe Julian gained momentum the whole event. In the final he was able to put an end to Gabriel Medina’s unbelievable dream run by snagging a Backdoor nugget in the dying moments to win his first-ever Pipe Masters, taking home a Triple Crown title in the process. Congrats to Julian on the epic end to 2014, and we look forward to seeing him make a title run on this year’s World Surf League.

pat schmidt The boys over at Famous Surf got a sweet little addition to their team this holiday season, and he goes by the name of Pat Schmidt. Anyone who lives or has spent anytime on the East Coast is well familiar with Mr. Schmidt, as he’s been a staple figure in the North East his entire life. The New Jersey native surfs well beyond his years and is a well-known, well-liked kid who’s got a huge future in front of him. The crew at Famous Surf couldn’t be happier with the addition and we’re sure there’ll be some Schmidt X Famous collaborations in the near future. Stay updated at livefamous.com and be sure to checkout some of the new accessories they’ve been creating while you’re at it.

the end of d'blanc The new eyewear brand D’Blanc has been making big waves in the optic industry since their inception. Not even a one-year-old brand and these guys are bringing some super futuristic, super-stylee shades to the table. Their latest, The End, arrived at our office this past month and everyone has been fighting over who gets to take them home. A blend of aviators meets Mad Max, you’ll definitely be a standout anywhere you end up with these on your face. The leather blockers on the side are removable, so feel free to pull them off if you’re not digging them – it’s like getting two shades in one. Visit your local shop or dblanc.com to grab The End and see their whole line of Italian made shades today.

winter x games 2015 This month Winter X Games will be returning once again to a little place called Aspen, Colorado. It’ll be a few days filled with the best in snow action, music, parties and much more. Viewing the competition is free and open to the public like always, but you’ll want to jump on getting tickets for the concerts that’ll be going down before they sell out. The lineup includes Skrillex and Wiz Khalifa who will be joined by Chromeo and Snoop Dogg. We’d say that’s more than enough reasons to flock like the salmon of Capistrano to good old Aspen from January 22nd- 25th. Head on over to xgames.espn.go.com to get tickets today.

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1. Arbor, Zygote Twin, arborcollective.com 2. Bozwreck, Keegan Valaika Pro Model, bozwreck.com 3. Burton, Easy Livin’, burton.com 4. Capita, The Dan Brisse Experience, capitasnowboarding.com 5. GNU, Torpedo, gnu.com 6. Lib Tech, Super Banana, lib-tech.com 7. Never Summer, Snowtrooper, neversummer.com 8. Nitro, Pantera Wide, nitrousa.com 9. Ride, Alter Ego, ridesnowboards.com 10. Rome, Agent Rocker, romesnowboards.com 11. Rossignol, Retox Amptek, rossignol.com 12. Signal, Disruptors, signalsnowboards.com 13. Spring Break Snowboards, Asym Tail, springbreaksnowboards.com 14. Step Child, Latch Key, stepchildsnowboards.com 15. Vive, LVFS, vivesnow.com 36

1. ‌Lost, Beach-Buggy, lostsurfboards.net 2. Russell Surfboards, Espresso, surfboardsbyrussell.com 3. Channel Islands, Taco Grinder, cisurfboards.com 4. Catch Surf, Original 54 Pro - Jamie O’Brien, catchsurf.com 5. Haydenshapes, Hypto Krypto, haydenshapes.com 6. Estrada Surfboards, Super Sport, estradasurfboards.com 7. Panda Surfboards, Bangers and Mash, pandasurfboards.com 8. Christenson Surfboards, Gerr, christensonsurfboards.com 9. Stretch, Fletcher Four Fin, stretchboards. com 10. JS Industries, Monsta 3, jsindustries.com 11. Rusty, Yes Thanks, rustysurfboards.com 12. Promer, The Stump, promersurfboards.com 13. Dan Taylor Surfboards, Step Up, dtsurf.com 14. Robo Surfboards, The Cat Burglar, robosurfboards.com 15. Pat Rawson, SK8+, patrawsonsurfboards.com 38

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Interview: Liz Rice McCray Will you please introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Erica Elan Ciganek, and I am a visual artist living and working in Chicago.

I graduated college in 2013 with a double major in art and conflict transformation. I am primarily an oil painter, but I write music with my husband Ryan, draw, and practice photography as well.

Tell us about your cropped face series.

My cropped faces series developed out of an assignment in undergrad to paint someone’s eyes. While we did this we were supposed to think about what it means to see someone. To really see someone. This changed the trajectory of my work to focus on the power and mystery that this pursuit holds. Painting someone’s face so closely, even from a photograph I have taken of them, is an intimate and humbling process.

The intricacies of what makes up a human face are endless, but limits are created in the

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cropping. Beginning this series felt like the first time I entered into a rhythm with art making and loved the dependence on deep observation. Looking at someone’s face for so long and so closely changes how you view a person, and I hope that this translates to the viewer as well.

You paint your portraits on raw pieces of plywood with oil. I would imagine this gives an interesting texture; can you give us some insight to your process?

My primary interest in painting on wood has been the strength of it. The material allows me to dig the paint into the surface and interact with the natural grain of the wood.

My paintings are made up of many, many thin layers, washes, and strokes. I start the paintings with a very loose under-painting and as I observe the subject the face begins to take form from the laying of paint.

The painting shown in our magazine is your largest of this series; it’s 45 inches wide and 60 inches tall. Will you tell us

about this painting?

The painting “Resemblance” is (currently) my largest finished work. It was an exciting new direction to push in. The cropped faces series has literally grown over time. From paintings that just touch four inches wide to the 60-inch tall Resemblance, I have watched the expansion occur! I feel the most freedom at this size, and it is something I am happy to continue exploring. I always paint people I know, and this painting happens to be someone very close to me who had recently experienced a great loss. I experienced this loss alongside her, but not to the degree she had. The painting became an opportunity to be in a space of loss, yet light in darkness, a little bit longer than we may typically allow ourselves.

You’re a graduate of North Park University in Chicago, IL, with a double major in art and conflict transformation. What can you tell us about conflict transformation?

Graduating with two majors was a really

rich experience. I had started college at North Park as a politics major, but studying in that field never seemed to embrace the creative approach to politics I was interested in. Conflict transformation studies various conflicts from interpersonal to international and seeks to find creative, non-violent, and just ways of bringing about greater peace.

This focus engaged music, culture, faith, art, theater, politics and so many more facets of the human existence into seeking good for people. Studying in this field reminded me constantly of people’s humanity, and that is something I work toward with art as well.

What were your childhood ambitions?

I loved writing as a child, and particularly loved writing music; however, I was sure I would be a marine biologist.

Where can people check out more of your art?

People can continue to view my artwork by connecting with me on Instagram: @ eeciganek, on Facebook and on my website ericaelanciganek.com.

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Words: Liz Rice McCray “This Place Must Be Earth” is a part of Oddly Head’s most recent collection of artwork featuring the beautiful, disturbing and yet humorous demise of the human race. Make sure to check out the rest of “This Place Must Be Earth” at oddlyhead.com. Thanks Oddly Head for taking the time to answer our questions.

When asked, “What do you do?” how do you answer?

For 20 years I almost always answered that question by telling people I was a champion figure skater. Now I cough out something about being an artist.

What mediums do you work with?

These days, I work mostly on a screen.

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Historically, I’ve worked across most artistic disciplines.

of industrial food production. That was very influential.

studio atmosphere?

Musical.

Where did you get the name Oddly Head?

It just felt RIGHT.

I read a lot of news; I’m addicted to news. That’s not a good thing.

According to Rolf Dobelli, reading the news can be “toxic,” as it “triggers the Limbic system” when upsetting stories “spur the release of cascades of Glucocorticoid. This deregulates your immune system and inhibits the release of growth hormones. In other words, your body finds itself in a state of chronic stress.” Chronic stress has all sorts of negative side effects including fear, aggression, tunnel vision and desensitization. That pretty neatly sums up what “This Place Must Be Earth,” as a body of work, is all about.

What are you really into right now?

“It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” by Them, “Tomorrow Never Knows” by Junior Parker, “The Night” by Frankie Valli and “Solitary Flight” by Theo Parrish.

What are some of your consistent influences?

There is a website called thoughtmaybe.com. It’s a phenomenal resource of mind-frazzling documentaries. Thought provoking and often deeply depressing, it’s never less than informative and inspiring.

Adam Curtis’ series of films called All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace made and continues to make a deep impression on me. There’s a German film called Our Daily Bread, it’s a devastating insight into the world

How would you describe your

Where can people check out your art?

It’s early days for Oddly Head. The portfolio is online at oddlyhead.com.

I’m printing the Hollywood triptych in the first week of January and will be selling those as signed and numbered limited editions. I’ll set up a shop on the website. I’ll have an exhibition of the work in the new year at some point and I’ll publish a book of postcards soon.

Interview: Liz Will you please introduce yourself to our readers?

I grew up in a small Swiss town called Solothurn. After leaving school I completed training as a painter, followed by an apprenticeship as a theater painter in Solothurn. After this, I trained as a graphic artist at the advertising agency in Basel.

In 2009, when I worked again as a theater painter, I decided to quit my job. At this moment, I only knew that I wanted to be a self-employed painter. My decision was very spontaneous and a little bit naive. I didn’t know anybody in the scene and didn’t have any idea of how this will work out. After six years, I can say it was the right decision.

Tell us a little bit about your childhood?

I was kind of an outsider, the one who was a little bit too tall for his age and who always made drawings into his mathematics book. My sister, who is 10 years older

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than me, painted a lot at this time and so I got influenced by her. During my whole childhood I had a big passion for painting and for basketball.

So you apprenticed as a theater painter? What was your experience in the theater like? Did it have any effects on your art?

I learned a lot from this apprenticeship concerning techniques in painting. In the theater, we could work with different kind of materials, test new tools and mix the pigments and colors by ourselves. What I didn’t like about it was the fact that a theater painter always implements what the scene designer has already determined.

Can you tell us a little about the series of paintings below, “Ups & Downs” & “Decisions”?

These are the two first paintings in a new series. In terms of content, they reflect my environment and partially myself. The traffic

lights symbolize decisions you have to make in your life, and this is even more difficult nowadays than ever before. We have so many opportunities. This is what makes us stand still so often. The rollercoaster stands for our fast-paced lives, for the ups and downs, and the different ways of coping with it.

Magazine.

What are your thoughts on technology and the positive and negative impacts for an artist?

Smartphones have changed our lives. You are always reachable and you can call up information on whatever and whenever you want. This has many positive aspects, but above all it distracts us from our real lives. We are over-flooded by the amount of pictures, information and news which social media provides and are not able to perceive all of this. “Fast Life” gets its own meaning in that regard. But I have to say, without all of this, no single painting of mine would have been shown today in BL!SSS

How would you like to see your future develop?

I would like to paint abroad more often and to move to a big city for a while. By painting murals I already travel a lot and maybe this results in an opportunity to stay abroad a little bit longer one time.

How would you put into words your present?

I can make a living off my paintings and I can pay my bills without being dictated by anybody what to do. What else does one want?

Where can people check out your art?

On facebook.com/onur.ch, instagram.com/ onurpainting and at www.onur.ch.

Thanks so much for taking the time – we look forward to seeing more of your work.

Words: Amber Willat Photos: Jeff Stockwell (*unless noted) Dirty Girls originated in the spring of 1996 when a group of disaffected high school girls became “notorious for their crass behavior and allegedly bad hygiene.” Today, those teenagers, now 30-something-year-olds, are a tad less crass, but they would still sacrifice hygiene for a good cause.

They are now Dirty Girls Project, a new media platform devoted to the promotion of empowered and badass babes of all ages. DGP creates original content, synergistic partnerships and produces collaborations (both digital and physical) around topics such as art, adventure, fashion, entrepreneurship – the bad, the rad and the weird.

The new platform is inspired by the video Dirty Girls, a short documentary about the above-mentioned group of fearless, iconoclastic high school girls in the ‘90s. The video went unexpectedly viral, reaching 30,000 views in three days, 300,000 views in less than three weeks and today nearing 1 million. The

two main subjects of the documentary, sisters Harper and Amber Willat, were moved to create the platform because of the enormous outreach from thousands of viewers (around the world), writing messages to the effect of “we wish we had dirty girls on our campus,” “you’re our heros,” and “we want more dirty girls.”

Amber explains how it all happened. “It was hard at first to understand what all the comments meant and why the video was so important to so many people, but we began to realize that for younger girls especially, there is a void of inspiration,” she said. “There’s not much out there that gives young girls the permission and the inspiration to be different, strange, unique, unconventional. And that the pressure to be cool, thin and popular like many female celebrity figures was and is squashing the courage to be individual.”

Harper and Amber used the massive success of the video as an opportunity to create a resource to fill that void of inspiration. One of their tag lines is we don’t care about fitting in because we

Photo: Michael Bruce Faub

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were born to stand out.

Dirty Girls Project reunites the original Dirty Girls sisters, now successful professionals, with other like-minded and equally fierce women, with the mission of inspiring, influencing, and championing women and girls for personal, social and commercial success. “When we find a badass, we learn what her skill, talent, art, or profession is and then create a collaborative piece of content that features that girl,” Willat said. “On our website we have a section called In Babes We Trust, and there we post up our Featured Babes. Eventually our pool of Featured Babes will be massive and the message will be clear – that empowered, strong, awesome women are everywhere, and they rule!”

Featuring babes who not only “don’t give a shit, but who get shit done” is one way the Dirty Girls plan to influence social change and to encourage young girls to muster up the courage to embrace their individuality, especially in the face of adversity. And on that note, the Dirty Girls want to be clear

that their use of the word “babe” has nothing to do with a measure of physical beauty. They are repurposing the word and choosing to call any and all females, regardless of age or physical beauty, who are courageous and live empowered and do awesome shit, “Babes.” DGP hopes to send the message, “if these babes can do it, so can you.”

The Dirty Girls have collaborated with some incredible women, including LAbased fashion designer Amber Kekich of AGAIN Apparel, Kiran Gandhi, the drummer for M.I.A., comedian Morgan Murphy, artists Sedi Pak of sedipak.net, Alicia Haberman of seductionkills.com, and they have some pretty kick-ass new collaborations in the pipeline.

Harper describes the Dirty Girls Project brand as, “Now synonymous with strong women who push boundaries and have bold voices. Our focus is on collaborating with awesome women, and building an inspiring and empowered community.” Dirty Girls Project invites you to follow and participate.

WARNING! The National Forest Service has received an unusually high number of Yeti sightings from shredders in the San Gabriel Mountains. Have you seen him? Snap a picture of you and the Yeti this winter and you could WIN an Anytime Season Pass to Mountain High for the 15/16 season ($699 Value). Tag #HAVEYOUSEENHIM on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The more pics you post the better your chances of winning. Three passes available in all. Visit mthigh.com/haveyouseenhim for complete details.

What does your work mean, Gun Country?

Gun Country isn’t intended to carry a specific message. It’s intended to be a device created to inspire conversation and contemplation. It doesn’t offer any answers to or attempt to solve any great problems. It is intended to be the catalyst for self-reflection and critical thought.

toy guns, airsoft-type rifles. I ordered them online from one company. It’s the company that came up when I searched for “cheap toy guns.” Most of them came from manufacturers in China. I could have purchased the same guns from Wal-Mart but I was going for quantity and didn’t want to pay the mark-up.

What do you want to express with this work?

I want people to come to their own conclusion about the meaning of the work. I want people to reflect upon what comes to their mind and think critically about that.

What was the process to place the weapons as a map of the United States?

There is a 3-D model made on the computer. I lay it out there and then build it.

Where did you get all those weapons?

The installation is composed of 130

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Do you see a breakthrough in the Arms Control Policy in the United States?

I haven’t been following it lately. I’m more fascinated by how people feel about guns.

How did you decide to do this type of hanging work?

Deciding to suspend an artwork is similar to deciding what type of base a freestanding sculpture would have.

Some artworks should stand on the floor, some should hang in the air, some should hang on walls. It’s a formal decision that is unique to the space and the piece. It’s like deciding what type of nails to use.

Check out more of Michael Murphy’s work at www.mmike.com.

“Deciding to suspend an artwork is similar to deciding what type of base a freestanding sculpture would have.”

Words: Liz Rice McCray This month we have veered from Miami (check out Art Basel feature on page ???) and decided to head south to Colombia for our mural of the month. We caught up with the charming artist INTI while in Paris to ask him a couple questions about his Colombian masterpiece. Note, this interview was originally in Spanish and has been translated to English by our dear friends at Google.

Thank you INTI for taking the time to answer our questions.

Where is the mural located? Will you tell us a little about the neighborhood? Does this mural have a name?

The mural is located on the outskirts of Cali, Colombia, and is called “Nuevo Latir,”

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referring to the neighborhood bearing the same name. Nuevo Latir translated from Spanish literally means “New Beat.” This refers to a new way of feeling, as being located between two neighborhoods in constant confrontation, is an invitation to start a new present based on peace.

Who are you? Will you tell us a little background info about yourself?

I come from a family with strong humanistic Latin American roots. My work comes from the world of graffiti. I studied Fine Arts in Chile, which has allowed me to live and develop my painting alongside my true passion, which is to work on the street.

Who is the character in this mural?

Born from a character of Bolivian carnival,

Kusillo, a kind of Latin American clown, who was the basis for several of my works. I see in him the spirit of my own carnavalezco continent.

How did this mural come about? Who asked you to paint it?

The mural is part of the Biennale of Street Art and murals of Cali. The event brings together artists from various countries working on the streets with different techniques.

This mural looks very large – how big is it? Do you normally paint on this scale?

It is 23 by 28 meters, and yes, this is the size that I usually work. For reasons of impact and contact with the passer, I stand far better to work six days over a large area rather to make several small works of low impact.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can share with us? More walls to keep our eyes open for?

Now preparing some new murals for 2015 in America-America.

How many walls would you say you do a year?

I try to do at least one large-format mural a month, but this year I have done 10 large formats, in addition to several small parts in less visible places.

Where can people check out more of your art? www.INTI.cl

I heard a story not too long ago about a guy who walked into the Catalyst Surf Shop one day looking for a new board. The gentleman started thumbing through the rows of Mayhems on display, flipping them around all over and examining them like they were some kind of blood diamond. A friendly female employee came over to check on the guy to see if he needed any help. “How’s it going? Do you have any questions?” she said. He proceeded to bombard her with all sorts of shaping jargon about how drastic the V in the tail was on this model,

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that the tail rocker was a bit too much on this other one, and on and on and on until the employee finally interjected. “Hey man, you know it’s just a surfboard, right?”

The guy stopped, looked up and immediately realized that he’d just been completely called out. The savvy employee saw right through his fake knowledge, and all the guy could do now was buy his board and walk out with his tail between his legs. It’s just one example of why Catalyst Surf Shop is one of the most unique shops around.

Located off of El Camino Real,

on the northern outskirts of San Clemente, Catalyst has deep history inside its walls. Back in the day it used to be a church, which maybe explains why you feel so compelled to buy a surfboard every time you go in there. Then, it transferred ownership over to San Clemente surf legends like Herbie Fletcher, Rick James and Jimmy Nudo. Now, it’s owned by …

Lost’s Matt Biolis and Mike Reola, giving us all a truly roots-oriented shop that embodies San Clemente surf culture. It’s a surf shop run by surfers for surfers, and Catalyst is actually one of the only surf shops

in operation nowadays to have its own glass shop connected to it in the back. Pretty damn core if you ask us. Anyways, you’ll find all your heart could desire as far as clothing (not just …Lost but all other brands as well) and surfboards (every …Lost model you could want) and much more in the way of accessories. Plus, they’ve got employees that give it to you straight, and that’s something we can all appreciate. Make sure to stop on by and check them out at 1775 North El Camino Real in San Clemente next time you’re in the area.

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Photography: Dominic Petruzzi dominicpetruzziphoto.com @dominicpetruzzi Model: Brittany Ward @brittnyward :: Next Models Hair & Makeup: Olivia Taddeo @OliviaRoseArtistry It’s hard to take a bad photo when you have such a good subject. And good subjects aren’t always the easiest things to come by. We can say that because after seven and a half years and 89 issues we’ve had our share of letdowns. Well, with nearly 100k followers on Instagram it’s safe to say we’re not the only ones who think Miss Brittany Ward is a “good subject.” Seriously, just look at that face, beckoning you to hop in for a friendly ride.

“Do you have insurance? Do you have Survival? I can’t take that ride.”

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Words: Manuel Rivers :: Photo: Tom Carey There ain’t many things you can count on in this life.

John Florence is one of them. The kid is unstoppable.

I’m not just talking about him swapping from 18th to fourth place in a matter of a couple contests, although that was pretty fun to watch. I’m talking about, well, just about everything he does. If John does something, you can bet he does it with that same aggression and style that seems to be his very birthright. “Everything I do I put as much time as I can into it and I don’t do it unless I really want to,” he says.

John’s a hard kid to keep up with. The only way to do it is forget everything you ever thought you knew about anything... and just be. Be present with him, or more importantly, like he does, be present with yourself. If you can do that, the whole world will open up for you and you can do anything you ever want… or at least that’s what’s happening for John. Forget about results, forget about preconceived notions of success, fame, and whatever else you may dream up. The main thing for a guy like John is just to focus on the process.

“Being in the ocean and riding a wave—no matter if you’re on a surf board, boat, bodysurfing, towing in—riding waves no matter how you do it, it’s something different every time,” he says. “That’s what keeps it interesting.”

Hurt your ankle? Build a darkroom. Pull a hamstring? Get your pilot’s license. If you’re blessed and cursed with that obsession with the sea that’s familiar to some of us, why limit yourself to one sport? Learn how to sail.

It’s hard to say exactly how he finds the time, but he does, and he puts in the hours, and then he’s sailing, shooting, flying. When he’s in it, he’s not doing anything else, not worrying about anything, not talkin’ on the phone about it. That’s why he started shooting photos... so he could be focussed and present without surfing. And for John, ultimately it helped his surfing. I asked him what he thinks about when he surfs and he said, “Everything and nothing at all.”

People will tell you John John surfs the way he does because of how much time he spends in the water. Well, that just ain’t the case. He surfs the way he does because when he is in the water, he’s in the water. And that’s how he does just about everything... in the present moment. For John, it’s really the only way to do anything, because everything else either already happened, or else it won’t unless you do it now.

Words: Jeff Grosso Photo: Bradford He’s a very sweet boy! Nobody wants to hear that, but he is a very sweet boy.

My connection to the Fletcher family is that we all used to live together. I used to babysit Greyson when he was three or four and we would play Defender for hours and hours on end. The kid’s a barbarian; he’s a skateboard barbarian.

He doesn’t know anything; he just pretty much runs on instinct, cruise control and feel, sheer will and a little bit of terror as well. He just doesn’t give a fuck. He’s a fucking savage. He’s got a lot of finesse in his skating, but yet it’s very unrefined.

The guy doesn’t really know tricks, doesn’t really care about the history of where things come from or any of that kind of bullshit – it’s just pure stoke. Like, “I’m doin’ this.” Kind of a throwback to some of the older skaters, kind of a Jay Adams-like vibe – running on instinct. He’ll fly out and do some aerial and then come up out of the bowl and be like, “What was that?”

Which is maddening to a guy like me. I’m like, “You didn’t even know that that was a lien air?” And he’s like, “What’s a lien air?” He just kind of runs on a stream of consciousness type of stoke. He’s super agile, a little ugly, but kind of beautiful at the same time. He’s got that gnarly Fletcher bull-legged, wide stance going on that’s obviously in the DNA. He was on HBO; he could’ve been a movie star but he walked away from it. He was like, “This is gay.” He’s a no-bullshit skate rat that just wants to cruise around and skate and hang out with his friends and party and get laid and do all of the shit that skate rats do. And that’s what he’s doin’. He’s following his bliss. He’s just out there burning. It appears more like a battle-axe, but when you really, really look closely at it, it’s more of a scalpel. He doesn’t have a bunch of tricks, but the tricks he does have he’s got on lock. He does them in purely his own style and he’s super, super precise.

But yeah, I guess if I had to put it into a word or phrase or something, I’d say he’s a fucking skate barbarian.

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Words: Steve Stoneman Photo: Bob Plumb I first met Keegan Valaika in Boulder, Colorado, in 2011. We’ve become good friends over the years through skateboarding, snowboarding and music. He is one of the most talented and creative people I know, with more passion than anyone I’ve ever met. I was able to get him on the phone while he was hanging out at his house in Salt Lake City and this is what he had to say.

What’s up dude, haven’t talked you in a while. What have you been up to?

Just got back from a trip to Colorado for a couple weeks, living in Salt Lake for the past couple months, been snowboarding and playing a lot of music. It’s been good lately.

What are you doing with music these days?

I have some friends that are really talented, and when I get with them some good shit comes out. When I’m by myself I’m usually pretty stagnant.

What’s the name of your band?

Well the original band is called Lobster Claw – that’s still running strong. We actually just started a new one today called The Barking Spiders: me, you and Sam Rowse. We’re dropping a YouTube album pretty soon. Be on the lookout for that.

So I’ve heard everyone calls you KV these days. Where did that name come from?

Dude, I don’t know. How is that even a thing?

Everyone’s calling me that these days and I have no idea where that came from.

I know it hasn’t been snowing that much in Salt Lake, so how has the riding been?

Super fun. I went to a thrift store the other day and got a new board. It’s the sickest board ever.

It’s a super old Burton board that has these weird side cuts and actually says ‘goofy’ on it.

I’m regular so I ride it backwards but it rides really well.

What are you doing in Salt Lake when you’re not snowboarding?

Skating with the homies.

You learn any new tricks lately?

I actually just learned methods yesterday. It took me about 18 years but I finally learned methods. Pretty stoked on that.

What can we expect to see from your clothing company, Gnarly, in the upcoming future?

Well, I can’t see the future but I just did a collaboration: it’s a Gnarly X Adidas soccer jersey and shoe that will be dropping pretty soon. It has stripes and peace trees. It’s pretty swag.

What are you most stoked on?

Skating, snowboarding, surfing and playing music with my friends. It’s all about your friends.

What’s on the agenda for the New Year?

I got a one-way ticket back to California and probably going camping at this spot called Giant Rock. For sure going to talk to some aliens and see what they have to say.

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Intro: MADSTEEZ There we were, two white men walking aimlessly on a Monday afternoon during a monsoon in a foreign city of Taiwan. Drenched like wet rats, we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw a sign for what seemed to be a waterpark. It was hard to tell since the sign was a Chinese caricature of a construction worker holding a hammer, a saw and was sliding down a water slide on a giraffe. We spent the next hour walking in circles like being stuck in a Chinese finger trap, but sure enough we found the Holy Grail. Like a dream come true, there were Jurassic Park subterranean features and a slew of massive water slides, but just like Wally World in Vacation, the place was eerily vacant. We walked into the place knowing only our two Chinese words “shay shay,” and somehow we ended up at the top of the curly-q slide wearing only our boxers. Without saying a word, we both knew what had to happen next. Rone gracefully took the front as I took the rear, and we rode that bitch tandom like Pokey and Gumby at 240 frames per second. What else can I say about Rone? He’s amazingly talented, dashingly handsome and can paint sheer beauty with a single brush. I may be a bit biased on the handsome part since he’s been considered my Australian twin brother since we share the same giant buck teeth, long hair (he just cut his), big round eyes and a scruffy beard that’s a cross between an old asian man and a distorted Johnny Depp. I’ve been able to spend quality time with him around the world and he’s always amazing me with his stunning murals and is a breathe of fresh air to be around. His success is well deserved, and I can’t wait to see what else he blesses the world with.

Interview: Liz Rice McCray We have been loving your work, and you seem to be everywhere. How many pieces do you think you do a year? Give us a run down of 2014… the highlights.

This year has been well beyond what I expected. Painting Australia’s largest wall, traveling to London, Taiwan, Brisbane, Montreal, Miami, Nashville, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Austin, Mexico, moving to a new studio, becoming an ambassador for Uniqlo, a hotel gave a whole level to feature my artwork, having my work on a tram, exhibiting at Stolen Space in London and a sell-out show in Melbourne, working with NGV on the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition… Just this week writing this I have finished painting a huge abandoned power station in my hometown. I still have a few more walls to paint and flights to catch before the year is out.

I’m always struck by their eyes … who are these beautiful women in your murals?

I work with several different models that I photograph to use as a reference. Lately I have been mostly painting Teresa Oman.

Will you tell us more about the recurring Jane Doe? I think the unknown woman is just someone people easily identify with. It started as posters and stickers. Previous to the Jane Doe’s I was painting skulls, tanks, skateboarders and other aggressive things. This was the polar opposite to all of that, and on the street it really worked because it wasn’t shouting at you like most graffiti.

It is not asking anything of you; it is like a visual pause.

Your murals are highly complemented by the surface on which you create them. Texture always seems to be complementary to the female and her features. What is the process you use to conceptualize a piece, refine it, test it, etcetera, so you do not get part way through a painting and discover, “this is not working”?

I spend a lot of time working on the composition of a work before I start painting, but there isn’t much work done in testing of the texture. What I painted this week is a perfect example. I painted over four stories of broken glass. I could test if the paint stuck, but that was only part of the challenge. The paint actually moved very different to the dry parts of concrete that was also part of the wall and I had to make both areas look the same to make it work. Once you start something so big it’s very scary to think you can’t finish it. In the case of the windows you can just paint over it. Two days in I said “this is not working” but I just had to pursue and keep building up layers of paint to get the balance right. It took me a lot longer than I hoped.

Have you ever had to walk away from a piece because it wasn’t working?

The pressure of painting in public on such a scale can be sickening when it isn’t working out. I’ve seriously considered walking away a few times. I used to take on a challenge with the thought that if it all goes wrong I can just paint over it. But now the walls are getting so big even to paint over them would be a challenge.

What percentage of your time is devoted to your artwork? What fills the rest of your time?

My art is a full-time thing but you would be amazed about how much time is taken up by email, planning, meetings and other boring things that all lead to more painting.

Not to be depressing, but when it’s all said and done how would you like to be remembered?

Hmmm, not sure. How about my face on a bank note? Or to paint something on the moon… I’d be happy just to be remembered for the smallest thing; it just sounds nice to be remembered.

Do you have any advice to artists just starting out?

Don’t paint over other people’s art. That’s not nice.

What’s coming up next for you?

I’m flying to Vanuatu in a few days.

Where can people check out more of your art?

The best place to keep up to date is on Instagram @r_o_n_e or online at r-o-n-e-.com.

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Interview: Joey Marshall :: Photo: Mike Coots Mike Coots is no stranger to BL!SSS Magazine. In the seven-plus years since we’ve been in business we have featured more than one “photo profile” from Coots and countless other surf and landscape photos from this camerayielding professional. For those of you who don’t know, Mike lost his right leg to a tiger shark while surfing Kauai’s west coast when he was a teenager.

While sidelined by his injuries and still possessing a deep love for the ocean and everything in it, he picked up a camera and started documenting his friends and the beauty of his homeland – Kauai. His photographs speak volumes, and in the last decade he has been recognized as one of Kauai’s top surf photographers, but it’s his love for what he does and his passion for living that really makes me admire Mike Coots. Overcoming huge adversities and challenges I couldn’t even fathom, it seems like there is nothing that can hold him down. Surfing, fishing, riding dirt bikes, running and even swimming with Great White sharks, Coots does it all and he does it all to the fullest. He’s humble, soft-spoken and you get the feeling he’s actually listening to you when conversing. There’s simplicity about Coots, a vibe I get… something that tells me that he just gets it.

First off, why don’t you tell us a little bit about this image of you – the when, where, why and how?

This image was taken at a secret spot late last winter. I used a GoPro hooked to a Knekt tail mount on the half-second timer mode. I think the tail angle shows the dynamics of the prosthetic foot the best. I have gone through about half a dozen soft surfboards to get this image. The tail breaks off easy with the strain of the mount. If you don’t make the tube, good chance it has snapped off.

How has your life changed since that dramatic day back in October 1997 – it was October, wasn’t it?

Yeah, it’s a trip how the majority of attacks happen in October. We call it Sharktober. In retrospect, the encounter with the shark was the best thing that could ever happen to me.

Learning to live life with a prosthetic has been interesting. It’s crazy how carbon fiber and silicon becomes your best friend, along with the mobility and freedom it provides.

What has been your hardest obstacle to overcome since the incident?

I would say the idea of losing my prosthetic surfing. It has happened a couple times and can be a bit of a pain. They seem to sink really fast in the ocean, haha. I have been fortunate though not to have any nightmares or anything like that.

What are your thoughts toward sharks these days and the countries that still allow culling and finning to happen?

Sharks play a very important role in the marine ecosystem. They are an apex predator and sitting on top of the food chain, and they hold the web of biodiversity together. If you remove what’s on top, everything below will crumble. Any marine biologist would agree.

They predate the dinosaurs and have survived mass extinctions, so they are obviously here for a reason. Seventy million sharks are killed a year for their fins. That’s incredibly sad and scary, a lot more so than getting attacked by one. Culling for sharks is barbaric and inefficient, and the countries that do so should realize that and stop.

How have prosthetics and technology changed what you’ve been able to do and how you’ve been able to enjoy life?

Since I have been using a carbon fiber foot design, my surfing has drastically improved.

Prior, I used a rubber joint for the ankle, and all the motion was absorbed by the rubber and didn’t turn the board that well. Carbon holds the load and releases that energy to the board and that equates to speed and control. It’s potential energy, to kinetic energy, to stoke!

Who has been your biggest influence in life, and who would you consider the perfect role model?

I would say Bethany Hamilton and Ocean Ramsey are my role models. Bethany because she walks the walk and talks the talk; I admire the life she lives, and I am proud of the woman she has become. Ocean is a true mermaid; her love for sharks and our seas is very inspiring. I don’t know anyone else with such a strong love and passion for these often misunderstood creatures.

We recently saw a post on your Instagram about Ossur Corp., a leading prosthetic company out of Iceland, and the Flex-Foot Cheetah; it was the most inspiring and touching read I’ve ever had on Instagram. Will you tell us a little bit about the experience and what it meant to you, in case any of our readers missed it.

Ahh, that was one of the best moments of my life. It had been 17 years since I ran, and I had been given a foot a few months back in Iceland that was designed for running. I couldn’t believe right off the get go I was sprinting down the hall. It was a completely surreal and emotional experience to say the least.

Where do you see yourself in in the next five years, and where would you like to see the future take Mike Coots?

I would like to be helping out other amputees and get them involved in action sports.

Hopefully we could develop the ultimate surfing foot and there would be a bit more sharks in our ocean.

I know this is a question you’ve been asked at least a thousand times, but is there anything you can’t do?

No, not really.

Straight Leg F.S Air

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Interview: Todd Proffit Photo: Chris Ortiz Under a tight deadline of a couple days I was finally able to reach Omar between skate and surf sessions while he was staying on the North Shore during the Triple Crown. Omar’s been going to the North Shore each winter for quite some time now, and the place has become like a second home to him.

Growing up surfing and skating it’s a no brainier that he keeps going back each December. At his residence in Southern California though is where you’ll find Omar the majority of the time. He’s recently built a pool in his backyard, and from what we’ve seen and heard there’ve been some pretty incredible sessions going down regularly with a legendary crew always in the mix.

Here’s what he had to say about his pool, the youth and BBQ-ing.

You have been wanting a house that you could build your own pool at for over a decade. How is it now that you have one?

There are good things and bad things about having your own pool! It’s nice to step out your door and roll around in your backyard, but there’s also a few more people than usual trying to track you down for a session.

How often are sessions going down?

We skate it a lot but last summer was really hot and it got magnified by the sun. I travel a lot as well so when I’m home we skate it more often.

What kinds of crews have been stopping by to skate?

Crew varies; I try to make it friendly for everyone so I could get a good mix of friends and just BBQ and hang. Nothing’s better than a morning surf and an afternoon skate!

Do you have a set skate/BBQ day?

Everyday is skate day. I don’t really have a skate day planned out, just whenever someone’s in town and wants to ride or when a crew rallies up and comes by.

You’re in Hawaii hanging with Pedro [Barros] when [Gabriel] Medina, his Brazilian countryman, won the World Title. What was the vibe like?

Yeah, I’m in Hawaii right now with Pedro Barros and his dad Andre, Greyson Fletcher and Josh Borden, just surfing and skating with all the boys on the island! It was cool to watch the Medina show at Pipe.

I think surfing is a lot like skating with the youth taking over quickly. There’s a ton of talent and the Brazilians have a ton of passion, so it was cool to see it live! Thanks, BL!SSS.

Words: MADSTEEZ The way I see it, if you already are legit or are trying to be a legitimate artist, you have to be at Art Basel in the same respects as a pro surfer being on the North Shore in December. It’s a proving ground of sorts where artists from all around the world bring out their best to reprazent.

Art Basel Miami is sub-divided not only by a bridge but by a social class. On one side, you have Wynwood where all the “street artists” are painting massive murals, which has gentrified the community into a real-estate broker’s dream. On the other side you have South Beach, which is inhabited by the social elite that have expendable money to spend on a $100,000 pile of rocks. I’ve learned the hard way over the years that the key is to be able to play on both sides of the fence.

I always go a week or so early so I can be done painting by the time the Art Fairs start. It’s that week that is my favorite time of the year. The only people in Wynwood at that time are other artists or true diehard fans. It’s amazing because everyone is out painting all day and then we all end up in the same place at the same time and we go H.A.M. ‘til 6 in the mornin’ and do it all over again. There’s this crazy sense of family that I personally haven’t felt with any other group of friends. I feel lame saying it, but I truly believe we are a part of the next wave of renaissance in the art world. As the week comes to an end and the Art Fairs start, sadly everyone disperses and flees from the hive because the queen bee is about to start eating her worker bees.

At the proper Art Basel show, I can confidently say that the state of “Fine Art” in America is shit. There’s always a “trend” every year in the “real” art world, and this year it was craft art. And by craft art, I mean the type of art that your grandmother goes to Michaels for and makes some type of doll or ladder or just a wooden pile of shit. I even saw this one fool that had a $110,000 piece that actually looked kind of cool but when I looked at the medium, it said Photoshop CS 4. Not all of the gallery work was bad, just the majority of it. The Scope Fair housed some of the more desirable art in the lowbrow community and had some good work at fair prices. I was super stoked on Inner State Gallery and Library Street Collective stepping up to the plate and showing quality work.

Faith & Alexi Diaz

RONE :: Photo: James Hartley

D-Face

The Yok & Sheryo Word to Mother :: Photo: James Hartley

On the street side of things, Nychos was the undisputed MVP. That motherfucker painted five insane murals in like eight days and each of them was nails! The Yok and Sheryo painted the raddest Alligator playing Game Boy at the Miami Ad School. Our past cover artists Dal East and Cryptik painted a showstopper with a metaphysical split head mind trip. My personal favorite was Faith and Alexi Diaz’s 100-foot-long dripping nude wrapped in a crosshatched snake.

The most talked about was the Jose De Diego Middle Project. During Basel every year, $100s of millions of dollars are spent buying art. Disgustingly, there is a middle school a block away from Wynwood that has not had an art program for the past five years due to budget cuts. Community angel Robert Skran took it upon himself to change that. He got the local governments approval to transform the exterior walls of the school into an art gallery and curated a bunch of the world’s best muralists: Pixel Pancho, D-Face, Anthony Lister, Reka, Fin Dak, Seth Globe Painter, Nychos, and Axel Void, to name a few. I was even asked to be a part of such an amazing roster of artists – but there was a catch.

Every artist had creative freedom but I was asked to paint a mural of Alonzo Mourning as a tribute and thank you to him since he actually went to the middle school and already supported the school’s athletic program with his foundation.

I, of course, accepted the challenge because Alonzo was the man since he was on the USA dream team with Jordan, Malone, Ewing and Magic. It seemed to be a good move because every news station used my piece as the jumping off point for the story since Alonzo was a hometown hero.

The highlight of my trip was when Alonzo flew in for the unveiling, and there’s just something words can’t describe when someone sees a 40-foot tall mural you’ve just painted of them. I’ve even got the fist bump to prove it!!!!

Ryan McCann

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Calder

Dal East & Cryptik Kazushiro Tsuji Nychos

MADSTEEZ

Alonzo Mourning & MADSTEEZ Anthony Lister :: Photo: James Hartley

Martha Cooperman :: Photo: James Hartley

Scott Scheidly Mayo :: Photo: James Hartley

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Interview: Delon Isaacs :: Photo: Tom Hawkins Ellis Ericson cannot be pigeonholed into one specific category. As a guy who never stays in one place for too long and has talent oozing from him every time he catches a wave, the world is Ellis’s oyster.

Ever changing and ever evolving, from Byron Bay to Indonesia, Hawaii to Cali, you never know what you’re going to get. Shaping himself twin fins, Bonzers and anything that really perks his interest, Ellis continues to take the unbeaten path, carrying with him a certain mystique that has us wondering where he’ll turn up next. Here’s a little insight into what Ellis Ericson the surfer, world traveler, shaper and all-around renaissance man is into at this very moment.

Where the hell do you live? Is it Indonesia? Is it Australia? Is it on Alex Knost’s couch? Where is home for Ellis Ericson?

To be honest, it’s all of the above. I try to spread myself pretty thin across the globe. I’ve got some studio/ shaping bay/living spaces in Indonesia, a farm property in Byron Bay and I’m regularly renting out Knost’s spare room when I’m in the states. I’m posted in Byron for the summer so this is home for the next three months or so.

Briefly explain the boards you’ve been riding the last six months. Are they all hand shapes? Are they ‘70s and ‘80s relics? Or are the all just high-performance thrusters?

Ah… I don’t know if I can briefly explain them all, but predominately I’ve been bouncing between Bonzers, twin-fin sting’s and the odd hybrid tri-fin whatever you wanna call it. I’ve been experimenting mostly on fins and placement. The shapes haven’t really changed much in the last six months, as I’m trying to keep them as a “control” and fins as the “variable.”

You hear the word “hipster” being thrown around a lot in surfing these days, so what’s your take on the word “hipster?” What is one to you or describe the class of people who throw that word around.

I still think “hipster” is a style of pants.

When are we going to see an all-exclusive Ellis Ericson film?

Are you working on anything at the moment with anyone?

Exclusive Ellis film? Haha. I think profile films are a little selfindulgent. My friend and filmmaker Jimmy Jazz and I are working towards our third film together titled Fluid Magic. We’ve shot in the last 12 months through Indonesia, the Maldives, Hawaii and Australia, and the film will features Rasta, Bryce Young, Knost and Jason Salisbury. It is due in early 2015.

Are you at the point in your life where you’re completely comfortable of where you are with surfing? Do you think the “you” right at this moment is going to be the same you for the next 10 years or is everything constantly changing?

No, definitely not. Integrity is important to me but life is an everchanging learning curve. I try to apply this to my surfing. To me, there has never been a more exciting time of change in surfing and I want to be there, right with it.

Describe the RVCA DNA. It’s a pretty well rounded brand with all types of individuals, so where and whom do you find yourself fitting in?

Pat Tenore is the man!

Describe your shaping for this last year? Are you shaping boards just for yourself or are you selling boards under a name? Can we find a board shaped by you in a shop?

Last year I tried working with only a few curves and seeing what I could get from them. I probably made 30-40 boards out of three templates using very similar rockers, and as I said above, I was interested in the fins. Next year is gonna be totally different, I’ve had some recent influences which I can’t divulge yet that have really shaken up my outlook on board design. I’m gonna digest it for a while, build a space in my backyard here in Byron and see what it manifests into. No boards in shops. Catch me in Cali over their summer, come say “hi” and we’ll go from there.

Finally, what’s your connection with California?

Those darn pretty girls you got over there!

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Photography: Dominic Petruzzi dominicpetruzziphoto.com @dominicpetruzzi Model: Allie Leggett CW Management & Wilhelmina LA Hair & Makeup: MorganFallon.com Oh wow, who wouldn’t wanna start off 2015 with an Allie Leggett lying in their bed? I mean seriously… blonde hair, blue eyes, melting smile and legs for days, we really think this is what each and everyone of you readers out there in BL!SSSville deserves. And it’s said that behind every strong man is an even stronger woman – if that’s the case, I think we’d all feel like Superman behind this Wonder Woman. So here’s to 2015, and to each and every one of you out there in hopes you find your very own Allie Leggett in 2015.

Photo: jr-art.net

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Words: Liz Rice McCray Photos: Guillaume Cagniard (*unless noted) No women are allowed within the bounds of the secluded port Le Havre, France. The dockers who work within the restricted port, closed off by barriers, are the father/son legacies that have inherited their jobs with generational pride. Daily, monthly, yearly… thousands of large freights come into port, from city to city, caring goods that sustain us. Dockers are the men of the port that have unloaded the goods for hundreds of years. Guillaume Cagniard, a French filmmaker, captures artist JR and his project “Women Are Heroes” in a beautiful black-and-white film called Rivages that pays tribute to the lonely port of Le Havre, and the proud men that work there.

We must say JR did it again. In 10 days, JR and his team pasted 2,600 hundred strips of paper to containers to create Le Havre’s first female. The container ship left port, freighted to go across the world to Malaysia, and embarked the waters with the eyes of a woman: “Lonely eyes passing by silently and quietly, never to be heard from again.” Her eyes within port Le Havre… for every woman, wife, daughter, mother, and sister.

Director Guillaume Cagniard provided some insight about his collaboration with dockers and artist JR. “I wanted to show through the portraits of dockers an example of a profession embodied by proud and solitary men,” he explains. “Deeply rooted in traditional values, passed on from father to son, these dockers challenge the constant coming and going of ships. I wanted to pay tribute to the various trades in the port, without which JR’s project would not have been possible. The port is a very secluded place, closed off by barriers, without any women. One can only become a docker strictly through father/son legacies. That is what I wanted to show with the three generations of dockers stacked on top of each other, watching the boat drift away. Thanks to our exchange, a friendship was born.

They joined with us to paste the eyes of a woman – the very first woman to be allowed in the port.”

Artist JR explained his part in the project and how he wanted the message to travel. “In 2007, my project, Women Are Heroes, was created to pay tribute to those who play an essential role in society, but who are the primary victims of war, crime, rape, or political and religious fanaticism,” JR says. “They gave me their trust and asked for a single promise: ‘Make my story travel with you.’

Portraits and eyes of women were pasted on a train in Kenya, a Favela in Brazil, a demolished house in Cambodia, a building in New York, on bridges in Paris, on the walls in Phnom Penh. Women Are Heroes is this legacy… ending with a ship leaving a port, with a huge image that turns microscopic after a few steps closer. It’s the idea of these women who stay in their villages and face difficulties in regions torn by wars and poverty, and facing the infinity of the ocean. We have no idea where and how people will see this artwork. We are sure women far away will feel something; seeing this boat, her lonely eyes passing by silently and quietly, never to be heard from again.”

Special thanks to the producer of Rivages film, Emile Abinal

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Interview: Spencer Pirdy Photo: Laserwolf “The best surfer out there is the one having the most fun,” Phil Edwards once said long before Mason Ho was ever born. Now, Phil and all of us can relate to this anytime Mason hits the water. He’s like a snake charmer when it comes to surfing, whether it’s a closeout set at Waimea, a perfect Desert Point tube or a shore break wedge everyone else wrote off as unsurfable.

Mason will toy with it, tease it, pet it and make it his best friend. He’ll do so all with style and bravado that would make any surfer from any generation sit back and jealously appreciate just how much fun he’s actually having. And the best part is, he’s just as enjoyable to hang with and witness on land as he is in the water. Mason is the best surfer out there because he is, without a doubt, having more fun than all of us. Oh yeah, and he rips harder than 99.9% of the people on the planet. Anyways, here’s a quick Q&A with Mr. Fun himself.

What are your three favorite boards?

1. 8’0” ...Lost gun – It’s the best big board I’ve ever had. It paddles smooth like a Cadillac and turns quick and perfect like the Bat Mobile. Makes big waves and big lineups feel like a fun little shore break.

2. 5’9” ...Lost shortboard – I’ve been getting a few really nice shortboards from Matt Biolos. I’ve been liking the Mason Ho model board the best and the Chris Ward Nova model also.

3. 5’6” ...Lost Pile Driver – It’s a double-wing or single-wing special swallow tail. Works good in lots of different-sized waves and conditions; an all around fun board.

If you could bring one person back from the past and surf with them, who would it be?

It would be Eddie Aikau, for sure. I’d love to surf and hang out with him; seems like all the guys I know who got to kick it with him say that he had this super humble yet powerful vibe.

What’s the next move you want to pull?

Kickflips. I’ve been getting really close the last few days. I really want to sneak a kickflip into a contest combo of maneuvers, or get super barreled and come out straight into a kickflip. Also, a kickflip to any grab backside or frontside.

Would you rather score perfect pipe with Burger or perfect Rockies with your dad?

Sick question! I’ve had a few sessions with pops at perfect Rockies with nobody out already, so I’d have to go with perfect Pipe with Burger for sure.

If you could ask Hendrix one thing what would it be?

I’d ask him to be my travel partner.

Who’s surfing do you enjoy the most?

I really love watching my dad, uncle Derek and Coco surf. They all have super smooth style and they look so happy to be surfing.

What do you think of when you’re inside the barrel?

That depends on the surf spot. Sometimes I’m thinking about how hard I may hit that rock in the way. Big barrels I might think about surviving and enjoying at the same time. In perfect barrels I’m thinking about what I’m gonna do that night... I think.

What’s your ideal girl?

Ideal chick would be healthy, funny, cool, naked, gorgeous, can handle my lunatic friends and would have to put up with my crazy surfing addiction… to say the least. Oh yeah, and a HUGE, perfect ass.

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Words: Ryan Groat :: Photo: Vernon Deck Style is something that cannot be taught. It comes from a place in our soul that cannot be manipulated or contrived. Being truly inspired is a difficult task in this day and age and requires a commitment and perseverance that most possess but only a handful are able to successfully implement. What people perceive to be a hero or superstar is nothing more than a fellow human. The difference is these “stars” have tirelessly perfected their art/expression/ style with years and years of resilience, gratitude, humility, relentless practice and commitment.

That commitment shows in every aspect of Terje Håkonsen’s life. From his commitment to not support corrupt Olympic committees, shirking mega-paying energy drink sponsorship deals, creating the TTR, being an amazing father, jokester, and most importantly his tireless effort to unite the snowboard community around snowboarding.

His contest, the Arctic Challenge, was created to rival the first year Olympic committees brought snowboarding to the masses. His contest is based on progression, fun, creativity, lessening the environmental impact of events and promoting healthy, organic, sustainable foods and ways of living. When you combine these qualities with a snowboarder you get exactly that, Terje Håkonsen.

Terje sharply noticed as a kid who the rebels of snowboarding were and gravitated toward the style masters who were free of constraints felt by most athletes.

He quickly made a choice to ride freestyle. This decision started his career of snowboarding void of coaching, training, high-pressure management and most importantly no ski federation rules. These formative years rapidly shaped the man we know today.

I chatted with him recently and he has been snowboarding with his friends in Saas Fee, Switzerland and keeping warm at Fredi Kalbermatten’s Dorfblick Hotel. As the holidays approach family matters and he’s headed home to Oslo, Norway. Terje has been surfing as much as possible to keep his high-flying style smooth as silk. What people don’t really know is that snowboarding is a hobby for him.

At heart he is a soccer player.

For more information, videos, rants, his whereabouts, etc., follow his Instagram @Chocorompe and check out his website at terjehaakonsen.com.

The Cribs Live at the Garage, London 2011

Interview: Nolan Hall To recognize that you’re in a position to photograph and document life in a way that most people don’t is an amazing and a privileged opportunity. Pat Graham is a rare individual that recognized this privilege early and has been present to document some of the most influential bands of our time. Pat’s history with Modest Mouse begins at the very birth of the band. In 1992, he moved to Washington, DC to be closer to the music scene that fascinated him.

Since then, he’s been working and photographing with Modest Mouse as well as many other bands and has captured plenty.

Hey Pat! Ok, what was your first experience with a camera?

I remember shooting some pictures on my parent’s Kodak disc camera.

The memory is foggy but I can remember the strange disk film, which kind of looked like a throwing star.

I feel like creative people are sort of drawn together in some way. Can you tell us how you and Isaac met, and how you came to become roommates/friends?

I left my home of Waukesha, WI and moved 15 hours east to Washington, DC. Some friends and I set up a Fugazi gig at the Waukesha Expo Center. Fugazi stayed at my house (I was still living at my parents at the time). Later, I drove to DC with some friends to attend an Animal Rights March on the capital. Ian Mackaye introduced us to the activist house Positive Force. I became friends with people at PF and others in the DC scene… they encouraged me to move to DC/Arlington. So in 1992 I did. The main reason for the move was to be a part of the DC punk scene, and most importantly for me to take photographs of the bands playing in DC. Riot Grrrl had just started and Bikini Kill also had just moved to DC as well. I ended up taking shots of Bikini Kill that are still seen and used today. Three months after I moved into Positive Force, Isaac Brock from Issaquah, WA arrived and was now my roommate. He was 15 and had just dropped out of school. We both loved music, photography and art. Soon we began to experiment with photography and eventually we created a color copy photozine called Eggtooth. Since that time in 1992 we have been co-collaborators and friends.

Being able to support yourself as a photographer is hard work.

What are some of the struggles you had to face early on? Or were there any tough decisions you had to make to help you continue to shoot photos and do what you love?

Early on life as a photographer was always wrapped up in other jobs and living a life that was less complicated. When I was young my main goal was to take photos of as many bands as possible. Also, photography was not as it is today. If I was at a gig and one other person was taking pictures it was rare. I don’t remember any struggles early on besides technical ones to do with lighting and running out of film.

Modest Mouse’s music is ultimate road trip music. What kind of stuff did you guys listen to in the van on tour?

We listened to all types… the guys in MM have a huge love for all types of music.

Two bands that stick out on particular tours are the Shins and the White Stripes.

Isaac was obsessed with both of those bands and we listened to them a lot. This was before anyone one knew who they were. The Shins ended up opening for MM on a few tours. We played their first demo EP over and over... or at least that’s how I remember it. The same was for the White Stripes. We listened to them across the USA and on a night off we went to see them at the Mercury Lounge in NYC. I thought they were a bit corny. I did buy a 7-inch from Jack White who was selling merch after the gig.

To narrow down an entire catalog of MM’s history into 160 pages must have been difficult. How was the editing process, and how did you make your final edit?

I went through and pulled out all the photos that I knew the band liked first. Then I picked my favorites from the boxes of prints I had made over the years. The next step I began to scan on the Imacon. This opened up my catalog since there was tons of stuff I never printed because I thought the negs were too difficult to print.

The Imacon is able to pick up details and scan negs that are practically impossible to print in a darkroom.

How much time are you on the road versus at home?

I’m not on the road that much anymore as I have already traveled all over the world with MM, Tortoise, The Sea and Cake, Make Up, The Cribs, etc… I also had the privilege of being chosen to be the photographer on the last Ray Ban Raw sound project. That job took me as far as Hong Kong and Australia and over to LA and NYC. At the moment I’m doing an MA in Documentary Photography here in London and I’m focusing on the London area. London is dense and is like traveling the world in a small space.

What’s next for you? I know MM has been working on a new album, so are you hopping in the bus for that one? Or do you have any new projects you’re currently working on?

I don’t think I will be on the bus for the next MM… but you never know. At the moment I’m working on a couple of solo exhibitions. One is for the Modest Mouse book. The exhibition is at the House of Vans in London. Vans has been very supportive in allowing me to create an exhibition that truly represents my vision of the body of work. Well over 100 framed photos, polaroids, the original zine layouts from Eggtooth, notes, set lists, my cameras used to take the pictures and even the custom carved out negative carriers I used to print the pictures. It’s hard for me to describe the exhibition in words. I took a lot of inspiration from seeing exhibitions by people like Tony Ray Jones, Robert Frank and Susan Meiselas. I’m also working on a touring exhibition that will feature my Instrument and music photos. The first show will open up in Malaga, Spain at LA TERMICA next October.

Busy man! Thanks for producing such a beautiful body of work for us all to enjoy, and thanks for your time Pat! Click on over to PatGraham.org to see more of Pat’s photography, his new Modest Mouse book could make a great Christmas present.

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The Make Up, Germany 1998

Johnny Marr at the Brixton Academy, October 2014

Isaac Brock, Italy 2007

Ian Mackaye in his office at Dischord house. Arlington, VA 1995

Photo: Tom Carey

Adversity has a way of either making or breaking people in the most extraordinary ways.

Sometimes they rise to the occasion, and other times they crumble and fade away. In terms of professional athletes, there are few bigger adversarial blows to withstand than that of a sidelining injury. Dusty Payne knows not only what it’s like to be pushed up against the ropes with ailments, but also what it’s like to be literally thrown out of the ring altogether in having the dream tour slip away. After being one of the most highly touted qualifiers for the World Tour in 2011, Dusty was plagued with injuries that seemed to get more and more problematic as the years wore on. In his last two seasons on tour (2012-13) Dusty pulled out of a total of eight events due to injury. With Dusty the injuries came not in his shoulders, back or neck, but instead in his knees and ankle. For a surfer whose bread and butter comes from landing enormous airs in the flats and linking together extreme, body-contorting carves, it was like Superman being stricken with kryptonite. It was a trying time for the Maui native, who’d been dubbed Volcom and Hawaii’s World Title hopeful.

At that point it would’ve been completely understandable for Dusty to throw in the towel with the tour. He’d given it a few good years of trying but obviously someone had a voodoo doll of him that they wouldn’t stop poking until he was completely off tour. Plus, Dusty could’ve made a fine living by exiting the contest scene and putting all of his eggs into the photo trip and video project basket. But he wouldn’t let this be. Dusty enjoys doing it all. He’ll drop an insane video part, score the cover of a magazine and compile an excellent heat score all in a day’s work. And as great as Dusty is in all facets of professional surfing, it’s the latter part that he seems destined to excel in.

We all may have taken Dusty Payne’s talent for granted, just as he admits he took his own surfing for granted in a recently released Volcom “True to This” Web edit. And it’s this self-awareness that spurred Dusty to patch the chink in his armor. He worked like a madman to re-strengthen and maintain his lower body via Crossfit-style workouts and intensive rehabilitation therapy. Gradually he became healthier and began gaining momentum in free surfs and contests, all the while just remaining appreciative of the fact that he was back in the water surfing.

Then, came the last two Qualifying Series events of the season at the Triple Crown. At Haliewa he was the in-form man, smashing every heat all the way to the finals. Once through to the finals though, the momentum quickly shifted into Dusty’s good friend Julian Wilson’s corner. Julian’s high scoring airs had everyone in the heat up against the ropes fighting for second place. But Dusty wouldn’t let his good pal run away with it. Julian’s surfing lit a fire under Dusty, and instead of trying to match him with airs, which had been working the whole event, Dusty got crafty. He used his rails and surfed Haliewa exactly how Haliewa wants to be surfed.

Ultimately it won the judges over and saw him posting two high 9s in the final minutes of the event. It was a comeback of epic proportions. Chaired up the beach by Tai Vandyke and Kai Garcia it was a surreal moment for Dusty. He was now very much in the hunt for a spot on next year’s tour and leading the pack for a Triple Crown title. On the podium Dusty was overcome by emotion, shedding a few tears during his interview, and when asked about the possibility of tour qualification he quickly brushed the question aside saying he was just happy to be surfing.

Then came Sunset, and the Dusty camp was biting its nails the whole time. With a final birth all but ensuring his spot on next year’s tour, Dusty seemed to make all of the right moves strategically, and he surfed one of the most difficult waves on the planet with acute expertise. If it wasn’t for Michel Bourez’s perfect wave selection in the final, Dusty might’ve taken home the whole cup and caboodle. But a second would bode just fine and see Dusty jerseying up for Snapper in February. He made it all happen in his home state, at the time and place that it mattered most – he came through in the clutch. However, to call his entire journey – from falling off tour, battling through injuries, and requalifying in heroic fashion – a comeback wouldn’t really be accurate. Instead, it’s simply Dusty Payne being really damn good at what he loves to do. We all face obstacles at different moments and in different aspects of life. Dusty Payne faced his that jeopardized the course of his career in the past few years. He now looks poised mentally and physically to tackle the tour with a wise new perspective, and surf fans all over should be rejoice that he’s back.

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Interview: Evan Rossell Photo: Jelle Keppens As a pro skater injuries are inevitable.

And when you’re injured you’re going to have a lot of time on your hands.

You can either sit and sulk or you can keep busy and hang with your friends.

Maybe you can even go and watch one of them get inked on a Monday afternoon.

We caught up with Colin Provost while he was doing just that and discussed moving, downtime, dogs and more.

How’s it going?

Good, chilling. Just watching my bro get tatted right now.

So, you’re injured right now?

Yeah, I had shoulder surgery. I got it like two months ago. It was from an injury I had a long time ago and it just kept popping out all of the time. I chipped off a bone and I had to get a cadaver bone.

It was bothering me for about four years.

Where you living these days?

I live in Vista now – inland Oceanside. I was living in Long Beach for a while but had to get out of there.

How do you like Vista?

I like it a lot. I was skating a shitload before this happened, but now I’ve just been posted.

How long are you out?

I’m out for another four months. I can’t even start physical therapy yet because they said my shoulder’s too weak.

I know with your background your dad shapes boards and you surf a bit. Were you surfing before the surgery?

No, I couldn’t because my shoulder would always pop out and then I’d like almost drown. Eventually though, I can’t wait to start surfing again. Once I get there it’ll be an easy recovery and help me in building my shoulder. I think that’s kind of why I injured it, because I stopped surfing. I think it just got weak and then I ripped it out.

How are you staying busy?

I basically just go over to the homies’ houses. I don’t know, just been lurking, cruising around – doing nothing basically.

You have dogs, right?

Yeah, I have two now, Chief and Harley. Chief’s a legend, but we’re kind of still working on Harley.

She’s still kind of spracked and lost, but she’s figuring it out. We lucked out on Chief; he’s a legend and doesn’t even need a leash.

You play video games?

I got Super Nintendo. I just bought one offline. I play a lot of that, and some pool as well.

You have a pool table?

Yeah, I just got one recently.

What are your plans for when you’re all healed up?

Just start skating again, start hittin’ it. There’s a Volcom video that’s going to be coming out in 2015, so I’ll just be working on that.

Want to give any shout outs?

Yeah, to all the bros. Everyone that’s always helped me out – mom and dad.

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Photo: Tom Carey Young Jack Robinson is a soft-spoken 16-year-old from Western Australia. He lets his surfing do his talking, and holy hell does his surfing speak volumes.

His small wave game is up to par with any young hotshot in the world, but it’s his act in the heavy stuff that is blowing everyone’s minds. Tahiti, Hawaii and at home in West Oz, Jack charges like a maniac. Like we said, he’s fairly quiet and reserved, but the humble phenom was able to answer a few quick questions for us in between packing gems at Off the Wall.

Tell us about your most recent trip to Tahiti where, by all accounts, you threw yourself into some of the craziest Teahupoo waves a 16-year-old has ever paddled into.

I’m just getting a taste for that place – I can’t wait to go back there for more good swells.

Do you feel as though growing up surfing the waves in Western Australia has helped hone your skills and raised your comfort level in heavy waves?

Yeah definitely, because I got comfortable surfing those waves at a young age.

Whose surfing inspires you today?

John John, Taj, Bruce and Kelly.

Do you want to be on tour one day, or is free-surfing the path you want to take?

I’ll take both.

If you could take a surf trip anywhere in the world with anyone in the world, where would you go and who would you bring?

I’d go back to Tahiti and hang with the locals there and go explore with them. Those guys are great surfers and fun to surf with.

Up to this point in your life, what’s the single best wave you’ve ever caught?

I’m still searching for it. I don’t think it’s come yet.

Do you enjoy riding the barrel on your forehand or backhand more?

Forehand is great, but getting barreled on your backhand gives you the opportunity to fit your body into different angles.

Where are some of your favorite places in the world to travel?

Indo… and the North and South Pacific islands.

What’s one goal you currently have set for yourself?

I imagine goals, but I don’t really think about them when I am doing a task.

What makes you the happiest?

Good waves, a good crew and good diving. Hanging out with positive people in good places.

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Interview: Jon Francis Photo: Ben Gavelda Blake Paul is a humble little guy on the big come up. He grew up in a valley surrounded by some of the best mountains and terrain in the world, and has been mentored and brought under the wing of some of the greatest snowboard talents of all time. He had the opening part in Snowboarder Mag’s new movie “Foreward,” which was solid front-to back of the future talents in snowboarding.

There is a certain group of kids paving the way for the future of snowboarding and Blake is at the top of that list.

Where did you grow up and how did you end up in Jackson, Wyoming?

I was born in Vermont, but my whole family moved out to Jackson when I was around six years old. Everyone in my family snowboards and is super outdoorsy so it was time for a change.

How has Jackson helped mold the rider you are today?

I’d say the resort there has played a huge part in developing my riding. It’s just different than anywhere else; 4,000-foot vertical runs that hold a steep pitch, natural jumps everywhere, easily accessible backcountry, I could go on forever. But it influences a different type of rider for sure.

Who have been your influences growing up there?

Growing up I looked up to everybody that rips there: Travis Rice, Lance Pitman, Bryan Iguchi, Rob Kingwill, Mark Carter.

I rode a lot with Alex Yoder as well. It’s crazy to go out with some of those guys. I’ve spent a lot of time my past few seasons filming with Guch and Carter. It’s epic to be mentored by such knowledgeable dudes in the backcountry.

Besides the legends you just mentioned, who do you see paving the way for the future of snowboarding?

There’s so many these days: Max and Gus Warbington, Spencer Schubert, Sam Taxwood, and the entire Lick the Cat crew. Those guys are all my close friends and each has their own style of boarding: Tommy Gesme, Mike Rav, Forest Bailey, and anybody who just has their own unique way of doing things, people that keep snowboarding tasteful.

What did you take away from this last season of filming for the new Snowboarder Mag movie “Foreward”?

I think I learned a lot more than I could describe in just a few lines, but all in all I realized how much hard work it takes to film a proper video part, mentally and physically.

But I also understood how important it is to always keep it lighthearted and fun along the way. I think it’s more important to think of the process as sort of an “insightful fun journey” and not so much as “work,” as stupid as that may sound. But I definitely took away some rad memories and friendships from the project itself.

Who had your favorite part in “Foreward?”

Spencer Schubert or Dillion Ojo. If you could pick your five-rider dream team, who would be on it?

Off the top of my head… Alex Lopez, Warbingtons brothers, Alex Yoder, Forest Bailey, and Dave Marx If there was one thing in snowboarding you could change what would it be?

It’s hard because there’s a lot of opinions out there, and I do think that some things need to happen the way they do for snowboarding to survive, but there are a lot of little subcultures involved and everybody has their place, which is rad. I just think it’s important for people to have their own image and style, their own way of creatively doing things.

Take more inspiration from outside of snowboarding, rather than worrying about the next trick or uploading a new edit everyday. More people just doing what they want and not caring about all the politics involved.

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Words: Spencer Pirdy :: Photo: Bosko As we chow down at one of Costa Mesa’s finer taquerias, 20-year-old Noa Deane tells me of when he shifted his career into full-time freesurf mode. He’d just finished a contest in China where the waves resembled boat wakes. It was laughable to the point of where he pushed a fellow competitor into the little dribblers in one of his heats, and questioned why in the world he was where he was after losing early on.

Shortly after getting home he got a call from one of his favorite surfers, Dane Reynolds. Dane invited him on a trip to Mexico to film for his new movie, Loaded. Noa went, and on the trip he raised the level of his surfing so much so that he became one of the shining stars of the film. From there he took off to Bali, had some good times, kept producing Web gold with his filmer Shane Fletcher and began winning the attention of the surf world. Noa hasn’t looked back and has kept the travel going ever since.

Now, he’s living his dream. “I’m hanging out with people that I’ve always looked up to; like Dane, Ozzy and Dion – who’s an absolute blast,” he says. Christian Fletcher is another one of his favorite surfers. Noa’s always been inspired by him, and that’s seen in the way that he now only rides boards with double traction pads. You can see Christian’s influence in Noa’s surfing – his ‘boned-out’ airs and skate-esque approach.

Although Noa’s more than capable of throwing in a mean stalefish or slob grab, he finds the most pleasure out of launching a good old fashioned massive straight air.

In a very short time Noa has skyrocketed to the top of the list of free surf freaks on this planet and done so in his own unique way. It’s not just his turns and airs, but his tube riding, his raw style and the don’t-give-a-fuck attitude he carries with him. Noa is one of the trending surfers on the planet right now, and at 20 that’s a lot to take.

Tonight at dinner he’s telling me how he’s taking a week off from drinking before he heads over to Hawaii. Make no mistake about it though – Noa knows how to have a good time. Back on the Gold Coast he’s a part of a band with his buddies called “Skeggs.” They tour around, play shows and have a solid following. In a way, Noa embodies the rock-and-roll surfer persona. In the surf industry there’s a huge market that’s eating up this persona, which is why brands like D’Blanc and Rusty have made him the face of their campaigns. But on the flipside you can’t take it too far or you’ll offend people. And Noa isn’t too big of a fan of adhering to the wellmannered side of the surf industry. “It kind of sucks, you’re not allowed to be raw out of the water or you get so much shit. It was an antiauthority sport, but now they’re making it like the NFL or something.” This past month while becoming the most decorated man of the night at the 2014 Surfer Poll Awards, Noa exercised his anti-authoritarian side in denouncing the World Surfing League, a.k.a. the ASP, on stage, giving everyone plenty to rant about. Whether you agree with his political outbursts or not, it’s hard to deny the fact that he’s a spice that adds plenty of fresh flavor to a growingly bland surf world. And if you can’t take his on-land act then just enjoy his surfing because it’s good for you it’s unfiltered, full throttle and 100% raw.

Photography: Derek Bahn @dbahnphotos Model: Sharon Coplon @stokedspicolis This provocatively posed beauty is Sharon. Born in Korea, raised in Indonesia and regularly jet setting back and forth between the States and Bali, Sharon defies the typical model lifestyle. She’s just as accustomed to skating and riding motorbikes in the streets of Bali as she is to lounging at the beach, listening to good music or working her day job as a visual merchandiser for a shoe company. Plus, and here’s the kicker: she’s the type of girl who’s down-to-earth attitude and genuine nature will leave you seeing hearts. All of these dream-girl qualities aside, this image captured

by Derek Bahn is the ultimate way to start the New Year, so cheers to the Super Tastiest 2015 ahead.

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It trumps all other big wave events on the planet as far as sheer longevity and legitimacy. Plus, it’s arguably the most coveted title to hold in the world of surfing. This past month, members of the big-wave brotherhood came from all corners of the globe to gather at Waimea Bay and honor heroic lifeguard and legendary big-wave surfer Eddie Aikau for the opening ceremony of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Invitational. Among the invitees were both old and new faces – a big part of what makes this event so unique. In the circle sat names like Makua and newly invited alternate Koa Rothman; Mason and his father Michael Ho; John John Florence, and past winners Greg Long, Bruce Irons and Noah Johnson; and legends like Darrick Doerner and Eddie’s brother Clyde Aikau. On the international side the big names like Carlos Burle, Jamie Mitchell and Grant Baker were there to pay homage along with the rest of the big-wave brethren.

What makes this event so special is primarily who it honors – Eddie Aikau. A man who gave his life to save others and a Hawaiian who defined what it means to be a waterman. There’s also the list of invitees who have been carefully chosen and whittled down to the best big-wave surfers on earth. To get an invite would be the equivalent of a football player going to the Super Bowl, in all of its prestige and glory. Lastly, the Eddie Aikau Invitational doesn’t happen every year, or every few years for that matter. The Eddie chooses the day, never to be run in waves under the minimum criteria of 30-40 feet on the face. That being said, this year has promise, with many competitors already making predictions that 2014 will be the year. The Eddie window opened on December 1st and will last until February 28th, and with El Nino-like storms pulsing through, this could be the year that the Eddie goes and those predictions are proven correct!

Photos: Sloane & Bielmann 1. Invitees in the classic Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau stance. 2. Ross Clarke-Jones, Tom Carroll, Carlos Burle & Kahea Hart 3. The sacred Eddie grass circle 4. Gabriel Villaran, Miguel Tudela, Greg Long & Ramon Navarro 5. Eddie in his element 6. Kalani Chapman, Jamie O’Brien & Kai Lenny 7. Mason & Mike Ho 8. Ian Walsh, Alex Gray, Albee Layer, Billy Kemper & Darrick Doerner 9. Ian Walsh, Makua Rothman & Sunny Garcia inspect Ian’s equipment. 10. Eli Olson & John John Florence 11. Shane Dorian, Jesse Billauer & Kala Alexander 12. Clyde Aikau

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JUSTIN FIGUEROA KICKFLIP FRONTSIDE BOARDSLIDE @activerideshop | #activePro | @killerpizza Bliss-Figgy.indd 1

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The Surfer Poll Awards are the Academy Awards of professional surfing. You’ve got everyone dressing up all dapper, some comic relief via funny speeches, the anticipation of who’ll win “Best Actor” (John John)/”Actress” (Steph Gilmore) and then even a few out-of-left-field occurrences that you never saw coming. That all went down and then some this year.

As far as highlights go, there are a few worth mentioning. Noa Deane took home the prestigious “AI Breakthrough Performer of the Year award,” and then got extra wild along with Dion in accepting the Globe team’s award for “Movie of the Year” for Strange Rumblings in Shangri La. Let’s just say we think they had a few too many libations, but you can watch the video and judge for yourself. Koa Smith nabbed “Barrel of the Year” for his mind numbingly long Namibia tube that was at least 40-some-odd seconds long. His acceptance speech was pretty comical as well: “I can’t believe I got more barreled than all of you.” Grant Twiggy Baker was

the “Heavy Water” winner, dedicating his award to all of the water safety teams out there. And Albee Layer took home “Best Performance” for basically being a freak in everything from 2-foot shit wind waves to 60-foot Jaws.

The biggest shakeup news in the surfer poll was who finished in the top three for the men. Brazilian powerhouse Gabriel Medina hit the number three spot, a feat yet to have been achieved by any other non-Australian or non-American surfer. Then it all came down to Kelly and John John, two great friends but also two uber-competitive rivals. In a sign of the changing of the times, John emerged victorious. Both gave epic speeches, Kelly always so eloquent and John’s hinting at a career in standup comedy somewhere down the road. It was a pretty historic evening, a great event as always at the Turtle Bay with plenty of fun on the night that the stars come out on Oahu’s North Shore.

Photos: Ellis & Lowe-White 1. John John Florence took the previously Slater-owned first place spot in the polls. 2. Kelly Slater, semi-sponsorless and finishing in second place. Things are really going downhill for the guy… 3. Brazil’s favorite son, Gabriel Medina took the bronze. 4. Mick Fanning saves groms’ lives, contends for titles and brings home the hardware with his fourth place finish. 5. Jordy Smith, in fifth place, is always a fan favorite. 6. Where has sixth place Dane Reynold’s been!? 7. Joel Parkinson is still hanging in there with a seventh place finish. 8. Kolohe Andino with a ninth place finish in the poll. 9. The most awarded man of the night, Noa Deane.

10. Koa Smith won Best Barrel, and is probably getting barreled as you’re reading this. 11. Grant “Twiggy” Baker was the most successful big wave man in 2014 which is why he was given the Heavy Water award. 12. Women’s champ Stephanie Gilmore 13. The Globe team going ham after winning Movie of the Year for Strange Rumblings. 14. Legends Gerry Lopez and Mark Occhilupo 15. Kaipo Guerrero & Dave Wassel 16. Attractive Distractions stars Albee Layer and Matt Meola 17. Leila Thomas, Camille Brady & Alana Blanchard 18. Maui boys Kai Barger, Dusty Payne & Granger Larsen

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POWDER YOUR NOSE GET IN DEEP THIS SEASON AT MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, WHERE WINTER IS IN FULL EFFECT. TRADE IN THE SALTY AIR FOR A FACE SHOT OF CALIFORNIA’S BEST SNOW. JUST DON’T FORGET YOUR GOGGLE WIPE. GET UP TO MAMMOTH. DIAL IN YOUR NEXT TRIP NOW.

FACILITIES UNDER PERMIT FROM INYO NATIONAL FOREST.

Words: Richard Olivares The Volcom Volcanic Rock Out Tour landed back in Hawaii this season! After a couple of years off, it was time to bring some good vibes and live music to the island of Oahu. There are all walks of life in Hawaii during the winter months. This year, Volcom called up their buddies ‘The Growlers” and told them to pack their aloha shirts and boardies because they’re going to Hawaii! Life on the road for these guys usually consists of long cross-country drives in a dirty tour bus with no sleep for weeks. I’m sure that can be fun, but a trip to Hawaii with the Volcom crew sounds much better.

“Beach Goth” is an understatement… the band arrived to Hawaii in polyester pants, Reyn Spooner shirts, pale-white skin and they were frothing for a surf. Not many people go straight from the airport to Makaha. We got the call from Russ Keaulana and the west side boys to come down for some welcoming Waianae hospitality. You can’t pay for the treatment that The Growlers got to experience.

Yeah, California and Australia have their qualities, but good waves and fresh food in Hawaii is the best.

The first show kicked off in Honolulu on a wild Friday night. Volcom rented a warehouse in the middle of China Town and turned things up! The Growlers grew

up playing in empty warehouses, so this was a good start for the tour. Tons of fans from all over the island showed up and rocked the place ‘til the end of time.

That night ended with smiles and dollar bills at the famous Femme Nu. The next morning was a little slow and rough, but watching the Pipe Masters at the Volcom house was as good as it gets. The band crawled out of the van and didn’t miss a second of the action out front. The contest was called off for the day so the band went over to Turtle Bay and sipped Mai Tais ‘til their show at the Surfer Bar. This show was a good ol’ fashion blowout. The Surfer Bar was packed shoulder-to-shoulder and The Growlers rocked the joint until last call.

The show of the tour was held at the Volcom House right after the Pipe Masters final day. If you watched the final or have any idea, I’m sure you can imagine what went down. Thanks to Pacifico, there was plenty of beer for the few hundred people that showed up in the yard. This show was magical and much needed after such an amazing year of surfing. Thanks to Growlers, Clint Moncata and the rest of the Volcom Hawaii family – it was unreal! Until next year, when Spam turns into steak and when Primos turn into champagne!

Photos: Bielmann, Olivares & Reilly 1. The Volcom House at happy hour 2. Brooks leaning into one at Surfer the Bar 3. The Metal Neck crew and some groupies 4. Girls like to Growl too 5. Volcom House enforcer Kai Borg 6. Matt Taylor and the only leather jacket in Hawaii 7. The Growlers acoustic set 8. Rusty Buckets 9. House show madness 10. New and old friends 11. The best view for a venue 12. “When Spam turns into steak”

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ginsberg | driftwoodfoto

Words: Alek Parker & Chris Hess

Insight’s favorite Florida-grown band SWIMM currently live in a Downtown LA warehouse they call The Cube. SWIMM decided to host their next show at home, and from this concept they gave birth to Cube Nights. SWIMM, along with help from friends Austyn Gillette and the boys of Part Friend, hung reflective mylar from sketchy ladders to transform The Cube into a ‘sexedellic space station.’ Austyn Gillete’s band Part Friend primed the evening with an array of tunes, which confirmed the fact that those in attendance were exactly where they wanted to be that Friday night. SWIMM took their home stage, erupting the crowd into a frenetic dance party that drew the packed warehouse of LA socialites together for one big, close-knit, moonshine-infused frenzy. During the show, Cube resident artist Brandon Lomax put on a

display of live projection art over the bands, transporting the trance-like dance to another dimension of visual euphoria. SWIMM exited the stage and the music slid right into a DJ set from Gem1n1Seven, which took this Cube Night into the wee hours of Saturday morning. SWIMM called upon allies across the greater LA region to come together in support of this ambitiously curated party. Supporters of the SWIMM movement included Insight, Creative Drinking, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine, Just Chill and Bagavagabond Sound, which wil likely be the first of many SWIMM Cube Nights. For more evidence of the party, check out blog posts at swimmmusic.com and Insight51.com.

Photos: Jordan Gatsby 1. SWIMM layered in artist Brandon Lomax’s visual projection exploration 2. FUCK YEAH FRIDAY with Part Friend and SWIMM 3. Peace out bitches 4. Blondes are more fun. Just ask Maddison and Amanda here 5. The two-headed babe 6. Chris Hess from SWIMM is responsible for multiple mass group eargasms 7. Insight’s West Coast Sales (2nd from the left) straight chillin 8. Outside wall hang with @Langleyfox and friends 9. Oh Hey Gurl! 10. Why is he flicking off the only girl in the group? 11. Dudes 12. Kisses! Good night/morning and thanks for coming!

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On December 12th Cutlass had the grand opening of their flagship store located right off of 32nd street on the peninsula in Newport Beach. The opening fell on a Friday night just after a day of rain, and as luck would have it the weather cleared just in time to reveal a clear night with anxious partygoers coming from all over. With catering from Bear Flag, tequila donated by Epoca Dorada, beers and mixed drinks flowing, the party was fueled from start to finish. DJ Mark Moreno was on hand to throw down a few sets along with DJ Dax, providing the perfect soundtrack and vibe that kept the house packed all night. Attendees were able to grab fresh new Cutlass gear, mingle and indulge in all that the new store has to offer.

Cutlass shares the space in the store with upstart streetwear brand Leaders By Design. Together the two have become the perfect addition to the neighborhood as a one-stop-shop for clothing and a good time.

The grand opening was a great success with fun for all who showed up, and we look forward to seeing the store flourish. Next time you’re in the area make sure to stop on by, grab some gear and hang with the designers themselves.

Photos: Eddie Deleon & Casey Sullivan 1. Cutlass Cabana Panorama with Natalie Bradley 2. Mr. & Mrs. Dean Bradley 3. 3109 Villa Way, Newport Beach 4. Cody and Ryan 5. The Sullivans, Katie Jo and Rasta Ray 6. The BL!SSS Bathroom 7. Kendall Sue and Dorian 8. DJ Aaron George, Martin Stern and DJ DAX 9. DJ Mark Moreno 10.

Spides and Cole

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WE JUST PRINT THE SH&T! / ERIK@AMPERLITHO.COM / 760.213.4008 / 910 17TH ST. COSTA MESA, CA 92627

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Interview: Max Ritter Photo: Scarlett Connolly You know, man, we’re just talking with Gabriel Rodriguez, who plays in the band Cults, about his new project Hideout with fellow Cults drummer Cory Stier. We also got off track and talked about Star Wars because we’re nerds, yew! The record is called Rookie and it’s out now on Thrill Me Records. I listened to the song “It Ends” 50 times today – it rules.

You and Cory have been friends for a long time, so how did the songs for Hideout materialize?

It was a natural progression. We had been in bands together before so it was just kind of continuing what we have always done. It came basically because we were touring together in Cults.

You guys live on different sides of the country now. Does that make it difficult to do this project?

Yeah, well the Internet makes things pretty easy. I think the reason we are both happy about this record or future recordings is that we have time to digest what we are making and we can each take time to really make sure we are happy with our ideas before we send them to the other person. It’s not like we are in a room arguing over which part is better.

However, in that same sense, it makes it hard because something like practicing only happens for a short amount of time.

There are positives and negatives, but for the most part it’s what we are dealing with so I really have no complaints. It’s just what it is.

Where did you guys record the album?

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It was recorded kind of all over the place.

When we were on tour with Cults we would work on it in hotel rooms when we had free time. It was recorded a little bit in NY in my apartment. It was also recorded in some studios in San Diego.

Tommy Garcia (Mrs. Magician), who plays bass in the band live, did a lot of the recording at his studio. Once we get together we have usually had enough conversations and sent songs back and fourth enough so that we just kind of hammer it out when it comes to recording.

You kind of know what you’re doing going into it, which makes it easy.

You are kind of a sci-fi nerd; three of the songs on the record are kind of intertwined as a fictional story, right?

I don’t think that I know more about sci-fi than anybody else, I just love it. It’s not like I have a very great knowledge of it but when I was writing lyrics for this song, three of the songs just kind of ended up be written together. I was writing this story about a kid that is abducted and comes back and thinks that he is and ambassador for an alien race basically.

Are you a Star Wars fan?

I love Star Wars.

Did you see the new trailer?

Yeah, I have seen it a bunch of times.

I was actually talking to somebody last night just about the light saber and why it is ridiculous and why it doesn’t matter.

I had that same conversation with someone …

Yeah exactly … I try not to be particular and stuck up about it – I just enjoy the fantastic ideas.

Do you think the franchise is in good hands with J.J. Abrams?

It’s hard to say. I like some of his movies.

I mean, probably better hands than George Lucas’s apparently. I don’t know, it’s hard to say.

It’s kind of funny how die-hard Star Wars people kind of hate George Lucas.

He’s like his own worst enemy, you know what I mean? Either way, I am going to go to theaters and see it. I like it and I am just excited for it regardless.

Well, we got off track there. Back to the band… I know you are pretty busy playing in Cults but are you guys going to make some time to tour this project?

Yeah, I think so. We definitely want to.

We want to give it the time we feel it deserves. Right now Cults just started recording another record, so we’re going to have time not touring. I think even when Cults tours we are going to try and balance both. I feel like there is always time for things if you put enough effort into making time for them.

I can’t stop listening to the song “It Ends.” Can you talk a little bit about what that song is about?

Lyrically, it was about just believing. It’s the idea that you get older and things change but people still remember, regardless. Things around you change but since you shared something with somebody there is still a place that you can go to and remember that.

The video for “Where You Are” was done by Derrick and Dusty, who have done a lot of videos for bands in the

San Diego music scene, like Mrs. Magician. I trip out on how creatively talented those guys are.

They are awesome. Dusty did all the artwork for the record too. As far as the video, the only guidelines we gave them were that I wanted it to be from a first person’s perspective, like you were playing a video game. They just ran with it. I think that’s just how those guys are.

They are always hustling. They rule.

What’s that one about?

My interpretation of the song and what we talked about was how when you’re searching for something, no matter what it is, when you finally get there you realize the journey is what you were looking for.

It’s not to be cliché but the song and video are more about the idea of that.

It’s the journey not the destination kind of thing?

Exactly.

Who is behind Thrill Me Records?

That’s our label. We just kind of release stuff we like and people we are friends with. We have a couple releases coming out next year that we are excited about.

We just started kind of really going for it but it’s important to all of us. We want a platform to release our friends’ music and just make sure everybody has records at shows and people can get your record on the Internet.

Thanks, Gabe! Check out Hideout’s record Rookie, available from Thrill Me Records. Also, thanks to EJ from Grizzly Records for always turning us onto good SD bands.

Review: Max Ritter

J Cole 2014 Forest Hills Drive Roc Nation I pulled up to In-N-Out Burger today and I was jamming through this album per recommendation of my rap-head little brother. The song “Wet Dreamz” came on while I was waiting for my food in the drive thru and I made direct eye contact with a tranny that was ordering at the walk-up window.

She/he was feeling it. My dog was feeling it. All the employees were feeling it. I thought I was in a music video. It was a weird moment, but that’s when I knew this song was crowd pleaser. Anyway, if you want to hear Cole’s boom-bap re-telling of losing his virginity, this hammer is for you. Also, for more rap fix check Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Piñata.

D’Angelo Black Messiah RCA It ain’t ready yet! Almost 15 years later the king of baby-making music surprises us with a play-through classic, every bit as good, if not better, than his last album Voodoo.

D’Angelo pushed the release of Black Messiah to make a timely statement about the recent police shootings in Ferguson, MO and NY. It’s politically charged and sexy.

Useless Eaters Thee Men’s Warehouse, Anaheim, CA Saturday, December 13th 2014

Review & Photo: Max Ritter

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I caught Seth Sutton and his bandmates ruling Thee Men’s Warehouse on a Saturday night. Seth is going on six years now of making music as Useless Eaters.

The dude rips. Useless Eaters have a new album called Bleeding Moon out now on SF’s Castle Face Records.

The set list was on a pizza box.

John Wesley Coleman III The Love That You Own Burger Records I’m dieting on some swell, trashy American rock and roll songwriting by John Wesley Coleman. If you’re a dog lover check out his video for “Hanging With The Band.” Anyone know how I can get my dog a jean vest with a Black Flag patch?

Sounds Of Two Eyes Opening Photographs By Spot (Book) Glen Lockett, a.k.a. Spot, was the in-house producer at Black Flag and founded hardcore punk label SST Records. Between 1979 and 1985, he was involved in some way with most of SST’s classic albums, working on all of Black Flag’s greatest releases and on albums by the Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Saint Vitus, Descendents, Big Boys, Hüsker Dü, The Dicks, Subhumans and Misfits. During this time he was also an avid photographer, and this book showcases some of his work documenting the beach and punk subcultures in South Bay, LA. He apparently was also a roller skater, hence further proof that genuine creativity transforms all mediums.

Age: 14 Hometown: North Shore, Oahu Sponsors: Volcom, Electric, T&C Surfboards, Creatures, Futures, Banzai Bowls, Cholos and The Young and Brave Foundation Favorite Surfer: John John Florence Photo: Joe Foster

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Age: 17 Hometown: Newtown, CT Sponsors: Huf (Flow), Enjoi (Flow), Asphalt Yacht Club, Bones Wheels, Ace Trucks, Filmbot Griptape, Fortune Headwear, Knowgood Hardware and Remind Insoles and Cocoabeach Skatepark Favorite Skaters: Ishod Wair, Jack Olson and Brad Cromer

Photo: Ricky Aponte

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TO SERIES

MINDSTATE

Pintail Drop-Through for Ergonomic Push Photo : Matt Smith / ARBORSKATEBOARDS

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Age: 16 Hometown: Chatham, New Jersey Sponsors: Volcom, Union Bindings & Electric Eyewear Favorite Rider: Forest Bailey Photo: T.Bird

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Trim: 10.5” W X 13.625” H

Bleed: 0.125”

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