Arto Saari on his signature denim. The ďŹ t is epic. The quality is far superior. And the design is beyond pinnacle. Design Unlikely Futures.
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Even a good listener is usually thinking of something else, but this time they won’t. Through the core of science and the biggest bag of love WeSC brings the freshest headphones ever. All designed to fit the individual as much as the lifestyle. Feel at home grooving with us. Your ears have never looked sexier.
Weactivist – Amy Gunther
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com
EDITOR joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR mark paul deren madsteez@madsteez.com
MUSIC EDITOR tim bergevin tim@blisssmag.com
SNOW EDITOR jon francis jon@blisssmag.com
ADVERTISING ads@blisssmag.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason Kenworthy, Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom Carey, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran, Dave Nelson, Pat Eichstaedt, Andrew Miller, Julien Lecorps, Ryan Boyes, Zach Hooper, Tim Peare
CONTRIBUTORS Matt Patterson, Willie Marshall, Josh Spencer, Aaron Astorga, Daniel Russo, Liz Rice, Jason Arnold, Greg Escalante, 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 BL!SSS Magazine 413 31st Street Newport Beach, CA 92663
MARCH 2009
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.
Cover Art : James Jean If your favorite shop isn’t receiving BL!SSS Magazine please contact info@blisssmag.com
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THE 51-30 GUNMETAL THE MONEY SHOT
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0.7 in 21 in
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325 in .625 in BL_anon_Dion_21x13.625.pdf Trim: 21 x 13.625 in Safety: 20.7 x 13.325 in
21 in 0.7 in PEETKEGLER ART DIRECTION & DESIGN 17 SE 3rd AVE., SUITE 501
STONE YOUR TV
LA SKATE PLAZA I guess now that skateboarding is finally starting to get a little recognition as an actual sport, they decided to build a skate plaza right here in good ol’ Los Angeles. I take that back, it’s actually the Rob Dyrdek/DC Shoes Skate Plaza Foundation with some much needed funding from Carl’s Jr that is making this dream a reality. The best part about it is that the Lafayette Safe Spot Skate Spot will be open by the time you’re reading this. With over 7,000 square feet of skateable terrain, the spot contains ledges, benches and stairs that flow through the natural landscape. So what the hell are you waiting for? Put this mag down and go skate. The crew up the hill at Volcom is always a few steps ahead of the game, which is why we weren’t that surprised when they launched their newest website, StoneYour.tv. The video site is chocked full of their newest releases and old favs in a rad new interface that you can use to embed on your Myspace, Facebook or any other website to make the chicks (and dudes) think that you are some kind of computer whiz. Is that what’s getting kids laid these day, computer skills? Damn, it’s always some new trend and we here at BL!SSS seem to always be one step behind. Good on ya Volcom.
RENT CONTROL Founded in winter 2008, Rent Control, Inc is a homegrown design and creative studio that works with brands to identify and market their true core values and DNA. Rent Control moves beyond the same old ‘trend oriented’ graphic solution model and instead concentrates on creating focused and on-message ad campaigns, in-store programs, packaging solutions, and other creative needs that require a visual “voice”. With both Matt Lindauer, from Roxy and Joe “JoeMac” Mcelroy from Hurley at the helm, there is a wealth (over 25 years between them) of experience in the action sports industry. Find out more about their work at rentcontrolinc.com.
BAR REFAELI X SPORTS ILLUSTRATED It’s funny how (in our opinion) one of the worst magazines out there can create such a great issue once a year. Yes that’s right, we’re talking about Sports Illustrated. And before you jocks get all huffy and puffy over that first sentence, let us just say that since seeing the Hurley girl Bar Refaeli on the cover, we have dished out our last dollars for a lifetime subscription. Geez, if you haven’t picked up of copy of this beautiful thing, go get one now – just don’t forget to use the rest of the year’s mags for firewood.
PAUL’S BOUTIQUE Even though we are in the midst of a fullblown recession, I just had to kick down a little cash to purchase the 20-year re-release of the Beastie Boy’s groundbreaking classic Paul’s Boutique. I literally grew up on this album and just couldn’t resist. Of course, just weeks later I found out you could stream the whole damn thing for free at paulsboutique.beastieboys. com. So don’t do what I did, unless you like given your money away, and click on over to the link above.
PROGRESS YOURSELF
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Ten years in the making, Matix has just released their first book, This Is Progress, documenting the first 10 years of their existence. Rushing the skate scene like a bat out of hell, it wasn’t long before they were major players in the surf, snow, and fashion world as well. From the very first logos to the present day team, it’s all in the book. Available for 50 bucks on matix.com, this 300-page glossy coffee table read is a must for any industry connoisseur of sorts and makes a great gift.
It’s c days buy later We’v vide still is omy were until little are s and f two. down
photo: zach nelson skate photos: derick achziger
TODD SCHOOR
RIP CURL MAG I made a trip up to the Rip Curl headquarters a couple weeks back to pay the crew a visit and pick up some gloves for a much-needed journey to Northern California. While there, marketing genius Dylan Slater was pumped to show me his online mag he’s been working on for the past few months. Looks like he pulled a page right out of the BL!SSS handbook when I showed him we’ve been running the same online mag flipbook since inception - but there’s still plenty of great photos and tons of wit and humor. Well worth the hour plus time I spent on it when I returned to the office. Check it yourself at ripcurl.com/ripcurrents.
JEREMY LUSK RIP Well we hate it when we have to buckle down and report this kind of sad news, like when one of our fellow action sports heroes is no longer with us. We are very humbled and saddened to report that Jeremy Lusk passed away after at terrible motocross accident in Costa Rica. Jeremy was one of the best young Freestyle MX riders coming up and was tragically taken from us at just 24-years of age. As awful as it may be, Jeremy died doing what he loved and for that we have to tip our hats to the man. Rest in peace brother.
I think ya’ll trust our art insight by now so I figured it’s time to throw all of you out there another little bone. Todd Schoor will be hosting an exhibition of his latest pieces at the legendary Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles. The opening is gonna be on Saturday, March 28th from 8 till 11 pm. I highly recommend you going as you’ll have a chance to score one of the very limited (200 printed) Schoor x Hurley t-shirts and possibly meet the man himself. Who knows, you might even end up in a future issue of BL!SSS.
FREEDOM ARTIST
SHANE DORIAN X APPLE I was cruising over to the Apple site to drool at their new line of notebooks that we can’t afford (since mine decided to jump off a cliff - long story) when I saw this photo of Shane-O getting pitted in Micronesia. After being quite baffled for a few minutes, a bunch of questions started jumping into my head: How’s gnarly is that? Is the sport of surfing truly becoming a fullon mainstream sport? Is Dorian really sponsored by Apple? How can we get hooked up like that? We hope you cashed in on those guys and got more than just a free iPod buddy - but if not, oh well, sick shot.
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This little LA-based company has been blowing up on the BL!SSS radar lately and is a collab of my two buddies Patrick Jensen and Pascal Stanfield. I’ve recently met Patrick (who is obviously the brains behind this lovechild) but have known the legend that is Pascal for quite some time. Ok, so legend maybe not, but he has hosted a couple legendary parties at his Malibu home that I know quite a few of you have attended. Anyway, he was supposed to be writing this piece but instead decided to go to the bar (shocker) and let me deal with it. I really don’t know what to tell ya except that they make some sweet gear, there are boobs on his website, and you should wear this shit before some conglomerate buys them up and everyone catches on. Log on to freedomartists.com to purchase online or find out what shops are already in the know.
DR. TIM BROWN
20-YEAR ANIVESSARY For those of you to have been lucky enough to have had Dr. Tim Brown rehab you from an injury then you would know why he’s known for his “Magic Hands.” The last couple of years, Dr. Brown has been working on his new IntelliSkin Shirt with PST (posture support technology) that corrects and supports proper posture, health and performance. Dr. Brown and his team of medical professionals have taken years worth of physical therapy and rehabilitation training and applied it to functional designs in order to improve the quality of life. These things really are amazing. But don’t take my word for it, check out the testimonials from Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Mick Fanning, and Sunny Garcia on his new website. These guys all praise his latest invention. See for yourself and how to get one at drbrowndesigns.com. They really are magical.
ART BOOK Now it’s not too often that printing houses send us books to review, or in most cases ridicule, so you could imagine the shock when I tore open this package to discover Metamorphosis 2: 50 Contemporary Surreal, Fantastic, and Visionary Artists. Now this is the kind of coffee table book that I like – short excerpts from the artist interpreting their pieces and plenty of amazing pictures. With big names such as Robert Williams, H.R. Giger, Craola, Nathan Spoor, and many others there’s a little something for everyone, and for a measly 50 bucks you too can have this masterpiece on your coffee table. Purchase today at beinart.org.
I don’t how many others of you out there have noticed but the Wahoo’s on Placentia Avenue had been closed for way too long. I get these cravings from time to time for a Maui Bowl and can’t do anything about them. But don’t fret, her doors are open once again and she’s looking better than ever. I guess the big makeover was in preparation of the huge 20-year anniversary blowout they had a week before our deadline. I was there rubbing shoulders with a couple hundred other loyal customers when I realized my camera battery was dead. So… a couple phone calls later and we got this stellar photo from Christina House with Wahoo’s founders Wing Lam, Ed Lee, Mingo Lee, Steve Karfaridis and legendary skater/teen idol Ryan Sheckler. If you missed it you missed out on the 20-cent taco special but I least you can once again fulfill your cravings.
LIFE AS A MOVIE I honestly don’t know how this one slipped by me but I was cleaning off my desk last week and came across this vid. I was thinking about deadlines (hence the cleaning) so I decided to fire her up and give her a gander. Surf, skate, snow, music – it started to make me wonder why they didn’t do a BL!SSS insert. Come on guys, what were you thinking? It’s a pretty awesome concept, pulling athletes such as Kelly Slater, Jack Johnson, Tony Hawk, Tosh Townend, Todd Richards, Jake Burton and JP Walker amongst others and throwing them in elements they aren’t quite used to. Narrated and produced by Benji Weatherly, it’s another must have for everyone’s collection.
JOEL TUDOR X 9 BALL Sector 9 and Joel Tudor just came out with another pro model. Yeah, at first glance it looks like one man is trying to get another man to perform felatio, but if you know any thing about Mr. Black Belt Tudor, then you know its all about Jujitsu. Surfing and Jujitsu go hand in hand these days right? Get it. Hey if you don’t like it then just call Joel at 1-800-Choke-Out and tell him yourself. Good luck.
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PHOTO: DAMEA DORSEY
NATE CARROLL IN THE FOX LATINESE BOARDSHORT W W W. F O X WA K E . C O M
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TANNER G Already flaunting one of the best surf rosters in the biz, Smith Optics just added San Clemente shredder Tanner Gudauskas to the list. Tanner has been dominating the scene for the last two years and has his sights set on the WQS for 2009. From small slop to mountainsized monsters, Tanner has it all and the Smith crew is proud to have him slide next to the likes of CJ, Pancho, Yadin, and the rest of the family as the year gets underway. Check out smithoptics. com/smithtv.html for interviews with Tanner and the rest of the Smith surf team as they chase swells and take down titles.
SUPPORT MATT WELSH Another tragedy to report, 32-year old graphic designer at Boost Mobile, Matt Welsh, was involved in a motorcycle accident on Jan 31st and is still in a medically induced coma. The Boost Mobile Creative Department is hosting an art show on March 5th at the Rib Trader in San Clemente to help raise funds for Matt and his family. The event will feature a live performance by Evening Hatch, original pieces from local artists, a silent auction, and a gigantic raffle. I know many of you out there personally know Matt and this is the time to pull together and help him get through his accident and back to us.
V-DAY LOVE One of my favorite things about Valentine’s Day for the past few years is that I always seem to get a gift from the kind people behind a little energy drink company known as Red Bull. Now I’m not talking about some little thank you card or a box of candies, they always link up with some super artist to make a limited edition, one-ofa-kind piece for their friends and family. I am honored to be included in this category. This year’s was no exception as I received this framed “Perpetual” heart created by Todd Bratrud. Number 21 of 250, you bet your ass this thing will be hanging proudly in the BL!SSS offices for years to come. Thanks dudes.
KEEP IT DRY The folks at Kiwi must have gotten the memo that it has been puking more snow in Southern California than anyone can ever remember. They sent us a couple spray bottles of their Camp Dry Fabric Protector and Heavy Duty Water Repellent. This shit reminds me of those old bottles of Scotchgard mom used to hose me down with back in the day. Same concept – spray and let dry. Perfect for dousing all of your outerwear before the season begins. Grab yourself a bottle and check it out for yourself.
VESTAL RADIO Our homies at Vestal have just launched their very own online radio station vestalradio.com. Bringing you the sweet tunes from the Vestal Featured Artists: Peaches, Eagles of Death Metal, Black Lips, Shiny Toy Guns, MSTRKRFT, Turbonegro, The Locust, Valient Thorr, and many more. Streaming twenty-four seven, there’s a little something for everyone so check it out. They are also in the midst of some other pretty tech digs as well; including an iPhone application and widget that allows you to play their station live on your own website.
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It’s not every day that we here at BL!SSS team up with someone to help promote an event that we truly believe in. We like to uphold a certain degree of integrity so that when we do extend an invitation to everyone out there in BL!SSSville, you’d better believe it’s gonna be a night to remember. That being said, we would like all of you to come join us on March 10th for the Los Angeles Premiere of The Present, the highly anticipated new surf film by Thomas Campbell. The night will feature a Q&A with Thomas Campbell and live music by Ray Barbee and Mattson 2. There will also be an art exhibition featuring original works by Thomas Campbell, Kyle Field, Evan Hecox, Steve Keene, Alex Kopps, Serena Mitnik-Miller, and Nathaniel Russell. The venue will be at Nike Sportswear’s legendary Montalbán theatre and is actually part of their highly successful film series ‘Cinema Tuesdays’. In the past this theatre has featured premieres and advance screenings of some of the most-talked about films including George Tillman Jr’s, Notorious, Charlie Kaufman’s, Synecdoche, New York, Guy Ritchie’s, RockN’Rolla and Justice documentary, A Cross The Universe. Celebrated guests have included Spike Jonze, Tom Noonan, Adam Goldberg, Wayne Coyne, Busy P and Shirley Manson. Curated by Flux, Cinema Tuesdays is always free with invitation so click on over to flux.net/thepresent and submit your RSVP today. Photo: Nate Lawrence
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You can imagine the astonishment on some guidos face when walking down 6th Street towards East River and spotting snowboarding’s finest flying hundreds of feet through the air pulling off backside 900’s like it ain’t no thang. Literally just a couple hundred feet from skyscrapers, I wonder how many residents were laying it down only to stare out their window to witness this amazing event. I’m sure quite a few locals had to have known what was going on when they saw the truckloads and truckloads of snow being piled up at the East River Park days prior. Well, you can thank everyone over at Red Bull for putting together the first ever Big Air in the Big Apple: Red Bull Snowscrapers. The event went down in chilly conditions in Manhattan’s East River Park when 16 of snowboarding’s elite came together from around the globe to compete for their share of the $100,000 prize purse. The riders dropped in from a towering nine-story structure that mirrored the dramatic New York skyline. In front of 20,000 fans, athletes such as Olympic gold medalist Shaun White and X Games Champion Travis Rice soared above the cityscape off a specially constructed ramp towards an immense 80-foot long landing area. But in the end it would be Jersey’s own Shayne Pospisil who took home the big money ($50K) by landing a backside 900 with a clean grab in front of all his friends and family. Other highlights include Best Trick honors going to Terje Haakonsen for pulling a onefooted method air, with his back foot unstrapped as the crowd went absolutely bananas. Check out all the photos at redbullsnowscrapers.com. Shane Pospisil :: Photo: © Crispin Cannon/Red Bull Photofiles
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So I just had a pretty interesting Friday night, I went to my first ever MMA fight at the Grove of Anaheim. The good people behind FightNightEvents.com teamed up with the Sheckler Foundation to put together this amazing little shindig and were kind enough to extend an invitation to yours truly. I don’t know if I would have gone in the years past, but since there has been so much crossover between MMA and action sports lately, and the fact that PM Tenore has introduced me to about a thousand MMA dudes in the past 12 months, I figured it was time to find out what all the hype was about. Jason Ellis’ (ex pro skater turned hilarious Sirius Radio disc jockey) had his debut fight and even though his fight wasn’t the main event, it was what I had come to see. The night started out usual enough – hustle from work to the event, consume many adult beverages at the Grove to loosen up, make the rounds high-fiving all the industry heads, sneak outside for a couple cigs before things really start to happen and repeat. But when the bell sounded, signaling the start of fight one I knew this was not just another night. The Grove literally came alive as the crowd cheered and hollered at whichever fighter they thought should win. The energy level was through the roof and even though I wasn’t inside the ring my adrenaline was pumping at full blast. Five fights later and several trips to the bar after a slight intermission by rap superstar Lil Jon and it was time for Ellis’s fight. Now even though this wasn’t the last fight of the night you could tell this is what the majority of the people came to see. All of professional skaters, surfers, moto dudes, babes, and industry folk went absolutely ballistic when “Young Wing” Ellis won the match in round two by successfully choking out his opponent. It was quite the night. To watch highlights of the event and for future fights to come be sure to log onto fightnightevents.com. Photo: Steve Gorman
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Interview: Jessica McMenamin Amy Gunther is quite an amazing woman. She’s been in my life for almost ten years and suffice to say, it’s been much better with her around. We first met on a sunny autumn day at Supreme in New York City in 2001 – who’d guess that later on we’d become roommates and close friends? Amy juggles a multitude of things – KCDC (the skate shop she owns with partner Nevett Steele in Brooklyn), a long standing modeling career, being a WESC activist alongside Jason Lee and Chris Pastras and oh yeah, she decided to go college last fall. This woman is busy! Due to crazy schedules Amy and I finally had a moment to chat over morning coffee before setting off on a day of activities. What follows is a snippet of our conversation while drinking Starbucks finest: Tell us about the new WESC headphones you designed? I’ve been a WESC activist for a couple of years now. I really believe in the company and they’ve shown they really believe in me. It’s a nice partnership. They offered me a headphone to design recently. Chris Pastras and Ray Barbee had already designed some and were really successful. So WESC just asked me, ‘Do you want to design a headphone?’ They didn’t give me any direction. I just ran with it. It was a great outlet for me creatively to incorporate personal things in my life… Well, clearly you put anchors on the headphones, which is such a personal extension of your personality… Yeah, yeah, it’s pretty cool. I love anchors. I’m not a designer, but whenever these opportunities to ‘design’ arise, I just say to myself, ‘What’s me?’ I grew up in Long Island and still have a big attachment to the water – that beachy kinda of feel. It’s such a serene environment. Recently I’ve been able to go back a lot, to where I’ve grown up, to visit and feel that feeling again…. You have a lot of things going in your life right now. I was supposed to go to that event you invited me to the other night. You were involved in its organization… but I couldn’t come unfortunately, what exactly was that all about? With the economy the way it is – we felt the hit as well. Very hard, our sales dropped enormously in only one month. It’s a sad time and a big stress for everyone. I’ve never had a lot of money in my life and I’ve always done these things that seemed impossible. I opened up my skate shop with very little money and have been mildly successful for eight years. The economy took me back to basics. I freaked out for a while but it really made me realize the route I’ve taken. I just knew I could make changes that were tangible and also look around me to see what else I could do to support my community. Put more effort into things that didn’t cost money. This artist approached me, David Foote – he had this idea for an event where he wanted to take a piece of his artwork and put it on ten items. Hence the name of the event, “Limited Edition No. 10”. He picked 10 different small brands to co-brand items with. I thought it was a really cool idea because it’s not only him selling his artwork, but selling smaller tangible items that people could take home. What were some of the brands and
Photo: The Jens
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items? He did a soap. His mother actually owns a soap company, so he designed the packaging and the fragrance for the soap. He also did a shower curtain and he hooked up with this girl from the Lower East Side and did organic pillows. And I did the skateboard! It was a great idea for this economic climate. BoConcept was nice enough to offer their space. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the St. Jude Foundation. That’s really cool and awesome. I love that foundation. I always cry though when those commercials come on! Yeah, they get you. It was a lot of effort for me to do, but it will help out KCDC and also help out someone else as well. So what do you have in store this spring? There’s not a lot of funding to be had from sponsors, so I had to ask myself, “am I going to not do them or just do them myself and figure out somehow to make it work?” So that’s what I’m doing! I think Go Skate Day is going to be bigger than ever this year. I’m doing a big mini-ramp contest that’s an invitational. I had a conversation with my partner the other day about this very factor. This is me – I moved to NYC when I was 15 years old. I’ve never had any family financial support. I just figured it out and it’s another time to just figure it out! You have to just take things one day at time. Like what your coffee mug says, “ONE DAY AT A TIME.” That’s my favorite one in the apartment that we have… Exactly, oh yeah! I’ve never went to college and it was something I’ve always wanted to do. I started modeling when I was really young and that’s why I moved to the city at 15 – so college wasn’t an option after high school because I was working so much. So recently I just said I just have to do this and did it! It’s really great because it’s a regiment and since I’ve had my own business and thought because I owned my business it’ll be a piece of cake and it’s not. It’s so hard, but I’m enjoying it so much! I’m in my second semester of school right now and it’s awesome! Well Amy, thanks so much for doing our little interview. No problem!
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Interview: Brandy Faber :: Photos: Ryan Miller Brian Toth is a Freakin’ Rican, a Puerto Rican that is. Tothy also froths, hence Frothy Tothy. He freaks and he froths in the best of ways and that is why people love to have Tothy around. He is just pure, positive energy. He is a classic guy who surfs all day and is always up for a good time. The twenty-three year old rarely feeds his 135-pound frame: just Red Bulls ‘till dinnertime. Maybe that is the root of his freakin’ and frothin’. He loves to charge big waves but he rips in the small stuff as well. His amateur career was capped with a record setting three titles at the 2003 NSSA Eastern Championships, winning the Explorer Juniors, Explorer Mens, and Open Mens - a first in Regional Championship history! Tothy has since made the jump into the pro ranks where he has spent the last few years on the WQS. After chipping away at the seeding process, Tothy now has his sights set on his goal of one day being the first to represent Puerto Rico on the WCT. What is your main focus in 2009? I’m charging the WQS this year. I got a seed and I’m trying to build towards making the top 15 so I can make the WCT
in 2010. I’ve been putting a lot of water time in by surfing three times a day, doing some jogging and cardio work, staying really active and fit - not trying to blow my body out and ruin it. I’m also working on my confidence in the water. Being from Puerto Rico, how is competing at the coldwater venues on the WQS. Do you have a hard time adjusting to the cold water in places like Scotland, etc.? I’ve been to Scotland a few times now. Scotland is beautiful and I love it there. I’ve been in the cold water a lot so I’m pretty used to it. I don’t really have a hard time with it. As long as there are waves I don’t mind the cold water at all. I’ve been to Russia, Bells, and stuff so I know what to expect at the cold places. You seem to have developed your own vocabulary due to your Spanish and English getting crossed up in your head. There is now a term for some of your words called “Tothyism”. Can you give us the definition
of hootering? One day I was paddling for a wave and someone was already on it and they were hootering at me to get off the wave. It’s another way of hollering at someone. Would hootering be a combination of hooting and hollowing? Yeah could be. Maybe the owl taught me that one.
Sometimes the English and Spanish words get jumbled up in my head and new words come out and then my friends laugh at me and then we have a new word. It’s all fun. People make up words everyday. One day I’d like to have enough Tothyisms for my own dictionary like Webster.
I heard you recently won a kickass trophy! There was a local contest here and Do you have owls in Puerto they called me up to do it and I asked Rico? if there was any money in it. They Yeah, we had one as a patient at said no but there are valuable points the pet vet a couple of months ago. for the Puerto Rican team that goes (Tothy’s mom has a veterinarian to the world contest in Costa Rica. clinic in P.R.) I already had the wild card for the Puerto Rican team but then they told Can you give me definitions for me that there was a kick-ass trophy the following Tothyisms: “LOL”, and that sounded good to me. “Out of the Cave”, “Exposuring”, “410”, and “short arm long leg So, you got the kick-ass trophy? wetsuit”? Yeah, I won it. I’m stoked with my Sure. “LOL” = Lots of Laugh. “Out of kick-ass trophy but they did put the the Cave” is when people figure out island of Puerto Rico on it backwards. that someone is gay. “Exposuring” is So now I’m living on the East side when someone else is helping you of P.R. according to the picture on get lots of exposure. “410” is how the trophy. Maybe I’ll find some new you find out about things and a “short waves on that side. arm, long leg wetsuit” is just that. And will you be representing the LOL – Lots of laugh! Puerto Rican team at the world
“IT WAS FUNNY TO SEE RED NECKS THAT DO 100-FOOT AIRS AND CRAZY MOTO SHIT BUT ARE AFRAID OF ONE-FOOT WAVES.” contest coming up in Costa Rica? That is going to be a hard decision for me ‘cause it is interfering with the WQS 6-star in Japan at the same time. Travis Pastrana was recently in P.R. with his Nitro Circus crew, how was that? Yeah, that was cool. They came down with Red Bull and I ride for Red Bull so they had me teach Travis and the whole Nitro Circus crew how to surf. Only one guy had surfed before - no one else had ever been on a board before. It was funny to see red necks that do 100-foot airs and crazy moto shit but are afraid of one-foot waves. One of the girls almost drowned on me. Did you then go and ride moto with them? I watched them. There was like eighty people watching and a sixteenyear-old girl ripping it up on the track. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself or get hurt so I just watched them rip it up. It will be on Travis’ show sometime in April. Well, we’ll be watching you rip it up on the WQS this year. That’s the plan, thanks! Nitro Circus is currently airing on MTV as a follow up to Jackass.
Photo: Mark Welsh
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Photo: Mark Welsh
Interview: Ryan Boyes For a kid raised on a sailboat, raging through ports barefoot, trading fish for produce and speaking multiple broken languages, Curtis possesses some fine-tuned mountain skills. In his short 21 years, Curtis has seen and done what many can only dream of. During a taxi up the Delaware River near the C & D canal the unthinkable happens; their sailboat went head-on with an oil tanker. Luckily they were close to shore; harbor assist stormed in and saved everyone on the boat as the tanker blazed by. The Ciszek’s made a 180-degree turn, by land this time. With the Ciszek family dry docked, Big Curtis (Curtis’ dad) set the compass towards the Sierras, and founded a modern day Swiss Family Robinson style home and put the nautical life on hold for a bit.
So tell us about your family. Well, I have two sisters and a brother. My parents are pretty much the most amazing people ever. They raised the family on a sailboat, pretty badass. My mom is a surfer girl from southern California and my dad is a sailing fanatic from Seattle. They are currently buying another boat to sail around the south Pacific on. This means I will be getting straight shacked in the summer time! Both of my sisters are married and have little girls. I love my nieces to death. They are amazing. My brother is pretty much the most ripping boarder ever and is also a spaz... Hahaha, he is awesome and on the ups. What is “tied to a poll with no rope” all about? It is pretty much about tying drunk people or your friends to poles without any rope. If you don’t believe it’s possible, YouTube it. Or ask me to do it to you. It is extremely painful and hilarious. What have you learned in the past 6 months? That being injured sucks and that is important to take care of your body and eat healthy. What skill do you wish you had? Surfboard shaping. I have shaped a couple of boards already but I totally suck at it. I really want to get better at it. You have a trailer on the Oregon coast, describe that rat nest and what goes on there? Well, we just got rid of it but it was a Photo: Mark Welsh
Photo: Boyes
Photo: Mark Welsh
Photo: Boyes
Photo: Mark Welsh
Photo: Boyes
“IT IS PRETTY MUCH ABOUT TYING DRUNK PEOPLE OR YOUR FRIENDS TO POLES WITHOUT ANY ROPE.”
1967 Dalton or something. I would just tow it out there a bunch in the summer… It was a total piece of shit but also a rustic, classic beauty. Sand everywhere and stinky wet suites. Good times.
Who has inspired you? Austin Smith, Billy and Jeff Anderson, Jamie Lynn and all of my friends.
What’s going on in Bend, Oregon with the shred scene and why is it the hot spot? Where do you want to end Bend is happening these days. up in 2 years? It seems like the shred scene Surfing in the summer and is getting bigger and bigger snowboarding pow in the here. I guess it is because the winter. mountain is super good and Bend is just a nice place to Who would you like to share live. It’s like a mountain town a chair lift with? but it has all of the amenities Austin Smith, Bryan Fox, Jake of a bigger city. There is a Price, my brother Martin Ciszek, pretty solid group of dudes and probably the Donny the to board with here, check out Donimal. It’s a 6-person chair… boardasfuck.com. haha. Summer spot?
Mt. Hood, the beach and New Zealand. Winter spot? Baldface, The Northwest and Interior B.C. In-between spot? Home. Any thanks you wanna give? Billy Anderson and Ryan Boyes at Volcom, my parents and family, Austin Smith and Janna Meyen - these people have really helped me out along the way and I definitely wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for all of them. Dakine, Randy Torcom, Electric Visual, Creeps, Vestal, Scott Klamecki.
Words: Nicholas Joseph Estrada :: Experienced: Dylan Radloff Last year, I had the awesome opportunity to take part in Australia’s Bondi Bowl skate event and I must say that it was an experience I will not soon forget. I took the Oakley team down to demonstrate their skills in front of the fine folks down under in what was meant to be nothing more than a skateboard trip, but it ultimately ended up as a sort of cultural enlightenment. Yeah, there was ample skate action seen by our boys out there, but it was the people of Australia with their fashion forward style, their burgeoning art scene, their music, and of course the ridiculously cool/beautiful women that ended up leaving an indelible impression with me.
Provost, and Chris Senn, but we ended up snowballing into a much larger gang when we met up with Sasha Steinhorst, Chris Wood, Renton Miller, Jackson Pilz, and some others. It’s not hard to tell what happened next with this squad of skaters: shredding! The action was amazing, and even though Australia certainly has that surf reputation due to its beyond exquisite beaches - skateboarding’s pulse is definitely beating strong down there!
Okay, so I want to touch a bit on the title of this article and what I said in the first paragraph. I know the title of this has some bad connotation due to it being a movie about apartheid, but Australia is seriously a world apart in a sense that it Let’s take care of the business before I is so unlike any other place I have been explain what I meant about Australia before. I have pretty much traveled all and its inhabitants! The time had finally over the world, but this land had things come after months of anticipation, so and experiences to offer the likes of we hopped on the plane fully amped which I have never encountered. I was about the 3-week skating excursion. The completely blown away. Yeah, I know it crew consisted of Tyler Hendley, Tom is a total tourist destination and I kind of “Tom-Tom” Ryen, Rune Glifberg, Colin chalked it up to its weather and beaches,
Jackson Piltz : B.S Crail
Colin Provost
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Tyler Hendley : N. Slide Big Spin
Tom Tom
Dylan Radloff
Chris Wood : Bluntslide
but that took a backseat in my book… well… not entirely true, but you see what I’m getting at. First off, I was taken back a bit by the friendliness of the people here. I am from Southern California and I spend all of my time in Orange County and Los Angeles where people seem to be on their own grind and keep to themselves in public. I am not saying they are rude, well, some people are, but it just does not have the friendly vibe that Australian people exude in every which way. Everyone was more than willing to encounter us and that made us feel extremely welcomed in this foreign land. We were right in the mix with these people and they loved playing host to us rowdy
Rune Glifberg : F.S Tuck Knee
Daniel Cordona : F.S Air
skaters from the States. We tore it up everywhere. Parties and social gatherings galore were presented to us. The music, coupled with the beautiful women made for many magical nights, and let’s just leave it at that. Another thing that really contributed big time to the overall experience was the art scene. I knew that some of my favorite artists, Anthony Lister and Dmote, are originally from here, but other than that, I was not too Otavio Neto : One Footed Grind
aware of what was going on down here in terms of art. But, other talents such as Josh Petherick and Ben Brown were brought to my attention and I would end up seeing other works down the road from other Australian talents courtesy of the No Comply Skateboard Art Exhibition. That show did not take place during my visit here, but I had to mention it given how amazing the lineup of talent was and the fantastic art that was exhibited. I also had the chance to learn about Perks
Renton Miller : Saran Wrap Body Jar
and Mini whose creativity is applied to their great streetwear label. That is a label I have been following religiously since I have come back. If you are unaware of them, be sure to consult with you old friend Google on that one. Because of my job, I get to travel to some of the most amazing destinations on Earth. I never take it for granted either. The knowledge accrued during these trips is something I will always treasure. Out of everywhere I have
been Australia has done the most for me in terms of cultural education. That trip took place a year ago, and it feels like it was just yesterday that I was strolling around the streets and taking in the beautiful sights in Bondi Beach. My next trip there is around the corner, as we at Oakley will be presenting the Love + Guts art show and I can only hope that I will have another trip like I did last year.
Words & Photos: Billy Watts The quiet before the storm’s meaning is threefold. Figuratively, we were there before Kelly won the Pipe masters on his 5’11’’ magic carpet. We were there before Parko won the Triple Crown and before Dusty Payne blew up in front of the entire world. Quite literally, we showed up when it was flat and two days later a storm came and we got waves. Metaphorically speaking is what this trip was about. These kids are 12, 14, and 16. They are all groms and enjoy the carefree life that most groms on the North Shore share; surfing Rocky Point, V-land, or Off the Wall on a 2-3 foot day. In the years to come though, if they are going to make it on the big
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stage they are going to have to work their way up the pecking order to even get a decent close out at Pipe. They are going to have to take pounding after pounding to build up the courage to surf 12-foot Sunset. And when they get to that point, they are going to have to know or be close friends with every Hawaiian in those lineups. It’s an arduous task. Something not easily accomplished by surfers from the mainland. Just look at the mags. It’s not a coincidence that there’s rarely a shot of a surfer from Cali or the east coast in the Hawaii issues. It’s a straight fact. But with some solid friendships built with some of the heaviest local groms, and older guys like Flynn Novak, Ezra Sitt, and Mikey Bruneau, showing them the ropes, these kids
are definitely on their way or at least have a better chance then most. But all that has it’s time and place and is years in the making, so for now I’ll just focus on the now. I spent a week on the North Shore with a few groms from the mainland as they eased their way into the oncoming storm. I went to the North Shore to shoot with two of No Fear’s most promising young talents, Britt Galland and Taylor Clark. Once we were there we hooked up with one of Volcom’s most entertaining acts. Not Valient Thorr nor even Tweak Bird, but the already legendary Parker “Porkchop” Coffin. Over the years these kids have made some lasting friendships with groms from legendary
families so after a few phone calls we hooked up with Isiah Moniz, Makai and Landon McNamara. That was our crew for the entire week and these kids were inseparable. The first few days the waves were flat so Makai and Landon showed us first hand what groms do when it’s flat on the North Shore. We spent an entire day snorkeling and swimming though the caves at Shark Cove and jumping off of the rocks at Waimea. I couldn’t believe that this was the same beach, where only a few years earlier Flea had his immortalized wipeout during the Eddie. On this day it was turquoise sheet glass and there wasn’t a ripple in the entire bay. The underwater
Parker CofďŹ n Mikey Bruneau
Landon McNamara
Britt Galland Isiah Moniz
Flynn Novak
Taylor Clark
caves and tunnels in front of Makai and Landon’s dad’s surf shop were insane. The groms (myself included) spent hours chasing fish, diving off of rocks, and challenging our logic by swimming through innumerable underwater tunnels. The first few days were quiet and serene, the ocean placid. When the swell started to pick up we made our way over to the other side of the island and Isaiah took us to a few of his home breaks on the South Shore. The waves were chest high and rippable and we spent the entire day there surfing. We surfed with a few of Isaiah’s siblings, which is to say a van full of some the coolest and nicest kids you could meet. The vibe out in the water was really fun and everyone was having a great time. The only time we got out of the water was for a quick
McDonald’s run where I’d never seen that many McNuggets consumed at one time before, thanks in large part to Porkchop. We made the drive back and passed the Aloha Stadium where the NFL Pro Bowl is held. It was empty and quiet and I couldn’t help but think with scorn that in a few months Jay Cutler would be playing there and not Philip Rivers. That was before we made our December run and that turkey fell flat on his face. But I digress. The last few days of our trip is when the swell really started to pick up. We got to surf Rocky Point with Flynn Novack, Mikey Bruneau, and Ezra Sitt. The groms are really fortunate to have such North Shore legends to help them along the way and look after them in and out of the water. The waves at Rockies were a solid 3-4 foot. It wasn’t quite doing its
thing, but it was still really fun. These were the best sessions of the trip. I sat on the beach or swam and marveled at the fact that these groms really had something special going on. They were just really humble, respectful kids, who were aware and grateful for the opportunities they had. They were world travelers, experiencing so many different cultures at such young ages and what brought them all together was the surf. Groms are groms the world over. It doesn’t matter if you’re from a well off family from the mainland, or one of more modest means, or from one rooted deeply in Hawaiian legend like the McNamaras’ or Monizs’. These kids were great friends and having a great time and it was invigorating to watch. We surfed Rockies for three straight days and it was good all three days. The kids had a great time and got some really good waves, but in the end
Ezra Sitt
it was time to go. I got a call from Landon the day after we left. He was calling me from his cell phone while in class at Sunset Elementary. It was a brief conversation and he basically called to say we blew it because the day after we left the island exploded. The sand at Pipe was shifting, Sunset had finally woken up, and our placid little bay had roared to life. The storm was finally here. The news had oddly put a smile on my face because that’s how it goes. It’s all about patience and time put in if you’re a grom from the mainland and you want any chance of truly surfing the North Shore. It’s all about baby steps. It isn’t measured in days, weeks, or even months. It’s measured in years and more likely decades. When you’re a grom, it’s all about the quiet before the storm.
Words: Pat Bridges :: Photos: Aaron Dodds After 12 years, Snowboarder Magazine’s Superpark event has become one of the most anticipated events of the season. Unlike other gatherings which center around some sort of contest, the Superpark is more or less just a session amongst friends, albeit a session on the biggest inbound jumps and jibs with heavies like Travis Rice, Pat Moore, Scotty Lago and Kale Stephens playing the role of the friends. During the ten years I have worked for Snowboarder I have probably written 20,000 words on Superpark. Rather than regurgitating my take on the Superpark mantra like I have done countless times for our rag and others I want to just recall some of my Superpark highlights from a decade of seeing it all firsthand.
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Kurt Wastell’s 112-foot backside 360 at Mammoth in 1999 was all time. When Unbound’s Josh Chauvet showed me this booter I immediately dubbed it the Berserker. People don’t realize how gnarly this leap was for the time. Wastell is goofy. He had to be towed in by a sled at 50+ mph to a heelside turn before
the booter. He then went from this high-speed heelside turn to his toe edge to set up for the bs 360. Once in the air he had too much hang time after the spin and had to throw a quick frontside shifty poke before bringing it back down forward. So stoked to see this firsthand. In 2000 we had Superpark at Mammoth again. This time the weather was more akin to what Mammoth is known for. In other words it was windy. This gave us a lot of down time, and at the time most of my “down time” was “putting ‘em down time.” The first day of good weather gave us a chance for some suds in the sun. Matt Barbour, Joel Muzzey, Evan Rose, Dano Pendygrasse and myself saddled up to a makeshift bar atop a rather large hip. We were drinking Kahlua and Dr. Peppers, which is actually a lot better than it sounds. A good session got under way. Tom Gilles destroyed the hip. At the end of the day we took off leaving some of the Unbound staff behind to rake and do some maintenance. It turns out that this dude named Brandon was partaking in the Kahlua and
Pepper on the clock. He buckled in, stood up and then sat back down too drunk to ride out of the zone. He took off his board and hoofed it for an hour back to the base. That night Mark Sullivan came up to our table at sushi and gave us a stern talking to: “First of all, no calling anyone you don’t know a pussy while they are in the air, secondly don’t do anything next to any features that might be more interesting and funny than the snowboarding and third, don’t get any Mammoth employees too drunk to ride out of the park.” That wasn’t the best Superpark but it might’ve been the most fun. In 2001 Travis Rice leapt 116 feet on a backside rodeo at another Mammoth Superpark. Shred historians point to this moment as the catalyst for Rice’s meteoric rise to the snowboarding God he has become today. They also like to add that he was uninvited or some fallacy like that. The truth is that Rice earned his invite a few weeks before at the World Quarterpipe Championships in New Hampshire where he
should have won with his double backs. Breckenridge, Colorado hosted the 4th incarnation of Superpark and I enlisted the Grenerds in a Hells Angelsesque bid as cheap security. Rather than do any real strongarming Dingo, Hexi, Sketchy D, House and the boys just measured the jumps, snuck into the bars and slayed local tomboys. There was a gap hip/tabletop that I dubbed the “dislocated hip.” It was getting seriously sessioned by Rice, Clancy, Robison, Morace, Richards and the rest of the lappers. I was stationed at the top of the runway doing suicide watch, which is the Superpark term for making sure that only capable riders attempt certain obstacles. Sure enough a local bartender named Jason rolls up to the top wanting to hit it. I gave him the subtle hints like, “Have you signed a release form?” and “This is a heavy session with Rice and everyone else, maybe you should sit this one out.” I could see that this was quickly becoming and ego thing with him and the more I tried to talk him down the closer he got to the edge.
Scotty Lago
Dustin Craven
Danny Kass
Kevin Pearce
Pat Moore Dan Brisse
Finally I just gave in and told Jason to at least make a practice run to get the line right. “Don’t worry Pat, I got this no problem,” was his assuring response. Then Jason dropped in and literally shot himself off the edge (not the top mind you) of the takeoff at a 60-degree angle spinning like an epileptic dreidel. His trajectory was such that he landed fifty feet from any resemblance of transition. The following year Jason caught myself and Adam Moran checking ID’s and charging cover at the door of his bar. While I can understand the bartender’s chagrin at our little attempt at free enterprise, all his stopping us did was leave the bar with no bouncers or doormen which really would have been useful once
someone tripped the breakers and cut the power at last call. It was like Saigon in ’66 once those lights went out – Glass breaking, people screaming and the Kratter brothers groping every girl within arms length. The second Superpark at Breck was much of the same fare except it snowed 4 feet during the 3 days of building. There was nowhere for the snow to go but up which meant that every deck was fifty feet off the ground and every takeoff twenty feet higher than that. The same slayers showed up and slayed it but for one hour on the last day we brought in Jay Quinlin and some other local Breck slednecks to see them put the park through its paces
on snowmobiles. They unloaded their sleds and then spent ten minutes taking the place apart one roop at a time. Jay even tried to do a rock to fakie on the twenty-foot tall wall ride. I know you can’t exactly do a rock n roll on a snowmobile but what else would you call it when he dips the front skis over the lip? In 2004 Superpark went international with its arrival at Lake Louise, which is just outside of Banff, Alberta. In some circles Banff is known as the STD capitol of Canada. That must really piss off the Quebecois who hate being governed by the English speaking parts of Canada. This Superpark was plagued by speed issues. We had a 70-foot jump over
a quarterpipe. Legendary Japanese hucker Rio Tahara sent one off the side of the quarterpipe straight to the flats where he put his knee through his chin. No one ever found out if he was trying to hit the quarterpipe normally or trying to hip to the side where there was no landing on purpose. The reason why no one ever found out is he barely spoke English and had to have his jaw wired shut for 8 months. It has got to suck trying to use chopsticks with your jaw wired shut! The second year at Banff was much better for speed and I figured out how to manage the rider flow and session real well by then. What was still tough was managing to get the
Shane Pospisil
Travis Rice
Torstein Horgmo
Lonnie Kauk
Peter Benchetler
riders through customs. Travis Robison didn’t even get that far this year. After getting on the plane drunk Travis had an altercation mid-flight with a stewardess. Once on the ground in Calgary Travis was put into custody and denied bail because they felt he was of all things a “flight risk.” Canada is probably the only place in the world where you can go jail with an American flag tattoo on your neck and not get the shank within the first 5 minutes of being in general population. While Travis didn’t get any riding done during this Superpark he did learn how to light cigs using an electric wall outlet. Our newfound Canadian friends followed the Superpark back to the states when we moved the show to Keystone, Colorado. This was where Andrew Hardingham achieved a place next to Wastell and Rice as a real Superpark legend. Having drunk
himself into detox the second to last night of the event the Harding-“hama” begged the watch officer to let him out of the pokey bright and early so he could “jump his tree gap.” The gap was a dogleg right off of the first table’s takeoff into the neighboring tree island. The gap had no real landing and the best-case trajectory involved Andrew punting himself between two trees four feet apart and thirty feet down the hill. While mountain management looked on in odd curiosity and some photographers opted to leave their cameras at rest in fear of impending carnage, Andrew and his drunken body vaulted the gap effortlessly without so much as limb being disturbed. Totally stupid yet totally badass. The second year at Keystone took a much more serious tone on the hill because this was the best park built to date bar none. With something like 9
quarterpipes and a progressive triple line that yielded dozens of trajectory options there was no lone feature for all the glory. This park was all about hitting everything at a top level for 8 hours a day for 3 days straight. This is just what Pat Moore and Lonnie Kauk did and in the process they brought an all business attitude to Superpark that still remains. Of course the all business bit only counts for the snowboarding. The après scene is still casual and reckless. Year 2 at Keystone was when SNOWBOARDER tried to give back by holding a charity bachelor auction to benefit B4BC. Hana Beaman actually helped the cause by being a lone bachelorette on the menu and got $1000 for her company. Still the biggest donation of the night came from Eddie Wall. Having stated that he was too shy to be sold to the highest
bidder Eddie agreed to donate $100 to Boarding For Breast Cancer for each set of boobs that got flashed to the crowd from the stage. Once again Andrew Hardingham made his presence known by mc’ing the enticement for ladies to produce the bare goods. It wasn’t until Eddie upped the ante to $100 per breast that things finally got going. 12 titties and $1400 later (the double d’s got a double donation) B4BC had scored $5000 on the evening! Last season we brought the Superpark back to Mammoth and I don’t really need to tell you about what happened then because we actually have photos to take up the slack. So enjoy these pics and then stop reading and start riding. Mammoth, Bear, Baldy, Mt. High, Waterman and even Snow Valley are having some of their best years ever. Enjoy it while it lasts.
F.S Flip
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Interview: Shayne Heyl :: Photos: Atibaphoto.com In the past couple years, Drew has partnered up with long time friends and team players, Erik Ellington and Jim Greco, to start Baker Boys Distribution. As of right now they distribute Baker Skateboards’ new extension to the family, Deathwish Skateboards, Brigada Eyewear, and the new accessories company Shake Junt. He has also created his new non-skate shoe company 3:33, which can be found at higher end clothing stores. Andrew has been keeping busy with designing & creating his clothing company Altamont, puttin’ together some classic shoes and color ways for Emerica, but most importantly taking his daughter Stella to her first day of school. Not to mention, the forever on-going passion to shred! I mean, if he’s not obsessing about going back to a spot to get a trick the way he likes it for Emerica’s new video, Stay Gold, then you’ll catch him making Goat music or hitting up Starbuck’s all day, every day to treat himself to an ice cold refreshing mocha. Boss of bosses, Andrew Reynolds lives by the motto, “Actions speak louder than words.” Check the credentials, Drew has been there and done that! So pour out a little coffee for a player from down south Florida keepin’ it code! I’ve noticed you’ve got two trees tatt’d on your arm, what’s the meaning behind that? It’s a reminder that tattoos don’t make you
stop drinking and a 12-step program does. How long has it been since your last drinkin’ & druggin’? Six years. For any kids out there that might be strugglin’ with the same problems that you and some of your friends have gone through - do you have any advice for them? “You need to get up, get out and get somethin. Don’t spend all your time tryin’ to get high.” - Outkast It’s good to see you, Erik, and Jim taking it to the next level and sticking it to the man. At Baker Boys Distribution, are all the employees into skating & what exactly is sold out of there right now? We sell boards. So, do you believe having company’s and distributions run by skaters is the way to go so that no bullshit gets out there? Or, is it risky because the odds of going out of business are more likely because skaters need to stick to the script of just skating? Skaters are the only ones who know anything about skating, so yeah we should do it, I personally don’t want some lames running my shit!
Fakie 360 Flip
What is Brigada and who is running the show behind it? Could you break that down? Paul Rodriguez rides for it now, and he’s the best. Your sunglass the Pazzo seems to be doing good, are their any collaborations coming out soon? Guacamole Neckface joint! What sets Brigada apart from all the other sunglass shockers? They suck.
Word on the street is that Baker and Deathwish are putting out a hi-jinxed packed monster of a tour video? What are the odds of that coming out soon? Slim... Just kidding, yea it’s gonna be raw.
drink a lot of coffee, what’s it gonna take for you to ride for Starbucks? They got me hooked now, they told me the first hit was free and now I’m stuck.
When both squads jump in the van, how quick does it take to get the party started? In my van it doesn’t start.
You have been filming pretty tough for this Emerica Stay Gold video, what are the odds of seeing a switch heel in your part? Very slim.
A lot of people seem to have energy drink sponsors. You
Whose part are you most excited to see? Don’t trip on
other people’s feelings; just let it out, one person? Suski. The Altamont tour with No Age and The Goat is coming up, what’s that all about? Shred, goat show, sleep, and then repeat. Will some “occasional others” be on the trip? Wu Tang will be there of course. Who is responsible for G-Code, and who out there is
keeping it Code? Let me check with Herman and I’ll get back to you. You and a lot of others seem to skate The Berrics a lot, who blesses the park with the most tantalizing maneuvers? Javier Nunez.
B.S Ollie
I think Koston and Berra have helped out a lot of people by opening up their park to all likes of people. Has it helped you get your groove and fun back? I never lost it. I’ve noticed Greco has been getting a lot of tattoos, do you think this is helping his
hammer program? It better be, cause it’s either crime or hammers with a neck like that. Kids are droppin’ hammers right & left, what do you have to do nowadays to not make your shit stank? Kickflip body varial to switch front board?
I don’t really keep up. You have been holding this skate game down for a while with a hand full of bangin’ video parts, but what the kids wanna see is you take home another “Skater of the Year trophy,” can you get there? Yeah.
K-Flip Tail
I’m about to hit you over the head with some one-word questions. The Goat? Ocho. The Yard? Ahhhseenneenstompdayardfooo. Stella? Love. Front side flips?
Penny. White Diamond? Black Jesus. Billy? Oh fasho. Baca? Dbk. Piss drunx? Warner Ave.
Neckface? Genius.
Passion? Little buddy, little kid.
Pobre? Driving in the car.
Green? Those swirly light bulbs.
Florida? Sonny’s BBQ.
Shake Junt? Beagle.
Bucks? Closed.
Chicken Bone? Nowison.
Ingwardo? Guy Kampton.
Leo Romero? This guy rips.
Photography: Dominic Petruzzi 76 78
dominicpetruzzi.com
Styling: Cat Wennekamp Hair & Makeup: Audrey Starn audreystarn.com Model: Rachel Healy :: Nous Model Management
Top – Insight insight51.com Vest – Fox Denim – Fox fox-girl.com Jewelry – Stylist’s own
Hat and jewelry – Stylist’s own Denim – Fox fox-girl.com
Jacket – Oakley oakley.com Blouse – Quiksilver Shorts – Quiksilver womens.quiksilver.com Sunnies – Electric electricvisual.com Hat – Stylist’s own
Top – Fox fox-girl.com Shorts – FEW few.co.nz Shoes – Marc Jacobs marcjacobs.com Ring – Stylist’s own
Shirt – Ergophobia ergophobia.com Shorts – Volcom volcom.com Bracelets – Stylist’s own
BRETT SCHWARTZ
www.ezekielusa.com
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Ballad. Acrylic and Oil on Rives BFK, 41 x 60�, 2008
Interview: MADSTEEZ I was just recently exposed to the wonderful paintings of James Jean. His style was so multi-complex and unique that I just had to feature him since I had seen nothing like it before. James is already well on his way to a life-long successful career as a professional artist. Point proven, in between the time it took to send James these questions, he sold his last painting from his solo show at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York City. After reading this interview, be sure and peep out JamesJean.com because he has a D!K load of more work that you need to see, and don’t forget to check 9 years of his archived sketchbooks. Good Evening Dr. Jean. I thought it was funny when you suggested to have David Choe interview you since you guys are good homies but you quickly retracted because you thought it might get too perverted. Do you have any sweet perverted tales with you and David? When Dave and I get together, we confess our sins and self-flagellate with wooden rakes. Then we take the bloody detritus and make kimchee. Funny thing I’m interviewing you now ‘cuz I can get quite naughty as well. If you could blank your own blank would you blank or blank? (fill in with your own MADsteezLIBS) If I could grow my own cabbage I would ferment it and eat it. All naughtiness aside, your name is so money. I just had to ask, did the OG James Dean inspire your name? If only my parents had such foresight or the DNA. It’s actually from my Chinese surname, which could have been more accurately spelled, Jien, or Chien. You just completed a sold out show (the last painting just sold a few days ago!), “Kindling”, at the infamous Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York City. That has to feel incredible especially considering the state of the economy. How was your experience? It was pretty money. I was worried that a lot of collectors had gotten spooked by the economy and lost their means, but people came out in force, and we sold the work at healthy prices. I’m all about sustainability, so I was very careful to gauge demand and price everything accordingly, and to leave room for growth.
“WHEN DAVE AND I GET TOGETHER, WE CONFESS OUR SINS AND SELF-FLAGELLATE WITH WOODEN RAKES.”
Willow Horse. Acrylic & Oil Canvas, 60 x 72”, 2008
Your work seems to be passionate, heartfelt and a true extension of you as a person. With your latest series, did you personally achieve everything that you had intended? The work never really matches my expectations. There’s always something surprising that happens, something that I never intended to happen. That’s part of the pleasure,
to create something that’s unpredictable in form, kind of like raising a child. You inject it with your genetic material and aspirations, but it takes on a form that can be really good or horribly bad. Kindling is kind of an adolescent body of work that’s just done with puberty. You have a really interesting mixture of styles that make up your work. Where do
you draw your influences? Japanese woodblock prints, Northern Renaissance paintings and etchings, Chinese scroll paintings, Shanghai advertising posters, comics, anatomical charts, and vintage printed ephemera. You were educated at the School of Visual Arts in New York, how much of your art training do you use as a
professional artist? I pretty much employ all the training I learned at SVA now. All the fundamentals of drawing and painting that I picked up from Jim McMullan, Steven Assael, and Thomas Woodruff. However, I didn’t start using the computer for art until I graduated from school. Why did you move to Los Angeles after school, since
Maze. Mixed Media on Paper, 29 x 41”, 2008
New York seems to be the art Mecca in America? I had gotten married, and my wife needed to finish school at UCLA. I grew up in New Jersey and had a nice spot in Brooklyn. Was it a tough transition? Yeah, it was rough. But adversity makes you stronger, right? My apartment was a lot smaller, which stopped me from seriously
painting, and with someone else to support, it wasn’t easy at the beginning. Your sketchbooks are insanely good and you’ve done a great job documenting almost 10 years of them on your website. How often do you tinker in your black book? I had lapsed for a few years, but now I’m back working in my
sketchbook pretty regularly. I take a book along with me when I go out to eat and especially when I travel. It’s nice to document a few daily moments when I have a moment. It’s amazing to see the accumulation of lines in the sketchbook after all these years of work, kind of like spotting new wrinkles in my face. Do you ever go back in your
sketchbooks a few years and see something that sparks an idea for a new painting? Not really . . . the sketchbooks are kind of like finished objects in themselves. They are self-contained and exist in their own universe. At the moment, the sketchbooks don’t really overlap with my paintings or digital work, but I look forward to seeing how each of those disciplines will affect each other in the future.
Fountain 1. Oil on Rives BFK, 29 x 41”, 2008
“IT’S AMAZING TO SEE THE ACCUMULATION OF LINES IN THE SKETCHBOOK AFTER ALL THESE YEARS OF WORK, KIND OF LIKE SPOTTING NEW WRINKLES IN MY FACE.”
Toymaker. Oil on Rives BFK, 41 x 90”, 2008
Hive. Mixed Media on Paper, 29 x 41”, 2008
Vanity. Oil and Pastel on Rives BFK, 29 x 41”, 2008
Hare. Oil on Rives BFK, 22 x 30” each , 2008.
I was damn impressed that you were a DC/Vertigo cover artist and had won 5 consecutive Eisner awards and 3 consecutive Harvey Awards for Best Cover Artist. I was never a comic fan as a kid but with my son I’ve revisited them and they are truly pieces of fine art. Which comics have you drawn for? I’ve only done the covers. It’s funny how once you do a comic book cover, how everyone assumes you’re a cartoonist. I can’t do comics, it’s such a specific talent and hard to master. But after I started doing the covers for Fables, nonsuperhero book, I was asked to do Batgirl, then Green Arrow, a bunch of random covers for Batman, and a few books for Marvel. It was an entirely unexpected detour in my career, but an enjoyable one. You’ve done some work with industry giants like Target, Rolling Stone, Nike, Atlantic Records and the New York Times, how do separate your commercial work from your fine art work? I always put a lot of personal stuff in the commercial work, and I think that’s the only way you should work as an artist, even if you’re working for the corporate world. The only thing that separates the two for me is where the impetus for the work comes from. The spark for an
illustration is an assignment for an article or an advertisement, while the spark for my fine art is merely a desire to make an idea real. Both efforts draw from the magical well in my head and heart, and drain it of its essence. Have there been any projects that you just couldn’t do that jeopardized your integrity? I’ve been lucky to receive mostly good jobs in the past – but those days are over, since I’m working solely on my personal work now. Some of your erotic-esqe paintings are my favorite but unfortunately we cannot show in the pages of BL!SSS. Do you paint them from inspiration or from live nudes? The pieces that look more realistic are done from life. There’s always plenty of inspiration in the swill that is my brain. What’s next for James Jean? More books are in the works, and more gallery shows. A bit more of everything, all the time. And last but not least, who would you rather do a live nude painting of, Tom Cruise or Oprah Winfrey? If I can’t have Jesus, it’ll have to be the Big O.
Crayoneater. Mixed Media and Digital, 12.5 x 17”, 2007
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Interview: PT :: Photos: JeffFlindt.com At the beginning of this decade out of the sleepy Northern New South Wales town of Byron Bay, Kieren Perrow burst on the scene qualifying for the WCT and in his first two years rocketed into the “Top Ten”. Then it fell apart and he had to slog it out on the grind of the WQS whilst starting a family for the next three years before returning to the “Dream Tour” in 2008. I caught up with him at the last event of the year the Billabong Pipeline Masters. A conversation Shore with PT.
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Your dad Nigel is an ex-patriot South African who moved to Byron Bay as a teenager, met your mum, got married and had you shortly thereafter and then moved back to South Africa? We left Byron when I was about two, then we moved back to Australia when I was four and a half so we were in South Africa about two and half years. In J-Bay I was a little to young to start surfing and it was just too cold down there to start, but I spent heaps of time on the beach. My first memories of the beach there was collecting shells and watching my dad surf.
So you have a little J-Bay in your roots? I love it over there, I definitely have a connection to South Africa and I have a great time going back there. Your dad was in the industry with Bare Nature early on so you have always been around surfboard culture? Pretty much since I was born and he’s been involved in surfing and shaping, starting with Bare Nature and then he moved onto Town & Country. The reason we went back to South Africa was he was shaping for Shaun Tomson and he went back to work closer with him, but then he brought the Town & Country license back to Australia. Let’s talk about the tour, has your return lived up to expectations? Yeah! It’s been really good to get back there, really enjoyable to just spend time competing at that WCT level again and in those kind of waves compared to the WQS which is a bit of a grind. The ‘QS is not really enjoyable, you’re really not attaining anything from being on the WQS apart from getting back on the WCT “Dream Tour”, it’s not a title race and it
doesn’t have the quality of surf. Just the format too, whereas the WCT format is so much more enjoyable especially with a family, it’s so much easier to travel on the CT because you have a ten day to two week waiting period, so you’re not moving as much. On the QS you have to pack up and move every six days, which is a tough thing to do when you’re on the road for three months.
and finished sixth and then I had a bad year and ended up missing out by two spots and that was pretty disappointing and I didn’t enjoy it as much as now the expectations at this point was for me to do really well and I lost that enjoyment of competing and surfing in good waves. So I came back this time to try and find that again but it took me a few events.
You’ve had a couple of WCT “Top Ten” finishes, so what are your ambitions these days now that you’ve come back? My goal this year was to make the “Top 16” and at the moment I’m right on the borderline going into Pipe so with a result here I should be able to achieve that (Finished 17th WCT 2008). My goal was to just really enjoy it more and I have. Those first few year’s on the CT I really didn’t have any real expectations and I went into the tour and I don’t think anyone had expectations of me doing well, but in my first year I came seventh (2002) and that was an amazing feeling as there was no pressure on my shoulders to achieve that and the goals I had were way exceeded.
Looking at the rankings it looks like you’ve came on as the season progressed? I took me a while to get my feet back again and I had some frustrating heats where I made mistakes that were pretty basic that I shouldn’t have and I couldn’t get past that seventeenth round which is pretty important, you need to better those seventeenths. I was still having a good time, enjoying it and it was goal to come back for a few reasons particularly to be able to surf Pipe and Tahiti and those kinda places in perfect surf so it was a little disappointing that we had two foot waves in Tahiti, but I’m looking forward to surfing good waves at Pipe and it’s good to know I’m already back in for next year and don’t have to worry about re-qualifying.
The next year I did well again
You’ve had success and failure on the WCT level, what’s it take to stay on the “Dream Tour”? Good point, I’ve seen guys like between that spot which is safe which is where I am and then there’s around the thirties where everybody is on the bubble and need to pick up a result, it’s tough, there’s a lot of good surfers these days. I think the tours definitely evolved and the quality has gone up. Is it better than when you were on tour before? Yeah, I think it is, it’s definitely at a different level and a lot of younger guys have come onto it and they’re putting more focus into the CT, less and less guys are doing the whole thing QS and CT so there’s a lot more guys hungry for results on the CT to maintain their spot. It takes a good level of experience in certain situations and then to try and enjoy it and not get caught up in it and with a bit of perspective you can step aside from it and pick where you’ve made a mistake here and there and try to work on that. That said, why is Slater so dominant? I was thinking about it the other day, he’s been amazing this year and guy’s have
crumbled in heats that maybe wouldn’t have before and I’ve seen some heats where the scoring’s gone his way a little bit too, but he’s just got a focus and drive unlike a lot of young guys at that level at the moment. When Andy was in his prime and winning three titles in a row he challenged Kelly to that level of commitment and determination. I don’t think there are any other guys, maybe Mick that are at that level, it’s hard to put a finger on it. As an observer it seems like the other guys at that level don’t get in Kelly’s face, they’re all to nicey nice, Andy would get in his face? Yeah, you saw it in heats between those two it was really a strong rivalry, I don’t know what it is with Kelly, he’s an enigma. He’s thirty-six, you’re thirty-one, so how long can you hang in there, doesn’t that inspire you? It’s awesome, it’s great and that’s the thing I don’t want to feel like I’m just hanging in there, I want to be having a good time and doing well and when it gets to the point that I’m not then that’ll be the time to walk away from it.
KATIN PRO-AM TEAM CHALLENGE
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Words: Hamilton Endo :: Photos: Courtesy Katin // Hurley Team Champs - Edinger, Guillmette, Simpson and Machado // Brett Simpson // Machado // Stanfield, PT, R.C. and Katin Marketing Director, Scott Waring // Chris Waring // Simpson’s victory board at Fred’s Mexican after party // RC’s Katin Pro Am Team Challenge // Simpo gets a victory kiss // Simmons and Rockin’ Fig // Perfect Northside HB // Kalanai Jabour
Good karma prevailed for the return of the legendary wintertime event, the Katin Pro-Am, which went down at Northside HB after a ten-year hiatus. Sixteen teams started off on a unique grid format developed by event maestro Brillo, which proved to be a dominating performance by team Hurley over team Reef and the local contingent team Darkride of Micah, Tippy, Navarro and finalist Jesse Evans. Two days of wintertime perfection gave competitors an amazing canvas on which to paint their pictures, none better individually than Carlson’s perfectly executed flip on day one and Machado’s perfect ten left hand barrel in the final, but it was Simpo’s solid all-around performance that gave the hometown boy the $4,000.00 first place check. RESULTS :: Individuals: 1. Brett Simpson, Hurley // 2. Rob Machado, Hurley // 3. Chris Waring, Reef // 4. Jesse Evans, Darkride :: Team: 1. Hurley (Edinger, Guillmette, Simpson & Machado) // 2. Reef (Waring, Ware, Losness & Nick Rozsa) // 3. Darkride (Byrne, Tipton, Navarro & Evans) // 4. Fox (Jesse-Merle Jones, Virs, Geiselman & Stang)
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SKULL CANDY SIA PARTY
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Words: Jessica Gross :: Photos: Adam Barker // SNOOP // Jam Packed // Hit it from the back // Mix Maser Mike // Snoop at the Skull Candy Booth // Mix Master Sky Cam // Clarke Miyasaki, Snoop and Rick Alden // Rick Alden, Snoops publicist, Snoop, and SK’s Jason Kimball // Light Box // Snoop Mobbn’
For those of you who were either too cool to show up, or got stuck in the line that wrapped around the Palms for three hours, we’re sorry you missed the ultimate of shows at SIA. And for those who have no idea what we’re talking about - you must be living under a rock if you have yet to hear about the Skullcandy SIA party, “Day Three Don’t Matter”, with Snoop Dogg, Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys), Super Natural and Rahzel (world beat box champion) rocking the mic until 3 AM. Day three definitely did not matter after the drinks were pouring and the mic was rocking. Kicking the night off right, Snoop made a special appearance at the Skullcandy booth to say what up to his SIA fans… with a crowd around the booth and the jams pouring out, fellow fans were stoked to see the Dogg, even just for a minute. As the show wrapped up, SIA’ers headed over to Rain to stand in line in hopes of making it in for some “Gin & Juice”. As the club filled, the night warmed up with Super Nat who definitely put on a show with his ever so clever lyrics; “bet you haven’t ever seen a white woman give a black man her purse”. When Mix Master Mike hit the stage, the dance floor started moving and the beats flowed right up to Snoops awaited appearance. Once the D-O-double-G hit the stage the crowd went absolutely wild to his 11-song, blast from the past, greatest hits show ever – a night to be remembered and a proper farewell to Vegas.
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BOB DOB ART SHOW
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Words: Jason Maloney :: Photos: Beau Roulette // Kate Flannery from the hit T.V. Show ‘The Office’ and the man of the hour Bob Dob // Sat on a wall // 2 Dudes Smoking // Coop and Brandi Milne // Bird n a Bottle // Greg “Crayola” Simkins and Jason Maloney // My Fish // Milk and Cookies // My Little Ducky // full crowd seen at the Bob Dob opening
Artist Bob Dob just had an opening at the infamous Billy Shire Fine Arts Gallery in Culver City this past Valentines Day. The theme he focused on was that of growing up in Hermosa Beach, California. His paintings are filled with cigarettes, broken surfboards and some really dumb lookin’ birds. The works also featured a return of his signature little devil guy named, “Luey”. Luey is depicted in several of his new works pulling down the bikini bottoms of an unsuspecting beach bunny, feeding a seagull a fish hanging out of his mouth and he even has a Luey passed out after drinking too much milk, I preferred whiskey with mine but whatever. Bob has an incredible eye for detail, composition and wit. These recent works are both fun and creepy, a perfect Valentine’s Day combination.
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REAL SNOW. REAL CLOSE.
As a supplement to winter snowfall, Big Bear Lake’s nearly endless water supply for snowmaking ensures a chilly all-mountain snowpark from the early season through spring time. Ride the No.1 Park in the Nation while others are still reading magazines and dreaming of snow. 1000+ snow-guns are locked and loaded, we’re ready for winter warfare. More jibs, more jumps, more fun.
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BEARMOUNTAIN.COM
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Interview: Tim Bergevin Adam Baker is a young man who writes beautiful songs that capture the essence of his North Carolina roots. Together with the five other members, Annuals released their major label debut ‘Such Fun’ in October of 2008. Filled with sparkling keyboards, big choruses and even bigger drums, the songs wind their way down paths that conjure up images of kids running through fields on fall days. All the beauty that flows out of this record
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doesn’t come without its price. Adam takes us through the stress and the inspiration he gets from his home state. It’s been noted that you said making this record was stressful. Now that it’s been out for a bit and looking back on the whole process, how does it make you feel? Still stressful, but looking back it was necessarily stressful. I was
used to a stress free recording environment before and I was just under prepared for the insecurities of working on a song with people that were somewhat strangers. Do you feel there is unwarranted pressure when you go to write the follow up to a debut record especially because the songs on the first album have been crafted over the course of several years while your follow
up is demanded pretty much immediately after you finishing you’re touring cycle from the first album? It wasn’t a problem writing the songs, it was in the recording process that we felt a time squeeze. There was more focus on making whatever song we started working on work in the end. We couldn’t throw away songs like before. It was good and challenging in the sense that we had to find what could work
in a progression or how we could make a song flow with the rest of the record. How have you seen your song writing evolve now that you have turned out two records? I don’t think it’s changed much at all really, I have just adapted it to the surroundings that I have been in. But if these surroundings were to go away I don’t think it would really change. I’m pretty comfortable with the mind set when it comes to the actual creative conception of the songs. Your surroundings are constantly refereed to in
everything that is written about your band, do you really feel your North Carolina upbringing shaped your music as much as people want us to believe? I’m pretty proud when people say that kind of thing about my music because I am from North Carolina. I like to reflect our general mood from down there. The words used to describe your music are lush, rich and mountain-esque. Do you feel those things are represented in your songs and do you draw inspiration from that. Entirely; people’s surroundings are a direct link to who they are today,
how they grew up, where they live now and how they choose to live. That is all representative, especially when it comes to art. I grew up in Apex and my family had thirty-five acres of land and I could just roam around and we had a creek. The song ‘Brother’ is actually about that creek and my brother. It’s definitely a big part of my writing and a huge part of the bands sound I hope. And I am happy to say that our music is mountain-esque. Do you read what people write about the band? I do sometimes, but I try not to because usually it stresses me out in one way or another. I’m just happy
to know that people are writing. Everything I have read is really positive but a little strange. Here are the best two things I have read about you guys, “it’s Apocalypto meets Monster’s Inc.” or my favorite, “these party faced North Carolinians like their indie rock like Lorenzo Lamas likes his hair, windswept and dramatic.” (Laughing) I hadn’t heard those ones. That’s good though! Do you even know who Lorenzo Lamas is? No.
Reviews: Tim Bergevin
Dan Deacon Bromst Car Park Records
DJ Rhettmatic Pure Funk Mode Mixtape 247 HH/Beat Junkie Sound
The Vines Melodia Ivy League
Dan Deacon is out of his mind and that is a good thing. Buzzing, pulsing, fuzzy, piercing, highs, lows - it’s a mess that could blow your mind if Dan wasn’t smart enough to pull it all back together and deliver something that will have you exhausted after one listen. With electro acid rock beats that ease into kiddie-like keyboards and then back into a Disneyland Electric Light Parade chorus - you have just experienced the song ‘Red F’ and you’re only on track 2 of the record! Dan’s kaleidoscope craziness will definitely be too much for a lot of people but don’t pass on the opportunity to see him live! It will be the most interactive show you’ve ever experienced.
If you’re not down with the Beat Junkies than your Hip Hop palate is one that has definitely not matured. Seems like you may have been standing too long at the burger counter and not eating enough Kobe beef! If you’re ready to take it to the next level than feast on this latest mixtape from DJ Rhettmatic of the World Famous Beat Junkies! This record had the likes of even Nick moving his head up and down and ready to dance. This record is the ace in the hole for a late night dance party that needs to be taken to the next level. Rhett spins his tasty treats on tracks by Percee P, James Brown, Big Daddy Kane and even a Queen Latifah jam. The only question is can I find this on vinyl!!! A must for any dance party, don’t sleep!!!
Allegedly, this record was released in July of 2008 but mysteriously a copy appeared in the BL!SSS offices recently so we thought we give it a shout out. Unfortunately for Craig Nicholls he no longer has a major label deal and he is still totally out of his mind. When this band arrived in 2002 it was with a punch in the face and no one cared that they owed everything in their repertoire to Nirvana. As time past they kept putting out albums and nothing changed. Good or bad it rocked but was like eating a chocolate donut everyday. You like it but you did it because it was easy not because you really wanted it.
I think these guys must be smart. Their band is named after a Shakespearian tragedy and they have songs named after French Existentialist authors. There bio is a series of short sentences like, “Titus Andronicus like songs which are fast more than songs which are slow. Titus Andronicus never sing about love, only hate. Titus Andronicus have no hope for the future. Everyone in Titus Andronicus was born to die.” Whoever wrote that rules and so does this band. Garage rock that is smart, rocking and pissed off usually comes off corny. Not these dudes. Get this record and go read a book!
Morrissey Years of Refusal Attack/Lost Highway
Funeral Party Bootleg EP Fearless Records
Wavves Wavvves Fat Possum Records
Loney Dear Dear John Polyvinyl Record Co.
Bust out the grease for your pompadour because this new Moz album rocks. This record was produced by the late Jerry Finn whose work with Green Day, Rancid, Pennywise and The Smoking Popes among others sets the tone for this revved up offering. There are some of the typical morose Morrissey tracks but the bitter scorn of this Brit ExPat has returned in tracks like ‘All You Need is Me’ and ‘Something is Squeezing My Skull’. Those tracks showcase the biting lyrical wit of our beloved Steven Patrick Morrissey and when he spits venom, it really stings. See you at Coachella Mozzer!!
These Whittier kids are lighting up the indie scene with their own brand of post-punk dancea-rama. Tearing up the East LA scene they have been championed by members of the Mars Volta and are currently on tour with indie heroes Trail of Dead. The band claim to not have owned instruments when they started but upon listening to tracks like ‘Car Wars’ and ‘City in Silhouettes’ you realize these kids are far from novice players. Busy drums, driving bass lines and vocals that don’t grate, you know The Rapture is jealous because these boys just oneupped them!
This distorted San Diego duo could easily be mistaken for fellow Californians, No Age. While they are both Californian skater-ish types rocking out in bands consisting of only guitar and drums Wavves is a little more Jay Reatard than the Sonic Youth overtones kicked out by No Age. Noisy and shaken is a good description of songs like ‘Sun Opens My Eyes’ while tracks like ‘To the Dregs’ are full on Sonic assault. The guys are not afraid to throw a pop element in and if they switched off the distortion pedals on a song like ‘So Bored’ you might be able to mistake it for something much sunnier.
Have you ever crunched your way through a snow-covered field while the sun warms your face and the silence that is only heard in the mountains completely surrounds you? If you love that feeling, like you’re alone but happy because you have been enveloped by nature, than this Loney Dear record is for you. Shuffling drums, sweet melodies and vocals that have you believing the quiet desperation in singer Emile Svanangen’s voice, these Swedes have delivered warmth and light in the long dark winter Swedish winter.
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Titus Andronicus The Airing of Grievances by Titus Andronicus XL Recordings
AGE: 17 HOMETOWN: JENKS, NJ SPONSORS: ERGO, …LOST SURFBOARDS, NIXON, DVS, SMITH, FCS FAVORITE SURFER: CHRIS WARD
S Y: B M O D R ENTE G SSPRES S ! L B
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AGE: 15 HOMETOWN: BUENA PARK, CA SPONSORS: POWELL, BONES WHEELS, TEAM BK, UPFUL HARDWARE, UNITED BOARDSHOP FAVORITE SKATERS: JOHNNY LAYTON & DYLAN RIEDER
AGE: 14 HOMETOWN: MAMMOTH LAKES, CA SPONSORS: BILLABONG, ELECTRIC FAVORITE RIDER: T-RICE, SCOTTY LAGO, AUSTIN SMITH, MARK LANDVIK, JOHN JACKSON
Photo: Boyes
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