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K A L A N I A L E X F O R D
K N O S T
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D A N I E L K A LA N I
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D A V I D D A N N Y M A K U A
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www.thecomune.com/blog/drop-city
P A R R Y
Drop City was introduced to attract like–minded creative people to the comune artist community and collaboarte on special projects through COMUNE’S clothing brand. With participating artists including Hunter Longe, Jason Lee Parry, Noah and Nathan Rice, Shelby Menzel, Jimmy Fontaine and Gareth Stehr over time Drop City will continue to evolve its’ community, creative platform and influence.
L E E
C I T Y
P 1 - J A S O N
D R O P
Photo by Jason Lee Parry
‘ Y O U N G
P H O T O _ 2 0 1 0 A D S _ JLEE
A Spring 2010 collection by COMUNE.
www.thecomune.com
Our goal is to provide clothing that reflects this lifestyle of carefree idealism and to support the people that choose to live it.
D R O P
P U R P O S E
COMUNE was formed from the idea that there will always be people out there who not only embrace the rawness and imperfections of every day life but use it to creatively push the boundaries of what’s possible in skateboarding, fashion, art, and music their own way, with complete disregard of the consequences.
C O P Y R I G H T Š 2 0 1 0 P 9 4 9 . 5 7 4 . 9 1 4 2
C I T Y
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the new arto series available now
gravisskateboarding.com
2/11/10 11:44:20 AM
Photo: Jack Coleman
5500 AAATM Junior Sheer Jersey V-neck Tee 4.3 oz. 100% Ringspun Cotton.* Sizes S-2XL *Athletic Heather 90/10 Cotton/Polyester *Charcoal Heather 60/40 Cotton/Polyester
Available colors:
Athletic Heather Black Charcoal Heather Dark Chocolate Hot Pink Purple Turquoise White
New for 2010 - All garments will be available with a Tear Away Label for
easy removal to help with your re-labeling and heat transfer programs. Contact us today for a copy of our new 2010 catalog to see what new styles and colors we have to fulfill all your blank apparel needs.
速
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com
EDITOR
joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR mark paul deren madsteez@madsteez.com
EDITOR AT LARGE liz rice liz@blisssmag.com
SKATE EDITOR chris ortiz chris@blisssmag.com
SNOW EDITOR jon francis jon@blisssmag.com
MUSIC EDITOR tim bergevin tim@blisssmag.com
ADVERTISING ads@blisssmag.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jason Kenworthy, Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom Carey, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran, Dave Nelson, Pat Eichstaedt, Julien Lecorps, Ryan Boyes, Zach Hooper, Tim Peare, Michael Lallande, Bob Plumb
CONTRIBUTORS 9/AA7/ ;3/2=@ 7 >6=B=5@/>6G B6=;/A 1/;>03:: @/3<=>B71A 1=;
Matt Patterson, Willie Marshall, Daniel Russo, Liz Rice, 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 BL!SSS Magazine 413 31st Street Newport Beach, CA 92663 www.blisssmag.com
MARCH 2010
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 Blisssâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; right to edit and comment editorially. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine reďŹ&#x201A;ect 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 reďŹ&#x201A;ect 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 : Ashley Macomber If your favorite shop isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t receiving BL!SSS Magazine please contact info@blisssmag.com
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BRINGING HOME THE GOLD
CHEDDAR POCKET We first heard about this little brand from our dear friend Jason Bates. If you’re lucky enough to know Mr. Bates, then we don’t have to tell ya that he knows what’s up. The guy has helped establish several top brands in our industry, is the founder of Class Showroom in Santa Monica, and has his fingers in more projects than anyone else we have ever met. We’ll have to save the rest of my Bates rant for another time, but his involvement in Cheddar Pocket tells me one thing… success. These guys are pumping out quality genuine leather wallets from down under and are only in a few selective boutiques in America. You can rest assure that we all use them and are backing them so keep your eyes open and you might find one too. Now that the Olympics are officially over we gotta give love to… well, you guessed it – Shaun White, for once again bringing home the gold for the US. But maybe getting even a little more attention is the controversy of what US bronze medalist Scotty Lago was up to after the event. Apparently a couple “racy” photos (check TMZ.com) of him “showing off the bronze” landed him in hot water with the US Olympic Committee as he was asked to leave the Olympic compound before closing ceremony. Heaven forbid he could actually have fun and interact with his fans the way any typical young star would. It’s not like he was photographed with a bong stuck to his mouth like some other past Olympic prodigy.
MALOOF MONEY CUP Looks like the V-Co boys are throwing around the big bucks – first the Volcom Pipeline Pro and now as one of the title sponsors for the Maloof Money Cup. Bigger and better than ever before, the Maloof’s are holding double events this summer. Going down June 5th and 6th in New York City and then back to Orange County the first week in August. With a boatload of cash on the line it’s sure to draw the most talented in the biz so you can bet the BL!SSS boys will be on hand to cover both events.
DILLON PERILLO RIPPING CURLS It wasn’t that long ago when we did a feature on Dillon Perillo and now he’s making news again. The Malibu native has just switched sponsors and has joined the Rip Curl roster along the likes of Mick Fanning and Owen Wright. On the search for best damn surf team possible, they just landed themselves another SoCal super star. Dillon isn’t quite ready to set his sights on the ‘CT, so expect to see some sick new video parts and editorial pieces while he joins Rip Curl on the Search for perfection.
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BOZWRECK IS GNARLY No big surprises with this collaboration, as the dudes behind Gnarly have joined forces with Bozwreck to offer a couple exclusive tees for all you snow heads out there. These babies are very limited and very dope. There is only one place you can purchase them so click your fingers onto bozwreck.myshopify.com and be the first one rocking this collab next time you head up the lift. There’s still a plenty of pow falling locally and plenty of snow bunnies to impress, so don’t wait to purchase one of these today.
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CLARK LITTLE PHOTO BOOK
So I was up at the WESC headquarters this last month donating some office shwag for the Lady Tigra Haiti Benefit (which by the way was amazing) when Eric Ruhle gifted me his favorite playlist. If you’re like us, then you are always looking for some new tunes to share with your friends. I got an added bonus in that the USB memory stick was none other that WeActivist Jason Lee. These limited little trinkets are hard to come by and I know there are some fans out there that are dying to get their hands on this thing… hello eBay!
HAITI LOVE
We know this book has been out for a little while but it recently caught our attention again as we were lollygagging around the office at deadline. Our friend Ryan Hurley lent us his issue to pass some time and the photos have absolutely re-captured our imagination. The more I look the more I wonder, and I think that is exactly what Clark Little had in mind while trying to capture these magical moments. Clark spent plenty of serious hours in the shore break putting himself in some really dangerous situations, so you can spend hours lost in these timeless photos.
With the terrible disaster that has happened in Haiti, it sure has humbled a lot of people and made us think about how lucky we all really are. I’m actually quite proud at how many events and benefits have been going on within our little industry to help our brothers and sisters in their less fortunate situation. That said, I gotta give a proper shout to the Ergophobia crew for donating over $300,000 worth of product to the Haiti Relief Fund. They went above and beyond and sent a whole container packed full with all types of Ergo goodies. Way to go!
ROCK iPHONE
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We’ve seen a lot of new iPhone cases hitting the market in the past year but none of them have quite impressed me more than the cases just released by Joyce. Part of their “Truly Gifted” program, they teamed up with designers like Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten, Marni, Etro, Bless, and Anna Sui to participate in part three of this ongoing series. But the one that stands out the most is the rock case by Bless. I mean… it’s a fucking rock for Christ sake. I can’t wait to get my hands on this thing so I can pull my rock out of my pocket and start talking to it. Just imagine the stares I’m gonna get. Or when the cop pulls me over for talking to a rock while driving down the freeway.
SOLAR POWER BAG Harnessing energy from the sun is one of the greatest green technologies ever invented. Implementing that technology into something wearable and functional… well, that’s downright genius, and that’s exactly what Neon Green has done. The latest to their ever-going line of sun harnessing items are these bags. They store energy from their solar cells so you can charge your phone, mp3 player or you computer. Free energy on the run, what more could you ask for?
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CROSSROADS
SKULLCANDY X HARD ROCK CASINO
The Petco parking lot has never looked so rippable, as over a hundred clothing, hardgood, shoe and skate brands took over during this last round of ASR. This is the newest addition in ASR’s attempt to completely merge the skate, surf, snow, and fashion shows into one area where retailers can have the best of all worlds. Jamie Thomas and his crew have brought this thing quite a ways and managed to keep it grassroots and as raw as it could ever be. I was stoked to see so many different folks united together in skate and enjoying themselves.
CHOLULA TRIPLE AIR For only the second time in their twelve-year history, Mountain High’s Cholula Triple Air went down at their East Resort. With a slightly modified setup from the usual and twentyfive grand up for grabs, it was the event to be at last month. Instead of the standard three jump setup, the new line consisted of two jibs, a 50-foot step down and a massive hip, challenging even for the most experienced riders. Competitors showed up from as far as Norway to compete but when the snow settled it was Trevor Jacob with the jug of cash and the big moves. If you missed out you’re just gonna have to wait till next year for Cholula and Mt. High to do it again.
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With its 750 million dollar expansion, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has just inked a deal granting Skullcandy the official naming rights to the venue’s three main stages. It sounds like Vegas just got a lot funner for the BL!SSS crew and all everyone else in the Skullcandy family. This partnership not only allows synergies between Skullcandy musicians and concerts but you can also expect in-room product integration and listening stations setup throughout the hotel. As soon as the venue reopens we’re sure there will be an event or two going down that you won’t wanna miss, we’ll keep ya posted.
DRAGON DICTATION
This month’s iPhone app that has got us all talking is Dragon Dictation. For the low price of FREE, you can talk all day long to your phone while it translates it into text - great for making shopping lists, reminders while driving, or even dodging emails. I was a little hesitant at first but once you get into this one, there’s no way you’ll ever live without it. Click on over app store and spend some more of your hard earned money.
FLYING STEALTH
Apparently, surf superstar Jordy Smith is planning on taking over the music industry after he gets bored with surfing. He teamed up with the South African act Goldfish to produce his first single Flying Stealth. Surfermag.com dropped the exclusive just as we were about to ship this issue off to the printer and we thought it was worth a mention. I’m sure Jordy knew he was gonna get all types of flack from the haters out there but, we gotta say it wasn’t half as bad as we were expecting. Log onto surfermag.com and see for yourself.
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ANDREA MYERS
QUIKSILVER’S CYPHER VISION It seems like everywhere I look Quiksilver has been pushing their new Cypher “short film.” Surfline, all the major pubs, even in BL!SSS – so I finally decided to log on and give the thing a gander. Holy shit… this is the best surf film that I have seen in a long time. It stars the likes of Kelly Slater, Jeremy Flores, Julian Wilson and Dane Reynolds, all having fun in Mexico and Tahiti. And though it’s not even fifteen minutes in length, it has some of the coolest HD footage I have ever seen. Apparently they shot with some new super high tech digital camera that can shoot something like 1,000 frames per second in HD. It is by far the coolest surf film ever made, no joke. Check it for yourself; it’s free on Quiksilver.com.
ALPINESTARS X ANGELS & AIRWAVES Alpinestars has joined forces with Angels and Airwaves to design a few limited addition tees in support of Riders for Health. Each shirt purchased represents a donation to Riders for Health – an organization in Africa that provides reliable transportation of basic healthcare to remote areas where easily preventable diseases run rampant. These guys are always doing the right thing and I’m sure you’ll hear more about this alliance and the Riders for Health organization when they take to the road at the end of this month. Oh yeah, and the new A&A album Love is available now and for free on there website so go get it.
MGMT CARTOON
We’ve been seeing quite a few women artists receiving some well deserved publicity in the media lately and Andrea Myers has just blown up on the BL!SSS radar. She’s been putting together some pretty crafty sculptures and three-dimensional pieces recently and we thought she deserved a little plug. Using brightly covered fabrics and other unconventional media, it’s quite amazing what she has accomplished. See for yourself at andreamyersartist.com.
ZICO Let us be the first to introduce you to a brand new beverage called Zico, made in Brazil from pure coconut water. Pat Towersey just dropped by with their beautiful west coast affiliate, Juliet, to hook the BL!SSS boys up. This stuff is perfect for any action sports enthusiast - it’s filled with natural electrolytes, low calories and packed full of potassium. It’s our new go to drink in the office and we hear it is also excellent for hangovers. Head on over to your closest local natural foods market and see if you can score yourself some today.
MGMT is set to release their latest album Congratulations the second week of April. Fans of the art movement, they contracted famed surrealist cartoonist Anthony Ausgang for some original cover art. Apparently the images were leaked a bit early and we somehow came across this mockup of what’s to come. It’s definitely right up the BL!SSS alley and if the album is half as good as the cover then it’s sure to go gold.
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Opening a gallery is always a roll of the dice type of business scenario. Opening a gallery in a recession is a whole other ball game. But in many ways, it has worked in favor of THIS Los Angeles. Rents are cheap all over the city, especially in Highland Park. The founders are all working artists/photographers/ designers in Los Angeles with a large pool of creative friends and colleagues to choose from for gallery shows and happenings. THIS is not your normal art gallery though... “THIS is a creative space in our neighborhood; Highland Park. It’s not in Culver City or Santa Monica or West Hollywood or Downtown, but in Northeast LA where most of us live and make our work. It’s a space where we can not only have
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art openings, but have the artists we show come and speak about their work and their processes. It’s a space where we can record our friends playing songs. It’s a space we can have afternoon BBQs and teach kids about art. THIS is our venue to do what we want to do.”
Joanna Bovay, Todd Bratrud, Colin Burns, Kevin Byrd, Dallas Clayton, The Cobrasnake, Michael Coleman, Richard Colman, Damien Correll, Jeremy Davis, Cali DeWitt, Carlos DonJuan, Luis Farfan, Aaron Farley, Jason Filipow, Leo Fitzpatrick, Erin Garcia, Danny Gibson, Alana Goldstein, Tim Harrington, Harrison “Our first show was February 12th. Haynes, Will Hays, Maya Hayuk, It was a group show called “These John Hill, Jr., Matt Hock, Seonna Friends”. We realized after we Hong, Yoav Horesh, Dustin Hostetler, all made our lists that show was Jim Houser, Cody Hoyt, Stephanie going to be big. And the amount of Hutin, Malia James, Andy Jenkins, confirmations and excitement really Kelly Jones, Mel Kadel, Noah Kalina, got us excited about the potential Sonny Kay, Stefan Kjartansson, of the space.” The line-up includes Bob Kronbauer, Curtis Kulig, Jason a rather large group of creative Lee, William Lemon III, Andrea people from LA and elsewhere… Longacre-White, Sergie Loobkoff, Ashley Macomber, Blake E. Marquis, Corey Arnold, Darin Bendall, Geoff McFetridge, Joe McKay, Isaac Christopher Bettig, Justin Blyth, McKay-Randozzi, Bill McRight, Craig
Metzger, Travis Millard, Raymond Molinar, Dan Monick, Noe Montes, Garrett Morin, Kevin Morrissey, Andy Mueller, Steven Nereo, Mike O’Meally, Estevan Oriol, Chrissy Piper, Mike Piscitelli, Mason Poole, Alex Prager, Jon Prichard, Giovanni Reda, Josh Reed, Matt Rubin, Aaron Ruell, Kimberly Scola, Chris Searl, Todd Selby, RJ Shaughnessy, Bryan Sheffield, Emily Shur, Michael Sieben, Suzannah Sinclair, Winston Smith, Jesse Spears, Joel Speasmaker, Louise Sturges, Peter Sutherland, Kevin Taylor, Justin Van Hoy, Sage Vaughn, Amanda Visell, Adam Wallacavage, Jessica Wassil, Claire Weiss, Jeremy Weiss, Christopher Wessman, Mark Whalen, Ben Woodward, Magdalena Wosinska, Andrew Jeffrey Wright and Florencio Zavala.
Words: Nick Kalionzes
It’s not often that someone comes along who’s able to make a huge impact on your life, but Stewart was one of those guys. And even though we didn’t grow up together, I felt as if I had known him forever. From the moment I met Stewart I knew we would be tight, and I was right. Over the last seven or so years we spent a shitload of time together – surfing in Mexico, boat tripping in Indo, gambling, eating at his random local underground hot spots, and trying to stay out of trouble. Hanging with Stewart was always a good time, and he had an amazing ability to make me laugh. I think that’s what I’ll remember more than anything Photo: MG
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– all the times he made me laugh. And not just a chuckle, but the kind of laugh that goes on and on until it puts tears in your eyes and makes your stomach hurt. Not too many people can make me laugh the way that Steward could. He had his own set of phrases that seemed to be contagious. Anyone close to him picked up on his lingo, and those phrases were soon part of their own vocabulary. In fact, one of his more popular sayings ended up as the title of a spread in BL!SSS every month called Super Taste.
always way more scared for him then he ever was for himself. That applied to his surfing, the way he handled his business, and pretty much any aspect of his life. Back in the day if you were to rub Stewart the wrong way you were likely to get a head butt, or worse. But at the same time, he had one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever known. Stewart was a loyal friend, and always had me feeling that he had my back no matter what. I think it’s safe to say that you would not be reading this magazine if it wasn’t for Stewart. Back in mid ‘07 I was Stewart definitely was not scared running a different magazine and of much, and to be honest, I was not too stoked on the situation I
was in, so Stewart, being aware of how things were, was like, fuck that shit and start your own fucking magazine. He basically singlehandedly pushed me over the edge and helped me take the leap of faith to start BL!SSS. And he never bailed – no matter what, he was there for me every step of the way. I could go on for hours about this friend whose life made mine so much better, but it’s making me a bit misty thinking about him. I know that me putting this page in the magazine might make him throw up a little bit in his mouth, so sorry Stew, but I had to do it. I love you and will miss you more than I could’ve ever imagined. We will never forget you.
2010
WeA ctiv is t PE T E R S T O R MA R E S HO T B Y C HE RY L D U N N www. we s c. co m
Words: Thomas Allan
RVCA has been steadily preparing to open their second retail store on LA’s famed Fairfax Blvd. If you’ve ever visited their first store, on the iconic corner of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco, you know the brand made the effort to build out the store as a product of the environment. The design, the gallery, and the window displays all feel like they belong at the infamous intersection in San Francisco.
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PM Tenore, Founder and Creative Director at RVCA, took that same concept into designing the LA space at 501 N Fairfax. The store lives about one hundred yards from LA institution, Cantor’s Deli, on the stretch of Fairfax that’s a throwback to 50’s style comprised of clean, controlled lines and bold fonts on colorful retail store signs. Inviting friend and lauded artist,
Steve ‘ESPO’ Powers, was a great call by PM considering ESPO’s signature style lends itself perfectly to the aesthetic of the block. Steve designed and hand painted several pieces throughout the store with messages such as “I got your text”, “Did you remember… ???? keys, wallet, game”, and a “bye/hi” wave over the exit add a touch of modern humor amid the homage to the historic style.
A grand opening event is in the works for the beginning of April that is already generating a ton of hype – but we’re also anticipating the unveiling of ESPO’s work on the billboard above the store and on a limited series of tees that PM Tenore and ESPO developed to complement the store’s design.
Words: Pat Towersey
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Steve Gorman is framing everything! Over the past 25 years, Steve has been framing art for the greater Orange County area and is known as the best in the business. Whether it’s ornate, raw, vintage, modern or contemporary, Gorman framing has the style your looking for with competitive pricing.
full of unique framing just for this purpose. Steve got into the framing business 25 years ago by owning a poster shop down in the Lido Village; back when it was a hot spot. Over the years, his list of clients snowballed and he’s now doing custom framing work for most (or most important) Orange County people and businesses.
clients such as RVCA, PM Tenore, Quiksilver, Vestal, Etnies, Lost, Atwater, Mark Oblow, Phil Roberts, Mike Brophy, Mckibben Studio (surf genre art), Danny Fuller, Bluewater Grill, The Cannery as well as a number of local designers such as Juan Debogart, Barkley Butera and David Rance who are all frequent customers of Gorman framing.
Steve himself is a well-respected photographer and loves to help local struggling artist, he has a warehouse
Through his sons (Grant and Matt) Steve’s brother, Greg Gorman, is a passion for surfing and snowboarding, famous Hollywood photographer and he’s acquired a number of industry he uses Gorman framing for every
show, which has helped linked Steve into an A-list Hollywood clientele such as Wolfgang Puck, Val Kilmer, Pierce Brosnan, Tom Cruise and MGM studios. Some of Steve’s latest framing jobs include the opening show for the Annemberg Space for Photography and Prism gallery’s opening show Mind The Gap. So, if you’re in need of some quality framing email Steve at steve@gormanframing.com or check out his website gormanframing.com.
Photo: Dominic Petruzzi : dominicpetruzzi.com // Model: Xian Mikol :: Agency: Otto Models The photo of this month’s Super Taste looked so exotic that I just had to find out where she was from. With a name like Xian I pictured somewhere far away, somewhere green, somewhere peaceful, somewhere quiet. After a quick session on Google I soon found out that I was right on the money: she’s from Irvine, California. I have to admit I was expecting somewhere else, like Indo or the South Pacific, but it just goes to show ya how diverse our state really is. So don’t be too surprised if you run into Xian while picking up your next issue of BL!SSS Magazine. Makeup: Jessica McDonough
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Chris Bertish
Jeff Clark
Chris Bertish :: Photo: Dave Manning
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Peter Mel
Words: Anthony Tashnick :: Photos: Tom Cozad
11 PM After the competitors meeting, my board caddy Abe Morrison and I decided that we should go launch the jet ski tonight rather than ďŹ rst thing in the morning because we learned
that NOAA would most likely be at the harbor launch ramp in the morning regulating the new jet ski laws. The new law is a ban of jet skis in the marine sanctuary with the exception of Mavericks, but only during high
surf warnings, which happen once a year if at all. We were advised itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d probably be best if we launched the jet ski from the boat launch and drove the ski over into the dock area where the boats park. In my
pajamas, Abe backs me in, sitting on the jet ski fully clothed with my head lamp, I preceded to negotiate my way through the pitch black pillar point harbor about a quarter mile to the docks where I hide the
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Alex Martins
Anthony Tashnick
ski. Fortunately, I did not crash into the jetty. I hid the jet ski between two boats in the docks successfully, without getting too wet, and went back to my room to get some sleep. 8:15 AM Leaving the safety of the lagoon and punching out the narrow gap to the left of the Mushroom rock, I race out for my heat, which starts in 20 minutes. I was a little later than I would have wished, not giving myself that much time to study the sets. I let off the gas on the ski and slide over the crest of a mountain of water on the inside where I get my first glimpse of the lineup – 40 to 50 boats huddled together next to a roaring wall of whitewater. Instantly, the sight of it all disappears as I slide into the trough between the two mountains of water. It’s silent and still. I find the trough to be really peaceful and quiet. Especially in huge waves, the mountains of water block all the loud sounds of jet skis, diesel boat engines and the cracking of detonating walls of water unloading on the bowl. Feathering the throttle and motoring up the face of the next mountain I reach the top and slosh over the crest. BAM! Like getting smacked in the face with the sight and sounds of it all, wind and loud roaring surf again. I hit the throttle and accelerate down the back of the mountain and race out towards the pack of boats in the channel. Pulling up to the check-in boat I say hello to Darren. He throws me an orange
jersey, and tells me everyone has checked in and my heat starts in 11 minutes. My trusty board caddy Abe and I switch positions on the jet ski. Abe takes control and I sit on the back of the ski and play eeny, meeny, miny, moe with my two boards, trying to decide which board to ride. Mo… I grab my 10’2” yellow Mark Goin board with the giant Jim Beam logo on the deck. 8:40 AM Just as I attach my leash to my ankle – HONK, the 5-minute warning goes off. Five minutes remaining in the first heat, five minutes till my heat starts, still not having looked up to watch the waves, besides a few peripheral glimpses, while I was choosing a board, waxing and putting on my jersey. Then, the whole channel did this deep slow motion wwwwhhhhoooooaaaa. Hunched over with my back to the bowl I instantly sit up straight and turn around at full attention now. “Holy shit!” my brain says as I watch someone just rising to their feet. The surfer is soaring down this vertical face on a giant wave. They are super deep. That looks like Twiggy I thought. Yep, that’s Twiggy alright! The fucking guy. Just as he hit the bottom tranny of the beast, still going straight, fighting gravity as he was getting compressed most likely from the abrupt transition change. The shoulder about 100 yards over was already throwing so fucking far. Twiggy went into this fully, 100% committed bottom turn,
putting everything he had into it. Amazing direction change for a little guy on a big board in that critical spot. Not only did he pull in just barely ducking under a lip that was easily thicker than he was tall, the bottom turn sent his momentum more at the face than down the line. Twiggy transferred from his toe edge over to his heal edge and packed it, driving in the beast – world-class board control. A world-class ride. The channel was losing it! I went into a stuttering episode of turrets and dropped all my marbles in the ocean and watched them sink to the sea floor. 8:45 plus 7 minutes Still nobody’s caught a wave, it’s nuts out here. Two guys whip around to have a look, then out of nowhere I’m blinded by wind and water drops from the plume of spray as the swell rolls beneath me and I’m behind the wave. Starting at the trough the air gains speed as it’s drawn up the face of the wave. It seems to turn from dead still to gale force winds peeling my eyelids back in under a second. As quickly as it came the hurricane gusts fades away. After a second the two guys merge out of the blinding plume, as I shake the water out of my ears and eyes. Once again, no takers. This continued through the next few minutes of the heat. Then came a bomb, and Zach Wormhoudt went. A few minutes later, Garrett McNamara (water rescue) idled out to the lineup to tell us to be careful
and that Zach had internal bleeding from the wipe out on the wave he braved moments before. A little later in the heat, after paddling back out from a wave I caught, I see Zach pulling away and resisting water rescuers attempting to get him on shore and to the hospital. Zach pushes away from the rescue team and gets on his board and is paddling shoulder to shoulder with me. It was probably one of the craziest things I ever witnessed. Paddling out next to me, he is explaining how he just had the beating of his life. He is heavily bleeding from both his nostrils and spitting blood every few seconds. Looking at me straight in the eyes all psyched he says, “I made it to the bottom.” Zach spits another mouthful of blood and we continue paddling back out to the line up. It’s 9:15 am and there is still 30 minutes left in our heat, heat two… the day had just begun. It was a day I’ll never forget. I’m so glad no one died or had really serious injuries. Zach is all right - he is a hardcore motherfucker. I road some waves that I was super stoked on. I pushed myself to new levels as well as got humbled from some heroic rides by fellow competitors and a few non-competitors like Mark Healy, Rusty Long, Shane Dorian, and Shawn Dollar. I am super stoked to be apart of this era of big wave surfing and am excited to see the rides yet to come. Much respect!
March 26, 2009 - Costa Mesa, Californ ia
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F.S Flip
Interview: Min Maeweather :: Photos: Ortiz First off, let’s start with the usual: age, name, sponsors and where you currently reside? Edward Aldrin Garcia, 18 years young, my sponsors are Powell Skateboards, Bones Wheels & Bearings, Neff Headwear, 9five Eyewear, Theeve Trucks, and Overload Skateshop. I reside in San Diego. Seeing that you’re from San Diego, how did you end up on all these companies that are out of LA? When I was 15 I skated this contest called “Spring Break Yo’ Self” and placed 8th, that’s when Powell approached me. I gave the TM a call a week later, and he asked me if I wanted to go on a trip. So I took a week off of school to go AZ and met up with the Powell Team. It was really awkward not knowing anybody, but since the team was so cool, it wasn’t hard to feel welcomed. I got some clips, and they decided to keep me on the flowgram. From there, everything has been going uphill, with the Bones TM & the Powell TM helping me gain sponsors. Since you’re on 9five, Mike Metcalf doesn’t hold any grudges from the time you quit his skate shop to ride for
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another shop just a few miles away? Not that I know of. He probably makes fun of me for leaving his shop for a shop owned by P.O.D., but I don’t mind, I enjoyed both shops. How do you feel about the owner of your skate shop being a former professional rollerblader? Honestly, I don’t mind. He’s a really cool guy and manager. Did I mention that he used to ride for Swiss? Any projects you are currently filming for? Powell Skateboards promo and the Bones Wheels video (maybe). Current set up? Size 8 Powell FUN! deck, Theeve TIAX 5.25 (8in Axle), size 52mm Bones “Greasers”, Bones Reds Ceramics and Bones hardware. Do you want to talk about the time you pooped in one of the vents on the roof of Bell Jr. High? Yeah, it was actually a classroom for all the nerds. At the time we were playing “hide & seek” and I really needed to drop one, so I figured that I might as well do it there.
Tuck Knee
Nollie 360 Flip
What about the time we were in Carlsbad Elementary and said you had to poop real bad, then minutes later came back shirtless? That shirt made real good TP. Who out there in SD is killing it the hardest? I’d say Nick Tucker. Who do you usually skate with? Glenn Garcia, Deville Nunes, Jared Lucas, Jordan Hoffart, PH Park Rats, PH Homies, Daygo Dawgs, Eastlake Boys and Min Maeweather. Have you been skating with Jordan Hoffart more often, since he moved into the same apartment complex as Jared (Bones’ filmer)? Actually I have, but I should be skating with that guy everyday. Do you ever ask him about his encounter with Jessica Biel? Hell yeah!
Why are STF’s so good? Cause you’re guaranteed a 100% less flat spots, and they’ll make your wildest dreams come true. I saw the footage of you almost hard flipping the 16 at Hollywood High - do you plan on going back? Nah, I heard somebody else did it. Is it true that one of the Decenzo brother’s went and got the same trick a little while after you went for it? I’m definitely not gonna doubt it. First, Jamie Tancowny b/s flips the Clipper hubba, then this. Do you think you’re cursed? I hope not! Nah, I just gotta do some new shit. You and Luis Tolentino have pretty much been battling it out for two years now for who could ollie the highest. Is there any bad
Lip to Fakie
Switch B.S 180 blood between the two of you? Nah nothing like that, Luis is a topnotch dude. He’s so nice, we’re just two guys that are trying to take advantage of the skills we got, in this case it’s ollies. How’d you place at this year’s high ollie contest? Luis and I tied it at 43 inches and we split the scroll.
Places to eat? 1. The “Barrel” 2. Don Pedro’s 3. Hodad’s Spots to skate? 1. Ph Skatepark 2. Carmel Valley Skatepark 3. Kennedy Skatepark Movies? 1. Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back 2. Dude Where’s My Car 3. Superbad
What’d you end spending your earnings on? I put it in my savings; I’m trying to get me a hybrid.
Skate videos? 1. Animal Chin 2. Ride The Sky 3. FUN! (minus my part)
What’s the secret to ollieing so high? You have to drink Kangaroo’s milk.
Things to buy with your per diem? 1. Umbrella Hats 2. “Poor Man’s Big Mac” 3. Arizona green tea
You just graduated from high school, and you don’t have a job and aren’t going college. So are you just on permanent summer vacation? Basically. But I do have a job, and I work [skate] almost everyday. I really have to stay focused on my job, and commit to it. Your relatively new to the “industry,” was it how you thought it would be? Are their things you liked, dislike? No, the industry is so corrupt! But that’s just the way the cookie crumbles… I like meeting famous & important people. The Powell video dropped not too long ago, has it helped you get noticed? Yeah it really helped a lot, people somewhat know me now… leave it to YouTube. The next few questions will be top 3’s Video parts? 1. Guy Mariano (Fully Flared) 2. Jordan Hoffart (FUN!) 3. Ryan Decenzo (United By Fate)
Ways to make out with an older woman? 1. Caress that ass 2. “All four of your lips are looking lonely” 3. “Do you wanna feel young again?” How to let someone know you’re quitting their company? 1. “I’m having an affair” 2. “It’s not my decision, it was fate” 3. “I think you should kick me off the team” Things about taking your girlfriend out skating? 1. Massages when I’m taking a breather 2. She gets to see me eat shit 3. Always on deck with snacks. And to keep all your sponsors and homies happy, who do you want to thank? Powell Skateboards, Bones Wheels & Bearings, 9five Eyewear, Neff Headwear, LRG Clothing, Theeve Trucks, Overload Skateshop, Mom & Dad, Rhe, Glenn, Chris & Trish, The Garcia’s, PH park rats, PH homies, Eastlake Boys, Daygo Dawgs, all my teammates, all my friends, Luknasty, Deville, Mike Metcalf, Aaron, Tyrone and Min Maeweather.
Gap to Back Smith
Words: Mike Guarino :: Photos: Tom Carey I’m not the dude to write about the Pipeline. It’s kind of like buying a new Buick before you turn 60, or trying to run that trimmed beard look when you’re clearly patchy. At any rate, here are some thoughts on this competition and the very deserving riders who have the balls to stand under the spotlight in front of the world at the Banzai Pipeline. Many surfers dedicate their entire lives to riding and embracing this beast. Some other pro-level riders feel they can climb to the top of their own potential, take their experience from everywhere else and get noticed where it matters. Either way, for a competitor, clicking in your online entry to sign up for the Volcom Pipeline Pro must engage a gang of thoughts: from the highest of highs, to farming it and a walk of shame. Either way, they know Pipeline strips you naked, so these dudes come prepared for battle. Just yesterday, I trailed off while working, and found myself reading the new ASP judging criteria. It’s pretty complex really,
Pipe House
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Jamie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien
Brett Barley
John John Florence
Danny Fuller
Landon McNamara
Nils Schweizer
Kiron Jabour
Dean Morrison
Dave Wassel
Anthony Walsh
Mark Matthews
and it’s certainly a lot to think about because there are so many things to consider about scoring a wave. Pipeline is different – it’s essentially a tuberiding contest. It can almost be scored by one of those applause meters. The more oohs and ahhs and claps and cheers, the higher the score. Except of course, when beachside viewers go ape shit when a rider flies out off the top of a wave in a jumping kick out. Anyway, there were fourteen days to run the event, and it would take 3 full days of competition to sort through the field of 112 competitors to crown a champion. It was massive, it was clean, it was perfect, and it was nasty. It was all of the above throughout the fourteen-day waiting period, and Wassel, Pancho, and Marty Thomas had to cherry-pick the run days. Just as diverse as the conditions were the riders. On one end was 45-yearold surfing legend Derek Ho in classic style, and on the other end there was 13-year-old Landon McNamara who fell into one of the biggest waves of the whole event. There were mad Aussies, nutty Brazilians, Kamikaze Japanese, seasoned WQS and WCT riders, and almost every single known and unknown Hawaiian Pipe rider, all squared up into the small arena that is the Banzai Pipeline. Advancing
through heats at big and mean Pipe becomes much more of a man versus ocean than a man versus man event. Competition at Pipe really is like sending warriors to battle to see who can be most connected and calculated with the beast, time and again. It may sound silly or cliché or whatever, but strip it down to its core and there it is. It happened so quickly… 112 riders narrowed down to 4. The finals ran in the morning on the 10th day of the waiting period. Jamie O’Brien, Anthony Walsh, Mark Matthews, and Danny Fuller surfed perfect 6-foot Pipe. O’Brien was the man in rhythm and took the solid brass warrior helmet home with him. As soon as the finals ended, it got junky real quick. It’s almost like she held out and gave everything she had until the event finished. Pipeline is cool like that. Props to everyone in the event… the locals who shined, the East Coasters who got respect, the grommets who charged, and the legends that helped bring the level to this. I don’t know what else to say, I go ape shit myself thinking about all that went down. If you want to see it, go to the volcompipelinepro.com website. It’ll give it more justice than my little 600 words rant.
Sunny Garcia
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Nose Grind
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Interview: Travis Card :: Photos: Chris Whitaker I’ve had the privilege of filming three video parts with Collin Hale, Hopping in vans for months on end with no real plan other than to have a good time. Most times the budget was little to none, sleeping arrangements were harsh, & once we were even the targets of intense gang violence. Regardless, Collin’s positive outlook, humble persona, and rugged persistence, will always stick out in my memory. He’s an amazing skateboarder who’s constantly progressing, and a talented chef, but above all a great person!
you/what have you been up to? Waking up at 5 am to go to my job as a breakfast cook. Get out and see what’s good for the afternoon to try and go skate, relax. Maybe go for a hike, get some spring water. Get home and craft up some dinner for my girlfriend Aimee and I. Maybe get outside and check out the stars! Just trying to appreciate everyday and make the most of them all.
What are your earliest memories of skating? Just like borrowing people’s boards trying to ollie. You know, little kid stories. My brother Cody actually had a board first and we’d share it.
What’s the first thing people ask you about VT? What’s it like? Does it suck?
So you’re from Vermont? True.
So how long ago was that? Like 10 years ago.
And.... what is the word? It’s a beautiful place! Mountains, rivers, trees... There’s lot of support for local business etc. most of the state is heavy on the sustainable growth tip.
So what’s an average day like for
How often do people think it’s in
Back Tail Canada? Pretty often, it is up north. We’re close!
be calling Travis Card (Hey that’s you) to go film or skate some flat ground.
How do you deal with the harsh weather half the year? Talent Skatepark is the indoor hibernation chamber! I skate there a bunch and I built a ramp in my garage. Winters are rough but we stay “toasty”....
You’ve been fortunate to do some traveling over the past couple years, what are some of your favorite cities in terms of skating missions? SF for sure, and Florida has some really cool stuff, but I gotta say the Northeast cities like Boston and Montreal have always treated me well.
What are the advantages to living and skating in Vermont? It’s easy to get around; footage looks unique, having a good crew that’s down for each other... Who do you skate with in Vermont? Marshall Heath, Sean Stem, Cody, Cookie, Kyle Burroughs, Abair, Dick Bowen. You know everyone in Vermont gets down, usually I’ll
Switch Front Heel
What videos have you had parts in? Thanks Camera, Family Tree, Floor Work... Are you working on anything new at the moment? Well I was going to have a part in the Hurley video but I guess that
Nose Grind
got canceled for now. We have a new homie vid coming out soon; it’s called “Like Us”. Who’s gonna have parts? Dave Abair, Marshall Heath, Sean Meeker, Kyle Burroughs, I think. My brother Cody, and Chris Colbourn are having a split part, Ryan Edwards, Sean Stem, and me. Check it out when it drops! What’s your go to trick(s)? Back tail or switch flip, they’re all good... Evan pushing. So you won the Maloof Money Cup search for ams video competition, how did that all come about? My friend Luke Sullivan put the video together, a lot of which I filmed while I was staying with him in San Francisco. I didn’t know I was in the contest really until I found out I had won. Damn Congratulations! What was that experience like? It was amazing, just being there skating with some of those guys who I have so much respect for like Chris Cole and P-Rod... I felt really blessed! So what inspires you outside skating? Everyday nature, sunrises & sunsets... Just learning about new things... unconventional wisdoms. Nutrition, superfoods, herbs, studying ancient cultures, other ways of life. Looking beyond the mainstream information flow. Okay so what inspirations outside of skating have influenced aspects of your skating? Supernatural & metaphysical ideas, realizing possibilities are endless. Keeping positive & having fun in life! Any tricks you’ve been avoiding lately? Big gaps, rails, basically I’ve just been getting more into the creative stuff, cutty spots skating some tranny. So how has your skating matured over the past few years?
I have a different eye for things like seeing spots different and trying to come up with new ideas. Being more choosey about when to partake in the flying carcass toss, trying to limit the James Bond car explosion scenarios... Haha! Just taking care of my overall health, eating better and being more aware of the affects of that. Transworld video line up you’d like to see? Rodrigo TX, Nick Dompierre, Tyler Surrey, hmmm who else has had parts.... will go with Flo Marfeng, I’d like to see the Nuge come thru... Damn those videos are amazing! Props! What does the East Coast have going for it? Hard working homies handling shit. Regardless of the obstacles... Which are many... Creative stuff, cities are close together, more spots in a smaller radius, some classic East Coast-ish... NY, Boston, Love, MTL Lowell Crew is killing it right now... And the West Coast? Different types of opportunities, more spread out, Schools everywhere, Mad respect to all the West Coast homies! Weather, beaches.... West Coast heads. Wes Kremer. San Diego crew. Basically the state of California is just skateboarding really well these days. Favorite recent video part? Morgan Smith in the Blind Video was sick! What music gets you inspired to skate? Bob Marley, GFE is on constant loop, The Grateful Dead, some underground hip hop-ish, Conscience Vibes. Who are your sponsors? Hurley, Bones, Alliance Skateboards, Destructo, Jessup, Symptoms, Talent Skatepark & Shop. What is Collin Hales “Motto for life”? Leave this place better than you found it & enjoy the ride!
Switch Frontside Flip
Photos & Interview: Jason Kenworthy Let’s start with the basics: name, age and where are you from? Hi my name is Michel Bourez, I am twenty-three years old and I’m from Tahiti. Who are your sponsors? I have plenty of sponsors, I have plenty of money eh, haha. I ride for Nike 6.0, Red Bull, Kelly Surfboards, Future Fins and that is pretty much it. And what is your nickname and why? My nickname is Spartan. And why? I don’t know the reason why…. maybe check [grabs his bicep]. What major contest titles have you won? Last year was the biggest goal I ever had, I won Haleiwa – the six star prime in Hawaii. That is pretty much it. I’ve made a couple finals; I made the final in Brazil, I got third. I got third in Spain for the five star and a second in another five star too. I made a few results so yeah… And what about as an amateur? Did you win any events as an amateur?
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Uh… I never won an amateur event, only pro stuff. When did you start surfing? I started surfing in Tahiti when I was like eight years old with my older brother. We went and surfed out in front of my house. It was kinda big when I was younger. Who has influenced you in surfing? Kelly Slater has influenced me most of the time. I think he is the best surfer ever. I remember when I was a grommet I used to watch his movies and just want to be like him. Now I am close to him so that is pretty cool… What event has had the biggest impact on your life in the past year? The biggest event that has impacted my life in the last couple of years I think is a couple of contests that I did. A couple good results, I won the European title. I got second in the World Junior that Kai Barger won, winning Haleiwa and qualifying… that’s pretty much it. Who’s your favorite oldschool surfer?
My favorite old-school surfer, I don’t know if he’s old or not, is Taylor Knox. He’s definitely one of the best. I like watching him surf and he’s a pretty cool guy, he’s definitely the one. If you could surf with anyone in the world who would it be? If I could surf with anyone in the world it would definitely be my little brother Kevin. He is such a cool little monkey. I like to hang out with him and surf with him when I’m at home so yeah, definitely him. What is the first thing you do after going surfing? The first thing I do after surfing? I dunno, I do plenty of shit. I drink water, watch movies, just call my girl… You know, just all the things that everybody does.
What is your latest non-surfing obsession? My latest non-surfing obsession is my girlfriend. When I get back to the hotel I call her every day or two times a day.
Wetsuits or boardshorts? I think speedos. I hope Nike makes some nice speedos for me to surf in.
What are the top six reasons you get up in the morning? 1. Construction next to my hotel. 2. The sun. 3. My coach. 4. To surf. 5. My girl. 6. My friends.
What is your favorite surf destination and why? My favorite destination was Marquesas Islands. I went in January with a couple friends of mine. That was definitely the best trip of my life because I only spent like four days over there and it was all about the people living there and the culture and we had so much fun. That’s what it is all about, just having fun with friends.
Airs are barrels? Barrels. I think that’s the reason why I surf. There’s nothing you can compare to the feeling of getting a barrel and that vision you get. That’s why I like surfing; it’s all about the barrel.
Rights or lefts? Rights.
If you were stranded on a deserted island with five objects, what would they be?
Can I call my girlfriend an object? Um… maybe just water, sunscreen, sunglasses, some AC and I dunno… a banana. What is the best meal to eat after you surf? The best meal to eat after you surf is pas aun clu. We have that traditional meal in Tahiti made with fish and lots of other things in it. It is really good, really good! Every time I think about this after I surf. How many days have you spent away from home this year? Last year I spent maybe two months in Tahiti so that’s about ten months out of Tahiti. Kinda too long. When the waves suck or it’s blown out what is the best way to pass
the time? When the waves suck the best way to pass the time is by yourself or with a couple of friends. Buy a couple of cases of beers, you know just cruise or think about something else, just have fun. Let’s talk a little bit about being on tour, what event are you looking forward to? Just being on the tour is such a good thing. So many good things have happened to me this year. It’s definitely what I needed. Has it always been a goal of yours to qualify for the tour and how old were you when you first decided that you wanted to be a professional surfer? I think the first time I really thought about being a professional surfer was right after I graduated at home. I was like seventeen years old and I knew I didn’t want to work
behind a desk or wake up everyday at the same time to go to work. That’s when I decided I was a pretty lazy guy and that I had to surf, you know. Do you do any type of training when you’re not surfing? Yeah, I do a lot of training when I’m not surfing. I have a coach that is following me the whole year and he’s pushing me a lot. I have a couple things to do with him, always something to do every day. What kind of training do you do specifically? The easy kind. You know just push ups, sit ups, jogging, some work for stability – just to stay fit you know. Who are you traveling with this year? This year I will travel with the same guys: Tim Boal, my coach Xavier Huard, We’re gonna to travel together all around the world, it is gonna be good, yeah. We’ve already been traveling since Hawaii, it’s good. Which event are you looking forward to the most this year and why? The event I will look forward to do really good is definitely Teahupo’o at home. I’ve always dreamed to surf in that event ever since I’ve been there. Just to be at home with all my friends and all my family. I know that spot very well so that would be one of the comps I will wait for to get a good result.
Which event do you look forward to the least and why? The one I don’t want to go to at all might be Brazil again. I’ve always been to Brazil and it has been really, really bad. So yeah… Brazil. What is one thing that the world doesn’t know about you that you want the world to know? The only thing that people should know about me is, “watch out.” Nah, just kidding. They should know that I’m relaxed and an easy going guy, really mellow. Living in Tahiti obviously you speak Tahitian and French, how did you learn English so well? Yeah coming from Tahiti we only speak Tahitian and French so I learned English at school. I learned from all of my teachers but they were pretty bad though, that’s why I’m not talking so good. But I used to travel a lot around the world in Australia and America doing a lot of comps and meeting a lot of people so that is where I learned English. Does Michel Bourez have a signature move and what is it? I don’t really think I have a signature move, just doing turns like everybody else. I have my own style but anything else… I’ve got nothing. I need to do something new. How’s the power? Oh yeah, that might be my signature, the power. I like to put all my strength
in what I do. That’s why I like bigger waves and strong waves. Are there any trips or events you are excited for that are coming up this year? I can’t wait next year to train more and work on my surfboards more. The first contest that I’m going to do is Fernando de Noronha in Brazil. It is a six star prime and the format changed for next year so I have to do a couple QS’s and I’m pretty sure this wave can be a good start of the year. It’s just before Snapper Rocks so just to find good start is important.
Besides surfing, were there any other sports that you were into when you were younger? I used to do a lot of soccer when I was younger. For like six year or something, maybe seven years. I used to start with soccer. In Tahiti everyone plays soccer so it’s easy to play with like your friends and stuff. Yeah, I used to play a lot. I started thinking that if was not a pro surfer that I would be a pro soccer player or something.
What music do you listen to that gets you super psyched before you go out for a heat? The whole year last year I listened to Marilyn Manson and that just like pumped me up. I was excited to surf and it put me in the right position and ready to score.
When we are at the house you tend to spend a lot of time on the computer, what is going on inside that computer? There is plenty of things going on inside the computer. There are a lot of surf videos, a lot of surf pictures. Like my whole life is going on inside my computer. I can check my emails everyday, watch videos, skype with my girlfriend when she is not with me… that’s pretty much it you know.
As far as competitive surfing versus free-surfing goes, would you say you are more competitive? I would say I am more competitive person. That’s why I did the QS for the last three years. Now that I am in the CT it is pretty much the same – you are trying to find your goals and trying to find your way and it’s pretty hard. I free surf most of the time and I just try to work on the surfing base, on my turns and what we do in the contest. I try to make some airs too and new school stuff, it’s pretty good.
Any words of wisdom for the ones coming up? Maybe something to tell your little brother or the future generation? Actually, my little brother surfs really well, he’s a charger. He is really gnarly, when Teahupo’o is on he’s out there. He’s only seventeen and he has been surfing there since he was really young. I’m pretty sure he is going to be owning that place really soon. And if I could advise him I’d tell him to just do what he likes and to be 200% into it and do the right thing. And no drugs and that’s it – that’s the main thing.
Jamie Bikini – Vans vans.com Shannon Bikini – Tavik tavikswimwear.com Sena Top & Cuffs – Aqua VI aqua-vi.com
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Jamie Bikini – Tavik tavikswimwear.com Shannon Shirt – Volcom volcom.com Shorts – RVCA rvca.com Bra – Pull-In pull-in.com Sunglasses – Vestal vestalwatch.com Sena Bikini – Tavik tavikswimwear.com Sunglasses – Angel angel-eyewear.com
Natalie Hat – Stylist’s Own Shirt – Alpinestars alpinestars.com Pants – Fox fox-girl.com Jamie Jacket – Rusty rusty.com Jumper – Hurley hurley.com Bra – Pull-In pull-in.com
Natalie Cardigan – Vintage Stylist’s Own Bikini – Tavik tavikswimwear.com Headphones – Eskuche eskucheme.com Sena Dress – Fox fox-girl.com Shannon Shirt – Rusty rusty.com Bikini – Tavik tavikswimwear.com Jamie Tank – Fox fox-girl.com Underwear – Pull-In pull-in.com Tights – Stylist’s Own Shoes – Vans vans.com
Jamie Jacket – RVCA rvca.com Bikini Bottom – Vans vans.com Shoes – Vans vans.com Sunglasses – Volcom volcom.com Sena Swimsuit – Tavik tavikswimwear.com Sunglasses – Vestal vestalwatch.com Shannon Top – O’Neill oneill.com Bikini Top – Vans vans.com Shorts – Rip Curl ripcurl.com Sandals – O’Neill oneill.com Sunglasses – Crap crapeyewear.com
Jamie Pancho – O’Neill oneill.com Bikini – Volcom volcom.com Sunglasses – Vestal vestalwatch.com Sena Top – Hurley hurley.com Shorts – O’Neill oneill.com Sunglasses – Vestal vestalwatch.com Shannon Sweatshirt – O’Neill oneill.com Shorts – Volcom volcom.com Bikini Top – Rip Curl ripcurl.com
Interview: Ed Templeton Ashley Snow Macomber is an artist whose work you have seen around, but might not have put a name to the artwork, or known that it was even a ‘her’. She has done t-shirts for RVCA Clothing, and did the cover of Flaunt magazine as well as being featured in Anthem, Tokion and McSweeney’s Quarterly. She has been courted by galleries worldwide for her singular, painstakingly crafted images that swirl with lush line work, rich colors, allegorical animals, and symbols that offer a cerebral slant, and defy obvious interpretations. She has had solo exhibitions in Mexico City, Copenhagen, Chicago and Los Angeles. In recent years she has incorporated woodblock prints and sculptural elements to her installations, like an extension of her surreal paintings, bringing the viewer into a three dimensional space.
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Torso, 2006, acrylic on paper, 14 x 17”
I have known Ashley for what seems like decades. She is my only true “art-confidant,” someone I can let my total guard down with and discuss artwork and things going on in the world with absolutely no “artspeak” or pretension. I trust her honesty. She calls it like she sees it. That is something missing in the LA art world for sure. I hope this short but sweet interview will help you readers understand Ashley a little bit better, and bring you out in droves to her next exhibition… Have you fistfight? Nope.
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When was the last time you surfed? BL!SSS Magazine doesn’t just interview anyone, you have to have a surf or skate connection, so what’s yours? I haven’t surfed since I went to
Scorpion Bay in Mexico two years ago and scraped all the skin off my shin on my first wave. I had to spend the next two weeks with a wound that wouldn’t heal, while panicking that my leg was getting infected and I would be stuck in Mexico. It sucked cause I was with a bunch of dudes and they would go from telling me to suck it up, to saying it looked really infected and I should be worried. In high school, what music were you into? And were you part of any group that might be embarrassing looking back? I was a punk, the only one in my high school in the middle of suburban Massachusetts. All my friends went to private art schools in the area so I was sort of a loner senior year. I wore a dog collar and combat boots with my dress to prom and got mini
donuts thrown at my head when I walked through the cafeteria. That’s fairly embarrassing yes? That sucks if the dress was white and they were chocolate donuts. What is the strangest concert you have ever been to? My friend dragged me to see Counting Crows in high school, and the lead singer with the dread locks was wearing grey sweatpants. It was gross. What was the last concert you attended? I just saw my friends Street Buddy play at this art performance in Highland Park last weekend. I also watched a foot fetish film of a girl squishing worms in between her toes. Art can be so weird sometimes.
Schematic Gesture #1, acrylic on paper, 24” x 30”
Cleavage, 2007, acrylic on paper, 31” x 39”
Abduction, 2005, acrylic on wood, 32”x 36”
I have inside knowledge that your mother is into the little known or understood sport of Curling. Are you excited about the winter Olympics? Will you watch them? Did you grow up doing Curling? No I am not excited about the winter Olympics, I find them boring honestly, plus I don’t have TV. My mom is a great Curler and while I tried it in high school, it wasn’t really my thing. Curling is an amazing sport once you get to know what it’s about however, and I am glad that it is in the Olympics so people that like to watch the Olympics can learn how awesome it is. Living in LA, you must see a lot of celebrities. You and I used to have a running gag to see who could “out celeb-spot” each other. My last one was David Wenham in the airport in London, I had to look him up cause I didn’t know his name. He was in 300, and Lord of the Rings. So who has been your most major celeb sighting, and is there a good story to go
along with it? First of all, if you have to run home and look up the dude on the Internet it is not a celeb spotting. You get absolutely no points for that one. My best spotting was seeing Angelina Jolie, Brad, and their bio child at Starbucks one morning on my way to work. When I walked in to get in line there was this little kid smashing crumb cake into her face and staring at me. (Kids are often staring at me; I think it’s the 6-foot tall girl with short blond hair thing.) Anyway, I recognized that the kid looked familiar so then I looked at the mom and dad and realized it was Brad and Angie. They sat down at a table and chilled. No paparazzi or anything. It was sweet actually. You are right about my lame celeb sighting. It was one of those ones where you know you have seen him a thousand times, but you don’t know his name. Do you have an Oscar pick this year for best movie? Best Actress? Actor? No, I haven’t paid that much attention
to the Oscars. However, I really hope [James] Cameron doesn’t win for Avatar and his wife [Kathryn Bigelow] does win for Hurt Locker. Avatar is just a “whose dick is bigger” sort of movie and rewarding it for how large it is seems ridiculous. The Hurt Locker is not cliché, idiotic, or simple like Avatar. But don’t get me wrong, I totally thought Avatar was a beautiful film but rewarding the technology of that film with Best Picture is a total bummer to me. What was the last book you read? Do you get ideas for paintings from literature? If not, what is one of your sources? A collection of short stories by George Saunders. That guy is a genius. He is so smart and inventive without being pretentious or flouncy. It’s wonderful. Most of my work is grounded in narrative so yes, ideas come from literature. Fairy tales and fables are a big influence on me. Film is also a source. I just watched this movie Tropical Malady that was fantastic. It combines Thai folk tales
with a story about modern gay love. Do other artists inspire you at all, do you look at art, and how do you process what you see? Of course I look at other artists, and art museums are honestly my favorite place to look at art. I am not a big fan of going to galleries but it is also the only way to see a lot of people’s work. I am most inspired by my friends, and watching them struggle to make work in this world. The dedication to their practice and watching everyone try to find their own way is what inspires me to keep making work even when I am super tired and just want to watch a movie. Can you tell me about this work called “The Witch?” As much as I can see that there is a collection of objects such as antlers, ribbons, and a facemask, it’s almost like a Rorschach test, like you are asking viewers to come up with something more than those objects. Am I just being stupid? Well my urge to answer, “Yes, you
are stupid” is very strong, but no you are not stupid. It is indeed supposed to be a collection of objects intended to suggest something beyond the objects. My work is very much about the many things that go into making an identity. The Witch, which is the first in a series, is supposed to be a portrait of the archetype of the melted green witch using only the clues or hints that would make us see a witch. The adornments that make a witch a witch.
Cheerleader Study 1, 2009, watercolor and gouache on paper, 10 ¾ “ x 14 ¾ “
There seems to be a big element, even if people don’t immediately know it, of self-portraiture in your work, is that something you have attempted to keep secret? Or do not feel like my observation is correct? No you are right, there is a lot of selfportraiture in the work, but mostly because I am always around and I don’t have to awkwardly ask someone else for help. I don’t feel comfortable asking other people to pose for me. Also, I think you can only talk about what you know and that would be myself in the world. The hope is that someone else can relate. What is your relationship to the Wolf, and animals in general? It seems like a recurring theme in
your work. I am attached to animals for a billion reasons, and I use them all the time in my work because they let me investigate humans and relationships without speaking about any individual human or specific time period. It’s sort of another world that I feel comfortable hanging out in. What is your spirit animal? A raccoon. Do you have a favorite dinosaur? Art-o-saourus. Have you ever made a zine? And if so what was the name of it? I just made one with two girls from Greece called Dynasty. They approached me and asked if I wanted to do a zine with them. I supplied the images and they did the layout and printing. It’s called We Are What We Are Not. I know you were teaching kids in the recent past, what is the worst thing about kids? The best? The best thing about teaching kids is that they have a strange approach to the world that is still fairly unique, so they look at things with their own perspective and it can remind you to try to have new eyes. The worst thing
Phantom no. 1, 2009, watercolor on paper, 29” x 43”
Photo: Ed Templeton
Whale boat, Petrouchka, 2006, acrylic and gouache on paper, 30 x 46”
Brother/Sister, The Codependents, 2005, acrylic on wood, 31” x 36”
is that like adults, there are some kids you just don’t like and you have to pretend you do or you would be the cruelest person alive. They smell and are obnoxious, it can be totally weird. Do you believe in Aliens? And I’m not talking about life on other planets, but Aliens that have visited earth. Do you think there is an underground bunker?
No I don’t believe in aliens. Believing in aliens coming to spy on us or take over the planet seems so deeply rooted in our psychological need to create something beyond ourselves that I am deeply suspect. It’s like an alternative God. Have you ever seen a ghost? No I don’t believe in ghosts either. Do you practice any form of
religion, or believe in a God? If so, how does that affect your everyday life? I don’t believe in God, I do look at my horoscope everyday, and I am open to the idea that anything is possible. I am just from the east coast where practicality and skepticism rule supreme. Did you ever have a tag, and have you ever done graffiti?
When I was in my early 20’s for a very short time I was tagging Buny all around Williamsburg. That was embarrassing to write. If they print this answer in the magazine I will probably cringe when I read it. Would you ever rock a dream catcher? Only in my car. Dreams are best caught hanging from your rear view mirror.
Interview & Intro: Lane Knaack :: Photos: Dodds (*unless noted) Vermonter, dirt bag, redneck, mountain man, father, husband, musician, skateboarder, destroyer of anything on a snowboard; these are just a few words that pop into my mind while I’ve been thinking about how to start Kyle’s intro. I have had the pleasure of being friends with Mr. Clancy since we were young lads, and the kid has never ceased to amaze me. He’s always a step ahead of the game, and doing something fun that makes you just wanna go out and get busy, at least for me, Kyle was and still is a huge influence. A full decade after his breakout part in Jared Slater’s Cold Fluffer, he once again comes through with one of his best parts to date in the new TW movie Get Real. On top of all his accomplishments in the snowboard world, Kyle is just a down to earth good dude. Which to me, is the most important of all. So, without further ado, here is a little insight into the life of one of my favorite people/shredders of all time, Mr. Kyle Florig Clancy.
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How long have you been cruising the slopes for? Over 15 years baby. What does riding your shred stick mean to you? It’s a lifestyle and a way to express your internal energies, good or bad. Who do you ride for? Under Armour outerwear, which is backing me real hard, Gordini Goggles, Liberty Boardshop, Bluebird Wax and Remind Insoles. What projects are you involved with for this winter? We’re going out for Travis Rice’s next movie, Flight. The Snow Rev guys are making a flick and of course Bluebird’s Dobre Hombres. What kind of riding tickles you’re
fancy more than others? I like to be creative, try new things and going fast is a big part of it for me. Right now I really like building big jumps in the backcountry. How did you get into snowboarding and whom did you look up to in you’re more former years? I watched a lot of videos, like Milk and The Mack Dawg movies. I really liked Terje and Richards. Of course the East Coast pros had a lot to do with it. Guys like The Huffmans, Seth Neary, Mark Reilly, and Ross powers. The Huffmans inspired me to move West, Jessie said that’s where the biggest airtime was – so off I went. Where are you from, and where do you lay you’re head at night these days? I grew up riding Stowe in Vermont. Now
we live in Alpine, Wyoming. So, Alpine, Wyoming huh? For those of you who don’t know, Alpine is about 45 miles south of Jackson Hole. You get to ride with Guch, Parillo, Kinger, the real TR and KJ; What’s it like being with one of the most stacked group of OG’s and crazies? It’s pretty wild. I looked up to all these guys and now we ride together all the time. They love to ride and explore new terrain. I asked Guch if I could move here and he said yes. So here I am, it’s all about snowboarding out here. There is no scene; all these guys are just getting better. If you look at some of Guch’s newest lines… it’s scary. And Kevin is learning new tricks everyday. Did Kevin Jones really live in your garage last winter?
Yeah, he moved down from Bend and laid low in the garage/band room. He used the yard to get back on the snowboard, then he headed up to town and started riding the ski resort. Now that he is back, he’s stomping. It’s a new Kevin Jones. In short, describe an average day in your household during the winter. Wake up and go downstairs and get the whole crew ready to snowmobile to a zone and film some jumps until the sun goes down. Then come home and dry off and do it again. What do you get yourself into in the summer months? Recovery, hanging out with my daughter and making up for the travel in the winter. Favorite video part of all time and why?
“JEFF WAS A REAL PRO, WITH GOOD TASTE; EVERY TRICK WAS SO UNIQUE LOOKING. HIS INFLUENCE IS STILL IN THE SPORT, AND I THINK IT’S NOW PERMANENT.” Photo: Wyatt Caldwell
Andrew Hardingham in his movie Throw Your Panties. He claims there is no mountain that can stop him. A real character, that’s what snowboarding is about. Not taking yourself too serious and still working hard. You lived in Mammoth for quite some time, tell a little story of one of you’re best memories. I remember moving to Mammoth and Jeff Anderson telling us he hated us. Eddie Wall and I were so confused, then Jeff’s friends informed us that that was Jeff’s way of telling you he liked you. If I hadn’t gotten to see Jeff’s approach in person to snowboarding, I would be a different rider today. Jeff was a
real pro, with good taste; every trick was so unique looking. His influence is still in the sport, and I think it’s now permanent. Thanks Jeff. Kids these days don’t even know Retard Riot, what was it and what happened to it? We had a band in Mammoth, we used to travel to the Grenade movie premiers and play free shows. We got better towards the end, but it was really about hanging out in a dark room and drinking while the amps made noise. Being on the road, we saw a lot of funny things. Being involved in all aspects of the industry for as long as you have been, what’s your
take on where snowboarding is at these days? I like that there are so many types of riding. There is something for everyone. I think the internet has helped breach the gap between the unreachable super pros and the average snowboarder. It used to be 3 videos a year and they were all the same, now you can see someone’s part even if he doesn’t have a board sponsor. When are you and [Jared] Slater going to get together and make
Cold Fluffer 2? As soon as Jared comes back from the real world of Visa Card commercials and wildlife films, we’ll see if I can talk him into it. Chauncy Tanton will have to come out of retirement. I know, all through growing up, that all you wanted to do was snowboard. What has it been like for you, living ”the dream” if you will? It’s tough making it on your own, but I have gotten this far and I know I’m getting better at snowboarding and
learning more about life. I think my best years are to come. Coming from a competitive background, what’s your take on the whole snowboarding in the Olympics? Don’t be shy. They are corrupt, it’s a fact. Not the judging exactly but the whole process. I mean, they let Hitler’s Germany compete and they can just throw away a sport, like they did to the Women’s Ski Jumping. You work only for the Olympics and they throw you out on
the street. Plus, why don’t they give prize money? They sell commercial advertising! Snowboarding should have kept its nose clean on that one. Way to go Terje, but good luck to Louie and Scotty Lago all the same! Final words? Give these kids a piece of you’re mind. Do whatever makes you feel happy. I have seen a lot of people turn their backs on this sport, so keep at it and you’ll be rewarded and don’t take yourself too seriously. Thanks Lane.
ASR/CLASS
rtunity hrough ry best to hear myself y Tigra ay. We decade mbuktu anyone
threeor their m sure
Jim Shubin, Andy Bell, Leanne Milliken, & Danielle Giglio // Two blondes between the Sabre Coffin // Billy & Raul from Comune // CLASS@ASR // Cartz with Skullcandy ladies // ...lost’s Ryan Divel // Fashion show // Vince from Future Fins // Ergo’s Pete & Kyle // The Moylan Family // Mike and Justin from Ezekiel
This year ASR did it right. Long gone are the days of the tradeshow that run all week long with double-decker booths, million dollar giveaways, ginormous parties and ultimately, a lost weekend. This time around the boys and girls of ASR were strictly business, scheduling two weekdays (Wednesday and Thursday) for buyers and brands to rub shoulders and get some serious work done. With the second go around of CLASS@ ASR and the addition of Crossroads in the Petco parking lot, this years’ show had more brands (over 600) and more people than ever before. The two days were packed full; there were fashion shows, DJ’s, skate contests, live art installations, free haircuts and of course, the infamous beer garden. There was so much to do and so little time I barely was able to make my rounds. The new format, with Class upstairs and Crossroads across the street made it quite user-
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friendly for out-of-towners to get a large variety of business done in the short amount of time. And with the amount of crossover happening in nearly every aspect of the action sport industry, I found this is just what everyone needed. I spent the majority of my time bouncing back and forth in the convention center between ASR and Class but did manage to get a few solid hours at Crossroads. It was very cool to see ASR extending its powers to the skate hard goods by adding Crossroads and keeping the event so close to the other venues. There seemed to be a lot more kids enjoying everything that was going on in the parking lot and there also seems to be a bit more of a brotherhood between the separate brands at Crossroads. All in all, I don’t think the crew could have been more satisfied with the outcome of the shows. They keep fine-tuning it and it keeps getting better. I gotta say that all of us at BL!SSS were quite surprised and heard only good things as we’re looking forward to doing it again come August.
MAMMOTH ON SNOW DEMO
rtunity hrough ry best to hear myself y Tigra ay. We decade mbuktu anyone
threeor their m sure
Words : Jason Arnold :: Photos: Pono, Joaquin “the Machine” (XYZ Ent.), Amber // The crew // Red Devil Squadron // Chef Shaddy // Steve Klassen, JA, Jani Lange // Rock the Fock out! // Klassen, proper pirate swagger // The scene // Security // Captain Nick // Shaddy w/”the look” // Gettin’ loose
This year’s annual on snow demo, presented by WWSRA and hosted by Mammoth Mountain, was one a lot of folks were looking forward to. With El Nino upon us, the mountain had received copious amounts of snow the past few weeks and dealers and reps alike were frothing to get some! Day 1 dawned bright blue with not a lick of wind and 8” of dry fresh… game on!! The demo zone may have seemed a bit subdued but that was only because most were out on the hill getting fresh pockets all day long! Steve Klassen of Wave Rave hosted the “go to” bash that eve. Presented by Electric and Volcom and featuring Red Devil Squadron (who brought the house down btw), as well as Skullcandy DJ Blue, Wave Rave was transformed into a nightclub and was packed to the rafters with plenty of free beer for all! Day 2 the infamous Mammoth wind kicked in a bit and after such a glorious day prior, the decision was made to pack it in and jam home. You never know quite what you’ll get each year for this event… when you score, it’s all that much sweeter!!
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GREG NOLL X ELEMENT RELEASE PARTY
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threeor their m sure
Words: Kingman :: Photos Marc Falkenstien & Nick Ruiz // Greg Noll, Johnny Schillereff & Jed Noll in the lineup // 26 of 200 limited edition hand made planks // The California couple // Wray, Ray, Wray // Eeenz & Lolez // Corner shot // 2 beards and a babe, DeWitt, Genevieve & Kingman // The Good wood // PT gets Schmitty // Generational display, Stacy Peralta, Greg Noll & Johnny Schillereff // Wood trade for BJ The Greg Noll legend began with his ground breaking big wave surfing in the 50’s and 60’s, best captured in the timeless photo of Greg preparing to paddle out at Pipeline’s unridden Third Reef. Noll has been just as famous for the innovative surfboard shapes he’s been hand shaping since 1949. His custom boards have become the most highly sought after boards in the world, and Greg along with his son Jed have devoted the last twenty years to recreating historic and classic surfboards for surfers and collectors alike. On Tuesday January 26th, Element proudly launched it’s long awaited collaboration with Greg & Jed Noll at Jed’s San Clemente surf shop. The Travel Well x Greg Noll Collection captures the history of big wave surfing with three iconic skateboards shaped exclusively for Element, each representing a specific era in Noll’s history. The Greg Noll Collection captures the artistry and spirit of Greg
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and Jed Noll, and cements their reputation as essential contributors to surf and skate culture. Many of those in attendance have helped shape the modern legacy of both skateboarding and surfing. Some notables include; Stacy Peralta, Ray Barbee, Jeremy Wray, Sam George, Steve Pezman, Greg Long, Christian Fletcher, Johnny Schillereff and the men of the evening, Greg and Jed Noll. The event was celebrated with an auction of 200 handshaped collab skateboards made from 16 different wood species including; Koa, Maple, Purple Heart, Padauk, Zebra, Shedua, and a one of a kind Koa skateboard “portal” which was silently auctioned for $3000. Stop by Jed’s shop to see the installation in their amazing surf gallery. Who knows, you may even get your hands on one of the few remaining limited edition boards.
ANDREW DOHENY NELLY FOTO
Š2010, Vans Inc.
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GO BRETT!
rtunity hrough ry best to hear myself y Tigra ay. We decade mbuktu anyone
threeor their m sure
Photos :: Beau Roulette & Michael Lallande // Mayor Cathy Green, Brett Simpson & Joe Carchio // Brett Simpson & Bob Hurley // Pat O’Connell & Timmy Reyes // Jeb letting Brett out of the limo // Brett and his cheer squad // Brett & Aaron Pai // Danielle and Brad Ettinger // Ryan & Bob // Teal, Laura, Jeb & Peter
Surf City’s highest-ranked professional surfer, Brett Simpson, received a proper send-off Friday evening as he embarked on his rookie year on the elite ASP World Tour. Just hours before he headed to the airport, Simpson attended the “Go Brett Send-Off Party” at Huntington Surf N’ Sport, where hundreds of friends, family and well-wishers showed their support. “This is a dream come true,” said Simpson, the 2009 US Open of Surfing Champion. “I’ll wear Huntington on my sleeve wherever I go on tour.” Simpson, who finished 10th on last year’s ASP World Qualifying Series, received an “Official Commendation” from Huntington Beach Mayor Cathy Green for his competitive excellence and his dedication to the community and schools. “It is athletes
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like Brett who help make this city’s next generation the best they can be,” said Green. In addition to the accolades from City Council, HB High School’s cheerleading squad came down to give him a proper send-off cheer. “I think this is the first time an ASP World Tour surfer had a cheer made up for him,” Brett joked. “I’m ready to do this city proud.” Judging from the night’s premiere of “Go Brett: The Movie”, a short film documenting Simpson’s record-breaking year in 2009, he’s already done the city proud. Now, with a wave of support behind him, he’ll be heading to the Gold Coast of Australia with all the momentum in the world. Go Brett!
TOM DELONGE (guitar/vocals) and DAVID KENNEDY (guitar/keyboards) interviewing each other Tom: Well hello. This is Tom Delonge here, and, who are you? David: I am David James Kennedy. Tom: And what do you do in the band? David: I play guitar and I play keys… well I play dark and ominous tones at times. Tom: And I play guitar as well and I sing in the band and we are Angels and Airwaves and we’re gonna be doing a fancy little interview right now where I get to interview one of my bestest friends in the world and guitar aficionado David Kennedy and we’re just gonna talk a little bit. So we’re gonna start here and I’m gonna ask David a few questions, ok? So here we go. So David you know that we have our first show coming up and what is it? David: We are playing at the Bamboozle West festival on the 27th of March. Tom: What do you think of Bamboozle, first of all?
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David: Bamboozle has been the place to go to see what’s new and cool and awesome in music… and its seemed to get bigger and bigger so I’m assuming this year is going to be massive, and I’m feeling nervous about it. Tom: Are you nervous that 30,000 people are gonna watch you play and that’ll be your first show? David: (Laughter) Yeah, I’m pretty nervous about it. Tom: So my next question would be, I know the answer of course, but how do you prepare for a show that’s your first show at Bamboozle, that’s 30,000 people? Like what do you do? What’s your pre-show ritual? And I actually know what the fuck it is… so here we go. David: You mean? Are you talking about our rehearsals? Or are you talking about… Tom: No, I mean like, the bubble bath.
David: Bubble bath? No. Well, I definitely don’t spend any time with women before hand because you gotta be on point for the, the gig comes first… and then we listen to music. We’re gonna have to listen to it super loud this time. Tom: What kind of music do you listen to? David: Actually most stuff that reminds me of why I got into music in the first place. So that tends to be stuff from the era when I was more 16 years old, so like the Gorilla Biscuits, Dag Nasty and Minor Threat all the way up to bands like Muse… Bloc Party… Tom: First of all, that kind of music would that be? What kind of music is that? David: Punk rock music. Tom: Punk rock music? David: Absolutely. Tom: And it gets you pumped up…
reminds you of why… David: Of why I’m doing what I do now. Ok, let me ask you some questions now. Tom: Yes? David: For you, given all the pressures and everything that you’ve done before, do you still get nervous before you play shows like this, like how do you deal with it? Tom: I do… and my form of nervousness is, I actually get really tired, which sucks, because usually… well I guess I would rather get tired when I’m nervous than get shaky and like vomiting and stuff, you know? Which some people have been known to do. (Points at David) It was a long time ago... David: It was a long time ago and that’s when we did Box Car Racer… I did vomit before one of the shows. We don’t have to talk about that. Tom: We don’t have to talk about that,
but listen, so what I like to do is I listen to punk rock music too, like the same shit, and I’m like David, we like to create an environment that reminds us of why we did it all in the first place. We all came from kinda fucked up childhoods which made us wanna have a big escape… and we grew up skateboarding and breaking things and… fucking with people and probably breaking the law and… David: We’re not saying that that… Tom: We’re not saying it’s good, hey no, this is factual. I’m not saying it’s good it’s just what we did. And so when I play that music it makes me feel like that and it kinda pulls out the angst and the coolest thing about Angels and Airwaves is that we have an incredible amount of angst in this band and we basically filter it through a positive kind of epic outlook on life. So Bamboozle
is cool there’s gonna be a lot of people and I think the best way that I know our band… we blast the music and we get really hyped up and we’re really, really excited about it. David: Ok, so, next question, what are your feelings on playing new songs from the new record? Tom: Well, this has been hard, remember? What we did the other night was take a big white board and we separated all of our songs into different categories, we had songs that were kinda mid-tempo, kinda like not too fast and not too slow, we had songs that were slow, we had songs that were heavy rock songs, we had songs that were like artistic interludes and segues. So what we had to do was start grabbing out of these pieces to put together a dramatic and theatrical journey and I think we came up with
something really cool, and whether or not it works at Bamboozle, I mean, Angels and Airwaves - we like to play two hour sets, in our own environment with all of our lighting, lasers, all that kinda stuff. So, if we’re outdoors in a festival atmosphere, you know it’s always interesting to see how it works, but we’ll give it everything. That’s the coolest about Angels and Airwaves over anything I’ve ever done, we give everything we have, no matter what, if it’s one person or a million people. David: So it safes to say that we’re excited to get out there and play, right? Tom: Yes. David: And then this is our hello to the New Year. Tom: This is our hello to the Love record, this is a big moment for our career to change into something even
more ambitious and exciting so we will have it around for a long time. We have never put more heart and passion and money and stress into anything in our lives. This free album is only free because we want people to be affected by the art and the message of Angels and Airwaves… and the message is that when you listen to the music you get a sense that you and a bunch of other people can come to one place at one time and feel the same thing and change the way you feel about yourself and the way you see the world around you. So we ask that you go to our website angelsandairwaves.com and download our new record Love, for free, and enjoy it. And that is it. It’s free, it will always be free and we’re very, very, very excited and proud of it, enjoy. David: Ok, bye and bye.
Glass House Pomona :: 2.16.10
A week before the release of their seventh studio album, Alkaline Trio brought their pop punk to Pomona to kick of what is easily going to be two years of touring. The band seemed refreshed and up for the challenge by kicking off the set with the title track to the new record “This Addiction”. Amongst the 800+ people at the sold out show was your standard issue Trio fans, girls in tight tank tops, glasses and tats for days. Those die hard fans were treated to a great set list that reached back and included Trio classics like ‘We’ve Had Enough’ and even ‘Fuck You Aurora’ from 2000’s Maybe I’ll Catch Fire album. After 13-years as a band, it is easy to see why these guys are top of the heap in the pile of pop punk bands.
Reviews: Tim Bergevin
Hot Chip One Life Stand Astralwerks
Fucked Up Couple Tracks Matador Records
Local Natives Gorilla Manor Frenchkiss Records
Year Long Disaster Black Magic; All Mysteries Revealed Volcom Entertainment
Get your UK dance on this winter with the fourth record from these electro geeks. This record comes off more accessible and poppy than their previous efforts. Think more Pet Shop Boys and ballads than disco freak out. The record as a whole has a less break neck pace to it but could still be the soundtrack to any 80’s Sadie Hawkins dance only now with all the gender bending I’m sure those kids are confused who is supposed to ask who to that dance. Best tracks are ‘Thieves in the Night’, ‘Brothers’ and ‘We Have Love’ which sounds like it came straight off an Everything But The Girl record.
Fucked Up is probably the best hardcore band in the world. This record is a collection of 7”, demos, B-sides and unreleased songs from 2002 to 2008. The ferocity, intelligence and sense of humor with which this band plays clearly speaks to the fact that these guys are Canadian and not from the States. This record is a great starting point to intro yourself to this band and I suggest that you do! Make sure to read the liner notes for some funny insights and jokes about other Canadian bands with more than twelve members.
Would you be surprised to hear that this Silverlake band is actually from the OC? It’s true but who cares as it seems something cool from LA\OC is actually going to puncture a hole in the ultra snooty world of hipster music. Their sound is probably what you would expect to hear coming out of the Silverlake scene with the exception that they are actually good. Think Cold War Kids with harmonies. It’s not a stretch to think these kids listened to bands that came out of Topanga Canyon in the 60’s.
There is a lot of rock pedigree running around these days. Some of these kids get more attention than others, and usually the music isn’t worthy of the hype or press. Being the son of the lead guitarist of one of the most influential and least celebrated by mainstream music listeners, Daniel Davies and band have their work cut out for them. Their second record see’s them churn out more rock hits and hopefully you’ll notice that there is actually a band out there that can rock and not just pose. Kids take note amongst this crowded landscape and check out this album.
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AGE: 14 HOMETOWN: SANTA BARBARA SPONSORS: VOLCOM, CHANNEL ISLANDS, GLOBE, SPY, ARIAL 7, CREATURES OF LEISURE, SEX WAX FAVORTIE SURFER: MITCH COLEBORN
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Photo: Tom Carey
AGE: 15 HOMETOWN: OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA SPONSORS: REAL, THUNDER, SPITFIRE, ADIDAS, VOLCOM, AROCKALYPSE SKATE SHOP FAVORITE SKATERS: SEAN MALTO, THEOTIS BEASLEY, JUSTIN BROCK
Feeble to B.S Smith Pop Out :: Photo: Ortiz
Photo: Zach Hooper
AGE: 17 HOMETOWN: NEWPORT BEACH, CA SPONSORS: SMITH, GNU, REQWIUM, RADIO, & HEAVENLY FAVORITE RIDER: NICOLAS MULLER
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