BL!SSS Magazine | October 2012 | #62 by Blisss Mag

OUTERWEAR FROM WATER PETE DEVRIES/PHOTO CHOINIERE

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I N T R O D U C I N G T H E P H A N TO M P R OT E C T S L I C K E R : A J AC K E T F O R T H E H A R S H E S T C O N D I T I O N S . B O R N F R O M WAT E R . I N S P I R E D B Y S E A R C H A N D R E S C U E . I N N OVAT I O N F R O M P H A N TO M .

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SAMMY WINTER

design unlikely futures / analogclothing.com

8/28/12 2:55 PM

S I G N A T U R E

T H E

C O L L E C T I O N

B A L A N C E

R V C A . C O M

O F

O P P O S I T E S

THE MICHOACAN

WITH

FEATURING SUPERCUSH, THE SOFTEST FULLY RECYCLABLE SANDAL FOAM WITH CRADLE TO CRADLE SUSTAINABILITY, DEVELOPED BY VANS IN CONJUNCTION WITH PLUSFOAM. 速

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PAT GUDAUSKAS

vanssurf.com

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dylan rieder / gravisfootwear.com

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Artist: Charlie Immer

WESC

EZEKIEL HOLIDAY TWO THOUSAND 12 The Jump Street Jacket In Stores Now

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A Product Of California

WWW.EZEKIELUSA.COM

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Por t ra it by Jon Joh n son

EDITOR-IN-CHIE F nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com

EDITOR

joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR mark paul deren : madsteez madsteez@madsteez.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR spencer pirdy spencer@blisssmag.com

EDITOR AT LAR GE liz rice mcCray liz@blisssmag.com

SKATE EDITOR chris ortiz chris@blisssmag.com

SNOW EDITO R jon francis jon@blisssmag.com

MUSIC EDITOR max ritter max@blisssmag.com

ADVE R TISIN G ads@blisssmag.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jason Kenworthy, Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom Carey, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran, Dave Nelson, Pat Eichstaedt, Julien Lecorps, Ryan Boyes, Zach Hooper, Tim Peare, Michael Lallande, Bob Plumb, Peter Morning

CONTRIBUTOR S

Matt Patterson, Willie Marshall, Daniel Russo, Jason Arnold, Greg Escalante, Nathan Spoor, Tom Carey, Travis Millard, David Choe, Kai Garcia, Mickey Neilsen, Peter Townend, Hamilton Endo, Tawnya Schultz, Mike Murciano, Geoff Shively, Casey Holland, Steve Stratton, Robbie Sell, Andrew Miller, Pat Towersey, Raul Montoya, Ian Dodge, Spencer Pirdy, Richie Olivares, Eric Meyers BL!SSS Magazine 413 31st Street Newport Beach, CA 92663

OCT 2012

www.blisssmag.com

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

Artist: Charlie Immer

R AEN.COM

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A LIMITED COLLABORATION OF SIGHT AND SOUND nixon.com/soundclash

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GARAGE ROCK The boys and girls at Oakley have been hard at work rufﬂing feathers and making loud noises with the release of the Garage Rock, another musthave shade in your Oakley arsenal. Inspired by electric guitars, fast music and everything else that was the ‘60s, these shades have a classic look that will have all the eyes in the room locked in on you. Whether you’re at the beach, cruising the strip, or behind the mic’, everyone looks good in the Garage Rock so go ahead and get yourself a pair today.

SOLO SHOT We’ve all experienced the nightmare that is having your filmer miss you on the wave of your life. Or maybe you just simply don’t have anyone there to film or see you on that perfect wave that you tell your friends about over a couple of beers, only to have them roll their eyes at you. Well, now you can always have solid video evidence to back up your claims no matter what the circumstances are thanks to Solo Shot. We found this project featured at Surf Expo and it’s a tripod that tracks you while you’re in the water, always keeping the camera focused on you without help from anyone. With Solo Shot you get a professional tripod that has over 1500 feet of range, a simple tracker that you attach to yourself when surfing and a built in security system so you won’t have to worry about getting your gear stolen. Solo Shot is one of the coolest products we’ve seen in a long time, and we suggest everyone check them out at soloshot.com.

REED’S FLYING CAULDRON We’re nearing the holiday season, and we all know what that means – plenty of overly festive parties to attend and a whole hell of a lot of thematic fun going down. The crew over at Reeds Inc. decided to get us in the Halloween spirit by bringing us some of their new Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer. This non-alcoholic brew is the best tasting buttery, vanilla cream soda that we’ve ever come across. Not to mention it’s said that a wizard was the one who stirred up the concoction. It’s not everyday that you’re able to have a naturally brewed butterscotch beer made by a mythical creator of potions and other magical substances. So go to your local store and search for the Flying Cauldron, and visit ReedsInc.com for more of their wide range of great tasting sodas and other treats.

KILLER AUTOMATIC This past month Chad and the crew at Shark Brand sent us their newest watch, the Killer Automatic, to test out. The watch has style like we’ve never seen, with a stainless-steel finish and a mineral crystal lens that provides beyond clear vision of the nifty mechanics behind the watch at all times. One would think that a watch this decked out wouldn’t be submersible, but the Shark folks decided to take it one step further and made the Killer Automatic Penny Skateboards has come out with their highly anticipated Penny water resistant at up to 50 Organic range. By now, we’ve seen plenty of folks rolling around and meters. This watch is so nice having fun thanks to Penny, but the folks at Penny are not satisfied and that you could wear it to the focused their efforts on being sustainable in their work. So, they created most upscale party around, Penny Organic Skateboards, which are decks made with biodegradable yet it’s also durable enough material that will eventually break down when completely immersed in to wear if the party got a little soil. The decks feature a unique additive to Penny’s secret plastic formula, rowdy and you were thrown which reacts with enzymes in the earth to decompose. Along with this, the in the pool – it really wouldn’t Penny Organic deck come in four new colorways and contain the highest matter. All hypotheticals aside, quality of Penny-branded componentry. All of the boards come wrapped we highly recommend the Killer in a hessian tote bag and are available at any fine surf, skate and street Automatic from Shark Brand, and you retailer of your choice. So go out and grab one of these Penny Organics. can get your own by visiting your local surf shop or by visiting Sharkbrand.com today. You’ll be having fun and making the environmentally right choice.

PENNY ORGANIC

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V O N Z I P P E R . C O M / C L E T U S

T A J

B U R R O W

| C L E T U S

SATURDAYS NYC COMP NIXON X PLAN B Nixon and Plan B have teamed up to bring us a collaboration like no other. We’re talking speakers with unrivaled sound quality, Plan B skate wheels and Plan B decks that will have you wide-eyed with amazement. The custom Plan B skate wheels come in different sizes depending upon which pro rider’s wheels you choose, and the pro-model boards come equipped with custom grip tape. The speakers themselves will come in ﬁve different colors representing the pro model boards of Paul Rodriguez (Blue), Torey Pudwill (Purple), Ryan Sheckler (Red), Danny Way (Black) and Colin Mckay (Green). Just think – you’ll be rocking the signature colors of the most elite Plan B and Nixon riders in the world. The only thing is that this epic collaboration was produced in limited quantities, which means you have to get off your couch and seek out your local retailer that is carrying these goodies. The collaboration is in stores now, so get your hands on all three items and head to nixonnow.com for all of the latest news.

ROARK SURVIVAL KIT Roark came by the BL!SSS office on his way up from Baja, heading north, where he is now holed up on a whiskey-laced adventure into the Big Surian vortex of psychedelic pixies, drunken bears, and angry seas of grey for the winter. The artifacts of adventure that fell out of his pockets when he stopped in were Grandaddy’s pocketknife, an 8 oz. flask and a wood block compass designed by Cerno and Roark himself. The compass has a secret little stash spot for waterproof matches or anything else you may need to keep dry when you’re off the grid. He shared some homemade beef jerky and we pulled the rag from his flask and washed it down with a slug of bourbon before he split. Follow Roark’s meanderings in Volume 3 “Fear The Sea, Respect The Tree” at roarkrevival.com or at your local surf shop. Truth, Loyalty, Roots & Roark! 32

Hurricane season has been kind to the East Coast, and in particular to the New York and New Jersey coastline. Morgan Collet and the guys at Saturdays Surf NYC decided to capitalize on the epic conditions that were continuing to pour through the area, so they created a grassroots event and invited all of their friends and everyone willing to give it a go down to the Rockaway Beach. The contest started at noon and lasted for an hour with a “best wave wins” format. Stiff offshores and fun little tubes greeted a crew of diehards as well as Renaissance man Danny Fuller and local boy Balaram Stack. As usual, Balaram and Fuller were neck and neck for the full hour, but Danny’s wave knowledge and talent won him top prize after he snagged a wave that offered him two cover-ups and a few cracks. Danny was certainly stoked to walk off the beach that day with a handful of waves under his belt and pocket full of a quick two grand. The whole event was a great success with everyone having a great time, so be sure to check for news and upcoming events from Saturdays at saturdaysnyc.com.

DON’T CARE Don’t Care, don’t care, don’t care? The big question around town is, “What is Don’t Care?” Is it Volcom? Is it Hurley? NOPE! Don’t Care is a brand established around novelties and whatnots. The brand founder and leader, Joseph Huebner, grew up in and around the Froghouse Surf Shop. Being inﬂuenced by his peers and fast times, Joe discovered a simple idea that is turning into a cult following. Don’t Care has been producing t-shirts, hats, patches, stickers and good times. All of these products can be purchased at the Froghouse in Newport Beach. Stop by and see how much these guys don’t care about the product!

SUN BUM PRO We’ve talked about these guys in the past, but we just needed to reiterate again how solid their ‘screen is and the wide range of products they offer. Sun Bum’s mission has always been about quality, safety and performance, and this is clearly seen in their original line of sunscreen lotions, sprays, zinc oxide, post sun gels and lip balms. However, new to the Sun Bum market is their Pro Line, which focuses on keeping those individuals who work and play hard in the sun all day. This wide range of sunscreen will not bleed into your eyes or come off no matter how harsh the conditions. We rock the Bum on a daily basis and suggest you check them out and feel the difference.

ERNIE TORRES brixton.com

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IPHONE HOUSING

Everyone knows that iPhones and water don’t mix. That is until now. May we introduce you to the Watershot iPhone housing. This sealed plastic housing is a must have for all you Instagram addicts out there. Made speciﬁcally to shoot photos and videos, expect to see a lot more pool/underwater/surf shots appearing instantly on the ‘gram thanks to this new contraption. A little comprehensive at ﬁrst, we’ve thoroughly tested this baby out and give it the BL!SSS seal of approval. And at only $99 bucks, it’s a great gift and it is waterproof up to 165 feet. Feel free to even take it on your next freediving trip. Get your very own at watershot.com, and record your next water adventure on your iPhone safely.

JASON MALONEY X HURLEY KIDS Our good friend and renowned artist Jason Maloney has been blowing up lately with all sorts of projects. Recently, Maloney teamed up with Hurley to bring to life two of his iconic characters for kids, ‘Coily’ the snake and ‘Chum’ the shark. The two characters will be featured on onesies for babies, along with long-sleeve tees and custom hoodies where the kids become the character, complete with shark ﬁns and snake fangs. The line just dropped in all Dillard’s nationwide, along with Nordstrom Rack, Little Boy Chic, Macy’s.com, Amazon.com and Hurley.com. So go stoke the little ones out with some fun new clothes today.

BHEESTIE The cell phone industry receives millions of dollars each year from people who have to renew their phones after they’ve dropped them in their coffee cup, a puddle or damaged it in other ways where water can seep in and destroy what most feel is their only connection with the real world. Some products on the market attempt to use rice or “silica,” but we’ve found bar none the best solution out there and it’s a bag named Bheestie. Bheestie Bag removes water from your wet cell phone fast. When your device suffers a liquid plunge, the key to preventing costly damage is to dry it completely and dry it fast. Bheestie’s molecular sieve desiccant formula works up to 700% better than rice at removing moisture from your device. The best thing about Bheestie is that it not only works on cell phones but on iPods, cameras, watches and other assorted pieces of technology as well. Buy yourself one of these necessary Bheestie Bags by visiting Bheestie.com, and protect your lifeline today.

SENA SPH10S-S SENA Technologies has come out with an exciting new product for all of you snowbirds patiently awaiting opening day on the slopes. The product is the SPH1OS-S adapter with built-in Bluetooth, a stereo headset and an intercom that can be comfortably attached to your Smith helmet and any other compatible brands. If you’re not into sporting a helmet, maybe this will give you a little added incentive to put one on. Whether you’re sneaking in a little powder session away from the ofﬁce or wanting some tunes to keep your session ﬂowing right, this setup is the best around for keeping you tapped in wherever you may be. Visit Sena.com to check out all of their latest technology and to purchase your own SPH10S-S.

CYTOMAX Let’s face it, the action sports bar gets raised higher and higher on a daily basis, and you can’t always rely on pure talent. You have to have something extra to bring to the table. With most athletes now implementing cross-training into their regimes, it’s no surprise that a lot of nutritional products are being introduced to help folks recover quicker and perform at their best. One product that’s helping athletes in ways like this is Cytomax from the folks at Cytosport. They sent us a few products to test out including their Cytomax powder, stick packs and energy drops. At ﬁrst we noticed the surprisingly great taste all three items had, and then came the remarkable results we experienced. Just imagine surﬁng for eight hours straight, adding some Cytomax to your drink or having some energy drops afterwards and then waking up the next day more refreshed and revived than ever. The proof is in the pudding with this stuff. Whether you’re a professionally trained athlete or just an amateur who’s looking for that extra edge, we highly suggest you get yourself one of the above mentioned products or log onto Cytosport.com and check out many more of their nutritionally excellent goodies.

FLANNEL TIME

Vans vans.com

Fox foxhead.com

LRG l-r-g.com

Brixton brixton.com 38

Volcom volcom.com

Ezekiel ezekielusa.com

Split Splitusa.com

Matix matixclothing.com

Lira liraclothing.com

Insight insight51.com

Analog analogclothing.com

Ambig ambig.com

Hurley hurley.com

Roark roarkrevival.com

WESC wesc.com

Oakley oakley.com

RVCA rvca.com

Troy Lee Designs troyleedesigns.com

VSTR vstr.com

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They’re warm because they’re sealed instead of stitched.

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Words: Justine Solot If there is one commonality in Jonathan Zawada’s art, it is that no two projects are the same. Australian Jonathan Zawada is an internationally renowned graphic artist, creative director, and visual artist. His commercial work can be seen across the music, fashion, publishing and corporate industries with clients such as Ksubi, RVCA, BMW, Surface to Air, Nylon, Fanta and Coca-Cola. His commissions include website design, album cover design, fabric prints, illustration, and art direction of photo shoots, books and magazines. Lately Zawada’s primary focus has been on his personal artwork, and currently he has his second solo exhibition “Free

Roam above the Mist” at the PRISM gallery in Los Angeles, California. “Free Roam above the Mist” primarily consists of a collection of oil paintings of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Germany/Czech Republic. The mountain range is best known as the focus of Casper David Freidrich’s work titled “Wanderer above the Sea Fog.” Zawada was inspired by Freidrich’s third-person perspective, which seems to be an underlying theme of his current collection. Zawada conceives a dialog between three sources “Wanderer above the Sea Fog,” Friedrich Nietzche’s “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” and the video

game Red Dead Redemption. Thirdperson perspective is seen through these three sources and exempliﬁes Zawada’s broader interest in perceptual reality, metaphysics, transitional landscapes, and narrative choice.

through his oil paintings. This methodology allows Zawada to combine two mediums (computer and oil) by converting his digital genius to large canvas oil paintings, resulting in vast multidimensional geometric landscapes. The exhibition also includes sculptures To create his paintings, Zawada ﬁrst and a video installation that play generates computerized images with the ideas of perception and of the Sandstone Mountains from reality from different angles. data summarizing the region. The resulting images are digitized To learn more about the multilandscapes in the shape of singular talented Jonathan Zawada, visit his colored triangles. These triangles website at zawada.com.au/, and are then woven together to create deﬁnitely check out his exhibition computerized images of mountains “Free Roam above the Mist” that and valleys. Zawada transports opened September 8 at the PRISM these digital images to canvas gallery in Los Angeles.

Words: Kevin Voegtlin

Bodysurfing is nothing new. In fact, it’s safe to say that pretty much every surfer has bodysurfed to some extent; whether chasing down a board on a leashless day or just messing around in the shore pound, we all know how fun it can be to ride a wave boardless. Recently, however, bodysurfing has experienced a bit of a boom. It’s not rare to see any beachbreak lineup littered with heads bobbing around on the inside. One of the men behind the bodysurf revolution is Gary “Brownfish” Murphy. Getting his start shaping wood surfboards as a hobby, Gary came across a crude handplane on the beach one day and decided to take it back to his in-home shaping bay and try his hand at making his own “improved” Photos: Kenworthy

design. From that came the first Brownfish Handplane and Murphy hasn’t looked back. Acting as his own R&D department, Murphy is continually tweaking size, shape, bottom contour, and various other nuances in his shapes. What he has come up with are handplanes that truly let you control how you bodysurf the wave. His designs are a true mix of beauty and function: with intricate wood grain and color stains that flow with the wave-riding ability of the planes. All it takes is one wave and the feeling of floating down the line is enough to get you hooked, and as Murphy says, “It’s always overhead when you’re lying down.”

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Words: Eylem Aladogan My sculptures and drawings are born from experience and from a fascination with the concept of power. What interests me is not just power in itself, but especially the way it is generated, especially the workings of willpower. However strong a drive such as willpower may be, actually harnessing it means overcoming often unavoidable existential fears. This coexistence of contrastingsometimes diametrically opposed -forces is one of the deﬁning features of my work. In other words, my work involves an attempt

to control the uncontrollable. The emotional and psychological processes that are encompassed by this effort fascinate me and serve as my point of departure. The use of speciﬁc materials and techniques plays an essential role. The materials are often processed using a combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology. In creating sculptures, I see it as a challenge to be constantly searching for the purest form, the form most closely related to what I

am trying to express. At the same time, the properties and limitations of the material are literally part of the work’s content: the material is a deﬁning feature of the state of mind that the work reﬂects.

in terms of content, I try to hold fast to a ‘concentrated dynamic’ to achieve continuous movement. In this context, I try to produce a constellation of shapes that appear to be seeking their own origins, and which seem at the same time to be, as it were, straining toward the future, and hence seeking to achieve a state of timelessness.

By involving the space in my work, and vice versa, I set out to create a functionally effective sculptural installation. Not just to pierce the sculpture’s external boundaries Check out more work by Eylem but to involve the viewer literally visit: http://www. and ﬁguratively in the work - to Aladogan envelop him. Both visually and eylemaladogan.com

Photography: Dominic Petruzzi :: dominicpetruzziphoto.com :: Model: Angelina Assereto :: Otto Models

Sexy and smart, this beautiful American Latina has a passion for comedy and daring adventure that has taken her all over the world. Angelina is overﬂowing with a unique magnetic energy that is a rare ﬁnd today in Hollywood. Her sense of humor, her undying passion to bring joy into people’s lives, and the numerous roles she continues to add to her credit make this talented woman perfect for every aspect of the entertainment industry. Check out her work – all of her work – at www.angelinaasserto.com. Hair & Makeup: Lauren Breedon :: laurenbreedon.com :: Retouch: JasonSchorle.com

Words: Steven Reeves :: Photos: Mikendo A lot of skate trips have ups and downs. That’s what makes them fun. If you went on the perfect trip every time there would be no excitement. So when I heard Ezekiel was going out to Palm Springs to stay in a huge, beautiful house with a swimming pool, beers for days and shoot a look-book for a couple of days I thought this would be the perfect trip. The van lineup was as follows: Mikendo, Derek Fukuhara, Stephen Webb, John Lupfer, Justin Cefai, Graham Harrington, Jay Diebel, and myself. This being my ﬁrst real Ezekiel trip I was excited to actually get on the road with these guys, because skating spots here and there is one thing, but after a couple of cylinder sandwiches in the van you get to know all the homies a bit better… and to be honest, that’s exactly what happened. Everyone got along great and it was smooth sailing out to the house. Everyone being pre-gamed up and psyched on the trip, the inevitable house party ensued. Everyone was so psyched that we decided to try our luck at the casino that night. Though I’ve never really been one to gamble, I ﬁgured I would just go for good luck… that’s when things went sour. As mentioned above, trips have their ups and downs. I was about to experience my low of the (or any) trip. As it turns out, my walking skills became a bit impaired and the security wasn’t too pumped on the fact I wasn’t gambling either. So they politely ask me to leave, which was no big deal. Until exactly as I walk out the door, a slightly

Steven Webb, Steven Reeves, John Lupfer, Derek Fukuhara

Stephen Web : Switch B.S Nose Blunt Stall

Steven Reeves : Nose Blunt

Derek Fukuhara : F.S Tail Bash

disgruntled policeman just so happens to be walking in and gave me the whole, “Where are you going to go?” routine. After brief questioning, he wouldn’t let me go in to get my friends and pretty much let me know that as soon as I walked off the property he was going to arrest me for “drunk in public.” Before I know it, all of this is happening and I’m being escorted off the property by security. I believe “stuck between a rock and a hard place” is the phrase that comes to mind. Sure enough, said officer was so kind as to give me a lift down to the Indio county jail where I spent the next 12 hours with no food. Not only did I miss the first night in our epic house we had, I was pretty convinced that everyone would be super bummed on me. Much to my surprise, almost immediately upon return to the house, I come to find John Lupfer is rocking a “Free Steve Reeves” shirt. Everyone was way cool, really supportive and empathetic of what had happened to me, so the trip actually started for me at this point. With that horrible day under my belt, the team still needed to skate! Yet instead of trying to battle the Palm Springs heat, we decided to skate at night. This meant there was plenty of time for daytime poolside activities, which consisted of mostly just shooting the BB Gun that Lupfer had picked up on the way in. With the exception of the occasional BB Gun ricochet and almost losing an eye, every day went smooth. The spots we did skate ended up being amazing, exactly what I been wishing for… Lots of ditch spots and this one gap through a tree that Lupfer handled. Coincidently this gap just so happened to be right next to a bar with famous oyster shooters, which were handled immediately right after. All in all, the trip was a huge success, and to top it off Lupfer came up on a quick $1000 at the casino the night before we left. Like I mentioned before, the ups and downs are what make a trip fun. Everyone was awesome and a huge thanks to Ezekiel for everything!

Justin Cefai : B.S Flip

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Interview: Spencer Pirdy It’s a steaming hot day on the Newport Peninsula and Bobby Okvist is taking a quick break from his duties as a part-time electrician to meet me for an interview over lunch. As I sit waiting for him I think back to the first time I saw him surf. He was this tiny little stick figure of a kid who was pulling into deep beachbreak barrels with ease. That was close to 10 years ago. Since then I’ve watched Bobby soar to the top of his game in every aspect of his surfing. What started out as the occasional air reverse here and there has turned into the whole lineup redirecting their gazes on Bobby when he’s flying down the line in anticipation of whatever mind-boggling maneuver he’ll launch (and most likely pull). As far as his big-wave riding goes he’s as hungry as anyone, and I’ve watched him catch huge walls of water at places like the Wedge and pull into terrifying tubes at Off the Wall and Pipe. But above all of his talent and poise in these situations is the fact that he is one of the most genuinely kind and sincere people I’ve had the pleasure of being friends with. He doesn’t put out a false impression and his work ethic in everything he does is top notch. He’s a working-class hero and someone that you’ll always want to have at least one eye on. Alright, I’m done waxing your ass Bobby, now give us some answers. Photo: Carey

What first got you into surfing? My dad used to bring me to the beach everyday when I was little because he was surfing a lot. So, I just kind of naturally became a surfer, and I was always boogie-boarding and skimboarding. I went down to Laguna a lot. My brother and my dad got me my first real board when I was 11. What kind of board was it? It was a yellow-and-blue Rusty. I had it for three years and by the end it was delaminating and falling apart, and then I finally got a job and got a new board. So, right now you’re a pro surfer/ blue collar worker right? Yeah, I’ve been working since I was in ninth grade. I worked at Beach Treats at the fun zone making funnel cakes and stuff. Then I worked at Jack’s Surf Shop and now I do

Photo: Carey 58

electrical work with my brother. Are you able to balance both careers well by getting into contests and onto plenty of photo trips? Yeah, my brother is the coolest guy ever, and he let’s me surf when the waves are good. But then I have to make up for it in the afternoon or by working later. If it’s a photo trip or a contest coming up he’s pretty flexible as well. Tell us about some recent trips you’ve been on? I don’t want to talk about Virginia. Oh c’mon, tell us about what was going on in Virginia Beach!? Well, Virginia Beach was really fun. There’s a lot of things to do besides surf in the contests, but the waves are usually pretty bad. I think maybe two years ago it got good, but it’s pretty terrible. It’s two foot and really soft. It’s like trying to surf Blackies on a one-foot day. And I went to Mexico three times this year. I went to Salina Cruz with my brother and my friend Jake. We got firing beach-break barrels. That was like the best trip of my life so far. Then I went to Acapulco for a contest and it was alright but kind of a weird wave. And then finally I went to Ixtapa with Tom Carey and Damien Fahrenfort and those guys. And on that trip you missed getting held up and robbed by just a few hours right? Yeah, the night before I showed up. I was sitting there passed out at the airport because they were super late to pick me up, and when they showed up finally they said that they had a really good reason for being late. They told me this story about how they got robbed, but I didn’t believe them at all. I thought they were messing with me or trying to scare me. Then, I started realizing that they were actually telling the truth, and it was pretty heavy because I heard a lot of detailed stories and it freaked me out. But it ended up being alright. You lucked out. So, who are you looking to for inspiration in your surfing these days? It’s funny because both Chippa and Nathan ride for Analog and I try to model myself after them. Chippa really influences my performance surfing because of all of the crazy stuff he does and it’s really fun to watch. That’s what

I want to do. I don’t want to be boring. I just really like the way he surfs. And then in another way Nathan charges and that’s very inspirational for me. That’s the surﬁng I like – charging and airs. Those two guys pretty much inspire me more than anyone.

Laguna Hills skate park like every other day when I was younger because he skated too. That really inﬂuenced my approach to riding waves. I did that from when I was eight until I was like 14, but I stopped because I didn’t want to injure myself.

Would you say that you aspire to be a 2- to 20-foot guy then? Yeah, I like punty little waves like Newport because that’s where I grew up and that’s how the waves always are. But I also love the rush and the feeling of catching big waves. It’s really fun and I also enjoy being scared. I like the feeling of catching a big wave and then making it. I don’t really get that feeling from small waves, but then again when I land a really big air or something in small waves I still get a rush but it’s just different.

So, you’re 20 now and we’ve seen some pretty funny photos of you and your pals on Instagram tearing up the nights in Newport. Is that one of your favorite pastimes? Yes, that’s deﬁnitely what I enjoy doing when I’m not surﬁng. And now I’m living with Ford Archbold and Matt Tromberg and those guys are constantly having fun, so it pretty much comes with the territory.

Do you have much of a skate background? Yeah, I was actually a skater before I even surfed, but I stopped skating because I didn’t want to injure myself. I was more into surﬁng, but skating is what kind of got me into surﬁng. My dad would take me to the

Photo: Carey

Photo: Cozad

Is it making you more productive in your surfing by living there? Yeah, it definitely is because of Matt being my filmer. We’re actually working on a movie right now called Metal Head that should be finished sometime in late winter. The cast is Ford, Andrew Doheny, Colin Moran, Creed Mctaggert and a few others. Should be a sick movie. We’re going to film in Bali in about

Photo: Thomas Green

Photo: Carey

Photo: Cozad

two weeks and then hopefully Mexico and Hawaii. You’re going to Bali soon because you qualiﬁed in the Oakley Shop Team Challenge? Yeah, that’s actually the reason why I didn’t get robbed in Mexico because I stayed in Newport to do the shop challenge and we won. Now we get to go to Bali to compete with all the other regional winners. So, it’s basically a win-win for you? Yeah, I didn’t get robbed and I got a free trip to Bali. It was a good couple of days for me (laughs). I had some good luck and it just happens to be when the World Juniors are going on, so a lot of my friends will be there and my ﬁlmer and roommate Matt

Photo: Cozad

Tromberg will be there. What are your plans for this winter? I deﬁnitely want to try to get to Hawaii a few times just because that’s basically the proving grounds. Pipe is the dream wave and I’m a goofy footer, so that’s what I want to surf and I also love big barreling waves. It’s pretty close to home so I want to be there at least once. Are you staying at the Oakley house? Yeah, that’s where I stayed last year and all of the guys are super cool. They all rip really hard and charge. It’s pretty amazing to watch when you’re there and all of those guys push you really hard. As far as small-wave surﬁng goes what

are you working on right now? I’m just working on different types of grabs because I need to work on those. And whatever Chippa’s doing I just try to basically copy (laughs). Are you happy with where your surfing career has taken you so far? Yeah, I’m just super stoked. I never really thought that I’d be here. I remember when I was younger I never even thought I’d be able to do a turn or an air. I kind of surprised myself. On the other hand, sometimes I’ll be surfing and get really frustrated if I’m not surfing well or as good as someone else. That kind of fuels my drive to surf more when it’s bad and as much as I can. That’s the only way I think I can get better is by surfing a ton.

Do you have any girlfriends right now? Well, I have my ex-girlfriend. She’s in Hawaii for school, but we talk everyday. So, maybe this winter you’ll rekindle the flame? Yes, possibly (laughs). I’ll definitely be over there and we’ll probably hang out a bunch. I’ve known her for like four or five years now though and she’s really cool. Alright, well I guess that sums everything up right? Yep. Surfing, trips, partying and girls! Ok we’re done here. Thanks for lunch. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

9iXq`c cfm\j Y`^ Ylkkj Xe[ k_\p ZXeefk c`\¿% Words: @jutang28 :: Photos: Ortiz It is a well-known fact that Brazil is the butt augmentation capital of the world, and it is probably safe to say that Rio is ground zero for these phenomena. If the northern hemisphere is all about the boob job then the southern hemisphere is deﬁnitely all about the ass. Not sure how or why this trend started, but I assume it may have something to do with the direct correlation of the north backing the north and the south getting down with the dirty south. Regardless of how or why it started, asses in Rio rule and Ortiz has the photos to prove it. It is also a well-known fact that Brazil is the fucking awesome crowd capital of the world, and I guess Rio would be ground zero for this phenomenon as well. Crowds in the northern hemisphere can be a bit jaded; whereas the crowds in Rio know their skateboarding and show up to support it. I am not sure why the crowds in the south are so much better than in the north, but I just know that when a dude lands a trick in the Sambadrome in Rio the

Bob Burnquist

Podium

tourists all the way up at the Cristo know about it. I am not bringing up these facts to try to make one hemisphere look cooler than the other. The only reason I am talking about it is to let you know that the fans in Rio rule, and there were a ton of chicks with huge asses walking around in skintight spandex handing out energy drinks. So this is the environment that we walk into for our fourth MegaRampa event in Brazil, and in my opinion it was the best one yet. It was the first time that the MegaRampa event was held in Rio, the first time in Brazil, and for some in our crew it was the first time out of the U.S. That’s right, for Trey Wood (11 years old) this trip would be the first time he, Stacy (his mom) and Quintin (his little brother) left American soil – definitely a crazy way to pop your travel cherry. The invite list for this year’s event was filled with

many of the top Mega dudes such as Bob Burnquist, Jake Brown, Elliot Sloan, Lincoln Ueda Mitchie Brusco and Adam Taylor. We also had a ton of Brazilian superstars coming in for the event: Marcelo Kosake, Martin Andre, Edgard Pereira, Italo Penarrubia and Rony Gomes. Last but not least we had Jagger Eaton, Alex Sorgente and Trey Wood representing the young guns. We also had some amazing special guests, including Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham and Italo Romano. Wheelz came to us fresh off the Nitro Circus tour where he had been jumping their ramp in his wheel chair. That’s right, a wheel frickin’ chair! Before Rio, Wheelz had never successfully jumped the MegaRamp and was on a mission to prove that he could accomplish anything he put his mind to. Also planning to jump the MegaRamp in Rio would be Italo Romano. Italo is a Brazilian skateboarder who gets his shit done without the assistance of any legs.

Elliott Sloan

With an amazing crowd, the best skaters in the word, inspirational special guests and a sea of spandex, the scene was set for one of the best events I have ever attended. The MegaRamp event in Brazil is unique because it tests the skaters’ overall MegaRamp skills. The format breaks down like this: rail jam equals 20% of your overall score, 50-foot gap is 30% and big gap accounts for the last 50%. Mega Brazil is no joke, and you have to bring all your skills to be standing on the top of the podium at the end of the day. All of the skaters at the event came with everything they had but there were deﬁnitely some standouts. Lincoln Ueda has been killing it all year, and the fact that he took one of the hardest slams in Mega history at this same event last year made it even cooler to watch him ﬂy on the ramp this year. Lincoln started out by getting a super clean 5-0 on the MegaRail. I guess this is a good a place as any to let you know how gnarly the rail really is. First off, you have to gap out about 25 feet going 35 mph just to get on the thing. Then you have to deal with the fact that the rail itself is over 6 feet tall, 25 feet long and only 4 inches wide. Finally, you have to put it down on a steep-ass bank. It really is a miracle that anybody lands anything on this crazy contraption. So once again, Lincoln killed it.

Mitchie Brusco

Elliot Sloan came to Brazil straight off of a second-place finish at Dew Tour Mega 2.0, where he pulled a tail 7 on the gap to tail 5 on the quarter, definitely one of the highpoints of that event. Elliot brought that momentum straight to Rio starting out his contest run with a front board on the MegaRail. He also made tail 7 over the 50-foot gap and finished his contest runs strong with kick flip mute 3 over the gap to tail 5 on the quarter. Jagger Eaton definitely had the breakout performance of the trip. The kid came out firing on the rail doing back lips like a full-grown man. After taking second in the rail section of the contest, Jag moved to the 50-foot gap and laid down a super-clean backflip on the gap to 540 on the quarter. The combination of these two runs was good enough to take him to the final round on the big gap. This is where Jagger’s story gets interesting. You see Jagger is only 11 years old, weighs only 80 pounds and has never jumped the big gap in his life. We just were not sure if he had the weight to make it over the gap. When it came down to go time, Jagger called all of us a bunch of pussies and just charged it! He ended up making a backflip over the big gap to backside air on the quarter and putting to rest any doubts whether or not he deserved to be there or not. What were you doing at 11? Jake Brown has always been a force to be reckoned with on MegaRamp and he showed us why in Rio. From flawless 5-0s on the rail to tech runs on the 50-foot gap, you just can’t fuck with Jake on Mega. The highlight for Jake was definitely his run on the big gap, which was a backside 360 ollie over the gap to the best McTwist in the business on the quarter pipe. Mitchie Brusco became a crowd favorite last year in Brazil when he landed the first 900 in MegaRamp competition and he did not disappoint this year. Starting out with crooks on the rail, you knew Mitchie had his sights set on a win. Knowing the crowd wanted to see another 9 for this wonder kid, Mitchie gave them what they wanted. Indy 3 over the gap to melon 9 on the quarter pipe and he made it look easy, but would it be enough to take that top spot? At the end of the day Mitchie did not have enough to dethrone the current undisputed king of Mega, Bob Burnquist. Bob was on fire the whole weekend, putting down some of the most amazing tricks in Mega history. The one that sticks out the most is the switch backside body varial ollie over the gap. Yeah I know, it does not make any sense to me either. On top of the groundbreaking tricks, Bob also threw down solid runs – switch 50-50 on the rail, switch backside ollie over 50-foot Gap to indy 3 on the quarter and switch backside ollie over Big Gap to indy 5 on the quarter. The event ended with both Italo and Wheelz jumping the MegaRamp gap to the roar of the enormous Rio audience, putting a truly inspirational ending the show!

Jake Brown

Dress – WESC wesc.com

Bikini Bottom â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Volcom volcom.com

Jacket – WESC wesc.com Plaid Shirt – Hurley hurley.com Bikini – Volcom volcom.com Sunglasses – Stylist’s own

Turtleneck Sweater – WESC wesc.com Shorts – WESC wesc.com Sunglasses – Stylist’s own

Sweater – Vans vans.com Bikini – Volcom volcom.com Beanie – Quiet Life thequietlife.com

Sweater – WESC wesc.com Bikini – Volcom volcom.com Sunglasses – Stylist’s own

Turtleneck Sweater – WESC wesc.com Sunglasses – Stylist’s own

Interview: Liz Rice McCray Interviewing Charlie Immer was refreshing. His responses and words of honesty brought smiles and deep reﬂection to his work and his inner workings. His personality in all ways evokes what his art is, as if he may actually be a character in one of his own paintings – his distinctive palette of pastel colors acts as a safety blanket of candy-coated sweetness, which allows the viewer the comfort to take a deeper look at what is really going on in Immer’s art. The underlying layers of guts, gore, and skeletons are all spirited, creating underlying stories with a playful subtext that threads through his work. “This is a happygo-lucky, skin-tearing, gut-ripping, bloodspraying, bone-bending universe that they live in,” Immer replied when we asked him about the storyline of his artwork. Immer has exhibited all over the world and is currently living in Maryland, and he also seems to be highly addicted to candy and is worried about his teeth and inner workings. Thank you, Charlie, we really enjoyed interviewing you and hopefully we will meet in person someday. Make sure to read the interview, and enjoy his artwork at www.charlieimmer.com. Will you please introduce yourself and provide a brief synopsis? My name is Charlie Immer and I paint candy-coated scenes of skeletons and other characters exploring themselves, each other, and the world around them through any means necessary with their shiny, slimy hands. I have a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, and I live in Western Maryland with my collection of skeletons and candy. Will you tell us a little bit about your childhood; what was it like? I had a lazy eye when I was young (an underdeveloped optic nerve). I had to wear a patch on my left eye to build up the strength in the right. My eye would struggle to get only a fuzzy and distorted view of the world. I was up in my own head a lot because of that. There was also running and skipping. Poked and tickled a lot of bugs. My friends and I would play NES all day sometimes. I ate too much candy, blew a lot of bubbles, and tossed slime all over town. I watched a lot of cartoons and violent movies. I could not get enough bones, blood, and slapstick mayhem. I should note that this is still pretty much my life. Ha ha, I like your life. Tell us a little more about creating art at a very young age and this fascination with skeletons. It was more a fascination of the internal working of the body, which was later boiled down to the skeleton. When I learned about the insane stuff going on just below the surface of our skin I couldn’t think of much else. I like that because of the lack of skin many of the characters in my work can be anyone or no one. I was taught in preschool how to draw a skeleton. I took that and ran with it for 25 years. Still zipping along and not even breaking a sweat. Sometimes I think I’ve gotten skeletons out of my system but they always slink back in to my work, plus we would all die if we got skeletons out of our systems. They are always there grinning, making blood, and holding us together.

Your color palette is very distinctive, almost a distraction, but at the same time it creates a correlation complimenting the gory surreal world you are painting. Do you think of the colors as a contradiction even though they are so complimentary to each other? I do think they are a bit of a contradiction but they are necessary to get some viewers to examine the work. Most people are drawn in by the color and surprised when they really observe the subject matter. It’s a fun dynamic. I also choose the palette to evoke candy. I mean, who doesn’t want to be compelled to lick some veins or slurp up some random ooze dripping out of a melting face? It’s extremely compelling. You have common themes that resonate. Some of your paintings make me think of ‘Candy Land,’ and you normally show some guts, the inner anatomy of a creature or a sweet googly-eyed skeleton. Is there a story line that you create from? I like body horror. I’m a bit of a hypochondriac and I try to work through that a bit with my paintings. If I can’t reach inside myself and dig around then my characters can. I do a lot of literal self-examination in my work. If I’m freaked out about my circulatory system then I will more than likely focus on veins in a piece. Most of the skeletons in my work have eyes, and while it gives them a lot more personality I know eye health could be part of it too. Part of my work is art therapy. I should note that I like to think that the creatures in my work feel no pain, which might help some people enjoy the work even more. This is a happy-go-lucky, skin-tearing, gut-ripping, blood-spraying, bone-bending universe that they live in. When viewing your work I keep trying to think of the name of those sticky skeleton hands that one gets in the candy/toy vending machines. You eat a lot of candy, right? Those machines are awesome. I eat way too much candy. I’m worried my bone marrow might be rock candy at this point.

I don’t neglect my dental hygiene and I brush and ﬂoss every day. I’m constantly trying out new toothbrushes and I never miss a cleaning. I have a huge fascination with teeth, which is likely due to the fact that it is the only exposed part of our skeleton. I always ﬁnd myself staring at people’s teeth when I talk to them. Do you have a favorite character to paint? I really can’t stop painting the multicolored, pointy-nosed, wideset-eyes clown face. The proportions and spatial relationships of the features have to be just so. I get this strange feeling when I do it just right. It’s a mystery to me

why I’m drawn to it so much. I’ve been told that it looks like me … When you are not creating art what do you do in your free time? When I’m not making art I ﬁnd myself doing a lot of sweating at the gym on the cardio machines. I play videos games and I mine them for inspiration. I watch a ton of movies and I like everything from Ace Ventura Pet Detective to Irreversible. I get lost on the Internet exploring for new atmospheric music in the burgeoning witch house genre. I still really enjoy being outside looking under rocks for cool stuff and jiggling tree trunks. And in case you couldn’t guess I ﬁnd myself spending a lot of time in the candy isle.

How would you identify your personality if you were to leave the artist element out of it? Is that possible? I’m a pretty happy person mostly with a dash of anxiety problems. You will ﬁnd me trying to crack wise 99% of the time. It is difﬁcult not mention that I’m an artist because it’s obvious that I couldn’t be doing anything else. What does your family think of your artwork? They think I’m an insane person but they do enjoy my work. There is a lot of smiling and head nodding when I talk about it with them. They mostly

enjoy the colors I think. Do you have any upcoming projects/shows you can share with our readers? I have a bunch of group shows coming up. The Bewitching 2 Show at The Stranger Factory this October, for example. The Gonzo journalismthemed show in Baltimore in January will be amazing. I have a print coming out on 1xRUN soon. My next solo will be happening in 2014 and it’s gonna be a doozy. Where can people check out more of your artwork? www.charlieimmer.com

Words: Spencer Pirdy :: Photos: Courtesy of Hurley

Kelly Slater always seems to find a way to win, damnit. It’s really just got to be frustrating for guys like Mick and Joel at this point. In the case of this year’s Hurley Pro, Kelly claimed it was the fact that he had “nothing to lose” because Parko was the inform guy and, with the roll he was on and the power and fluidity he was surfing with, had already gotten first place in many onlookers’ eyes. Should we really buy this though? There’s a reason why they surf eight rounds of World Tour surfing and not seven. Sure, if the Hurley Pro was based on heat totals up until the final, then Parko would have had Kelly undeniably beat with combined scores in the 17- and 18-point range as opposed to Kelly’s uncharacteristically average totals. Kelly even had to suffer relegation to Round 5 after he was called for an interference on Julian Wilson. He was pissed and voiced his opinion, but let’s face it Kelly, that was a left and you were only momentarily sidetracked on your road to victory. No, we didn’t see any last-second heroics from Kelly. He didn’t need to pull a Hail Mary like he did at Bells earlier this year. In fact, the most futuristic maneuvers of the event were thrown down by a couple of Brazilians. Heitor Alves shocked a newly recovered Kolohe Andino, who was sitting comfortably in the driver’s seat of their round two heat, when all of a sudden Heitor decided to launch and land a near-perfect rodeo flip. The end result was the local boy earning a 33rd and Heitor moving on. And of course, Gabriel Medina showed his freakish talent by making a skatepark mockery of the whole Lowers lineup. The height, quickness and pure ease with which he executed his aerial mastery was laughable. Unfortunately for

Gabs, fellow countryman Adriano de Souza showed no mercy and would block him from entering the quarters. There was Taj Burrow who was surfing lightning fast on his freshly dialed Mayhem the whole event, but he couldn’t get past Mick in the quarters. The soon-to-be-married Adrian “Ace” Buchan showed promise as the goofy-footed dark horse of the event. Ace utilized heat knowledge along with that wicked backhand of his to decimate the Lower’s rights. He even improvised during his heat against Kelly by pulling in and exiting an out of the blue backside barrel. Unfortunately for Ace his demise came when he stopped going right and started making priority errors by taking off on lefts that wouldn’t have offered him anything over a 7. It would’ve been nice to have seen him exercise a little more patience out the back and stick to the bread-and-butter rights that were part of his winning formula in the heats before. So, what will be remembered from the 2012 Hurley Pro at Lowers? The groomed conditions and fun swell that graced the competitors and had organizers finishing the contest well before the waiting periods window closed? The way Mick, focused like a boxer before each heat, sent his opponents scurrying for the showers up until he met Kelly? Or maybe we’ll think of a disgruntled Jordy Smith who threw down absolute mammoth turns but failed to finish his waves properly. He ultimately felt he was underscored in his heat with Parko. Of course we could daydream of the amazing on-rail surfing we saw Parko display heat after heat. But, the fact is that unless you

Slater

Parko

go home every night to watch heats on demand to marvel at waves like Mick’s 9.2 in his quarterfinal heat against Taj, then you’ll soon forget the phenomenal surfing that he and many others displayed at Lowers this past week. Sure, those memories will still be there in the back of your minds, but they’ll ultimately be overshadowed by one man’s feats. What will be remembered is that Kelly won his 50th ASP event on the final day, a feat

Bob Hurley & Pat O’Connell

Mick

Taj

John-John

that will probably never be repeated. Kelly did not surf amazing at Lowers this year. We’ve all seen far better performances from the man. Maybe it was his equipment. We saw Kelly opt for a three-fin the majority of the event and then in the final he came trotting out of the competitors area with a four-fin. Was he attempting to mind fuck Parko? Whatever it was Kelly somehow still squeaked it out. That’s what we’ve come to see from this freak of nature time and time again. Three fins, four fins, five fins – it doesn’t really matter, as he’ll find a way to be the man walking away with the 105k. Kelly conserved his energy and then waited until he saw the finish line to sprint. You were a treat to watch,

John-John

Ace

Julian

Simpo

Parko, but unfortunately there’s a 2000-point gap between ﬁrst and second place. Now, Kelly’s year has turned around. Let’s face it, for his standards it was an off year with an injury in Brazil and only a win in Fiji so far. Lowers changed things though and you can bet your ass that he’s gone through every possible scenario in his head on how things can and will play out. Kelly’s sitting third on the World rankings, stalking Parko and Mick while at the same time realizing he’ll have a youngster he helped raise in John John to fend off in the ﬁnal four events, especially Pipe. While it’s easily seen that Kelly will be hunting down a 12th World Title trophy, Mick and Joel will do everything in their power to make sure the Aussies take home the hardware.

Gabriel Medina

Flores

Slater

Interview: Vedo :: Photos: Michael Azevedo What was it like learning how to snowboard on a landﬁll in Connecticut? It was cool. You didn’t have to know how to turn. You just went straight. I had baseless bindings. My board looked like corn on the cobb. I rented it. It was New England’s ﬁrst skatepark I’m pretty sure at the same place I learned how to snowboard, so the claim goes.

went, rented a board and did that for two years. Which is retarded ‘cause the guy’s a criminal, Rob Taylor – anyone that’s ever been there knows him.

it was. There was nobody ever there; no one was ever running the lift. You just rode down, sat down, rode up, got off and kept going.

him to build whatever with the cat, it was kinda neat. Everybody was always drinkin’ beers, and as we got older it got cooler. It was a good time.

You want me to include that criminal part? Yeah, that’s ﬁne. He was an Olympic skier and got disqualiﬁed for cheating with weights and shit.

It’s called Woodbury? Woodbury Ski and Ratchet actually.

Yeah, fuck ‘em. So yeah, I go rent this shit, time after time, to ride this hill that’s like 300-feet long. I didn’t know you were supposed to unstrap before you got on a chairlift until I went to another mountain. I rode there for like four years straight so I thought you could just ride down to the chairlift and just sit down and ride up. That’s how

Hahaha … that’s awesome. My parents would always drop me off and just be freaked out. They were always very protective, but they would drop me off to this place where there was older teenagers hanging out smoking weed in the lodge and shit. There was nobody there to monitor anything, it was crazy. It was a really small place but I’m pretty psyched that that’s where I grew up snowboarding. We got to build our own shit out of dirt in the preseason and ride it in the winter. You could build boxes. Whatever you wanted to build you could make and bring up there. You could get

Why did you choose New Hampshire to go to college? Why Plymouth State? Well, I wanted to pursue snowboarding a bit more and ya know, Woodbury was kinda limiting.

Have you ever eaten corn the long way? At the Ratchet Club, yes (laughs). I didn’t know what snowboarding was ‘til my buddy called me and said, “Hey let’s try this, it’s right down the road.” So I

Even with the all the mayhem? Yeah, I needed to move on to bigger and better things, and what better excuse to move somewhere than college. Even though I ended up paying for college. So I paid for my good time. Still am, probably for the next 30 years too.

But why Plymouth? ‘Cause I used to read in Snowboarder Magazine’s media Jihad. Well, that’s what it used to be called. Then it was like tiny type or some shit after 9/11. I used to read about the East Coast and it was always Plymouth state kids. I remember seeing the Iron Curtain videos in high school. So where else would I go? Yeah it’s pretty wild how many people from Plymouth, or from that Loon/ Waterville scene, are still involved in snowboarding. It’s also wild how many people aren’t. I couldn’t imagine, like what would you do? So during that time period you took your ﬁrst trip out west? How was that trip? That was my ﬁrst time on an airplane. Like I said, my parents sheltered me. The trip started off with a bang. Well it was me, Bryan Beiderman, Chris Carr, Big Mike and you. We were leaving the next morning so

me and every one except Big Mike stayed in. No, I went out with him. Oh, you did go out with him. Oh ok, so you two go out partying, we stayed in. That was the ﬁrst time I had seen Fast Times at Ridgemont High. So we stayed in and watched that movie but you guys go out. We wake up super early to go to the airport, and you were back if I’m correct. Yeah, I was back. Big Mike was nowhere to be found. So we asked you where he was, which was? I thought he was at Caleb’s house but he wasn’t. So we went there? Yeah, I think Beiderman went. So yeah, we’re calling his phone a million times, searching all over town for him. All of us are about to miss our ﬂight. And … I don’t remember how he was found.

Beiderman found him, I think … somewhere. So we’re all there packed ready to go and here comes Big Mike covered in spray paint and marker. His whole face was spray-painted. He had paint in his hair. His sneakers had “I am a terrorist” written on the soles, and swastikas all over the place. Cause whoever did this to him knew he was going to the airport the next day. His whole body was painted almost!

fucking mess. You could still see swastikas and wieners all over his face. So yeah, we get on our ﬂight, which was crazy since it was my ﬁrst time, then we get to Vegas … and you got wasted.

Yeah, head to waist. And he had peanut butter and jelly in his butt crack, which he didn’t realize ‘til he was getting into the shower. Whoever did that one, God bless you. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere near that crack. So yeah, we cleaned that kid up on the way to the airport.

Yeah, cause I won some money on the slots. Kiosk, it was a tequila kiosk. It was like a kiosk in a mall that serves tequila. And then you were wasted and then we went to Reno. And then who did we stay with? Chuck G?

Haha, yeah with rubbing alcohol. Yeah, straight rubbing alcohol and a rag. So his face was still painted blue when we got to the airport check in. He was a

Yeah buddy! But not at a bar, it was at a shot … uh …? It was a tequila stand. Yeah a stand … what’s that called?

Yeah, Chuck G! (Chas Guldemond) That was a good time. And on that trip you hit your ﬁrst pow jump, right?

Yes, all of us did. How did that go? It went terrible. Well, good, ‘cause it was fun as hell. It was like chucking into an airbag. Oh … but right when I got there I rode through the landing. Yeah, we were with Danny Garrity and he went to show us the ropes. We got there and everyone is strapped in to ride down and build the jump, and I just rode right through the landing. I was just so excited to see just the open powder, untouched. I just wanted to snowboard, I didn’t know what was going on. Honestly, I had no idea where we were building anything. I was just going snowboarding. There’s only so much you can do to contain yourself. But yeah, that’s how it started, then I just chucked my meat and didn’t land shit. But it was really fun. So that was really the start of it all. That trip. From there you lived in Salt Lake for a how many winters? Three winters. Did a couple winters in NH. Traveling in and out to SLC and Tahoe

before moving to SLC. It was nice. It is nice. It’s a nice place. So from the start ‘til now what videos have you been in? I would say “It Ain’t Easy” for number one (EPI Films). For all you children and even adults, check that one out. It’s pretty entertaining. I mean it had Bode Merrill, Scott Stevens, Chris Grenier, Chris Carr, Jonas Michilot, and even Joe Sexton’s got a clip or two. All before you didn’t know about them. Yeah, wearing big basketball jerseys. Yeah, look it up, it’s online now. So yeah, “It Ain’t Easy,” then I didn’t do anything for a year, just snowboarded. Then we did the “Eastern Boarder” video, which was probably the first legit thing I ever filmed for. That was really fun. Tanner is a good boss. Roobs is a decent sidekick for Tanner. That was probably the best year of snowboarding, I would say – the most fun, most exploratory. Kinda even ‘til this day, the most productive for what it was, considering we didn’t have much going on. Then the year after that we did it for the hell of it, which was Tanner’s second video. That was a good one, short and to the point. Then I just gave footage to the “Keep The Change” dudes the year after that and had a terrible part. I broke my kneecap so I didn’t get to film much. The only shot I can really remember is me riding with my pants down at Deer Valley. This year I got a couple clips in “Think Thank” and “Skeleton Crew.” That’s it, pretty boring. What about filming resort stuff

with Scott? Yeah that’s always fun. Scott’s a good person to ﬁlm edits with. He’s motivational. Anything you’ve ever watched of him he’s always going 100% no matter what, every single day. That’s why he’s the man. Shit’s crazy to me, the whole Internet. I don’t really understand it. It wasn’t like that when we were coming up. Now it’s all ‘How many views do you have, how many views do you have?’ Fucking “likes,” Instagram, all that shit. I don’t even have an iPhone. How many followers do I have? Well, my dog follows me around once in awhile – when he’s gotta take a shit. Alright, we gotta end this so I guess let’s just do the typical, what’s up for next year? Oh, you know, it’s gonna be crazy, I’m just like gonna be traveling the world on someone else’s dime. You know I’m gonna edit this, right? I’m gonna have to listen to this all again so stop rambling. This next winter I’m gonna be in Japan probably. You fuck. I’m gonna be in Europe, I’ll spend some time in Europe. I’d like to take a train trip around Europe, spend some time in the Alps then I don’t know, maybe like a South America trip to wrap it all up. Maybe New Zealand. I don’t know, I’m just looking forward to it. I got a lot of traveling going on. It’s gonna be sweet. I’ll be in New Hampshire, hopefully go see friends in Salt Lake too.

Words & Photos: Spencer Pirdy // Mickey Nielsen & Nathan Fletcher // Dave Downing, Kevin Meehan & Maurice Torres // Riley Blakeway & Delon Isaacs // Tommy Shaw, Bobby Okvist & Daniel Shea // Geoff Moysa // Brighton Brandenburger & Tim English // Josh Hoyer // Colin Moran, Matt Tromberg, Joe Frey, Bobby Okvist & Tommy Shaw // Angela Doheny, Matt Doheny & Megan Hosseini // Eric Arnold & James Lugo

There was great anticipation for the premiering of Analog’s newest surf film Chromatic at the Lido Theatre this past month. Not only were two of the planet’s most futuristic surfers being profiled in Nathan Fletcher and Chippa Wilson, but also the man behind the camera Riley Blakeway is known for creating films that lie in a realm of their own. There were trailers to tease us and frame grabs to let our fantasies go wild, but this could only fend off our hungry surf appetites for so long.

As the lights dimmed our first glimpses were of Nathan on that one historical wave in Tahiti that made him look like a tiny ant about to be engulfed by a mountain of water. From there the hoots filled the theatre and didn’t cease until the film’s end. It was hard to say who truly took the cake, as Chippa and Nathan both equally blew our minds by making impossibly high and fast rotating airs as well as pulling into death-defying barrels that would make even the boldest surfers cringe. The film took us all throughout Hawaii, California, Tahiti, Australia, France and even other locations that Finally, on a picturesque Wednesday evening everyone met for the can’t be revealed. With all of the dime-a-dozen Web clips we see on a unveiling of Chromatic. As usual, industry big wigs, fellow pro surfers, regular basis, it’s great to know that there are still dedicated filmmakers ladies and local-yocals herded around the theatre and made small talk like Riley who are in pursuit of producing amazing projects time and time before cramming in for what we all knew would be a display of the highest again. In our eyes, Chromatic receives two thumbs up. Thanks to everyone progressive surfing on record. Analog threw out free goodies for all, and at Analog for a fun-filled evening, and we suggest that you all get yourself one lucky attendee even walked away with a brand new surfboard courtesy a copy as soon as the film hits stores. of Chromatic star Chippa Wilson. 90

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Photos: Adamqueenimages.com // Crowd gathering outside of the Lido getting ready for the West Coast Premiere of Burton’s 13 // Danny Davis, Zak Hale, Jeremy Jones, Jussi Oksanen, Jack Mitrani // Above ﬁre code packed house at the lido // Burton Team Rider Jeremy Jones, WAAR Director of Sales Matt Davis, and Legend of the snow Dave Downing discussing wheelies on their Harley’s // Burton’s local Sales Crew with Analog // Gravis’s Jimmy Yakout // Burton Global Director of Team Marketing, Bryan Knox ,hanging out with Burton Team Rider John Jackson // Burton’s Newly opened Southern California Showroom enjoying a much needed break // Active Manager Peter Troy enjoying the night with Burton’s PR Makenzie V. Halen // Matches and condom’s, if this is any indication that 13’ is going to be a big year // Packed Burton Bar at the Pre-Party

This past month the folks at Burton premiered their new film ‘13’ just down the street from our office at the Lido theatre. Beforehand everyone gathered at the newly remodeled Burton headquarters in Costa Mesa. Plenty of smooth drinks were downed and fun stories were told. Then, being the responsible partygoers that they are, taxis and buses were hired to drive everyone to the event. Around 8 o’clock the entire California snowboard community had assaulted the tiny Lido theatre, and inside the cinema was packed to capacity. Snowboarders, influencers, fans, media and VIPs filled every open seat for the world premiere of Burton’s new movie ‘13.’ If you were there then you had the esteemed pleasure of hanging out and watching the antics of some of snowboarding’s most talented and colorful char-

acters. Guys like Burton pro riders John Jackson, Jeremy Jones, Zak Hale, Danny Davis, Jack Mitrani, Kevin Pearce, and Gabi Viteri were just a few of the big names on hand. The movie itself was next level with some absolutely mind-boggling riding going down by the world’s best. Afterwards you could tell that winter had filled the air and you could tell by the looks on faces that they were yearning for the coming cold months. The night ended with some heading home satisfied and others taking to the streets of Newport for a rowdy time. All things considered, it was a phenomenal evening and we can’t wait for the next Burton event. To preorder Burton’s new movie 13, head to the iTunes store or check for the movie at your local shop for copies of the film.

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Bleed: 11”w x 14.125”h Trim: 10.5”w x 13.625”h

Words: Just-Ice :: Photos: Sean Rosenthal & Ryan Donahue // We like: bikinis // Big hats // Lips // Dancing // Girls // Le Blorr on the CAMM Stage // Mayer Hawthorne // Poolside // Lani Dohtery & friends // I’ll take the one in the shorts // All smiles // Duck rides // All smiles at the end of the night

If you are a fan of live music and summertime, this past Labor Day Weekend offered you a few options worth considering in the way of music festivals. There was FYF and Burning Man, but none other than Paciﬁc Festival could have captured what summer means most to us in Southern California ... and that’s a beach party, groovy and breezy enjoyment. The Dunes – presented by Identity MG with support from Quiksilver, Red Bull, Onnit Labs, Liquipel, Sol Republic, Daphne’s, Aqua Hydrate and Jack’s – showcased good tunes by Mayer Hawthorne, Poolside, Yacht, Sneaky Sound System, Bag Raiders and Miami Horror, to name a few lineup highlights that performed on the seaside stages in Newport Beach that Sunday. There

was something uniquely different about this festival experience that made this big day out second-to-none, and we’re not talking about the fact you could swim from stage to stage on a ﬂoaty, or SUP or dance on the beach to some of your favorite indie pop, retro soul or nu-disco acts. It was the festival’s fans in all their summertime glory that made this festival the festival to be at. Tan and fun, they were carefree. As you can see, it was sunshine and smiles all day, with more women than anyone has ever seen in one place at any given time. And if you weren’t there, you really missed a good time. But don’t fret, the boys behind the PacFest promise us there will be plenty more good times to come in the near future.

Words: Eric Diamond :: Photos: Pat Stacey & Troy Smit // Winner Wade Godall // Giddings, Conologue, Woodall & Curren // Tom Curren // Donavon Frankenreiter // Pierce Flynn // Cosmic // Courtney Conlogue // David Giddings // Pat O // Donavon Frankenreiter // Christian Fletcher

Young Aussie Wade Goodall drops in on a turquoise green right on a Local Motion Twin that’s much older than himself, side-slips down the face into a beautiful little barrel and the huge crowd on the shoreline goes wild! Led Zep cranks in the background, and everyone’s grooving. Then Courtney Conologue ﬂies through sections, absolutely carving on a vintage Dick Brewer while further mystifying her male opponents time after time. Where’s all this stoke coming from? Where the heck are we? Is this really Salt Creek a week after Labor Day? There’s one thing you can count on in south OC every year, and it’s the eclectic gathering of the surf tribe at the annual Cosmic Creek, if not the most soulful event of the year, period. And this year was no different. It was a great way to end the summer on a perfect note, both spiritually and musically. It’s not a surf contest; it’s a tribute to surf culture’s lost era of transitional, almost (eccentric) craft & craftsmen, their stories, music, and it’s really more of a festival than contest. The Cosmic Creek has become an annual meet and greet for well over a decade now, and it has become one of the most soulful events for the youth, legends, charities and the local community. Maybe it was a 2-4 foot combo swell, maybe it was going surﬁng w/ Tom Curren on a vintage board, or maybe it was painting a giant mural with your kids on the beach, but the event was amazing. To top it off, the night concluded with a free concert with Donovan Frankenrieter on a big grassy hill while the sun went down? This year’s Billabong Cosmic Creek was all that and a lot more. GT kept the crowd laughing and had me in tears with his humor while the classic tunes blared. Cosmic Creek is a history lesson about boards and stories that were rarely heard outside our inner circle, to let kids ride groovy boards that are older than them and gather the tribes young

and old to swap ideas about eclectic surf craft. The Woodstock of surf events, just coming down and looking at all the boards is so bitch’n. This year it was to dedicated it to Terry Martin, Randy Sleigh and Phillip Hoffmann, three pioneers, shapers, watermen and really just great people in the surﬁng community we lost recently. The Cosmic emphasizes what the ocean does to the human spirit, what our lifestyle is all about and why this is one of the best events around. So as the sun sets and Donny played his ﬁnal song, we give thanks to such a special weekend, the support of the locals, big mahalo to especially Billabong and all the other great sponsors, such as Subaru, Killer Dana, Von Zipper, Sector 9, Hobies, Verizon, Cliff bar, Daphne’s, Chipoltle, Nalus…. & especially the moms and dads of the “Cosmic Children”! Cosmic Pros Rolling Stones Junior Space Cadets VZ Grems 1. Darryl Evora 1. Wade Goodall 1. Pierce Flynn 1. Josh Benjoya 2. Dan O’Connell 2. Courtney Conologue 2. Trevor Thorton 2. Tyler Killeen 3. Oscar S 3. Tom Curren 3. Brad Burdick 3. Eric Weinhardt 4. John Macpherson 4. David Giddings 4. Vance Smith 4. Griffen Foy 5. Paul Thorsen 5. Eric Rodovalho 5. Jakob Herbart 6. Victor Marquette Legends 6. Dakota Faircloth 6. David Klause 1. Paul Naude Honolua Groove 2. Mike Savage Rocket Men Masters 3. John McFearson 1. Christian Homan 1. Scott Fynn 4. Gary Linden 2. Sean Walker 2. Jeremy Smith 5. Hughie 3. John Gorak 3. Bobby Lockhart 4. John Warren 4. Shane Miller 5. Mike Voegtin 5. Perey F 6. Andrew M 6. Enich Harris

Words: Brad Beylik // Teressa Foglia, one of the event coordinators, rollin’ with Angela Kinsey from The Ofﬁce and Jon Heder of Napolean Dynamite and Blades of Glory // Sam Lovell at the net // Co-founders Johnny McCray and Clay Peterson with Ladies Division Champions Molly McCray and Mindy Whelan // Marshall Graves and Tim and Liz Hendricks, supporting the cause // Co-Founder Clay Peterson with friend Morgan Stone // Eriks Krumins and Brian Bielen // Team Dr. Mark Metcalf & Pat Towersey // Kurt “Fuzzy” Schroeder watching it all unfold, rocking his free shades // Team Duke supporters // Justin Lyon of Yo Gabba Gabba, a long time supporter, hanging with daughter Monroe // Lisa Stanson and Shanon Browne // Jon Heder playing with the real “Dynamite” // Mikey ﬂying undercover // Steve

The 14th Annual Costa Mesa Wood Racquet Classic, held on Sunday September 2, 2012 at East 20th Street, more than lived up to its reputation as “the social event of the summer.” For over a decade, the Costa Mesa Wood Racquet Classic has been a local staple. Like the city whose name it bears, the event has consistently brought together seemingly disparate, discordant local elements ranging from the super hip to the super rich (to the persistently neither of those things), from local surfers and partiers, to grungy artists and tattooers, to Hollywood producers and even cancer researchers, outlaws, families and more. Players compete with vintage wooden racquets and white balls in a setting reminiscent of an earlier incarnation of Orange County – sprawling, well-kept backyards shaded by girthy, old-growth trees seem to conjure the feeling of a rural stronghold in a sea of otherwise overdeveloped wasteland. These yards, which lately have been called “The Wood Racquet Estates,” belong to co-founders of The Costa Mesa Wood Racquet Classic Johnny McCray and Clay Peterson, long-time locals, well known to many on all sides of the tracks. Fans of all shapes and sizes watched notable match-ups and athletic feats that just don’t happen anywhere else… like seeing Jon Heder (of Napoleon Dynamite fame) and Angela Kinsey of The Office go up against Anne Heche and Revenge’s James Tupper. Walking around the adjoining properties were a long list of local legends from all walks of life (and certainly from more than one side of the tracks) – including the likes of Bob Hurley, John Cook, McG, Tim Hendricks, Pat Parnell, Bridget Moynahan… the list goes on and on. As for the actual tennis, Team Surfline was crowned the winners of the open tennis division after beating Team Champions for the title. The ladies division was won by Team McCray/Whelan who beat Team Funoyal for the championship. This year’s classic also hosted the first-ever kids division on Saturday afternoon at the Palisades Tennis Club, where 12-year-old Grant and 10-year-old Connell McCabe took home the title. But as usual, the gathering was about a lot more than just the tennis. John Gothard and Kent Maul of Team Gothmaulers were crowned the best-dressed tennis duo with their seventies-inspired garb, complete with

quintessential matching headbands. And if there’s another feature that makes this event famous, it’s that nobody ever goes home thirsty or hungry at the Wood Racquet Estates. An abundance of top-notch food and drink remained constantly available to the droves of revelers roaming in the heat – beer by Pabst Blue Ribbon, vodka, tequila by Peligroso, ice cream, cupcakes, tacos and more. The auction tables, like everything else, had something for everyone. John Wayne’s signed movie collection with additional riﬂe was a popular item that sold for $2,500. But skateboarder, artist and local street menace JP Olson was equally happy to score a tattoo session with Tim Hendricks for $400. “So stoked to get that appointment,” said Olson of his auction win. “Tim’s a great artist and the money goes to support cancer research, which is sick.” There were over 110 items in the silent auction. Also, many of us (including me, yay) received a special gift from Toms shoes/eyewear. Most importantly, the Wood Racquet Classic accomplished its main purpose of raising money to support the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. Wood Racquet Classic would like to extend a special thank you to the following: Team Duke, Leisure Society, Saks Fifth Avenue, Fletcher Jones Motor Cars NB, Rolls Royce, Peligroso Tequila Bar, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Primo, Activate Drinks, Honest Tea, Smile Booth, A Restaurant, C4 Waterman, PCP Prints, Detroit Bar, Memphis Restaurant, Stance, RVCA, Mendez Bro’s, Toms, Farrell’s ice cream, Cordell, Siemon & Salazar, Hurley, Captain Fin Co, Yo Gabba Gabba, The Cobrasnake, Steve Aoki, Assouline, Fiori Family, Metz Properties, PallieJones, Movmt, Gravis, Epicuren, Analog, Lorenza Rose, Ramos House Cafe, Insight, Something Else, Merrit Charles, Paper Mag, Ksubi, Oats 100% Cashmere, Lifefactory, Rasta Taco, Fork Knife & Spoon, MorganStanley SmithBarney, Skyy Vodka, Hubert’s Lemonade, Boathouse Collective, Palisades Tennis Club, Saltwater Tattoo, OC Polo, Krochet Kids, American Rivers, Cuipo, HOM Sotheby’s, SME, Marko, FRS, Barton Perreira, Sachi Live, Moscot, Paul Frank, Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Original Pizza 2, Popchips, Billabong, Stussy, Rebecca Minkoff, Montage Laguna Beach, Javier’s, Mutato, Volcom, Julia Post, Anchor Bar, Story Land, Amelia and Justin Lyon, Frosted Cupcakery, Shaper Studio, Mystique Spirits, Mothers Market, Roland Sands Design and many more.

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Words:- Jon Montgomery :: Photos: Karen Utley // Kathleen Kamikawa, Richard Woolcott & Hezy Shaked // Team Tilly’s // Jon Montgomery & Shaun Neff // Dan Griesemer // Steve, Debbie & Charlie // Adam Cooke & Keith Kabalican // Jason Arnold, Tilly & Mitch Segal // Eric, Orlando & John // Jason, Clay & Don // Robert Wright // Wooly & Bob McKnight // Justin, Jon & Haunt

On August 27, 2012, the 6th Annual Tilly’s Charity Golf Tournament Auction and Dinner went off at the Oak Creek Country Club in Irvine, CA. The mission of the event was to raise money to support three fantastic nonproﬁt organizations including Tilly’s Life Center (TLC), Casa Youth Shelter and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County.

As the day transformed to early evening, some 300 people showed up for cocktail hour and the silent charity auction. After guests feasted on an extravagant dinner, the live auction sounded off, attracting all kinds of high-rolling bidders. Bid packages ranged from a Lamborghini weekend rental to Anaheim Ducks VIP suite tickets. But the highlight of the evening came at the auction’s end when Tilly’s founder and President Hezy Shaked Representatives from the biggest action sports brands in the world were outbid LRG Co-Founder Robert Wright for a 1975 Honda CB550 Chopper on hand to take part in the sun-fueled festivities. Volcom, Neff, DC, RVCA, donated by Fatal. After securing the bid, Hezy graciously donated the bike LRG, Quiksilver, Spy Optic, Hurley, Fatal and plenty more arrived early to longtime Tilly’s employee and bike aﬁcionado Jon Montgomery. It was for breakfast burritos, mufﬁns and strong coffee. It wasn’t long before the perfect ending to a night of good vibes for a great cause. all 144 players started their golf cart engines and embarked on the day’s expansive 18-hole course. In between hitting balls, downing Asombroso A big shout out goes to all the rad brands that came out and showed tequila cocktails and good times, guests made memories in the Tilly’s enormous support. In the end, amazing times where had and some serious Photo Booth and ate Wahoo’s Fish Tacos for lunch. memories were made. See you all again next year!

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Photos & Words: Jack Bailey // The infamous Laguna Cinema // @thomasthetrain // @forestbailey // @duhhlan // @paisleylouise & @el_dinte // @hogpoo, @whitefaceguy & @fletcherberryman // @flux // @dtale // @zeach_man // @volcomstone89 // @roiboi_ // @snowboardermag // @d0uble_s // @hannafait & When you actually watch the film “Too,” rather than blast your brains out on the back row of Laguna cinema with a bottle of Jack Daniels during the “Too” premiere, you realize it’s an amazing piece of work. I took some time last night, sat down with some Jesus juice, cigs and watched/re-watched Givin’s latest, and my notes are as follows: Don’t rush the opener. Look deep, as the scenery and wildlife could set you free. Beautiful cuts, foreign angles and gritty shots set the tone for this gem, dig it. Any movie that starts with a three-minute slam section shows that contrary to popular belief, the given crew worked FUCKING HARD! Watch the 10-gap angle 10 (I think), it’s fucked. Everyone gets flamed! Blood, sweat and tears. Alex Stathis’s section tripped me out. I hadn’t really seen his riding. At first I was a little baffled but by the end I was a down as fuck. This chap has taken his own path and it’s a good one. He’s like a Snow Coyote – do those even exist? Next up was Wyatt Stasinos, reminiscent of a smoking ZEP song. Heavy opener, manhandling white lumps left, right and center. Intense solo you can really melt right into and appreciate. It ends with a bag of hammers that will pop your lid and probably your 102

knees. E-Man Anderson – I don’t know E-Man but I like him because he smokes more dirts than me. Timmy Ronan may as well be spelt “Ronin” – The kid is a Samurai Ninja. Alex Tan, German… I appreciate Germans and hope to cross paths one day. Chris Brewster has been accused of owning a pair of “wacky, wavy, inflatable tube arms” but has more soul and style on and off the white stuff than most. Nick Russel and Doran Laybourn: Reggae, powder and mushroom drums are best enjoyed with weed. I’m sure both of these lads would agree. This section fired me up to ride this season, big style. Layne Treeter – “If you don’t know, now you know,” Dylan Fait. Sorry Layne, but this track was too good. Everyone deserves to own it. Next up is Keegan Valaika and Chris Bradshaw, good times aside two of the best styles in the biz, hands down, with an amazing driving track to boot. Yet another song to fall in love to as Forest Burki destroys powder and keeps dogs ‘gotta be a good human.’ The flick ends with Forest Baily. Homeboy freezes “Ham Steaks” in the backcountry then cooks them on handrails for friends and family to enjoy. Cool, calm and multicultural, Forest Bailey is the real deal. That’s what’s for lunch, dinner and breakfast man... @jackyllandhyde.

Words: Sonny Nigro :: Photos: Rosalie Torres // Hey ladies! // Hindu Pirates // We’re all going streaking // Blackfeet Braves // BFF’s // Gal Pals // Sonny & Bird // Josh Jochem, Joey Pulsifer & Amy Beams // Family portrait // Brian Young on a break // Welcome to the family Clive Dixon

One thing I’ve noticed lately is that the Ambig crew likes to have a good time, and the Hindu Pirates tape release party was no exception! I’m pretty sure all the hip spots around town were empty that night because it seemed like every kid in the OC was there to get wild and listen to some good tunes. In typical Ambig style, they had the BBQ going, there was free beer, the skatepark was open to the public, and they had some great bands playing. Black Sea, Black Elephant, Blackfeet Braves and Hindu Pirates? I mean, this is the kind of lineup that you usually see at The Observatory or Detroit Bar. Seriously, check out these bands – they’re all fucking great!

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To end the night, the Hindu Pirates came on to shut the night down. But only a few songs into their set and the PA blew out and then the dance floor turned into a mosh pit that sparked a fight that ended in the removal of a few drunks, the cops being called and eventually, closed the show down. But other than a few fights, a naked dude, the cops, and some P.A. difficulties, I have to say it was a great night! Big thanks to Pabst Blue Ribbon for all the free beer. Thanks to Mukta from KXLU for spinning some great tunes in between bands, and as always, a big thanks to everyone that showed up and had a good time. See you next time.

Words: Andy Valmorbida // Kool Keith, Futura, Marc Live // Russell Simmons, PM Tenore, Andy Valmorbida // Alesandra Ambrosia, Ana Beatriz-Baros // Danny Fuller & Tori Paver // Alesandra Ambrosia // Jess Hart // Sharon Osbourne & Nur // Luis Guzman // Fab 5 Freddy // Nathan Webster, Chris Carey, PM Tenore, Spencer Regan, Keegan Gibbs & Benji Weatherly // Jenna Clarins, Virgin Clarins, Laren Remington // Stavros Niarchos

Legendary New York artist Futura had his first solo New York show in over 12 years on September 6th, 2012, titled Future-Shock supported by Bombardier, Vista Jets and RVCA (Artist Network Program). With a turnout that took over New York’s “Fashion Night Out” (as they were held on the same night), over 4500 people turned out for the exhibit put on by art entrepreneur Andy Valmorbida and RVCA founder PM Tenore. Futura was head-to-head with Basquiat in the ‘80s as the two were shown together at Fun Gallery in New York and also had three solo shows with Tony Shafrazi and Sidney Janis Gallery. His style reflects elements of De Kooning, Pollack and Franz Kline, all derived from his natural stroke and gesture. “It’s like being back in the ‘80s,” many people were overheard saying. The exhibit drew all the old-school and new-school scene-makers such as Fab 5 Freddy, Lee Quinones, Kool Keith, Sharon Osbourne, Russell Simmons, Alesandra Ambrosia, the Clarins sisters, Jess Hart, China Chow, Danny Fuller... the list goes on and on. It was definitely the event to be at on that particular night, and much fun was had by everyone in attendance.

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Interview: Kim Conlan Down to the Newport peninsula, just off of 56th Street, I have no trouble ﬁnding a parking spot now that the crowds are gone and there are mere days left in the summertime season. Lead singer of the local band the Growlers Brooks Neilsen is just about to join drummer Scott Montoya in the water for a quick session. They only have three days to mellow out in between tours, but amidst the constant list of band-related things to take care of, the boys detach from a decent swell to tell me about their newest full-length release, Hung at Heart, and their upcoming Beach Goth Party (hosted by Burger Records) at the Observatory Theater in Santa Ana this October 19th and 20th. Let’s talk about the new album, Hung At Heart. You write a ton of music all the time, but how did you choose this collection? Neilsen: It’s been a fucking nightmare. I mean, it’s too easy—we wrote the songs, the songs were good, we recorded the songs, should be over with. But the record didn’t sound that good, so we threw it away and we re-recorded it. It took forever, shopped it out, people act like they want to do something, then they give shitty offers, so ﬁnally we said, “Fuck it,” and put it out on Everloving (Records). It was supposed to come out in October. You guys started the recording process with Dan Auerbach? Neilsen: Started with Dan. Too bluesy or what? Neilsen: You know what, we went in there with very little time. We had written the songs rough-draft and didn’t have time to actually write them into songs. Then we were touring, we changed drummers … Photo: Matt Edgar

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Montoya: We just got back from Brazil too. Neilsen: Just got back from Brazil, went straight over there, jumped in and recorded 18 songs in 10 days. Montoya: They weren’t even done being written. Neilsen: So we had to get there in the morning, hung over, write ‘em, record as much as we could everyday, and then party with Dan at night. We got home, and the record was taking a long time to be mixed. We originally wanted it to be tape, it wasn’t. Montoya: Dan just came out with an album too, so he was really busy touring around. Neilsen: He was busy and we had taken so long that we had been playing the music live. We had changed the songs a bit and they sounded better and were better written, so we’re like, “Fuck this, let’s go record the record over, on tape, down the street. We have the songs better written, we’ll take our time and do them right,” ‘cause it was taking a while anyway—and it came out better.

that haven’t been recorded. So we’re going to have double, and that’s just more stuff that’s cool. And the CD and the tape for Hung at Heart will be out in January. In October for the Observatory the shows with Burger are going to have this tape and we’ll do a listening party for the Hung at Heart album.

You never mention Mike McHugh? Montoya: Yeah, Mike helped. Mike did the recording. Neilsen: (Laughing). Montoya: Mike helped us record. Neilsen: This time recording we wanted to go into the studio, but since it didn’t work with Dan, we still wanted to go into a professional studio. We wanted to do it on tape, so we did it with Mike, and Mike’s the man, but it was taking a while. But we did it, we ﬁnished it, and the record is supposed to come out November, but they fucked up on production of the vinyl so we missed deadline, so now it’s going to be out in January. We already have everything set up and people are Jones-ing, so for the fans, we’re doing like a limited tape on Burger Records that’s all the rough-drafts and some extra songs

Baby steps… Tell me about the Beach Goth Party at Observatory with Burger Records? Neilsen: Observatory asked us to do two shows there at this time of year and we included Burger on it, which is rad. So we’ve got a lot of Burger bands, then we put some of our bands from LA—Abigails and Dante vs. Zombies and some of our friends with all the Burger bands. It’s going to be 15 bands, costume shows, and they’re offering all these packages for it.

What types of songs are we to expect? Same feel as before? Neilsen: It’s a little of the same Growlers. We kind of picked some happier stuff, and some weirder style songs, kind of funkier. But it’s got everything, some reggae-sounding stuff. Montoya: It’s cleaner though, the recordings are better, for sure. Mike’s really good. Neilsen: Better vocals, more in front, just more legible, and we’re stoked on it. But, after a month of songs, we wanted to hear something new and make something new, and it’s been too fucking long. This thing needs to be out there so we can go make a new record and move the fuck on.

The shows are Friday and Saturday? Montoya: The 19th and 20th. Neilsen: That’s close enough to Halloween, so we’re like, “Oh, let’s do a Halloween party.” Burger was like, “Let’s call it a Beach Goth Party.” It will be costumes, a lot of bands, it’s

going to be the record release and everything. I think the two shows will sell out and be fucking crazy. We made a cool little video for it down at 10th St. So eventually you’re planning on releasing cassette, vinyl, CD, and digital versions of the album? Neilsen: It all got pushed back. I gotta change it right now ‘cause all these people think we’re releasing all that at the show. We’re still gonna offer that limited cassette tape, but we’re also gonna do ‘you buy two days’ you get to go to the listening party, you get t-shirts, CDs—all this different shit. Montoya: A listening to the new record, not the demos. We’re having a listening party. Neilsen: In January. Yeah, it got pushed back. That was going to be the whole deal, but what can I do? We thought, at least give them something, ‘cause I was thinking, “Fuck, we gotta pull out the record and bum everyone out.” It’s mostly close fans that are going, so I think they’re going to enjoy the demo songs—our close friends and my chick do. They like that shit more. There’s a character about demos … Montoya: It’s way more raw. Neilsen: And there’s imperfections and things that you get attached to. I like when you can hear someone coughing or something. That’s how the 7” felt to me. It wasn’t perfect, but you listen and you get accustomed and then you love it. Neilsen: Totally. Keep your eyes peeled for The Growlers’ long-awaited Hung At Heart and don’t miss their Beach Goth Party with the Burger Records crew at the Observatory Theater in Santa Ana on October 19th and 20th!

Pacific Festival The Newport Dunes Sunday September 2nd, 2012 Spring Break! No, it’s Pacific Festival on The Newport Dunes! Festival organizers decided to take this year’s shenanigans to the beach, literally. Tijuana Panthers are typically creatures of the night, but they showed up early to start the party right. Their summer fun vibes were more than fitting for all the kids in the bay, who were off their heads on stand-up paddles. Meanwhile, stage left bass showed on-lookers a thing or two about how to properly work a Rickenbacker. If you’re two years late on their album Max Baker, it’s still good, we checked. Shout out to Morongo Casino for the colorway inspiration. Photo & Review: Max Ritter

Reviews: Max Ritter

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Tweak Bird Undercover Crops EP Volcom Entertainment

Nice Face Horizon Fires Hozac Records

Blackfeet Braves S/T Lolipop Records

The Raw Nerves S/T 1:12 Records

We are still waiting for the Bird brothers to one-up the weirdness of 2008’s Reservations album cover, but we’re going to give a thumbs up on the new material. They are melting face harder than ever with blistering metal riffs and l-o-u-d drums. And, minus the naked children gang, they are still weirdoes. Available for purchase this month from our brothers at Volcom – the purveyors of head banging. Horns up.

One-man bands are so h-o-t right now. If you can’t ﬁnd a ripping drummer like the guy in Tweak Bird no worries, whip out that 1990s Casio your mom bought you for your 12th birthday, loop a punk beat through a distortion pedal and let it rip. Voila! Instant synth-punk that will make granny cranky. If you want something done right, do it yourself. Right? Ian Magee is his name. This guy is rad!

I caught these dudes at the latest AMBIG party and witnessed the guitar player kick some drunk gangster kid in the face after he repeatedly tried to drop hood shout-outs on the mic during their set. Lesson learned. Don’t mess with these Gypsies. They look mellow but will ninja kick you. Shout out to the demo version of “Trippin’ Like I Do.” Rules a bit harder, why is that always the case?

Nashville dude Chris Denney has been YEE HAW-in’ about loose ladies and hard times over some Chuck Berry-inﬂuenced slide and twang. They’ll be Boogie-in’ America’s dive bar circuit down on tour now and for-ev-va.

Rider: Kanoa Igarashi

Photo: Joe Foster

Laguna Beach PH: (949) 715-8989

Costa Mesa PH: (949) 722-8329

Huntington Beach PH: (714)594-3220

Live life in the bowl

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