BL!SSS Magazine | November 2007 | #3

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±(ANK IS A SUCH A CLASSIC GUY (E´S PRETTY GOOFY MY GIRL THINKS HE´S A STUD (E´S PRETTY SPONTANEOUS AS WELL ) THINK HE JUST BOUGHT A PIECE OF LAND IN "ALI AFTER CRUISING THERE FOR A WEEK 3AME STUFF IN THE WATER HE´LL BE CRUISING THEN DO SOMETHING MIND BLOWING OUT OF THE BLUE ) RECKON HE´S ONE OF THE GUYS THAT YOUNG SURFERS LIKE TO WATCH HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR ² 9ADIN .ICOL

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±!LWAYS FLYING UNDER THE RADAR *AMES IS ONE OF THE BEST SKATERS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT !S 5TAH´S BEST KEPT SECRET HE JUST CAN´T KEEP IT UNDERGROUND MUCH LONGER ² !ARON !STORGA

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10/17/07 11:53:29 AM

JP SOLBERG PREMIERING ONLINE OCT 19TH

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RANDOMS // 38 NIXON EUROPE // 48 SUPER TASTE // 56 STEPHEN DUKE // 58 JORDY $MITH // 60 ROBERT LOPEZ MONT // 62 GOGGLE VIEW // 80 TANNER GUDAUSKAS // 82 FALLING INTO WINTER // 94 JAKE MOSS // 104 SCRUM DOWN UNDER // 106 JUSTIN FRY // 116 SHEER BL!SSS // 126 NEWPORT PRO // 136 HURLEY skate park // 138 KOASTAL KAOS // 140 GvR // 142 HOT DAWGS & HAND RAILS // 144 SURF FIESTA // 146 NIKE PREMIERE // 148 BIG GIG MINI RAMP JAM // 150 JOSE GONZALES // 152 MORRISSEY // 154 GROMS // 156

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Photo: JackColemanphoto.com

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

Editor joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com

Creative Director mark paul deren madsteez@blisssmag.com

Music Editor tim bergevin tim@blisssmag.com

advertising ads@blisssmag.com

contributing Photographers Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom Carey, Jason Kenworthy, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran

contributors Matt Patterson, Willie Marshall, Josh Spencer, Aaron Astorga, Daniel Russo, Liz Rice, Jason Arnold, Jon Francis, Tom Carey, Travis Millard, David Choe, Kai Garcia, Mickey Neilsen, Peter Townend, Hamilton Endo, Tawnya Schultz, Mike Murciano, Geoff Shively, Casey Holland, Steve Stratton

BL!SSS Magazine 413 31st Street Newport Beach, CA 92663 www.blisssmag.com

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

Cover Art : Justin Fry

JEREMY JONES

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So here you have it – BL!SSS number three. Pumped after an unreal response from the first two issues, we’ve managed to throw together another banger for you. To be honest, meeting our third deadline has been brutal, since the waves and offshore winds hooked up perfectly this week, creating conditions in Newport that rarely come together. Unfortunately, the swell just happened to coincide with our deadline, which made work in the daylight hours around the BL!SSS office literally impossible. Luckily, about midday today the winds changed back to the normal howling westerlies, blowing us back to business as usual at the BL!SSS command center, and it looks like we just might make our press time. Now back to issue number three. First off, we have the art of Justin Fry – that’s his painting on the cover. Super cool guy and very talented artist. He graced us with his presence over here at BL!SSS and helped Madsteez throw his article together. You can check out his art on page 116. Next is surfing, with a killer piece on Tanner Gudauskas. This kid has been blowing up lately, and his surfing speaks for itself on page 82. We also have the Nixon Surf Challenge, which is an event that Nixon puts on every year in Spain. I’m hoping for an invite from the Nixon crew next year to cover this event, because it looks pretty damn fun. We also wedged a couple snow articles in the issue too. We have a New Zealand story on page 106 that Billy and Ryan from Volcom hooked us up with, and on page 58 we have an interview with Stephen Duke that Jon Francis knocked out for us. Snow season is just around the corner and we can’t wait. The snow photos will definitely get you amped to bust out your snow gear and start planning your next snowboarding trip. As far as skating goes, for this issue we’ve got Robert Lopez Mont. Aaron Astorga caught up with Robert for us and pried some info out of him to mingle with his ten pages of insane skating. Check him out on page 68. We’ve also introduced a new section to the magazine this month, and it’s called Sheer BL!SSS. It’s a spot where we’ll be running random photos that come across our light table that we like and want to share with you. You can expect to see this section every month. And last but not least, we have another fashion layout. Our boy Dominic has been doing a hell of a job with the fashion shoots, and even braved the crazy winds and fires out in the Ortegas to get this shoot handled before our deadline. I could go on and on about the issue you’re holding, but you’re just going to have to check it out for yourself. Oh yeah, Jordy Smith finally has a sponsor – find out who it is on page 46. Enjoy the issue and we’ll see you next month.

- Nick Kalionzes

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Photo: JackColemanphoto.com

Grrr baby grrr…

madsteez x boosted There’s a new cat in town and she’s faster and meaner than ever. So the good folks at Macintosh have now finished their countdown of the latest operating system for OS X, Leopard. And if you know us at all, you know we were first on the on pre-order list as soon we caught wind of this and I gotta tell ya there’s a lot of cool features simplifying office life these days. Jeeze, with the iPhone, iPod, iTV, iMac, and iLife I think it’s official - I’ve become an iHuman.

Astrodeck sandals

In Rainbows Download = $$$ We’ll be the first to tell you how cheap we are over here at BL!SSS magazine, so when we found out that the new Radiohead album was dropping online for the low, low name your own price, we got right to it. After a quick hunt and peck on the old keyboard, and donating a big zero to the checkout, we were jamming to the new Radiohead album within minutes. Click yourself over to www.inrainbows.com and download the album now, but make sure you pay at least $20 for it to make up for our cheap asses.

All you babies daddy’s out there, make sure you get your hands on one of these limited edition Madsteez X Boosted “Terrorist Starter Kits” - containing pockets for all your deadly stashes. There’s a slip for your Rambo knife, a specialty pocket to hold your weapons grade Anthrax, replacement cartridges for your rusty hijacker box cutters and convenient slips for carrying all your C4 explosives. This bag has the stamp of approval from our very own in house graphic designer who is also a known associate with Al Qaeda. The entire collection will be available Thanksgiving weekend in select stores and be sure and check out the Madsteez X Boosted pop up store in Manhattan, NYC.

Koop

Bigger Is Better!

Koop Islands : Atlantic Records Swedish duo Koop is often classified as an electronic outfit but what the band excels at and delivers is an updated take on jazz. As freaked out as that may make you, it’s something you should consider checking out. When I first put on this record it made me think of William Holden sitting in a chaise lounge drinking a stiff cocktail and basically being the coolest person in the world. If you don’t know who William Holden is or Koop than you are blowing it twice. Go put your Amazon account to work and get something from both of them.

I know it’s true because Chris Friel told me so. That little guy is so funny, especially is hair. But seriously, the boys at Vestal have just released their largest watch to date, the Zeppelin. Like its namesake, this baby is huge. So large in fact I heard Flava Flav has been calling constantly trying to get one to wear around his neck. Another must have X-mas gift for your closest love one.

iPOD TOUCH

Trust Me, Trust Me

38

Got a little visit from Automaton mastermind Brenton Woo just recently. As he has done in the years past, he brought down his latest and greatest for the BL!SSS crew. This board (Trust Me 156) is truly unique as it features dual sided graphics by Tahoe based artist Joe Polillo, nose and tail design (as opposed to two noses) and Austrian manufactured quality. With snow already falling in Mammoth and opening day a week away I’m jonesing to get this thing on the mountain. Thanks again Brenton.

Derek Dunfee, a great example of the crew out of La Jolla, and he always remembers to bring beer when he comes by to skate. sector9.com 858.408.0083 photos: surf: Todd Glaser lifestyle/skate: Anthony Ghiglia

Alta Coffee Warehouse Gotta give a little love to our favorite neighbors down the street. Honestly, we spend more time at Alta during each month than all other eateries combined. Talk about the best breakfast and coffee in Newport.

Actually, now that I think about it, you really can’t go wrong with any meal there. So next time you find yourself wandering down the Peninsula feel free to swing in for a delicious meal, you won’t be disappointed.

Sector 9

TS

There still quite a few longboard skateboard companies popping up but no one has yet to even challenge the S9 boys as they continue to design the dopest skates available. EG stopped by the office and dropped some new completes off so we no longer have to walk to Alta or to check the waves. So yeah, go get yourself a new S9 and start shredding your neighborhood.

Iron And Wine

The Shepherd’s Dog : Sub Pop Having broken everyone’s heart with his cover of The Postal Service song, “Such Great Heights” only to have it broken again by its use in an M&M’s commercial, Sam Beam aka Iron And Wine shouldn’t be judged by his willingness to throw down for the equally beloved candy. All kidding aside, Sam’s voice and talent is something to definitely be celebrated.

The dark and complex songs on The Shepherd’s Dog also highlight his continued experimentation with non-acoustic instruments. Listen to the track “Innocent Bones” for a taste.

Allyance

Nat Young Seen little Nat Young out in the water last week and while it was barely head high on the rest of us, he was managing consistent overhead barrels. This grom surfs so good it’s almost unnatural. He’s got the stats to prove it as well, adding the Oakley Junior Pro to his list of accomplishments this past month, attaboy Nat.

Kommunity PROJECT While Kelly Slater has been doing everything he can to stay out of Israeli prison camps, his crew back home has been doing a fine job pushing the Kommunity product. I am seeing more and more of these goods around in and out the water and was stoked to see our very own goody box at the front door. With more and more accessory companies sprouting up each and every day you’d be silly not to give the Kommunity Project a try.

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Jason Arnold swooped by the office a couple weeks back and informed us the Brotherhood is now representing the Allyance brand. Straight from the streets of New York, they thought it necessary to get West Coast input to get the product going in the proper direction. We got a little sneak of what’s to come for ‘08 and I gotta tell ya, shit is looking tight. Rogue Heroes and Hollywood hit men alike, they’ll all be wearing it.

JP Collet

Flying Virgins Got a breath of fresh air on my last flight as I reluctantly flew Virgin PLASTISCINES America for the first time this past month. Dreading travel, cramped legroom and lack of sleep that goes hand-in-hand with going anywhere these days I hopped on the most relaxing flight I’ve ever had. I mean these guys have really gone over the top. Mini bars, vibrating seats, phased mood lighting, high speed internet and cabin chat rooms – looks like they haven’t forgot one thing. Scary almost, I didn’t want to get off.

Band of Horses Cease To Begin : Sub Pop The sophomore release from the South Carolina via Seattle band sees them expand on the country vibe that they explored on the first album. If you loved the bands mini hit, “The Funeral”, than tracks like, “No One’s Gonna Love You”, “Is There A Ghost” and my favorite song title of the year, “Detlef Schrempf” will make you play this record over and over again until your boyfriend or girlfriend punches you in the face. The combination of ballads and alt-country rock make this album worth your $9.99 or an illegal download.

Ran into very happy JP Collet last week as he informed me that he’s now officially the new Smith Optics Surf Promotions/Team Manager. I really couldn’t think of anyone who deserves it more though, he’s one of the hardest working, most determined guys I know. Congrats JP and looking forward to seeing a lot more of you.

DRUNKIN DELIGHTS

Oakley Wars Russian militia inspired is back in as the crew at Oakley has just released their newest line of bags. Styled to look straight out of WWII, these beauties are sure to be a must have for the ‘08 season. Back packs, duffel bags, and messengers - they make ‘em all.

EMERGEN-C MAE

Drop youR pants and Pull In These Euro’s sure know a good thing when they see one and we were more than flattered when the Pull In Underwear crew hunted us down for their US advertising campaign. One quick phone call to Jeff Hakman assuring us their legitimacy overseas and it was on. A few weeks later a nice little package arrived in the mail and Madsteez has been wearing a thong ever since. These underoos are quite fashionable and ready to be making a big push over here in America.

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Mason Eugene Francis Some great news on the home front, snow guru and Ambiguous team manager Jon Francis and his lovely lady Hillary just gave birth to their very first little boy, Mason. JF was so touched by the birth of the little guy that he finally took a couple days off of work to get some needed R&R, little did he know that wasn’t happening anytime soon. Baby duty has just begun and it looks like JF has a long time to go until he gets another full night of sleep.

The RVCA crew just returned from a family trip to Bali. Heard only amazing things from all the boys on the trip except one. It turns out Christian Fletcher loved Bali so much that he decided to make it his second home.

Yet to return, I can only imagine what Christian has got himself in to. The one thing I know for sure is that it involves juggling, flying, surfing and skating. Look forward to a full update when he returns.

RVCA + BALI = Good TimeS THUNDERSTRUCK MCD The Blackhart Brothers sent us some MCD goodies this past week to prepare for what is sure to be a very chilly winter. It’s already the end of October and only a mere 95 degrees outside. I know the whole state is on fire but come on, it’s the end of October already.

When those chilly mornings do decide to come we know we’ll be toasty in this Thunderstruck flannel-fleece hoodie combo.

Get Your Style On It’s been a long, long time in the coming but 2007 is the year that Style Masters 2… the height of single fin surfing has finally been released. And when I say a long time I mean a long time. OG Stylemasters Greg Weaver and Spyder Wills shot the majority of this Super 8 footage from the winter of 1980/81 on the North Shore of Oahu. If you’re looking for a blast from the past, this one has it all – colorful commentary from the filmers, plenty of action to keep you hyped and original score from the 80’s sounds of Mphase.

THE NEXT JERRY MAGUIRE

Say Anything

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In Defense of the Genre : J Records/Doghouse If you’ve never heard of Say Anything go find a tortured 17-year-old let them explain why there is so much of a connection between them and singer Max Bemis. It shouldn’t be a surprise that there are 27 tracks on this disc as the last record by these LA kids was 2004’s, “….Is a Real Boy” (re-released in 2006 by J Records). This double disc features the entire Emo rock scene making guest appearances but shouldn’t be lumped in with the masses. The tortured souls spoken about above truly exist in the lyrics and music of this band. I’m just stoked to not be part of Gen Y.

My boy Dana Mesenbrink has made a big jump within the industry and is now working the Sports Syndicate.

He’s taken all his knowledge he has gained over at Quiksilver and is now applying it to the athletes he’ll be representing. Big ups and congratulations to ya Dana, be expecting my resume by the end of next week.

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10/22/07 10:19:33 AM

The O’Neill gang was all smiles when they dropped by our office showing off their newest prized possession as they just secured the most anticipated up-andcoming pro surfer ever. After months of negotiations and millions of dollars on the line, the bidding war has ended and it’s official - Jordy Smith has just inked the papers with the O’Neill family. That’s right, the unofficial dollar amount is more than you or I will likely ever see (well, you anyways) but we here at BL!SSS couldn’t be happier for the young tyke.

But don’t think this is all just fun and games as the young South African phenom has been hard at work posting the highest WQS ratings ever with over 14,000 points. He has already taken down some of the best and is likely to do quite well his first year on the WCT. Can we say rookie of the year? Just a thought.

Regardless, his fluid style, big aerial maneuvers and power turns are gonna keep more than a few eyes glued to a computer screen during ‘08 dream tour. Good on ya Jordy, we’re looking forward to some big results this upcoming year.

Timmy Reyes, Garth Tarlow. Jordy Smith, SK and Steve Ward

46

Words: Michel Murciano :: Photos : Alex Laurel How could I explain the Nixon Surf Challenge? Well, it’s the epitome of the anticontest, contest. Those that are repeat offender invites know that this is an event that is more about having a good time with friends rather than the 10,000 Euros that are up for grabs. Those that are virgins to the event, well I’m not sure what they expect, but they always seem to leave making plans for the next year’s event.

The Nixon Surf Challenge is rounded out by inviting 28 surfers from around the world. Some are Nixon team riders, some are just friends. In making the invite list, two things come into mind: who’s going to blow doors in the water and who’s going to make everyone laugh the hardest. The Nixon Surf Challenge leaves little room for those bringing their “game face”, and for those that do bring their game face, it is usually transformed into gut-wrenching laughter sooner or later. This year was a bit more serious than in past years as the gods blessed the event with waves…firing waves.

Taking place in the Basque area of Spain in the city of San Sebastian, the Nixon Surf Challenge is an event that is held on a yearly basis. The good folks at Nixon Europe have been putting on the event for eight years and have thought of everything in making the event a definite one of a kind.

All at the event awoke the first day to fun head-high peaks. Heats went through in the typical contest fashion except that there were no hired judges- everyone takes a turn on the podium as the event is peer-judged. Highlights of the event on the first day were the breakfast burritos and red wine/beer served right on the beach by the in-house event chef and a little hazing for the first round losers who were too hung over from the previous night’s activities to put on a good showing, which out of the U.S. boys shamelessly included Cheyne Magnusson and Mike Gleason. The first day ended with high hopes of the next day and anticipation of a night out on the town in

48

Tiago

Dylan Graves

Tiago

Tim Boal

Johnathan G

Jonathan G the historic Basque city.

All 28 competitors, media, event staff and just about anyone else that can find an excuse to be there attended a very fancy dinner which sure enough turned into a giant food fight and offended the entire restaurant.

The night lead into debauchery and a true camaraderie formed between the Americans, Europeans and Aussies as they tore through town.

The final day of the event began early… at noon, just about when everyone is getting out of bed. No 7am starts at this event; plenty of time to sleep off that hangover. The boys were awakened to 6-8’ reeling rights with improving conditions- how else can you say it? The waves were legitimately going off. Losers’ round was the first in the water where Cheyne Magnusson went out and completely redeemed himself. Other stand outs throughout the day were Clay Marzo (going upside-down as usual), Jonathan Gonzalez, Benjamin Sanchis, CJ Kanuha and Dylan Graves.

The finals soon approached and the fun easygoing contest soon became very serious with the shore lined with spectators and Metallica blasting Cheyne Magnusson over the event. Any camaraderie between the clans had now dissipated CJ Kanuha

Ben Sanchez Ricky Whitlock

Cheyne Magnusson

Simon Young with the final being a showdown between the U.S. and Europe.

Soon enough sides were picked and there was a true distinction between the two (Reggaetone vs. Metallica, wine vs. beer, blondes vs. brunettes, you get the idea). Some of the best surfing went on during the finals, in which it became very evident to everyone watching why Tiago Pires has qualified for the WCT. Jonathan Gonzalez did a good rendition of a regular-footed Rob Machado taking 2nd place. Cheyne Magnusson surprised everyone making it into the final and took 3rd- after all, in his first heat I’m not sure that he even stood up. Last year’s victor, Dylan Graves rounded out the crew taking 4th place, leaving Tiago Pires crowned as the winner of the 8th Annual Nixon Surf Challenge- three days of fun, friends, good food, Spanish culture, relentless hangovers and amazing waves.

The Nixon Surf Challenge to me is a breath of fresh air within the competitive surf world. The event brings you back to being a kid and what surfing is really all about- having fun with friends. There is no doubt that I will be there next year.

RYAN SHECKLER / TWITCH™

SHAUN WHITE / MONTEFRIO™

CHRIS WARD / EYEPATCH™

BRUCE IRONS / SIGNATURE SERIES HIJINX™

NATHAN FLETCHER / EYEPATCH™

DUSTIN BARCA / EYEPATCH™

1.888.547.1789

©2007 Oakley, Inc.

CHRIS WARD / EYEPATCH™

®

THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES SEE IT AT MYSPACE.COM/SQUAREO

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Our jaws hit the floor when photos for this months “Super Taste” arrived on our desks.

As usual, our boy Dominic Petruzzi did not disappoint when he told us he knows the hottest 18-year-old in California. Let me introduce you to Sara, one of San Diego’s finest kept secrets. While someday she sees herself running her own modeling agency, today she laughingly admits that she is the only girl she knows that hates shopping, loves sarcasm and is a self proclaimed professional beer pong player - something to be very proud of. Regardless I think we can all agree on one thing… she is smoking hot!

Photo: dominicpetruzzi.com Model: Sara Agency: Otto Models

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Interview & Photos: Robbie Sell Living with Stephen Duke in various Santa Cruz team hostels during the winters and staying in the High Cascade Snowboard Camp huts in the summers, I’ve gotten to know him quite well. I know I should never battle him for a girl or battle him for a trick off a kicker. He’ll do anything for a friend in need, and anything to fancy a lady. He’s quality over quantity in his video parts, but as for the females... eh, I won’t go there for he’s had some beautiful girlfriends. I remember he was once called, “the next Kevin Jones”. Let’s hope that he’ll follow that up with his riding and not get distracted by his Billabong teammate in the process (wink, wink). Now I’m pleasured to introduce to you, my premier interview of “Stephen Tyler Duke”! – Jon Francis So why after three knee surgeries are you still riding at a pro caliber and not looking for a different job?

Damn, not starting off with any warm up questions huh? I don’t know... I guess in my own head I justify it to myself by thinking that I still have more that I want to get done on a snowboard. I guess some or maybe most people move on after a few major injuries because they get sick of all of the rehab and down time. Plus, it’s obvious that the more you hurt yourself, the more likely those injuries are to keep reoccurring. Maybe I’m just ignorant or straight up stupid. So I’ll answer your question with another question, why would I quit doing this if I don’t have to?

Brilliant answer! Instead of being a dirt bag and scraping by paying off medical bills, do you ever wish you would’ve

gone to college and pursued a fancy, high-paying career?

I went to college for a bit. I’ve never really been that good at school. I think that the college thing is definitely good for some people but not all. And you know what the funny thing about money is anyway: When you have a lot of it, you spend a lot of it but when you don’t have a lot of it you just don’t use it as much. I don’t really have much of a problem with being a “dirt bag.”

If you dropped your VZ shades in a public toilet, would you pull them out or

call your team manager for a new pair?

I’d pull ‘em out and eBay those shits. Or give them to a friend or a girl maybe. Why would you be wearing shades in a bathroom? It’d be cool to get some action from some shitty sunglasses.

How many girls from your Myspace friend list have you made out with?

That’s funny. Are you saying Myspace is full of party girls? Not that many really. I’m trying to be a bit more of a gentleman lately, and you know a gentleman never tells. So I’ll just say a third to maybe a half.

How old were you when you finally thought your initials were cool? And had you even had your first kiss yet?

Are you a boob or butt kinda guy?

I still don’t think they’re cool. And no, I’ve still not had my first kiss.

Shit man, these are truly tough questions.

You should work for Time or People. I thought you could just ask me how old I was when I realized I wanted to get free clothes in the

mail. But since you asked, I guess it depends on who’s wearing the butt or boobs. Some look good with an ass and some look good with tits. Some look good with both. No, most look good with both.

Ever pull a hat trick? Or got 3 video shots in a day?

Three shots in a day? That’s happened before.

But I kinda suck so not as many times as I would want it to. Hat trick? I don’t really feel like answering that would be good for my social life.

Yeah, maybe. Name one occasion, if any, that you have remembered the evening while drinking NightTrain.

Oh that’s easy: Jamie Lynn, Chris Roach and that kid that does the 1080’s.

Who are your favorite two bands?

Ah NightTrain. Somebody brought some of it to my birthday but I don’t really remember the end of that. If you don’t drink too much of it than you could remember plenty, but I think what you meant to ask is, “Have I ever remembered an evening of drinking a whole bottle of the Train?” Definitely not and always waking up in the weirdest places afterward.

Who are your three favorite snow pros?

I think that changes for most people a lot but right now maybe 3 Inches of Blood and um… the new 3 Inches of Blood album.

What’s your next tattoo?

The next one is definitely a tat that one of my brothers has. It sucks but he’s spending the next few years in the California legal system.

Just something to remember him by while he’s

away. Love ya Jeffy.

Is there a brand or anybody you want to call out as a douche bag? And who do you need to thank for getting you to this point in your pro snowboard career?

I’m not sure how many douches are around but after this much time hanging around the industry, I guess I’m just more aware that at the end of the day it’s about the bottom line. When it’s good it’s all friendship and high fives, but when shits in the red it’s just business. But that’s what happens when the snowboard industry looks like the last two minutes of a Monopoly game. But seriously, I thank every company I’ve worked with, friend I’ve shredded with, photographer I’ve shot with and filmer that has ever wasted their money and time on me.

Yeah, good call, don’t burn any bridges yet. You got any advice for an up and coming snowboarder, or photographer, on how to be successful, which will attract tons of hot babes?

Party, party, party, party! Just kidding. Go slash the snow or take photos or whatever it is you wanna do. And then when you get all established, I’ve heard that’s when the ladies come by the dozen.

And for being such a badass, why are you a total momma’s boy?

Because my Mom’s a badass for one. And because she got herself into a nasty car accident and spent months in the hospital this last year. It was a good reminder that I’m definitely not ready to be missing her.

Interview: Aaron Astorga About five years ago, a young kid from Puerto Rico came to California to skate with the hopes of one day fulfilling his dream of becoming a pro skateboarder. To him, everything here was so new and fresh; all the famous spots, the pros he looked up to, his dream was quickly coming to life. As a kid growing up in Puerto Rico life is much different from the fast pace lifestyle of the States. From his humble beginnings in Puerto Rico to living the dream in California, Robert’s life was about to take a whole new direction. With these major changes the transition from his life in Puerto Rico to a new way of living and attitude here in California is by no means easy. With a communication gap to deal with as well, a new living situations and a new social scene to adapt to, life can become a bit more complicated than back home in Puerto Rico. Take a minute to get a bit more insight into Robert’s head and find out what this young monster of a skater is really all about.

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B.S Disaster Hubba Hawaii

F.S Board Rail Downtown Orlando

Where are you from?

La Isla del Encanto, Puerto Rico.

How old are you?

Twenty.

Where do you live?

Orlando, FL. Who do you ride for?

Hurley, Dark Star (flow), Rock Star Bearings and Covert Skate Shop.

What have you been up to lately? You moved out to San Diego last year and then split, why did you leave San Diego?

I’ve been skating the East Coast, doing the Rock Star video in New York. Also, I’ve been competing in a couple of contests in Orlando. I moved from San Diego because I was living with a couple of Osiris dudes and since I left Osiris, I felt uncomfortable living with them. Also, I didn’t even have a room there, I was sleeping on the couch.

I know you were living with Shuriken Shannon and Russell, the filmer for Osiris but there was a falling out between you and one of the other Osiris team riders. Do you want to tell us your side of the story?

To me, nothing happened, I don’t think about it. All I know is that the situation showed me that people sometimes feel intimidated by my skating. I just leave everything in God’s hands; what comes around goes around.

I know your English is not as good as you would like to speak and sometimes it’s been difficult for you to communicate with people who don’t really know you, can you explain what it’s been like meeting and communicating with new people?

It feels strange, it’s been good and bad at the same time. It’s been bad because the message doesn’t always get through but in the other hand, I believe that things like that happen even if two people are speaking the same language but come from different backgrounds. It’s been good because people can identify me as a Latin guy and that raises other questions.

I think since it’s been hard for you to talk and communicate with people, do they sometimes get the wrong idea about you? What would you say to the people who may not really understand who you are and what your like?

Well, actually it happened to me more at the beginning of my career but not anymore. And to those people I would say, “I’m here, come talk to me!”

It seems like you can be somewhat intimidating when you’re skating with people who don’t really know you, what’s going through your head when you’re skating with new people you’ve never skated with before?

I feel normal around new people, nothing different comes to mind. I just do my thing.

Blunt Judo Fakie Brick Banks

Every time I’ve seen you go to a spot to skate, you just go for broke right out of the car. Is that just your style? You don’t fuck around and just get right down to business.

That’s my style. I get right down to business, that’s why the call me THE DESTROYER. It seems that you like to just skate big gnarly stuff most of the time but if you were just skating with your friends back home in PR do you ever just mess around and have fun or are you always just on a mission to do gnarly shit?

I just love skating, if a spot comes up, I go for it. If it doesn’t, I don’t. I always have fun skating anywhere.

What drives you to push your limits and step up to skate big gnarly stuff or is that just normal for you.

That’s normal for me. Skating doesn’t have limits. The limits are only in your head.

Melon Over Rail What do you want to accomplish in skateboarding? Are you just having a good time or is there something that you really want to accomplish?

I want to have my own board and be respected as a professional skateboarder.

Is there anyone you skate with who pushes you to do gnarly stuff, or is it purely your own desire to push your limits?

As I said, skating doesn’t have any limits. I just do my thing.

What’s you’re dream session? Where? And with who?

Skating with Mary Jane around the world.

Who do you admire or look up to? Does anyone inspire you be a better skateboarder or person?

Andrew Reynolds is my favorite skater. Love inspires me to be a better person.

Board Slide

B.S Smith Ledge Hawaii

“Skating doesn’t have limits. The limits are only in your head.”

B.S 5-0 Up Ledge to B.S T. Slide

If you didn’t skateboard what would you be doing?

If I wasn’t skating, I would be playing baseball.

Is there anything you want to say to clear the air about who people think you are, or what your all about?

Well, I’m an honest guy, I don’t talk too much but I respect people who respect others.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Or where would you like to see yourself later on down the road?

I see myself skating around the world in different contests with my own pro model.

Is there anyone you would like to thank who’s helped you along the way to get to where you are today?

I would like to thank my family, my sponsors, my roommates and God.

Smith smithoptics.com

Oakley oakley.com

Hoven hovenvision.com Anarchy anarchy-eyewear.com

VZ vonzipper.com

Dragon dragonalliance.com

Anon anonoptics.com Electric electricvisual.com

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ACTION PHOTO: DAMEADORSEY.COM

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10/16/2007 12:53:18 PM

Interview: David Giddings Photos: Tom Carey

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Nineteen-year-old Tanner Gudauskas might be the dark horse of this generation of hopefuls including Clay Marzo, Dusty Payne and others, but don’t be mistaken - his star is just beginning to shine.

Sure, people have heard of him because he has been showing up in surf mags these last couple of years and he does the bear the name Gudauskas that sees his older brothers Dane and Patrick in the public eye. Well if you haven’t heard, know this: Tanner Gudauskas is the real deal and his name will become very familiar in the not so distant future.

Let’s review some if his statistics. As a grom he won the NSSA Explorer Boys Nationals. He then captured the silver medal at the ISA World Games of Surfing at HB in 2005 defeating Jeremy Flores and Jordy Smith. In 2006, he made the NSSA Open Mens National finals as the only Californian in an all-Hawaiian final. That same year during the 2006 US Open Pro Junior, Tanner went on to

defeat Brett Simpson, man on man, to qualify for the 2006 World Pro Juniors at Narrabean, Australia. In 2007 he was rated 26th in Surfing Magazine’s annual “Hot 100”. His results are coming along on the WQS - with 5th in the Newquay, England a 5-Star WQS Event. He started the year at #175 on the WQS Tour and now has jumped into the top 100 and is pressing hard for a strong finish in the Triple Crown.

More recently, he qualified for the Pro Junior Championship in Australia as the highest Pro Junior (under 20) on the WQS tour. He is also having a solid crack on the editorial front by traveling to Fiji, Tahiti, Indo, and other pretty sweet places.

Tanner Gudauskas is funny and pretty sharp with rhetorical comments. He can attack a Sunset peak like Tom Carroll and huck a big air like Rye Craike. He doesn’t shy away from sick pits and the

best of all, he isn’t a whiner - which is a beautiful thing in this day an age, where kids are thrown the farm before the know how to milk the cow. Dig in and check out the exclusive BL!SSS interview with Tanner Gudauskas.

At this exact moment though, I am in the main hotel’s internet cafe checking out what’s going on the web!

Where are you and what are you doing at this moment?

This year on the WQS has been a complete learning curve for me. There’s a lot to learn with not just improving my surfing, but learning how to surf heats and also learning to travel well. I’m super pumped to be doing it though! Every day on the road you free surf with guys who are pushing their surfing. It gets you psyched to go harder and harder. Hopefully next year I can take some of the things I learned from this year and apply them to get some sick results.

I’m in Club La Santa in Lanazarote, Canary Islands. Dane and I came over here for the WQS contest which was a six star prime event on a super fun left point break. The island itself is crazy man; it’s almost like the surface of Mars with how little vegetation there is. But the people are super cool and they speak Spanish so that helps a little bit!

How is your first year on the WQS going?

Is traveling the world hitting all the comps what you expected?

It is and it isn’t. The horror stories that you hear of are out there and they do happen, but that comes with the territory of traveling I think. We’ve had the lost luggage that doesn’t arrive for weeks, or the reservations get lost and you’re sleeping in the car. But yeah, you get by and do what you got to do to stay psyched. On the positive side, which is a big side, is that you are traveling the world and it blows my mind every time. I am in a place that is so foreign and I know that without surfing I probably would never get the opportunity to see these things. Once you get in the rhythm of airports and your diet on the road it’s the best. Totally and completely worth every bit of it.

What seems the difference with the guys who are doing really well and the ones who are just surviving?

I’m not quite sure but it’s exciting to see surfers who make surges.

Guys like Brett Simpson, Michel Bourez, Nic Muscroft and even my brother Pat are a couple of the guys who are pushing at the end of the season. It’s cool because you watch what they are doing in heats and it seems like it’s clicking together. They can turn the tide of the heats and keep it going and just rush through rounds.

What has been your favorite place thus far?

I had a blast in Japan! We went with Channel Islands and they had a representative over there that was just hilarious. He would help us out, because Japanese is so foreign and different from the American language that you need some one to sort of guide you through every day. We had a blast there. It was Pat, Dane, Myself

and Dylan Graves. Also I love Europe. The vibe and people over there are insane... It seems like every one is so much more stoked on the sport of surfing.

Having Dane and Pat on tour must be pretty cool, it seems like you guys get along really well. Do you fight? If so what about?

Having Dane and Pat on tour is something that is really sick for me. There are a couple of young upstart guys that are having a stab at the WQS along with myself. Guys like Chris Waring, Mason Ho, Tonino Benson, Eric Geiselman, and a lot more. It seems like we are all kinda figuring it out and in the same boat of adjusting, which is sick. But to be able to travel with Pat and Dane is crazy good because as a freshman on tour I am able to sort of tap into their knowledge and pull from their experiences. They are super supportive of me and give me all the help I need whether it be pointers on strategy, boards, or surfing in general, it’s real sick.

We don’t really fight that much to be honest with you. Besides the petty shit that everyone fights about all the time. Haha. We never really have full on blowouts. They are pretty mellow guys so it’s sick. Actually we just moved out of our parent’s house and its Pat, Dane, myself and another roommate. So, yeah I guess I am around them all the time and yeah we never really get into anything too gnarly.

Any heats that you’re proud about?

A couple for sure. I get psyched on good heats as well as heats where you have to play a little defense to make it happen. Surfing in comps is a blast if you can take it for what it is. Because you

could easily beat yourself up if you didn’t get the waves or something. You can only worry about the things that are in your control and the rest of it is fairly out of your control. But when everything clicks it’s an insane feeling!

Have you had any shockers so far in regards to traveling, leaving planes tickets, passports, and boards in a hotel?

Yeah, I mentioned earlier we slept in a car in Europe with all our luggage in it with Pat, Dane, Dylan and myself just crammed in there. It was pretty funny actually. Our one trip to South Africa, which normally takes a day or a day and a half, and this one took us four days of complete travel. With loopy layovers and transfers. By the end of that one we were in disbelief to wake up and see no luggage. We didn’t get the luggage for a whole week. It was pretty gnarly.

What’s your goals for this year and next?

For this year I guess my goal is to make it into the Triple Crown in Hawaii and hopefully have some fun over there.

Enjoy Christmas at home cause that’s my favorite time of year. Then for the next year start it out in OZ for the World Junior Championships and try to have some sick

heats and travel and surf contests more throughout the year. I would love to get in some bigger waves as well as perfect ones to try and improve my surfing in all aspects, cause there are so many gnarly guys out there nowadays. It seems like if you lose your edge you could fall back pretty far. So just trying to get better and better would be a good goal as well.

Aside from surfing what are your into? Sports, entertainment, etc?

Besides surfing I kinda like drawing and chilling. Also just kickin’ it with my friends. When I was at home last I saw three concerts that were epic. Muse, Dave Mathews Band and Bright Eyes. I just went with a bunch of friends and had the sickest times!

DG: When did you make up your mind you wanted to be a professional surfer?

Probably this year. Just cause the more I traveled and the more I surfed the more fun I was having. It kind of came to me when I was thinking like, “this is crazy that I could make a living off this... It almost feels like I am cheating someone having this much fun.” Haha, Yeah and it’s eye opening seeing all my friends go away to school and hearing their stories of 10-page papers or mid-terms, it just humbles me to be psyched on what I am doing.

Big Lewbowski, Gladiator, Wedding Crashers, Zoolander, Life Aquatic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Super Troopers and Lord of The Rings are pretty much what I live by.

Anything you want to let groms know who have the same dream?

If you didn’t surf what would you do?

Be stoked! It’s all good. My dad always says to me, just do it cause you love surfing! That’s probably the sickest way to go about it.

Where do you see yourself in three years?

Hopefully on the WCT with a sick girlfriend who I could travel the world with. That would be bullshit!

Favorite movies?

What’s music are you listening too?

I have a friend who has gotten me into what he calls, “electroindy super jams”. I am hooked! That, and a ton of Bright Eyes.

Well my mom has just started becoming a real estate agent a little bit ago, and that kind of seems like it would be a sick job. To be able to see the nicest houses, and coolest areas in town as well as knowing where good investments versus bad investments are would be really neat.

Who are your influences and what inspires you?

I guess I am inspired by guys who are crazy at what they do.

You know? Guys like Tom Curren, Dane Reynolds, Kelly Slater.

Outside of surfing guys like Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods,

and Roger Federer. Cause I psych for like dreaming and visualizing being right there and doing all that crazy stuff. But I’m motivated by the guys who work hard every day. That is the kind of stuff that gets me stoked. My parents are huge influences on me, cause they are the hardest working people I know and it has just shown me that you have to throw a little elbow grease into life to get there sometimes. So yeah my entire family hugely influences me. My sphere of friends that I hang with also is a massive influence.

Also books are good too I think. I am reading the Lance book right now and it is blowing my mind. I love the John Wooden book as well.

Any thanks or shout outs?

Thanks to everyone. Thanks to you Dave for this interview, and all the companies that I ride for cause without their support it would be a lot harder to get where I am going. I would say the guys from San Clemente, cause in town support is huge and it makes you feel like you belong somewhere. Shout outs to all the kids coming up from in town, cause they are gonna be gnarly real soon!

to see all the colorways go to DVS-GIRLS.COM

RAIN BLACK SKULL

BLISS AD.indd 1

10/8/07 2:32:35 PM

Brixton-Blisss1007.indd 1

10/15/07 3:02:46 PM

Photography: Dominic Petruzzi dominicpetruzzi.com Styling / Hair / Makeup : Audrey Starn Model : Kara / Agency : Ford Models

Jacket - Ezekiel ezekielusa.com

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Coat - Matix matixclothing.com Beanie - Fox Girls fox-girl.com

Sweater - Ezekiel ezekielusa.com

Jacket - Rusty rusty.com Beanie - RVCA rvcaclothing.com

Jacket - Vans vans.com Hat - Ezekiel ezekielusa.com

Mini Skirt - Volcom volcom.com Hooded Thermal - RVCA rvcaclothing.com Vest - Matix matixclothing.com

It’s not everyday that you meet someone who’s so passionate about their work that it consumes their entire life. Jake Moss is one of these people: he eats, sleeps, breathes and lives surfboard shaping every single day of his life. In today’s world this is quite a rarity. With modern technology and shaping machines in every factory it’s hard to find a shaper that still actually shapes. I mean, most of them don’t even sign their names anymore let alone do their own measuring, cutting, planing, and sanding. Jake Moss is an exception as he is still hand-shaping each and every board, one at a time. He’s even taken it a step further, designing his own Lokbox fins to go with each design.

But don’t expect to find only modern day thrusters in Moss’s repertoire as he has been long at work redefining the single fin. Much of his most sought after boards include unique contours, rails, and fin placement.

He’s even come up with a couple of completely original designs (check out the Glider) that have some seasoned vets hailing him as the best shaper ever. Pumping out over 400 hand made boards a year, it’s no wonder he was getting so much attention at this years Sacred Craft Surfboard Expo in Del Mar. If you’ve been lucky enough to ride one of these Moss Designs then you know what I’m talking about. If not, do yourself a favor and check out mossresearch.com.

Photo: Kenworthy

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Words: Jan Prokes Interview : Jon Francis All Photos: Ryan Boyes : unless noted

Summer is for people who don’t snowboard.

What do you do when your local hill melts down, flies multiply by the thousands and whichever way you turn, all you see are chubby dudes frying their Michelin-man bacon to a crisp pink, creating body odors in the process that are nowhere near reminiscent of the smell of a cool winter’s day.

Then again, some people simply don’t get the idea of undressing in the sun and soaking up the rays while watching your female counterparts shedding 7 layers of first layers. Slowly but surely you notice a trickling, overheated sensation in your crotch and then it strikes you that the contents of your nut sack is at least 3 months past the “best before date”… Aaah, the joys & frustrations of summer. But that’s another story and has no home in here. Let’s not get carried away. So what

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Chris Demolski

I-POD : Photo Vernon Deck

Ruiki Masuda : Tail Grab @ Snow Park

DO you do if you long for the scent of winter to sting your nostrils, in a good way, in the summer?

The answer is easy mate, just ďŹ&#x201A;y down under to New Zealand, where the temperature is just right for the white gold to thrive. What ever rocks your world, be it park, heli-boarding or backcountry, NZ has it all, offering unrivaled riding in the southern hemisphere.

In short, a perfect place for the Volcom Snow team to spend a month, shoot some photos, meet up with old and new friends, have some coldies in the jacuzzi and perhaps even ďŹ&#x201A;y the electric hummingbird.

Louie Vito : Stale Fish @ Snow Park

We set up camp in the lovely &

Zac Marben : Treble Cone

thriving village of Wanaka, on New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s south island, just a short drive from Treble Cone and Snowpark. If snowboarding in NZ is your goal, then Wanaka is the destination. Just about every respectable company in our beloved snow sliding circus makes the trek to Wanaka every August to nail shots for their upcoming catalogs and marketing campaigns, so if stalking Gore-Tex clad snow pros sounds more mouth-watering to you than harassing bikini-cald chicks at your local stretch of sand, Wanaka is also the place for you.

Even though this was a below-average snow year, Snow Park always produces more than enough snow to keep even the most jaded shredders happy. Their park consists of one to two

Chris Demolski : Snow Park

Dan Brisse : Cab 5

pipes of international standard, a dual double to triple pro kicker-line and tons of rails, boxes and mini-kickers and jibs.

In other words, plenty of candy to keep you stoked for days on end.

The first week saw the likes of Eero Niemela, Dan Brisse, Zac Marben, etc…

Week two saw the arrival of the Euro group of the International team, more specifically our proud Alp Cruizers: Iouri “I-Pod” Podladtchikov, Markus Keller, along with Zak Stone from Canada and Ruiki “I sleep 15-hours a day” Masuda from Japan.

Along for the ride came one useless Euro TM, who, on his 48hour trek from Europe in an act of selfless devotion picked up enough SARS, Bird Flu and Mad Cow disease to be generously distributed at the Volcom HQ, not running out of stock until Cheryl Maas turned up a week later with reinforcement. But that’s another story.

In spite of the bacteria and virus abundance, we had a helluva time.… Ruiki, the silent one with the “Jafro” (Japanese Afro), who at first only spoke when spoken to, turned out to be wise way beyond his years, with his nose deeply buried into botanical literature whenever not snowboarding.

Zak “Attack” Stone, also a seemingly quiet one, is a kid with hidden talents. Aside from blasting super stylish crails and double tailgrabs in the pipe, he is polishing an acting career, just wait and see.

Markus and I-Pod, our latest additions to the International Markus Keller : F/S Air Snow Park

Eero Niemela : F/S Nose Grab

Zac Marben : B/S 180 Method

Team turned nights into days and the jacuzzi into a dumpster. Sleeping until noon on days with sunset shoots scheduled, or not sleeping at all when sunrise shoots were on the menu, then tearing straight into the Wanaka skatepark after riding, never forgetting to pick up a case of adult soda on the way home.

At home, a delightful daily ritual was to get spoiled and (spoon) fed delicious treats galore by the future Mrs. Anderson (Billy hit Jackpot), then watching the Swiss “Schwanz Fest” jump into the jacuzzi, not getting out until they were either out of beer, there was more chlorine than water in there or they got bored of comparing sausages, all while Scott Sullivan’s epic guitar tunes were reverberating in the background.

Finally, the boys hit up the overly male-dominated Markus Keller : F/S 540

Zak Stone : B/S 540 Snow Park : Photo Vernon Deck

Wanaka bars (Guy to girl ratio 80-20 at best) and not once complained about it. (Is that good or bad?)

Ultimately, in spite of the nightly antics, their riding and everyone else’s was always state of the art, with both Keller and Ipod boosting massive airs first try on any given day and Janna Meyen and Cheryl Maas had not trouble whatsoever keeping up with the boys, pushing each other on the various rail combos at Snowpark and Janna absolutely killed it in the halfpipe, going 10 feet out on her fs airs.

In short, an epic time, with team managers shedding more tears out of joy than of sadness, now that doesn’t happen too often. Big ups to the crew at Snow Park Mountain for all the help and support.

Don’t forget to order double servings for your short coffees, and, for the best food and the hottest girl in Wanaka, Ardmore is definitely the place.

Billy Anderson : B/S 360 Treble Cone

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Interview: Madsteez

I first saw Justin’s art after a 4 am stumble into my friend Dave’s Silverlake Vietnamese bungalow. It was dark and naughty, but I couldn’t help but stare at this amazing Dali-esque painting that was glowing in the moonlight. After a quick game of biscuit, I was taken for a private tour of Justin’s studio (which sadly for him is half of half a garage). I was quite impressed with his work because it was like nothing I had ever seen before. I was surprised that he was rather unknown in the art world and I thought he was worthy of some love. Since my introduction to Justin’s art, we’ve become frequent biscuit players, skate buddies (he did the most amazing face plant attempting to ollie the rusted two foot HIV chain behind the BL!SSS office), and we’ve had one mean BMX photo shoot for a painting that he’s going to do of yours truly. So if anyone has any leads to giving Justin a gallery show, most definitely hit him up at jfry79@gmail.com.

Unlike a lot of artists these days, you’ve taken the high road and gotten a degree in fine arts. Did you feel it was necessary to get a degree to have a successful art career?

Hmm, well for me I feel that it was really helpful, not necessarily to help me become a better painter but to help me decide that I really wanted to paint. I felt that college was the

place for me but I didn’t realize I was a painter until after I did some random shit like business school, math and general Ed courses. I started to have a bit of a melt down and found painting when I got a job for a theater dept at the school I was at in Utah. I painted these backdrops for plays and I felt like my balls dropped or something. Painting started to change me, and what kind of person I was, I started to paint all over the place…

What are some of the benefits of going to school for art?

Art theory and art history were the biggest advantage; I think that it was good for me to figure out where art has been so that I can try not to repeat where painting has already been, although that is kind of impossible.

What are some of the disadvantages of going to school?

Student loans.

You recently moved from the Pacific Northwest to LA. How has the transition been?

This place is so weird, but cool at the same time. I was born here so I feel a strange comfort in LA, but the amount of random arrogance and the “who do you know” shit bothers me.

But there are cute girls and there are wild ass parties, and lots of art.

How different is the art scene from up there to down here?

Portland is cool for art, especially for the size of the city. Seattle was a little disappointing; I thought that there would’ve been a lot more art related activities. But that city was a lot of fun. I worked too much when I was there.

Why do you use so much iconic cartoon imagery in your paintings?

Where you molested by Superman or something when you were a child?

Yes, I was, so lets not talk about that again. I think the imagery is important to me and I feel like it is a major part of my development as a person.

The Dali-esque pieces of yours are my favorite. Has he been a major influence in your art?

Sure, I guess. I like the nature of the surrealists, more than anything the “do whatever you want attitude” is what attracted me to them. The fields of color and cleanly painted landscapes worked well as a backdrop or a place of departure for the subject matter of a painting to take over. Dali was equally an exhibitionist as a painter, I’m usually pretty mellow; he was a total G with that mustache.

You have an interesting way of subtracting images out of your paintings. It’s like there are multiple paintings within a painting. When did you discover this technique and is there a meaning behind it?

Shit man, it’s a lot of extra work but for my paintings to succeed I feel like I really need to fully execute the under-paintings. I started the layering after looking at some of the Nouveau Realist artists I really liked and the Décollage

poster cut outs from Paris. I feel that shows the layers of life-like thick films of memory, where randomly things appear from the past. I like to physically tear through my paintings to expose under paintings. It may show my path I take while working on a piece. It starts to mean different things as a piece progresses, that always happens.

You once said to me that you believe there are only a couple hundred different images in life that people recognize. Can you elaborate on this?

I don’t know, I heard someone talk about this in school. I didn’t really buy it until I started to really think about it.

I feel everything in life is simpler than people allow it to be. Most everything can be broken into certain symbols, blue wavy things mean water, red wavy things mean hot.

I really think you could fully function if there were only a couple of hundred images in place to guide you through life. This may be bullshit.

Rumor has it Peter Line commissioned a presidential quality Dolly Parton painting from you and when he saw the painting, he made you do a different one because he wasn’t pleased with the outcome. What’s up with that?

Petard is one of the funniest, most eccentric people I know and is one of the main reasons that I survived Seattle.

He was one of the homies that I actually had fun with in that city. He often talked about buying a painting from me, and one month I was too poor to pay rent for my overpriced Pioneer Square Loft. I said, “Hey bud you should get a painting now so I don’t have to kidnap your dog for ransom” and he agreed. So I painted the shit out of Dolly and added things to the piece that came to my mind

when I thought of Dolly Parton. Peter though it was shitty, he mumbled something about the color green then I said I would do another. The second one he liked and paid me my hard earned loot. Funny thing about that is that I sold the one he didn’t like for three times what Pete paid me for his Dolly. You should see the contract he wrote up for me it included a bunch of things like buying him a case of Pilsner Urquell every year and making sure I died before I turn 33 so the value of the piece goes way up. I initialed everything but the death thing.

What’s next for JFry? Just trying to find the right spot to show my work in LA. Stacking some chips so I can afford a studio space big enough to start doing larger work. Get back to doing some urban blasters with my roommate Dave. Oh yeah, I’m starting to make tons of line drawings to make more screens to print on T-shirts maybe start a company I’ve been thinking about or working with one of the companies in the industry.

Thanks Doobs……..jfry

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CORY LOPEZ : PHOTO KENWORTHY

DARRELL STANTON : PHOTO STRATTO

DARRELL MATHES : PHOTO PAUL AMYOT

ASHER PACEY : PHOTO KENWORTHY

TERRELL ROBINSON

Words & Photos: David Giddings // Nathan Yeomans // Adam Wickwire // Shaun Burrell // Nate Winner // Sebastian Zietz // Austin Ware // Adam Winner // Adam Virs // Winners

The 2007 Newport Pro presented by Jeep was once again a barnburner that went down Sept.

19-23. The event being part of the Macy’s Trifecta Tour made it especially dramatic. The Trifecta series winner gets an additional $10,000.00 and a brand new Jeep for their hard fought effort.

The stakes were high and it all went down at the fabulous 56th street jetty. The morning of the finals were greeted with offshore sunny skies and a fresh new 3-5 foot south swell.

Nate Yeoman (last year’s winner) and Adam Virs (current Trifecta leader) duked it out with Austin Ware and Shawn Burrell in the Men’s final. Virs managed to grab a wide set that he belted three huge vertical hacks in the hook netting him an 8.5 to take the lead. Nate charged back with a solid 7.5 and a 6.0 to take the lead back. Austin Ware grabbed a few runners where he executed some well-timed floaters. Also Shaun Burrell got a sweet shack that drained down the beach that got big cheers from the crowd.

Virs needed a second score bad. He got a little sandy wedge puff with a barrel and two cracks to the beach that was a 4.85 and put him out front. The two competitors paddle battled on the jetty and Nate somehow snuck one underneath with 15 seconds to go. He raced down the line, hit the section and went for broke. He boosted a massive frontside air, disappeared in the whitewash and appeared

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with fists pumping! When the dust settled it was clear he got the score and won the event.

In the Oakley Pro Junior Adam Wickwire took control from the word go. He posted big scores early in the heat and never looked back. Nick Rozsa surfed brilliant all event but it was clearly Adam Wickwire’s event. He was just one step ahead of his fellow competitors. Cory Arrambide crushed a few lefts. Sebastian Zietz surfed smooth, radical, and made the most of his less than quality waves.

In the end, the event was a day of exceptional surfing and good times.

Newport Pro Presented by Jeep ASP WQS Two-Star Event

Oakley Pro Junior ASP Grade Two Pro Junior

1 – Nathan Yeomans (USA) 15.25 2 – Adam Virs (USA) 13.95 3 – Austin Ware (USA) 12.60 4 – Shaun Burrell (USA) 8.85

1 – Adam Wickwire (USA) 15.15 2 – Nick Rozsa (USA) 13.80 3 – Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.65 4 – Cory Arrambide (USA) 12.00

Words: Aaron Astorga // Aaron Astorga FS Ollie // Hurley Brickyard overview // Machado & Burnquist chill // Burnquist nosebonks the ceiling // David Loy FS Crailslide // Omar Hassan bean plant fakie off the wall // BBQ // Dave Duncan fs grinds the bank wall //

On September 26th, Hurley opened the doors to it’s new 3,500 square-foot Dagger Built skate facility at Hurley headquarters in Costa Mesa for an evening of good food, good skateboarding, and good fun. Only eight weeks in the making, head builder Eddie Reatigue claims it’s the best indoor park project he’s done do date. With design input from the Hurley team riders, they came up with a unique combination of big street style obstacles, pool coping corners and vertical flat wall all rolled into one area. Skatelite covers the entire surface making it super fast and really smooth while flowing from section to section.

Opening night saw an insane session with Hurley pro’s: Andre Genovesi, Bob Burnquist, Kris Markovich, James Atkin and am rippers David Loy, John Dickson, Curren Caples, Donovon Piscopo, Moose, Collin Hale as well as skate legends Christian Hosoi, Dave Duncan as well as local pros, Omar Hassan and Fabrizio Santos. Inside was standing room only as the session went off while outside people feasted on Hawaiian BBQ and shave ice from our friends at Nalus. Wash it all down with two kegs of cold brew and you have a great evening of skateboarding and fun.

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Photos: Toby Ogden // Shea Yates takes advantage of the Dland Launch Ramps // Brent Riley won the juniors blowing tail thoughout the event // Kanoa Igerishi posted the highest heat score of the event with a 10 and an 8.5 and hes only 9 years old // Juniors finalists, shwag and cash in hand // The set up // Gabe Garcia took out everyone in the open mens and won // Sean Marceron tried to use his local knowledge but walked home with 2nd place in mens // The Heavily localized Dst // David Diaz is know for his airs but he got the best barral of the day too // Peter Mussio is know for his airs as he shows the judges what a stock backside air looks like // Alex Ganguli ripped a few.

Koastal Kaos Kicks Off 2007-2008 Surf Series at D Street, Encinitas A huge pool of talent descended on D Street in Encinitas September 29th & 30th for the first event of the 2007-08 Koastal Kaos Surf Series presented by No Fear. The bigger and better contest series now features live computer scoring, a higher caliber of competition, a $1,000 purse for the Open Men’s division, plus $20 for every heat win in all divisions.

The surf was weak on Saturday, but it picked up on Sunday, with clean 1-3 foot peaky conditions. Competitors were destroying D Street under hot sunny skies all day long. In the

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Open Men’s final, Carlsbad’s Gabe Garcia pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind win over Sean Marceron, Ryan Burch and Peter Mussio to grab the fat $500 first place check. Sean Marceron took home $250 for 2nd, Ryan Burch pocketed $175 for 3rd place and Peter Mussio collected $75 for 4th.

Kaos veteran, Danielle Dickerson dominated the Women’s final, busting out the heat’s most powerful turns to take the win and 50 bucks cash. In the Master’s final, an interference call took heat leader, Yufu Penrose out of contention and opened the door for Mexico’s Abel Estopin to take the victory and a $50 payout. Grom division winner Colin Moran out-

jousted a talented field with smooth top-to-bottom surfing. D Street local, Taylor Clark clinched victory in the Boys division, and Carlsbad’s Brent Reilly, whose quick rhythm turns set up some massive vertical maneuvers, sealed the win and the cash in the Juniors final.

Some serious props and thanks go out to all the Koastal Kaos surf series sponsors: No Fear, SB Surfboards, GFH Boards, Spy, Future Fins, Bubble Gum Wax, Sambazon, ProLite, Hangair, Osirus, and Ogio. Your support makes it all happen.

For more KK updates, or to register online for upcoming events, go to www.koastalkaos.com

Words & Photos: Stratto // Regular Team Victory // Malto : Front Crooks // Chad Fernandez : NB // Luan de Oliveira : SSBS Heel // Duncombe : NB // Luan de Oliveira Champion // Reynolds : FSF

The battle between Goofy and Regular has been going for a few years now, and this year had the regular foot squad led by Mark Whiteley whooping ass on Dave Swift’s goofy foot team. There were a few noticeable goofy footers missing from the team this year, but despite this, the battle was still intense. This year the regular footers charge was led by Brazilian upstart Luan De Oliveira, who is in the United States for the first time. He speaks hardly any English at this point, but that did not keep him from chatting up the girls outside the fence. When he was on the course he slaughtered it with a very technical and consistent assault that had him scoring more points than anybody else, which ultimately earned him the GVR Champion check made out for $15,000 (about equal to $30,000 in Brazil). Welcome to America buddy, ‘cause you just won one of the biggest events of the year in front of all your childhood heroes. It is the true Cinderella story, where the shoe just happened to fit, and everything suddenly fell into place, turning Luan’s world upside down over the course of an afternoon.

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Joe Sexton: Photo Saito // Mike Burton: Photo Amyot // Winners: Photo Saito // Chris Bradshaw: Photo Amyot // Deven Allen: Photo Amyot // Scott Vine: Photo Saito // Keegan & Bryn Valaika // Chad Tarbell: Photo Amyot // Melissa Evens: Photo Amyot This year’s Hot Dawgz and Handrails event at Bear Mountain was literally hotter than ever. The day prior, an illegal campfire approximately ten miles away from the resort quickly spread flames throughout the valley. Luckily, strong winds pushed the smoke in the opposite direction and peeps flocked to the hill in droves making HDHR the largest pre-season gathering yet. The deck looked like it would on a busy holiday packed with people, beers in hand, with smiling faces.

Holding it down on the forefront were familiar faces jibbing it up on the many features Bear’s park staff set up. The media circus was also in full effect with a line of photogs along both runs and video cameras to capture all the action. Vendors stacked to the left of

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the comp gave kids much to cheer about with plenty of free schwag. As the finals got underway it was an all out jam battle to impress the judges. Boys, girls, old, young, they all went for it simultaneously and practically on top of one another. Competitors stepped their game up with judge JP Walker who could school anyone on the features gazing on. In the end it was Simon Chamberlain’s counterpart Scott Vine heading to the bank five G’s richer. Tahoe gal Iris Lazzareschi represented for the chicas. As the sun went down many were already feeling a buzz as the fashion show and video premieres took center stage. Later that evening all the legal drinkers made their way to B’s Backyard Barbeque and the rest is history.

Mens: 1st Place winner- Scott Vine 2nd Place winner- Nick Dirks 3rd Place winner- Scott Stevens Best Trick went to Joe Sexton with a 270 on off down rail.

Girls: 1st Place winner- Iris Lazzareschi 2nd Place winner- Melissa Evans Words: Tawnya Schultz

Photos: Toby Ogden // Kyle Ramey almost made the final // Kalohe Andino surfed the Sweet 16 and in the Fiesta // Matt King, a former winner of the Fiesta // Kekoa Cazimero was trying to spray todos in his Sweet 16 heat // Brad Ettinger wins // Kalohe Andino digging in // Andrew Doheny was one of the kids to watch // Evan Valeire slashing through the final // Billy Kemper surfed solid and took second in the final, keep in mind he is only 16 // Carissa Moore the only girl to surf in the event and the only person to post a perfect 10 point score in the event // Britt G, and Janice with winner of the sweet 16 event, Nate Rex NSSA’s Sweet 16 Mix It Up With the Pros at the 2-Star No Fear Mexican Surf Fiesta

ever Sweet 16. “The contest was super-sick, the waves were excellent… I’d love to come back and do this contest again.”

Ensenada, Mexico—The 27th Annual Mexican Surf Fiesta, presented by No Fear went off October 4–6, with an innovative new twist. In the middle of the 2-Star rated WQS event was the Sweet 16, the first-ever NSSA specialty contest held in conjunction with an ASP event.

Fellow Hawaiian, Kiron Jabour, hacked and cracked his way into 2nd place, good for $1,000. NSSA 2007 Open Juniors Champ, Andrew Doheny dazzled the crowd with some nice blow-tail moves on his way to third place and $800, and Mike McCabe swiped $600 for 4th place.

For Saturday morning’s Sweet 16 heats, the San Miguel point break came to life, with clean and ripable shoulder to headhigh lines groomed by offshore breezes. With $7500 in prize money and a wildcard berth in the Mexican Surf Fiesta on the line, the NSSA riders were blowing it up. Flying in from Kilauea, Hawaii, Nathan Rex made the trip worth his while. His top-tobottom, rail-to-rail surfing in conditions resembling classic Lower Trestles, scored Rex the Sweet 16 victory and $2,500 first place prize money. After his win, Rex had this to say about the first-

As the top Sweet 16 finisher not already entered in the Mexican Surf Fiesta, Dane Zaun snapped up No Fear’s wild card berth and leap-frogged right into the round of 64 in the 2-Star rated event.

Zaun made it through his first heat, but got taken down in the next round. Reigning NSSA Open Women’s Champ, sweet Carissa Moore, came out firing on all cylinders in her first heat of the QS event, nailing a 10-point score and winning the heat over male competitors. Unfortunately for Carissa, she didn’t advance in her second heat.

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“The goal of the Sweet 16 is to build a bridge connecting the ASP and the NSSA,” says Britt Galland, No Fear’s VP of Marketing.

“The concept seems to work, as several of the NSSA stars handpicked to surf in the Sweet 16 also entered the 2-Star WQS event.

Several NSSA competitors, including Sweet 16 winner Nathan Rex, Kiron Jabour Alex Smith, Dane Zaun, and 13-year-old Kolohe Andino made a little cash and banked some valuable WQS ratings points by advancing to the round of 32.

The No Fear Mexican Surf Fiesta wrapped up on Saturday afternoon with an action packed final. Brad Ettinger of Huntington Beach took the win and $5,000 prize money, with Hawaii’s Billy Kemper taking second place and $2,500. Ventura’s Adam Virs occupied the third spot on the podium, banking $2,000, and Hawaii’s Evan Valiere earned $1,500 for finishing 4th.

To see video footage from the Sweet 16, go to www.nssa.org or www.nofearsurf.com.

Outside the venue, biggest skate premiere to date // Paul and Paul Rodriguez // Christian Hosoi, Indy Hosoi, Andre Genovese // Chet Childress giving some input // Shaun and Reese Forbes having a good time // Clint Peterson and Chris Pastras // The two brothers, Kenny Hughes and Terry Kennedy // Justin Williams w/ the twins // Black Label in the house, John Lucero w/ Lance Conklin // The Girls // Pat Duffy w/ his wifey

Nike has been really good about not flexing their corporate muscle in all of the Nike SB dealings. That ideology was thrown out the window for the premiere of the new Nike SB film, “Nothing But the Truth”. Held at the Kodak Theater, home to the Oscar’s, the Swoosh packed in 2,000 skaters and about 20 chicks (not including the bikini clad girls featured in the video). Let’s face it; Nike does it correctly and the red carpet featuring the best of the Nike SB footwear in cases only added to what was a stand out premiere amongst a lot of posers.

The hour and twenty-minute film featuring vignettes from all of Nike’s stand out athletes skating in various locations around the world and in skits allegedly directed by the skaters themselves. The skits with Chet Childress strangely powerful right arm and Omar Salazar’s sensitive stomach are the high points of not only the skits but of the skating. Chet is nuts and his ripping in the pools and

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bowls is insane. Omar also stands out with the final shot of his sequence leaping off his board and over a railing and landing back on his board only to drop five feet off a ledge. Sick. The soundtrack also proves to be legit with tracks by The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Depeche Mode and Thin Lizzy standing strong.

The after party was a short walk upstairs to the Highlands. Better known for hosting parties for people like Beyonce and Usher, the SB party was held down by an insane video DJ set by Stones Throws leader Peanut Butter Wolf. With the free booze flowing and Wolf killing it on the decks, a lack of chicks didn’t stop people from tearing up the dance floor which is a sweet way to end a celebration of skating.

Words & Photos: Stratto // Tyler Mumma : Lien to Tail // Rune // Booth // Chett SFSFlip // Tosh Townend : Disaster // Peterson : Blunt // Justin : Tailslide Screw an introduction; lets just get to the point. There was a massive mini ramp at Surf Expo and it got destroyed by the likes of Kyle Berard, Mike Peterson, Tyler Mumma, Ben Schroeder, Donny Barley and Rune Glifberg (there were plenty of others as well). The ramp was built by Team Payne and boasted perfect transitions along with several extensions and a massive vert wall with pool coping perched across one of the decks. All rippers showed up to compete in a contest Volcom was throwing. $35,000 was at stake and nobody was going to hold back as rent and mortgages depend on said winnings, which is no small number for a mini ramp contest.

Friday was a practice day, which meant a bunch of amateurs like Marky Clements and Grant Taylor along with some veterans like Chet Thomas and Remy Stratton got up in the mix. Remy has been on a mission lately, back on the board and out in the pools at least once a week. Chet was pulling out his patented tech wizardry with little effort. It was a little glimpse of what was to come the next day.

The main event took place on Saturday. The pros came from all over to compete, but most of them did not show up until the day of the event. No practice necessary, just start the heats; that is was the mentality for several of them. Both Donny Barley and Justin Strubing made it into the finals this way. Being that this event has been running for a few years now, a few of the guys have the ramp wired. Kyle Berard and Mike Peterson both showed up an hour before the contest started and instantly showed that they were contenders.

Kyle, unfortunately, had been laid up for the previous couple months with injuries. Despite this setback, he still skated the ramp as a major contender; pissed and with authority.

Rune Glifberg flew into the event from Copenhagen the night before. He went straight to bed and woke up early

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and headed straight to the ramp. The police would not let anybody skate until 11 to his dismay, but despite this lack of practice time to learn the lines on the ramp, he was still an unstoppable force. He strung together lines like nobody else, toying with airs and lip tricks, executing unscripted runs with precision.

Ben Schroeder had everyone on the edge during the jam session. He was capable of taking anyone out of the contest in a split second collision. He was even more prone to take himself out of the event by putting himself in dangerous situations with his trick selection. He seemed to enjoy the vert wall on top of the deck as he tended to skate the end coping block on the very edge of the quarter that was about 15 feet from the floor below. There were several instances where he pumped fear through the onlookers around him as he flirted with disaster.

The jam session was being fueled by the antics of DJ Wade.

He was getting the crowd, Schaefer and Clements on the mics, and all the skaters worked up into a frenzy with his madness as a person and the jams he sent out. Slayer and ThreeSixMafia were on high rotation as he danced around his tables, drinking vodka and anything else he could get his hands on. Schaefer followed suit and quickly enough he was screaming obscenities through the mic and lining the decks with all sorts of scantly clad girls he pulled out of the crowd.

It got topped off by some chick on 4-foot stilts, towering over everybody.

The final jam pitted the 10 skaters that made the cut into a 20-minute battle for the cash. This meant that at least 3 people were on the ramp at the same time, unless you were Ben Schroeder. Whenever he went, everybody got off

the ramp and out of his way in fear of being knocked out.

From the get go, Rune, Kyle Berard and Mike Peterson were clearly the favorites. Kyle was brutalizing the extensions, Mike was doing massive airs and blunt combinations, and Rune was flowing around and skating every aspect the ramp had to offer. In the end, Rune came out on top and won a new Fender guitar along with $10,000. Kyle was in 2nd and Mike was in 3rd. From there it was off to dinner and the bar, where things got really wild.

Results of the Big Gig Mini Ramp Jam - Pro 1. Rune Glifberg - $10,000 2. Kyle Berard - $7,500 3. Mike Peterson - $5,000 4. Chet Thomas - $3,000 5. Remy Stratton - $2,000 6. Donny Barley - $1,500 7. Tyler Mumma - $1,000 8. Justin Strubing - $1,000 9. Will Powers - $1,000 10. Ben Schroeder - $1,000 Results of the Am contest on Sunday 1. Mark Clements - $500 2. George Evans - $400 3. Chris Lehman - $300 4. Dustin Blauvelt - $200 5. Dalton Dern - $100 6. Josh Folley - $100 7. Shawn Hale - $100 8. Alex Brunelle - $100 9. Timmy Knuth - $100 10. Jordan Price - $100

Interview: Tim Bergevin Born is Sweden to Argentinean parents Jose Gonzalez has been dropping outstanding music for some time. His first album [originally released in 2003] took two years to get to the states. In 2005 “Veneer” was finally released in the US on the heels of it winning not only critical acclaim, but also several awards in Europe. The album which featured a cover of the song “Heartbeats” by The Knife was licensed by Sony for a TV spot that featured Super Balls bouncing down the streets of San Francisco. His beautiful voice and flawless classical style guitar playing leave him standing apart from the pack of today’s singer songwriters. If you are thinking Jack Johnson then you are off the mark. Armed with musical influences ranging from World Music, Hip Hop and Hardcore, Jose melds all of these together into something simple and beautiful. His cover of Massive Attack’s, Teardrops is a must listen and will be the only hook you need to become a believer.

Your first record took almost three years to get to the US, were you frustrated that your music wasn’t being heard in the US?

people’s songs?

Yeah it is fun. In the case with Teardrops, it was a song that I enjoyed playing live. But it is not my goal to make as many covers as possible it just that it works when I play it live because people recognize it and when I play it live it’s an easy way to entertain.

Can you touch on some of the themes that run through this record?

I put the title “In Our Nature” because I felt that it was fitting in talking about human nature and the primitive side of humans, which a lot of the time is stupid. I tried to be general in the lyrics but instead of singing about the typical singer songwriter themes like love I tried to talk about something else that is still universal. Starting with the song “How Low” on the record which is kind of accusing. I like the fact that I have found topics where I can be angry. I think it’s something that I like in the music of the new songs.

Does that anger come from your background in Hardcore?

I felt that it was strange that it wasn’t being released but that was because it was released by a very small label in Sweden. For me it didn’t really matter that much it was just a bit strange as the US is such a big country.

By the time the record came out in the States did you have a lot of other songs that you were ready to play because it had been three years?

It is a bit weird to keep on playing the same old songs but at the same time I didn’t have that many new ones. One of the reasons that I didn’t have any new ones was that I was on tour and I’m really slow at writing and especially bad at writing when I’m on tour.

Being at Coachella and watching Zach De La Rocha I couldn’t help get inspired by angriness as an artistic expression. It feels like if you have well aimed anger you can get a really strong feeling from it if you agree on that anger.

I bring up your Hardcore background because you have listed the band Sick of it All as one of your influences.

I mentioned them because I listen to all kinds of music and I felt last time in my bio I only mentioned the music that was most similar to my own. I felt that was not really representative of what I listen to. So that is why I mentioned at least one of the hardcore bands I listen to.

How do you write your songs then? Do you stay home and lock yourself away?

I don’t think that I need to be at home especially, but just the fact that I can work on songs day after day. I’m not the kind of writer that can just sit down and have a finished song in a day. It’s more going back to different kinds of songs and adding and taking away stuff. So I actually decided not to tour anymore from November of last year and since then it has worked really well to stay at home and have a studio to go to everyday.

You also list J Dilla, do pieces of his music fall into yours or is it just something you like to listen to?

Yeah definitely. David Axelrod, J Dilla, Nina Simone, Fela Kuti that is the stuff that really inspires. Someone like Nick Drake was an inspiration but for a very short time.

But the things I listed in my bio now are what have been inspiring me for this record.

Are you walking around right now?

You cover the song “Teardrops” by Massive Attack on this record and it is an amazing version. You also covered a song by The Knife on your last record, do you cover songs because they are fun for you and you like reinventing other

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Yes. It’s nice to walk when I do interviews. It’s easier to be creative with my answers.

Words: Tim Bergevin The Hollywood Palladium is the perfect place to see a show. Well, if you don’t mind seeing a show in a dilapidated dance hall, but the history of the building makes seeing Morrissey there all the more special. Originally opened in September of 1940 with a show featuring Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Palladium was once the class of LA music venues so I guess it’s only fitting that class act Steven Morrissey would be the last person to play at the venue before it closes down for a year of renovations. And Jesus does it need it! What was once an Art Deco cathedral filled with chandeliers is now a shit hole. But this is about Morrissey so let’s save the Palladium for another time.

Rolling up to the venue I had a preconceived notion of what I was going to see, a mass of Latino youth in eyeliner and black clothing.

They were there, the Taco Billy’s or whatever you want to call them today but it was bigger than that. Here is someone who has connected deeply across all lines. Shit, I even had some grunged out new wave hippy doing semi spins and playing air guitar while singing every word of every song standing in front of me.

In a crisp blue shirt he glides out on stage every bit as engaging as he’s ever been. Backed by a five piece band decked out in 1920’s matching Barber Shop suits, they bash out hit after hit that has made young men turn mad. The place is truly packed and standing on the balcony there is not a foot of space to stand or move from front to back and all in attendance are glued to the stage. Playing on a sparse stage backed by the Palladium’s red curtain and featuring only a few old movie spot lights and a massive Gong behind the drum kit, this show is about Morrissey and all he does and has ever represented.

Interacting with the crowd and touching the outstretched hands of his rabid fans he casually expresses that he is “still looking for love and may find it in a year or two, maybe, maybe.” It’s with that statement that he has once again made everyone, gay or straight who was in love with him, fall into love with him all over again. The hits of old and new continue to roll out sounding as fresh as ever.

Some songs are left out and you can here the pleading between songs by people dying to hear “their” song. Then, towards the end of the set, they break out with “How Soon is Now” and it sounds so hard. With the Tremolo and Delay blasting out of the guitar amps I can only imagine how this sounded to people in the 80’s when the song first dropped. The crowd sways and people are trying to get on stage much to the ire of the people in the yellow shirts.

And then it happens, he rips off his shirt and the place erupts. He casually tosses this sweat soaked memento into the crowd and as you would expect, it looks like a feeding frenzy at the Long Beach Aquarium.

As he comes out for the encore his flair for the dramatic is never lost and the crowd eats it up. Every movement, word and hand gesture is eaten up by ever person inside tonight. The next day I see online a photo of a button off his Dolce & Gabbana shirt and realize that a button, a tiny button is enough of a piece of the man these people obsess over. He has personally saved every one of them in the room last night, maybe, maybe.

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Age: 16 Home: North Shore, Kauai Sponsors: Rip Curl, Smith, Globe, Sex Wax, DHD, Killer Dana, Creatures of Leisure Favorite Surfer: Andy Irons

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