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TIMMY CURRAN / PHOTO GLASER
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C O R Y
K E N N E D Y
A U S T I N
S T E P H E N S
C A I R O
F O S T E R
D A V I D
R E Y E S
E D
T E M P L E T O N
J O S H
H A R M O N Y
J U L I A N
D A V I D S O N
K E E G A N K E V I N L E O
L O N G
R O M E R O
N E S T O R
T H E
S A U D E R
“ S P A N K Y ”
J U D K I N S
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
Š2010, Vans Inc.
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Feturing suede uppers, vulcanized gum outsole, & super comfy vanslite footbeds
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2010MAR_ 2010MAR_
B L I S S S A D S
DROP CITY
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FUNCTION COMUNE was formed from the idea that there will always be people out there who not only embrace the rawness and imperfections of everyday life but use it to creatively push the boundaries of what’s possible in skateboarding, fashion, art, and music their own way, with complete disregard of the consequences.
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PURPOSE Our goal is to provide clothing that reflects this lifestyle of carefree idealism and to support the people that choose to live it.
INFO@THECOMUNE.COM WWW.THECOMUNE.COM
COPYRIGHT © 2010 949 574 9142
HOLIDAY TEN
Gareth
Stehr
Leave Behind V2 3 COMUNE’s Leave Behind V2 is online now and available to
view at www.thecomune.com. Check out coverage on Prison Run, BLKHLZINVZFS and new contributor Peter Raffin. Keep up with what has been going on around the COMUNE and join the mailing list for future events and happenings.
Taken from Gareth Don’t Surf
COM_A2010NOV-LEAVEblisss
Jason Lee Parry www.jasonleeparry.com
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Jason Lee Parry is a 30 year old photographer who currently lives in Los Angeles, California. As a child, he lived in over fifteen states. The constant visual stimulus as a young child was the result of the endless traveling and he needed an outlet to express his creativity. He first picked up a camera when he was fifteen and since then has not stopped creating images that evoke undiluted sexiness mixed with a feeling of youthful freedom. With his specific artistic style, he offers something different to the world. These days it seems that just anyone can snap a picture and call themselves a photographer, but Jason has a talent for telling a story and capturing an authentic response of any kind from his audience. He is self taught and originally from Portland, Oregon.
Something Better Change
www.thecomune.com info@thecomune.com 2139 Placentia Avenue Costa Mesa CA 92627
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Drop City was introduced to attract like–minded creative people to the comune artist community and collaboarte on special projects through COMUNE’S clothing brand. With participating artists including Corey Smith, Hunter Longe, Jason Lee Parry, Noah and Nathan Rice, Shelby Menzel, Jimmy Fontaine and Gareth Stehr over time Drop City will continue to evolve its’ community, creative platform and influence.
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dylan to see dylan’s short film, log onto gravisskateboarding.com/dylan
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Art: Matt Leines
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5500 AAATM Junior Sheer Jersey V-neck Tee 4.3 oz. 100% Ringspun Cotton.* Super-soft with a slight stretch for a perfect fit. Machine washable. Sizes S-2XL. *Athletic Heather 90/10 Cotton/Polyester. *Charcoal Heather 60/40 Cotton/Polyester.
Athletic Heather Black Charcoal Heather Dark Chocolate Hot Pink Purple Turquoise White
All garments are available with a Tear Away Label for easy removal to help with your re-labeling and heat transfer programs. Contact us today for a copy of our 2010 catalog to see what styles and colors we have to fulfill all your blank apparel needs.
west coast 800.225.1364 east coast 800.621.6578 www.alstyle.com
ezek
ekeil
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com
EDITOR
joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR mark paul deren madsteez@madsteez.com
EDITOR AT LARGE liz rice mcCray liz@blisssmag.com
SKATE EDITOR chris ortiz chris@blisssmag.com
SNOW EDITOR jon francis jon@blisssmag.com
MUSIC EDITOR max ritter max@blisssmag.com
ADVERTISING ads@blisssmag.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jason Kenworthy, Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom Carey, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran, Dave Nelson, Pat Eichstaedt, Julien Lecorps, Ryan Boyes, Zach Hooper, Tim Peare, Michael Lallande, Bob Plumb
CONTRIBUTORS
Matt Patterson, Willie Marshall, Daniel Russo, Liz Rice, Jason Arnold, Greg Escalante, Nathan Spoor, Tom Carey, Travis Millard, David Choe, Kai Garcia, Mickey Neilsen, Peter Townend, Hamilton Endo, Tawnya Schultz, Mike Murciano, Geoff Shively, Casey Holland, Steve Stratton, Robbie Sell, Andrew Miller, Pat Towersey, Raul Montoya, Ian Dodge, Spencer Pirdy 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.
NOVEMBER 2010
Cover Art : Matt Leines
If your favorite shop isn’t receiving BL!SSS Magazine please contact info@blisssmag.com
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DEAD MAN WAKING If any of you out there in BL!SSSville need a new book to read on your next surf trip or just your daily trip to the can, may we suggest Dead Man Waking. Peter C. Cropsey’s explosive novel is the first in a series of three Eddie Wilkins adventures that is available now on amazon. com. This book will show you a side of Orange County that most people never see. It will also introduce you to a guy most people are scared to meet. You really gotta check it out, so get on over to the website at d e a d m a nwa king.net.
INKWRIGHT SCREEN PRINTING It’s been a long time coming, but we just got a fresh new stash of BL!SSS tee shirts delivered to our office this past month. We’ve done a couple super limited runs of cover-artist shirts, but it seems like forever since we’ve been able to link up with a professional screen printer that knows exactly how to get the job done. Well, the boys at Inkwright Screen Printing are now our go-to company for any future work. We gotta gives props to Danny Nichols and Russ Baker for taking all the pain out of all our previous screen printing experiences. These guys are professional, on time and just know exactly how to get the job done right. They have a seven day turnaround and are up to date with all the latest discharge, inks, and everything else screen printing. Do yourself a favor and check out Inkwright.com for all your screen printing needs.
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DANNY KASS X SKULLCANDY Danny Kass has always been involved with Skullcandy, however due to other sponsorship agreements, he was never able to fully become apart of the family. Danny was the first pro athlete to ever get gifted a pair of Skullcrusher headphones by Skullcandy founder Rick Alden dating back to 2003 at SIA. A few weeks later, Danny was being interviewed on national television in front of millions with the ear buds strung around his neck. Kass’s relationship with Skullcandy has endured through the years and now the two have officially partnered up. Big ups to Marketing Manager Jason Kimball on yet another solid addition!
VESTAL HEARTS BOOBIES Vestal has teamed up with the Keep a Breast Foundation in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to collaborate on a new watch/bracelet set. A portion of the proceeds will go to Keep A Breast Foundation’s support, education, and prevention programs. The watch/bracelet is a limited edition Vestal Electra Jelly watch as well as a Vestal version of the Keep a Breast Foundation “I Love Boobies” bracelet. The whole deal comes in a pretty pink package and is for a great cause. We all love boobies, so let’s go out there and save them!
FOX MINI SURFER X
After a successful first year in 2009, the Fox crew is bringing back the Fox Surf & Mini-Moto Challenge to Oahu this winter. The event will go down from December 1st-3rd and will have both surfing and a mini-moto contest at the Kahuku Motocross Park. With so much interest at last year’s event, they felt inclined to add an “industry class” for other teams to participate. With Fox’s top athletes such as Ricky Carmichael, Bede Durbidge and Ian Walsh participating, we’re sure that a bunch of other companies will bring their best to the plate. We all know that the North Shore is the place to be in the winter, so you can count on the BL!SSS crew for some post-event coverage right here.
photos: nelly
He will ride a red fish. He will bust a giant stalefish. He's not afraid to skateboard. He plays guitar in 17 different languages. He’s a male model and a model male.
OAKLEY SAVES LIVES
MOYSA & CREW HEROES
Every once in a while, a really feel-good story unfolds, and this was the case when the miners in Chile were rescued after being trapped underground for almost 2 ½ months. While most people were sitting and watching in awe, Oakley and their marketing team jumped into action. They knew that after two plus months of no sunlight, the miners would need some UV protection, and they gathered together 33 pairs of their 100% UV protective Radar sunglasses that retail for $180 and struck a deal to have the miners wearing them when rescued. The miners were saved, their eyeballs were protected, and Oakley scored an estimated $41 million in equivalent advertising time! A genius move and a happy ending for everyone!
GRILLED CHEESE TOUR Tilly’s has teamed up with the Young & Reckless for the month of November to bring us the Young & Reckless Grilled Cheese Tour. Drama and Chanel will be serving free grilled cheese sandwiches at four select Tilly’s shops on two separate weekends. If you live in SoCal or just happen to be visiting, this is an opportunity you won’t wanna miss. First up, on Nov. 13th, meet the Young & Reckless crew at Tilly’s Oxnard from 11am-12pm or at Tilly’s Long Beach from 2-3pm. The following Saturday they take the tour to the Mira Mesa location again at 11am-12pm and then up to Brea from 2-3pm. Check out tillys.com for up to date info, we’ll see ya there!
For most people, crowds are a nuisance and create havoc, but for local Newport kneeboarder Kenny Honingford, the crowds were the lone reason his life was saved one October morning. On a hollow day at 56th street, Kenny was paddling back out after a good wave when he was slammed to the bottom by a set and knocked unconscious by his board. Kenny was face down, temporarily paralyzed for two waves until Analog team manager and Newport’s barrel magnet Geoff Moysa got to him. Moysa, along with the help of Craig Etchegoyen, Pat Towersey, Tom Cozad, and a slew of others brought Kenny ashore, revived him, stabilized him and called for help. Kenny is now recovering with minor injuries. These guys truly are heroes, and this is a fine reminder of why we always need to watch out for one another in the ocean, on the mountain, or wherever we are in our daily lives. Life is too enjoyable and precious - good looking out boys!
QUIKSILVER GOLF CLASSIC
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE X KEEP We’re stoked to announce that Keep will be collaborating with their favorite band, Animal Collective, on some chic new shoes. Members of the band have each designed a shoe with their own style and accents in mind. All profits from the sales will be going to the “Socorro Island Conservation Fund”, a non-profit striving to protect the Revillagigedo Archipelago off of Baja California. The band found a unique connection with the place after scuba diving in the stunning waters. These custom shoes will definitely grab your attention with their contemporary, yet practical look. They will be available to the public in March 2011 at select stores throughout the world with limited numbers in stock.
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Golf fanatics from all around the surf industry (with or without much club skill) gathered at the Santa Ana Country Club on a beautiful fall day to compete in the 3rd Annual Quiksilver Foundation Golf Classic. Celebrities like Quik’s Bob Mcknight and Bill Walton were on hand, making for an epic round of golf for all. Both silent and live auctions were going on during the play and an astounding $100K was raised by the end of the day. The winnings will go to different charities that support many environmental, educational, health and youth related projects. A tip of the hat goes to Quiksilver and all the other sponsors for putting on such a great event for an even greater cause. We’ll see everyone next year!
RIPPING IN 3D
MUSCLE MILK We saw our buddy Ivan at Surf Expo last month, and he kindly sent us over some of the latest and greatest products that Muscle Milk has to offer. The Muscle Milk “Ready-To-Drink” nutritional shake has had everyone at the office in quite a whirl. The shake is a perfect fit for being on the go and needing a quick and easy energy or protein boost. The drink contains 25 grams of premium protein, good carbohydrates, 20 vitamins and minerals, and helps promote lean muscle growth and recovery from workouts. If we didn’t know any better we’d have thought we were drinking milk shakes with great flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. These things are delicious, so go out and snatch a few for your post skate, surf, or snow sessions now!
Rip Curl teamed up with Medialuso to bring a unique view of the WCT event in Portugal. Stop number 8 on tour had the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals being broadcasted in 3D. Earlier on in the event, the 3D equipment was tested and captured Owen Wright’s slob air 360 that scored a perfect 10. The event was a great success, with viewers able to check the action out throughout the world via the Internet, as well as on television in Brazil, Australia, and Portugal. This 3D stuff really is top of the line and makes watching the events a real treat.
DEVOE FISH I don’t know about you, but we think this has been one of the worst summers in California that we have ever seen. No sun, dismal surf, and slow fishing. To add insult to injury, I sat down at my desk to see an email forwarded to us from our friend Greg Teal at Hurley, of an excellent trip Rick Devoe had fishing the first week in October. We love Rick, but he’s one of those guys that the light always seems to shine on. He’s the guy that gets surf on every trip, the sun always seems to be out when he’s out and he always ends up with a fish or two. Well, it may be a pretty gloomy summer around the BL!SSS offices but we know Rick is one happy camper. Glad you got ‘em and we’re still waiting for our fresh Ahi to arrive.
FROG HOUSE REZONING
UNDERSTAND RAP
TK’s Frog House has been known as a classic landmark in Southern California and reliable surf shop that has been meeting all your needs for almost half a century. Lately, TK and the boys have been getting some flack from the city of Newport Beach on rezoning regulations that haven’t been enforced for nearly 40 years. Now, worst-case scenario would have TK closing up shop, but something deep down inside tells me that there would be a state of pandemonium in Newport and the apocalypse would begin if this were to happen. The good thing is that this is highly unlikely and TK is going through the proper procedures to rezone the Frog House and keep this gem right where it is. In the mean time, everyone should write their local council representative, join the Facebook group “Save Frog House” and keep supporting this great shop!
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Have you ever listened to some really sharp hip-hop lyrics that leave you in awe of the witty rhymes but puzzled by their meanings? Well, author William Buckholz brings us an aide to understanding and interpreting confusing lyrics and terms used in rap songs. This book will help you to end the bickering between you and your friends about what 2PAC is really saying. The book takes famous lyrics and breaks them down for you to the 3rd degree, so that even your grandma can understand. So go out and buy this rare read for your favorite wanna-be rapper friend or yourself. If you’re anything like us then this book will have you in stitches from start to finish.
GOES INTERNATIONAL Our friend Victor came by the office this past month and gave us a rundown on his new company Goes International. The brand was started by Allan, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Carlson Gracie, and has been around since 2007. Goes embodies all cultures and stands by the philosophy of love, honor, respect and that everyone is equal. Goes is revolution to a culture. With a great attitude and guys like PM Tenore, BJ Penn, Danny Fuller and Rodrigo Resende waving the flag, Goes International is sure to be a staple in the industry for a long time to come.
SWEETHEART TAN Ever heard of a spa like an alpine chalet, some hot cocoa, classic rock on vinyl, and a bikini wax before your spray tan? Neither had we - but this isn’t your ordinary day spa. This is Sweetheart Tan, the place all the lovely ladies have been frequenting to solidify their sparkle and shine. When Audrey the owner isn’t planning her next shred trip, she’s at her own version of a mountain chalet in Costa Mesa, tanning pretty little faces. Visit her to see why she’s got a good following of local girls, and keep your summer tan going all year long.
GO PRO OR GO HOME
TESTED ON ANIMALS Philips and O’Neill have come together to put out a top of the line product that focuses on comfort and durability in harsh conditions. Most of us choose headphones based solely on sound quality, but now we have found a headphone that brings toughness and flexibility to the table. The model we were lucky enough to get our hands on was “The Stretch”, big wave charger Mark Mathew’s signature headphone. These things are a must have with snazzy little details that’ll keep you psyched. Get out there and grab a pair!
Before you get any deeper into this mag, we gotta say that you’re really gonna dig our photo profile on our boy Pete Hodgson. The Florida native and Hawaiian transplant has spent countless years behind the lens documenting surf history and is also a key figure for Go Pro Cameras in Hawaii. He has been keeping all the heavies laced up with latest and greatest from Go Pro – logging hours upon hours of filthy footage in some massive surf. This whole mini camera craze has brought light onto only what previously could be seen from a surfer’s eye. We’re super stoked that one of these puppies showed up in the mail for us just last week. Thanks Pete, we’ll have this thing glued to our boards and be sending you some footy in no time.
MISS REEF 2011
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We all know and love the work that the good people at Reef produce, and this gives us one more reason to show our appreciation towards the crew. They’ve just released the new Miss Reef calendar for 2011 and it does not disappoint! The calendar was shot at exotic locations all over the world with a cast of the most gorgeous Miss Reef women on the face of this earth. Seriously, if you’re single then you have no excuse not to go out and get one now. And if your wife or girlfriend will allow you to posses this forbidden fruit, then happily skip your way to a surf shop and buy one as well. If your hands are tied then we suggest you head over to a buddies house and check his. You’re sure to want some alone time with it.
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PHOTO: JONES
Bryson Strauss, LA Art Machine In September, German graffiti legends MA’Claim (Akut, Case, and Rusk) with Herakut (Hera and Akut) adorned both sides of the cutting-edge, Los Angeles design firm Boombang with two 40-foot mural installations. In the first, a solo primordial figure huddled over a fire and adrift in an infinite ocean gazes out, afraid and alone, on the pumping arteries of Los Angeles. In the second, a figure, full of color and vitally, spoon-feeds a gray, lifeless building, infusing it with art and light. Narrative and thought provoking, these murals offer a poignant visual commentary on the relationship between humanity, her urban environs, and the natural world. As part of the Vox Humana program, these murals also raise the bar for street art while kicking off an important series of LA murals by foreign artists over the next ten months leading up the LA International Street Art Competition & Urban Arts Festival 2011. This project was created by the Goethe Institut Los Angeles, the German Foreign Service and the LA Art Machine as a gesture of creative solidarity between the US and Germany. MA’Claim and Herakut were joined by LA street artists Revok and Risk. Photos: Kohshin Finley
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AUSTIN SMITH
OLD SIGNAGE I/O GOGGLE
Words: Coco Joelle Derived from her diverse background, Deedee Cheriel’s artwork uses influences drawn from East Indian temple imagery, folk art, feminist punk rock and the naturalistic environments of her Pacific Northwest upbringing. Deedee began her art career creating t-shirts and record covers for the Oregon music scene in the early ‘90s. She played in several all-girl bands and co-created the semiautobiographical film, Down and Out with the Dolls. Now residing in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, her current body of work are meditations on the tedious dramas of her real-life social circle where boyfriend stealing friends, narcissistic hippies, do-gooders, and intellectuals are anthropomorphized into a surreal world of random theatre. Deedee’s recent exhibition titled Abracadabra, references the magic of transforming societal ailments into beauty. Merging elements from nature, urban landscapes, history and pop culture, the paintings explore the universal human need to find commonalities between ourselves and the world around us while recognizing the continuing conflict in our attempts to connect to each
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Photo: Steven Perilloux
other. The satirical and playful work has animal and human hybrids engaging with each other creating familiar yet surreal environments in which birdheaded women riding fish seem perfectly natural. Shepard Fairey says, “Cheriel’s vibrant, gestural work beautifully juxtaposes humans, plants, and animals, connecting species figuratively and literally. Her pieces are whimsical, but profound in their ability to shift the viewer’s perspective to value all life equally. Her work demonstrates a powerful tension between the design elements of stripes, patterns, and color fields, with lyrical illustration. Her work is idiosyncratic in the most ideal way... it is a reflection of her unique personality.” Deedee Cheriel’s show titled, “Abracadabra” is on view until November 6 at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles. Also on view is Mark Whalen’s (Kill Pixie) Unparalleled Opposites.
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Words: Spencer Pirdy Dr. Terry is a long time friend of ours and we love catching up with him whenever he’s not realigning someone back to life. He’s a wonderful human being, and one of the most skilled Chiropractors practicing in the Orange County area. Terry is originally from San Diego, but moved into the Orange County area when he attended CSULB to study sports medicine. Since then he hasn’t looked back. He currently has offices in Lakewood, Santa Ana, and Costa Mesa located up on Newport Boulevard. Terry has a great reputation in the action sports industry and has been a fixture as one of the on call doctors at contests for the ASP for a while. He’s worked with companies such as Fox, Hurley, Quiksilver, Atwater, O’Neill, Vans, Electric, and Brillo Productions. His list of clients is as
Photo: Madsteez
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broad as anyone’s with snowboarders like Chanelle Sladics and Andres Wiig and FMX giant Dan Pastor. Terry has rehabbed surfers like Timmy Reyes, Brett Simpson, and Mark Healey through career threatening injuries and well, the results speak for themselves. Whenever there are events going on around Southern California it’s likely to see a line of celebrity action sports athletes running out of his office doors. Terry has great passion for his job and the industry that he works in. That, along with his expertise makes him a very valuable and respected figure in his field. Expect to see Terry up at the Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz and in Hawaii at some point this winter. Keep up the good work Dr. Romine!
PHOTO: RICKY LESSER
W W W. F O X D E N I M . C O M TANNER HENDRICKSON
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Photo: Dominic Petruzzi : dominicpetruzzi.com // Model: Juliann Chavira :: Otto Models
With all the rain we’ve been getting in the last month or so, there are bound to be a few extra flowers popping up in some unusual places. The last place we’d think to look is right here on our monthly Super Taste spread, but we sure aren’t complaining. This month’s girl is the beautiful Juliann - another gorgeous knockout from right here in Orange County. With girls like her around, all we can hope is that it continues to pour! Hair & Makeup: Andrea Orcutt// Photo Retouch: Jaclyn Morris
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Words: Jake Smith :: Photos: Andrew Mapstone Saturday, October 2nd marked the date for Volcom’s 2010 Wild in the Parks Championships held in Phoenix, AZ at the Rio Vista Skatepark. This was the third consecutive year that the championships have been hosted at the Rio Vista Skatepark, and every year we get to witness a slew of “new” and gnarly tricks unfold before our eyes. It’s a crazy feeling to witness the level of skating and progression with each passing year. It seems that every year we end up smack dab in the middle of an intense heat wave. This time around, we thought we’d push the date of the championships back a bit in hopes of avoiding the heat, but once again we were stuck right in the middle of some good ole’ fashion heat that was well over the triple digit mark. The heat didn’t seem to bother any of the skaters though, who shredded the park non-stop throughout the whole day. This year, Volcom’s Let The Kids Ride Free program reached out even further and brought finalists from Europe, Australia and Canada to add to the melting pot. Also in attendance was the infamous Stoneman, speeding around the park and giving out high fives to all. For those of you who haven’t attended this contest before, let me break it down for you real
Ryan Thompson : 360 Flip Noseslide
Brodie Penrod : Tailslide B.S Flip Out
Ian Sherman Kickip Crooked Grind
Chase Webb : Frontside Flip CJ Dixon Nollie Noseblunt
Andrew Classon Nollie Crooked Grind
Alex Pellegrino : Crooked Grind Pop Over
Paul Hart : B.S Heelip over the table
Axel Cruysberghs : B.S 270 Lipslide
quick. The contest, which is jam format, is split into three divisions by age: 14-and-under, 15-and-over and the Pro-Am division. There are three different obstacles that each round of skaters must skate all at once during a fifteen-minute jam session. The 14-and-under group started the day off right and set the bar for what was to come of this contest. The 15-and-up division had all the hot tricks of today, flipping out of every trick down the 6-stair hubba. The Pro-Am division really brought the heat this year, locking down every trick imaginable down the 10 rails all within a few tries. At the end of the night, Belgium’s Axel Cruysberghs, who won the European WITP Champs, destroyed every obstacle with style and grace earning him the top spot in the Pro-Am division. Once all the awards were given out, the crowd mobbed to the bottom of the ten-stair where mass amounts of product were thrown out from our gracious sponsors until the automated lights turned out and everyone dispersed into the darkness. Thanks to Jarnold, Jared, Brandon and everyone else that lent a helping hand at each event along the way to make this a truly unique event. Also, big thanks to Volcom and all the sponsors who contributed to our prize pack and stoked out the Finalists. Looking forward to what next year’s Championships will bring.
FINAL RESULTS: 14 & Under: 1st: Ryan Thompson (TX) - $2750 2nd: Ethan Loy (CA) - $2250 3rd: Phil Hansen (CO) - $1500 4th: Deshawn Jordan (AZ) - $750 5th: Kevin Baekkel (NOR) - $500 15 & Over: 1st: Alex Pellegrino (FL) - $3000 2nd: Matt Militano (MA) - $2250 3rd: Tyson Bowerbank (UT) - $1500 4th: Chris Anderson (NJ) - $750 5th: Jared Cleland (CA) - $500 Pro-Am: 1st: Axel Cruysberghs (BEL) - $3500 2nd: Adam Arunski (AZ) - $2500 3rd: Julian Christianson (CO) - $1500 4th: Dalton Dern (FL) - $1000 5th: Chase Webb (CA) - $750 Electric’s $1000 Hype of the day: Deshawn Jordan (AZ) - B/s Bigger Flip the 10
Kevin Baekkel Frontside Noseblunt
Photos & Interview: Tom Carey I’ve had the lucky opportunity to join Luke on a couple of trips over the years and it’s safe to say he’s one of the stylish, most complete groms I’ve ever pointed my lens at. Luke has a funny, different sense of humor that I think people take the wrong way. But once you break through that outer shell, you’ll come across a pretty awesome kid. Luke seems to let his surfing
do the talking too. For such a small frame he can lay some serious rail then paddle back out and launch a big air. With great family and friends backing him, Luke is sure to be around for a long time. Luke if this mag was a dating service, tell us how you would describe yourself to a girl?
Ugly and boring. What’s it like growing up in the San Clemente area? It’s pretty fun. We have probably the most rippable wave in California right in our back yard and we aren’t hurting in the girl category either, it’s a great place to grow up. Do people consider you a
non-local since you live in Capo Beach? No, not really. Who do you surf with usually? Kolohe Andino, Ian Crane, Jeremy Carter, Tanner Ruzunko… That’s pretty much the crew I hang with everyday. You’re a pretty small dude
but I’ve seen you lay some pretty big carves down, how is this possible? It’s not. I’m pretty weak so it’s hard for anything to look powerful at all. Do you think that’s an important part of surfing still these days? Yeah, I think having a good foundation is key, but nowadays you have to have the whole package if you want to do well on tour. Who’s your mentor? Who do you look up to in your hood? Let’s see… Shane Beschen, Chris Ward, Dino Andino… the list goes on.
It seems like you young guys try to emulate the surfers in and out of the water, who’s someone you dig? No, I try not to copy anyone in or out of the water, but surfing wise I look up to guys like Mick Fanning.
Do you think you are or are you just a quiet misunderstood kid? They probably just caught me after I just bogged at Lowers or lost a heat, which is quite often. But other then that I’m a happy kid, I have it pretty good.
What’s your goals as a youngster? I want to keep doing all the juniors, try to make the world championships again for next year but other then that, just travel a bunch and have as much fun as possible.
Are you still mad at me for destroying your boards on the freeway when I didn’t tie them up good? Yeah, I’m pissed. You still owe me money, cough it up!
What’s it like growing up with Kolohe Andino? I personally love your surfing and I think you hold your own but do you think you’re forever in his shadow? Yeah it feels like that at times but it’s great growing up and surfing with him everyday, he definitely inspires me to surf better. It would be worse if there wasn’t anyone to feed off of like that.
What do you think about the USA teams you surf on? It seems like they’re a bit overlooked, why’s that? I think it’s pretty sick to be apart of a team like that.
Will you ever forgive me? And no. I’ve had a few people say you can be kind of an “eggy” dude.
Do you enjoy doing those team events? Yeah, I think they’re really fun and different. I’ve only got to actually surf on the team one year
“I’M PRETTY WEAK SO IT’S HARD FOR ANYTHING TO LOOK POWERFUL”
so hopefully I can make the travel team this year. Tell us about your favorite travel experience? Hmmm… Probably going to Indo for a month with like 7 of my good friends. That one trip that stands out in my mind. I saw you take off on some pretty thick tubes this year in Mexico, do you like bigger or heavy waves? Yeah, the session Droid cut his lip was so good. I’m not a charger guy or anything but I enjoy getting barreled, like the rest of the world.
I’ve been listening to stuff like The Doors, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, but I’ve always been into the techno, electro stuff. It just gets me psyched. If you could hang with one rockstar, dead or alive, who would it be? Jim Morrison. Would you rather be a rocker or a surfer? That’s debatable. If you could live in another city in the world where would it be and why? Thanks, but I’ll just stay in Capo.
Where do you find the courage? Describe your dream girl/ I’m trying to find it still, I’ll get celebrity crush? back to you on that one. I’ll just go with Marisa Miller. What’s your biggest fear in surfing? Probably drowning. You seem to be a pretty stylish dude with your attire and music, what’s some of the tunes you’re listening to these days?
Alright Luke, thanks for doing the interview. Anything else you want to say? Or get off your chest? No worries and there’s nothing else. I think I’ve told you everything you need to know. Late.
“Built To Shred” Is Back And Pushing It Bigger And Badder :: Words: John Stouffer Old Red Beard himself, Jeff King, is back with 13 new episodes of the popular Fuel TV series, “Built To Shred.” By now you might have seen a few of the new episodes - maybe the one where the crew including Lizard King, Corey Duffel, Johnny Layton, Mike Peterson, and Chad Bartie were shredding a pirate ship in the Cayman Islands? Or what about the Plan B team: Paul Rodriguez, Torey Pudwill, Ryan Sheckler, and Pat Duffy building all kinds of cool ledges and ramps in the airplane graveyard? Or the one about the crew getting locked in a jail and trying to shred their way out?
And these are just the first few shows of the season! There’s more coming (some we don’t even have photos of) including a three-foot mini ramp built 22 feet up in a tree at a secret Volcom house (talk about the coolest tree house ever!) with Mark Appleyard, Louie Lopez, Rune Glifberg, Darrell Stanton taking skating to new heights. And there’s a new Surf Rail Of Death - this time it’s more of a big horseshoe rail, where surfers had to be wenched into it, and after seven different days of surfers attempting it, nobody could ride away cleanly. “We actually pulled it out of
Photos : Yoon Sul/FUEL TV
Sid Melvin pivot to fakie at the pallet center.
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the water and let BMXers and skateboarders try to ride it,” said Jeff King. “I told everyone when we pulled it out of the water that we shouldn’t have sent a surfer to do a skateboarder’s job! And still nobody could ride it!” Such is life in the new season of the popular show. And “Built To Shred” has been growing in popularity over the last few years. In the show’s first season, Jeff and the team made six episodes, while the second season, there were seven. This time around the crew set out to do eight episodes, but the network was so impressed with the first couple delivered, that
FUEL TV ordered five more to make a 13-week installment. “We were so stoked they asked for more,” says King. “Our team on the show had really gotten things dialed-in on how to get everything done, and getting more episodes let us go out and do even more fun builds!” This season definitely raised the bar on what the team built. “It’s getting scary,” says Jeff. “People need to be on the level to do these things, and a lot of what we’re doing has never been done.” However, some of what they filmed might not even make it in
Gareth Stehr krooked grind on the corkscrew.
Built To Shred Host and Pirate Captain Jeff King at the helm.
the show. For one episode, the team went to motocross legend Jeremy McGrath’s compound in San Diego, where they attempted to make a special corkscrew ramp that would let McGrath pull a flat-spin 360 on his dirt bike. “We filmed at his place for four days, riding horses, riding quads, shooting guns and having a blast. But he couldn’t land the trick, so I don’t think any of it will even make it to the show!” exclaimed King. Another sketchy moment came from riding the tree house mini ramp 20 feet up. “The flat bottom of the ramp was Plexiglas, so if someone crashed, they were looking 20 feet straight down at the ground. Then we put a truck underneath the ramp, so people could ride off the ramp, drop to the truck, ride off that onto a roof of a shed, and then land on the ground. It was so sketchy!”
Jeff is also excited that he’s gotten to hang with some of the biggest action sports stars this year. The Tony Hawk backyard build was especially fun: “Tony totally crashed into the pool, but he was so cool with everything. And when we were doing a shoot at the Skullcandy offices, I got to hang with some of my heroes like Christian Hosoi and Steve Caballero. When we started building things in the parking lot, Cab was right there helping me build stuff - and that’s a really neat part of the show. A lot of these guys could come in and just ride the ramps that we build, but they actually get out there with the tools, cut things, adjust things and get really hands on. In the airplane graveyard, P-Rod was moving stuff around with us and really working. He’s rolling, you know. He doesn’t need to do that, but he’s stoked to.”
David Loy with a very ambitious smith grind over Tony Hawk’s pool.
Chad Bartie taps the Caybrew truck.
Patrick Melcher slides the slide while Jeff and crew look on. In another episode, Jeff drove around Los Angeles looking for all kinds of different playground equipment to turn into riding rails and ramps. “Harvesting the stuff is the fun part. The closer you get to grabbing it, the more your brain is already figuring out 10 different ways how to ride it!” But one of the big challenges came when he had to move the equipment from the playground locations to a shred spot, like putting the all-metal submarine rail up on the vert ramp. It almost fell several times, but the crew got it into place and Hawk, Bucky Lasek, and Andy Mac delivered a unique shred session. “I’ve gotten better as a [heavy equipment] operator,” says Jeff. “I haven’t hit anybody yet. But it’s amazing how people just let me do whatever I want to. We went to the snow, and the guys just let me drive the tractor. They said, ‘Do you know how to drive this?’ and I said, sure, I can figure it
A King-sized rock and roll on the throne by Steve Caballero at the Skullcandy yard.
Alex Gourdouros staleďŹ sh at the jailhouse.
Mike Peterson one foot to fakie.
Sierra Fellers pinball nose bonk at the Skullcandy yard.
Chad Fernandez macho bomb drop.
Alec Beck submarine blunt.
out! And at the pallet yard, they let us drive the forklift and move anything around. People are stoked to see what we’re going to do and let us create cool stuff.” Some of the scariest moments this season for Jeff came from moving the
Surf Rail of Death. “It hung over the side of my trailer two feet on either side. If a semi truck had driven by me, I would have scraped the side of it. I had to drive on the shoulder of the road to get it anywhere. And I had to take it to the beach six times. I was losing my mind each time, sure
Jeff King taking the plunge in Tony’s pool.
I would crash into something!” Luckily for Jeff and the whole crew, there’ve been no crashes and no injuries on the set. And Jeff has no plans to shave his big red beard either. “I actually have nightmares about losing my beard!” he says. “I’ll wake up and grab it just to make sure it’s still there.”
Torey Pudwill getting blunted at the Airplane Graveyard
Sean McNulty backside smith grind on a cell door.
You can watch original episodes of “Built To Shred” presented by Skullcandy on Sunday nights at 10:30pm ET/PT. Episodes of “Built To Shred” are also available on iTunes for $1.99. And you can watch them on www.fuel.tv and www.hulu.com several weeks after they air on FUEL TV.
November 19, 2009 - Oceanside, Cali fornia
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Interview: Ashley Snow Macomber I am almost certain I met Matt Leines for the first time when we shared wall space at Publico in Cincinnati in a show attached to the opening of the first Beautiful Losers exhibition. He was a man of few words, and I was sure he hated me. Then some years later, over a dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in Costa Mesa with BL!SSS Magazine’s Liz Rice, the dam broke and we have been cracking jokes and sharing ideas ever since. Many have tried imitating him but none have succeeded in getting close to his awesomeness. He has this way of combining technically proficient and obsessive skill with a fantastical world rich in meaning. The characters in his work are kings, lions, aliens, and other and in this mythological place, born from ours, there is a space to wander and experience ourselves in a totally unique way. Besides making work that is continually evolving into exciting new territories, Matt is a wickedly funny, kind and sincere guy who can talk about wrestling or art for hours with the same earnest zealousness. I am stoked he is my friend and I hope from this interview you can see why. What is the worst thing anyone has ever said about your art? It’s indirect, but more than once someone has mentioned seeing my work somewhere and then after a bit of confusion I realize that it wasn’t my work they saw. That’s disappointing that something else can be so derivative that it’s mistaken for my work. Other than that, I suppose not having anything said at all. What are you working on currently? I’ve got a show coming up in Milan, Italy in a few months and I’m working on a series of portraits for that. I’ve got a number in my head for how many I want to finish in time, but I always fall short, so I’ll keep that to myself for now. The real goal is to push myself to see how different I can make them, even when some are a variation on the same theme or idea. Also, this is an exercise in relearning how to paint. For a while I was using only ink and watercolor and have switched back to acrylics, so the actually process is flipped. Before it would be line work first, and then fill with color. Now, it’s mostly fill in areas of color and then define the shapes, so it’s taking some getting used to. But so far I’m much happier with the results. I now have a margin for error with mistakes. If I make a stray line or accidentally splash a drop on a piece, I can rework it rather than scrap it and start over, and it’s drastically opened up my palette. What are your parents like? My dad passed away when I was eleven. I’m fortunate to have been blessed with a good memory, so everyday something will happen that reminds me of a good memory we shared. He was super supportive of everything I was interested in, and could always make me laugh. I remember he used to make me drawings of Garbage Pail Kids. I wish I still had those. My mom is the hardest working and most giving person I’ve known. She has said before that my sister and I made it easy for her to raise us, because we never got in any trouble. But I know it must have been incredibly difficult. She is so encouraging and supportive, and you wouldn’t be asking me these questions if it weren’t for the things she’s provided for me. She just retired this year, and no one deserves it more. How does your childhood reflect itself in your work, or does it at all? This is something I think about a lot. I know there are lots of elements in my work that come from things that interested me as a kid. I think the fact that I use predominantly strong primary colors and that my pictures are character driven is reflective of cartoons and printed media that shaped the way I see things. But lately I’ve been thinking that most of that influence is more of a springboard than a way to define it. Maybe I try to create work that I wish I could have seen when I was a kid. Another thing though, and this will be hard to explain, is that I make a lot of marks and patterns that I would have been disgusted by as a kid. I remember at an elementary school art show, they set up some tables in the middle of the room and had us kids draw and whatever so people could walk around and watch. Whoever was sitting next to me was just filling a page with little dots from a marker tip. I remember not wanting to look at it. For some reason it made me really uncomfortable. But now I stipple micro dots and form tiny intersecting lines that I know would have made me equally bothered back then. It’s weird but some things just bother me visually, even now sometimes. Like a pod seed from a lotus is something that freaked me out forever, but recently I’ve gotten over. Or maybe not gotten over, but more like it intrigues me in a weird have-to-look-at-the-accident-scene kind of way. I think my mind equates these things to pores in the skin but blown up to a huge scale, and that creeps me out. Tell me your best joke. After sharing that story I think most people will think that I am the joke. What is the point of making art? Who the fuck knows? For me it’s something I need to do. I’ve always done it, and I’ll always need to. And apparently it’s always been that way. People needed to make art when they had much harder things to worry about like not getting eaten by a lion. All I know is I have pictures in my head that I need to put on paper or something bad might happen. If you could live during any time when would that be and why? Anytime that I wouldn’t have to worry about being eaten by a lion.
I don’t know. I like history a lot, and I’d probably say in the Middle Ages. But then I’d most likely be a ditch digger dying of plague then an archer in a castle. I guess now is a pretty swell time to be living. How do you feel about technology and how its affecting culture? I always go back and forth on this. On one hand I think information is transferred too quickly. Ideas have such a short gestation period nowadays, and this goes back to what I mentioned earlier about derivative art. Someone can make a painting on Monday, the entire world can see it on Tuesday, and by Wednesday someone can have already made a knockoff. This may speak more to laziness and lack of self-regard, but I think if other people’s ideas weren’t as accessible, less would be made but perhaps it would be of higher stock. More importantly though, regionality is ceasing to exist as well. I guess a better example of this would be with music, corporate radio for example. More and more regional sounds will just become a national sound and with that a national aesthetic and national attitude, eventually becoming global. So on one hand it’s amazing that a kid in New York can be exposed to the same things as a kid in Humboldt, Iowa, but I wonder if the speed of information changing hands is limiting ideas and concepts
from reaching their full potential. Now to be completely hypocritical, I’m indebted to the internet, even just in terms of entertainment. So the same technology that I think can eventually stifle originality, I rely on daily if for nothing else then to take my mind off all this shit I think about during the day. Do you believe in anything? Honesty and generosity. I always try to be direct and honest, sometimes to a fault, but I appreciate when I’m treated that way in return. The one thing I don’t appreciate is feeling I’m being taken advantage of and hopefully no one ever feels that I’ve put them in that position. Early in my career I was very lucky to meet some wonderfully generous people and I am forever indebted to the opportunities that have arisen because of them. I try to repay those favors whenever I can. Little things add up. Do you think of your work as specifically American? I think it has to be, no matter how hard I may have tried to make it look like it comes from nowhere. I couldn’t tell you why though. It’s just a gut feeling. There is a lack of female archetypes in your work, why is this? Do you see your work as particularly masculine? Do you hate women?
I’m trying to work on this. The straight answer is I can’t draw ladies. And I think because there aren’t women in the work, they seem so masculine. Now that I’m consciously trying to strengthen the variety of characters in my paintings I know that women will soon start showing up. I need to figure out how to make faces without beards or five o’clock shadow. When you think of your life, what do you imagine happiness would look like? It would be real nice if money was never a concern. Just being able to live humbly and comfortable would be all I’d ask for. That, and to have more time. I never feel like I have time enough to balance between work and everything else. That being said, I am so appreciative to be able to sit and paint all day. It would just be amazing if I wasn’t so bad at neglecting friends and family. What is the best day you ever had? Oh, that’s way too hard. But that night we did Karaoke in LA was great. A night with minimal plans and low expectations that turns out awesome is always the best. And last weekend my girlfriend and I went down to Virginia to visit Rob, my best friend growing up and his wife. It was the first time she had met them and it was a great weekend. I don’t get to see them that often, but it’s always like no time passes at all. My girlfriend was amazed at how similar we are, and didn’t get that annoyed at how much
time we spent talking about wrestling. What are your impressions of Hulk Hogan and how he is now doing commercials for Rent-A-Center? Well ya know something Ashley? I used to be huge Hulkamaniac. I remember being really upset when the Ultimate Warrior beat him for the belt, and when Earthquake broke his ribs. And it really pissed me off when he turned bad fifteen years ago. But now I think doing ads for Rent-A-Center is exactly what he should be doing. Too bad it’s because he needs the cash after getting a divorce as a result of his family imploding after whoring them out for a reality show. Hogan had his day and deserved all the attention and wealth he got from being the ultimate good guy for little kids to cheer on across the world. But he stuck around way too long and stopped being able to contribute to professional wrestling. It’s astounding that he’s still around now, but even worse that he’s still trying to put all the attention on himself. If he needs the limelight, stick to selling rented couches, or at the very least stay in wrestling but use your fame to help make the next wave of stars. In wrestling a “push” is when the promotion puts the attention on a wrestler to make the fans care about him, and Hogan was able to have himself pushed way longer than was believable or deserved. Or to paraphrase Bobby “The Brain” Heenan (in reference to a different wrestler), “He wasn’t pushed enough. He should have been pushed off a cliff.”
Words: Gabe Taylor :: Photos: Kevin Westenbarger (*unless noted) Spontaneity can bring us some of our best experiences in life. A random hike up an unnamed powder field, a quick surf before dark or maybe a skate around the neighborhood, all of these can yield some of the most memorable moments in sport. When Oren Tanzer asked me if I’d be interested in helping out with a movie project for Mammoth Mountain, I immediately felt this was one of those spontaneous opportunities that I wouldn’t soon forget. Mammoth has one of the best teams in snowboarding and hands down some of the best terrain in the world; this was the perfect opportunity to showcase both. This year our goal as a film crew was to try and find new jumps to film in the backcountry while still keeping the Unbound Snowboard Park as a solid base of footage for the movie. Snow changes, obviously, weather changes, again, obvious, but the spontaneity needed to change plans and get the job done was one of our crew’s specialties this year in dealing with the unknown.
Gabe Taylor : June Mtn Backcountry
Shayne Pospisil : F.S 3 : Mammoth
Chelone Miller : B.S Rodeo
Lonnie Kauk :: Photo: Peter Morning
Peter Benchetler : F.S Air : Mammoth Backcountry
Mammoth’s new movie, “Another Day in Paradise” will be premiering on Saturday, November 11th and should prove to be a motivating cinematic experience for all of those celebrating the start of a new snow season. Tyler Flanagan, Lonnie Kauk, Shayne Pospisil, Mason Aguire, Clint Alan, Scott Blum, Eddie Wall, Matt Hammer, Greg Bretz, Trevor Jeycob, me - Gabe Taylor, and a slew of some of our most talented friends spent the entire season filming all around the Mammoth area. 2010 was an outstanding snow year in Mono County, so the backcountry footage is top notch and the long spring provided ample opportunities to rack up bangin’ park footage. Mammoth has given us the opportunity to showcase what we do up in these amazing mountains and hopefully the footage gives you a little stoke before you throw your boots on and get ready to go shred your local hill. Make sure to join us for opening weekend November 10th, 11th, 12th, and look for “Another Day in Paradise” which will also be free in the January issue of Snowboarder Magazine. Weaver, Shayne & Gabe
Alex Dawoud : B.S 5
Jared Dawoud : F.S 3 Mammoth Backcountry
Jack Mitrani :: Photo: Peter Morning
Matty Moriarty : 5050
Greg Bretz :: Photo: Peter Morning
Tyler Flanagan :: Photo: Peter Morning
Matt Hammer : B.S 7 Mammoth Backcountry
Greg Bokenkamp : Stale 1
Kalani Robb enjoying a late evening Rocky Point session.
Dolphins playing at Waimea Bay in the summer flat spells.
The Ambassador of Cool..Gavin Beschen
Tourists, can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Words: Jeff Hall Pete Hodgson aka “Flipper” is one of the few true surfing surf photographers. Pete started out on the cover and somehow ended up shooting covers. He has completely structured his life around surfing and has a resume of past job titles to prove it. Lets see, he was an air brush artist, Chart House waiter, firefighter, surf TV show producer/shooter/editor, magazine publisher, and now a surf photographer and POV camera specialist. “Ever since I was 15-years- old, everything I’ve done in life has been influenced by surfing. I’ve always considered myself a surfer first. Nowadays people think of me as a surf photographer and that’s funny to me. I’m still just a surfer,” says Hodgson.
In the early 80’s Pete ran the Sundek team and was responsible for signing Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen and a very young Kelly Slater. “I’ve always been a wicked judge of talent,” Pete says with a grin. At that same time Pete was also a firefighter/ EMT. He actually saved a guy that got hit by lightening surfing at Sebastian Inlet. The dude got bolted during a Stubbies contest and luckily the George brothers located him on the bottom after only a few minutes. Pete performed the CPR jump-start that saved the guys life and then went surfing. A few months later he was awarded the Florida State Firefighter of the year award. As far as his surfing career goes, he was the 1979 US Championships “Iron Surfer” winning three divisions and getting fourth in another. After a little “pro” surfing on the
Nils Schweizer busting big air at Backdoor
Marcus Hickman putting his local knowledge to great use.
Grow my own food in the yard.
Flynn Novak ying high over Rockies
Pipe trail right across the street.
East Coast, he quickly moved inside the surf industry working for Sundek and as a volunteer running the ESA contests to give back to the sport he loves so dearly. In 1985 he packed up, moved to Hawaii and did what he had always done, went surfing. “It’s always been magic to me. I was lucky enough to meet the right people when I got over here. I was surfing Kauai with Titus and Ali Kai and the other islands with the surfers that lived there. It was the best way to surf Hawaii
and I got to know almost all the waves and swell directions they are best on. I only started shooting photos after a rib injury kept me out of the water for a few weeks.” That led to the purchase of an old Miller tripod, Century 650 lens and a Canon T-90. His first photo published was a Pipe water shot of Ronnie Burns with and old Nikonos II. “From that point on I was hooked. It afforded me the means to meet the best surfers and actually get paid to travel with them.” Pete shot still photos for the first five years in Hawaii
Where is JOB? OTW!!.
Bruce Irons in an afternoon Pipe shack.
Danny Fuller loves big Pipe.
Parko spending some time in the shade this summer in Tavarua.
Mason Ho is a new maneuver master.
Yet another job perk.
and eventually moved into shooting High 8. He partnered up with Mark Foo and they created H30TV. In a span of eight years they took their little cable access show to a national spot on Fox and were shooting with a $60,000 Beta SP V camera. After Foo’s tragic death at Mavericks the show unfortunately went off the air and Pete went back to shooting photos again. Never being one to sit idle, Pete is back in the motion world and has dazzled the masses with his incredible on-board cameras. His You Tube clip of Kalani Robb has just eclipsed 850,000 views and his footage has recently been used in one
Kai Barger standing tall.
of GoPro’s national TV spots airing on MTV and FuelTV. Do yourself a favor and Google “Hodgson Hawaii” and check out his YouTube channel. You’ll feel like you just went surfing but this time you’ll actually get barreled. Longevity as a surfer is important to Pete. When asked about his future he says, “My goal is to keep surfing, that’s it, simple. Hopefully I’ll still get in the water on a regular basis.” He will always consider himself 15 going on whatever his age is, as long as he stays in the ocean.
Cory Lopez racking up air miles.
Herbie Fletcher
Mason Ho
Makuakai Rothman
Mark Healy surďŹ ng right out front.
Malia Jones heading out for a Ronnie Bowl session.
Cory Lopez Some old guy testing his GoPro pole mount invention.
Jeff Hurley at Cloudbreak
Sunny Garcia Waimea is a completely different animal in the summer
Interview: Liz McCray Please introduce yourself, name, age, etc? My name’s Brendan Flanagan, I’m 27 and live in Toronto, Canada. Where are you from and currently living? I was born in a town called Fort Smith, in the Northwest Territories. I moved to Toronto about nine years ago and have been making my work here ever since. Will you tell us a little about your upbringing? Yeah, I grew up in a small town, it was also fairly remote. I think the population was about 2000 people. My family moved around a lot when I was bit older, but I think of myself as being from the north. Have you always been interested in painting? Do you have a formal training in art? I’ve always been someone who drew, but I didn’t take the idea of having a career in art seriously until I graduated high school. I remember asking my high school art teacher if she thought I could get into art school, and was surprised that she did. I ended up going to the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto.
the initial stages. It feels like it’s about 30% painting and 70% looking at the painting, thinking about it. How would you describe your art? Can you give a little insight to the characters in your pieces/ subjects? And your stylized technique? Part of what gives the paintings their effect is the loose swirls of paint. I paint the work flat and move it around constantly to create new effects. It’s kind of a strange process, because I’ll work to really get a section “right” and then tilt the board and let the paint fall away, then try and pull the image back together again. I like to have an element of chance, I’m always surprised how much one painting can change direction while I work on it, and another can stay fairly close to my sketches.
What mediums do you work in? I try and use as many different materials as possible. My paintings are mostly acrylic and oil but I draw a lot with ink and brush, and make sculptures out of whatever is in my studio.
What is the sculpture made out of on the cover of your website? And the title of that piece? The sculpture is called Tar Pit. I was really interested in scientific dioramas and wanted to create something that used the false perspective of a diorama, but in my own style of painting. The figure is actually a cast of a friend of mine did with packing tape. I covered him in plastic wrap and then covered the plastic wrap with packing tape. It’s a pretty time consuming casting method, but also very cheap, and I liked the effect of the lines in the casting. The rest was made out of plastic and canvas and then painted with enamel.
How long does it take to create one of your pieces? That’s always a hard question, some pieces come together very quickly, but usually they don’t and there’s a lot of waiting for things to dry and fixing areas I didn’t like in
Where can people check out more of your art? Do you have any upcoming shows? They can check out my website at brendanflanagan. ca and I’ll also be having a show at Angell Gallery this October in Toronto - angellgallery.com.
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NEWPORT CHAMPIONSHIP / ECHO BEACH
Words: Spencer Pirdy :: Photos: Rudy & Sardelis // Echo Beach Champs // 80’s babes // Billy Hopkins // Echo Beach Expression Session // Josh Hoyer // Bob McKnight & Reno Abellira // The boards // Parker McNaughton // Chad Wells // Bobby Okvist // Nick Skawinski
The hottest hundred yards was once again the spot for the 22nd annual Newport Beach Championship. This year, Quiksilver stepped up big to be one of the main sponsors alongside Oakley. Both Saturday and Sunday produced picturesque Newport Beach conditions with air temps in the high 70’s, crystal blue water, and rampy little peaks. Everyone seemed to be getting super into the spirit of the contest with the Echo beach girls sporting their sexy one-pieced 80’s inspired bikinis, all of the groms painting their faces for prizes, and many of the legends taking over and shredding like it was 54th street back in ‘87 again. A boat load of ripping went down with local underdog Eric Heimstead taking down Open Mens, mini-grom Tyler Gunter cleaning up shop with wins in the Elementary and Middle School divisions, and Bobby Okvist’s consistency had him winning the High School division.
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For the first time the “Echo Beach Challenge” was run this year, which had numerous team consisting of one older and one younger surfer for each team. The teams competed in heats where they were scored one wave on their normal modern thruster, and another on a signature Danny Kwock or Jeff Parker inspired twin fin. After the dust settled it was, 15-year old Colin Moran and Huntington Beach’s Quinn McCrystal who edged out team Surfside and walked away with $3,000 for team Rip Curl. The contest was very successful and everyone left the beach that weekend with giant grins. Congrats to the winners and everyone who helped put it on, we’ll see you next year!
WHO IS J.O.B. PREMIERE
Words & Photos: Spencer Pirdy // Jamie O’Brien & Makua Rothman // JOB fan club // Richard & Spides // Joey, Jason, Joe & Gommie // Pierre Andre and Guests // Justin Quirk & Luke Walsh // Lido Theatre // Aaron Leiber & Ian Calderon // Jazzy & John // JOB screenshot // Geoff Moysa
The Lido theatre in Newport Beach was jam packed for the much anticipated world premiere of “Who is J.O.B.?” We all know the Jamie O’Brien who is a Pipe slayer and aerial wizard, but few know of his controversial antics in and out of the water. The movie was almost three years in the making and with Jamie not even having seen the final cut, it had everyone filled with excitement. The red carpet was littered with gorgeous women, industry folk, and other top pros to show their support. From the get go, you could tell that this was not your average surf flick and with straightforward interviews from guys like Bruce Irons, Slater, and Mick O’Brien it made for a very genuine look at who J.O.B. really is. The whole movie had the crowd screaming with approval, with footage from Tahiti, Bali, Mexico, and Pipe. The tunes were great as well which made for fast upbeat section after section. The highlight of the film had to have been the final section at Pipe where Jamie lands unbelievable drop after drop into some of the most cavernous pits anyone has ever made. Possibly the best backside tube riding section EVER! After the premiere everyone seemed to be blown away including JOB, and the good times kept going with everyone heading over to Sole Tech’s owner Pierre Andre’s bayside residence. Red Bull provided stiff drinks as well as some smooth Kona Longboard brews that had the whole party staying loose and wired. As the night wore on it was clear that a lot of people would be calling in sick for work that Friday morning. A great night was had by all, and thanks goes out to Etnies and Red Bull for putting on a mental premiere and after party!
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COMUNE’S SECOND ANNUAL KARLSON TEA PARTY
Photos: Jason Lee Parry, Sean Rosenthal, Mike Quinones // The COMUNE crew // Yoshi Kosaka - Garage Company // Kutty Notebloom - Hippy Killer // Mike Quiones, Corey Smith & Frank Delgadillo // Cole Foster - Salinas Boys // Ian Barry - Falcon // Cole Foster - Salinas Boys // Fashionable Party Goers // Kiyo - Garage Company // Hannah Kim & Friends
Last month Comune hosted their second annual motorcycle and photography show, Karlson Tea Party. Curated by renowned motorcycle journalist Nelson Kanno, exhibiting builders that were hand-picked for their historic influence and inspiration on motorcycle culture for over the past 20-years including: Cole Foster, Ian Barry, Trevelen Rabanal, Kiyo, Kutty Notebloom, and John Edwards. Photography composed by both Adam Wright of “Road Course” and “Hauler” photo zines and Canadian born, skate industry veteran Scott Pommier were also on display. Over 600 motorcycle enthusiasts, industry veterans and fashion savvy aficionados alike were in attendance to check out the artistic wizardry and authentic mechanics of motorcycle culture. Dramatic lighting, groovy tunes and the roar of motorbike after motorbike filled the night air and set the perfect stage for a unique atmosphere while guests enjoyed carne asada by Gringo and The Bean, the bottomless supply of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Dono dal Cielo wine and Vitamin Water. Thanks to everyone that came out for a memorable evening! For additional event photos and video coverage, check out the thecomune.com
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RIP-SHRED-TEAR
Photos: Derek Bahn // The Hindu Pirates // Photos by Devin Briggs // Scotty Stopnik // Chase Stopnik is a Van Creep // Mr. Capt Fin - Mitch Abshere // Thee Cormans // The Crowd // Big Scott and friends // Astist/Surfer Kassia Meador // Thee Cormans and their booking agent // Tugboat Studio’s Nick Corman
RIP-SHRED-TEAR, the new movie by Mitch Abshere and the team at Captain Fin Company, blew into Costa Mesa at Hurley HQ. Featuring art by Mark Choiniere, Devin Briggs, Kassia Meador, Tyler Warren and Nick Simich, the movie wasn’t the only eye candy of the night. The Hindu Pirates had all the kids shaking their rumps and Thee Cormans finished the night off with their mind-numbing brand of surf/garage rock. Special thanks to Hurley, Captain Fin, Monster Energy, Vitamin Water and Vita Coco! For more check out: www.captainfincompany.com www.myspace.com/thehindupirates www.myspace.com/theecormans
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Interview: Max Ritter Yeasayer from Brooklyn, NY consists of Chris Keating, Ira Wolf Tuton, and Anand Wilder. The bunch recently put out what is arguably one of the best records of the year and have quickly amassed a loyal following with their endless devotion to touring. With an eclectic roster of influences and a mission to keep things fresh and different, Yeasayer is turning out some pretty commendable jams. Impatiently craving a new record from one of our latest favorites, BL!SSS rang up front man Chris Keating to catch up. Let’s talk about the latest first… Can you tell us about the new video for “Madder Red,” what is that thing? Is it simply shock value or is there some concept behind the pussy bloody blob and the hot chick?
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We were calling him Bobble. I feel like in terms of the concept, you’d have to talk to Andreas who made it. We definitely like the idea of this out of work actor having this deranged alien they keep in their house as their love interest or their pet. Kind of getting into the reasons why people love pets and their gross obsession with their pets. How did Kristen Bell get in the mix? Yeah I dunno why she agreed to do it. We just wanted to get someone who was a real actor to play an actor. Originally we wanted to get someone from 90210 like Ian Zering or Luke Perry. I think we tried to get in touch with those people and they didn’t want to do it. Maybe they don’t have a good sense of humor or I dunno, maybe they didn’t like the idea of being in a
video or something. But she was down, it was rad, and it worked out pretty well. I’d only seen like one thing she’d done before and I guess I didn’t realize how popular she was. It worked out perfect, she pulled it off. What bands/artists are currently inspiring Yeasayer? What is on the iPod? Been listening to this band called Shriek Bat. They’re from like 1981 or something. They are like a supergroup of some of the dudes from XTC and Gang of Four. I’ve been listening to The Clash lately. I listen to a lot of instrumental beats by Just Blaze. You know… whatever’s on the phone at the time. Yeasayer seems to pride itself on branching out and trying to be
different. How do you continually go about keeping your music fresh and changing? If we are able to do that it’s just because we are a little schizophrenic and we get bored really easily so we are just trying to try out new ideas. We are all big fans of a lot of different kinds of music so you just move from thing to thing and you get inspired by a lot of ideas and different ways of making music. It seems with the last record you’re really starting to walk the line with song work that is more mainstream accessible. With that said, what will the next record sound like? I’ve been excited about doing something a little more ambient and spaced out, but still with a solid low
end that can motivate dancing or whatever. I’m not really sure though until we start working on it. I’ve got some ideas. I won’t really know until we all get together and really get our ideas together. I like some of the ideas we’ve had so far but I’m not exactly sure if I can even say what they are yet.
completely different direction and sort of defy expectations and sort of piss a lot of people off with doing their second record. I think those guys are really creative and some of the best musicians I know and I am always excited about what they do. I think it was a pretty bold move to do what they did.
What is your take on MGMT’s new record? They are friends/ tour mates of yours… After huge success with danceable radio hits and all, they go drop a totally offthe-wall record that’s a lot less pop accessible than their first record… They were in a very extreme version of what we went through. I always knew they would achieve a massive amount of success. I was actually pretty psyched to see them go in a
You’ve worked with some other artists on their records - any more of that in store for the future? Or maybe some side projects? Seems like you all write and there is probably a lot of unused material… We’ll probably do some side projects definitely. Unused material is unused material for a reason. We’ve all been working on other stuff; it’s cool to collaborate with other people when
you can. When it comes up, great. It’s just got to be the right time. Do you guys ever think about producing any other artists or are you waiting for the band to go south? Anand actually produced this band Suckers from NY. He did their EP. He didn’t do their full length. I don’t know if some of the songs from the EP are on the full length. They might be. Yeasayer have been touring nonstop since the bands inception and you are about to be back on the road, are you burnt out/at each others throats/ready to break-up or are you rolling in piles of money from all the recent success? Uhhh, none of the above. (Laughs) Honestly touring is fun. No one is rich
from doing it. I’ve made more money from it than doing anything else, but that doesn’t really say very much. It’s good to take a break from touring for sure. I still like to travel and go to new places and visit the places that are fun that we’ve been to before. What is your favorite place you’ve been on tour? So far… Japan. It’s pretty incredible, exotic, and a very strange place. What next for the Yeasayer bunch? More touring and more touring after that. No, we’re going to start getting in the studio again and start working on some ideas. You know, finishing up some side projects. We’re going to hit South America for the first time playing. That will be great.
Reviews: Max Ritter
The Hundred in The Hands Self-Titled Warp Records
Screaming Females Castle Talk Don Giovanni
Aloe Blacc Good Things Stones Throw
No Age Everything In Between Sub Pop
Staccato guitar riffs over layers of synthesizers and programmed beats make for dance tunes reminiscent of bands like The Rapture and New Young Pony Club. Eleanore Everdell’s evocative voice floats over the industrial sound as she draws you in with her effortless style and charm, nonchalantly enunciating infectious hooks. The songs play with a minor key ambiance that gives them their dark and dreamy edge. A few steezy gems with some Brooklyn swagger.
Matured DIY New Jersey outfit have ripened to flirt with a sound that draws comparison to indiepunk acts like Fugazi. Marissa Paternoster at times sounds like Stevie Nicks belting over Buzzcocks tunes. If you’ve been into Best Coast lately you might be feeling this. Three-piece garage rockers play tight walking bass lines with shredding guitars making for 37 minutes of classy distorted and skuzzy tones to melt your ears.
“I Need A Dollar” is a song fitting for the times. With the CA unemployment rate at an all time high, this is the perfect theme song for those struggling to pay the bills. If you find yourself upon troubled times then try on the soothing 70’s soul sounds of Aloe Blacc. Nothing is more healing than getting toes up and mellowing out to some pretty soul tunes inspired by the likes of Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers. If you score it on vinyl - all the better.
CA’s finest noise rock two-piece solidifies it’s already cult status with another staple record. The key to their success may be their ability to alternate from a sound that is atmospheric and spacey as well as simple and punk. I love how they bailed the loads of reverb on this record after that trend started to get blown out in the lo-fi scene. It makes the whole record a little more clear and accessible than Nouns.
Here We Go Magic Pigeons Secretly Canadian
Rah Digga Classic Raw Koncept
Ted Leo and The Pharmacist The Brutalist Bricks Matador
Yet another praiseworthy band emerging from a flourishing Brooklyn music scene, the album carries a strange mix of folk and electronic textures in an awesome way and a few tracks have a similar vibe to The Dears album “Missiles.” “Collector” and “Land of Feeling” are the tracks that stand out as something special here. The group recently remixed a Local Natives song called “Sun Hands” that is pretty stellar as well.
What if your mom had rhymes that buried some of the best in the game? This momma goes by Rah Digga and she’s no wannabe MC. The veteran Flipmode squad lyricist put that rap game on hold for ten years to raise her child and attend film school and has since returned to her throne as rap’s most outstanding female MC with her new album “Classic.” She hasn’t lost one bit of confidence in her delivery on tracks like “This Aint No Lil Kid Rap,” reviving classic underground boom-bap style with a refreshing twist.
Ted Leo is like the Brett Favre of punk. He is so punk he probably doesn’t know who Brett Favre is. He’s one of the last standing punk veterans; still churning out records and remains relevant with every last one. The politically charged vegan continues his loyalty to his enthusiastic brand of polished catchy rock and he is as good as ever on his latest release.
Bastard Love Child Of Rock N’ Roll Bim Bom EP Self-Released
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This Florida two-piece do mean and heavy delta blues inspired psych rock as well as mix it up with electro funky synthesizers. BLORR bring some solid guitar chops and they don’t lack a sense of humor either. The members have coined themselves with creative tongue twisting monikers: Cookie SugarHips & Hot Damm Sweet Huckleberry Winn. Word on the block is they have been making a name for themselves lighting up venues far and wide with their sweaty high-energy live shows opening for some of the best in the business. Be the first kid in gym class to get on the band’s wagon.
AGE: 17 HOMETOWN: EWA BEACH, OAHU SPONSORS: BILLABONG, VON ZIPPER, LOCAL MOTION, ETNIES, BLACKLINE. VERTRA AND FUTURE FINS FAVORITE SURFERS: ANDY IRONS, JORDY SMITH AND SUNNY GARCIA
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S M Y: O B R D G E S RESENT S S ! L P B
Photo: Kenworthy
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AGE: 15 HOMETOWN: SANDY, UTAH SPONSORS: OSIRIS, B.C SURF & SPORT, POWELL, DESTRUCTO, X BALM, MONSTER, BONES, OGIO FAVORITE SKATERS: ANDREW REYNALDS, PAUL RODRIGUEZ Feeble Transfer :: Photo: Ortiz
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Saturday December 18th, 2010 Bear Mountain Resort, CA Come celebrate the unveiling of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winning feature from the Design Unlikely Featureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contest. Ride the new feature, enter the contest or just come hang out for the day and enjoy the festivites.
For more info log on to analogclothing.com
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