BL!SSS Magazine | December 2012 | #64 by Blisss Mag

OUTERWEAR FROM WATER EVAN GEISELMAN/PHOTO OWEN

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

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D A N N Y D AV I S

design unlikely futures / analogclothing.com

Check out Danny in

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photos by Adam Moran

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L O C A T I O N / F I J I

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B A L A N C E

R V C A . C O M

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JOHAN STUCKEY

Featured Items – Isaac Tee – David Pant

Photo by Garric Ray // Back 180 nosegrind

Photo by Jon Coulthard

// USA www.thecomune.com www.change-comune.com instagram@comune

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Artist: Jay Howell

WeActiv is t D ANIJEL ‘JU G G A’ STANK OVI C S H OT AT G A M L A U G G L A N, S TO C K H O L M B Y G IOVA NNI R E D A

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WWW.EZEKIELUSA.COM INSTAGRAM: EZEKIELCLOTHING

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E Z E K I E L U S

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I S N O W

PPY DAYS!

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E DITOR-IN-CHIEF nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com

E DITOR

joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com

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

ASSISTANT EDITOR spencer pirdy spencer@blisssmag.com

EDITOR AT L ARGE liz rice mcCray liz@blisssmag.com

SKATE EDITOR

chris ortiz chris@blisssmag.com

SNOW ED ITOR jon francis jon@blisssmag.com

MUSIC ED ITOR max ritter max@blisssmag.com

ADVER TISING ads@blisssmag.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jason Kenworthy, Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom Carey, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran, Dave Nelson, Pat Eichstaedt, Julien Lecorps, Ryan Boyes, Zach Hooper, Tim Peare, Michael Lallande, Bob Plumb, Peter Morning, Bryce Kanights, Arto Sarri, Anthony Acosta, Cameron Strand, Brian Fick, Deville Nunns, Gage Thompson

CONTRIBUTOR S

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

Go to RAEN.com to download the film

BL!SSS Magazine 413 31st Street

DEC 2012

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.

Artist: Jay Howell

If your favorite shop isn’t receiving BL!SSS Magazine please contact info@blisssmag.com

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JUSTIN VAN HOY Last week our dear friend Justin Van Hoy passed away. Justin was an amazing soul and an inspiration to many people in the art community. He touched the lives of so many people. He was the heart and soul to This Gallery in LA, which he helped start and put on many great shows that supported emerging artists. Justin was well known for promoting others instead of advancing his own career. He has a long list of accomplishments and contributed to many inﬂuential projects, brands and people’s lives. We thank Justin for his contributions to BL!SSS Magazine… really there are no words to express our sadness, you will be missed tremendously. We send our love to his wife Holly, his family and his hundreds of friends.

HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF T’S Super Storm Sandy leveled parts of the northeast, and many of the communities affected are still sifting through what’s left of demolished homes and businesses. Hurley has joined forces with Waves 4 Water to release a line of Hurricane Sandy Relief T-shirts, and 100% of the proceeds from the sales of these shirts will be going to the W4W Hurricane Sandy Relief Initiative that consists of relentless ﬁrst responding, rubble removal and rebuilding. There is no doubt that these communities can and will rise again to what they once were, but not without the help and donations from people all over. Do your part and visit wavesforwater.org to make a donation, or go to hurley. com to buy a shirt and help in the Hurricane Sandy Relief Initiative.

DRAGON ADVANCED PROJECTS Dragon Optics has adopted a new slogan, and that slogan is: Less Is More. We’d have to agree with this slogan after seeing some of their new products, including their all-new Advanced Projects X snow goggle. These are some of the ﬁnest goggles to hit the snow market. They come with lenses that feature maximum peripheral vision, easily interchangeable, have a secure lens lock system and contain armor-plated venting. They deﬁnitely have covered all of the bases with these goggles. But then again, when you have the likes of Luke Mitrani and Gigi Ruf doing R&D all over the world for you, innovation comes easy. Check these goggles and more from Dragon out at dragonalliance.com.

GIVIN TOO The masterminds behind Givin have just come out with a second installment to their collection, Too. Too is a movie that vividly depicts all the fun there is to be had in the sport of snowboarding, and it shows just how wildly talented the Givin crew really is. Everything from the smooth soundtrack and the insane backcountry powder riding to full assaults on deathdefying rails are on display in this ﬁlm. We must warn everyone though, do not watch this video unless you are about to go ride, otherwise you’ll have enough pent up excitement to shoot you through a roof. Of course a big congratulations goes out to Directors/ Editors Aaron Hooper and Brock Nielsen and Producer, as well as our very own snow editor, Jon Francis on creating another piece of snow cinema gold. Get yourself a copy of Too at all ﬁne boarding shops today and enjoy the winter!

THRILLS EYEWEAR Coming as no shock to us, our boy Brooke McGregor of the Byron Bay-based company THRILLS has just launched his new Spring/ Summer 2013 collection of sunglasses. When he’s not starting brawls in the streets, this is what Brooke does – make sunglasses. Many of you will remember him from back in this Sabre days, but if you haven’t familiarized yourself with his new company THRILLS do so now at thrills.co. They’re making the badass street bikes, clothing, cycles and now sunglasses – you won’t be disappointed.

FREAK TRACTION

Everyone likes a good freak show from time to time, and anyone who has spent time in the water on the East Coast knows that Matt Kechele is just that – a freak show. He’s been punting airs, weaving through barrels and blowing minds for decades now, and he shows no signs of slowing down. When out of the water he’s been quite a busy man as well, ﬁne-tuning and growing his company Freak Traction. He’s been promising ad dollars for a few seasons and we thought this little shameless plug on how killer his traction is might help expedite the process. Kechele sent us a care package this past month with a handful of pads (Phantom II & Peter Mendia – featured) and a few of his leashes. His traction is quite a bit thinner than others out there and combines his idea of Posi + Grip traction for a lighter, superior tail pad with all the grip. Thanks for the goodies, Kech. Get yours at ﬁner retailers or freakinfo.com.

HEINEKEN X MARK MCNAIRY Each year Heineken selects a tastemakers/inﬂuencers to be part of their elite “Heinelen 100” program. These 100 make up Heineken’s “Man of the World Platform” – which, we imagine entitles them to free beer, special party invites and a handful or so of other privileges. Just recently Heineken announced a partnership with LA-based retail store Union and designer Mark McNairy, where they released a McNairy classic saddle shoe dressed in all-black leather, accented with white laces and topped off with Heineken’s Kelly green sole. Pretty snazzy stuff, and we’re still waiting for our call from the Dutch brewing company.

CHICO’S PICO Ever had chips and salsa so good that you can pretty much make a meal out of it? Well, we have, and the salsa that blew our minds was Chico’s. Chico’s Pico is fresh blending salsa that comes with authentic Mexican taste. They blend bright Roma tomatoes that are hand picked from the San Joaquin Valley and add cilantro and peppers with the perfect amount of garlic and spices to come up with a heavenly array of salsas for your taste buds to indulge. We were given the Hot, Mild and Mango Papaya flavors to taste out, and believe us when we say that all of the lunchtime dishes at the office now revolve around Chico’s salsa. These guys have their recipe dialed, and even the Anaheim Angels have endorsed them as the team’s salsa of choice. Log onto chicospico.com to find out more about this amazing salsa, or head to your local Sprouts and pick some up today.

FAMOUS BOARD BAGS

Our very favorite wax manufacturer and owner, Sam Sciortino, swung by our headquarters again this past month and laced us up with one of their new-to-themarket board bags. Not only do they have the best wax available, but the boys at Famous Wax are now producing top-ofthe-line board bags as well. They’ve got two editions available to the market right now, the Timmy Curran model and the Figueroa. Both of these day bags have the capabilities of ﬁtting up to two boards (ﬁnless) per bag and come with all the bells and whistles one could want. They’re just perfect for those trips to Mex, Tavi, Indo or wherever your budget can get ya. We’re stoked to see these guys venturing into new accessories, and Sam tells us he’s got a couple more tricks up his sleeve. We’ll keep ya posted. 32

DC X TROY LEE DESIGNS DC and Troy Lee Designs are teaming up to bring us all a couple of exciting collaborations. The ﬁrst two collaborations have been designed and inspired by motocross athletes Robbie Maddison and Jeremy McGrath. Robbie’s gear is designed to go with his own helmet and bike and features Troy Lee design’s lightweight GP gear. McGrath’s collection features bright colors and is part of the SE Pro gear from Troy Lee Designs’ high-end vented line. Each athlete’s collaboration is just a taste of what’s to come in 2013 between DC and Troy Lee Designs, so keep your eye out for much more. Head on over to dcshoes.com/moto for more information.

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ETNIES X SHECKLER

Ryan Sheckler has been blowing minds on a skateboard for as long as we can remember. He’s had his fair share of signature shoes over the years, but this time around Etnies and Sheckler really have come up with something special. The Marana is Sheckler’s new signature shoe from Etnies, and it takes durability to a whole new level. Ryan has no time to be switching from shoe to shoe with his busy traveling schedule, so he’s given the public what they’ve always wanted – a good-looking, long-lasting shoe. The Marana comes in Ryan’s signature red color way, features a custom “RS” logo stamped on the footbed, and each piece of the shoe was carefully constructed with all-day skate sessions in mind. Ryan Sheckler was born to skate and so was the Marana.

SUNNY SHINES The Hawaiian season is now in full swing, and one of the first big contests of the North Shore season has taken place – The HIC Pro at Sunset. Fun waves were on tap the whole event, and many of the world’s top competitors lit up the ever-shifty playing field of Sunset Beach. The real story of the event came from Hawaiian powerhouse Sunny Garcia. Sunny, at age 42, has long been regarded as one of the most powerful surfers to ever grace the ranks of professional surfing. Sunny used local knowledge and a deadly forehand to carve his way from the early rounds all the way to the final day where he took top honors, claiming yet another win at Sunset and reminding us all that age is just a number. Look for Sunny to make a charge for his 7th Triple Crown title this year, and don’t be surprised to see him putting on legendary performances when the waves get serious.

ARNETTE 20th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION The early ‘90s were a great time for action sports and for the folks at Arnette, who had just begun launching game-changing shades like the Catfish. The Catfish from Arnette embodied what action sports was all about – style and progression. This year Arnette will be celebrating its 20th anniversary, and in doing so they will be reintroducing the Catfish shade in four iconic color ways – gloss black, vintage Havana, trippy inked green, and of course ‘90s soaked silver with a red mirror lens. They’re also enclosing the shade in a custom lunchbox that comes with goodies that are symbolic to the life and times of the glory days. Hurry up and get searching because the Catfish is available in extremely limited quantities. In fact, your best bet is to visit arnette.com to find out where this lifelong legend of a shade can be found.

TEA IN THE WOODS Our newfound friend Zac Schafer dropped by the BL!SSS ofﬁce this past month with goodies in hand and the Tea in the Woods message to spread. Tea in the Woods is a brand that epitomizes world travel and the experiences and subtle gifts one can acquire along the way. Just take a quick glance at some of the Tea in the Woods line and you’ll immediately be able to see how they are beginning to distinguish themselves among elite clothing movements everywhere. Zach got us all decked out with plenty of stylish T’s and even some practical items like their Tea Cooler and El Campo Notebook. We predict big things to come from these guys and can’t wait to test out our new gear. For more updates from the Tea crew, go to teainthewoods.com. 34

NEW YEARS PROM

Well, if you haven’t figured it out by now, Canyon Lodge at Mammoth Mountain is the place to be on New Year’s Eve. Not only are you guaranteed a bitchin’ time shredding on California’s finest mountain but the nightlife is outright epic. For the last two years yours truly has sponsored the event, and we gotta say it has just got bigger and better each year. This year will not disappoint as the prom-themed party is set to kick-off at 9 p.m. with performances by Duffle Bag Divas, Sex Panthers and Imagine Dragons. The celebration lasts ‘til the wee hours and sells out every year so get your ticket today at mammothmountian.com.

WELCOME MATT MENDENHALL

THE CHINO PANT pandora pant / / @mattmendenhall / / photo: @elyphoto / / @splitclothing / / facebook.com/splitclothing / / splitusa.com

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People with raw talent and good work ethic seem to succeed at whatever projects or companies they undertake. Combine this with the pure desire for what you’re actually creating, as well as manufacturing based entirely in America, and you have the credo of the men behind the shoe company Broken Homme. Founders of the brand and diehard boots-men, Josh Johnson and Jim Leatherman are doing what they love and are doing it well. It’s been almost exactly one year since the two split from their former jobs and they’ve just released their very first collaboration. For this project they’ve teamed up with none other than the Leatherman Tool Company and are offering two silhouetted, limited edition, military green boots that come with a co-branded Leatherman & Broken Homme multitool. It’s a pretty awesome accomplishment for a first-time collaboration. One of the main things that draws us to the brand is the fact that they are 100% entirely manufactured right here in the good old U.S. of A. – Los Angeles, to be exact. When speaking to Josh about why they didn’t outsource it became quite clear that he’s a true believer in domestic production and that he would never sacrifice quality, functionality or style by shipping his lovechild overseas, especially just to save a few bucks. It’s ethics like these that make Broken Homme a must-have boot for every shoe aficionado. Though just emerging on the market, look for plenty more awesome collaborations with the Broken Homme crew, as this brand grows into what will surely be your favorite shoe company. Product is available now at American Rag, Pipers Shoe Parlor, Douglas Fir Feet, Covert and Port in Long Beach. Also, be sure to check out their entire collection at brokenhomme.com

Words: Cory “Core Dog” Newton The former co-creators and inspiration for GONZ and Warriors of Radness, The Brothers Marshall have something new and totally their own. Shamelessly named The Brothers Marshall, the clothes are a blastastic ‘80s/’90s beach vibe mainlining surf culture with heavy doses of stoke. Where someone else would draw the line, TBM strips naked and runs ass ﬁrst over it! The Brothers Marshall are Vals laying claim to Malibu Beach, continually gaining inspiration from tubes, doobs and boobs. Doesn’t get much better than that. Set it and shred it.

Contrary to popular belief, you guys are heterosexual? We started the Gay and Lesbian Surf Association (GLSA)! You can clearly see what breed of human we prefer in the sack at brothersmarshall.com.

So what makes each one of the Brothers Marshall unique individuals? We are each different and the same in many ways. We are kinda like WuTang – we form like Voltron. Just go to brothersmarshall.com if you don’t believe me.

Hollister was recently named the #1 surf brand in terms of proﬁtability. What’s your opinion on this and what is the primary concept behind BM? Funny you ask that, Hollister was created for Ambercrombie by our longtime bro from the beach Juan Moss. His inspiration, proposal, and vibe was all taken from our friends at First Point, Malibu. Crazy to think that a bunch of kooks from Malibu could create the biggest surf brand in the world. Go to brothersmarshall.com and see what I’m talking about.

Aside from the obvious surf-related context that this interview might elude to, what outside forces inspire you to be creative in surﬁng, your personal lives and your line? Great question Cory, I’m glad you asked that. If you go to brothersmarshall.com you will soon realize the answer to that

Valley Pride, can you expand on this? Is there something we need to know about your past, and what does this has to do with LA surf culture? Valley Pride has everything to do with it. It’s an ongoing cycle in LA. In the ‘40s and ‘50s there were no real locals.

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deep, insightful question.

There were guys from all over LA making the trek up there to shred First Point. I think Quigg, Kivlin and those guys were the ﬁrst generation to really hold the point down. Then the groms were Dora, Tubesteak and the shack crew that I think started the whole Val thing when the surf explosion happened in the ‘60s. But if you read interviews they loved dudes from the Valley before because they would bring beer and food down to make nice with them. Later on in the ‘70s and ‘80s the No Val thing was in full swing. But nowadays in LA it’s a bunch of rich people that can’t surf that so badly want to be considered a “local.” We say fuck that. “VALLEY PRIDE,” you can see this at brothersmarshall.com.

holes backspin hook. He’s the all-around silent killer – our sniper/ace in the hole. You have to check this photo he just posted at brothersmarshall.com!

Did you guys buy a Valley House? Not yet, we will have one there soon. One day it will be a museum like the beach boys house in Hawthorne. You can see that we are looking for one at brothersmarshall.com.

Who are your favorite surfers as of recent? Andy Lyon, Josh Farberow, Kio, Brandon Hern, Jordan Tappis, Lil’ Wave Killa Colton Sarlo, Steve Baker, Mikey and Gabe, Donnie Wilson, Rick Massie, Keegan going left in indo, SURF One, Pascal, Dane Renyolds cutback in Hawaii, Glen Kenndy, Anthony Petruso… Oh, and Dillon Perillo (pro surfer). You can see them all on brothersmarshall.com.

You’re Vals so are you good bowlers? I’m (Trace) below average. I have my sets… Chad, he is good at everything he does, but Derek J. is the ace in the hole when it comes to handling the lanes. He’s got that crazy no ﬁngers in the

Why do you guys throw such good dance parties? Our black lesbian aunt taught us. Look at the last dance party we had at brothersmarshall.com. Sex or tube rides? We love penetrating toobs, getting super deep and coming from behind. Chad got so deep in his last man-on-man heat last week he came out but pounded super hard on the inside. You can watch the video at brothersmarshall.com.

Thanks, bros. Go to brothersmarshall.com and buy some gear! Also, follow them on Instagram @brothers_marshall

Interview: Kelly Shannon Very few have a talent so extraordinary to be able to look, touch, and feel a structure and then turn it into something completely unique. Italian sculptor Daniele Papuli has this ability, this rare talent, and his experimentation has turned him into a sculptor of paper. Despite the slight language barrier, read our conversation about his uncommon craft. How did you get into this type of sculpture? It’s so unusual. I tried many different materials, such as stone, wood, plaster, unconsciously following a route, a continual passage from gravity to the lightness of the form, from the solidity of the matter to its ductility. According to the way of “making,” which pertains to sculptors, excavating and ‘removing’ the volumes grew thinner and thinner, through

forms in resin, worked out in large bidimensional surfaces. At last I reached paper, paper handling. What do you want people who see your work to take away from it and/ or what do you want them to learn from you? Owning a paper sculpture is to have something that changes, and changes as you. The paper is changing; change the color and dresses of the atmosphere around it, as well as its owner. On paper, sculpture reads his age is not eternal, as is nothing in this world. The installations also tell this process and the wonder of being able to create great scenes with a subject now forgotten, but now all the rage. What’s your general creation process? Do you know what you are

going to create before you start, or does it just happen as you start working on it? The process of creation is free, it happens that I start from a speciﬁc project or sometimes I get lost in this area and establish a dialogue. There is a plot, however, that unites all the research and is made of passages and trials. So tell us, how do you sculpt with paper? I resolve ‘to build’ a shape, choosing the sheet of paper as unit of measure; I was fascinated by light and thick textures, by the structural potentialities of surfaces, by this matter - alive, vibrating, changeable. A matter characterized by a physical, tactile pleasure apparently hidden in its more usual shape, ﬂat and bi-dimensional, committed to its color

and grain. What sparks your creativity? I’m most inspired from my own world of visions and culture; I come from the south of Italy, Salento, a little region of Puglia, where color, light, landscape, wind, and emotions are very strong, and I can say they have taken root in me. The sunlight blinds as it breaks and cuts everything, so as the wind that moves the grains and creates cuts and shadows in a ﬁeld. I have chosen a subject so fragile, precarious, ephemeral, yet strong and ancient as paper. And it amuses me; I live for this. I love to listen to jazz, orchestras, and bands in the country of my south. This also comes through in my work as rhythm, frequency, melody, and harmony. To see more of Daniele Papuli’s work, be sure to check out danielepapuli.net.

Words: Jacob Magraw I live on a tiny island at the top of Pudget Sound, the very northwest corner of the country. Our cabin, built in the ‘50s, faces north and looks out at the Boundary Pass and the shipping channel between Vancouver and Victoria. Container ships chug past under the shadow of Saturna, the island that is our closest neighbor. The side of Saturna we see is almost unpopulated. The entire island, the least populous of BC’s Gulf Islands, claims 350 residents. The island my grandparents moved to in the early ‘50s, where I chopped the wood, today has a population of around 100 fulltime residents. It’s hard to get a ﬁxed number since people tend to come and go. The demanding lifestyle and lack of employment make it hard to remain for long stretches. Many people come only in the summer and account for the wealthier set of inhabitants. In the winter there are weeks when you see and hear no one.

The last store closed in the ‘40s but you can still buy stamps at the post office. People farm and build and work at the school. The school is a one-room building with anywhere from 20 to six kids attending grades K-8th. There are few artists and none that show work outside the Pacific Northwest. There are no paved roads, no ferry services, no electric infrastructure, other utilities or official government presence other than our postmaster. It is a place of crushing beauty, covered with forests of Cedar and Doug Fir, varying from swamps and mountainous cliffs, all protected by natural borders of water that keep many invasive plants and animals away. There are no deer or other larger mammals. We have cats and rats and rabbits but mostly birds. It is a close community of people who rely on each other to make life on the island work. I paint landscapes with gouache on

paper. Most paintings are vibrant slices of earth, the scale of which is left up to the viewer. Figures rarely appear, but their presence is everywhere. Tools, monuments, and shelters litter the paper. Each piece is drawn ﬁrst in pencil to work out form and perspective before it is colored in. The paintings are small and detailed. By keeping each piece small (approx. 12”x10”) I’m able to cover more ground but retain a level of detail that’s central to the feeling of the work. The individual sizes are less important than the volume of total work. I see the entirety of my work as a catalog, a collection of impressions gathered from a fathom physical world. Each piece takes from one to six months to ﬁnish. Most of that time is spent painting. The pencil drawing that forms the skeleton of each piece goes fairly quickly. This is the act of building information; I see it as sort of a history for the object. Sometimes

it’s a geological history or the history of humanity playing in nature. Either way, I feel there is narrative proposed to the drawing. Reference, when it is used, is spliced and collaged, and the source material is obvious in the pencils. They form a context for the object. The painting obscures this context. I use small brushes and mix color before every stroke. I’m seeking to keep the colors, even if they are intense, unified. The beauty of the materials, paper, gouache, and sometimes dry pastel, are suited to the seductive quality I want in the work. When I start a piece I think of the fun of being a landscape painter, to record places and relay warnings. People dance and march through in these lands, fighting or taking off their clothes. Each figure absorbed or abandoned by the future of the lands they walk upon. To check out more work from Jacob Magraw, go to jacobmagraw.com.

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Photo: Dominic Santos

Part gypsy and part cowgirl, Duende Creations, the jewelry line by local artist Christina Atkinson, encapsulates the spirit of the drifter, the nomad, the roamer, and the seeker that lives in all of us. Although in many, that spirit lies dormant. Duende seeks to awaken that spark within each of us, which drives us to seek out and discover new lands, vistas, and cultures. From her many travels to distant lands, particularly Spain and

Romania, Christina was struck by the beauty and chaos found within gypsy and nomadic cultures: The vibrant colors, the organic elements, the shiny metallic instruments, the hum and pulse of their clandestine lives, ever moving, searching, and always bringing song and dance with them wherever the road leads.

over them while they dance. Its roots go as far back as the Moorish times; who, when they invaded ancient Spain, brought with them their African dances. They used to chant while they danced, the word “Allah, Allah, Allah,” Arabic for God. The gypsies adopted this and later it was transformed into their trademark “Olé, Olé, Olé.”

The word “duende” is a Spanish word often used by ﬂamenco It is the Duende inside them that dancers to describe a distinct moves them to acknowledge and feeling or experience that washes revere the divine within, who gives

the beautiful gift that allows us to create music and dance. Duende transcends all cultural boundaries as a uniquely human/divine connection experience, which although difficult to define, is perhaps the most profound thing in this life you may find. To see more Duende Creations, please check out duendevida. tumblr.com or shop at etsy.com/ shop/duendecreations.

Photography: Dominic Petruzzi :: dominicpetruzziphoto.com :: Model: Beth

Beth is a small-town girl from Ohio with big-time ambitions, an irresistible gaze and a ﬁgure that can wreak havoc. We’re talking “falling off the treadmill” or “crashing your car from being distracted by how hot she is” havoc. Please remember to play it safe this holiday season and do not, under any circumstances, distract yourself with Super Taste Beth’s beauty while operating a vehicle or any other type of heavy machinery… it could end badly. Enjoy the holidays and consider this picture of Beth as our gift for you to safely savor. Makeup: Lauren Breedon :: laurenbreedon.com:: Retouch: JasonSchorle.com

Wilko

Wilko & Taj

Words: Spencer Pirdy :: Photos: Courtesy of ©ASP The Cold Water Classic was an event that had been ushered onto the 2012 World Tour schedule with an asterisk next to it. Was it a reliable venue? Would the Lane offer the world’s best a canvas on which they could unleash raw, next-level surﬁng or was it just a phony qualifying series knockoff? A safe bet for O’Neill that would most likely end up with a few rounds being held at Waddell Creek? Well, all skepticism aside, Santa Cruz delivered. Sure, there were a few early round heats held in less-than-stellar conditions, but that’s status quo for just about anywhere on tour. It was hard to pinpoint a winning recipe from the beginning, and upsets and close calls were common in rounds two and three. In round two Julian, John John, Mick and event wild card Jason “Ratboy” Collins went down. Ratboy kept things close with Kelly, but he just couldn’t muster up enough local magic to edge him by the world number two. Mick’s loss all but sidelined him from the world title race, and now his only shot is a Hail Mary performance in Hawaii with Kelly and Parko losing early on

and Mick having to win Pipe. The Lane was causing a stir amongst the world’s surfing elite. In round three Jordy Smith was sent packing by Raoni Monteiro who was firing on all cylinders. Hometown favorite Nat Young’s quest for a second CWC title was cut short by Parko, and then came the heavily debated Dusty/Kelly matchup. With 30 seconds left in their heat, needing a 9.34, Dusty sped down the line on a waisthigh right and launched a massive, inverted frontside air reverse. The air was a last-ditch effort and shouldn’t have been pulled, but somehow Dusty rode out of it cleanly. Dusty’s hands raised up as he stared toward the judges as if to say “Show me the score!” The crowd erupted with cheers and even Parko started to nibble on his fingernails excitedly in the hopes that Kelly had been knocked out. Then came the score – 8.27. Kelly walked quietly off the rocks like someone who had just gotten away with murder. If Kelly had been in the same situation Dusty was, you can almost be assured that the champ would have been

Taj

given the 9.34 for such a critical maneuver. Then again, as we’ve seen in the past, when dealing with Kelly you can never leave it to the judges to do decide who will emerge victorious. The ﬁnal rounds saw classic fall conditions as a groomed northwest swell greeted surfers for the last two days. Kelly went down to Adriano in a slow round 5 heat, leaving Parko with an opportunity to distance himself in the ratings from Slater. Unfortunately for Parko he was stopped short in the quarters by the man who always seems to be playing giant killer – Travis Logie. Logie was one of the few surfers in the event who seemed to be conﬁdent in his

Michel Bourez

Travis Logie

CJ Hobgood

Raoni

Taylor Knox

approach on the rights at the Lane. His backhand surfing was fast and on rail, but in the semi’s Travis fell victim to bad wave selection and Taj Burrow’s blistering forehand jabs. In the other semi it was the Spartan, Michel Bourez, who had one of the best turns of the event with a forehand gaff that sent shockwaves toward the Channel Islands and the funniest man in professional surfing Matt Wilkinson. There is nothing funny about Matt Wilkinson’s backhand though – it’s absolutely devastating. Wilko seemed to get better heat after heat at the Lane. His vertical attack of the hard-toread walls that the Lane offered was nothing short of brilliant. Before we knew it the final was set and all the Australians were rejoicing with their good fortune, with Johnny Gannon in Taj’s corner and Wilko’s robust lookalike Fletch in his own. In the final both

Parko

Alejo Muniz

The next stop is Pipeline, where the World Title will be decided. Here’s how things can play out: If Parko gets a 13th, 9th or 5th, then Slater can win the title with a 5th or better. If Parko finishes equal 3rd, then Slater can win with an equal 3rd or better. And finally, if Parko gets 2nd at Pipe then Slater would have to win the event to take the title. Remember, Mick Fanning still has an outside chance, but he needs Parko and Kelly to lose early and then Mick would have to win the Pipe Masters. Pipeline is unpredictable and as we saw in Santa Cruz upsets are not uncommon, especially when you’re dealing with Pipeline specialists in your heat. Tune in for what could be a legendary finish to the season!

Dusty Payne

Slater & Belly

Taj and Wilko looked on point in their opening rides. Both earned 7s for their efforts and the heat was pretty much deadlocked most of the way, but then Wilko was left needing a 5.9 with only seconds remaining. A wave from the heavens appeared and Wilko took off. First was a slight check turn through a wonky section and then came the money turn, a giant 12 o’clock crack off the top. All he had to do was finish this one off now. Wilko went up for the third and final maneuver but was left with an awkward dismount. He came down only to lose his rail and be engulfed by whitewater. That was it and his score came up less than half a point short. After taking an unwanted hiatus from the podium, Mr. Taj Burrow was back on top and was crowned winner of the Cold Water Classic. For Wilko, a second-place finish is nothing to be ashamed of, but you could see the visible frustration and anguish on his face after the final, and understandably so as the trophy barely slipped through his hands. Nevertheless, you can bet that Wilko washed away his sorrows with some heavy Aussie drinking and Wilkoesque debauchery later that night.

Medina

Slater Julian & Wilko

Nat Young

Brandon Lillard & Pat Gudauskas

Nat Young

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SUMMERTEETH.COM

11/19/12 11:18 AM

Matt Mendenhall : F.S 5050 Hubba

Photos: Ortiz In early June the World Industries crew – that included Andrew Cannon, Anthony Shetler, Matt Williams, Timmy Knuth, Matt Mendenhall, Chris Ortiz and myself – embarked on our latest journey out to the Midwest. The plan was to spend a week in Minneapolis to ﬁlm, shoot photos, and show our support for the “King of the Groms” ﬁnals hosted by 3rd Lair Skatepark. Instead of writing a “standard trip article” about our recent Midwest journey, I thought it would be better told by the guys who were on the trip since I was going to be judging the contest and missing out on the street skating missions. I have been out to Minneapolis a handful of times and always look forward to some great Vegan food and the skate spots. Here’s the rest of the story from everyone else’s viewpoint. - Charlie Thomas

Anthony Shetler MN was sick! We skated 3rd Lair Skatepark and were in town for “The King of the Groms” finals that the park throws. There were so many little dudes killing it! We also stopped by Familia Skate Shop that is owned by my good buddy Steve Nesser. His shop is sick and has everything you could ever want a skate shop to have. Steve was rad enough to let us skate the Familia headquarters, which is the Midwest equivalent to the Berrics. It was amazing! On top of all that we skated some amazing street spots with the help of Jack Olsen. MN has so many street spots it’s unbelievable. All in all, MN was epic and we had an awesome crew of people and skated our faces off. I’ll go back any time. Matt Williams Upon finding out that we would be traveling out to the Midwest for a 10-day trip I got really excited. It’d be my first legitimate trip with the World crew, so my hopes were high. I said to myself, how could this not be an amazing time? With the likes of Anthony Shetler, Andrew Cannon, Matt Mendenhall, Timmy Knuth, Charlie Thomas and photographer Chris Ortiz, this should be a no brainer. My bags were packed, batteries charged, and a fresh board ready, I was in my car heading down to Long Beach to stay the night at Matt Mendenhall’s house. Arriving at Matt’s house I struggled to find parking and finally slugged all my gear into his family room, where I found him all nice and cozy with a bottle of wine to start a little pre-trip goodness. We both realize that we can drink that wine fairly quick, so we agree that an added tall can wouldn’t hurt. Next thing I know the juices start flowing through me and while walking back from the corner store I ask Matt if he can hold my beer so I can take a piss in this alley way. Then bam! I’m getting pushed from behind falling into my own piss and getting cuffed by Long

Braden Stelma : 540

Andrew Shetler : K-Flip Gap Board

Beach’s finest. The cop throws me in the car, no seatbelt on and races down the street to catch up to Matt, where he promptly slams on the breaks, which forces my face to meet the metal grate of a squad car. I see scuffling from outside and the door opens to a ripped shirt Mendenhall. Thirty-six hours, two expired burritos, one missed flight and all of about three hours of sleep later I finally see how wonderful a blue sky is. With a new flight booked I’m finally on my way through the terminal with a lot less hopes than I originally had. I get swooped up by Charlie Thomas who is eagerly holding his phone up to snap a photo of me and saying, “The trip is going to be called the Minnesota Jail Break Trip.” With a smile on my face Charlie tells me that there is a group of Norwegian chicks staying in the apartment above us, which later on turned into me clocking in not one night of staying in our own apartment. My hopes and excitements were back to 100% and the trip was officially on for me.

Timmy Knuth : Hardﬂip

Now if you have ever seen the movie Twins, which stars Arnold Schwarznagger and Danny DeVito, you’ll know how much this movie and

the Twin Cities have in common. Minneapolis is like Arnold in the movie, the huge dude who is kind hearted trying to ﬁnd his twin; whereas DeVito is the tiny, small-time crook being St. Paul. What I really mean by that is, and by all m e a n s St. Paul is awesome but, every time we went there we either got rained on, there was something up with the spots, or we just got plain kicked out. St. Paul just really stole our time like how DeVito would steal your credit card. The best thing in my eyes that came out of St. Paul was on the drive back to pick up Charlie from judging the King of the Groms contest at 3rd Lair. Somehow Mendenhall spotted these chicks raging in a convertible Mustang ﬂying down the freeway. So we did what any other van full of dudes would do – we sped up next to them to see what the deal is. Without hesitation, shirts were up and some humongous boobs were being exposed in 80 mph conditions. Fast forward to the end of the trip. Everyone had stacked a solid amount of footage, no injuries occurred, and

Andrew Cannon : Blunt

everyone had a great time. We all probably weighed 10 pounds lighter f r o m sweating so much in the humidity though, but that’s still a plus. All in all for my ﬁrst time being in Minnesota it will be a very memorable one. Minneapolis is littered with amazing architecture and was easily the cleanest city I’ve ever been too. I always tell myself if the local beer is great then the city won’t fail. As Arnold said, “I’LL BE BACK!” Matt Mendenhall I ﬁrst heard of the trip to Minneapolis a few weeks before the actual trip. I was super excited knowing that I’ve never been to the Midwest. About a week before the date of departure, I wanted to take it easy on the streets at home so I could feel as fresh as could be for the trip, but there was one trick I had in mind that I wanted to handle before I left. The day before we had to be at the airport I drove to LA to meet Matt Williams to get it. Long story short, I got the trick and we headed back to Long Beach to get ready for the trip the next

morning. We ended up having some drinks and keeping it mellow at my house. After everyone had gone home for the night, Matt and I decided to grab a few tall boys down the street to bring home before we passed out. We never made it back home. Matt decided he had to take a piss on the walk home right as a cop drove by. This asshole cop ended up arresting Matt for something that should have only been a ticket and arrested me for absolutely nothing. After spending a few days in Long Beach city jail and seeing Matt Williams get released two days before me and missing three days of the trip, I finally was free and ready to go. Thankfully, World was understanding of the whole situation and still wanted me on the trip. I arrived in Minneapolis only to see the best TM, Charlie Thomas, there to pick me up. By that time it was about 1 a.m. Midwest time, June 14th, officially my birthday. It being so late and the rest of the team already passed out, I decided to join them to be ready for the following day. Sad to say that was the day fellow team member Andrew Cannon had to leave the tour. He gave me a birthday wish and on he went. My first day in the Midwest started at the infamous 3rd Lair Skatepark where World was holding an

ever-growing contest called “King of the Groms.” After a ton of introductions it was time to hit the streets, and I was hungry for that clip everyone wants on their birthday. Needless to say, it was a complete success. A random local actually handed me a huge nug to hold in my pocket while attempting to film this birthday clip. After the sesh we went to this amazing Italian restaurant to eat that ended up being my birthday dinner courtesy of World. After dinner we went and checked out a couple more spots before heading back home. The house we were staying at was a threestory rental. Each story was a separate condo and we were the second. As soon as we got there I thought that it would be good to catch up on phone calls and Instagram, ha. When I walked back into the house it was completely dark and I was totally confused. Then out walks Charlie with a cake and candles. It was seriously the best birthday in a long time. The rest of our stay in Minneapolis was filled with ripping groms at the contest, amazing city architecture with an infinite amount of spots to offer and awesome rain, thunder and lightning. All in all, Minneapolis is definitely a city to visit, especially after just getting out of jail. I was honored to get to spend it with some of the best dudes out - The World Industries team. Timmy Knuth So I arrived in beautiful Minnesota to meet up with the team, but I soon found out

I would only be meeting up with Charlie and Andrew. Mendenhall and Williams would be spending a night and maybe more in jail. Shetler flew in the next day and Williams the day after that, followed by Mendenhall the next day. Each day we would start off at 3rd Lair to warm up and to meet with Jack Olsen and Tim Fulton. From there, they would show us around to spots, and they had plenty. After a full day of skating we would grab something to eat (usually Ortiz’ choice), cruise back to the house to shower and clean up. From there we would walk a few blocks to the local bar for a few drinks and some games of pool. It was a very eventful and productive trip but at the same time very relaxed and calm. From there we all flew out to New Orleans to start another trip. Andrew Cannon The trip to Minneapolis was rad. Everyone had a good time and got some footage. I ended up slamming on my hip and a month later having to get it drained because I did what is called “degloving” to it. It felt like I had an A-cup boob on my left hip. It’s still there a bit but is finally going down. I was only there for a few days because I had to go talk at Street League, but I wish I could have stuck around to see that feeble grind that Timmy did – it looked seriously insane. Bottom line, I had a great time with the team, and if that is just a taste of what’s to come for the video it’s going to be sick.

Chase Wilson

Words & Photos: Tom Carey Anyone that lives in California knows that just a short ﬂight away lays the land of warm water, deserted beaches, cheap tequila, road tacos, Latina beauties and some of the best waves this world has to offer. The last few years has seen quite a bit of turmoil across the border, as Mexico’s government has struggled to keep its tourists and locals safe from rampant drug cartels and political rivalries that have costs thousands of innocent lives. That still hasn’t stopped most of world’s elite surfers from traveling in search of the hundreds of uncrowded waves to places like Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Puerto Escondido, Zihuatanejo and plenty of other nooks and crannies that can be every surfer’s wet dream come true. We hadn’t heard too many horror stories from the surf community, only a couple in the past few years and usually from a friend of a friend of a friend. That is until recently when one of our favorite contributing photographers Tom Carey came back from a trip to mainland with a story that left our jaws hanging and mouths dry. The following is Tom’s account of what happened when he and a few buddies planned a trip to mainland in search of some of those perfect waves with no crowds.

Alex Knost

Damien Fahrenfort

Taylor Çlark

“This particular run-in happened with the cartel, and it still hasn’t really changed my mind about Mexico. I still love the place and I feel like what happened was a weird, isolated incident. Even though it happened to us, the guys were still cool. I mean, they scared us half to death at ﬁrst, and we could have died if things had gone the other way, but they didn’t, ya know? And the guys were pretty nice when they were done. I’ll still go back to the same spot, but at a safer house maybe. We were down near Troncones. We had this amazing house with an armed guard and fence and it

was pretty fortified. We got there and there was an infinity pool overlooking the water with fun little waves out front and we were, like, “Yes, this is the best.” We had a maid and a cook and were just living the life. I was hearing some of the other guys saying things like “I want to get married here” and “This is the best place I’ve ever been.” The first night we had some drinks, ate an amazing dinner and went to bed. We were kind of tipsy so I left the French doors to my room open. I was rooming with James Lugo, our video guy. After we went to bed I heard someone like knocking and tapping

on the window and then I heard a guy saying, “Policia, Policia!” I look up and there’s this bright light and I can kind of see a guy in a ski mask holding a 9mm or something and our guard behind him. He was saying “Give me your phones,” and I remember thinking this guy’s not the police. Then Lugo wakes up and he doesn’t want to give him his phone. I was like, “Dude, give him your phone, you’re going to get us killed. Life’s cheap down here.” Then, I was looking at this guy and he was tweaking out like he was high on meth or something. At that point we were pretty scared, but we thought he was pretty small and there were two of us and we

thought maybe we could take him. Then, all the other kids come in with another guy, but this guy had an AK-47. They crowded us all in the back room and all the groms were going, “Man, what’s going on?” They were all half asleep and I was like, “Just keep your heads down and don’t move. Just stay calm.” I was shitting bricks though. After they kept us in there awhile and made sure we didn’t take any photos of them, that’s why they wanted the phones, they started walking us down to the common/outside area. None of us wanted to walk down the stairs, we were so scared. No one wanted to go ﬁrst and no one

Ford Archbold

wanted to go last. We thought we were going to get blasted and thrown in a hole or something. They kept marching us into the back house where the owner and his girlfriend were. They walked us up the stairs and we were like, “Alright, shit. What’s going on?” Then we saw the owner and his girlfriend just chilling and it was kind of a scary vibe. We asked, “What’s going on?” And they were like, “They just want some food. They haven’t eaten in a couple of days.” The looks on their faces said something different though – something eerie and really scary. So, we sat there for a good hour and a half with a guy and his AK just trained on us while all of the others were just going through the house. We were pretty sure

everything was going to be gone. The guy kept toying with his gun and they kept yelling shit at him. We didn’t know whether they were saying, “Alright, kill these guys we’re out of here.” That’s kind of what was going through my head. They all came through the house and were looking through stuff and they found a little bit of weed and a pipe that had been there forever. Then things started to get weird and they were asking us if we wanted to buy coke and meth and crystal or whatever. And we were like, “Well, you just took all of our money, so how are we going to buy any drugs off of you?” Then, the rest of them came in and saw how scared we were. They were like, “Hey, tranquilo, tranquilo! You guys all right? You need to go to the

bathroom? Anybody thirsty?” They started speaking English to us and being a little cooler. I personally was like, “I’m terriﬁed, I would love a beer.” So, one of the Englishspeaking guys took me down at gunpoint and I had a beer with him. Then, when I came back into the room they gave us some bullets off of their AK’s. They ended up just taking some clothes, all of our food and all the cash in our wallets. Then they said, “Alright, we’re leaving now and we’re going to give you your phones back but we’re going to call your guard, and if he doesn’t answer on the third ring we’re going to come back here.” And they told us not to go to the police or the military because they’ll know and then they’ll come back for us too. We

Wade Goodall

Matt McCabe

felt pretty helpless. They left and our nerves were still pretty shot. It was pretty much the worst night of sleep I’ve ever had. You just never knew if they were going to come back or not because they were a splinter cartel that had separated from the main cartel and had been fighting them in the hills behind the house. They were getting into full gunfights and stuff so we never knew if that other cartel was going to come through. We went to bed at like 4 a.m. and tried to sleep for a little bit, and then we woke up and the waves were pumping out front. We had our own private cove, so we decided to surf and pack up after that to head to the city where it’s safe. The waves ended up being pretty fun. It was a cool trip. But we were lucky we got out of there. The other cartel did end up coming back by looking for those guys a few days later and I think roughed up the guard a bit. It’s just scary because the military and everyone’s not doing shit down there. If our government put any effort into fighting those cartels in Mexico like they are with fighting terrorists in Afghanistan then all of those

fuckers would be wiped out. We didn’t end up going to the military because we were too scared. It’s bullshit, but I still love Mexico and I wound up getting some cool photos. These are photos from my last two trips down there this summer. On the incident trip I was there with Damien Fahrenfort, Taylor Clark, Matt McCabe, James Lugo, Chase Wilson and Bobby Okvist, who showed up miraculously the day after our incident happened. He basically didn’t believe us, but you just can’t make up that type of stuff. The other photos are from one of those previously mentioned, hard-to-get-to nooks and crannies with Alex Knost, Ford Archbold, Mike Gleason and Wade Goodall. I’ll probably still end up going to Mexico my usual three to six times a year. I love Mexico. I love the people. I think it sometimes gets a bad rap, but I still think it’s pretty safe overall. The people are nice, the weather’s good, the waves are good and it’s close by. It’s everything I could want.”

Intro: Jim Dirschberger The first time I met Jay he was DJing a “Booty Bass” night at some dive bar in SF. We were about to start working on our first collaborative cartoon and I was really excited about animating his artwork. Anyways, he walks up, hands me a beer and some drawings and goes, “Let’s make some classic shit!” I couldn’t stop laughing. That’s pretty much Jay in a nutshell: supreme enthusiasm coupled with an unwavering tenacity to make amazing art. No bullshit. We’ve been working together for over six years and I’m happy to say not a damn thing has changed. Interview: Russ Pope What is the deal with your Nickelodeon cartoon? It’s a kid’s cartoon that I co-created and did the art direction. It’s a friggin’ ton of work and the most difficult thing that I’ve ever done. But, seeing it all come to life is so awesome! It’s an amazing opportunity. Why do you refer to yourself as a

cartoonist? No ﬁne arts monicker? Yeah, well I’m an artist and shit, but that term “artist” kinda grinds on my nerves. Telling people I’m a cartoonist lets people know I want them to calm down and have fun when they check out what I do. When can we plan on being able to see your show?

Fall 2013... if everything goes according to plan. Tell us what ﬁrst interested you and drew you to the arts? Cartoons, X-Men comics, also… I have no idea. I just go with it. It’s strange it all worked out. Who are some of your artistic

inspirations? Could be musical, artistic, whatever … I love tons of stuff. Right now, I’ve been buying tons of mix tapes and cassettes. I like what those dudes at Burger Records are up to. I get inspired by comics I go get at Secret Headquarters and then I also like some freaky modern stuff like Marina Abramovic. I’m all over the place when it comes to

getting stoked. I like to watch Tim Jackson’s part in the “Risk It” skate video. That’s modern art. What about your crappy, ugly dog? Tell us about the street dog story. Oh come on! He is the light of my life! My number-one inspiration, the world’s ideal animal. So yeah, I

saved a shitty dog from the streets and now he has risen to a young, stinky beast. It’s cool to have a dog. I want like 20 more. Where are you from Jay? Give us the geographical blow-byblow of how you’ve come to live in Los Angeles? Born in Massachusetts, moved to

the Bay Area, some Sacto mixed in, back to the Bay and now the incredible Los Angeles. A wild ride. Are you working on any printed projects? Upcoming shows? FFDG in February and then a solo in Los Angeles sometime shortly after that. I’ll have a new zine or book or something. It’s hard to do too much

with this damn TV show taking up all my time. Your Trash Talk video was epic. How about a full-length Motorhead video? Possible? Would you make one? Jim Dirschberger (my cartooning partner) and I really, really want to make a full-length Motorhead video.

I already have a good Lemmy model. We’d make it so fucked. Making cartoons with Jim is rad. Let us in on a Jay Howell’s secret indulgence we might be surprised about. You dig Britney Spears, wine coolers, wearing dresses? TV, hours and hours of bad TV is my favorite thing in the world. I

watch every crime show and Sci-Fi thing available. Give me a name of someone we should all go have a look at that for whatever reason hasn’t received the credit they deserve in the art world. I feel like all contemporary museums have not given comic artists enough support. Even

heavy dudes like Crumb, Spain, Joe Coleman and Jack Kirby don’t have enough of a presence in modern art... or as much of one that I’d like. Years ago you worked as a barista in SF, right? Only art gigs from here out? Yeah, that was tight. I got to meet a lot of people and it was a good

motivator to go full-time with art. I hope I can continue to draw for a living. We’ll see how it goes. Anyone that has been particularly helpful along the way that you’d like to acknowledge, thank, etc.? Loren Bouchard, Jim Dirschberger, Audrey Diehl and you, Russ.

F.S Flip

Words & Interview: Cameron Strand So Jordan, you’re from Vermont. Tell me about the skate scene there. Vermont is a lot different than California in a few different ways. First off, we have seasons so it’s not just summer all year. You can’t just skate every single day. Obviously we get a lot of snow for several months out of the year, so we’ll end up at Talent Skatepark every day, which is one of the only skateparks in Vermont that’s indoors.

crazy but sometimes in January it will get warm enough for a week or so, like 40 or 50 degrees, and that sounds cold as hell but after being below zero for months, when it gets to 40 or 50, you just feel like you want to be in a t-shirt. You’ll go out and shovel the spot off or shovel the mini ramp off at the skatepark and just try and make it happen. Even if it’s just for a couple days, and then it gets cold and starts snowing again.

Have you ever gone as far as shoveling spots? Oh man, we’ve shoveled so many spots! It sounds

When did you make your way out here to LA from Vermont?

When I was 18, Silent Skateboards invited me and a couple of the other riders to come out to California and live in a house that they rented for us, and all we had to do was film a video and try to put Silent on the map. So we did that for a few years and, uh, just for one reason or another, filming kind of tapered off and now I’m riding for Warco. Who do you mainly skate with in LA now? On a daily basis, I usually go skating with my friends from Vermont. My homie Chris Colbourn who’s out here, the new Mighty Healthy kid who’s destroying every spot that he comes across. I’ve been going out with the Warco team a lot lately. Been out with Daniel Knapp, Norman Woods, Max Barrera, Paul Flores. If I’m trying to film or shoot photos I’ll skate with my homie Ira or Dirty and shoot photos with my homie Cameron Strand. So you are actively involved in a crew called Spliff Mode. What exactly is Spliff Mode? Spliff Mode is just a group of homies who all love spliffs and skateboarding. I think there is even a homie who’s in it who doesn’t even like spliffs but loves skating. We’re putting out a video that’s going to be premiering probably before this interview comes out, so you can probably see it online. Look for Spliff Mode Video, I think that’s probably the name of it. Is there any sort of induction or process to being in Spliff Mode, or is it just people who are down to skate and… smoke spliffs? I mean, I don’t want to say anybody can be in Spliff Mode, but I guess if you’re chilling with us you’re one of the homies and you know Ronnie and Donnie Dortch, and you’re down for spliffs, you’re pretty much in. I’ve heard of another crew called Spliff All Stars and I saw recently on Instagram that you guys joined forces or bridged the gap, if you will. How did that come about? It’s basically just a different group of kids doing the same things as us but they were calling it Spliff All Stars. Spliff All Stars and Spliff Mode are all homies… no beef whatsoever. When we are combined we create Spliff Nation, so watch out! I saw you recently dropped a pretty heavy 8-minute “welcome to Warco” part. Has anything came of that sponsor-wise or attention-wise from anybody since that came out? I had been filming that part for five years roughly and

5-0

it was originally for the Silent video that never ended up coming out, so I put it all towards Warco for this intro part. Previous to that, I knew a lot of people out here (LA) but until you put out a video part or do something, people don’t really know who you are and you don’t really get a lot of recognition. Once I put it out, it ﬁnally felt like, ya know, people actually saw that I’m not just some red-head kid skating around and smoking spliffs. Are there trends in skateboarding that you absolutely hate? I guess, for me, I don’t like how every kid has to do exactly what their favorite skater

does or wears. I think it’s cool if you have someone you look up to and they have a style you like, but don’t imitate. How are you ever going to stand out if you’re just imitating everyone else? Who gets you hyped to skate nowadays? Any video parts speciﬁcally? Herman. I love Bryan Herman’s footage, hands down. I don’t know exactly what it is about his stuff but I guess it’s that he’s just so G-Code, he’s got it dialed. He can do anything over tables. His ﬂick is off the charts. He’s got mad pop and he’s short like me. That’s what gets me hyped. I’ll watch his Stay Gold part, just the intro with the

B.S Over Crook

Front Blunt

Feeble Pop Over

Back Smith Pop Over tables, before I go skate. Any old Reynold’s footage. The Powell video “Ban This” is sick too. Do you have any favorite gingers in skateboarding? Ha! I think Brian Brown is the illest. He held it down for Zoo York hard. Is he out there still? Where you at? Come kill it with me with your ginger power. Currently, what are your favorite kind of spots to skate? I honestly love everything. I grew up in Vermont skating a lot of tranny. There’s not too much in California so when I ﬁnd it, I love to skate it. Since I moved here, I started skating a lot of rails, although I was never much of a fan before. I try to skate ledges and manual as much as possible, but I’m horrible at it and they get me frustrated as hell, but I try. I try to skate everything though, I love it all. I’ve noticed that you continually seem really motivated about every spot we go to and shoot at. What do you think your main inspiration for staying so motivated would be? Prior to skating, I had tried every sport when I was a little kid and was horrible at everything. I played soccer for years and never scored once. I played basketball for two years and scored a free throw once. I guess once I started skating, if I ever had a problem, like I was bad in school or bummed on something, once I went skating, it would disappear. That was my motivation – to just be happy. Also, that feeling you get when you land a trick, that feeling alone motivates me. I want to be in my bed tonight, smoking a spliff thinking, ”Today was awesome. We didn’t sit on the couch all day. We went out and got something we can look at forever now. We did something.” That’s my motivation. So being hyped is your motivation? Basically. That feeling you get when you land a trick is the main motivation.

If you could skate any spot anywhere, what would it be? There’s this one spot in China that Stefan Janoski kills with all these silver ﬂat bars on top of ledges that you can skate off bumps that looks too good to be true. Dream spot for sure! Would you say Vermont keeps you weird or you keep Vermont weird? ...I’m weird?

Most prized possession? My mom gave me this four-leaf clover ﬁve years ago that she got laminated. It says, ”Good luck with everything. I love you.” I keep it on me at all times. Last but not least, any shout outs? I would like to thank my mom and my whole family, Mtn Dew, Warco Skateboards, Lakai, Royal, Fourstar, Raw Papers, rollingpaperwarehouse.com, Spliff Mode, Nixon, Active, Talent Skatepark, Jessup Grip, Dummy wheels, Dizm Eyewear and BK.

Jake Blauvelt

Words: Eric Meyers :: Photo: Peter Morning During the first week of November at Mammoth, the trails and lodges are abuzz with activity, despite the stagnant chairs overhead. Efforts are undertaken from peak to parking lot to ensure the place is shred-ready, and when you open this early, the task list often includes massive amounts of snowmaking. Opening weekend at Mammoth began with just enough snow to run a couple lifts and drop a few features in Main Park. This was enough to curl smiles across the die-hard faces that make the annual pilgrimage here on the second Thursday of November, but the snow strips underfoot on day one were no harbinger of hardpacked conditions for the coming days. The snow began to fall Thursday evening during the Volcom VIP Reception Party at Sushi Rei, and expectations began to rise. Opening weekend is always an explosive blend of industry stalwarts, media moguls and professional athletes. It’s a crew that some may expect to be jaded to the scene, but when flakes begin to blanket the outdoors, these guys and girls still get that twinkle in their eyes no matter how many sake shots have been taken down. On Friday morning the masses awoke to a powder day, prompting the adventurous to break trail into the woods and over rock drops. This type of trailblazing requires two things: light feet in the case of hidden rocks, and a board you don’t mind destroying because you will find hidden rocks. Nevertheless, a little base material is no big sacrifice when you get your annual re-introduction to ripping pow’ turns.

First Chair

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Volcom Crew

Jaeger Bailey

Mark Landvik

There’s always a party going on in Mammoth, but the sheer amount of places to be seen during opener can be overwhelming. Shortly after the lifts closed, Corey Smith showed off his Spring Break Snowboard Project —despite the best efforts of an estranged ex— in The Village. Immediately following the very welcome touch of high culture, Oakley held a premiere of Torstein’s film project Horgasm. Definitely one worth looking up this season as you get ready to ride. The next stop on the itinerary was Winterfest, presented by Vestal and Oakley. To celebrate the season, Mammoth transformed Eagle Lodge into a concert venue, complete with sets from Blondfire to start and LA Riots to round out the night.

Jake Blauvelt

Andy Maness

It seemed that some were holding back on Friday night, and those with the restraint to still allow for a first-chair wakeup were handsomely rewarded. Saturday was another powder day, and Chair 3 was the place to be. Until noon, that is, when the Unbound terrain parks unveiled two of the 50 new features they built for the season. This pair of jibs, part of the new Downtown Collection, consisted of a 30-foot down bar, and a 30-foot down-flat, both constructed of 8-inch round pipe. Right after their unveiling, the features hosted the first rail jam of the season, The Mophie Insta-Jam! Mammoth team rider and all-around good guy Eddie Wall took to the mic alongside yours truly to MC the event. The session went on for nearly an hour, as riders of all ages and abilities were given prizes every time a solid trick was thrown down. Let it be known that local upstart Brandon Davis was the first to navigate

Gabe Taylor

Shayne Pospisil

Grey McCalla

Jordan Gibson

a back lip through the kink, and he made it look easy. Whether the rail or the rider gets credit lies in your hands when you get up there to try it. Rumor has it that the Unbound built a whole ﬂeet of these new features, so keep an eye out next time you’re in their neighborhood. At 2:00 p.m. the lifties started telling people that the top had just opened. Also, at 2:00 p.m. most people start leaving the resort to get ready for the evening, which meant the few who stayed enjoyed more untouched lines than they could get to in the waning afternoon light. We quickly discovered that the top had a ton more snow than the lower mountain, which, after last season, was thoroughly enjoyable. Saturday’s après offering was the marquee event of the weekend, as Carnivale overtook Canyon Lodge. Here, Mammoth debuted Volume 3 of Unbound Magazine, which is also available as a digital download at MammothUnbound. com, and welcomed to town Wu-Tang founding member the RZA. Now he may be doing his stuff solo these days, but he sure didn’t come alone. RZA brought a full band with him and put on a show that had everyone bouncing, and after his set the DJ duo of Sex Panther took over and really turned up the atmosphere. Opening weekend is always hit or miss when it comes to the snowfall, but everyone who took the chance this year left happy, and even if there isn’t a ton of snow, the parties will always make up for it.

Shayne Pospisil

2. 1.

1. Oakley, Danny Kass Signature Canopy Goggle, $170 // 2. Volcom, T.D.S. Jacket, $320 // 3. Nixon, The Stylus (headphones), $130, The TPS (mobile speaker), $80 // 4. VSTR, Baracade Beanie, $35 // 5. Hurley, Phantom Sandal, $59.50 // 6. LRG, 3-Pack Sock, $22, Nordic Scarf, $39

4. 5.

1. Electric, EG2.5, $159.95 // 2. RVCA, Longford, $215 // 3. Moskova, Wrapped (hat), $39, M6-Crossed (boxer brief), $34 // 4. Raen, Squire, $142 // 5. Purple Corduroy Wines, Red Siren, $20, Blonde Siren, $16 // 6. Vans, Rata Vulc, $65, Premium Michoacan, $65

1. Lira, Brigade, $90 // 2. Yea.Nice, Get Wild, $29 // 3. Body Glove, Pr1me Slant Zip, $339.99 // 4. Rip Curl, R1 Automatic, $350 // 5. Smith, I/OX Vaporator, $175 // 6. Spy, Discord, $130 // 7. Roark, Lost & Found Compass, $72 // 8. Nike, Zoom Ites, $400 // 9. Ezekiel, Night Crawler, $88

1. 2.

1. Brixton, Taylor, $100 // 2. WESC, Chambers by RZA, $170 // 3. Pro-Lite, Session Day Bag, $67 // 4. Summer Teeth, Sunny Fun Hat, $32, Killer, $52 // 5. Vestal, Heirloom, $120 // 6. Sabre, Space Shredder, $80, Glow In the Dark, $85 // 7. Globe, Bantam Cruiser, $149 // 8. Von Zipper, Elmore, $95, Cletus, $90

2. 4.

6. 7.

1. Alpinestars, Badlands, $99.95// 2. Bear Flag, Gift Card, All prices 3. Promer Surfboards, Bomb Shell, $425 // 4. Burton, Restricted Custom Board, $529.95 // 5. Coalatree, 1-Gallon Grow Bag, $14.99 // 6. Freestyle, Navigator 3.0, $95 // 7. Wonderland, Parker, $100, Lauderdale, $125

1. Quiksilver, Blackbird, $89 // 2. Insight, Fuck Candle, $41 // 3. Eskuche, Control v2, $59.99 // 4. Billabong, Future HD, $119.50 @ Beachworks// 5. Matix, Okinawa, $110 // 6. Buell Wetsuits, B2, $330 // 7. Reef, Stanley, $55 // 8. IVI, Daggerwing, $160, Deceiving, $130, Giving, $140, Dusky, $160

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Words: Raul Montoya :: Photos: Eric Warner & Garner Hicks // Sir Alex Knost // 20 hand-shaped boards // Justin Heit, Raul Montoya & Little Bear // Party partakers // 7 birds // Captain’s Fin Co’s Mitch Abshire // Artist Kelsey Brooks // Al Knost & Rob Machado // More boards

On November 9th, RAEN premiered Imaginary Carpet Market to a large and enthusiastic crowd at The Garage. The talented Jack Coleman teamed up with RAEN crew to mastermind this new ﬂick. This spiritual RAEN parade included these ﬁne young lads: Alex Knost, Ellis Ericson, and Jared Mell, along with many other friends. With a very unique perspective, Jack captures the effortless and smooth styles of all the surfers. Most surf videos these days show the same ol’ shit and bore you to death, so it was a nice surprise to actually be able to enjoy this video. Great work by RAEN and Jack Coleman in creating Imaginary Carpet Market. After the premiere, the sea of people in attendance was treated to an art installation unlike other art shows. The installation featured 20 hand-shaped custom surfboards

by Alex Knost and Ellis Ericson. Alex and Ellis banged out the 20 surfboards in a month’s time – quite impressive. The boards were not the standard ‘machineshapes,’ but rather shaped by hand, the real way. What really stood out was the collaborative in which RAEN, with efforts from Alex and Ellis, created. The Garage also included a secret door, which lead somewhere magical. If you were there, you know what I’m talking about. As if Alex and Ellis aren’t talented enough in their surﬁng, they showcased true craftsmanship in the shaping of these custom boards. It was nice to see something as rad as this and not following suit of the same ol’, same ol’ art shows. RAEN, Jack, Alex and Ellis show that creativity is still alive and well.

REEM O PEARSO N / KI CKFLI P / RAN CH O CU CAM O N GA / PH OTO:D RAGON ETTE WWW.ACTIVERI D ESH O P.CO M

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11/20/12 9:26 AM

Words: Richard Angle Olivares II :: Photos: Chris Martinez // Diarrhea Planet spewing on the ﬂoor // Jeff The Brotherhood and some frothing fans // Free beer for the masses // Valient himself on the ones and twos // Hair party // Diarrhea ripper // She’s getting the shot // Harry & Barraza holding it down // Rowley sighting

Volcom Entertainment has been around since the Stone Age. Five years ago they started a vinyl club that releases limited, exclusive tracks. Every few months a new record is released on a split 7” vinyl. So in proper Volcom style, they celebrated the ﬁve-year voyage with a raging party in their workshop.

They destroyed the scene with their freakish six-piece set. The workshop began to pour in with people and Pabst beer. Amongst the randoms there were sightings of a bunch of Volcom team riders and ambassadors.

Jeff the Brotherhood has been on a tear lately, touring all over the US. Luckily for us, they had a day off and rocked the house. The two-piece set The night kicked off with Valient himself on the ones and twos. His wide was insane! I’d describe the set as a ‘90s disco warehouse mosh rock. With range of music deﬁnitely sparked the vibe. The ﬁrst band to hit the stage was smoke, crazy lighting, beer, sweat and plenty of raging humans, there was Diarrhea Planet, and with a band name like that, how could you go wrong? no dull moment. All and all in the end, “Nobody is doing that!”

Photos: Tyler Haft // With short notice the masses converge upon the shop // Two hours into the party 9403 oz (around 800 cans) of Pabst had been consumed; emegency reserves had to be called upon // Biker chicks? // @carson_wach , hit him up. // Free food and drink may enduce smiles // Max, Corbin, & Kirra // Lawrence & Brian Bent - SC’s OGs // Christian, Calvin, and Cameron contemplate consumption

In the southern California community of San Clemente, a team led by Mark Williams and Blake Washington has raised the bar of what the vintage shopping experience should be. Creating what inevitably will be the most sought-after place to ﬁnd and purchase vintage motorcycles and like-minded products, Montgomery Motorcycle Company offers a curated selection of British and American bikes ranging from the completely restored to the perfect patina. Hosting their grand opening Nov 17th, over a thousand people

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squeezed into the shop and surrounding parking lot for some live music, fresh tacos from Hapa J’s, and a ‘41 Plymouth pickup truck bed full of beers graciously donated by Pabst. They rounded out the festivities by rafﬂing off a ‘78 Honda XR75. Be sure to check out the shop at 2110 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente CA 92672, or check out their latest shenanigans at montgomerymotorcycle.com. Keep an eye out for coming events and rallies.

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11/5/12 9:46 AM

Words: Jon Francis // Die-Man, Forest, Mackie, Jon & Yusaku // Gnarly sales rep Jin Saito // Forest Bailey skating Tokyo // Forest Bailey grabbing tail at Mt Fuji // Forest Bailey & Yusaku Horii // Yusaku Horii at Shinyoko Skate Park // Yusaku, Jon, Forest & Rockey // Opening day lifts at Mt Fuji // Kampai: Bob, Yusaku, Tadashi, Forest, Jin & Jon // Cake face photog & friend Zizo Being in Japan is always an amazing experience. The people, the places and the culture are great. I love going to Japan for those three simple reasons. Last month we took ﬁve days to cruise around the southern island of the country with team riders Forest Bailey, Yusaku Horii, Rockey, and Mackie – hitting shops, skate parks, GIVIN premiers, and even a day of snowboarding for opening weekend at Yeti on My Fuji.

district that happened to be surrounded by amazing skate spots in the streets. There were shops on every corner you could see, and they were filled with five floors of product, it was crazy. We spent the day visiting shops, skating, and signing autographs before heading to another GIVIN premier of Too at Cozmos in Shibuya. A tight group of Japanese industry folk packed the bar and made for a great night of movie watching.

The trip started out in Tokyo at the Gnarly ofﬁces as we packed the van full of team riders, product, skateboards, and of all things, the ofﬁcial beverage sponsors of the tour, Corona and Zima. We made a quick stop at Stormy Boardshop in Shibuya to sign some autographs before heading to the Shinyoko Skate Park. After a skate session with the kids at Shiyoko we got back in the van for a couple hours and headed to DOPE Board Base in Iruma, where we were greeted by a bunch of excited kids skating the mini ramp in the back of the shop patiently awaiting autographs and the GIVIN premier of TOO.

The next day we checked back out of the hotel, packed our gear back up and headed to a little resort on Mt. Fuji called Yeti for opening weekend. We spent the day snowboarding on fake snow in 80-degree weather with the locals before driving to the other side of Fuji to make a visit to a shop owner’s house for a nice traditional Japanese dinner. The next morning it was back to Tokyo to the Nike Skate Park for another skate sesh and interview with Transworld Japan. That night we ended the tour with one last kampai (cheers) and a nice dinner in the city with the Gnarly Japan crew. It was a short trip that will last in our minds forever, and I’m happy to say we came home with lots of new Japanese fans. Thanks for the love Japan, and kampai!

The next day we made the long trek back to Tokyo to head to the snowboard shop 102

Words: Joey Marshall :: Photos: Julian Martin & Tom Greenhill // Mr DVice // Schoph // Taylor Reeve // Taylor Reeve’s Art // Rick Irons, Sean Taylor & Dave Reva // TFR Gallery in full effect // Luke Mitrani, Jack Mitrani & Mr DVice // Derek Peters, Mason Barnes, Sam Orozco & buddy // Hailey Basset, Amy DeLee & friends // Taylor Reeve straddling the bike

It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen the Dragon logo on an industry ﬂyer, but we received one recently inviting us to an art show at the TFR Gallery in Leucadia, San Diego. With all the nightly summer parties behind us, and nothing on the agenda for that particular weekend, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to head south and see what the Dragon crew had been up to. They teamed up with three well-known artists (United Kingdom’s Schoph, Long Beach’s Taylor Reeve, and San Diego’s local Mr. DVice), set up the gallery and got ready for what was the event that particular Friday night in San Diego. Titled Loose Behavior, the party was scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. and last ‘til the

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wee hours of the night. Showing up at 8, I was shocked to already ﬁnd hoards of people ﬂowing out of the gallery and into the streets. TFR was absolutely packed as it seemed that all of Carlsbad, Leucadia and Encinitas had showed up to enjoy the art work and take part in the night’s festivities. Skullcandy had the gallery dialed in with fresh tunes, as PBR and Peligroso supplied the libations to keep everyone behaving loosely. Filled with industry heads, magazine folk and good-looking women, it sure seemed like everyone was enjoying themselves thoroughly. Big thanks to Sean Taylor, Rick Irons and the entire Dragon crew for a great Friday night, and thanks to all the sponsors that made this event one to remember: Skullcandy, Converse, Juxtapoz Magazine, Rhythm Livin and Peligroso Tequila. Can’t wait ‘til the next one.

/ S

FISH R A L LY

/ARBORCOLLECTIVE

A R B O R C O L L E C T I V E . C O M / S K AT E

Words: Eric Meyers :: Photos: Peter Morning // Wu-Tang’s RZA // Blondﬁre // DJ Digital // Opening day party scene // RZA’s guitar man // Corey Smith art show @ The Village // Sex Panthers // The Monster Crew: Zak Hale, Dylan Thompson, Ethan Deiss, Evan LeFebvre & Harrison Gordon

As a kid, I hated the ski lodge. Going to the lodge meant I would have to stop snowboarding. In fact, it‘s still not even really a place I like to hang out. Mammoth, however, has ﬁgured out how to make the lodges a little more enticing. During Opening Weekend, Canyon Lodge played host to RZA, Sex Panther, and the launch of Unbound Magazine Volume 3. When RZA took the stage, he didn’t do it alone. He brought with him a full band, and the crew went through 90 minutes of old-school Wu-Tang favorites. Along the way, RZA poured shots, passed beers, and handed off bottles to the crowd, and there wasn’t a single person in there who wasn’t

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having a good time. After RZA left, the DJ duo of Sex Panther took the stage and the place went into club mode. These two looked like they were somehow managing to have more fun than anyone else at the lodge as they played their set - deﬁnitely a show worth catching if you see their name on ﬂyers in your town. The party will be here again for New Year’s Eve, featuring the return of Sex Panther along with Imagine Dragons. Get your tickets for that one early, and change how you think of ski lodges for the better.

SAM FLAX Interview: Max Ritter

Sam Flax has been conjuring up an introverted masterpiece of hazy glory that we have been BL!SSS-ing out to all year long. It took years for Sam to put it together and it also took years for us to badger him with enough emails to get him to finally do this interview. Like most good things, Age Waves is worth the wait. Sam’s album is finally out on vinyl now. Pick it up for Granny’s X-Mas present. So, I discovered this record digitally earlier this year and I hadn’t heard of you before then. After listening through it, I knew this wasn’t recorded over night. You’ve surely been playing and involved in music for a long time. Can you give some insight into your background since not many know? I played saxophone as a kid and for a long time I wanted to try my hand at other instruments but couldn’t afford any. I was finally able to borrow a cheap guitar from a friend and got a 4-track a few years later. Since then, playing, recording and composing have all sort of evolved together for me. I’ve recorded and performed with other people and with different versions of my live band. I’ve had a few side projects. But mostly, there’s just been a lot of time in my own insular world, experimenting with half-broken music equipment. Turns out this is a compilation of songs, some recorded back as far as 2005. What’s the backstory behind why it took so long for you to put the songs out? Part of it was to trying to find a home for the record. It’s essentially been done since early 2011, but it seemed like no one wanted to take a leap of faith on it. When the guys at Burger heard it and offered to put it out, I jumped at the chance – they’re the best. Some of the older stuff is on there because I felt obligated to set it free – if it didn’t make it out now it probably never would. Otherwise, although I assembled it from a pretty wide span, I wasn’t just working on this record, I’ve been recording, performing and working on other projects throughout. Plus, a lot of time just trying to make ends meet... There were a bunch of things that all sort of conspired to keep it from officially seeing the light of day until now. You recorded this mostly by yourself at home over this time period, correct? I have been curious as to how you capture such a live-sounding/full-band vibe working alone? Yeah, other than a couple friends on one song it’s all me. I tend to leave in things that are a little idiosyncratic... Rather than completely tweak every individual performance it’s more about the overall picture and being true to the spirit of the song. So, that means things end up in there that might not be technically perfect, but maybe feel a little more alive. When you’re working by yourself, there’s an over-saturation that can happen from hearing everything so much. I’m always looking for ways to add something that feels unexpected to me. It seems you’re no stranger to working Photo: Katie Miller

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with tape and finding interesting sounds. How did you hone this skill? I started off on cassette 4-track and made my way through different tape machines over the years. I’m just comfortable with tape. I like knowing how the sounds will be shaped by it as well as not always knowing exactly how they’ll be changed. There’s an element of chaos involved. But I think you can use any equipment and find a way to make it interesting. You just have to be willing to experiment and not be locked in to one way of thinking. For most of the year the record was only available digitally and on cassette tape. After the years spent compiling the songs and making it cohesive the vinyl LP is finally out as of September; what does it feel like to actually hold that LP in your hands? There’s some catharsis for sure. It’s great to have the full-sized artwork and see that vision realized. But I like all the different versions; they all sound a little different and interesting in their own way. I’m just glad to have it out in any format. You’ve sort of taken on a character that is portrayed through your music. Can you speak to the persona that you’ve created around your music and where you take inspiration? I don’t really think of it as a separate persona. But there is some separation that happens when you get on stage no matter what the context. I think I like the idea of acknowledging a little of that element theatricality. That’s kind of always under the surface in performing. Stepping to the side of yourself can free you up in a way. Ultimately though, it’s just me. As far as inspiration, I just like people who do their own thing unselfconsciously, whether it’s over the top or really understated. Tell me a little about the video for “Fire Doesn’t Burn Itself.” Where did you get the footage of the girls dancing? That is pure gold right there. That, and the dolphin/ whale blowing air rings. I wanted it to feel like a transmission from another dimension, something that worked with the song but also played against it in a way. The dancing girls are from a series of strange old Japanese commercials. I tried to only use things that originally didn’t really stand on their own artistically. Hopefully there’s a kind of alchemy that happens by recontextualizing them. I wanted to stay away from just putting a song over someone else’s movie. Can we expect some new music from you soon? Next year maybe? There should be a single or EP towards the earlier part of next year, hopefully another record not too long after that. Thanks Sam! Age Waves vinyl LP is available at BurgerRecords.com, and if you want to pick up a taste of that digital, check out Sam’s website HighColor.com

Gentleman Jesse & His Men Alex’s Bar Long Beach, CA November 15th, 2012 The van broke down mid-tour but that didn’t stop Jesse from making the trek all the way from Atlanta. Like real “Men,” the dudes sacked up and road all the way in the back of a UHaul to make the show and then they ripped for like 30 people. Shout-out goes to the keys player who looks just like Stumpy from the cult classic ﬁlm Out Cold. You know the dude who gets his wiener stuck in the hot tub? Papa Muntz? If you’ve never seen that movie then it’s the same guy who plays Champ in Anchorman, and if you’ve never seen that movie, well then you’re retarded. Jesse, we hope the Carbonas reunite and thank you for ruling! Photo & Review: Max Ritter

Reviews: Max Ritter

Loving On The Flip Side Sweet Funk and Beat Heavy Ballads 1969-1977 Now-Again Records Pretty much 95% of records that come in the mail to us are complete shit, but this gem showed up and I knew that it was good when it came with a book fronting a photo of dude in an all-white turtleneck, bellbottoms and a wizard cloak holding a rock. The record is a compilation of overlooked and long forgotten b-sides from obscure and old funk and soul, 7”s complete with photos and backstory on the music. 110

Sonic Youth Smart Bar Chicago 1985 Gooﬁn’

LAZY Party City 7” Moniker Records

Bare Wires Idle Dreams Southpaw Records

This is a newly released live recording from a 4-track cassette recorded at Chicago’s Smart Bar in Fall of 1985, right about the time your parents were conceiving you. Mixed and mastered by the band, it consists mostly of songs from Bad Moon Rising LP released around that time and drunk people yelling at each other. Supposedly it’s the earliest live, multi-track recording of the band known to exist… Hmmm.

Throw on your man-kini for this mutated 7”. Oiled up with attitude and ready for you to party down, Kansas City is a party city I guess? Not sure. But that song sure is good.

All good things must end. We have word our Bay Area friend Matthew Melton and Bare Wires suffered a break-up earlier this year. However, their ﬁnal piece of work recently surfaced and should most deﬁnitely not go unnoticed. Songs like “Impossible Things” rip so hard you’ll be peeing your pants. Matt has moved on to a new band called Warm Soda, which will be equally pee-pants good.

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Rider: Jesse Merle-Jones

Photo: Michael Saniolo

Laguna Beach PH: (949) 715-8989

Costa Mesa PH: (949) 722-8329

Huntington Beach PH: (714)594-3220

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RIDES THE NIKE ZOOM ITES WITH STIFF FLEX & THE HAZED JACKET AND RUSKIN PANT