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FOURSOME FUN Get your stick ready for some big-time enjoyment with unlimited riding at 4 extraordinary California mountain resorts. When you buy next winter’s pass now, you can ride now too. Get in some final sunny sessions at Big Bear, or drop into Mammoth for some Spring Break shenanigans. It gets even better – Mammoth’s shred party is going into July this season. That means over 10 months of winter fun with one season pass that pays for itself in less than a week on the slopes.
BEST DEAL ON A 2017/18 SEASON PASS IS NOW BUY NOW, USE NOW CALI4NIAPASS.COM • 800.MAMMOTH
randoms • 20 sunglasses reviews • 24 martin gordopelota • 26 charolette hopkins hall • 28 john kviar • 30 alex gross • 32 super taste • 34 quiksilver pro gold coast • 36 charlie blair • 40
the art of mark whalen • 46 kai hing • 52 sam taxwood • 58 banked slalom • 62 tampa pro • 64 salt life hb store opening • 66 death valley girls • 68 music reviews • 70 groms • 72
artist • mark whalen obstruction diver ceramic , acrylic , and gouache on wall relief 38x32 inches
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A N Y W E A R # A N Y W E A R
Editor-in-Chie f nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com
Editor
joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com
Creative DirectoR mark paul deren : madsteez madsteez@madsteez.com
assistant editor delon isaacs delon@blisssmag.com
EDITOR AT LARGE liz rice mcCray liz@blisssmag.com
SNOW EDITOR jon francis jon@blisssmag.com
MUSIC EDITO R max ritter max@blisssmag.com
advertising ads@blisssmag.com nick vandekamp vandekamp@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, Derek Bahn, Tom Cozad, Bruce Beach, Robbie Crawford, Ryan Donahue, Joe Foster, Sean Sullivan, Delon Isaacs
contributors 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, Richie Olivares, Eric Meyers, Kelly Shannon, JP Olson, Bruce Beach
BL!SSS Magazine
APRIL 2017
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.
Artist • Mark Whalen If your favorite shop isn’t receiving BL!SSS Magazine please contact info@blisssmag.com
NIGHT:SHIFT X PLAYBOY SUNDAYS X BOARDSHORT
The Playboy bunny head is probably the most famous rabbit on our planet. Roger Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, VW Rabbit… not even a chance. Doesn’t matter where you are in this world, that bunny has already been there. That in mind, the NIGHT:SHIFT crew jumped (no pun intended) at the opportunity to team up with Playboy for the release of their newest collection, Playboy X Night:Shift. Throw blankets, duvet sets and decorative throw pillows – get them all at www.nightshiftgoods. com or head to your closest Zumiez or Active Ride Shop. And the next time you tell your buddy you’ve got a Playboy bunny at home in bed waiting, you won’t be lying.
The Billabong crew just introduced a new range of boardies to their already vast collection. They go by the name Sundays, and they are a modern, loud and fun take on boardshorts. The short we received is the Sundays X in Coastal color, which, when you take a step back, is a bunch of beach umbrellas blending together. Check the whole collection of Sundays and plenty of others at billabong.com.
MASON LANDS ON REEF He is everyone’s favorite surfer, and we knew it was just a matter of time before all the aggressive surfing Mason Ho does over dry reef would eventually land him here. That’s right, Mason is now a proud member of the Reef family. He’ll join good pal Mick Fanning and crew on plenty of adventures, and he blends perfectly with the Reef persona. We foresee Mason and some smoking hot Reef models coming to a town near you, so keep your eyes peeled.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO DICKS
SMITH’S CHROMAPOP
I’ve been told I’m a dick since as long as I can remember… and not in a good way, but more like, “You’re a freakin’ dick!” So it’s really no surprise that the title of this book caught my eye. Upon further investigation, The World According To Dicks is a brilliantly put-together sketchbook of penises ruling the world. Each drawing is accompanied by a cleverly written, and often very witty, subtitle. The author of this masterpiece is none other than Chuck Wood, who I’m dying to meet. Available now on Amazon.com, and at only $14.95, it’s a steal of a deal for over 300 penis-filled pages of laughter. So if you know a dick, or just think someone’s a dickhead, get them this book and they’ll thank you for it.
Chroma what? For those of you who still don’t know, Smith Optics released their ChromaPop polarized lenses a few years back and they been on our eyes ever since. This new(ish) technology enhances clarity and natural color, allowing you to see everything in more detail. Whether you’re on the water, behind the wheel or just chilling at the beach, they are the best polarized lens we’ve come across; combine that with a plethora of stylish frames and you can’t go wrong. Check out all that’s available on smithoptics.com or head to local shop and ask for them by name.
VACANCY COFFEE If you see a giant Vacancy sign on PCH heading north from Newport into Huntington, don’t be deceived – that’s OC newest must-have coffee shop. Vacancy Coffee was created by three like-minded individuals and long-time surf industry veterans Jye Townend, Mitch Hayes and Ollie Williams. With an appreciation for quality coffee, Vacancy is the first dedicated café serving Toby’s Estate Coffee (roasted in Brooklyn) on the West Coast. Open seven days a week, 6:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., swing in and check them out at 6480 West Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, California.
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@805BEER SEE MORE AT 805BEER.COM
BELMONT POOLSHORT
OLLO CLIP X iPHONE 7
‘Tis the festival season, we all know that. And if you’re planning on heading to Coachella or any other festival in a warm climate then look no further than Tavik’s Belmont PoolShort. This short is the quintessential liquid-to-land, villa-to-venue short. It’s got a bit of a throwback volley aesthetic coming in either signature tidepool print to help you set yourself apart, or there’s the classic solid prints to keep you blending in if you prefer. Get yours today at your local retailer or at tavik.com.
Ollo Clip has always been making our best shots even better, and this time around they’ve kept it going with all new lenses for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus phones. Whether it be their Core Lens Set, Macro Pro Lens Set or, our personal favorite, the Active Lens Set, Ollo Clip has all of the angles covered. If their lens sets aren’t enough they’ve also got a quiver of add-on lenses as well as cases to choose from. We live in a time where images are everything, and if you want yours to stand out we suggest you head to olloclip.com to grab a new lens.
SNAPPER, A.K.A. OWEN’S RIGHT You can thank the boys at Don’t Care for the above title. It’s pretty fitting though, isn’t it? Owen Wright battled back from an injury stemming from a Pipeline wipeout over a year ago that had left him not knowing for months whether he’d ever surf again. With Wilko also appearing in the final, the folks at Rip Curl have to be pretty pleased with how the World Tour season began for them. Congrats to Owen on quite the remarkable feat, and we’ll see how the rest of the year unfolds.
THE BROWN BUFFALO
MIZU
My good buddy Luis Calderin introduced me to this brand a couple months back and they’ve been showing up on my Insta feed ever since. The Brown Buffalo has been creating some of the best-looking leather bags, backpacks and totes that we’ve seen in quite some time. We’ve been holding back on sharing our love for The Brown Buffalo for a little while now, but with an online release date of April 15th you too will able to get your hands on these soon. Made right here in the good ol’ US of A, and with simplicity and quality in mind, you’ll wanna log on to www.thebrownbuffalo.com mid-month and see what we’re talking about.
We had a nice little sit-down breakfast this past month with MIZU founder and snowboarding legend Jussi Oksanen at our favorite little brekkie spot in Laguna, Zinc Café. Jussi got us all caught up-to-date with what the fine folks at MIZU have been up to. There are not many brands we come across that scream authenticity as loud as MIZU does. These guys are passionate about their product and even more so about the planet. Plastic is an epidemic people, and it’s time to start doing your part. Check out all the fine planet-friendly options available mizulife.com and feel good about getting that cup of Joe every morning.
MODOM SHARK LEASH We honestly would’ve laughed at the thought of having a SharkBanz on our leash around our home of Newport a year ago. Then, last summer happened, the summer of the shark. Multiple sightings, plus one close-to-fatal attack, and all of a sudden the Modom Shark Leash featuring Sharkbanz Technology sounds pretty damn comforting. This leash combines a magnetic repellent with the style and quality of Modom products to create a shark deterrent. Sharkbanz magnetic tech disrupts sharks electrical sense by overwhelming it, causing a highly unpleasant sensation that turns aggressive sharks away – no batteries, no charging. Break a cord? No problem. Simply swap it out in seconds using a standard fin key.
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PHOTO @ JULIAN MARTIN
W W W. SK ETCHY TAN K . COM
COR Surf Zebrawood - $99.99 corsurf.com
D’Blanc Lychee by Noa Deane - $90 dblanc.com
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Dragon Proflect - $150 dragonalliance.com
Crush Eyes Escape - $18 crusheyes.com
Kaenon Leadbetter - $229 kaenon.com
Electric La Txoko - $140 electriccalifornia.com
Epokhe Non - $200 epokhe.com
Kreedom Summit - $30 kreedeyes.com
Maui Jim Red Sands - $229 mauijim.com
Von Zipper Levee - $160 vonzipper.com
Raen Optics Parkhurst - $135 raen.com
Native Braiden - $129 nativeeyewear.com
Smith Optics Sidney - $169 smithoptics.com
Electric Knoxville XL - $100 electriccalifornia.com
Zeal Optics Capitol - $149 zealoptics.com
Salt Life Laguna Aviators - $199.99 saltlife.com
Vestal Quentins - $100 vestalwatch.com
interview • liz rice mccray
Buenos Aires-based artist, illustrator and designer Martin Gordopelota paints the behind-the-scenes Argentinian futbol (soccer) fans. His paintings comically capture the passion and tribulations of the game of amateur football in Argentina, complete with beer bellies, cigarettes, nostalgia and a humorous love for the game. Make sure to check out more of Martin Gordopelota’s paintings at gordopelota.com Hi Martin, let’s start – would you mind describing where you are right now? This way everyone reading along can imagine the setting. Hi there! I´m sitting at my desk in my studio, having some matte for breakfast next to Carmela, my beautiful dog. What kind of dog is Carmela? Carmela, she is a stray dog, haha. Now that we have a visual, can you please introduce yourself to our reader? I´m a painter and muralist from Buenos Aires, mostly focused in artwork inspired by amateur soccer culture. We assume your passion for soccer started at a young age. When and why did you start illustrating the amateur soccer culture of Argentina? Like you said, I have a huge passion for sports in general, ever since I can remember. I played a lot of soccer and basketball and I´m kind of a frustrated non-professional player. I used to be a goalkeeper when I was young and a fan of El Mono Navarro Montoya (‘90s Boca Juniors goalkeeper) and I used to draw some chubby goalkeepers. But drawing was never easy for me, so I always thought I was bad at it and left it. I was studying Graphic Design at the University of Buenos Aires while I was working in many studios and agencies, and in parallel I started painting graffiti. This was a really nice mix but I wasn´t too happy with all of that. I hated working in offices for brand campaigns all day and I was putting all my effort to graffiti. One day I quit working for agencies and soon my graffiti drawings turned into murals and paintings. After doing random ideas for two years I realized most of my ideas were sport-based and I thought to myself, “I should draw something that represents me a little bit more.” And since the only thing that I’ve done since the day I was born was playing soccer with friends, I started drawing and painting about that. I understanding that soccer is BIG in Argentina, although I must say I’m pretty uneducated about soccer culture. I do know Argentina has a heavy soccer history, blessing the world with some of the greatest players of all time. Will you give us a little insight into soccer psychology, fan culture and political influence? Yes of course, soccer is huge here. In the U.S. you have the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL, and not to mention all the university tournaments, and a lot of people follow a lot of those different sports. Here in Argentina, 90% of the attention is oriented to soccer, and only the rest goes for other sports. Kids are constantly pressured to be the next Messi that saves the whole family. And also, for a lot of people being a supporter of a team is a concept different from being a “fan” – it´s more like a religion. It’s a heritage, something that you carry from your family tradition. However, there are several types of gradient fans: from the ones who only sympathizes with their specific team and only watches some games on TV and occasionally goes to the stadium to support… Then you have strong fans, who regularly go to the stadium to support, they know all the songs and all, but it’s all a “healthy” passion. And finally you can have Barrabravas (something like hooligans, but not exactly the same). In Europe, most hooligans are strong supporters, willing to fight or cause mayhem in a city for the love of their team. In Argentina Barrabravas are that, but also they
Originally what attracted me to your paintings was the social side, your sense of humor in your illustrations and your stylized story telling. I would almost describe your art as folk art (not labeling). How do you feel about that description? Can you describe a little about your art to our reader? I love the idea of being recognized as a folk artist. In fact, some of my references are folk artists as well, like Molina Campos and Bebeth. I have no strong art education, and although I thought I would want to, I really have no interest in getting much better with my technique. I think I´m mostly concentrated in the ideas I want to transmit, and I think that the naive “bad drawing” and “bad painting” thing helps to the fact that most of the ideas have at least some humor in them.
have a huge connection with the team’s management and politics. They work as “politicians,” as muscle-force, and they also negotiate with small and not-so-small businesses near the stadium. It´s a big complex subject, and I recommend if anyone is interested in this, read all the essays by Pablo Alabarces, a recognized sociologist that explains how the whole Barrabravas culture works. Should I call it football or soccer? I think soccer goes for U.S. and football is how Europeans call it.
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Will you tell us a little about your creative process and the mediums you work with? I mostly write down ideas or take pictures then I draw and paint them, usually acrylic on paper or canvas. With walls, the process is a little bit different; I try to sketch the wall on paper and try to fit the art between windows and the wall “accidents.” The charm of your work is the realism and anecdotal humor. Are many of your subjects modeled after real people in your life? Of course, many of the characters, attitudes, poses, places or situations are inspired by the things I see when I go to play soccer every week. Some other things are random ideas that I cross between fantasy and reality, like a “what if.” Ok, very last question: where can people check out more of your art? You can follow me on Instagram, @gordopelota, or my website www.gordopelota.com.
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interview • liz rice mccray
Make sure to check out more of Londonbased artist Charlotte Hopkins Hall’s paintings at www.charlottehopkinshall. com. Many thanks to Charlotte for taking the time to answer our questions. Hi Charlotte, let’s start: will you describe where you are right now? Physically, I’m in my studio just outside London in an industrial part of Essex. It’s a strange place, a sort of no man’s land with trucks and shipping containers. The studio is large and the rent cheap, but I look forward to finding a space back in London again. I had a really nice studio in Dalston, in East London, where I spent seven years, but about two years ago we were given two weeks notice to vacate the premises. They were knocking down the building to build flats. I was working on two solo shows at the time; it was such a shock. Mentally, I’m mostly running around in circles, shrieking, hands in the air, bouncing off the outer walls of my brain. How did the move affect your shows/ work? Thankfully, I don’t think it affected the work too much but I did get very stressed. Two other studio buildings were shut down at the same time, so finding a new space in London was difficult. Also, my rent hadn’t gone up during the whole time I was there and was shocked by the going rates. But as it was such short notice I was obliged to find a new space and sort out seven years of studio clutter very fast. Then it took 14 hours to actually move studios. The whole thing was awful and a bit sad for me because I loved my studio. Getting used to a new environment does take time, but I just had to focus and carry on working to get the shows done. It’s incredible what you can manage when you have deadlines – you just have get on with it.
You were born in Geneva and are now based in London. How long have you been in London? What is your favorite thing about living there? I celebrated my 10th year in London last September. I don’t know where the time goes! There are such a number of things I like about the city, but having grown up in a relatively small town it has to be the access to culture. Being able to amble down to the Royal Festival Hall, either of the Tates or the Barbican to see some of the best art and music the world has to offer is such a luxury. What do you miss most about Geneva? The cheeses, the hot summers and the mountains. Right off the bat we noticed similarities between you and your subjects... is my observation correct? I do use myself. It came about when the handful of people I have always painted became less available due to the distance. So really it started as a practical solution. To some extent it is irrelevant to the work, but having said that it has become an interesting factor, and in some way, it has made the paintings more personal. Turning the figure around and hiding the face was a conscious decision, a reaction to the inundation of selfies plastering cyber walls. As a consequence, something quite liberating happened and the paintings retained their emotive strength, so at the moment it is not necessary for me to use the face. I was just going to note that many of the characters in your paintings have their backs to the viewer and their hair is incredibly expressive, dictating the attitude/emotion in the painting. We also noticed that fashion seems prominent in almost all your paintings,
with complementary white space. What kind of research do you do when creating these faceless paintings? I read, think, listen to music and think some more. My research is quite loose. I have key books that I dip in and out of and go through periods where I read for days. That’s my research time, in a broader ideas-sense; it’s almost like a reset. Each individual piece is visualized in its entirety. Words act as triggers and help to give form to the idea; these can be books, lyrics or something someone has said. A lot of the music I listen to is poetic or has an emotional charge that I can relate to and can bounce off. I don’t have much regard for fashion as such in the work. I have a love for pattern and textiles; they give the paintings texture. I seek out materials that are visually interesting and that will give a certain characteristic to the painting. At the moment, I’m working on a series called Electric Contortions. The material was chosen for its colorful squiggles to enhance a sense of agitation in what is an unusually crowded canvas for me. We noticed that your portraits that show a subject’s expression are almost catatonic and are not hiding anything… but maybe hiding everything? What can you tell us about this opposition? It’s a psychological drama. The catatonic expressions that you have picked up on essentially come from a sentiment of bewilderment and uncertainty. I use it seriously or with a little humor. The subject is not used in a traditional figurative way nor is it just a portrait. It is the vehicle for the concept and shouldn’t be taken on face value alone. Will you give us some insight to your multiples?
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For me, working in multiples makes a lot of sense both conceptually and aesthetically. The repetition of the image, a reproduction that is not quite identical, over and over, it’s like laboring the point and exhausting the image. The repetition anonymizes the subject; it doesn’t matter who it is. The subject exists solely to support the concept. I like to work with diptychs, polyptychs or sequences, where the painting happens over a number of canvases. The breaks and spaces between the canvases are like taking a breath or a musical score. Please tell us a little bit about your processes and the techniques you use. I know exactly what the painting is going to look like before I start, almost to the finest detail. I use photography to snapshot poses and then select the images that match the idea. I print these off. They aren’t good quality images; they’re just a guide and get quite marked and damaged in the process. I always paint one painting at a time and absolutely have to see it through to the end before being able to start a new one. I use high-pigment Swiss acrylic paints. As acrylic paint is fast drying there is no margin for error. Every brushstroke must be exact. I like that. I paint for long hours standing and controlling my breathing to get that exacting brushstroke. It can be quite meditative and calming or sore if I haven’t protected my hand from rubbing against the canvas. What do you have to say when it’s all said and done? Is it ever all said and done? You’re right, not really… Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions. I really enjoyed interviewing you.
interview • liz rice mccray Hi John, will you please describe where you are right now? Hello Blisssmag! I live in France on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. For some years I have been living in Toulon, and I enjoy the pleasant setting of this southern city bathed by the sun all year. Stuck between the mountain and the sea, it’s really an incredible environment to go out to paint, drink a few beers and dive. It is a small Californian-French version but with much less waves. Sounds amazingly beautiful. Now that we can picture where you are will you please introduce yourself to our reader, a little synopsis if you will? I am John Kviar, French graffer and painter. I am part of the collective, The Thérapicturale, and the Parisian crew GH. I spent my childhood drawing and creating things, and then a little later I was interested in tag and graffiti. In the Paris region, when I was going to skate in the street, there were many wall paintings and tags and it made me want to do that; I painted my first graffiti in 2002. Today I am known for my invisible characters that I stage in surreal universes, often related to my daily life. When and why did you really start taking your art seriously? I never took my art seriously. It is something deep inside me that drives me to create works. And painting is the medium that I prefer, even though I am also interested in photo and sculpture... But it is true that little by little this passion took more and more place in my daily life and people began to take an interest in my work. The concrete projects came naturally to complete my personal work and it allowed me to participate in artistic events, exhibitions and it allowed the public to discover my creations.
You co-founded the artistic collective The Thérapicturale. Can you please tell us about it? Yes, in 2009 I created the collective with my buddy, The Thérapicturale. At the time we found ourselves among friends, graffers, painters and musicians in a workshop in the countryside – it was our rallying point. These moments were parentheses in everyday studies and work and we felt the need to put a name behind our team. The words Therapy and Pictural became La Thérapicturale (French). Cheipa and Simer immediately integrated the collective, then a little later Gezit and Raler joined us. The Thérapicturale is really a story of friendship created by a common passion that is graffiti and a gathering point, the workshop. Our logo represents this story through the caps surrounded by a small house. This collective allowed us to set up different exhibitions and to evolve artistically. Today we are scattered all over France and the world, but it allows us to travel to one or the other and discover areas full of new spots. Do you mainly work with oils and canvas these days? At the moment I work a lot on canvas, because it allows me to concentrate and deepen a little more my subjects. My works are done in oil; I like the rendering and the effects of depth that one can create with this technique. Walls are becoming more rare, due to lack of time, but I sometimes participate in artistic events that allow me to make great long walls. And then, from time to time, I make a good wall with my friends in places a little more remote. In parallel, I go in search of abandoned places marked by time to embellish my universe. These very interesting places support to tell stories impregnated by the place and the textures. Clothing represents the human presence while your environment tells the story – there are no humanly features, but yet visually it lacks nothing. Will you tell us about your invisible characters and the ongoing narratives? I started to make characters invisible in 2009. I wanted to represent myself without being able to recognize me. I erased the physical traits of the human body to keep its anonymity. It allows me to exist, thanks to the clothes, without being visible. This is reminiscent of the graffers that exist by their signatures but remain invisible the rest of the time. The appearance of clothing plays an important role in human life, showing a sense of belonging to an environment, a job and a lifestyle. Clothes open infinite doors to the imagination. Today, I try to plunge my characters in realistic and abstract atmospheres while maintaining a deep link with graffiti. I like to confront these two universes. My new series of canvases depict characters (perhaps my friends and myself) walking through abandoned and storied places. There will be scenes of graffiti and land discovery, and the whole will mix with more abstract things. I love to rhythm my realistic images with vivid colors; it makes it possible to enhance a dark atmosphere and the lines intervene like the line that places under a signature to emphasize it. It’s a pretty slow job, but it’s moving forward, and I’m looking forward to finding the venue to showcase these new works. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an artist? What have you learned from it? My first solo exhibition “Invisible” at Backside Gallery was a real challenge in terms of time and production. I had to create a certain number of canvases to present a coherent series that represented me well in a minimum of time. Knowing that I am not a full-time artist, it was a real challenge to be able to meet deadlines! But that allowed me to optimize my technique and improve myself. Oil painting is an endless process in which one learns from techniques on canvases. My last mural in Marseille was also a real challenge. It was very cold and there was a lot of wind. We do not realize it, but it’s very physical as a performance. It is necessary to take the height and work the proportions effectively, so that it remains close to the initial design. And there are still deadlines to respect to guarantee the final result and that the spectators appreciate it.
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When I paint the façade of buildings, I paint not only for me, but also for the viewers, and I must keep that in mind. Where can people check out your art? Today, a number of my paintings are represented by the Backside Gallery in Marseille, France. This allows people interested in my work to discover them in real life. There is always a difference between a simple photo and viewing it in real life. But I also try to develop my work in other French regions and areas of the world with the objective of spreading my work. Otherwise, I try to maintain a link with the people who follow me by presenting the behind-thescenes of my work and my news on social networks or my website. Last question: If you were not an artist, what do you think you would be with all that life experience? This is an interesting question, because painting today rhythms my daily life; it is really an activity of passion. I love to travel, so I think I would take more time to go and discover other countries. When I paint a canvas, I sit for hours, and it becomes frustrating because you know that during this time life outside continues to run at full speed. When I paint a canvas I get involved and I constantly think about all the little things I can improve. On the other hand, when I paint on walls I can be brought to move, meet new people and new cultures. For example, on my last trip to Peru, I met Yandy, a young graffer from Lima with whom I made a wall. I do not speak Spanish and we had to communicate with the gestures and a few words – it was a great experience. I always try to slip a little graffiti in each of my travels, whether it is artistic or purely vandal. Outside the trip, I think I would take the time to learn a musical instrument. I often paint with music; it gives energy to my work. The instrument I would choose would be the piano. I find it so magical as an instrument, even if it sounds very complex. Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. It was a pleasure having the chance to interview you. Thank you! It’s great to be able to share my experience on the other side of the world!
Noa Deane Signature Sunglass Frame
LAUNCH PARTY April 7th, 2017 - 7:00pm
DAX GALLERY 2951 Randolph Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
LIVE MUSIC BY Chinese Wax Job & Power Lunch
dblanc.com
interview • liz rice mccray
Alex Gross is an LA-based artist whose oil paintings could almost be mistaken for digital photographic images. We recently caught up with him to talk about realism, his creative process, and life in Los Angeles. Check out the full interview here. We caught you leaving LA, so where are you off to? New York. Your paintings are pretty insane; they could almost be mistaken as digital... Will you tell us a little about your background? How did you get into realism/surrealism, etcetera? I studied painting and illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. I learned some basic painting skills there from some great teachers, and since graduating I have continued to try and learn and improve my craft. I’ve always been attracted to realistic and representational painting, not so much surrealism. I have never really considered myself a surrealist painter, although I admit that some of my work has surrealistic elements in it. In the most recent exhibition, which just ended, I have several paintings that are just realism, without any surrealism present. Ok, so I keep thinking characters in your paintings look familiar. The girl floating in the bathtub, is she the lesbian from Grey’s Anatomy? Having never seen that show. I can safely say “No.”
Haha, ok, the guys at the office told me I was off on that too. Your work seems to have a lot of different levels. Can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration behind the themes of your paintings? My process is all about discovering concepts as I work, rather than starting with a preplanned idea, in most cases. I work on my comps and start with images that I either shot myself or that I found. I build on those, doing a kind of digital collage. As I try different things images evolve and themes begin to emerge. I try to go with the flow on this and let it go where it will. Of course, I have a certain area of interest, so my playing around often tends to go in certain directions. Ultimately, the themes end up being related to one another, as they are manifestations of what’s going on inside my head. Do you mainly work with oils? Will you give us some insight to your creative process? All of my paintings are oil paint on either canvas, panel or paper. Canvas is the preferred surface. I do my comps for the paintings digitally, and they are largely photo based. I try to plan as much as I can digitally, so that when I get to the painting stage many of my color and value problems have been resolved. Occasionally I will change or add an element in the painting stage that was not in my comp, but not too often.
Let’s see, you are originally from New York, which means I like you. What do you miss most about New York and what do you miss least? I don’t miss much about New York really. I left there to live in California many years ago. My family lives there, and I do miss them. It is nice to occasionally visit galleries and museums there, but I am not really into ultra urban environments, so New York City stresses me out quite a bit. I’ve always preferred nature and I think that’s one reason I like Los Angeles. It has many of the benefits of an urban city but has much more nature than most cities, and it has amazing beaches and mountains all within close distance. Now I live in a canyon in LA too, so I am surrounded by a great deal of nature yet I am 10 minutes from Hollywood.
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What artists are you really into right now? I don’t look at lots of other artists, believe it or not. For many years I did, but at some point I stopped and focused more on what I do and what I want to do and sort of tuned a lot of other stuff out. Having said that, I really love Aron Wiesenfeld’s work, and also Erik Mark Sandberg; both happen to be friends of mine. Another artist I have loved for years is called David Jien. Where can people check out more of your art? My website is www.alexgross.com and has most of my recent work. I also have four published books of my work, and they are called: The Art of Alex Gross, Discrepancies, Now And Then: The Cabinet Card Paintings of Alex Gross and Future Tense, in chronological order from oldest to newest.
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photographer • dominic petruzzi • @dominicpetruzzi model • ellie ottaway • @eottaway agency • elite la • @elitemodella
words • spencer pirdy
Last year, the 2016 season started out with a surprise. Wilko got his first Championship Tour win. We were all surprised, but, and I’ll speak for myself on this, not in the way that I didn’t think he could do it. Let me explain: He had the talent, but I was more surprised by the determination he showed and the way that he handed staple, top-tour tycoons their asses at both Snapper and Bells. This year he was right there again, knocking at the door, but if he won it wouldn’t be much of a surprise. We now know his capability. Unfortunately for Wilko, when the door he was knocking on was answered it was his good pal Owen Wright on the other side, with trophy in hand. It was something that a lot of people really never saw coming. He’d just officially been cleared to surf after over a year of trials and tribulations from a severe brain injury due to a Pipeline wipeout. This had him ultimately having to relearn to surf again, and the collective surfing world doubting whether he’d ever return to title-contending form. Remember those years against Kelly? Fast forward to his announcement that he’d be competing on the CT just days before the 2017 season began, and we all gave a courtesy clap. It was exciting to hear the news, but could Owen stand a chance coming back from a traumatic injury to face a 2017 class that is as highcaliber and lethal as ever? When the comp began we saw just how excellent the surfers on tour are this year. Connor O’Leary? Yeah, I hadn’t really even watched him surf much either. He made it to the quarters. Ethan Ewing? He surfs like a mix of AI and Fanning. His first wave on tour was a 9.10. Zeke Lau scored the first 10 of the event in an allout brawl of a heat against Jordy Smith. The rookies were showing that they were not afraid, and, in fact, that they were extremely comfortable and focused. Like I said, this year’s roster is lethal. Meanwhile, Owen was starting to build momentum and show flashes of his old self. Owen’s closest heat of the event came against Mick Fanning. It was controversial. Did Owen’s continual backside jams deserve to beat Mick’s tube riding? The judges said yes. Owen then took out Conner Coffin in round five and Connor O’Leary in the quarterfinals. The crowd was buzzing and people were starting to whisper comeback to one another. It was time for him to meet Gabriel in the semis. You’d think Gabriel would’ve sniffed out some weakness lingering from Owen, but there was none to be found. He never gave Gabby an inch, and as Owen readied himself for the final against either John John or Wilko, even the journalists started to title their essays with some sort of version of the word “comeback.”
matt wilkinson • photo • cestari
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owen wright • photo • sloane
john florence • photo • cestari
gabriel medina • photo • cestari sebastian zietz • photo • sloane
kolohe andino • photo • cestari
ethan ewing • photo • cestari
joel parkinson • photo • sloane
jordy smith • photo • sloane
An all-goofy-footed final had been born. The WSL couldn’t have thought up a better script – defending champ Wilko and great friend Owen against one another. If Wilko had won, it would’ve been a repeat. Instead, it was the end of a journey that saw Owen Wright go from rock bottom on the North Shore to rising back to the top of the podium in his first World Tour event since 2015. It was amazing. It was remarkable. Everyone was in disbelief. His family was there, they cried, and he achieved what he’d set out to do that year by winning an event. So… it was dubbed a comeback, and it was in the way that he had come back to winning form. However, I think Owen deserves more credit than that. It was a surprise to see Owen come so far in such a short amount of time, but what will really warrant the term comeback will be when Owen reaches his full potential, like when he was battling for a World Title in 2011. When he’s holding down number one at year’s end that will be the real comeback. Maybe it won’t be this year, but when he finally does and reaches his full potential I think that will truly be worthy of using the term comeback.
italo ferreira • photo • cestari
kelly slater • photo • cestari photo • cestari steph gilmore • photo • cestari
x w • ale intervie rtiz & deville o • photos
So how old are you and where did you grow up? I’m 26 and grew up in Fullerton, California. Do you still skate with your friends that you started skating with? Yeah, some of them. Most are gone doing other shit. Now that you are well traveled, how has your perspective in skateboarding changed? My perspective didn’t change; traveling just opened my eyes to a lot more styles and shredders. What skate spots do you find the most challenging? The ones I struggle to get tricks on. If you had one piece of knowledge to pass on to the younger generation of upcoming skaters what would you say? Keep charging and don’t let nobody put you down, no matter the slam.
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If you had a chance to improve one thing about your style in skateboarding what would you change? I don’t want to improve my skateboarding style; I’ll just have my skateboarding improve me. What’s your favorite color? Green. What size board do you prefer? 8.25 – it fits nice under my feet. On that subject, do you change your board size based on street and parks? Hell no, just the one I use on the daily. What is it like to be Charlie Blair now, compared to then?
“I don’t want to improve my skateboarding style; I’ll just have my skateboarding improve me.”
I’m still me, just a li’l older. What things are most important to you? My family, friends and skateboarding. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in life? Two 10-letter phrases: If it is to be, it is up to me. What’s your favorite place to travel to? That’s hard to say, but if I can only pick one I would have to say Australia. It’s so fun and a really sick place to be.
How long have you been skating? Around 18 years and going strong. How’s life treating you? Better than some, worse than others… but all in all I’m doing pretty good. Where would you wanna live and why? Shit, I would want to live in the woods in a sick cabin with the rad concrete snake running around it. What’s your favorite movie? 28 Days and 28 Weeks Later. What is your definition of happiness? Family! Have you ever fought for a political cause? Fuck yeah; skateboarding’s not a crime! What is skateboarding to you? Skateboarding is everything to me. It saved my life and it made me the man I am today.
“ Skateboarding is everything to me. It saved my life and it made me the man I am today.�
interview • jay howell
photos • matt finelli
The Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson famously wrote about a strange case involving a Doctor named Jekyll and his alter ego, one Edward Hyde. The novella’s protagonist/antagonist famously flip flops from living as a sociable, mild-mannered doctor to a wild seeker of vice by drinking a serum. I’ve definitely tippled said serum with Sydney-born artist Mark Whalen. I’ve seen the transformation firsthand. Less so with his longtime friend Jay Howell, but I’ve heard tales... I’ve seen the drawings of couples 69’ing while skating down the street, the amateur tattoos poked into friends and neighbors. The evidence is there, and the diagnosis is clear: What we have on our hands is a dual case of Jekyll-and-Hydeism. Now while the hedonistic Hyde analogy may play well to the lads in the back holding the tall cans, it is really the parallel to the good doctor that is at the heart of their stories and friendship. Since meeting in San Francisco in 2007, both have worked tirelessly at their crafts and have spent more time than would be considered reasonable in the pursuit of their respective endeavors. Galleries have come and gone, fortunes have changed hands. Both have since packed house and moved far from their homes to land in sunny Los Angeles, California. It is here that we catch up with the artists in conversation about Mark’s process, his formidable work ethic, and a few hints that there may just be a beaker of serum tucked behind a flat file somewhere in his studio, ready to facilitate the change. - Sterling Bartlett All of your work seems to have heavy narrative themes without a ton of explanation; do you like to leave it up to the viewer to come up with their own explanation for what you’re trying to say/show? I have always been drawn to architecture and geometry, even in my early years. I like to bring it into my works as I find it an interesting platform upon which to base a narrative, building a sense of time or place according to pattern and configuration. And just the same, it can be manipulated to bring about ambiguity or abstract thoughts. This is similar to the ideas behind my use of role-playing and theatre in the figurative element of my practice. They are a direct reflection of human experience, but not necessarily satirical, despite the humor. My new series of sculptural reliefs follow this line of thought. The figures represent the everyday person caught up in construction netting packed with geometric shapes and trash. They draw upon ideologies of creative thought processes and problem solving through the use of color shifts and disjointed compositions. That being said, regardless of what it is that I take from or put into my work, it is inevitable that the viewer will conjure up their own understanding of it - something I believe is critical to the “experience.” I think all of your work is extremely futuristic and modern. Do you feel that way? Perhaps in the material and the fabrication you could read that, but the issues I am addressing in the conceptual stage are inherent within us as a species and not necessarily bound by time.
Step Repeat acrylic ink and gouache on panel 17 x 13 inches
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Triple Twist, 2016 acrylic, oil enamel and flashe on wall relief 46 x 42 inches
Do you think that you are ultimately trying to create something that doesn’t exist on earth through art? Not at all. I’m reinterpreting and reconfiguring what is already present here, in the past and present, and no doubt will be in the future too. I manipulate experiences to creating a visual language that provides an alternative way of thinking. My work is not abstract. There are immediately recognizable and relatable subjects within. The cover of this issue for example, with the figure caught and wrapped up in the chair, it could be as simple as a shitty day at the office, a problem that just won’t resolve itself, or a more complex relationship that feels forever broken. People are caught in conundrums all the time. My work is very much about us as a species and our position within this world. Are you obsessed with being busy because your work ethic is intense? I enjoy being busy so I am constantly working on concepts and ideas, researching materials and navigating my way through suppliers, fabricators and production teams. I guess you could say that I am never simply complacent. I feed off the intensity of a heavy workload; it is self-perpetuating in a way. I often feel that if I had too much time on my hands I would overthink what I’m working on and end up becoming unproductive. It’s that old saying I guess, “The grass is always greener.” Maybe it would be nice to have more spare time, or at least to have a slower approach to what I’m doing, but then I’d probably be sitting around wishing things were progressing faster. During your limited downtime between shows and projects do you look for inspiration or just ice down your eyes and hands? Again, it’s not a conscious decision. This is my profession. This is my work. It isn’t a tap that I can switch on or off. The process never stops for me. I do, however, plan time away with my wife after big projects, but even then I will be writing down ideas in my notebook while sitting poolside somewhere. I think about your work as clean chaos. Do you ever reach a point where what you’re trying to create seems too impossible to finish? Yes, that is an inevitable struggle for me. It actually becomes very frustrating sometimes and I think things that are very possible seem extremely impossible. I get so obsessed with everything being clean and perfect that I probably over do it. But these are things that only I can see. It is just the way I work and the system and process that I have chosen to work with. It does drive me insane sometimes; it is truly a love hate relationship.
Personal Items, 2016 acrylic, oil enamel and flashe wall relief 34 x 25 inches
Double Tangle, 2016 acrylic, oil enamel and flashe wall relief 65 x 48 inches
Zig Zag, 2017 ceramic, acrylic, and gouache on wall relief 44 x 36 inches
Digital Tangle acrylic, gouache, cel vinyl on wall relief 45 x 32 inches
We talk about other Australian artists sometimes and we both know there are so many incredible ones. Do you feel like there’s one in particular that Americans need to know about? Or that influenced you in a special way? There are so many incredible Australian artists, but one that really sticks out for me in particular would be Reko Rennie. He’s an indigenous artist from Melbourne, although his family is Kamilaroi, from northern New South Wales. I find his work incredibly powerful. He has a capacity to subvert traditional and often generalized ideologies about indigenous culture through a very contemporary practice that is truly multidisciplinary. I get pretty obsessive and emotional about listening to certain music while drawing. Do you listen to any music that you feel feeds inspiration to the pieces, like a cool soundtrack? I used to be into music quite heavily while working, but for the last three years I find myself watching documentaries. I like to research and educate myself while working on projects. It can be inspiring for me because sometimes I will stumble across a subject or idea that could be worked into a narrative for a painting. At the end of the day it’s just more stimulating for me to listen to something informative.
Did you get a white, stylish, beautiful dog because you like clean, stylish, modern stuff? Kidding… but seriously? Ha! No, I just really love Bull Terriers. They are hilarious creatures and cartoonish. I think I just got lucky that he’s a really good-looking dog. I bought him from a guy that was keeping all the puppies out in his backyard inside a chicken coop. The mum looked beat up. It was a really sad place, really uncomfortable for me. I’m glad I was able to swoop him up that day. (But on the flipside, I do like the aesthetic of an all white, super stylish, regal-ass looking dog.) Do you feel like you fulfill your curiosity and experimentation for science by letting your characters do the work for you? Life is a science itself. I try to fulfill my curiosity and experimentation by interpreting life experiences through my work. I always feel like I am constantly revisiting concepts and ideas but the challenge is to expand upon or progress them with each new project. It is difficult to say if I am ever fulfilled completely because my experiences always come into play, and ultimately work their way back into the work again. There is always an itch to scratch. Do you ever name anybody in the work or is it more of a feeling about who they are? No, it is always suggestive. All the figures in the pieces are the same and play out whatever role they are entangled in. There are no specific identities. The figures represent an emotion or feeling in the given narrative. Thank you for your time, to see more of Mark’s work be sure to check out www.markwhalenart.com.
interview & photos • tom carey
Hometown: Sunshine Coast, Australia Age: 19 Sponsors: Billabong, Monster, Oakley, Creatures of Leisure, JS Surfboards and Globe Kai, tell us a little about yourself: where did you go grow up and who got you into surfing? I grew up on the Sunshine Coast in a house less than a 100-meter walk from the funnest beach break around my town. My brother and father both surfed, so when they went surfing all I wanted to do was that with them. There’s also not much to do besides surf around my hometown, so it was kind of that or play rugby, and I don’t like people tackling me. In Australia does every kid
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that grows up along the coast start surfing at a young age, kind of like soccer or baseball in the States? Does every grom give it a go early on? When you’re a grom all you want to do is what your mates are doing. The beach is at max five minutes from everyone’s house, and on a hot day what’s better than going for a wave? Plus, if you’re not surfing all the old boys will give you shit and tell you to get out there. Do you still enjoy surfing? Or is it becoming more of a job now? Besides family, surfing is one of the only things I truly love. I can go out in the ocean, leave all my drama on the land, have no mobile phone, have peace of mind and a fuck load of fun. But yeah, it is my job and sometimes I have to do things that bum me out, but I kinda take a step back and think, “If I get to
do what I love for my job, it’s all good.” A lot of my buddies are slaving away all day, so I’m very grateful. Is it pretty easy to get burned out at your age or do you still have that fire you had as a grom? Surfing is everything to me. Put all the sponsors and comps aside, surfing is something I will do ‘til I die or hurt myself bad enough I can’t do it any more. What’s the best part of surfing to you: the adventures, the people or the pure joy of wave riding? Being in the ocean away from all the trouble on the land – just you and the ocean – you get peace of mind and that’s hard to come by with all the bullshit happening in the world. Plus, watching your buddy standing in a barrel and getting blown out and seeing the stoke on his face gives me so much happiness. Would you rather get a nice running barrel at Snapper, do a big carve at Lennox or a massive punt at D-Bah? What’s the best feeling of the
three? Getting a barrel at Snappy in the middle of the night under a full moon. Nothing will ever compare to that. What’s a typical day for Kai Hing? And who gave you a Hawaiian name like that? Every day is different, hopefully I get to surf each day but the Sunshine Coast can go flat for a few weeks at a time. I watch my buddy’s band, The Cloacas, jam or go on some fun surf trips. My name is actually Chinese; my dad’s great grandfather is half Chinese so I guess that’s where it comes from. Who are some of your influences? Who do you look up to in your ‘hood? Wade Goodall, not only is he my favorite surfer but my favorite human, the most humble guy and he has so much respect. And the guy rips so hard. Who’s your favorite female surfer? Do you even have one? Clarissa Moore has to be one of the nicest ladies I’ve ever met. But I’m not really one to watch the surfing. Who has the best airbrush or board drawings of all time?
Lee Wilson, I love his artwork and he keeps it simple, black poscas and his own style. Archy or Christian Fletcher? And why? I’ve never met Archy so I’m going to say Christian. I just did a road trip with him; the motherfucker is crazy but he has his mate’s back to the death. Plus, he doesn’t give a fuck, and so many people in the surf industry are so courteous of being perfect instead of just being themself. What’s Really Going On or Momentum? I haven’t seen What’s Really Going On so I guess I don’t know what’s really going on. Metal Neck or Cluster? Both guys from Metal Neck and Cluster are really cool guys and my friends; one’s not better than the other they’re just different in their own ways. I love them both. Beach Grit or Stab? Please elaborate. Stab has helped me out by posting some of my edits and put me in their mag so respect to them, plus the guys that work there are really cool guys. Dorian or Slater?
Kelly Dorian. Who’s your favorite underground surfer? Jake Vincent, my buddy from home. He’s doing air combos no one else is doing and no one is seeing. Hopefully people can start appreciating it soon because he’s got real talent and he’s a rad human. Plays in a sick band too. When was the worst era for surfing? Or are we in it? I think it’s pretty lame these days how all the pros want picture-perfect model girlfriends, are driving around in BMWs and owning six houses but there are also some of the rarest characters who are super rad and creating a new era. But everything is what you make of it so any era can be rad or shit, it’s just up to you. Would you be psyched to see Kelly Slater’s wave in the Olympics? I don’t really want to
see the Olympics happen at all. You recently won the Australian Pro Junior circuit, correct? Yeah, it was cool and we got to compete in fun waves in Tahiti and New Zealand and a couple fun waves in Aus too. But yeah, stoked to win. What’s that like for a grom in Australia? How important is that? I think it was a lot bigger back in the day. In saying that, there was some really good surfing in it, just way less events. It was most beneficial to be able to surf heats
in Tahiti in slabbing right points, not just waves like Manly Beach. Has that opened up some doors for you? Um… not so much. It was just a goal I had set for myself so I was just stoked to set a goal and achieve it. Are you a very competitive surfer or more of a free spirit? Are you trying to balance your free surfing and comp surfing? What’s your plan for the future, in other words? I’ve been finding lately I haven’t been doing
my best surfing in heats and I’ll spend a lot of money to go surf not-so-good waves and not show people what my surfing is. So I want to put some time into making edits that hopefully people will be stoked to watch and show them what I can do and who I am.
and also just being a good person. People want to do trips with people that they can get along with. I want to do as many trips as I can so I’m just trying to make connections with people I look up to and hopefully get some stuff done with them.
It seems like in this digital age it’s hard for anyone to really stand out and get noticed. Or, if you do something cool or significant it’s there one day and gone tomorrow. How do you stick out from the rest? I think consistently posting content is key
Do you like your generation or do you wish you were born in a different era? I love the guys I’m hanging around and shooting and surfing with so I’m content with how things are now.
Tell us about the best session of your life! I had Lance’s Rights (HT’S) with one buddy out. It was 6-8 feet, sunny, blue water, not a breath of wind and perfect barrels. I’ll remember that day for the rest of my life. What type of music do you dig? Ozzy Osbourne, Sonic Youth and Brian Jonestown Massacre. Fuck, Electric Wizard is sick too. I dunno, as long as it ain’t deep house techno shit I’ll listen to it. If you could describe your surfing in a word or two, what would it be? Mine would be “yard sale.” I don’t really know, you can call it that if you like.
Does music influence your surfing? Really just depends on what mood I’m in but I like listening to stoned doom stuff like Acid King or Electric Wizard because it pumps you up but kinda keeps your blood levels cool. How did it feel to get that cover of Australia’s Surfing Life [ASL] last month? I’m super stoked and so grateful; it’s not easy to get covers these days. But I got some other shots that trip that I really like and would have been stoked to see on the cover instead, but I’m very grateful to Surfing Life for putting me on their cover. Do you dig seeing your stuff in print still? Of course, things on the Internet get lost in a week. I can keep that mag and show my kids
one day. Plus, it’s sick to flick through a mag while having a coffee or whatever your drink of choice is and seeing my buddies in a tube or laying a serious turn. Plus, there’s some amazing photos getting around and it’s cool to be able to keep their photo in a collection. How sugarcoated is surfing nowadays? It’s like you know what someone is gonna say before the say it. People seem scared to speak their mind or the masses will crucify them on social media. How do you feel about that? That’s something that Christian opened my eyes to on our road trip. People are all scared to say the wrong thing, scared to have too many beers in front of someone because the sponsor might see… but fuck,
just be yourself. Life’s short, don’t be fake and that’s when people will start to back you for who you truly are. And sugarcoating shots, like flyaway airs on the cover, I’m not hearing that. Who speaks their mind the best and backs it up? To be honest, probably someone like Rasta. He says how fucked up people are treating our planet and actually goes out and tries to stop Japanese boats from killing whales and dolphins. He’s not doing that shit to sound good and get publicity out of it; he’s actually telling everyone how fucked it is and he’s doing something about it. What are your goals for 2017 and beyond? I want to produce content that people watch and get pumped to go surf after seeing it. I just want people to get to know who the real me is and hopefully they’ll back it, and if not I’ll just keep trying to put out the best content I can. If you couldn’t surf what would your day job be? I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, but until then I’ll keep doing what I love and hopefully everyone else can too.
interview • blake paul • photos • bob plumb The first memory I have of Sam was the realization that he was way better at snowboarding than me. When our crew of friends was coming up, before it turned into “Lick The Cat,” Sam was the one to watch. He was young and fearless. Sometimes I don’t even know if he thought much before he dropped in to do a trick. Sam has developed far beyond that now. I’ve watched him tackle everything from a 22-foot pipe to a massive Whistler step down to a psycho five-kink rail. He does everything his
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own way with his own style. Every trick he films seems to matter more to me than other riders. I would categorize him as a young blue-collar athlete. I don’t know what that means, but his strong work ethic in life and powerful grace on a board goes much beyond labeling him as just a pro snowboarder. Sam is one solid dude and one of my closest pals. Cheers to the kid! Growing up as a kid, what’s the first memory that
comes to mind on a snowboard? Riding around at Snowbird where I grew up, getting stuck in the snow on my first few pow days or maybe my mom taking me to the ski and snowboard swap to get my first board. What videos and snowboarders were you into? Afterlame, Follow Me Around, Moment of Truth, Smell the Glove, and a bunch of old 411 videos were some of the
first videos I had and still are so good. All the local Utah dudes got me stoked: Aaron Bittner, Bjorn and Erik Leines, Deadlung, MFM, and after watching Afterlame I thought Travis Parker was a god. Who was the first pro you saw when you were coming up? Aaron Bittner, I think. I always remember watching him and some other dudes ripping around Snowbird, jumping off of cat tracks. Your parents have been working at Snowbird forever. What do they do there? They have been. My dad is the head of tram and lift maintenance and my mom is the season pass office manager.
You get any special treatment up there as a kid? I think so for sure, but I also got in a bunch of trouble if I did something stupid like ducking ropes or asking people for money in the lodge so I could get a candy bar. I feel like Salt Lake is the snowboarder capitol of the world. Generations of boarders still live and ride there. Who can you give some credit to for bringing you up? Erik Leines was a huge help keeping me out of trouble and showing me that you can go out and film. He took Griffin Siebert, Evan Drage, and myself around to spots and filmed us and showed us what and what not to do, along with taking us into the backcountry for our first time. Very fortunate to have had that guidance from someone I looked up to.
Who was your crew growing up and who is it now? Griffin Siebert, Evan Drage, Sage and Blaze Kotsenburg, Max and Gus Warbington, Ben Bilodeau, Blake Paul, Jordan Tramp, Erik Neilson, Nils Mindich, Jerm, Jordan Morse, and everyone else around Salt Lake. Nowadays it’s pretty much the same; not much has changed aside from everyone being a bit more busy these days. How did you get involved at Nitro and L1? Just from riding Snowbird along with going into Milo all the time. I met Ryan Twilliger and he started to give me boards when I was 12, I think. I’ve stuck with them ever since and I followed suit with L1 a few yeas after and I’ve been stoked on the people involved and the brand from when I started.
Some of your first parts were in the Keep The Change videos. Anything you miss about those days? I think those were my best years filming street stuff. I just didn’t really know what I was doing for the first bit and would try things I definitely would not even think about trying now. I miss those trips and hanging with that whole crew though. Roll Call year was so much fun out east hanging with Colton, Mark and Derek. What was your first real filming trip? My first trip was to Minnesota with Mark Wilson, Derrek Lever, and Dylan Drogotta. Me, Jon Ray, and Rob Balding drove out there and we filmed around Minneapolis and Duluth for a couple weeks – one of the more memorable trips I’ve been on I think. Got any good Bob Plumb stories? Bringing a stray cat home from Bulgaria probably is on top of the list with many others. Favorite human! What do you do in the summer to help fund your snowboarding? I haven’t done it in a couple seasons but I’m going back to doing some chairlift construction this summer. It’s a nice way to put away some money before the winter so I’m stoked for that this coming June! What’s been going on the last two seasons? How’s the Vans video shaping up? It’s been cool to work on something for two seasons for a change. Kind of gives you a little breathing room and a chance to pick the stuff you really want to ride. You bought a snowmobile last year and jumped right into filming in the
backcountry. How’s that experience been? It’s been a blessing and a curse. I’ve learned a lot, which has been cool and I’ve been able to ride terrain I normally never would have without it. But those things aren’t easy, that’s for sure. At least for me, haha. Quick questions… Best skate spot? El Curbo. Best style? Pat Burke. Lick the Cat MVP? Pat Raichur. Who should be voted off Lick The Cat? Zak. Best breakfast? Roots Café. Best trip? Spring Break with the whole crew. Craziest place you’ve been? Svalbard. Best roommate on a trip? Rav. Best Photographer? Bob. Favorite resort? Brighton. Wrapping this up now, any shout-outs? Anything big I’ve missed? Family, friends, snowboarding, sponsors, skateboarding and sunny days.
autin smith
photos & words • bob plumb This was my first time to the Legendary Baker Banked Slalom. I’d have to say it was a pretty insane experience. Like most, we showed up to Glacier with the power out. This means little to no WiFi, which in this day and age means you are bored as fuck. No phone was probably the best thing ever because you are actually forced to interact face to face with fellow humans. A huge plus for the event is the Salmon cookout, with good lodge hanging and a little partying at Mt. Baker Snowboard Shop. It felt like a snowboard family reunion running into so many friends I haven’t seen for years. It snowed a shitload so in between runs everyone was getting insane pow laps. The event itself was really cool. Getting to see Dirkesen, Terje and Travis Rice race in person was a huge highlight. Watching Nils win was definitely super rad. I think everyone including myself probably drank way too much. Call it an amazing weekend bender of booze and boarding. Thank you, Baker!
josh dirksen bryan fox
nils mindnich austin smith
nils mindich
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words • paul zitzer • photos • chris ortiz Fact: There is nothing in existence on the planet like Tampa Pro. Think about it, the best pro skateboarders have crazy schedules, video deadlines, sponsor obligations, and yeah, travel fatigue. Yet, come Spring each year, going all the way back to 1995, the majority of them put all of those distractions aside and head down to the absolute sweatiest part of the country, where they spend a weekend inside one of the last remaining vestiges of 1990s skateboarding, a crusty warehouse known as Skatepark of Tampa. There, they mingle with fans, drink beers (and probably spend way too much time in Ybor), before trying to out-shred each other for the judges, for the crowd, for the love. The payout is immaterial when sized-up against the real prize: the chance to notch the old name on the all-time winners list, one that includes Mike V, Koston (three times!), Busenitz and Nyjah, to name just a few. This year the honor went to Louie Lopez, who covered the whole course in his line, adding tricks to his run rather than the other way around. And when the last of his 60-seconds ticked away and he tossed up a seemingly slow motion fakie-tre on the quarter pipe, it was apparent to everyone in the building that Louie would be skating out of there in first. Louie kept up the Tampa Pro tradition, winning it in the way that skateboarders love to see. That is, after all, what Tampa Pro is famous for.
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207 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA
words • nick vandekamp photos • vizal samreth Earlier this month, Salt Life celebrated the grand opening of its new Huntington Beach retail location on Main Street. Locals say it’s the best looking store in town! It took about six months to plan, and Irvine-based Displayit helped bring the custom floor plan and underwater-theme to life. It’s epic! Salt Life now has three physical locations: Jacksonville Beach, FL, San Clemente, and Huntington Beach, and Columbus, GA, is scheduled to open next month. HB will be the largest of the four, but the Salt life team felt HB was the ideal destination to embrace the salt life, whether it’s surfing, fishing, diving, paddle boarding, or enjoying a cool day at the beach. The grand opening kicked off with a ceremonial ribbon cutting followed by a tour of the new store, with beer cozies for everyone and cold beers to fill them with. The food was surprisingly very good, and the music by Timmy Curran was even better! Timmy played a few songs from his new album releasing this month titled Alexander Road. Make sure to check out the album and come visit the new Salt Life store next time you’re down on Main, it’s killer!
Amy Foreman, Jeff Stillwell & crew cutting the ribbon Wall of hats
Storefront
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Live performance by Timmy Curran Photographer John Salanoa
Hannah & the Spencer boys Team rider Colin McPhillips & family
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interview & photos • david evanko
On stage you speak of sexual revolution – do we need one? Has it already begun? Where will it take us? We like to think we live in a post-gender, sexually accepting world! But that’s not true. And we have a lot of work to do to get there. Sexuality and individual identity is freedom, and we are freedom fighters! Would Satan be proud of the current state of rock ‘n’ roll? How can we fix it or how can we keep it going? Ha! Satan is always happy with rock ‘n’ roll! Just so long as his disciples
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are spreading the good word and fighting injustice he will be happy. You are currently on tour, so which city has the best scrambled eggs? Oh man, we aren’t hitting Oakland. We all know the best scrambled eggs are in Oakland. Describe your most significant paranormal experience on a tour. Has there been any on this one in particular? Not so much on this tour! Though we did cause Jimmy from White Fang to have a bad trip. While he was watching us at Burgermania he thought we were evil witches causing
danger worldwide! Can art generate paranormal activity? Absolutely! The more minds that are turned on and tuned into the force of outer space, where all inspiration comes from, the more potential for everything! Shadow People or Black Eyed Children? Don’t even write “B---k Eyed Children!!!” What is the subject matter of the new songs you’re playing on this tour? We’re just playing Rock and Roll in
the dawn of the new dystopia – same subject as always. I heard Iggy Pop thinks you’re cool. What happens now? We wake up? It’s a dream, right? We are supposed to listen to him, not the other way around, too cool! What can we expect from Death Valley Girls in 2017? New album, new supernatural phenomena, paranormal radio, new friends and prison, possibly...
reviews • max ritter & rob molt
Andy Shauf The Party ANTI-Records
Chuck Berry Chuck… Berry Is On Top Chess Records
Do you ever wake up after a party and wonder who the quiet guy was just observing everyone? That guy was Canadian multi-instrumentalist Andy Shauf, and he noticed everything. He went back and recorded an album in a firstperson narrative, with guitars, pianos and even clarinets. The songs are lush and beautiful vignette arrangements; the lyrics are potent stories of the night. A little Paul Simon-style… maybe. You should listen and see if you’re in there, did he catch your act? You better hope not.
“I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet... But your kids are gonna love it.” - Marty McFly. Chuck Berry was an innovator ahead of his time, and all the high praise put on him is most definitely an understatement! Ninety years is a good run though, my man!
Daddy Issues In Your Head Infinity Cat Recordings Oh girls, you had us at, “Fuck you forever,” the first lyric of the kiss off/break up grunge rocker “In Your Head” and the first full-length from the Nashville trio Daddy Issues. They go on to sing, “I wear your shirts to bed with my new boyfriend, and it’s never that good when we’re having sex.” Stop it, you’re killing us. These four-chord grunge goddesses landed on the incomparable Infinity Cat label (Jeff the Brotherhood, Diarrhea Planet), so you know what to expect: incredibly catchy, young angst anthems. You’ll dig it; just don’t try breaking up with them – but why would you?
John Andrews & The Yawns Bad Posture Woodist Dude! Chill! Some mellow and dreamy Americana music recorded in a Farm House in New Hampshire.
Kikagaku Moyo House in the Tall Grass Guruguru Brain Japan’s latest import, Kikagaku Moyo, doesn’t sound like countrymen Boris or Acid Mother Temple. (Not familiar with these bands? By all means get to it.) This version of the well-established Japanese psychedelic rock scene lends itself more to folk speeds and the Hindu sounds of the sitar. But there are moments of elevated fuzz and jammy bass lines that properpsych heads demand. And by the time your reading this, they will be in California. Dōitashimashite.
The Crack All Cracked Up Evil Records The Crack may be a criminally underrated English punk/rock ‘n’ roll band from the ‘80s.
Elliott Smith Either/Or Kill Rock Stars For its 20-year anniversary Elliot Smith’s classic third album Either/Or gets a double LP expanded edition. Along with a cleanup and re-mastering by Smith’s friend and audio engineer Larry Crane, there are some interesting bonus perks such as a previously unheard studio rendition of the song “I Figured You Out” and five live tracks from a festival in Olympia, Washington, in 1997.
Our First 100 Days. Compilation Secretly Group/30 Songs, 30 Days/Revolutions Per Minute It’s us against him, and we have him out numbered. Our First 100 Days was started by like-minded artists in response to that kook’s first day in office. These are 100 powerful, previously unreleased songs, posted each day by the likes of Kim Gordon, Mikal Cronin, Toro Y Moi, Cherry Glazerr and other freedom fighters. This is you buying music that benefits progress. All the money gained by the project goes to projects being undermined by comrade Trump’s fascists. #Resist. Join us here at www. ourfirst100days.bandcamp.com.
photo & words • max ritter
Spoon The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA Monday March 6th, 2017 There is no mistaking the raspy croon and effortless style. There is but only one voice of Britt Daniels. My heart sank the day my wife accidently threw away a box with my Gimme Fiction poster signed by the entire band. “A timeless standard are they,” said Yoda, Jedi Master. Spoon has a new album out called Hot Thoughts on Matador Records.
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