BL!SSS Magazine | May 2016 | #105

JJF

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN JOHN FLORENCE

HURLEY.COM

J A Y

D A V I E S

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T H E B A L A N C E O F O P P O S I T E S

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russ pope

randoms • 22 product review • 26 mikael takacs • 28 julia faber • 30 kelly rene jeliner • 32 super taste • 34 courtney jaedtke • 36 vestal village • 38 richard finkelstein • 40 michael townsend • 44 zach miller • 48 the art of russ pope • 52 colin moran • 60 chad hargrove • 66 road to holy bowly • 70 roark x said space • 74 minter opening at ocma • 76 4th annual jla banked slalom • 78 young and the brave • 80 kanine records • 82 music reviews • 83 groms • 86

M A H I N A

A L E X A N D E R

F A M I L Y

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Editor-in-Chief 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

MUSI C EDITOR max ritter max@blisssmag.com

advertising ads@blisssmag.com

contributing Photographers

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

MAY 2016 BL!SSS Magazine 413 31st Street Newport Beach, CA 92663 www.blisssmag.com Disclaimer: Although all best efforts are made to avoid the same, we reserve the right to publish unintentional mistakes and/or factual errors which may occur on a monthly basis. No responsibility is assumed by the publishers for unsolicited materials/articles/letters/ advertising and all submissions will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright and/or appropriate licensing purposes subject to Blisss’ right to edit and comment editorially. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine reflect the opinions of their respective authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team.

Blisss Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising matter which may reflect negatively on the integrity of the magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form [print or electronic] without prior written consent from the publisher.

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

SHANE DORIAN’S “RIDE OF THE YEAR”

Shane at Jaws! Shane at Jaws! Shane at Jaws! Have you seen the actual footage of the wave that Dorian was gifted “Ride of the Year” from last month’s WSL’s Big Wave Awards? It’s fucking heavy, bro. It makes us so uncomfortable and scared out of our minds knowing that skitz people like Shane Dorian exist and are able to ride waves that our houses can fit inside for enjoyment and thrill. Shane hit it big a couple Saturday’s ago at the Big Wave Awards, where he was honored with a second consecutive Billabong Ride of the Year title for this very wave, which is a pretty big testament for how strong-willed and talented our 43-year-old friend is.

Congratulations, Shane. We’d be very surprised if we ever see anyone top that ride!

PENNY TOUCAN TROPICANA

The all-new 27” Toucan Tropicana has just recently become our new favorite coffee run cruiser. And by our, we mean our receptionist; it’s our receptionist’s favorite cruiser and he looks so fly every morning gliding down the street transporting our mocha lattes. This Penny board offered in the larger Nickel model features patched patterns of jungle stories, contrasting wavy repeated lines and a range of birds that make this board unlike any other. Head over to pennyskateboards.com next time you’re free and shop this new complete, offered at just 140 bones. Trust us – it will be worth every penny! (see what we did there)

ELECTRIC BUY BACK

Our beloved once French, once Volcom owned sunglass brand Electric is coming back to being independently owned, thanks to its original member and CEO Eric Crane. We’ve always praised the sunglass company for their product and aesthetic so it’s been refreshing to hear that they are back on their own paved course again, sticking to what they know best; making the best damn sunglasses in the industry.

We couldn’t be more stoked for the entire Electric crew and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. Congrats to all those making this transition a reality and big ups to Crano for sticking to his guns and bring Electric California back to California – yew!

HURLEY PHANTOM JJF II RIO BOARDSHORT

Launching just in time for the 2016 WSL Rio Pro, Hurley is thrilled to present the allnew Phantom JJF II Rio Boardshort, featuring a landscape photo taken from none other than the multi-talented John Florence. The 21” silhouette offers over-the-knee protection, stretchy, quick-drying fabric and all sorts of bells and whistles common people like us wouldn’t even be able to fathom or understand. If you head over to hurley.com you can shop these shorts, available May 9th. We already copped a pair and have been wearing them ever since, hoping the spirit of Cristo Redentor will shine a light on our fantasy surfing leagues.

VOLCOM’S HOLY STOKES! A REAL LIFE HAPPENING

Its about freakin’ time man! Nearly two years in the making and Holy Stokes is finally set to premiere, starting the 20th of this very month and marking this the first fulllength skate film from Veeco Productions since 2007’s “Let’s Live.” Shot entirely on 4k and directed by cinematic genius Russell Houghten, Holy Stokes features an array of Volcom’s stacked global skate team with dozens of skaters ranging from all sorts of diverse street and transitional backgrounds. If you haven’t seen any of the trailers then you’ve been sadly living under a rock. Head over to volcom.com/ holystokes to have your mind blown with a two-minute teaser and find out how and where you can catch one of the 60+ global viewings before the movie is released on iTunes June 7th.

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ROARK X OURCASTE

Two of our favorite brands have teamed up to make some of the best amphibious shorts available on the market. But what else could we expect when two of the hottest, up-and-coming brands in the industry join forces. Kudos to Roark Revival and ourCaste for birthing lovechild “Outfitters” – as comfortable in the water as they are on land. And you know these things are gonna look damn nice as they got Mike Quinones seal of approval written all over them. It’s great seeing like-minded brands respecting one another and joining forces to do something great. Available at premium retailers and online at roark.com and ourCaste.com, get them while they last.

PAROLLI ROLI

The Parole family owned and operated the award winning Stuft Noodle Restaurant in Newport Beach for over 20 years. And anyone who has ever frequented the nowclosed Stuft Noodle knows what it delectable treat it was. But don’t fret, Parolli Rolli is here and consist of second and third generation family chefs serving up great food in a fun and simple atmosphere. Available exclusively for catering and at the SoCo Famers Market every Saturday, they have the best Porchetta sandwich we’ve ever had. With top of the line rotisseries and daily fresh bread by the Bread Artisan Bakery in Tustin we highly recommend you give them a taste. Visit parollirolli.com and let your mouth water.

DARKSTAR X MIRKO

We’ve been really digging the new artist series collaborations Darkstar Skateboards has been dropping on us lately and we couldn’t be more stoked for our good pal Mirko Antich, aka Murk Lurks, for getting the chance to feature some of his artwork for the brands latest range. Bred straight outta of the South Bay, Mirko’s art is punk as hell, he’s a cheeky mofo with strong influences from the early punk and 90’s skateboarding scene, which translates tremendously on these three pro series decks. Keep your eyes pealed and hit up your local skate shop or follow @Murklurks and harass the hell out of him to find out how you can get one of these boards.

COSMIC CREEK 2016

As we inch closer to summertime it’s time to start thinking about Cosmic Creek 2016. The crews over at Vissla and D’Blanc assure us this year is going to have an all-time turnout, and how could they not with the Allah-las, Tamaryn, Reverberation Radio and The Helmets performing at the 15th Annual Cosmic Creek Festival. Not to mention the non-standard format of shredding on your dad’s single or twin-fin. Mix that in with another round of the Creators and Innovators Division – where local shapers will compete against one another on there own 70’s and 80’s-inspired craft.

It’s a fun weekend for all, going down May 21st and 22nd so be sure to make your way down to Salt Creek and cyber click on over to vissla.com/cosmiccreek and sign up today.

ZICO FRIDGE

Team Zico showed up at the BL!SSS headquarters this past month with a rad little addition for the BL!SSS offices. They’ve gifted us a Zico mini-fridge, stocked to the brim with the best damn coconut water available. And they’ve got some new flavor additions to their ever-growing roster of premium coco-fluids that come by the way of Watermelon Raspberry, Pineapple and Chocolate flavored deliciousness. Next time you’re in Newport feel free to swing by, say hi and get hydrated on us – there’s no better way to get your tasty fill of electrolytes and potassium.

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Tatiana Weston-Webb

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left to right • Black Flys, Fly Ballistics - $65, flys.com • Crap Eyewear, The Tuff Patrol - $64, crapeyewear.com • D’Blanc, Evil Twin - $110, dblanc.com • Electric, Stacker - $180, electriccalifornia.com • Proof Eyewear, The Sundance - $130, iwantproof.com • Kaenon, Clarke - $209, kaenon.com • Roark, Roark Electric Glacier - $300, roark.com • Raen, Figurative Peroxide - $140, raen.com • Kreed Eyewear, Ingenious - $28, kreedeyes.com • Sabre, Showtime - $90, sabre.fm • Filtrate, Litmus - $64.99, filtrateeyewear.com • Smith Optics, Comstock - $169, smithoptics.com • Wonderland, Montclair - $185, wonderlandsun.com • Sanos Eyewear, Zephyr - $120, sanoseyewear.com • Vestal, Quentin - $100, vestalwatch.com

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interview • liz rice mccray

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Hello Mikael, will you please start out by telling us a little about marbling and some of the techniques you use?

I use pipettes to pour the acrylic paint onto the horizontal canvas. It has to be completely horizontal, or else the paint would run off. When the paint is distributed across the canvas I begin distorting the portrait by dragging the paint around using various tools, like sticks and combs. I try to combine the classic abstract expression of marbling with concrete figures, which results in intricate patterns that forms my subjects.

Will you tell us about your solo exhibition at Galleri Ramfjord in Oslo, Norway?

This was my very first solo show, and also my first time in Oslo, and it was a great experience. I have to admit I was a little bit nervous at the opening reception, mostly because I knew we had to communicate in different languages.

Swedish and Norwegian is pretty similar though, and they all 36 28

articulated well, and maybe spoke a little slower than they usually would to make sure we understood each other. It all went very well, and the people at Galleri Ramfjord really made me feel welcome.

What are some of your consistent influences?

I like a lot of different figurative artists like James Jean, Volkano, Rune Christensen and many others, but I don’t know how influenced I am by the art I like. I mean, a portrait is a portrait, but other than that it’s hard to see much of a resemblance since our techniques are so different.

Where do you call home?

I have lived my whole life in the same small town called Enköping, about 45 minutes north of Stockholm, but this summer I’m moving down to the big city. It’s about time.

We’re curious to what percentage of your time is devoted to your artwork? What fills the rest of your time?

It’s hard to put a percentage on how I spend my time, but right now it feels like I don’t do much else besides painting. I do occasionally try to get out of my hermit-like existence and socialize a bit. I love listening to podcasts, almost regardless of what I’m doing - while I paint, while I’m out walking, cleaning, showering. There’s almost always someone chattering away in my ear.

Last question, and thank you for taking the time to do this interview, where can people check out your art?

I will be represented by Galerie Wolfsen at Art Basel and Art Copenhagen this summer, and I will be a part of Corey Helford Gallery’s 10th Anniversary show in June, and in December this year I will have my U.S. debut solo show with Corey Helford Gallery.

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interview • liz rice mccray

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There seems to be an element of selfportraiture in your work, is this true?

Yes, in a way. For this you need to know that I first take photos, and then work with them and change them to create the painting. So in a sense, I am an actor in my own scenes. Often this happens in the first painting of a series, when I want to try out new stuff and I am not entirely sure how the scene might look, and if it will work.

It is easier to do it myself, more flexible.

Where do you take scenes to draw from?

The scenes I paint are the result of an extensive research, a combination of science, history and myths. I try to combine these to unravel the core of human nature. Human actions and desires repeat, if you look at them over time.

What mediums do you work with?

Mainly with oil paint in combination with acrylics and another techniques. At the moment this is ink drawing.

One element of your painting that affects me greatly is your use of light. How do you create that play of light in your mind?

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Before I became a painter I trained for five years to become a photographer, so working with light and knowing how it falls comes from that, I guess. When I make up the scenes for my paintings I look at them a bit like a theater play – so I create the mood that is necessary for the story to work. Light creates this mood and I set it thoroughly when taking the pictures for my paintings.

It appears your interest and inclination toward painting started at a young age. How did you get started in painting?

When I was about eleven my parents gave me an easel, an oil paint set and some pre-prepared canvases for Christmas. That’s when it all started.

Do you need or have strategies to sustain interest, enthusiasm and concentration when painting a piece?

I don’t have strategies for the whole painting, there is just – do one at a time, so each one is finished as fast as possible. When I have to do rather complex or repetitive areas on the painting it helps me to listen to audio books; they keep me distracted enough not to quit.

What do you think is most misunderstood about your work?

I would say when people ask me what “happens” in a painting. I do not make up narratives to the scenes; that is up to the spectator. It is the arrangement of the dioramic display I think of and create – in my head there is no before or after.

This does not mean I don’t want people to make up a story around the paintings for themselves, but don’t ask me what it is.

How has your painting evolved and are you going in new directions now?

It always evolves; I change little things in every painting. I try out new techniques regularly, and because of this the series differ a lot from each other. This keeps work interesting for me. I cannot imagine doing the same style and topic for the rest of my life, like some painters do. Where’s the fun in that?

Where can people check out your art?

I try to keep my website as up to date as possible, so check it out, www.juliafaber.com.

Also on Instagram, @julia_faber_art.

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interview • liz rice mccray

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This month we had the pleasure of interviewing artist Kelly Rene Jelinek and we were smitten… For all our readers who are collectors of art or interior designers we suggest you check out Kelly Jelinek’s work at www.littlestagstudio. com. Thank you Kelly for taking the time to answer our questions.

Ok let’s start out. What are a few of your favorite things?

I feel like I should be singing this in the tune of the “My Favorite Things” song from The Sound of Music, haha.

I would say that one of my favorite activities is going antiquing and flea marketing, but I also love reading fantasy/fiction, going to the movies and taking naps. My favorite days are rainy days and my favorite food is fajitas.

If I had to pick a favorite artist, it would probably be the “golden age” illustrator Kay Nielsen, but the painter Gustav Klimt and architect Antoni Gaudi are very close runner-ups.

And my positively, absolutely, favoritest (yes, I am aware this is not a real word) thing ever is my ugly Peruvian Inca Orchard dog, Ike. He is simply the best!

Ha, why yes, The Sound of Music was the inspiration behind that question. So tell us, when asked, “What do you do?” how do you answer?

I still feel weird telling people that I am an artist when asked what I do. I have a normal part-time job working in

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the shipping/receiving department of a local company, so I usually start off telling them about that, and then mention off-handedly that I am also an artist, which then usually prompts the question “What kind of art do you make?”

So I try to describe the upholstered animal mounts that I make but that usually only results in confused expressions coming from the person asking. At this point I usually whip out one of my business cards and tell them to look up my website to see pictures.

Kelly, please elaborate on the inspiration behind your artistic style and the background of your upholstered faux taxidermy animals? How did you get into upholstery faux taxidermy?

I grew up (and currently still reside) in rural Wisconsin, so I became very accustomed to seeing taxidermy in my own household as well as many others. I found them fascinating as a child, and as I grew up I found the controversy around hunting and taxidermy interesting.

When I was in high school, I developed an interest in upholstery. I have always been a hands-on, do-ityourselfer, so I taught myself to do basic upholstery and would occasionally refurnish old chairs that I came across.

Later, when I was an undergraduate at UW-Stevens Point, I decided to combine my interest in taxidermy with my upholstery skills. The finished products were an accumulation of many influences – my interest in

taxidermy and upholstery skills, an exploration of animals in folklore and fairytales, and my love of the bizarre and fantastical. So you could say that the inspiration behind my artistic style for the animal mounts stems from all of these different areas.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an artist?

Getting your work noticed by others has been my biggest struggle so far, and only recently have I made a bit of a splash online. My next goal is to start entering more shows and having my work exhibited, because I truly feel that the animals are best viewed in person; the photographs rarely do them justice.

Where can people check out your sculptures?

My Little Stag Studio website has images of all of the previous animals that I’ve made, so that is a good place to start, www.littlestagstudio.com. The website has links to all of my social media pages, which I continually update with images of my newest creations. I also post any upcoming exhibitions there. For those that would like to see my animals in person, they can be viewed and purchased at the following galleries: The Robert Lange Studios or The Vendue in Charleston, SC, The Mary Martin Gallery in Naples, FL and at Wildwood & Co in Portland, OR.

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photography • dominic petruzzi • @dominicpetruzzi model • nigora • @itsnigora • agency • @factorchosen_la hair & makeup • beth carter • @bethcartermua

interview • nolan hall Ok, so you’re an artist, designer, falconer/pigeoner (is that right?

I’m running with it)/animal lover in general, mother and soon to be wife (congrats!). I’m probably leaving some things out, but can you tell us in your own words what it is you do and how you got into doing these things?

Sure. I originally went to school for exotic animal training, graduated and

starting working with dolphins. Then, at 23 I began traveling full time with Dane [Reynolds] my boyfriend who surfs professionally. Around the same time I got into falconry because I adore birds and it was a way to fill the void since I was no longer working with exotics. For the last two years I haven’t had a hawk.

It’s a very time-consuming hobby and it became hard to travel when

you have a trained bird that needs go out flying everyday. I’ve since gotten into homing pigeons. They’re lower maintenance. I take them with me when I run errands and let them out in the parking lot and they usually are home by the time I get there. I sew and photograph animals a lot. Dane and I recently had a son, his name is Sammy. We’ve been together 12 years and are getting

married this August.

What’s a typical day in the life for you, start to finish?

Production levels are a little lower since having Sammy; he takes quite a chunk of the day. He’s almost a year so things are starting to streamline. Maintaining all the kids and plants is daily, and whatever time is left I’m working on a mix of

work for PAMWEAR, napkin, sewing, or training the pigeons. I’ve also been having a lot of fun making toys and things for Sammy.

perfectly! So the sewing thing kinda snowballed and I opened an online shop where I could sew when I’m home and put my shop on vacation when we travel. Around that time I began photographing my dogs and pigeons a lot. Then I started turning my photographs into fabric and sewing them into backpacks and such. I’m a sucker for wildlife charities. The Ojai Raptor Center is our local rehabilitation center – they do inspiring work. Ten percent of everything I make I donate.

You hang out a lot with your girl Pam (@pamlovesferrariboys). Can you tell the readers how you two started working together and a

little about her brand Pamwear?

I’m super lucky to have the opportunity to work with Pam. She has a unique outlook on life. We started working together about six years ago. PAMWEAR started probably three years ago and it’s a street brand based on her way of living.

pigeons and 400 houseplants. Pam and our rooster Fantasy do not get along. Actually Fantasy doesn’t get along with anyone. I’ve had to start regulating it so that Fantasy doesn’t snag her eyes with his spur. We got him as a chick and were told he was a girl. I don’t have the heart to get rid of him. But besides him everyone gets along! The dogs are good to our birds.

You have an Etsy store [NapkinItems] where you sell handmade items. Can you tell us a little about how this came to be and the items you create? I’ve also seen that you donate a fair amount of proceeds to charity as well. What are some of your favorite charities to work with?

I took an intro to sewing class maybe seven years ago and became enthralled with the idea of creating anything you could imagine and it could also fit you 36

You and Dane have a lot of animals at your home; can you give the readers a roll call of all the living beings on the property?

Do they all get along together?

And what does it takes to maintain them all?

We have two dogs, four chickens, 27

Do you have any projects in the works we can look for in the near future?

PAMWEAR and Napkin are always working on something new!

The seventh annual Vestal Village set a milestone for what all other Coachella side parties should aspire to be. It’s not entirely about the festival but all other activities leading up to, and after, the main event. Remember, it is the journey and not the destination. Well, that is of course, unless Vestal Village is your destination, which it’s safe to say it was, as it hit an all-time high as the destination this go-around. With over 4,000 guests attending in the weekend long extravaganza, and many of those calling Vestal Village home, it’s no wonder that this event just keeps getting better and better each and every year. With a brand new venue for 2016, guests had ample opportunity to explore the 700-acre property, which included hiking the mountainous terrain, biking trails, a fishing lake, swimming/partying in the Olympic size pool or taking advantage of the numerous Tiki Bars staged throughout the entire property to keep everyone well hydrated.

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Those who stayed for daytime activities were not disappointed, as dueling music stages kept everyone loose as sounds from The Pink Slips, Dead Sara, Cut Snake, Beware of Darkness, Crystal Castles, Ariel Pink and many others performed. And once the sun set the nightly hosted “speakeasy” was the place to be at the Village, as sophisticated drinks and even more damn good music filled the rest of the night. Those who opted to camp out this year saw some of nicest glamping setups we’ve ever seen, which I’m sure will attract and even bigger and more awesome crowd in 2017. Big thanks to Johnny Gehris from Vestal for hacking it out and making all this happen. And even bigger thanks the sponsors and supporters that help make this a reality. All we gotta do now is get approval for those helicopters for next year. We’ll be on the first one!

interview • liz rice mccray Not to gush, but when we happened to come across Richard Finkelstein and his photographs of meticulously designed miniature diorama sculptures we were mesmerized and intrigued. Thank you Richard for taking the time to answer our questions. We really enjoyed interviewing you.

How did you transition from law to art?

I moved to New York in my twenties to be an artist with little idea of what

lawyer I always wanted to make art, whatever that meant. I got a part-time studio and, over a few years, moved into it fulltime. I began doing large charcoal drawings, narrative drawings, because as a trial lawyer much of what I did was to tell stories. I had always drawn and taught myself to paint, and later I was fortunate enough to be represented by a New York gallery with my paintings and drawings.

Are you still practicing law?

No.

Were you formally trained as a photographer?

No. I had no formal art training of any sort. In fact, I began shooting these pieces using a small Canon Elph. When I was approached by my current dealer based on only three photographs and asked to be represented I decided it was time to buy a better camera.

Was your mission when creating the dioramas always to photograph

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that meant. I worked as a graphic artist on a magazine and as counselor at night in a residence for wayward teenagers. But I also always had an interest in public interest law, particularly criminal law as a defense lawyer. I was a public defender and then a professor at NYU Law School, then opening a large public interest office in Harlem and then opened an office with some old colleagues who were running an organization called The Innocence Project.

But at some point I realized that while I had had a very interesting run as a

them? What did you start doing first, the photography or the sculptures?

No, the original idea was to create these pieces and place them in all sorts of viewing boxes, where you could look inside and see these slightly uncanny scenes. But when I finished a few I realized that they were more curios than art. And one of my rules, not original, is that any work had to be one that you wanted to look at more than once, which the boxes were not. So I initially took a few photos to memorialize them and have a visual record but then found that the photographs were infinitely more interesting and compelling than the actual object where it was immediately apparent that you were looking at a diorama.

Given it can take so long to complete a photograph, what is the process you use to conceptualize a piece, refine it, “test” it, etc., so you do not get halfway through a photograph and discover, “this is not working”?

I usually get halfway through a photo or even a whole series and discover it is not working. I spent a few months on a landscape project. I built an entire

mountain range out of paper and plaster and after hundreds of photos I realized it simply did not work. I usually have an idea, actually dozens of ideas, and begin to put a piece together. Some are crude and some more refined. I knew in this series that I wanted to concentrate on narrative and felt that these two competing images, the one on the screen and one in the audience, would give me a great deal of latitude. But often I see a photo in the paper or read a story and it gives me an idea. A lot of my ideas come from reading and other artists. This show in particular was influenced by Hopper and a play called The Flick about three people, the projectionist, usher and the guy cleaning up who sit in the theater talking for hours after everyone left the theater.

In your bio, you referred to tailoring the facts in a trial to reveal a certain truth to the jury, as well as cropping the photos to create partial truths.

With reference to your art, what do you want to intentionally convey to the observer? What “truths” do you crop out of your images?

Trial lawyers, actually all lawyers, are more interested in what they can exclude rather than what they can include. In a criminal trial the defense lawyer is always trying to keep out evidence which is prejudicial to his or her client – a prior criminal record, certain statements made in order to frame the story in the light most favorable to the client. In most cases you are trying to limit what the jury hears rather than provide them with everything that may be relevant. That’s why you see lawyers always making objections in court. In these photos you never see the whole scene which allows them to be more cinematic and perhaps mysterious.

There is part of a story in the photo but hopefully you wonder what you are not seeing, where it is happening, what came before, and who is outside the frame.

What do you think is most misunderstood about your work.

I think one part is the emphasis on the miniatures, which for me is simply a means to tell a story, but it also is a way to create these worlds without the impossible task of going out and creating them in the real world. It particularly allows for mistakes, many, in the idea, the scene, the characters and the lighting. I also think that it appears that I must be obsessional in the process. Generally I am not, except for the scale model theater in the show. I am less concerned with process than the final image. I will create disposable sets and do some amount of post production.

How do you create that play of light in your mind?

Again, some intention and a great deal of trial and error. I often take hundreds of pictures to find the right image and I also find the way I work that I can rarely recreate an exact image or its lighting. The lighting became one of the greatest challenges, as very little lighting is made for this kind of photography. So I bought C stands and would attach flashlights and pen lights and iphone lights and desk lamps with tin foil to make a spot. I would pick up lights where I saw them in hardware stores and then figure out if and how to use them. I also used a fog machine and flashlights to recreate those beams of light which we see from the projector. But I was also always drawn to the dramatic lighting in a Hopper or a Crewdson photo.

Please tell us about “Sitting in the Dark with Strangers.”

I had 10,000 titles before I came up with this. Titles of movies and books, lines of poetry... But then I thought about this experience of being with people yet being alone. And as you can see so many of these photographs depict people alone or alone in a crowd.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

These relate only to art and not to life, and there were three. One, I was told when I started painting, which was that the way you know that you want to do this is when you are sitting in a room with four blank walls and need to and want to do something with them, with no model, no instructor, no lesson. The second had to do with appreciating a picture, in that it had to merit a second or third look, and that there is always more than meets the eye at first glance and rewards further viewing. And the third was from an artist named Bruno Schulz, who was said to have written that everyone is born with one or two ideas or sentences which they spend the rest of their lives working through and figuring out. So I often try to figure that out.

Where can people view your art?

The photographs can be viewed at robertmann.com. The exhibition archive has the most recent show and under artists you can see the previous show. And shortly I will resurrect a website, richardfinkelstein.com. At present most of the photos and earlier paintings and drawings can be found at rickfinkelstein.net.

words • joey marshall Mike Townsend or “Big Mike,” as I call him, became an acquaintance of mine many of years ago. I was fresh off the plane from Florida and roaming the streets of Newport and somehow we came in contact. I’m not sure if it was a coincidental meeting, a session in the water or if he was roommates with a friend of a friend. How it happened is not really important, but somehow over the years we’ve remained close friends. I’ve been on many a journeys with Big Mike and I gotta say it’s his positive attitude and appreciation for every little thing, along with his permanent smile, that has always kept him close. One such journey that I’ll never forget happened close to a decade ago on an impromptu trip to Baja California, Mexico, and it was my very first adventure with one I’d come to call a lifelong friend.

Again, I’m not sure where or how I fell into the picture; I’m assuming for story-telling purposes, it was a late night bar session that awakened the necessity for an impromptu surf/fish mission south of the border. Regardless, by day break the next morning I was accompanied by Seal Beach surf lore Troy “Techno” Tecklenburg, Adam “Beek” Dambrackas and my boy Big Mike. Of course, there was a trailing car full of innocent female victims from the night prior who we somehow convinced to follow us into the unknown south of the border. I can’t tell you how much fun we had on that trips but let’s just say all the marks got checked: fish were slayed, waves were destroyed, skinny dipping sessions went down and many a late nights were had. Adventure highlights included Techno’s air sesh at K38, Beek stabbing himself with a Sculpin while filleting fish, me teaching the boys how to throw a cast net “Florida-style,” and copious amounts of magic mushrooms being consumed by all. Needless to say, it’s a trip I won’t soon forget.

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derrick disney

ari browne

john weber

otto flores

daniel shea tanner prarie

We’ve both grown up quite a bit since then and our life paths have slowly drifted apart. For a while there, Big Mike made his home in the Big Apple, NYC. He was doing big thangs and had more than his share of successful ventures. He has since returned back to Orange County, back to the surf culture and back to where I’m sure he considers home. He’s picked up the camera and has impressed us all with a nostalgic eye for capturing moments – moments like the ones he and I experienced over a decade ago. I’m stoked to see this guy starting to get some recognition for what he obviously does so well. He’s not shooting photos as a career move but more as a passion project. Be sure to check more of his images and give him a follow on the Insta @michaeltownsend.

brightton brandenburger

interview • delon isaacs

Tell us about the first time dropping in on a ramp: did you nail it, or did you eat shit? Be honest. Describe the whole thing for us if you remember.

The first time I dropped in on vert, I think I was nine and I fully slammed.

I was at the YMCA Summer Skate Camp. I had dropped in on everything in the park that didn’t have vert, and one of the older kids was coaxing me into charging the 10-foot bowl. He told me, “Just stomp super hard, just like a mini ramp, but harder ‘cause the vert!” Which, if you ever are teaching someone to skate vert, is completely wrong. But I listened, stomped extra hard, leaned forward and pile-drived the flat bottom. It sucked. I think I cried. A day or two later I came back with my dad, and he taught me properly, “Just squat, stay little, don’t lean too forward or back. Just neutral.”

That day, I made it first try, and then I was hooked. Vert was sick.

Have you noticed a decline in vert skating? I mean, 15-foot vert ramps aren’t just sprouting out of everywhere. Is there still a cool group of young vert kids holding it down?

I would say that vert skating is actually on the rise! There are so many good parks with transition, and around here there are actually a pretty good amount of vert ramps. Not all of them are full 15-foot-sized but just in SD alone there are like 10 vert ramps. Half of them are private, but even those ones kids end up making friends with some of the vert crew and get in on sessions. There are so many little ripper kids now it’s crazy! Pretty rad. Plus with all the parks, most kids are getting good at skating bowls and that will translate to a straight ramp pretty easily if you want to try out vert.

What’s the best feeling skate maneuver for you? Like, you know that one grab, where you do it and you’re like, “Ah fuck, I love this trick.”

Anything going full speed and power. I like using the whole ramp, pool, wall, ledge… whatever. I love full-speed tailslides, overcrooks, anytime you can blast an air and carve the shit out of it, that’s the best feeling. Speed checks are sick too, haha – simple, sounds rad and feels good.

What’s a normal day in the life of Zach Miller look like? You live in Cardiff? How nice is it to have the beaches you do and all the different types of skate parks?

Normal day? Well I work at Nixon four days a week doing graphic design stuff. I’ve never made money from skating so I’ve always had a job. Being from Cardiff is rad; I can see the surf from my house. The past few days have been epic! I have been getting up early, surf for a couple hours, head into Nixon ‘til 3, usually surf again ‘til like 5:30, eat, then go skate like 6-6:30

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photo • devin briggs

over crook • photo • blabacphoto

p.m. usually at Alga Norte since it has lights, or open up the DC park and skate the ramp. Usually skate ‘til about 10 p.m. Not a bad life for sure. My days off are sick ‘cause there are so many parks around you can mix it up ride different stuff; surf, skate from the house to get food. Not too bad!

Who are three of your favorite tranny skaters? They can be from any era.

Just three is hard; there are so many sick dudes! It’s hard ‘cause I grew up around so many of them, but Rune Glifberg has always been my favorite. Peter Hewitt, Hosoi… Ah man I can rattle off so many guys that I think are amazing… Danny Way, Bob Burnqusit, Matt Dove, Bucky Lasek, Buster Halterman, Cardiell, Chalmers, Dennis Businitz, Raven, Grant… the list is endless.

All my friends and my dad is

alright too, haha.

Where’s your favorite handsdown place to skate?

I don’t know if I have one favorite spot. I get burnt out on skating the same place every day.

It’s nice to mix it up. But I for sure skate Alga Norte Park in Carlsbad the most. I really enjoy skating big, open-flow bowls. They have a good one and I usually end up there. But the best place I have ever

skated is probably Fælledparken in Copenhagen, Denmark.

At what point when you’re skating do you decide whether or not to wear the full pads? Is it just for straight vert skating or where does the line get drawn?

I for sure would never pad-up in a park. I don’t skate with pads unless I’m riding something super big where you can blast airs.

Pretty much only a proper vert ramp over like 12-foot. I pad-up at DC, the Combi Pool and Bucky’s Bowl. It’s one of those things where certain spots are so big you can’t really skate it to the best of your abilities if you don’t pad-up.

Yeah, you can shred vert without pads on, but you can charge so much harder when you padup. If you can do a 5-foot air padless but you can do a 10-foot air with pads on… fuck it, I’d rather blast overhead than hold back.

Skating runs pretty deep if your blood.

What’s it like having a legend of a skate dad? Growing up did you have a funny relationship where you would hate taking skate tips and advice from him?

It’s funny everyone asks me something like this. Honestly, for me it’s not really any different of a feeling having my dad be a skater. To me, that’s a normality in my life. It’s crazier to other people than it is to me. He’s just a dad; he does dad stuff. He happens to rip so that’s extra cool. I appreciate growing up doing stuff like skating and surfing with him. It’s been amazing.

Growing up was pretty awesome for sure, family skate and surf missions and growing up and riding with other pros who I looked up to was insane, looking back. It was really fun. It’s funny, I always hated taking skate or surf advice

f.s air • photo • mark choiniere f.s air • photo • aaron regan

boneless • photo • aaron regan

back tail • photo • aaron regan

from my dad; it was like getting lectured. But if another pro that was around said the same thing, I would fully listen. But that reality is not some mind-blowing thing for me, that’s been my whole life, you know? Maybe I’m jaded but whatever.

What’s the rest of the year look like for you?

Any competitions? Or are you filming for any type of parts? Fill us in.

The rest of the year is gonna be really fun! I’m going to do the whole Vans Pro Park Series and Vans Pool Party. I have been producing a little Web series for Thrasher with my crew of friends, so I’ll be putting those out. I’m also trying to launch a series of mini video parts all based around travel and rad places.

Trying to combine the cinematic creative and “Progressive Full Video Part” sides of skating into one series. So hopefully I’ll be busy and traveling! My end goal is to really focus on my pro career, be out there skating as much as possible, filming some parts, traveling and surfing. Most importantly following what I love and having fun doing it.

interview • blaize pope

You recently moved to Massachusetts from California.

Has that influenced your art at all?

Yes, absolutely. There is new scenery, waterways, historic buildings, streets, new people with new ways of dressing, new culture and a true four seasons.

All of this creates new material to pull from. I have new studio spaces that are conducive to my work. The cold winter months afford me more time inside with less distractions. The geographic and cultural change was needed and has been a good new vantage point. I didn’t realize how needed it was. Change is good.

Do you utilize a different skillset for projects like “Transportation Unit” and “theTHURSDAYMAN” than you would when creating pieces for an art show?

I start every day off with my sketchbook and a cup of coffee.

I work in that sketchbook off and on all day. My favorite drawings are usually studies for paintings.

Paintings are further developed and explored and make their way to galleries and collectors.

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Sometimes, I identify drawings that I think would work well on a skateboard or a piece of apparel.

I will use a sketchbook drawing for the black line art for making these pieces.

How do you feel about the increasing digitalization of art as technological alternatives compete with traditional methods?

The increasing digitalization of art allows art to be shared with a wider audience than ever before.

I think that is really cool. I also like that, in a way, it has leveled the playing field for artists. There is now a platform on which everyone can share.

By leveling the playing field do you mean that now it is easier for artists to be recognized?

It used to be that if you weren’t connected you had almost no hope of sharing your work on a large platform, through print publications or in galleries. Now the platform for sharing art is available to everyone. The quality of work still has to be there, though. Artists still have to put the work in, but the vehicle to

share is there.

What, if any, social implications does art represent or entail?

Well, for me, my art is social commentary. I like art that starts or shares a narrative about what is happening in society in the past, present or even in the future. Art gives people a voice to express their thoughts, hopes and concerns. This was most apparent with the past few political elections. Art that addressed both social and political issues connected with young people in a way that mainstream campaigning and advertising could not. Raising awareness through art and challenging established ways of doing things to better our social situation is a positive in my opinion.

In what ways has your creative process evolved since your first art show?

I’ve become a better artist. I’ve continued to hone my craft. I’ve found ways to have a constant dialogue with art instead of being involved with stop-start sessions.

The volume of work I produce now for art shows and creative projects has required and allowed me to be in constant art mode.

Whereas when I worked on my first art show, all those years ago, I would have worked on a single body of work, finished it, shut it down, relaxed and started again when the next project required action. Now, constant action is required.

What musical influences are most evidenced in your art?

Good question. I feel like there’s a visible musicality at times in my paintings, in the strokes and in the colors. I listen to lots of old jazz, the Clash, some Witch and High on Fire – it’s a pretty eclectic mix.

What other creative aspects of your life influence your art. For example: physical activities, places, or conversation partners?

I would say it all influences my art. Everything I see influences how I see the world and how I approach my art. For example: a nice bike ride in the woods, conversations had over coffee,

dialogue overheard on the train, discussions with friends… Travel brings new perspectives and content opportunities. Seeing quality work from other artists, photographers and filmmakers is also motivating. Life’s filters change and direct the work.

How does art reflect, comment on and influence our world?

Art can quite literally comment on the world as in a New Yorker comic strip or Jean Julien Eiffel Tower peace sign drawing.

Color and size also tells a story about our world. It doesn’t have to just be content that’s direct or literal in nature. Packaging and color theory on every product – whether it’s a can of beans, an automobile or a hotel – play the largest role in whether or not you purchase or get down with those items. This is true in politics now as well. Political candidates with the better logo and art direction have a better chance of racking up votes.

Are there mediums you are interested in but have not delved into as of now?

Steel and bronze. I’ve made quite a few 2D wooden figures

that are life size or larger: waves, birds, etc. I’d like to make more, bigger in the same sort of way but from metal.

Compared to painting, do those mediums require more forethought and planning?

And is their completion more gratifying?

I’ll let you know after I do some experimenting with that.

Who are your favorite artists to create and collaborate with?

I’ve had great times with plenty of artist working on installs, wall projects and painting skateboard obstacles. Nat Russell is great to be around and so talented.

Rich Jacobs is a wonderful human and gifted as well. I’ve collaborated with Zio Ziegler on three continents, and Jay Howell and I invented the tropical paradise together and that was great.

You guys invented tropical paradise?

It’s a delicious drink made from the minds of two creative people. After a week staying in a Brooklyn apartment with a handful of artists and working

on an installation twelve hours a day, we created some tropical relief for opening night.

You just released your first book, Life Lines. Talk about the process you went through in assembling a cohesive body of material?

Life Lines is a collection of 160 of my favorite daily drawings from the last couple years. It’s essentially my life in pictures, a visual diary if you will. I worked on it off and on for about two years. I made a couple wide, sweeping edits to replace some of the drawings. I was going to publish with someone but decided to self-publish. I saved a couple bucks from an art show and had a good friend, Paul Nett, lay it out for me. The book was produced in Michigan

by a company that makes beautiful art books. It’s available at aspirational retailers, galleries and bookshops in the U.S., some shops in Milan, Japan and the UK… and of course you can find them on my website, www.russpope.com.

I think that art can mean something to everyone, be it a single person drawing with their child, a small group of people interested in a niche and publishing an artistic zine focused on it, or a massive show in another country filled with wellknown pieces. How does art manage to mean so many different things to so many different people?

I think art and music are probably the two universal languages. Neither art nor music needs translation. From the

beginning of humankind, music and art have been ways to communicate and tell stories. Art is so subjective and interpreted differently person to person. All the ways of production, mediums and forums for display you mentioned are great. What is most important is that we continue the artistic dialogue.

What advice do you have for aspiring young artists?

Work hard. You get out of it what you put into it. It’s not all magical art experiences.

Sometimes it’s about putting in the time, being diligent, honing your craft. In my life, I have received positive results from keeping busy. Always bring a sketchbook and pen or pencil.

What’s next for Russ Pope?

I’m part of a five-man show that just opened

up in San Jose at Seeing Things Gallery.

I have some book signings and talks lined up for the next couple of months and I’m scheduling more throughout the rest of the year in the U.S. and abroad. I have one this weekend in Brooklyn.

I have a book signing and art show in Tokyo in July, a show at the Antonio Colombo Gallery in Milan, Italy, in September, a small solo show at Needles and Pens in San Francisco in November and a larger solo show at AKA Gallery in Portland in December. All this and new printed materials are on my website and Instagram.

Lastly, what do you hope to leave behind at the end of the day in terms of your art?

A messy studio.

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interview & photos • tom carey

Colin Moran is the latest ripper of the Metal Neck crew in Newport Beach.

He’s been tearing up the surf scene around California and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. We caught up with him in his downtime to discuss Newport, the Metal Neck Crew and what’s in store for Colin Moran’s future.

So Colin, do you see yourself as the grom of the Metal Neck crew?

Yes and no. No one really treats me like a grom. I’ve always been the youngest in any crew I hang out with, but yeah in the end I’m still the grom.

Your surfing has improved dramatically over the last couple of years. What do you attribute that to?

Tromberg, Droid and Blake Peters for sure have helped me out in the last couple years a lot. Growing up surfing I never really had anyone to film me.

My mom would try but it didn’t work out that well. It’s fucking awesome, Tromberg films me and I can watch myself surf and figure out what looks lame or not. I love watching Droid

surf on our trips we do, or just out here in Newport. He’s so gnarly; you never know what he’s going to do. I’ll see him do a fucked up blow-tail all tweaked out and sick looking and I’ll just want to imitate that turn. Blake (Panda Surfboards) has been a big help too. It’s cool to be able to work with one shaper and figure out a board that works for me.

Who do you surf with at home?

I’ll surf with anyone who’s around and down to go out. I hate surfing by myself though, it gets boring. Jack Coleman (indie surf filmmaker) is so funny to surf with. I surf with him a lot. He rides like a 7’0” soft-top and stands almost parallel and gets real low and does these sideslips all the way to the beach. It’s pretty sick.

Your last edit was pretty solid. How hard is it to put out a good edit these days that stands out from the rest?

Thanks! Yeah, it’s pretty hard to try and get good clips from around here, the waves aren’t that great. You gotta

get out of the pressure zone. I think a song makes the edit stand out for sure. If it’s a shit song it’s hard to watch – won’t even watch it sometimes. There’s so many songs out there. I trip out on some videos that use the same song that’s already been in used in an edit.

What’s the name of Metal Neck’s new movie?

Metal Neck 2 the BangOver. It’s going to be rad, get ready.

Is Metal Jimmy the star?

Yes, for sure. There would be no Metal Neck without him.

What’s everyone’s relationship like with Jimmy?

I think he’s just loved by all. We went to this High School graduation party and all these kids kept coming up to him to get a photo, then we got kicked out, it was sick, haha! I think when people meet him they are weirded out. Then they start to get to know him and figure out what he’s about and realize he’s the biggest DOINKER of all time.

What’s the scene in Newport like these days?

Either you’re a torched surf bum that lives on the peninsula or you’re a rich yuppie driving the cleanest car to go buy a ten-

dollar coffee. But that’s fine, there are usually hot Moms getting their coffee and going to spin class. Summertime is gnarly though; too many nine balls come down here and stink up the place. It’s my home though and I love it!

What do you think about the next generation growing up in your area? Are there any good kids out there?

There’s a few good kids coming up. Tyler Gunter is the man, funniest little grom ever. I feel like he’s my age when I talk to him. Parker Cohn is

pretty gnarly now; he came from nowhere and started ripping in the last year. There’s this one kid named Sam Neiger who has the sickest style, surfs like Bruce Irons. There’s a new generation cooking in the frying pan in Newport for sure.

I’ve heard people call you the “Goose.” How did you get that name?

The name Goose came from Dustin Barca. I was 14 years old and it was my first year staying at the Oakley house on the North Shore, scared

shitless. Then we’re just chilling on the couch and Barca looks at me and says, “What are you doing here, what do you want to do here?” I said, “I wanna get the best wave of my life here.”

He nodded his head up down at me and asked me, “What are you going to do for the house?”

I told him, “I’ll clean anything that needs to be cleaned.” He nodded his head up down at me again and said, “I like you, I think I’m going to call you Goose.” Stuck ever since, not sure if he knows my real name or not.

What’s next for the Goose?

Big things, just wait and see.

interview • tyler martin

Age: 22 Hometown: San Diego, CA Years Shooting: Five Camera Setup: Canon 7D Mark II, Rokinon 8mm Fisheye, 24-105, 17-40, Bolt VB-11, Speedlite 430 EXII Favorite Photographers: Mike Blabac, Grant Brittain, Jake Darwen, Dave Swift, Jacob Messex & Mikey Gould Advice: Always be creative, try something different and always have a camera on you.

When I first met Chad he was working in a skate shop at the Sector 9 HQ. I was always there just bugging everyone I could find. During his short lunch break he would run in the office, grab me and just be like, “Dude, let’s skate RIGHT NOW,” always hyped up. As we would shred he would think of something rad, run and grab his gear and be like, “I got this idea, let’s shoot it!” His energy always got me fired up and we quickly became good friends. And that’s Chad in a nutshell: he’s humble, loves to skateboard and is always stoked on life. On top of all of that he takes amazing photographs. I can’t wait to see where his photography is going

to take him, because I know his drive and passion for skateboarding and snapping pictures is going to take him a long way. I always look forward to seeing him whenever I can get back down to San Diego because he is a true friend that is legitimately having fun and loving what he does.

What was your first experience with a camera, and why did you keep taking photos?

I started shooting when I was a young kid; I was always that kid that bought a bunch of disposable film cameras with my allowance when I

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would go on vacation. My grandma also had an old Polaroid camera that I always used to play around with. I kept taking photos because I loved how you can turn anything into something unique if you felt creative. And you are your own team when shooting – just you and your camera.

Who inspired you to shoot?

I would say that anyone that strives to create an incredible image inspires me. I love all genres of photography so I would say I have a favorite for every category.

What is your worst fear when shooting a photo, and has it happened?

I would say the worst fear I have shooting is that someone does something so gnarly, like an once-in-a-lifetime trick, and I don’t have much time to figure out the best way for it to look, and I’m not happy with the outcome.

That as well as I always fear for my flashes to be destroyed by a rogue board, and that has happened to me already, haha.

Where do you see yourself in 2017?

In 2017 I hope to be able to just shoot photos as my job. I work a retail job 40 hours a week and have to really try hard to plan sessions out, and I would like it to be easier to get out there and shoot. Also, a cover would be a dream come true.

sean hofmockel • f.s rock • del mar, ca

Chad is one of those dudes who is genuinely stoked on skateboarding and his energy is contagious. He is always down for a skate mission and willing to go the extra mile to try and make a trick happen. I met Chad at the Bread Bowl when he was working at Sector 9. He’d come kick it and skate on his lunch breaks and would occasionally snag photos of whoever might be ripping that day. He brings the hype to a session and the IPAs to get people motivated. He’s a multitalented, master lensman who can smash through hurricane grinds on quarter pipes. It’s rad hitting spots with a photographer who’s• equally concerned with having a good time as getting a photo. If the spots don’t go according to plan on a given day, then there are almost auby taylor andrechtas bread bowl always some curbs down the street waiting to be slapped. Chad’s a new photographer on the scene who is going to be putting out quality photos and downing quality beers for a long time to come.

– Ben Hatchell

tyler martin • invert • home ave ditch

taylor hoagland • front blunt transer

tibs parise • boneless • poway, ca

marcelo basos • sit down air • dc ramp

chad hargrove • photo • jose tutiven

words & photos • bob plumb The best part about a good road trip is having no expectations. Anything can happen and decisions of what to do can change in a split second. Sometimes decisions change 10 times in a couple of hours. Which is exactly what happened on this trip multiple times. I was promised this trip wasn’t just for snowboarding. It would be chalked full of random adventures: climbing, hiking, hot springs, and of course snowboarding. In the end, I wasn’t disappointed.

I set off with Griffin Seibert and Jeremy Thornburg (Jerm). Our destination was Mammoth for the Holy Bowly. We had rented a house on Airbnb.com that was going to house 10 of us for the week. The seven was basically the LTC crew.

This made me a bit nervous because we all know none of these guys can hold their liquor and drink like amateurs. To make matters worse it was Sam Taxwood’s birthday while we were down there. Had I known that I never would

have put the house on my account – I’ve got that Airbnb rep to worry about!

The drive down was mellow. It’s an amazing drive from Salt Lake, and I highly recommend it. Once we got to Mammoth we met up with Sargeant Fun, A.K.A. Bryan Fox. I’ve found over the past few seasons that if Bryan has an idea, just go with it because you’ll rarely be disappointed. It turns out he was staying with a good friend Chris Benchetler, a Mammoth local that knows a lot of the good climbing spots around the area. We nicknamed him coach because he could teach how to climb the impossible.

Each morning I woke up to a text from Bryan about what we should do for the day. Usually it was ride for four hours and then go climb. It was epic. We went to the Happy Boulders, the gorge and near June Mountain. Each spot

scott smith & crew

unknown surfers hot springs – dude soup

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fox, proddi & griffin blake, griffin & bryan fox – yosemite

griffin seibert

yosemite

zeach mean

bryan fox

bryan fox

bob plumb & chris benchetler – rock climbing

sam taxwood

bryan fox

keegan valaika ollie tittie city

was amazing. We found ourselves there usually around sunset. There is just something about being in the mountains that’s therapeutic and good for the soul. We had a couple hot spring adventures, one of them we pulled up to an older couple getting it on in the small spring. As soon as they saw us pull up clothes got put on and they bailed real quick. I guess they weren’t down to put on a show for six guys!

The snowboarding that went down was insane, there were so many people snowboarding at once, everyone taking different lines. It was hectic. I saw people nearly taking each other out on the daily. The course had everything you could want – channel gaps, hips, bowls, boobs… It was rad. It’s always refreshing to see how creative people can be with a setup like this. A bunch of the Dayze guys flew in from Japan, and they were surfing the course daily looking completely different from everyone else.

At the end of the week Bryan talked myself, Griffin and Blake Paul into driving eight hours to Yosemite. I changed my mind about going probably 10 times in an hour. I finally decided on my own advice to follow his lead. We made it to the park around midnight. We found a random open spot in camp four and stayed the night there. We hiked Yosemite falls in the morning and then drove back to Salt Lake. It was well worth the extra driving time, an adventure I’ll never forget! griffin seibert & sam taxwood

chris benchetler on the climb

The grand opening of Roark’s Pop-Up Shop at Said Space in Encinitas took place Thursday April 14, and it featured revivalist and skateboard icon Jamie Thomas along with photographer Dylan Gordon. They shared images from Roark’s strange journey through Northern Vietnam that inspired Roark’s Spring/Summer 2016 collection of goods. Photography from the crew’s convoy from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island to Da Nang will be on display at the Pop-Up Shop through May 15.

events

Artist Brian Bent, who designed the Lotus Woven for Jamie Thomas’s Capsule Collection, captivated the house with his musical performance while partygoers enjoyed Banh Mi and Vietnamese beer. The Pop-Up Shop features a curated collection from the Roark Revival Spring/Summer 2016 Volume 10: “Strange Daze In A Hanoi Haze” and is available to the public at Said Space through May 15. The next art show will take place at the Artist Republic Gallery in Laguna Beach on Thursday, May 5th, with doors opening at 6 p.m. We’ll see you there!

Photos: Roark • clockwise from top left • Revivalists were left in a Strange Daze In A Hanoi Haze at the end of the Grand Opening Party • Roark’s pop-up shop at Said Space features a curated collection of goods • SLi Dawg & Captain Mongo are always up for a good time • Jamie Thomas & Brian Bent talking story • Revivalists finding peace amongst chaos at Said Space • Grant Ellis & Dylan Gordon sharing a laugh • Revivalist Nate Zoller and Pete Taras • Curated goods on display • Jamie Thomas’s time in Vietnam inspired his Zero Skateboards propaganda spring graphics • Dylan Gordon’s display features polaroids and a transfer process that projects sentiment of the era • Monica Capana & husband Justin Pinney with Roark President Mark Tinkess & Roark Founder Ryan Hitzel • The Jamie Thomas Capsule collection display • Artist & musician Brian Bent brought the house down with his performance • Artifacts of Adventure and trinkets from Roark’s journey to Vietnam are on display along with the collection

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MARQUISE HENRY KICKFLIP NOSESLIDE

A C T I V E R I D E S H O P. C O M

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

On April 1st, the Orange County Museum of Art welcomed museum members, supporters, artists and more for an exclusive preview of the new exhibition, Marilyn Minter: Pretty/Dirty. The event was the first opportunity for Southern Californians to view an extensive collection of artwork by the New York-based artist Marilyn Minter. For more than three decades, Minter has produced lush paintings, photographs and videos that vividly explore our culture’s complex and contradictory emotions around the feminine body and beauty.

Minter’s work brings into sharp, critical focus the power of desire through her seductive visual statements that demand our attention while never shirking her equally crucial roles as provocateur, critic and humorist.

OCMA Director Todd Smith welcomed the crowd, which included exhibition curators Bill Arning and Elissa Auther, local gallerists Shaun Regen of Regen Projects and Peter Blake of Peter Blake Gallery, as well as New York gallerist Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn of Salon 94 and Aspen gallerist Richard Edwards of Baldwin Gallery. Local exhibition sponsors on hand included Diane Stovall and Robin and Steve Kalota.

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While listening to sounds played by DJ Emily Ryan, guests enjoyed exhibition-themed hors d’oeuvres prepared by Above All Catering that included ‘Silver Liquid’ made up of smoked Gouda, chicken and kale beignets with white truffle cream sauce and ‘Fashion Forward & Fresh’ made up of endive, Sonoma goat cheese mousse, fig jam, and candied walnuts. All the while Spa Girl Cocktails donated two specialty cocktails for the evening, aptly named Juicier and Last Splash. The exhibition is on view at the Orange County Museum of Art through July 10, so be sure to check it out.

Photos • Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging • clockwise from top left • Artist Marilyn Minter • Jennifer & Anton Segerstom • Marilyn Minter (center) with exhibition co-curators Elissa Auther and Bill Arning • Adam Learner with exhibition co-curator Elissa Auther • Guests in galleries viewing work

by Marilyn Minter • Kelly Berg & Andy Moses with exhibition sponsors Karen and Chris Haines of Spa Girl Cocktails • Lynne Hamilton Lang & Jerry Lang • OCMA Director Todd Smith, artist Marilyn Minter & OCMA Trustee Anton Segerstom • More in-gallery enjoyment from Marilyn Minter: Pretty/Dirty opening exhibition • OCMA Trustee Dr. Sherry Phelan & John Phelan • OCMA President Craig W. Wells & exhibition sponsor Diane Stovall • Marilyn Minter with gallerist Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn • Rosalyn Laudati & OCMA Trustee Dr James Pick • OCMA Senior Curator Cassandra Coblentz & John Spiak

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THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT HELPED MAKE THE 2016 VILLAGE THE BEST PARTY EVER VESTAL WATCH PRESENTED BY

PRESENTED BY

VESTAL WATCH

Thirteen years ago, after the passing of Jeff Anderson, Jeff’s mom Jane and brother Billy, along with his wife Sarah Anderson, started the JLA Foundation with the support of Dawn True and Allison Brooking, forming a nonprofit organization to build and maintain the Brothers Skate Park in Mammoth to honor and celebrate Jeff’s life. In order to raise the funds needed to build Jeff’s dream skate park in Mammoth the JLA Banked Slalom was formed. This past April 2nd and 3rd of 2016 was the 4th Annual JLA Banked Slalom held at Mammoth Mountain, where Jeff grew up riding with his brother Billy. Not only has this event grown each year, with over 300 riders participating in 2016, but it has quickly become one of the best events in all of snowboarding, gathering some of the most talented riders while at the same time reuniting Jeff’s closets friends, family, and fans all together to not necessarily compete against each other, but to take laps around the mountain in memory of Jeff and his many contributions he gave to the snowboarding world.

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Jeff was known to always wear, and may have been one of the early pioneers of, the bright hunter orange beanie. So this year the Anderson family had 300 hunter orange JLA beanies made to hand out to each registered racer, which set a special vibe and tone to the weekend. The course was built by hand in the lower dry creek portion of the mountain. The sun was shinning for the event, and the community of riders were all smiling, which set the tone for Jeff to look down on and appreciate his family’s efforts in not only nurturing the sport of snowboarding in a direction that he would have wanted and driven himself, but at the same time keeping his legacy alive and thriving at a grassroots level. The motto “True to This” was formed in Jeff’s name, so one can only imagine how happy he must be knowing his family is continuing his movement in the truest form and keeping snowboarding going in the right direction. While Jeff helped pave the way for what snowboarding has become today, his family and foundation continue to pave the future of snowboarding for the next generation. It was a perfect weekend and event, and we look forward to seeing what the next phase of the JLA Foundation will bring. JLA forever!

Photos • Peter Morning • clockwise from top left • The champ, Temple Cummins • On the podium – Curtis Ciszek, Temple Cummins & Gabe Feguson • Curtis Ciszek • Frank Knab cheered on by Gabe Taylor • Billy Anderson • Roll call • Garret Warnick • Parker Szumowski • Mammoth Mountain played host to the 4th Annual JLA Banked Slalom • Stefi Luxton • Brian Fox • Scott Blum • Award ceremony gathering at its finest • Gabe Ferguson

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ALWAYS UNEXPECTED... …

MALIA MANUEL | YOGA SLING | SANUK.COM

Early last month teenage surfing phenom Tyler Gunter and RVCA hosted their fourth annual charitable surf contest to help raise awareness and funds for the non-profit organization The Young and Brave.

The charity contest was held in our very own backyard of Newport Beach, where flocks of local surf residents and their families gathered and supported the charity by entering the contest (featuring divisions for mens, girls, boys, and groms) and participating in raffles, with various donated goods from brands RVCA, Von Zipper, OAM and more.

events

There’s no better feeling than being able to surf for a good cause, especially if The Young and Brave is behind it. The non-profit has pledged its support with the vision of helping young adults, children, and families with little ones diagnosed with all forms of cancer. Nothing but smiles were exerted down out at the beach, it was a great day for a great cause, and it was refreshing to see such a young population of surf kids getting involved for such a lovely benefit.

Photos: RVCA • clockwise from top left • Contest at tower 28 • Groms studying heats • Tyler Gunter • Boy’s winner Parker Cohn • Brophy & Logan • Curren & Ivan • Miles Smith, Larry Gunter & friends • Trophies designed

by Kid Creature • Product toss • Young and the Brave Warriors • Girl’s finalist • Boy’s finalist • Contest groms • Chad Towersey & Christian Comet

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Lio Kanine of Kanine Records NYC interview • max ritter

music

Being an independent label with longevity these days is really something to be proud of. Kanine has been around since 2002, so how do you continue to stay relevant and successful as a small label?

Really staying relevant has a lot to do with doing something that you love. I love what I do, so for me it is easy to stay in touch with what is going on in music. I’m a massive music fan. I always have been since I was a little kid. I can’t see myself doing anything else. I love it too much. I’m a huge vinyl collector. Anyone that comes to my office is amazed on how much vinyl I collect. And most of it is from new bands.

I get the most excited about collecting records as soon as the bands put them out from either live shows or indie record shops. I’ll have some bands amazed that I have original pressing vinyl from Creation, Sarah Records, Rough Trade Records, etc., from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

But I got most of them at the time that they came out, as I’ve just been a massive music fan for ages, and I still collect tons of new releases every week.

I also used to be a professional DJ, concert promoter, and booker for 15 years… so I was always in touch with all of the newest bands coming up. And I still go out to tons of shows in tiny venues every week. Plus, we still throw events/parties with live bands and DJs 3-4 times a year, which I personally book all bands and DJs for, so I’m still in touch that way as well.

What are some of the biggest changes and challenges you’ve had to adapt to since you started back then?

It really honestly hasn’t changed that much for us since day one. It’s gotten easier actually, since the more we’ve become established, brand and name-wise. Even though the format changes some. From CD, digital, vinyl, cassette, mobile, etc., it is still music and always will be. In the beginning I had to work like five other jobs to support the label. Since we’ve always been 100% independently funded, I worked tons of other jobs to raise money to build Kanine Records to where it is now. I think for the first six years of Kanine Record’s existence I only slept like 2-4 hours a night on average. I would work full-time jobs, DJ for four nights a week, book bands for live shows, run a music promotion website, write for other magazines and run Kanine Records all at the same time. Plus I was still always going out to see live bands. It is a lot easier now, as I get about six hours of sleep a night now.

What do you think is the most misconceived thing about running an independent record label?

That it is easy and we are all just chilling in the office drinking beer all day long. And that we are rich dudes with tons of money to throw around. It’s still a financial struggle and always will be running a small indie label/company. Most of time interns only last about a week and sometimes only one day. Many come in here and as soon as I hand them some Excel spreadsheets to do work, most get bummed out. They think that we are just here to chill out with the bands or something on a couch all day. But unfortunately it is an office job and there is a ton of work to do, and unless you truly want to do this it can seem like boring work.

Yes, being your own boss is rad, and I don’t want to change it for the world. I mean, it’s always been Kay and I’s goal to have our own business and be our own bosses. I mean, working hard for someone else to make them money while they barely appreciate it sucks hard.

I’ve done that too much. I’ve had tons of terrible jobs. Some great but also many terrible ones where I always felt under appreciated. But being your own boss is super hard. If you fail, it’s all your own fault, and people are depending on you to be successful. If you fail, then you’re not just failing yourself, you’re failing your whole team – everyone from the bands, booking agents, press companies, radio

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companies, distributors (sales force), etc. So just like any other job there is some pressure.

Why did you get into the music business and what keeps you motivated and passionate about what you do?

When I was in eighth grade I snuck out of the house to go see Echo and The Bunnymen with a friend of mine. My parents never let me go out at night on school nights and this was like a Tuesday or something.

I was at the Beacon Theater in Orlando near the top row. There were tons of super cool, hip and styled ‘80s girls and guys in the audience there to see the band. I was amazed as that was the first time that I saw that many cool people in one place together. And as soon as the band came on they just looked so cool. Once the singer Ian McCulloch strummed his guitar and started singing the girls went crazy screaming. I knew from that very instant that I wanted to work with music in some way. I had no idea how, but I knew that I had to. When my friend dropped me off I tried to sneak back into the office through a kitchen window. My mom was waiting at the kitchen table for me.

As soon as I got through the window she said, “So was it worth it, as you’re grounded forever now.” I just smiled and said, “Yes, totally worth it.”

What is your take on the current state of the music industry?

It’s killing itself. The problem is the same as it’s always been. It starts with greed. Many labels overprice records. I see it all the time. Instead of trying to find a good affordable price to get kids and new music fans into new bands, they mark up the prices as high as they can.

Yes, there is a vinyl boom now, but it’s not new young kids buying all of the vinyl. The vinyl sales market is mostly older 30- to 55-year-olds that already have money to spend since they have solid jobs. But new kids aren’t buying tons of records at a time because the price is too high. No kid should have to spend $22-$30 on a brand new band.

The industry is turning these new fans/kids off from checking out new bands and buying cool records on vinyl. They are just out pricing them, and in the end that is gonna backfire soon.

That is one thing that Kay and I try really hard to do with Kanine Records. We work really hard to keep our prices low. Coming from indie backgrounds we think it is super important to reward the customer instead of taking advantage of them. I want them to feel super stoked on buying our records and not be afraid of the costs in order to check out new bands. Most new labels price their albums on vinyl $5-$8 higher than we do. I remember always buying Dischord Records and TeenBeat Records and they were priced low. We try as hard as possible to keep that mentality. I rather lose a bit of money on a sale if I can turn someone onto our bands and hopefully win over a new loyal fan/customer.

You are an avid skateboarder and devoted fan of skateboarding.

How does skating influence your work and everyday life at the label?

I skate at least four days a week, 2-3 hours a day. I need it in order to do well with work. Whenever I don’t get to skate in the morning I get bummed out all day working. It’s such an amazing outlet for me.

We have our own crew where we get up super early and all go skate before work every day. I get up at 6:00 a.m. every morning walk/feed the dog, then hit the skatepark by 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. – all before work. If I can pull or learn some new tricks that I’ve been dreaming about it will get me pumped to work hard that day on the label, and it mentally stimulates me to think of creative ways to market my bands. I see how the skate industry markets some of their riders and I’m 100% influenced by that. I think skating is brilliant at how they market their riders and I try and incorporate some principles to the things that we do at Kanine Records. I’ve been skating since 1984 and I hope I can still skate ‘til I’m old and unable to walk anymore.

Kanine is known for finding really unique artists. You have discovered cult bands like Grizzly Bear. How do you discover artists and what makes a good fit for your label?

The best way to find out about new bands is still word of mouth.

GO OUT, make friends, socialize. Get off the computer, chat rooms, blogs, and go see live bands at small clubs. Hang out and meet new people. If you are too young to get into clubs/venues, get together with your friends at their house and listen to records together. Talk about why you like these records and look through their record collections.

Socializing is what it is all about. I still try and have Kanine Records listening parties once in a while, where a couple of friends and I get together after work in the office, listen to records and hang out. I learn a ton about old and new bands from them that way and I love it. All of the best bands that I have signed have been from doing that. From Grizzly Bear, Chairlift, Surfer Blood, Braids, WEAVES, Fear of Men, etc.

What has been your proudest moment or achievement so far with Kanine?

That we are still here and operating independently. No one tells me what to sign or how to run our business; all decisions are made by Kay and I. And all major signings/deals have been our decision, some good and some bad. But I’m proud that we got to make those decisions ourselves. It has been a dream running our own business, and not just some business, but a record label. I mean I would of never thought when I was a kid that I would be doing this. I feel super blessed to be able to do this and I hope we can keep it going for my son to be a part of once he is old enough. Having your own business and being able to do something that you created yourself is the best achievement of all.

And hopefully the records that we have put out have influenced many new artists, bands, kids out there, to play music, start their own label and/or business of their own, or just find pleasure in the music.

What are some newer artists on your roster that you’re excited about?

Here are some of our newer bands. All of them are a bit different in sound, but all fit well in the indie community, as all of them have made albums that aren’t over produced records with blown out sounds. I’m proud of each record by all of them, as each one has captured a great piece of music history. And part of what is magical about music is capturing that special moment in time (Time Capsule).

Fear of Men – kaninerecords.com/fear-of-men/ WEAVES – kaninerecords.com/weaves/ Beverly – kaninerecords.com/beverly/ Hockey Dad – kaninerecords.com/hockey-dad/ Pinact – kaninerecords.com/pinact/ Pearl Charles – kaninerecords.com/pearl-charles/ Flowers – kaninerecords.com/flowers/ Expert Alterations – kaninerecords.com/expert-alterations/ Skywave – kaninerecords.com/skywave/ I will say that this release by Skywave that we put out this year is by far my favorite thing that I’ve ever released. Mainly because I’ve been working on this release for seven years. I was a massive fan of this band, way before I even thought of starting a record label. I used to go to all of their shows and buy merch from them from a little suitcase off of the stage. In those days there was only like 20 people at each show, but the people there were all super hip music enthusiasts. I’d rather be around those kinds of people in the crowd than at some massive 1,000-plus-capacity show with people that just came because it’s cool to go. Seeing shows like that in the early days influenced me massively… and well, it still does to this day.

photo & review • max ritter

Fingerprints Records Long Beach, CA Saturday April 16th, 2016 This is Mike Watt of Minutemen playing Fingerprints Records near his hometown of San Pedro on record store day. One of my favorite things about Mike Watt is the crazy faces he makes while playing. It’s also safe to say he is one of the best bass players to ever walk this earth. Still ripping.

reviews • max ritter

Charles Bradley Changes Daptone I can’t stop playing Bradley’s cover of Black Sabbath’s Changes for the title track of his new album. Melts me. Lastly, love to my dude Prince.

The Third Power Believe Vanguard If your dad is a crusty old rock ‘n’ roll guy like mine then he probably never shuts up about when he saw bands like Cream, Traffic and Blind Faith before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Yeah, we all know the dude in his Jeff Beck ‘93 tour tee… his buddy bootlegged the entire set on his cassette Walk-man. Lay this one on him.

Har Mar Superstar Best Summer Ever Cult Har Mar is still inspiration for middle-aged, overweight, and balding aspiring pop stars everywhere. Jokes aside, his voice is as incredible as ever on his latest Julian Casablancas-produced effort.

Julian also wrote the lead single and released the record on his Cult label. Har Mar’s performance on the ballad “How Did I Get Through the Day” will shit on anything you see on The Voice, that is for sure.

Coral Fangs S/T Hurley So proud of my friends in this band to make something awesome they love while maintaining their work and families and the other various adult shit. It’s all too easy to make excuses about that.

That’s punk. You guys are ripping so hard.

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reviews • delon isaacs Ellie Mae and the Ricochets Tangled Produced by Matt Costa I hate acknowledging the fact that I’m such a sensitive person, and Ellie Mae and the Ricochets debut EP really did it to me, because 45 seconds into this album I was all warm and gooey inside. I’m 24 years old and I still haven’t learned to process pretty music. This group of indie folk rockers is composed of Costa Mesa sweethearts Ellie Mae, Casey Snyder, Spencer Roberts and is supported by a transitioning team of influences like musicians Matt Costa. Tangled is a prefect album for your cute little mornings while you water your houseplants and stare out your window. Check out their band page at elliemaeandthericochets.bandcamp.com Bleached Welcome the Worms Dead Oceans Bleached, responsible for some of the most infectious girl band tracks of my late teenage years, just released their second fulllength LP, Welcome the Worms. The album is an ode to ‘70s rock music; it’s simple, loud and your foot will be mimicking the beats of the bass drum throughout the entire listing.

Autolux Pussy’s Dead 30th Century/Columbia Precious things take time. After being a band for 15 years, Autolux finally is gracing us with their third full album, Pussy’s Dead. This album took a couple of goes to grow on me. Reflecting on the other albums, the hooks were a lot easier to decipherer. Pussy’s Dead definitely requires more patience and kind of a different ear from anything I’ve listened to from Future Perfect and Transit Transit but I learned to love it and I’m sure you will too.

Parquet Courts Human Performance Rough Trade If the Velvet Underground and the Modern Lovers had a baby together in this messed up day and age it might just sound like Parquet Courts latest new album, Human Performance.

This is my favorite LP from the four-piece thus far. It takes me hours to get through this 46-minute album, as I pause it every other minute to pick up my own guitar because it gets me so psyched on playing music. Take a break from your day and give the track Steady On My Mind a listen – I promise it will put you in a better mood.

photo • jack mcdaniel

groms

Age: 16

Hometown: San Clemente, CA

Sponsors: …Lost Clothing, …Lost Surfboards, SunBum & Blackline Mfg. Favorite Surfer: Connor Coffin

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photo • ortiz

groms

Age: 17

Hometown: Rialto, CA

Sponsors: Santa Cruz, Nike SB, Taco Dudes, Rockstar Energy, Independent, S-1 Helmets, Socal Skateshop, ‌Lost & DSCO Bearings Favorite Skaters: Chris Miller, Lance Mountain, Brad McClain & Ben Hatchell

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#IKNOWYOUAREBUTWHATAMI

WE JUST PRINT THE SH&T! / ERIK@AMPERLITHO.COM / 760.213.4008 / 910 17TH ST. COSTA MESA, CA 92627