Terra by ckm329

WINTER 14

FIELD NOTES IN

YOKOYAMA’S

PORTLAND

SURF SHOP

THE ROAD TRIP

TRAILBLAZER

LESS TRAVELED

BRODY LEVEN

$12 US

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

The Wilderness Act turns 50 this year—so yeah, we're ready to celebrate. Back in 1960, Mr. Wallace Stegner wrote his famous Wilderness Letter, which stressed the importance of federal protection of our country's wild places. The letter was the basis of the the Wilderness Act, which, in 1964, established the National Wilderness Preservation System. In an excerpt from the letter, Stegner wrote: “Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed; if we permit last virgin forests to be turned into comic books and plastic cigarette cases; if we drive the few remaining members of the wild species into zoos or to extinction; if we pollute the last clear airy and dirty the last clean streams and push our paved roads through the last of the silence, so that never again will Americans be free in their own country from the noise, the exhausts, the stinks of human and automative waste...” The official signing of the Wilderness Act, which came to fruition four years later in 1964, accomplished two significant things: it protected 9.1 million acres of federal land and defined ‘wilderness’ as the following: “A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, a time to reflect and be proud that we have untapped backcountry retreats that we can escape to whenever our hearts desire. Since 1964, the federally protected wilderness land has grown to 109.5 million acres in 44 states. The best way to celebrate? Lace up your boots, throw on a pack, and make it out to those wide open spaces this year. When you're alone in the middle of nowhere, grab your copy of Angle of Repose and thank Wallace Stegner for the peace, quiet, and bears that will eat your peanut butter in the middle of the night.

Allison Arieff, Editor-in-Chief

KEEP GOING...

FEATURED

DIVERSIONS

EVERY ISSUE

Trailblazer

Local's Guide

Editor's Message

This four-season athlete doesn't let

Benji Wagner, the in-the-know dude

anything come between he and his

behind Poler outdoor brand, shares with

ski mountaineering obsession.

us his favorite San Francisco spots.

Contributors 11

Field Notes

Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle

Wandering the foggy mountains

Yokishop's Jeff Yokoyama shows

Making the Magazine

and feeling those camp vibes

us the thrift store where he turns

in the Pacific Northwest.

rags into beach-ready riches.

66 Fuel Up

Vancrafted

One couple ditches the city to travel the country in a Westfalia camper, and invites us along for the ride.

Gear Up

Chill Zone

Prized Possession

Hit the waves and explore the best

spots to take advantage of the swell with a local New Englander. 52 The Road Trip Less Travelled Five iteneraries to get you off the beaten driving path. 61

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

99 OSGOOD PLACE

Owner & Founder

Events Manager Sita Bhaumik

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133

Lara Hedberg Deam

Marketing Coordinator Elizabeth Heinrich

(415) 743-9990

President & Publisher

Marketing Intern Kathy Chandler

LETTERS@TERRAMAG.COM

Michelle O'Connor Abrams

Advertising Operations Coordinator Fida Sleiman

Editor-in-Chief

Terra Advertising Offices (New York)

Allison Arieff

1-212-383-2010 International Sales Director

Creative Director

W. Keven Weeks / keven@terramag.com

Claudia Bruno

Eastern Regional Manager Kathryn McKeer / kathryn@terramag.com

Managing Editor Ann Wilson Spradlin

New England/Canada Sales Manager

Senior Editors Andrew Wagner, Sam Grawe

Wayne Carrington / wayne@terramag.com

Editor-at-Large Virginia Gardiner

Sales Coordinator

Editor Amara Holstein

Joanne Lucano / joanne@terramag.com

Associate Editor Amber Bravo

West CoastBarbara Bella & Associates

Assistant Managing Editor Carleigh Bell

Danny Della Lana (San Francisco)

Copy Editor Rachel Fudge

415-986-7762 / danny@bbasf.com

Fact Checkers Madeline Kerr, Hon

James Wood (Los Angeles)

Walker, Megan Mansell Williams

323-467-5906 / woods@bba-la.com

Editorial Intern Christopher Bright

Midwest Derr Media Group, Timothy J. Derr

Senior Designer Brendan Callahan

18471 615-1921 /derrmediagroup@comcdstnet

Design Production Manager Kathryn Hansen

Karen Teegarden & Associates, Diane MacLean

Designer Emily CM Anderson

248-642-1773 / diane@kteegarden.com

Marketing Art Director Gayle Chin

Southwest Nuala Berrells Media, Nuala Berrells

Photo Editor Kate Stone

214-660-9713 / nuala@sbcgloba net

Associate Photo Editor Aya Brackett

Southeast Andy Clifton

Contributing Photo Editor

706-369-7320/ clifton@fccmedia.com

Deborah Kozloff Hearey Modern Market Managers Senior Production Director Fran Fox

East: Lauren Dismuke

Production Specialist Bill Lyons

1-917-941-1148 / lauren@terramag.com

Production Coordinator Joy Pascual

Southwest: Tracey Lasko

Operations Director Romi Jacques

917-892-4921 / tracey@nyc.rr.com

Accounting Manager Wanda Smith

Northwest, Midwest: Angela Ames

Consumer Marketing Director

415-898-5329 / angela@terramag.com

Laura MacArthur Simkins

Article Reprints Foste Reprints

Subscriptions Manager Brian Karo

Donna Bushore

Newsstand Consultant George Clark

866-879-9144, x156

National Distribution Warner Publisher Services

dbushore@fostereprints.com

Partner Marketing Director Celine Bleu

TERRA WINTER 2014

NIC COIA Nic has been skiing for as long as he can remember. “When I was a kid I always had my suitcase packed and ready to go, and often wore my snowboots so I would be ready for any adventure. Since then, I've learned to pack a little lighter, but am still ready to go at all times,” says Nic, who is currently at work on his MFA in journalism at Columbia University. After taking a trip out to Aspen, Nic's first Terra assignment highlights his tips on how to pack ultralight for your ski trips this winter. Check out his gear and tips for how to size down your load on page 22.

RHEA CORTADO “I became a writer because I've always loved to read,” explains Amy. “I would read anything I could get my hands on, even raiding my parents' book shelf and pulling off stuff way out of my league (I guess you could say I've been pushing the boundaries since birth).” Her early fascination with words has led to a career that includes writing for Bookforum, Tablet, Elle Decor, Travel + Leisure, and Anthology. In this issue, she covers a local shop in her hometown of Newport Beach. Check out her first Terra write-up, featuring Jeff Yokoyama's Yokishop on page 66.

TARA STILES As a kid, Tara was always documenting her meals and travels in her journals. So it would seem that she was destined to become a food and travel writer. While studying at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, she started writing restaurant reviews, and a semester in Paris boistered her personal passion for cooking. “I was blown away by the beautiful markets, the fresh ingredients, and the mealtime rituals.” She later attended La Varenne, a culinary school in Burgundy. Since then, she has worked as a personal chef, taught cooking classes, styled food, and tested recipes for various magazines. Check out her delicious recipes in her first write-up for Terra on page 18.

BENJI WAGNER Like many photographers, Benji started out in the field as a photo assistant. “It was hard work, but offered many great experiences—not in the least of which was travel!” he recalls of those early days. In recent years, Benji has published his work in the pages of several travel magazines around the world. “The thing I like most about photographing the outdoors is seeing the culture and character each part of the world has to offer. When I am traveling, I am never bored. It never ceases to amaze me.” He shares with Terra his favorite local secrets of San Francisco on page 26.

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

FEATURE SHOTS

SNAP TO IT The dropping temperatures don't keep our readers down for long. These are our favorite instagrams submitted to us by our friends and faithful readers. Be sure to follow us (terramag) to get a glimpse of our latest adventures!

"Trailblazer"

@jordan_siemens

@colbyshootspeople

@miriamsubbiah

@clairesuni

@drinafujishige

@colbyshootspeople

TWITTER FEED "Chill Zone" 52

@jn_west

@sabadoliza

If it were at all possible, I would like

Just got my second @terramag...

to dive into @terramag and spend my

goodbye, responsibilities... hello,

days visiting everyone inside its pages.

adventure and amazing writing!

@ashdotjen

@cody_r

Best Sunday ever. Minecraft with best

@terramag Just what the doctor

friends and now, reading @terramag

ordered for this rainy, cloudy day!

and planning our next road trip. @freelei @soph_watanabe

@terramag came today, and I

I'll be sick any day. So long as I have two

deliberately left it wrapped up so I

"The Road Trip Less Traveled"

things. My records (they count as one

could reward myself this evening after

thing) and @terramag by my side.

a day of drafting. Reward: now.

TERRA WINTER 2014

COVER SHOT

COLOPHON

Cover photography is credit

Terra is printed on Neenah Environment

of Clayton Cotterell.

Ultra Bright White in weights 80T and 80C.

To read more about our journey

Typefaces used include Gotham Light and

in Portland, check out our Field

Bold, Mercury G1 Roman and G1 Roman

Notes feature on page 38.

Italic, and modified Quicksand Light.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

"Gear Up" Aspen, CO, page 22 "Local's Guide" San Francisco, CA, page 26 "Trailblazer" Salt Lake City, UT, page 32 "Field Notes" Portland, OR, page 38 "Vancrafted" Sawtooth Mountains, ID, page 44 "Chill Zone" Kittany, ME, page 52 "The Road Trip Less Traveled" CA, FL, NC, TN, NM, page 61 "Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle" Newport Beach, CA, page 66

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

FUEL Text and Photographs by TARA STILES

There's an inverse relationship between outdoor temperature and the time spent hitting the snooze button; the lower the thermometer hovers, the longer we stay under the covers. Which makes finding a fast-to-make but stick-to-your-ribs tasty breakfast all the more important. After all, if flavor is king, then convenience is king. And let me tell you this: You're going to want to eat, sleep, and dream overnight oats. And that's so easy to do, because all it takes is mixing the ingredients together the night before, popping it in the fridge, and then pulling out the ultra-satisfying breakfast the next morning, no cooking necessary. Even better? In addition to your basic overnight oats recipe, we've got four twists on the AM classic to shake up your routine. Go on, hit the snooze button.

TERRA WINTER 2014

BASE RECIPE — 1/2 cup rolled oats — 1/3 to 1/2 cup liquid - you can use anything from milk or nut

PUMPKIN PIE OATS

ALMOND JOY OATS

START

— Base recipe, replacing 1/2 cup

— Base recipe, replacing 1/3

pumpkin puree for the yogurt

chocolate milk for the liquid and

milk to juice or water (amount depends on how thick you like)

1/3 cup almond milk for the yogurt ADD

— 1/3 cup plain yogurt

— 1/2 tsp vanilla

— 1/2 banana (for texture)

— 1/2 tsp nutmeg

— 1/2 cup crushed almonds

— 1/2 tbsp chia seeds

— 1/2 tsp cinnamon

— 3 tbsp toasted coconut

— Pinch salt

— 1/2 tsp granola

— Pinch cinnamon

ADD

Have your study sessions got you Ever heard of bananas being touted

craving chocolate? These oats just like

Mix all the ingredients together and

as nature's energy bar? Turns out, a cup

your favorite candy bar, but offer none

cover. You can use a mason jar, Tupper-

of cooked pumpkin is packed with even

of the unhealthy weight gain. Almonds

ware, or old nut butter containers to get

more of the refueling nutrient potassium

contain riboflavin and L-carnitine, which

those last remaining bits. Refrigerate over-

than the average banana, and a little extra

boosts brain activity. The MCT found in

night, heat in the morning, mix in whatever

will help to restore the body's balance of

coconut also stimulates memory func-

strikes your flavor fancy, and enjoy!

electrolytes after a hard workout. Starting

tion. Not only do these work together

your day off with a bowl of these oats will

to boost brain benefits, but strengthen

keep your muscles functioning in top form.

your heart—providing you with the perfect jumpstart to a perfect score.

SRIRACHA MISO OATS START — Base recipe, replacing 1/3 cup miso soup for the liquid MORNING AFTER MIX-INS — 1 tbsp crushed cashews — 1 tbsp scallions — 1 egg, sunny side up — Sriracha to taste Looking to add something new to your morning routine? These oats will spice up your morning routine. Miso is known as a nutritional powerhouse for a reason, and is an excellent source of polyunsaturated (good) fats. Together with sriracha, these oats will really kick your day up.

ACAI BOWL OATS START — Base recipe, replacing 1/3 cup acai juice for the liquid ADD — 1/2 tbsp orange zest MORNING AFTER MIX-INS — 2/3 cup blueberries — Agave to taste If you're looking for a breakfast that's more refreshing than indulgent, this is the bowl for you. Acai berries are a good source of antioxidants, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. With a double dose from blueberries, a bowl of these will have you buzzing with energy before noon and keep your outlook bright all day.

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

GEAR Text by REBECCA DAVIS

Photographs by NIC COIA

All ultralight packers have their come to Jesus moment. For

item they have on their person. In my opinion, it's excessive. I am,

my ski bag full of every different kind of layer you could pos-

however, a minimalist,” Nic explains. “I just think about what

sibly bring, as well as multiple outfits for going out. And then

exactly I need. The lighter I am the better my system works.”

I also had a suitcase and backpack," he remembers. “I proba-

“Ultralight actualists will weigh or know the weight of each

Nic Coia, it was a ski trip to the Colorado Rockies. “I packed

How to decide what makes the cut? Nic's advice is if you're not

bly used about 10-percent of what I brought.” Ever since then

using it all on your trips, then you may want to get rid of it (save for

the multi-sport adventurer has been going ultralight—or, at

the emergency stuff you bring with you but hope that you never

least, a modified version of it—for his ski and bike trips. Think

use). “If you used it once, it's probably important,” he says. If you're

replacing tents and sleeping bags with packable hammocks,

still not sure how to prepare for the ultralight voyage, here is one

swapping out bulky metal water bottles for foldable soft plas-

packaing approach for a weekend in the mountains. Oh, and no

tic ones, and leaving indulgences like pajamas at home.

matter what, always bring an extra pair of socks.

TERRA WINTER 2014

SLEEPING A prepared packer brings a sleeping bag and

TOOLS A prepared packer brings a multi-tool, a knife, a lighter, and

tent; an ultralight packer brings a lightweight hammock.

matches; an ultralight packer brings a one multi-tool and a lighter.

DRINKING A prepared packer brings a durable metal water

FOOD PREP A prepared packer brings pots and dishes;

bottle; an ultralight packer brings a foldable water container.

an ultralight packer brings a pot (and eats out of it, too).

FIRST AID A prepared packer brings a well-stocked

CLOTHING A prepared packer brings clothing for all weather,

first aid kit, filled with everything from pain medicine

from a windbreaker to a fleece to a rain jacket, along with

to Band-Aids to a tourniquet; an ultralight packer brings

pajamas for the night; an ultralight packer brings only a lightâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Neosporin and gauze to apply to a range of ailments.

weight, multi-purpose jacket, and sleeps in his day clothes.

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

LOCAL'S GUIDE Text by BENJI WAGNER

Photographs by SAM ELKINS

Benji Wagner, the in-the-know dude behind Poler outdoor brand, shares with us his favorite local spots.

TERRA WINTER 2014

BEST PLACE TO FUEL UP “The best coffee in the city is no doubt

BEST MOUNTAIN GETAWAY “Mount Shasta is about four hours

BEST BIKE TRAIL “Hawk Hill Loop is a fun bike ride

Sightglass Coffee Roasters. I'm basically at

from San Fransisco and there's skiing, ski-

where you can grab a perfect view of the

Sightglass everyday at least once. It's really

ing, snowboarding, hiking, camping—every-

Golden Gate from the overlook by taking

high quality and some really good stuff. I'm

thing on this beautiful mountain. There's

Bunker Road through the tunnel West

partial to cappuccinos and machiatos.”

the most breathtaking waterfalls as a result

towards Rodeo Cove to add on a mile

of the melted mountain snow. And there are

climb up switchbacks on McCullough

all of these beautiful lakes that are awesome

Road. Pause at the top to Instagram your

to camp by, in the warmer seasons. It's

scenic vista and try not to be distracted by

other side of the bridge and is really

one of my favorite weekend getaways,

the views on your left as you bomb down

beautiful. It's close enough to the city,

and just a really beautiful place to be.”

the hill to a decommissioned Nike missile

BEST DAY HIKE “Land's End Park is just on the

but you walk into the woods and you

site. It'll put you in about 12 miles total,

feel like you could be anywhere. There

BEST COASTAL GETAWAY

not including the distance you covered

are a whole bunch of hiking trails with

“Big Sur is about two and a half

getting to the south end of the bridge.”

spectacular views and people ride bikes.”

hours away on a good day, but it's the most beautiful and rewarding views of

BEST COASTAL GETAWAY “Big Sur is about two and a half hours away on a good day of traffic, but

the coast. There are several capes where you can walk out—you get these really spectacular views that go for miles.”

it's got some of the most beautiful and rewarding views of the coast. The cliffs are so inspiring and there are are several

QUINTESSENTIAL SAN FRAN SPOT “If I were to pick one it would be Powell's Books, because it's the center of downtown, it's the biggest, best bookstore

BEST BIKE SHOP “Freewheel Bikes a local shop that

in the country, and it's an awesome place to visit if you've never been. They have a

capes where you can explore and step

has a long history and it's just got a good

huge used book collection along with new,

out on the edge—you get these really

vibe. I love cycling—that's my top pick for

and it just dwarfs any other bookstore.”

spectacular views that go for miles.”

getting around San Francisco, personally.”

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

TRAIL Text by BRENDAN LEONARD Photographs by ADAM CLARK

A four-season athelete who won't let anything—no, not even summer—get in the way of his ski mountaineering obsession. Calling Chesterland, Ohio hilly would be a stretch—think flat lands as far as the eye can see. Which makes the Brody Leven story even more remarkable: When he left his hometown for college in Salt Lake City, he discovered ski mountaineering (where, instead of relying on chairlifts, it's up to you to get to the fresh snow and off-trail runs), and before too long became addicted to climbing up and skiing down the steep lines in the nearby Wasatch Mountains. He was soon a four-season athlete, dominating powder in the winter and runnwing trails, riding bikes, and finding all other sorts of adventures in the warmer months (while still seeking out snow whenever he could). It would have all been some very fun hobbies if it weren't for the fact that, in 2010, he decided to document a cross-country bicycle ride. BrodyLeven.com was born, and quickly eschewing the “real” job he could have gotten with his economics degree from Westminster College in favor of adventuring—and writing about it all—became a reality. His Instagram feed blew up, sponsors came knocking (among them, Salomon), and suddenly his travels were being funded. And we're talking serious travels; think skiing in South America during the Northern Hemisphere summer, biking, climbing, and skiing volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest, and finding interesting culture and terrain in off-the-beaten-path countries. Think climbing and skiing Denali, North America's highest mountain at 20,320 feet, in 2013 with bestselling author of Into Thin Air and Into the Wild Jon Krakauer, snowboard pioneer Jeremy Jones, and Everest legend Conrad Anker. He summited and skied down with Jones—despite a splitting headache that lasted all the way from the top to their camp at 14,000 feet. We

spoke

with

the

mountain-obsessed

trailblazer

find out what most inspires his thrill-seeking lifestyle.

30 30

TERRA WINTER 2014

How'd you go from skiing terrain parks in Ohio as a kid to taking on ski mountaineering in Salt Lake City? I go through phases. Like my magician phase, my basketball player phase, my I'm-not-going-to-college phase, or my rollerblader phase, I didn't expect park skiing to be a phase; I expected it to be lifelong. But it was a phase. When I first went to Salt Lake City for college, I wanted to build jumps and try tricks in the backcountry, like every other midwesterner in Utah. I'd literally never skied powderâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;never skied out Westâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in my life. But after a couple of seasons, I combined my excitement for skiing with climbing. It wasn't because I wanted to ski in the big mountains; I pretty much wanted to go straight into ski mountaineering. It was all about combining skill sets.

In a typical year, you're skiing all around the world. But you didn't walk right off the stage from your college graduation and clock in as a pro skier, did you? You know those phases I was just talking about? I pour my heart and soul into them. I graduated from Westminster College with a lot of student debt, a huge desire to travel, an unreasonably strong need to stay fit, an entrepreneurially-minded business education, and an obsession with skiing. I decided to combine them, and not give up until I succeededâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; regardless of how unlikely it was.to ski in the big mountains; I pretty much wanted to go straight into ski mountaineering. It was all about combining skill sets.

TERRA WINTER 2014

What's distinctive about Brody Leven, as a pro athlete? Do you ever feel a little bit like a normal guy who kind of figured out how to get paid to ski and write? Yes, because that's exactly what I am. I'm distinctive because I'm not absurdly talented. Ice climber Will Gadd wrote in one of his articles that not all professional athletes are â&#x20AC;&#x153;super-human,â&#x20AC;? and I understand that because I know they're not. But many of them are naturally talented. I'm not. I work very hard for every bit of fitness or skill that I gain. I wake up most days and want to just make the shortest approach to the easiest rock climbs before sleeping all afternoon. But my job and my prerogative is to be as fit and comfortable in the mountains as I can be. But perhaps even more importantly, I work very hard to produce consistent stories, year-round, that promote an active lifestyle that is challenging. I work with my favorite companies to build their brands through authentic experiences in mountains around the world. Seriously.

KEEP GOING...

What's the most inspiring place you visited in the past year? I was brought to tears by the beauty of Moscow, and I was there in snowy February. Entering the Red Square was incredible to see and St. Basil's Cathedral took my breath away. I felt an inexplicable feeling of connection there. It was such an inspirational city.

What's the most essential item in your backpack? I travelled to Vancouver a few years back, and got along well with the bartender who operated near base camp. Before we departed on our expedition, he gave me a copy of The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by don Miguel Ruiz. It was a difficult read between the pre-dawn snow flurries, but was one of the most rewarding works of literature I have ever read and have since applied it to my own life. Wherever I go, I make sure that it is packed safe in my backpack.

If you weren't ski mountaineering, what would you be doing? If I wasn't traveling so much and wasn't so infatuated with living near specific landscapes, I would apply for a graduate program. University classrooms offer a specific type of stimulation that I can't seem to find anywhere else, and I miss it dearly.

TERRA WINTER 2014

What's one place anywhere in the world that you think everyone should see, even if they're not a world-class mountaineer or skier? The “pain cave,” for lack of a more

You've got 24 hours. Money's no object. What's your adventure? I'd go for a long run. And I'd hire all of my friends and role models to do what they're awesome at, and pay them triple their asking price.

recognizable term. I think that everyone should know what it feels like to physically push themselves until exhaustion. It's a place of deep introspection and

When's the moment you feel most like a trailblazer?

meditation, but it also allows sincere

In the winter, the mountains change

appreciation for one's surroundings.

drastically every single day. Everything I

When I'm climbing a mountain and I'm

do is the first and last time it'll be done.

completely exhausted, I'm having a more

A couloir that was skied the day before,

intimate experience with that mountain

or even five minutes before, will offer

than I'll have any other time. I'll notice

me a different experience. I feel like a

every single inch of the climb—probably

trailblazer in the mountains, knowing

because I desperately want it to end! But,

that I am 100-percent under my own

in a less abstract sense, India. Luckily,

trust, power, motivation, and skill.

it's a frequently-traveled place, because it really should be. It's a wild experience.

You rappel into couloirs, assess avalanches, and ski in no-fall terrain. Is there anywhere that even makes you feel scared?

Who's your personal trailblazer? Anyone who is self-motivated enough to constantly improve upon something that is difficult for him.

The ocean. I'm going to Kauai next, and waiting out the duo of hurricanes that is supposed to be ravaging the islands. I went to the beach yesterday to watch locals surf the storm, and it reminded me how poorly I understand the ocean. My level of unfamiliarity is almost impossible to explain. I'm also uncomfortable in lavish settings. On a ski trip in Romania, I was staying in a hotel with a spa, and I couldn't come to terms with the way I was supposed to carry myself. I'm bad at “relaxing,” in the traditional sense.

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

PORTLAND Text by REBECCA WILLA DAVIS

Photographs by SAM ELKINS

We set out to explore the lush micro-climates and legendary lakes in the Pacific Northwest. Our shared philosophies? There's always more to explore. Here's the adventure we had. Everyone loves an architecture show about houses because all that is required of someone looking at a house is, as Gaston Bachelard writes in The Poetics of Space, “the ability to transcend our memories of all the houses in which we have found shelter [and] all the houses we have dreamed we live in—beginning, of course, with the house we first lived in. Although visitors may appreciate the solo exhibition of a major architect, they are not usually as intimately involved in the thought processes behind the design of a concert hall, for example, and are likely to give up on reading detailed drawings. But presented with the plan of a house, people immediately walk through it in their imaginations. And architects' models of houses spark, as dollhouses do, a level of fantasy that makes it possible to experience the physical sensation of being in a new and yet familiar space. Also, house exhibitions are more about the future than they are about the past. When Barbara Jakobson (using the name B.J. Archer) staged “Houses for Sale” at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York in 1980, she invited eight international architects to design private dwellings, showing the form to be fertile ground for architectural invention—“a geometric object of balanced voids and solids to be analyzed rationally,” as she wrote in the catalogue. Isozaki's House of Nine Squares foretold his Palladian classicism, and Emilio Ambasz's Arcadian Berm House spoke of that architect's concern for the environment and interest in solar energy.

In 1985, the winning designs on view at the Boston Architectural Center, from a Minneapolis College of Art and Design competition called “A New American House,” dealt with community life and the need for cluster housing that could provide work spaces at home as well as convenient child care. These houses, with backyards and gabled roofs, lent an aura of traditional reassurance to new social trends. This

year,

with

“The

Un-Private

House,” the Museum of Modern Art is displaying 26 houses designed since 1988—all but six of which have been or are being built. The show deals with new social patterns that call for fresh architectural solutions, in particular ones that combine working spaces with living spaces and that find a place for the virtual world in the home. Like a computer, the contemporary house concentrates, according to the museum, on transmitting signals to the outside world at the cost of intimacy and privacy. Also, in a reversal of the norms of the “family room” era, children are frequently banished to separate quarters, and clients are just as likely to live alone or in same-sex relationships as in traditional nuclear families. Terence Riley, who organized the show as chief curator of the museum's department of architecture and design, poses the main question in his catalogue essay: “If the private house no longer has a domestic character, what sort of character will it have?” The answers come from a diverse group of architects, some better known than others, representing Europe, South America, Japan, and the United States. One curious aspect of the exhibition design is the selection of the old-fashioned William Morris Larkspur pattern as the wallpaper backdrop for the show's large-format photographs and draw-

TERRA WINTER 2014

“The mountains towered above me, and the fog swallowed me whole.” ings. The Arts and Crafts movement as defined by Morris took

like a billboard for Modernism. In reversing the fundamen-

inspiration from a romanticized past—but perhaps the contrast

tal order—by hanging glass inside and curtains outside—the

is the point. The wallpaper does suit the heavy worktables, beds,

architect explores the formal possibilities offered by the tradi-

bookshelves, and other comfortable objects provided by the

tional Japanese shoji-screen house, where translucency is valued

Furniture Co. that serve as ready-made pedestals for the models

over transparency. The glass sits in sliding panels and retracts

and that give a workmanlike quality to the galleries, as if these

into corners of the house, and once drawn, the sailcloth curtain

rooms were part of an architect's studio and home combined.

(besides making an obvious but witty allusion to non-load-bear-

On the whole, the houses and loft apartments on view are anything but cozy. Rather, the architects are committed to design

ing walls) provides shade during the day and privacy at night. More in keeping with Mies's courtyard houses, the M House

whose appeal lies in its response to and integration of advanced

by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa is separated from its

technologies and new materials. Sleekness here runs more than

residential street by a wall of perforated metal, behind which

skin deep. After years of the decorative pastiche associated with

translucent polycarbonate windows filter light into a two-story

Post-Modernism, it came as both a surprise and a relief that the

central courtyard that is sunk, along with the dining, work, and

reigning influence in this exhibition was Mies van der Rohe and,

living areas, below ground level. This courtyard and two other

in particular, the Farnsworth House, which the architect designed

light courts are open to the sky, so that in passing through them,

some 50 years ago in Plano, Illinois, as a weekend retreat for his

one is exposed to the weather as in a traditional Japanese house.

close friend, Dr. Edith Farnsworth. A glass box with a flat roof

The rectangular rooms, upstairs and down, run between the

and evenly spaced structural steel I-beams painted white, the

light courts in a configuration that limits privacy within the

house dematerializes at night (even with the draperies closed)

house—although the streetscape is effectively screened out.

into a cube of light. There have been many copies since, but the

Now under construction in Napa Valley, California, the Kram-

architects in the museum show are creating radical variations on

lich Residence and Media Collection, designed by Herzog & de

the theme, skewing the form by selecting and developing only

Meuron, features an angular, flat-roofed Miesian glass pavilion over

certain aspects of Mies's design to advance new ideas about the

a series of subterranean galleries, including one in an underground

configuration of rooms and the requirements of the electronic age.

garage, for the couple's collection of electronic art. Even the curved

Two houses in Tokyo by Japanese architects are among the

inner walls of the pavilion function as screens for video, films,

most exciting. On one of Tokyo's eclectic and densely packed

and digital art, which compete with the view of nature beyond the

streets, Shigeru Ban's Curtain Wall House juts out on a corner

structure's glass walls. In the same vein, Diller + Scofidio's half-

crescent-shaped Slow House, an unbuilt project for a site on Long Island, features a video camera that records the view through the house's immense atelier-style picture window and allows for instant replay on a monitor inside. And the main walls of Hariri & Hariri's project for a Digital House feature liquid-crystal displays that allow for videoconferencing with virtual guests in the living room and cooking lessons from a televised chef in the kitchen. Two row houses on Borneo Sporenburg in Amsterdam by MVRDV, meanwhile, play with transparency and opacity on a large scale: one presents a glass facade to the street, behind which most of its rooms are boxed off by inner walls; the other hides behind a traditional masonry facade but reveals much of its interior through a glass wall running along one side. (The pattern of boxed-off and exposed

“It was just the wilderness and I—we were totally alone.”

rooms recalls the vertical grid of Gerrit Rietveld's Schröder House in Utrecht, a model of which is conveniently on view, along with one of Mies's Tugendhat House, in the top-floor architecture galleries.) Whether Riley has proved his theory about the loss of privacy is questionable. Despite the intrusions of the outside world through glass walls and electronic hookups, people still retain the option of turning off their computers or otherwise retreating—and many of the architects represented in the show have proven adept at helping them do just that. Perhaps it is the incursion of professional work spaces into private homes and the concomitant loss of the “study” as an arena for contemplation (Riley calls it a nineteenth-century room) that is more indicative of the loss of privacy. But even some of the houses in the show offer this kind of refuge: The T House by Simon Ungers with Thomas Kinslow, for example, has a separate library tower of weathering-steel plates that can fit 10,000 books as well as a reading area. And there is also Rem Koolhaas's Maison à Bor-deaux, where the wheelchair-bound owner can sit at his desk on an open elevator platform while it moves along a three-story wall of bookshelves —an expanded notion of the study, perhaps, but still a solitary place to think and to dream.

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

CRAFTED Text and Photography by KELLY SHEA and BRENDAN BANKS

TERRA WINTER 2014

“Ever dreamed of buying a Westfalia camper, leaving the city behind, and hitting the road? That's exactly what the Brooklyn duo behind Vancrafted did— and they invited us along for the ride.” After driving for two months, from Brooklyn through the midwest and finally out west, our journey brought us to Idaho. With an itch to leave the van for a night and sleep amongst nature in its purest form, we found a hike that would take us up 1700 feet in elevation amongst trees, lake, and snow. Iron Creek to Sawtooth Lake was a 5 mile trek, and most people in the area described it as an “easy” day hike. When architecture enters the realm of museum display, it generally arrives small, smooth, and flat. Drawings, photographs, computer images, video, and scale models are the usual media; however well they communicate information (and however beautiful they are), they can only approximate such phenomena as materiality, sound, and inhabitable space. For people not trained in the codes of architectural representation— most of the museum-going public—comprehension, too, tends to be approximate. In the last fifteen years or so, installation architecture has come to offer an alternative: the construction within a gallery of temporary, full-scale architecture that creates spaces, programs, and experiences. The best of this work not only occupies but also affects its surroundings, exposing something of the conventions of museum and gallery display and revealing latent possibilities of the space it inhabits. Fabrications, an ambitious, three-venue exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, aims to use installation to draw a diverse audience into a serious, immediate encounter with contemporary architecture. Organized by the three museums curators of architecture—Aaron Betsky, Mark Robbins, and Terence Riley, respectively—the show presents twelve installations (four at each venue) that, according to its press materials, “offer an immediate experience of architecture while revealing and addressing ideas about current architectural production, new materials, and making space.” Many of the pieces provide opportunities for direct physical contact; among the twelve projects you're invited to sit, climb, hide, lay down, pull, and gently drop (while bemused museum guards do their best to remain impassive). Most also strive for immediacy by exposing or exaggerating their tectonic gestures, acting as a kind of large-print version for those not accustomed to reading architecture closely.

KEEP GOING...

But if the installations get the “immediate” experience right,

after the exhibition, it is meant to be relocated and to serve as

they're not all as successful at dealing with the capacity of architec-

a prototype for other such houses. Coker Architects followed

ture to mediate: fewer than half of the projects present themselves

a similar strategy, also at the Wexner: the firm built a passage-

as devices for reinterpreting and rearranging architectural space.

way-cum-porch of different woods, cables, window screen, cast

It's hard to know why this is; maybe it's because most of the archi-

concrete, tree stumps, blue glass bottles, and other materials

tects in the show are more used to building big than thinking about

drawn from the vernacular architecture of the rural South; it will

museum installation. But why fabricate an interesting architectural

be attached to a home in Alabama after the exhibition ends. Given

object for a show without also making an interesting claim about its

these architects' interest in reusing their objects elsewhere, it's not

setting, about the institutional and spatial conditions of its display?

surprising that the installations remain aloof from the museum.

Across the three venues—the sculpture garden at the museum

The Somatic Body, Kennedy & Violich Architecture's installa-

and the galleries of the Wexner—three basic strategies are used to

tion at the museum (where each of the show's architects worked

make the installations “immediate” ; they might be called mimetic,

on each of its pieces at a different stage; the architect or firm that

interactive, and interventionist approaches, and the projects divide

produced final working drawings for a piece is identified here

up neatly into four per category. The mimetic works present small

as its author), presents a wall in the process of delamination and

if nonetheless full-scale buildings or building parts that take a

eruption, a tumbling swell of gypsum board, plywood, lath, and

fairly uncritical stance to the constraints of museum display.

wire. Positioned near the entry, it has an interesting annuncia-

Patkau Architects' Petite Maison de Weekend, revisited, at

tory presence but misses the chance to reorganize passage into

the beautifully installed the site, is a complete wooden cottage for

the gallery; worse, the pseudo-sculptural stacks of drywall end

two. Well crafted, if didactic in its demonstration of “sustainable”

up offering a banal display of common building materials.

construction, it presents such features as a deep storage wall, photovoltaic roof, composting toilet, and rain-collection system;

TERRA WINTER 2014

Munkenbeck and Marshall Architects built a structure that recalls Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona pavilion above the

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The snow-capped peaks and brooks babbling by distracted from the pounds that weighed on our backs.â&#x20AC;?

garden's reflecting pool. In a setting so infused with the spirit

interaction, but don't go far enough in uncovering what Betsky,

of Mies (the garden was designed, after the master, by Philip

in his curatorial statement, rightly calls the museum's “protective

Johnson), this little hut intelligently and ironically captures his

skin”—the ways it relies on its apparent physical “neutrality” (white

aesthetic in condensed form, and brings an intimate architec-

walls, silence, concealed building and security systems, and so on)

tural scale into the garden, but otherwise doesn't do much apart

to veil its own interpretive practices and modes of spatial control.

from showcasing two gorgeous hanging panels of woven steel.

The Body in Action, by Hodgetts and Fung Design Associates,

The four interactive installations focus on the demonstration

sailcloth “lung” that feeds into a bowed wooden mouthpiece;

draped wishbone-like pieces of steel over the Wexner Cen-

handles invite visitors to open the mouth and feel the rush of air.

ter's beams; these gigantic, limp-looking forms were originally

The Body in Equipoise, by Rob Wellington Quigley, is a kind of

meant to be climbed so people could reach viewing platforms

gangplank made of wood, cables, pink stretch wrap, bungee cord,

some 20 feet above the gallery, but institutional anxieties

steel tubes, and other materials; as people walk along its surface,

prevailed, and the hands-on elements (treads and rails) are

they reach a point where their weight causes the floor to slightly

vestigial. Still, the piece has an undeniably exciting presence

drop. Both pieces subvert our expectations of architectural surfaces,

and carries muscle enough to confront the idiosyncratic spaces

but fail to get at the political dimension that Betsky suggests.

and ornamental structure of Peter Eisenman's architecture. Two museum installations practically insist on physical

gathers air from the museum's ventilation system into an enormous

of physical forces. With Dancing Bleachers, Eric Owen Moss

TERRA WINTER 2014

At museum, Ten Arquitectos with Guy Nordenson removed a portion of the venerable garden's marble paving and inserted

a wooden ramp/seat assembly in the rubble facing Auguste Rodin's Monument to Balzac. Visitors descend through the ground plane, sit in the chair, and look up to a lean, cantilevered glass canopy inscribed with an unidentified fragment of art historical writing. The reference is so obscure, and its presentation so indirect, that you can't tell if it has been invoked ironically, respectfully, or gratuitously; meanwhile,

“As we neared Sawtooth lake, the our packs became feathers and the peaks rose right out of the lake.”

the power and immediacy of the excavation gets undermined. It is the four installations that pose genuinely interesting arguments about conditions of architectural exhibition and museum display along with more “immediate” aspects of construction and experience. At museum, Office erected a stair-like structure of perforated, folded sheet steel that leaps, from stiletto feet, beyond the garden's northern wall, suggesting the interpenetration of museum garden and urban fabric. Despite the fact that it risks misreading as a none-too-handsome sculpture, it nonetheless makes a strong urban ges-

TERRA WINTER 2014

ture, both within the garden and when seen from 54th Street.

installation as a form of architectural practice, it marks a sig-

Along part of the glass curtain wall on the opposite side of the

nificant moment in the development of contemporary archi-

garden, Smith-Miller and Hawkinson constructed a quiet but

tecture. The show demonstrates a broad range of innovative

pointed critique of the wall's way of framing and separating garden

formal strategies and materials while, at its best, showing us—

and museum. Among other elements, a

even the novices among us—something

folded plane of plywood steps up from

of how architecture can change our

the garden floor, meets the glass, and

relationship to the world. Despite the

then continues inside, effectively bring-

uneven results of the first experiment,

ing the outdoors in. Also outside, a large

an ongoing, periodic forum conceived

black panel attached to steel columns

along these lines could move inven-

blocks the garden view and reinforces

tive architectural thinking beyond the

the windows' mirror effect. Reflected

design community to a broader, influ-

images and abstract forms crisscross

ential, and potentially interested pub-

the glass boundary, entangling viewer

lic. As a model for future events, then,

and viewed in a nuanced spectral play.

Fabrications promises something great:

The

projects

a chance for contemporary architec-

actually introduce new programs, and

ture to reveal—and stretch—itself.

both would make welcome permanent

The dirt road was smooth at first, but

other

interventionist

museum installations. At the Wexner, Stanley Saitowitz intensified a rather bland space that has been used as an informal seating area and passageway with Virtual Reading Room, a lovely ensemble of clear acrylic benches, reading lecterns, shelves, and horizontal planes suspended from cables. The work not only adds architectural definition with subtle optical and

“Which is maybe the most important thing we've learned from life in a van: not being scared.”

quickly turned treacherous, with jagged rocks and water-filled holes blocking our path. Our van climbed for about a mile before we decided to turn back and set up camp at a site closer to the road. Our van climbed for about a mile before we decided to turn back and set up camp at a site closer to the road. The great thing about Colorado is that their National Forests roads are well-

acoustic effects, but also offers peo-

marked, and you can turn any spot with

ple the chance to sit and read—a rare

a pre-existing fire ring into a campsite—

accommodation in museum galleries.

which also means that you can drive

With The Body in Repose, Kuth Ranieri

down just about any forest road and

replaced a perimeter wall at museum

find a place to call home for the night.

with a sexy new skin; its layers of indus-

The not so great thing? That first eve-

trial felt have been clamped, clipped,

ning, as we settled in to our site and

tatooed, and cut to make little invagi-

had our fire going, we heard high-

nated nooks at the edge of the gallery

pitched noises drifting in from the

where you can sit or lie down. From this

nearby woods. The sounds, entirely

wonderful position of interior exteri-

foreign to us, began to escalate to a

ority—you are simultaneously inside

screaming whistle. Yes, even after

and outside the gallery, suspended

months on the road we couldn't

in a layer of interstitial space—other

help but find it unnerving. Which

things become apparent: the messy

is maybe the most important thing

innards of the building wall, the fact that people usually stand in

we've learned from life in a van: not being scared. As we

museums, and the enormous potential of the gallery wall freed

slowly walked closer to the woods for a better listen, Bren-

from the institutional imperatives of the smooth white plane.

dan and I realized that it wasn't the screams of some wayward

To the extent that Fabrications can legitimize and promote

hiker or forest banshee but rather, an elk enjoying a night out.

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

ZONE Summer is over, but hurricane surf season is in full swing on the East Coast—hit the waves and explore the best spots to take advantage of the swell with New England photographer Nick LaVecchia. Text by JOHNIE GALL Photographs by NICK LAVECCHIA Tell a surfer you're from New Jersey and you're apt to get an eye roll or two—the Garden State is better known for hoagies and bad reality TV than it is for surf. But learn to ride there and you join the exclusive guild the East Coast surfer, a hardened breed who wear their neoprene hoods and gloves like a badge of honor, who shovel snow from their driveways in wetsuits and consider it a warm-up. Nick LaVecchia is one such wave chaser. “I knew from growing up and exploring a lot in New England as a kid that I'd be centered here for life,” says Nick, who grew up in New Jersey and proceeded to leave his dream job as a graphic designer for Burton snowboards to relocate to York, Maine, in 2005. “To be honest, I think the first couple trips to California for work made it very clear for me that I'd be living and working along this coast—it was the characters, the variety of seasons, coastlines and mountains, and the lack of overall traffic.” And while the weather on the East Coast doesn't always lend itself to perfect little peelers, it does make for some killer photographs. Nick is one of the most recognizable surf photographers in the world, his highly intimate and exceedingly raw portraits and landscape shots decorating the pages of National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Surfer, and Monster Children, while he's sought after by big-name brands like Google and Apple (plus smaller, cooler ones like Seea). “Being able to bring a camera into the environment I love most was totally life changing,” he says. “I can honestly say I get as much joy from floating around out there documenting my friends riding waves as I do catching a few myself. Those first few sessions shooting water just confirmed what I knew I'd be doing for the rest of my life.”

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

“I knew from growing up and exploring a lot in New England as a kid that I'd be centered here for life.” But being a surf photographer in New England comes at a price— while in the summer the weather couldn't be better, catching a wave during the shoulder seasons or the apex of winter means you're at the mercy of hurricanes, freezing temperatures, and unreliable surf reports. “Planning and forecasting can be tough,” he admits. “It's never a sure thing until waves are actually breaking. Constantly changing weather, with crazy low water temperatures and ice, keep it all very exciting. I'm still working on the perfect 5-7 millimeter glove setup for shooting in the water in these conditions.” During his down time, he works on constructing a small, modern, solar-powered farmhouse along the southern coast of Maine, a place to house his 1963 Ford pickup and quiver of boards. Oh, and his favorite break? His backyard. “I can walk or bike and it provides everything from a fun wedging beach break to the most perfect logging waves you could ask for,” he says. Tell a surfer you're from New Jersey and you're apt to get an eye roll or two—the Garden State is better known for hoagies and bad reality TV than it is for surf. But learn to ride there and you join the exclusive guild the East Coast surfer, a hardened breed who wear their neoprene hoods and gloves like a badge of honor, who shovel snow from their driveways in wetsuits and consider it a warm-up. Nick LaVecchia is one such wave chaser. “I knew from growing up and exploring a lot in New England as a kid that I'd be centered here for life,” says Nick, who grew up in New Jersey and proceeded to leave his dream job as a graphic designer for Burton snowboards to relocate to York, Maine, in 2005. “To be honest, I think the first couple trips to California for work made it very clear for me that I'd be living and working along this coast—it was the characters, the variety of seasons, coastlines and mountains, and the lack of overall traffic.” And while the weather on the East Coast doesn't always lend itself to perfect little peelers, it does make for some killer photographs. Nick is one of the most recognizable surf photographers in the world, his highly intimate and exceedingly raw portraits and landscape shots decorating the pages of National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Surfer, and Monster Children, while he's sought after by big-name brands like Google and Apple (plus smaller, cooler ones like Seea). “Being able to bring a camera into the environment I love most was totally life changing,” he says. “I can honestly say I get as much joy from floating around out there documenting my friends riding waves as I do catching a few myself. Those first few sessions shooting water

just confirmed what I knew I'd be doing for the rest of my life.” But being a surf photographer in New England comes at a price—while in the summer the weather couldn't be

to the most perfect logging waves you could ask for,” he says. Tell a surfer you're from New Jersey and you're apt to get

better, catching a wave during the shoulder seasons or the

an eye roll or two—the Garden State is better known for hoagies

apex of winter means you're at the mercy of hurricanes,

and bad reality TV than it is for surf. But learn to ride there and

freezing temperatures, and unreliable surf reports.

you join the exclusive guild the East Coast surfer, a hardened

“Planning and forecasting can be tough,” he admits. “It's

breed who wear their neoprene hoods and gloves like a badge

never a sure thing until waves are actually breaking. Constantly

of honor, who shovel snow from their driveways in wetsuits and

changing weather, with crazy low water temperatures and ice, keep

consider it a warm-up. Nick LaVecchia is one such wave chaser.

it all very exciting. I'm still working on the perfect 5-7 millime-

bike and it provides everything from a fun wedging beach break

“I knew from growing up and exploring a lot in New England

ter glove setup for shooting in the water in these conditions.”

as a kid that I'd be centered here for life,” says Nick, who grew up

During his down time, he works on constructing a small,

in New Jersey and proceeded to leave his dream job as a graphic

modern, solar-powered farmhouse along the southern coast

designer for Burton snowboards to relocate to York, Maine, in

of Maine, a place to house his 1963 Ford pickup and quiver of

2005. “To be honest, I think the first couple trips to California

boards. Oh, and his favorite break? His backyard. “I can walk or

for work made it very clear for me that I'd be living and working

TERRA WINTER 2014

along this coast—it was the characters, the variety of seasons, coastlines and mountains, and the lack of overall traffic.” And while the weather on the East Coast doesn't always lend itself to perfect little peelers, it does make for some killer photographs. Nick is one of the most recognizable surf photographers in the world, his highly intimate and exceedingly raw portraits and landscape shots decorating the pages of National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Surfer, and Monster Children, while he's sought after by big-name brands like Google and Apple (plus smaller, cooler ones like Seea). “Being able to bring a camera into the environment I love most was totally life changing,” he says. “I can honestly say I get as much joy from floating around out there documenting my friends riding waves as I do catching a few myself. Those first few sessions shooting water just confirmed what I knew I'd be doing for the rest of my life.” But being a surf photographer in New England comes at a price—while in the summer the weather couldn't be better, catching a wave during the shoulder

“It's never a sure thing until waves are actually breaking. Constantly changing weather, with crazy low water temperatures and ice, keep it all very exciting.”

seasons or the apex of winter means you're at the mercy of hurricanes, freezing

of Maine, a place to house his 1963 Ford

hoods and gloves like a badge of honor,

temperatures, and unreliable surf reports.

pickup and quiver of boards. Oh, and his

who shovel snow from their driveways in

favorite break? His backyard. “I can walk or

wetsuits and consider it a warm-up. Nick

tough,” he admits. “It's never a sure

bike and it provides everything from a fun

LaVecchia is one such wave chaser.

thing until waves are actually breaking.

wedging beach break to the most perfect

Constantly changing weather, with crazy

logging waves you could ask for,” he says.

“Planning and forecasting can be

low water temperatures and ice, keep it

Tell a surfer you're from New Jersey

“I knew from growing up and exploring a lot in New England as a kid that I'd be centered here for life,” says Nick, who grew

all very exciting. I'm still working on the

and you're apt to get an eye roll or two—

up in New Jersey and proceeded to leave

perfect 5-7 millimeter glove setup for

the Garden State is better known for

his dream job as a graphic designer for Bur-

shooting in the water in these conditions.”

hoagies and bad reality TV than it is for

ton snowboards to relocate to York, Maine,

surf. But learn to ride there and you join

in 2005. “To be honest, I think the first

constructing a small, modern, solar-pow-

the exclusive guild the East Coast surfer, a

couple trips to California for work made

ered farmhouse along the southern coast

hardened breed who wear their neoprene

it very clear for me that I'd be living and

During his down time, he works on

working along this coast—it was the characters, the variety of seasons, coastlines and mountains, and the lack of overall traffic.” And while the weather on the East Coast doesn't always lend itself to perfect little peelers, it does make for some killer photographs. Nick is one of the most recognizable surf photographers in the world, his highly intimate and exceedingly raw portraits and landscape shots decorating the pages of National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Surfer, and Monster Children, while he's sought after by big-name brands like Google and Apple (plus smaller, cooler ones like Seea). “Being able to bring a camera into the environment I love most was totally life changing,” he says. “I can honestly say I get as much joy from floating around out there documenting my friends riding waves as I do catching a few myself. Those first few sessions shooting water just confirmed what I knew I'd be doing for the rest of my life.” But being a surf photographer in New England comes at a price—while in the summer the weather couldn't be better, catching a wave during the shoulder seasons or the apex of winter means you're at the mercy of hurricanes, freezing temperatures, and unreliable surf reports. “Planning and forecasting can be tough,” he admits. “It's never a sure thing until waves are actually breaking. Constantly changing weather, with crazy low water temperatures and ice, keep it all very exciting. I'm still working on the perfect 5-7 millimeter glove setup for shooting in the water in these conditions.”

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

Here's how to spend a weekend earning your East Coast surfing badge of honor in Nick's hometown. Not heading north anytime soon? The photographer shared with Terra his favorite Maine shots below.

GRAB PRE-SURF FUEL Grab pre-surf fuel: At Lil's Cafe, the perfect little coffee spot in downtown Kittery, Maine, where Nick indulges in “ridiculous pastries, and smiling baristas waiting to make you the perfect mocha latte.” Among them? His wife, who makes a mean soup and sandwich combo.

PICK UP FRESH WAX At Grain Surfboards, a tiny workshop in York that's become a must-stop Maine destination for surfers, craftsman, and lovers of wood. “The Grain shop is usually buzzing with the hum of the mill room, board building class chatter and a few loud cows roaming the field,” says Nick. At Liquid Dreams Surf Shop, located in Ogunquit, Maine. It's New England's largest surf shop, with everything you could need for the varying (read: chilly) conditions of the state.

FILL YOUR BELLY At Stone's Throw on the beach at York Beach. “This spot offers a great mix of burgers, sandwiches and seafood as close to the sand as you can get.” If you feel like going out of bounds, head to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and treat yourself to Vida Cantina, the East Coast's answer to great Mexican after a long day of surf, or Street. “This place is a mash up of all your favorite street foods from different parts of the world,” Nick says. “So many flavors under one well-designed roof.”

TERRA WINTER 2014

THE ROAD TRIP

Five itineraries to get you off the beaten driving path. You bought the VW van. You drove up the California coast—and scored the best fish tacos of your life—on the Pacific Coast Highway. Maybe you kicked up some dust on Route 66 (and you definitely know the highway system out to Vegas by heart). A road trip is a quintessential quarter-life experience, but if you're looking for new roads to burn some rubber on, it's time to unfold a map— yeah, they still exist—and take a turn onto some of the less frequented but equally awesome road trip routes in the United States. You bought the VW van. You drove up the California coast on the Pacific Coast Highway. Maybe you kicked up some dust on Route 66. A road trip is a quintessential quarter-life experience, but if you're looking for new roads to burn some rubber on, it's time to unfold a map and take a turn onto some of the less frequented but equally awesome road trip routes in the United States. You bought the VW van. You drove up the California coast—and scored the best fish tacos of your life—on the Pacific Coast Highway. Maybe you kicked up some dust on Route 66 (and you definitely know the highway system out to Vegas by heart). A road trip is a quintessential quarter-life experience, but if you're looking for new roads to burn some rubber on, it's time to unfold a map— yeah, they still exist—and take a turn onto some of the less frequented but equally awesome road trip routes in the United States. You bought the VW van. You drove up the California coaston the Pacific Coast Highway. Maybe you kicked up some dust on Route 66. A road trip is a quintessential quarter-life experience, but if you're looking for new roads to burn some rubber on, it's time to unfold a map and take a turn onto some of the less frequented

Text by JOHNIE GALL Photographs by DEVYN GALINDO

but equally awesome road trip routes in the United States.

THE BLUES HIGHWAY

THE MILLION DOLLAR SKYWAY

Where: Tennessee to Louisiana

Where: Colorado

Take It For: The boot-stomping live music, boiled crawfish, gui-

Take It For: Saloons, mining towns, rock climbing and hiking

tar legends, all-night jam sessions, and the best BBQ of your life.

pullouts, twisting highway rides, and views that make you go, “Whoa!”

Plot It Out: One thousand miles of bon temps (“good times” ) is

Plot It Out: Everyone knows Colorado is the outdoor adventurer's

reason enough to take the drive from Memphis to Lafayette—the

be-all and end-all. But to really get the full view, you have to carve

Deep South is the birthplace of blues,

out some extra time to drive this rugged

jazz, juke joints, and food that makes your

detour along 160 miles of Rocky Mountain

mouth water and your fingers burn. Start

bliss. It's a twisty pass in high terrain so

your trek with a night in one of the more

plan on slowing down (not like you'll be

than 25 clubs on the world-famous Beale

able to keep up good speed anyway with all

Street in Memphis. Route 61 will wind you

the jaw-dropping and head-turning you'll

through Clarksdale and you'll have some

be doing). And if the staggering size of the

time in N'awlins for some voodoo, boiled

mountains isn't enough, pop in at Mesa

seafood, and live music before capping

Verde National Park to tour old cliff dwell-

off the trip in Louisiana's Cajun Coun-

ings or mountain bike around the historical

try. If all those late nights are catching up

railroad town of Durango. The boom-and-

with you, pick up a cup of chicory coffee

bust mining town of Silverton offers up

at Café Beignet to stay awake on the road.

more ghost stories than you could proba-

Instagram Moment Instagram moment:

bly ever retell around the campfire—the

Spritz on some buy spray and make the trek out to Barataria Preserve in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, where you hike on stone trails through hot and humid bayous and swamps—look

“If you're looking for new roads to

out for snakes, armadillos, and 'gators.

burn some rubber

HIGHWAY 49

on, it's time to

Where: California Take It For: Treasure hunting, romantic

train

rides,

and Telluride will get you a double tap-worthy shot. And a few new instagram followers.

NORTH CAROLINA'S OUTER BANKS Where: North Carolina Take It For: Lighthouses, giant sand dunes, wild horses, windsurfing, seafood feasts, cold beer, and shipwrecks.

grittiest

shorts.

Plot It Out: This 114-mile drive cruises from

Plot It Out: Start your 200 mile trek

Corolla to Ocracoke Village, starting at the

in Sonora, California, which is a stone's

northern end of Highway 12 where the pave-

throw (feel free to start using old West

ment turns to sand at the Currituck Banks

lingo... now!) from the 1897 Railtown State

Estuarine Reserve. Follow to route 158,

Historic Park, where you can ride a train

which will take you straight through Kitty

through the barren terrain. For history

Hawk, the windy hills where the Wright

nerds there's the Marshall Gold Discovery

brothers manned the first powered flights

State Historic Park, site of the official start

(the first men on the moon actually carried a

of the Gold Rush. Need a little extra gas

piece of the Wright plane on the shuttle with

money? You can try your luck at gold pan-

them to commemorate it). Stop at Jockey's

ning there. If you're not into history, then

Ridge State Park to run up and tumble down

cut-off

go for the wine—so much wine. The tast-

along the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray

panning, and a chance to wear your and

real-life

Instagram Moment: Just about any spot

gold

boots

actual

unfold a map.”

place is practically crawling with ghoulies.

the biggest sand dunes you've ever seen—if

ing rooms in Amador County's wine country are worth the drive.

you're dedicated, bring a sled or boogie board but prepare for some

Instagram Moment We don't usually advocate sharing pictures

sand burn. Secret Spot Surf Shop has some of the coolest handcrafted

of your food, but we'll make an exception for the Cozmic Café in

boards on the East Coast, and you'll definitely want to hit up the Cape

Placerville, where the tables are set up inside an old mine shaft.

Hatteras and Currituck Beach lighthouses. A 40-minute ferry ride

TERRA WINTER 2014

will take you from Hatteras Village to Ocracoke Island, where you can cap off the trip with some live music and a cold one at Howard's Pub. Instagram Moment The Outer Banks are known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic”—thousands of boats have been pounded to pieces here by rough currents and shallow sandbars over the past few hundred years. Stop off at the Bodie Island Lighthouse to see a 1973 shipwreck.

OVERSEAS HIGHWAY Where: Florida Take It For: Postcard-worthy photos, island life, Jimmy Buffett-approved drink menus, and prime SUPing. Plot It Out: The entire 113-mile stretch from mainland Florida to the Florida Keys is a series of bridges and land-based roads that have you coasting over turquoise water and through lush marshland. Between the state parks, the Key Largo dolphin centers, the island-themed bars, the occasional 'gator spotting, and the roadside stands hawking hermit crabs, seashell sculptures, and pirate flags, it's easy to picture yourself retiring here to bake in the sun (just bring the bug spray). Pull over to SUP around the coral reefs, munch on fresh-caught seafood, and order up the piña colada because YOLO. Instagram Moment: Visit Alabama Jack's, an outdoor tiki bar and restaurant that attracts loads of bikers (the leather-clad kind). Take a break from your plate of conch fritters—yes, they're a must-try—and snap a shot by the decked-out bar.

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

REDUCE, REUSE, Text by RHEA CORTADO

Photographs by BRECHT VANTHOF

Yokishop's Jeff Yokoyama shows us the thrift store where he turns rags into beach-ready riches.

THE BEGINNING

the towels, hoodies, and other necessary

I didn't necessarily have that concept of

accouterments are ready, Yokoyama links

beach towel and sweatshirt at that time,

California, there was a 30 year clothing

the puzzle pieces, with Yokishop's in-house

but I knew there was an abundance of

verteran who wanted to make clothing in a

tailor Sergio sewing the final product.

things that were being thrown away.”

Once upon a time in a small town in

new way for all to enjoy. His name was Yoki

As a veteran of the surf industry who's

BRANCHING OUT

(Jeff Yokoyama). Yoki saw clothing and

headed up multimillion-dollar brands,

retail in a different way. He wanted to make

58-year-old Yokoyama is currently relishing

a retail space, where there was a reason

the unhurried process of creating each

surf stoke that fueled his past ventures

and a story behind all the goods he collects,

piece one-by-one. “We get the beach

continues to burn bright. “It's still a big

shows, displays and sells. A strange thing

towels, we lay our patterns on them, and

influence, it's still a lifestyle that we do.

happened, people around the neighbor-

then we cut out the pattern of the body

During these nights that it's really warm,

hood started sharing in the same spirit.

out of the beach towel,” the designer

we go out and barbecue. We enjoy the

Yoki Shop is a place where shopping is not

explains. “Most of the time it's coming

sunsets, swimming in the ocean. Surfing

the only objective. It is a shop where just

from my eyes—how I see the beach

is something I've been doing since I was

looking and being inspired is encouraged.

towel, how it's actually going to be cut.”

14-years-old; it's in our blood,” he explains.

That's not the only difference he's

TIMELESS THREADS Each and every beach-ready piece

In the heart of Newport Beach, the

But don't expect the next revolution-

been enjoying: “I realized we were doing

ary boardshort to come out of Yokishop.

the same thing that I didn't want to do

Yokoyama's idea of revolutionary is of

made in his Newport Beach, California

anymore, which is doing a lot of pro-

course, a different prediction. “We're

storefront (which doubles as his workshop)

duction outside of the United States,”

looking to the future of making things.

is upcycled—that is to say, taken from

Yokoyama says of why he left the label

We're trying to build a sustainable business

something old and discarded and “Yoki-

almost a decade ago. “I thought to myself,

with a sustainable product,” he says,

fied”—into a new, one-of-a-kind garment.

There's got to be a better way; there's

adding, “We're starting to get there.”

The purchased items are brought back to the shop to be washed. Once all

TERRA WINTER 2014

got to be an opportunity to make things from things that are being thrown away.

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

KEEP GOING...

PRIZED Text and Photography by JOEL BEAR

Its been so amazing working this summer with the Nikon Aw1. This little camera has been a powerhouse for us on our travelings. The AW1 offers waterproof, shockproof, and freeze proof capabil-

allows me reassurance if I drop it). Second, it is ultra light at 11.0 oz., which if you're like me you're

ities, while also offering beautiful files. I want to offer an opinion

always worried about weight on a trip. This is also amazing when

from my experience and give you a view other than just what's in

out in the water; its great to toss on a wetsuit and not lug around

the technical readout of this camera (a bit more tangible).

giant water housing when you don't need it.

There were a number of amazing reasons that drew me to this

Third - The files are incredible, and the detail in the highlight

camera, and the first being its ruggedness. I needed a camera that I

and dynamic ranges are amazing. Also, the Af is extremely fast, with

could toss in a pack and one that would hold upin intense situations

15 frames per second and 135 focusing points.

and under the fiercest of circumstances. It is extremely rugged and

shockproof for up to 6.6 feet (which doesn't seem like much but

TERRA WINTER 2014

It's the best camera I've ever owned, and my prized possession.

KEEP GOING...

TERRA WINTER 2014

SUMMER 14

$12 US

FIELD NOTES

INSTAGRAMMER

IN BAJA

SAM ELKINS

CAR CAMPING

TRAILBLAZER

ESSENTIALS

DANIEL WOODS

AUTUMN 14

$12 US

FIELD NOTES

WEEKEND

IN MOAB

WARRIOR

SURF SEASON

TEAM TRAIL

PREPARATION

MAGIC

TERRA WINTER 2014