THIS SPREAD If you’re willing to adopt an adventurers’ spirit, empty, pictureperfect lineups can be yours. Try Nicaragua, they’ll throw in offshores, free of charge. Photo: John Slavin.
ON THE COVER (Clockwise from left) Brock Jones cruising. Photo: Jim Boswell; Dodger Kremel racing. Photo: Surf-shot.com; Bonga Perkins, pre-surf. Photo: Damea Dorsey/dameadorsey.com; Jackson Close breaks through. Photo: John Slavin.
FEATURES
The Great Pursuit
16
Lensmen: Lance Smith
46
Winning a world title requires boardloads of talent, mental taxation and a bit of good fortune. Winning two? Determination beyond practical levels. Just ask Bonga Perkins. Chasen Marshall did.
Years of dedication to his craft have translated to a comfortable career in and around the photography scene. Living in SD around top-flight talent helps.
A Brave New World
Artisan: Wade Koniakowsky
22
49
Surfing is supposed to be fun, or did we forget? The best remedy for a fruitless stretch of sessions? A new board. The resin fumes will make you feel like a new (wo)man. By Chasen Marshall.
After a bountiful career in advertising, Koniakowsky returned to his first passion, painting, and hasn’t stopped creating aweinspiring wavescapes since.
Simple Pleasures
Fin-damentals
32
Watermen pride themselves on being able to adapt to whatever Mother Nature throws their way. Example A: Charging Indo’s dry reef barrels on an SUP. By Erik Aeder.
In Search of Solace
40
Ashley Lloyd exudes humility and compassion. She’s also a wiz with a Skil planer, master of the G-chord and a talent on the tip. Joke’s on us. By Jennifer Flanigan.
52
It’s been years since you studied hydrodynamics, right? We figured. Fin aficionado Greg Loehr lays out fin dynamics, plain and simple.
Fin Guide Change your surfing universe, starting with those protrusions beneath your board.
56
Editor’sNote
No More Doom and Gloom Recently I tuned into the nightly news.After about an hour, and 20ish different pieces of news, it seemed to me that most of what I just watched was rape, murder, robberies and of course our five-times-a-day dose of how 8.5 percent of the working public was out of work. Many were losing their homes and basically living on the streets. Their lives as they knew them were gone. So I sat there thinking how bad things had really become. I mean, I felt terrible. The thought of doing anything that required spending money, was according to the media, a bad idea. Or at least if I did buy, I’m being instructed to go bargain with everyone until they were nearly willing to give the stuff to me just to sell something. At that point, my wife, not knowing what I was thinking, reminded me that I needed to write this column. Feeling like a bag of garbage, I went to my office and thought for a bit about what to say. CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX News and CNN were all making very convincing arguments that the world was basically going to shit. I pondered a bit more and then suddenly a bright light went on inside my head. I thought, “Now wait just a damn minute! If 8 or so percent of the working population are out of work, and 3, 4 or 5 percent more were about to lose there jobs, and then you add the percent of workers that are now working less than 40 hours a week, wow, that’s about 20 percent!” But then I thought, “What about the other 80 percent still working?” Think about it: if tomorrow your stock portfolio went up 80 percent, you’d be going nuts with glee. If your local car dealer saw an 80 percent increase in sales over the next month, what do you think he’d say? How about our local surf shop? Think they’d be stoked if 80 percent of his goods were gone? I mean 80 percent of anything is BIG. Yet, the news media is trying to convince us that, while they maneuver to boost their ratings, we’re all toast! “Bullshit!” I say. I mean, 80 percent of us are still working, making things, keeping track of things, selling things, you know, good ol’ honest work! Which means they/we are still buying things, all kinds of stuff, needed or not. So here’s what I want you all to do, like me, tomorrow, or even this evening, I’m going to my local surf retailer, and I’m going to buy something. After all, I’m a surfer and can use a multitude of things most all of the time. I’m going to pay retail for it, yeah RETAIL. Why? Because if you work to bargain this retailer down to nothing, you put yourself and millions of others OUT-OF-WORK. Do this just a little bit more than you have been, and watch what starts to happen. As far as ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX News, CNN … I’m not going to be watching it anymore. Besides, the nightly news is little more than a daytime soap opera, you know? Who’s sleeping with who, who’s killing who, ratings, ratings, ratings. It’s all crap! So go out and support your local surf shop, and feel good about improving that shop’s bottom line a bit and about doing your part to stimulate the economy. Good Waves,
Publisher
Volume 1 No.1 Michael Anthony Aguirre Publisher, Editor-in-Chief Chasen Marshall Editor Paul West Contributing Editor John Ker Photo Editor John Slavin Contributing Photo Editor John Bass Art Director Nikki Brooks, Chris Grant, Moonwalker, Keith Novosel, Lance Smith Contributing Photographers Jennifer Flanigan, Paul Holmes, Brian King, Greg Loehr, Ned McMahon Contributing Writers Copyright 2009 morSURF Magazine, Oceanside, CA Printed in the U.S.A. April, 2009, Volume 1, No. 1 morSURF Magazine is published six times per year by One Last Run Publications, 3460 Marron Road, suite 103-375, Oceanside, CA 92056. Periodicals Postage paid at Carlsbad, CA, and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to morSURF Magazine, 3460 Marron Road, suite 103-375, Oceanside, CA 92056 morSURF Magazine’s Coverage and Distribution: Domestic subscriptions are available at $25 for (6 issues), $40 for (18 issues). Foreign subscriptions: cantact: info@morsurf.com for rates Call us at (760) 803-2003 or FAX your order to (760) 314-0049. Contributions: morSURF Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited contributions of any type. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, morSURF Magazine retains all rights on material published in morSURF Magazine for a period of six months after publication and reprint rights after that period expires. Change of address: We need six to eight weeks to change your address. Send your new address along with your subscription label to morSURF Magazine, 3460 Marron Road, suite 103-375, Oceanside, CA 92056 or call (760) 803-2003. IMPORTANT NOTICE: The post office will not forward copies. We are not responsible for replacing undelivered copies due to lack of or late notification of address change. Advertising in morSURF Magazine: To advertise in morSURF Magazine please contact our Advertising Department at 3460 Marron Road, suite 103-375, Oceanside, CA 92056 or telephone us at(760) 803-2003. Email: info@morsurf.com
VintageSurfboards: Good as Gold? In a Tough Economy, Malibu Chips may be better than Blue Chips. By Paul Holmes
Randy Rarick’s biannual Hawaiian Islands Vintage Surf Auction has established a reputation for offering quite the catalog of collectible classics, which draw a steady stream of interested parties.
When a Florida-based stock
bet than the stock market?
were being held across the country. The first, staged in 1997 by former
analyst and investment advisor threw
It’s unlikely that another such
down a whopping $33,000 for a 1963
board will be on the block at this
Hobie factory manager Danny
Buzzy Trent gun shaped by Dick Brewer
summer’s auction in Honolulu. An
Brawner and his partner Gary
at the 2007 Hawaiian Islands Vintage
original Buzzy Trent gun by Surfboards
Concannon in Costa Mesa, Calif.,
Surf Auction, a few people in the room
Hawaii, after all, is a rare item. Few
drew a crowd of 400 bidders and 140
wondered if it was a sign that Wall
were made and many did not
vintage boards went under the
Street was about to have a serious
survive—snapped or washed up on
hammer with the highest price of
“correction.” Indeed, just a couple of
the rocks. The 33K board is one of only
$6,900 paid for a 1954 Hobie balsa. By
weeks later there was a downward
three known to exist. But that doesn’t
today’s standards that’s chicken feed.
spike in the soaring Dow, but then the
mean there aren’t one or two more
But the portent was not lost on
bulls came back on board and it
lurking in attics or garages somewhere,
collectors or knowledgeable
roared back to its all-time high of more
or other items equally desirable. And
entrepreneurs who saw an opportunity
than 14,000 points. Today, of course,
that is what makes the whole arena of
to dive into the newly emerging
it’s a whole different, dismal story with
vintage surfboards and other surf-
market. In short order, other
trillions of dollars wiped off the board
related collectibles such a fascinating
commercial auctions popped up in
and the Dow wallowing below the
mine of precious gems.
California, on the East Coast and in
7,000-point range at the time of this
The market for surfing collectibles
Hawaii. Several others followed in their
writing. Still, that begs the question: is a
really took off in the mid- and late
wake in the form of charity fundraisers
Buzzy Trent gun a better investment
1990s. At that time, several auctions
and even on-line, even as twice-yearly 9
Many of the classic surfboards available to bidders have been painstakingly restored to original mint condition under Rarick’s expert eye for authenticity.
get-togethers of the Southern California Longboard Collectors’ Club became a cool forum to trade and talk story. It quickly became clear that the serious collectors, those with real passion and commitment, would need deep pockets and iron resolve as prices soared into the tens of thousands for highly sought-after wood boards from the turn of the 20th century or mint condition Tom Blake hollows. Anything from the late ’40s or early ’50s by Quigg, Kivlin, Simmons, Velzy or Hobie may sell for over ten grand. Even post-Gidget foam and fiberglass like Greg Noll’s mid-’60s Miki Dora “Da Cat” models have fetched in the order of $15,000, and they are not even especially rare. That said, there are still many ’60s classics going under the hammer in the $2K - $6K range. So maybe now’s the time to step up and get in. Who knows where the financial sector is going; it may have bottomed out or it may get a whole lot worse. By contrast, a classic board on your living room wall may not be an investment security blanket, but it will always be a talking point over home-brewed beer and a dinner made from produce in your backyard victory garden if things get really tough. Caveat emptor: do your research, a little knowledge is a valuable thing if you want your investment to appreciate in proportion to your emotional involvement in the object of your desire.
The Newest and Safest Way to Surf Mexico By Trebor Recnarc
Traveling via cruiseliners, surfers take out the danger of land travel and get top-notch accommodations all the way.
operation managing the daily port
that we leave the ship with our
and good cop/bad cop turf wars
calls, and the fact that their non-surfer
boards, towel and wax and get to the
escalate, surfers yearning to surf the
family and friends can accompany
beach. We get back to the ship
world-class breaks along the Mexican
them and enjoy a safe and well
before dinner and all of our valuables
Riviera are discovering that cruise ships
organized surf holiday greatly reduces,
never left the boat.”
are a viable and often enjoyable
and in some cases
alternative to high risk driving/camping
eliminates the potential
trips and the ever popular fly/drive
for crime against surfers
travel options.
and tourists in general.
As the ‘border wars’, drug lords
Royal Caribbean, Carnival and
When asked about
Holland America have recently begun
recent travel to the
to answer the call by confirming
breaks in Mexico, Mary
‘active water’ itinerate day trips to the
Osborne explained her
breaks in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan
reasons for choosing
and Puerto Vallarta. Most lines now
cruise ships. “We only
allow one board per person as an
have to bring what we
alternative to 1 piece of checked
need for fun,” Osborne
luggage; stowed below decks until
said. “they are safe
port days.
ports, breaks, super
Mary Osborne, Colin McPhillips
simple, no worry about
and Robert August have all taken
becoming a victim. I’ve
numerous voyages aboard these
been on two so far, and
floating resorts. They find that the
ready to go on another
social ambiance of the never-ending
one this fall.”
activities aboard ship, the security of an internationally trained naval 12
Robert August added: “I like the fact
Banditos and rural roads or poolside bar service and a hearty amount of eye candy? Tough choice.
One of the cruiseline converts, pro longboarder Mary Osborne, sliding down south. Photo: Alex Wisner/Brooks Institute of Photography ©2009
Due to heightened security, surfboards are always held below decks in a secure, inaccessible hold until port call mornings. Although many surfers would sleep with their boards if they could, this actually is a better and safer system of board travel handling. “It’s great,” Osborne says. “Just grab ‘em on the dock and go to the transport. I don’t want to fly anymore because of surf cruises.” McPhillips has sailed twice and plans on bringing his family along this year. “[Surf cruising is] the only way I would consider taking my family on a surfing trip to Mexico.” February 20, 2009 This Travel Alert updates security information for U.S. citizens traveling and living in Mexico. It supersedes the Travel Alert for Mexico dated October 15, 2008, and expires on August 20, 2009. While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including thousands who cross the land border every day for study, tourism or business), violence in the country has increased recently. The greatest increase in violence has occurred near the U.S. border. However, U.S. citizens traveling throughout Mexico should exercise caution in unfamiliar areas and be aware of their surroundings at all times. Common sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable. As this bulletin implies, common sense, no matter where on the planet you are, should take precedence over ‘adventurous opportunities’ offered by unofficial or gypsy tours and transportation operators. Mexico is a wonderful vacation destination and will remain safe for you if you practice safe travel habits. And surf cruising is a great alternative for safe passage to ‘pesoville’. The U.S. dollar is still remarkably strong and spends well between surf sessions while in port.
16
Bonga Perkins Claims World Title No. 2 Photography by Damea Dorsey/dameadorsey.com
After world title No. 1 at the age of 24, it seemed predestined that Bonga Perkins would have a Michael Jordan-type trophy case by the time his career came to a close. In the following years, a series of runner-up and semifinal appearances further insinuated that No. 2 was soon to come. That was 12 years ago. During that 12 years, Bonga established himself as one the premiere longboarders on the tour, and one of the preeminent watermen in the world. But title No. 2 was still out there. Still unattainable. That was until 2008. In the tense minutes leading up to the final heat of the second stop on the Oxbow World Longboard Tour, 12 years of heartbreak and frustration landed squarely on Bonga’s shoulders. So much so, that the 6’1” chiseled Hawaiian had to be administered oxygen to help calm his breathing. Back home near Haleiwa, with plenty to smile about.
17
With only 30 minutes and a 23year-old Frenchman standing between him and No. 2, it was clear that this was his best — and maybe his last — chance to claim the elusive title. With his fellow countrymen (the state of Hawaii often claims sovereignty in surf competition) cheering him on from the rocky San Onfore shoreline, Perkins shelved any nerves and proved that experience and power are a recipe for success in surfing circles (see Slater, Kelly). Chasen Marshall tracked down Bonga soon after his return to Oahu for some insight into how the event played out and to hear about the spoils of the crown. CM: Twelve years since your first world title, were you starting to think that No. 2 wouldn’t come? BP: Yeah, I was definitely starting to have some doubts. Just because we didn’t know where longboarding was
With the wave-rich North Shore of Oahu as his training ground, it's no wonder that Bonga is proficient in most any wave conditions.
18
going. So I started thinking, hmm, was there even going
month before the event, knowing that I had a good
to be a chance of me getting No. 2.
shot, I was doing a lot of swimming, more cardio. Running, swimming, paddling my canoe, I surfed,
What about the site? There was all sorts of confusion and plan-changing leading up to the event, what were your thoughts about San Onfore as the final stop?
anything to keep me moving and keep my mind
Well, I think everybody was thinking Sano’s kind of an iffy
where I lagged. That was huge. I think I was down 7 or 8
venue, which it kind of was. It was off-season and it’s
pounds going into that event from my normal 196. So I
more of a south swell kind of spot. But it ended up being
felt really good.
occupied, two, three times a day. And I had a couple friends that I work out … They may not be pro surfers, but those guys definitely picked me up in other places
probably the best venue we’ve had in a long time. Sunshine, offshore, water was fairly warm, waves were shoulder to head high, some overhead sets.
Did you have to tinker with your boards at all before the contest? Yeah. First, I went to EPS, because our water in Hawaii is
Leading up the event, did you partake in any special training to stay in form, stay in shape?
a lot more dense than California, more salt. A regular
A lot of it is mental. But for some reason, coming about a
So I had to kind of change it around, make them a bit
polyurethane, they float [in Hawaii] a hell of a lot more.
19
For the past 15 years, Bonga has stood as a testament to the value of consistency and power, and it finally paid off with the shoulder-ride (Photo: Chasen Marshall) from fellow Hawaiian champs, Rusty Keaulana (left) and Dino Miranda.
more buoyant so it wouldn’t dig, but yet not be as light
Josh Baxter
as Styrofoam is noted for. Just your basic contest 9’1”,
met, I was
with kind of a basic set-up, and a couple tweaks. I had
rooting for
two good boards that I took up there. I had one I took
Baxter, trust me.
up there two weeks prior, just in case.
I would have rooted for
Being in contention to win it all, I imagine the four days can seem like an eternity. What was going through your mind as you started seeing other contenders fall?
Baxter anyway
Man, it was rough. [Going into Round 4], I knew the
that I’ve surfed against for the last 15 years. But Antoine
guys who were in the chase were Taylor [Jensen],
was just surfing good; nothing flashy, not strong, but he
Mathew [Moir], Antoine [Delpero], Colin [McPhillips] and
was doing what he had to do.
Harley [Ingleby]. [In Round 4] Ned [Snow] faced off with Harley and
because he’s one of my longtime friends
When it came to the semifinals I was up against Ned, and I knew Ned was surfing well, with some of the
Ned just had this smashing heat and annihilated Harley.
highest scoring heats of the event. He was just surfing
He was on his game, so when he took down Harley and
amazing. Luckily, he didn’t get any of the bigger waves
Timothee [Creighnout] took down Colin, it was just like,
to light it up on and I got a couple eights and snuck past
‘ok, doors opened up even more.’
him. In the next semi, Antoine did his thing again and
So that was two out of the six guys that went down.
took out Alex [Salazar]. And then, just the two of us.
At that point I was kind of feeling the pressure, but at the same time I knew Antoine was still on top [in points], so I wasn’t pressured too much because I knew I still had to
Prior to the finals, you separated yourself from everyone. What was going through your mind?
fight for it.
Lots of things. It had come down to do or die, Antoine
Taylor and Mathew had that down-to-the-lastcouple-seconds heat and Mathew pulled out the win.
and me in the finals, second versus third. I was kind of glad I was in third because last time I was first in ratings
He was coming off a strong win at the ISA World Games in Portugal, so his momentum and his head were pretty focused, so that was on my mind. When Antoine and 20
Continued on page 62
A Brave New World Surfing hasn't seen a better era of experimentation since the '60s. Board variety is at an all-time high. So why are you still riding the same board day after day? By Chasen Marshall 22
Beep. Beep. Beep. Smack the snooze button. Nine minutes later: Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. “Alright, alright, I’m up!” Grab the cell phone, speed dial 8: “Thank you for calling the Newport Beach surf and weather report” … blah blah blah … “we have a southwest swell with 3- to 4-foot faces, and fair to good conditions…” Sweet, swell finally hit. Pour some coffee, toast a bagel, grab a wetsuit and towel, throw the 5’8” Shimbawa fish in the trunk and you’re off. Wait, wait, wait. Only one board? Really? With all the options available these days? You should be ashamed! Sit in the corner and think about what you’ve done! You’re adhering to an outdated mindset and ruining your surfing life. I hope you’ll learn. Surfer’s today are spoiled, and most of us don’t even realize it. (Then again, the majority of society is spoiled and fails to realize it, so don’t feel too bad.) Put yourself in the cracked, weathered feet of, say, Phil Edwards: The year is 1956. It’s a warm September morning at San Onofre. A light offshore breeze sweeps up the 3- to 5-foot faces rolling into the shoreline. The glimmering lines seem to go forever. The sloped wave faces are ideal for the thick-railed, 65 lb. board sliding along below your feet. You’re having a ball. But to the north about a mile breaks a much steeper, more menacing wave. You can paddle out up there, but making a wave without catching a rail or burying the nose is practically impossible. The board just won’t cut it. Fast-forward over 50 years, and that menacing wave, Lowers, is frequented by a range of riders from different age groups, societal classes, ethnic backgrounds, and most strikingly, a variety of boards. The surfing divide no longer splits down the middle, with shortboarders on one end and longboarders on the other. New faces have joined the party: shorter, wider fish; longer, ultra-thick stand-up paddleboards; eggshaped, single-fin hulls; and the newest member, plywood-thin, finless alaia’s. The “industry” still pushes a single type of surfing experience, but the community of surfers has begun to open its collective eyes to the array of wave-riding experiences. Former Queen of Malibu and current Roxy superstar Kassia Meador sums it up best: “It’s important to constantly be venturing for that next thing; it makes you a better surfer, and you really have more fun. It sounds super cheesy, but having fun really is what it’s all about. I (From left) Noah Shimabukuro, Chad Doyle. Photos: Chasen Marshall; Kassia Meador. Photo: Chris Grant/JettyGirl.com; Justin Hugron. Photo: Chasen Marshall; Tyler Hatzikian. Photo: Jeff Bell. 23
feel like when people trap themselves in a little hole, the “oh, I’m a shortboarder,” or “I’m a longboarder,” or whatever it may be, they’re limiting themselves. I truly feel there’s a board for every wave and you just have to tap into that.” By nature, surfers are a playful species. Sure, we’re occasionally egotistical and borderline action-junkies, but at our core, we’re just looking to enjoy our environment. In the 1960s (the so-called “Golden Age” of surfing), those that chose to partake in the sport were seen as outcasts, failing to conform to societal standards of appropriate behavior. Surfers were seen as vagabonds, when in fact, they were simply ahead of the curve. Within the confines of the sport, that metaphorical curve, the one that insinuated that surfers were an open-minded, fun-loving bunch, started to straighten out in the 1980s. Following a drastic redevelopment of surfboard design and construction, and a hectic run through the sizes (from 10-feet-plus down to the low 5s), a fundamental switch landed on the 6’2” thruster (you can thank Simon Anderson for that one!). The shortboard remained the primary surf vehicle through the Tom Curren and early Kelly Slater ages. During that period, longboards became an archaic concept, relegated to museums and garage rafters. To a degree, the sport went stale. Fast-forward 15 years. Surfing has been functioning on a sliding scale, taking two steps forward, looking to the past, taking another step forward and so on. Every time the progressors look to the future, a traditionalist looks to the past and finds something else worth reviving. First came the Renaissance, of longboards that is. Next came the Fish, which served as a fusion of longboard paddle and glide with shortboard speed and maneuverability. A few years later, the fad shifted to standing all the time, with a paddle in hand. The latest and greatest? Wood. Thinner than a bar of wax, faster than anything on the market – the alaia. As opposed to specializing, surfers are realizing that variety better suits their pursuits. Instead of one type of board in any and all conditions, finding the right board for the right condition is becoming the preferred approach. And while it may not be financially responsible in these times to go out and dump $5K on a range of boards (though spending has never been more vital), the truth is that finding the right boards is a process. Attending board demos, riding boards that blow, talking to guys at the surf shop, progressively working toward finding those magic boards that you hold on to for as long as possible, the ones that satisfy our taste for the next great ride. These following five are masters of the rideeverything ethos. And they all offer a unique insight into why the approach works. 24
Noah Shimabukuro Age: 26 • City: Oceanside, CA • Boards: 20+ Whether he’s charging punishing Puerto Escondido barrels on an SUP, gracefully perched on his log at Old Mans at San Onofre, or racing the section at Swami’s on his fish, Noah Shimabukuro wears the same calm, almost childish, expression across his face. Though he grew up in the ultra-competitive and board-conservative lineups on Oahu, Shimabukuro isn’t hardened by those days, instead, he’s humble and friendly, and now the master of his domain. As the Shop Manager of The Surfer’s Pro Shop (the home base for Donald Takayama’s label, Hawaiian Pro Designs) in Oceanside, Calif., Noah has a unique perspective on the surfboard market. Having ridden and worked for Donald Takayama for the last several years, Noah’s been able to apply Donald’s years of experience and insights to his own surf career. Between picking Donald’s brain and his position in the shop, Noah has
In the realm of Noah Shimabukuro's talent, most any board (below, Photo: Chasen Marshall) works in any condition. Charging his HP longboard (left) in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Photo: Moonwalker.
become pretty dialed into the past and present of the sport. Seeing new shapes and concepts come to life, having an eye on what sells, and hearing what boards are getting customers excited provides a solid foundation for understanding the modern movement. “Nowadays everyone is just riding everything,” Noah said. “I see a lot of guys wanting to get noserider types of boards, mini-noseriders are getting popular, or like 5’8”, 5’6” Scorpion boards … it seems like everyone is trying to balance out the shortboard, longboard ends of their quivers.” Having traveled the world in search of surf and having become quite an accomplished surfer on most everything he rides, Noah is now able to apply his
“In the next 10 years I think you’re going to see kids
experience to influencing the next generation. But
no longer stereotyped into any sort of category of
without getting up on a soapbox (not that he’s the
surfing. It’s going to be so much better because you’re
type), he already sees his ride-everything approach
going to have kids who can ride any type of surfboard
being more willingly accepted in younger surfing circles.
and it’s going to progress the sport much quicker
And he believes it will have a positive effect on the
because everyone is going to be learning so many styles
future of the sport.
and theories of different types of surfboards.” 25
Chad Doyle Age: 25 • City: Daytona Beach, FL • Boards: 70+ For Chad Doyle there was never any alternative to not riding a bit of everything. His dad had been
bad, I wanted to stand on the nose,” Doyle recalled. “That was my first idea of surfing. I grew up with all my friends riding shortboards, I was the black sheep, the anti … mostly for riding a big board.” The haters didn’t much get to him. From early on,
collecting surfboards since before Chad could cross-
he’d made a choice to mix up his ride. After getting the
step, and his house was less than a block from the
longboard wired, he used his painting and yard work
beach. So when he picked up the sport at a young age,
money to buy a funshape, and soon after, added a
the mindset was already engrained. But his approach
shortboard to the mix.
early on was different than most of his peers. “Before I even started surfing, watching Endless Summer coming on TV, I wanted to be Mike Hynson so
“No matter what was spinning off the coast, I had a proper board from square one,” Doyle explained. “And I’ve just tried to keep that same philosophy since. That’s
more or less how I got into longboarding heavily and into being open-minded toward whatever the conditions called for.” Doyle left the family house in Ponce Inlet, relocating a few miles away to Daytona Beach, but he still lives within a short walk from surf. He developed a collectors eye, just like Pops, and jams his current living space with retro single-fins, contemporary shortboards, logs, HP longboards, fish and practically every other shape and design developed over the past 50 years. “Since I can remember, I’ve just been collecting, not really for the nostalgic value, but just for the sake of trying it, wanting to stand up on it, seeing when it will go good and if it will go good.” In Florida's unpredictable conditions, variety (top, Photo: Kelly Crawford) is a necessity, but when the conditions are clean and chest-high (above, Photo: Chasen Marshall), most often Chad Doyle turns to his longboard. 26
He now houses a monstrous collection (somewhere around 70) and continues to pull over at garage sales and check out pawnshops in search of the next addition.
Kassia Meador Age: 26 • City: Oceanside, CA • Boards: 12 Growing up at a spot like Malibu, surfing practices are pretty well laid out for you. The scene at First Point is rather retro-focused, but the spot is a longboard haven. The structure and speed cater well to the performance capabilities of nine-foot and over. Though Kassia Meador’s very first board was a dad-shaped shortboard, the transition to a longboard soon followed. Now 26, living in Oceanside, Calif. and one of the most recognizable female surfers in the world, the board situation has changed quite a bit. Meador has a garage full of boards, which cater to most any type of wave condition found in the surf wonderland that is San Diego County. And that collection is constantly evolving. On a pair of her recent surf travel trips, she came into possession of a few odd additions that have her utterly stoked: a Danny Hess handgun and an alaia. That sort of development has been common with Kassia and her quiver building experience. She may have found her tip talent (top) at Malibu, but Kassia Meador has grown her all-around game (above) while living and surfing in San Diego County. Photos: Chris Grant/JettyGirl.com
27
“It’s something you work at over time and a lot of times you don’t even know where the boards are going to come from,” Meador said. “My wooden keel-fin fish, Rich Pavel gave it to me probably like 6 years ago and I still ride it all the time. Some boards you keep for a lot longer … you build [your quiver] up and get different stuff for different waves.” Every board adds a new level of enjoyment to her surfing experience. When she isn’t globe-trotting for contests or photo trips, she’s tripping about the lineup on her board of choice. The most fun and challenging is her newest addition. “Those alaias, I really haven’t been riding them much and I’m very, very novice on them, but I just really like them,” Meador explained. “It’s new and they’re different, they’re something fresh, a fresh perspective and it makes you feel like a nerd because if you finally get to your feet you’re so stoked! Plus, they’re like nothing to throw in a [travel] bag.”
Justin Hugron Age: 24 • City: Huntington Beach, CA • Boards: 30’ish Growing up and learning to surf in conservative Orange County, Justin Hugron could have easily adopted a one-minded approach to his surfing. Considering that he spent a majority of his early days in Huntington Beach, it’s a surprise he ever paddled out on a longboard at all. But Hugron always liked to mix it up, finding the best board for the condition. “My stepdad always rode shortboards when the waves were good and longboards when the waves were small, so I just followed that,” Hugron explained. He did end up making more of a competitive commitment to longboarding after experiencing a bit of success in NSSA contests, but he never wavered from his
Hugron, with a chuckle. “The first time I ever got a board
ride it all approach. Now 24 and a sales rep for Von
from him I told him what I wanted, and he said ‘Alright,
Zipper and Australian brand, Rhythm, Hugron regularly
this first one I’ll make you what you want, and ride it and
packs his Honda Prius with a couple boards when on the
you’ll see that I know how to shape. And then this next
road (those cars are deceptively large, he can fit his SUP
one I’ll make what I think you should ride.’ So I rode the
inside with room to spare).
first one and thought it was one of the best longboards
“I know personally I get burned out on a board if I ride it for a couple weeks and don’t ride anything else,”
10 times better and was not what I would have ridden.
Hugron said. “I’ll get over it and jump on a board that I
From then on out, I told him to just make me whatever
hadn’t ridden in a while. Or I might just try something
he wanted.”
new; it might not be what everyone else is riding, but it’s a good chance to have fun and just enjoy yourself.” It also helps that Hugron’s shaper, Tim Stamps of
Hugron and Stamps have been working together for a bit over 3 years now and in that time, Hugron has continued to grow as a surfer. He continues to expand
Stamps Surfboards, is not only capable of making a
his collection, stacking boards three deep in the rafters or
range of boards, but rips on them as well. Their shared
nailing another rack to the wall. Luckily his two newest
talents and another similarity helps the working
additions don’t need much room. Like much of the
relationship.
surfing world these days, Hugron has taken to the alaia,
“We’re pretty much the same height and weight, so he kind of just makes boards that he would like,” said 28
I’d ever ridden … and then he made me one that was
but his grandest statement was left for the surf mat, which he called “the funnest thing ever.”
Whether racing at some far-off French destination (left, Photo: Keith Novosel) or home in HB, Justin Hugron is a man of many surf interests (above, Photo: Chasen Marshall).
29
Though he started out as a shortboarder, boredom and a preexisting interest in traditional car design led to Age: 37 • City: El Segundo, CA • Boards: 8 In our society’s rapid rush to advance, Tyler Hatzikian
and an interest in traditional surfboard building, focusing
prefers to hold to tradition. Like his hometown — El
primarily on the 1960s. Instead of working on
Segundo, which is backed up to the sea, impeded upon
interpretation, he went to the sources. Which is also why
by industry on three sides — Hatzikian’s approach is a bit
he gets so frustrated with those who don’t understand, or
of an anomaly in the industry he’s a part of. But he has
really appreciate what he’s doing.
little interest in fads and “the industry.” The boards he
30
a desire for a deeper education in the sport he loved
“The knowledge that I’ve tried to gather is from my
builds and chooses to ride are considered “retro” in most
own personal board building and surfing experiences to
circles, but he sees it a different way: “I’ve been building
advance my product, but it’s also been first-hand sitting
boards for 25 years now. I’m not trying to recreate or
down with people that got the design that I’m interested
make retro, or whatever, I’m trying to advance
in, whether it be Dale Velzy, Hap Jacobs or whoever,”
traditional design.”
Tyler explained. “From having a cup of coffee, to having
Easter dinner, to sitting in cars [with these shaping greats], I’ve used that first-hand experience, or maybe second-hand because they lived it and I’m trying to educate myself on it. It’s a lot different than going to the Internet and getting the information.” Hatzikian is a believer in his product, and the fact that these “traditional” boards don’t automatically necessitate traditional styles of surfing. A prime example is one of his most complex shaping undertakings, recreating a ’50s Malibu Chip (similar to what Joe Quigg or Matt Kivlin would have been riding). Working entirely with balsa, Tyler skinned his personal board down to 31 pounds, compromising only on the fin, and he’s ridden the board in everything from 3-foot peeling lines to tripleoverhead, barreling beachbreak. And it’s worked better than he had expected.
Charging triple-overhead surf is one thing, doing so on a balsa log is completely another (spread, Photo: Jeff Bell). Tyler Hatzikian's approach is all about improving on traditional design, which is reflected in the boards he rides (above, Photo: Chasen Marshall).
Ultimately, it’s about what you want to ride. No one is going to force you to mix it up, buy another board or adopt the same ride-everything mindset, but it’s worth it to know that it’s one of the best ways to maximize your surf life enjoyment. Surfing appears to once again be entering an age of experimentation. Your next great ride may be only a board away, maybe five away. The only way to find out is to try. So bug your friends, save your pennies or sell what’s left of your stocks and enter bravely into the light.
31
Destination: Sumbawa, Indonesia Between the scenery, monkeys and Malaria, there are few more culturally exquisite destinations than the archipelagic state of Indonesia. The trick is, knowing where to go, what to bring, and how best to appreciate it all.
Words and Photography by Erik Aeder
32
Robbie Naish, permanently poised.
33
lbs. overweight. Live the lifestyle is a term I hear often enough. The trouble is having the resources to live it beyond your local neighborhood. So you find the ways to get around that. Fortunately, the ocean enthusiast has a saving grace — Indonesia. If there is a place on this earth that was made for enjoying the water world we live on it is the archipelagic state of Indonesia. With such a long coastline made up of numerous islands (over 17,500) exposed to the receiving end of swell generated across the Indian Ocean, it is a playground for wave riders of many forms. The price of the playground is not free. Tropical diseases are present in many of the Best seat in town when the WCT crew paddles into the lineup.
best areas. Malaria, dengue fever, cholera and hepatitis are all a
In this wide-open and ever accessible world, the choice of destinations and what to do upon arriving is
Considered a developing country, outside of Bali, the
an expanding concept. The ocean sports world is
creature comforts in the surf zones take on a new
coming up with new and exciting ways of getting wet
meaning. A fan is a must; air conditioning is growing but
and diving into your life on a regular basis, instead of
be aware of moldy AC units that can give you a nasty
being a couch potato watching golf or Formula One
cough. Hot water may be inconsistent and
racing on TV. These days there is no excuse for being 30
communications can be limited in some areas. Many of
Group strategy session. 34
possibility, and malaria is common in some areas.
Naish leaves little doubt that when maximized, the paddle is a valuable element of the ride.
the established surf areas are growing with infrastructure,
some further research, there are many restaurants that
as well as crowds, so if you want solitude in the waves
offer great food and many hotel rooms come with free
you will have to become a minimalist. On my first trip to
packets of medicine for the infamous “Bali Belly.” (Note:
Indonesia, 30 years ago, our once a week celebration
Just check if the ice is made with bottled water and the
on an outer island was to lower a couple of big beers
salad is washed with the same.)
down into the drinking well to lower the temperature 10 degrees. Times have changed. Upon arriving in Indonesia it becomes immediately
I had the privilege of accompanying Robby Naish and Michi Schweiger to see how many sports they could do in one day at Lakey Peak on the island of Sumbawa.
apparent that you are in one of the most exotic places
The drive from the airport on Sumbawa to the village of
you’ve probably ever been. The sights, sounds and smells
Lakey Peak (if you can call it a village, rather it’s a
are not to be found in the western world. It grabs you by
quarter-mile
all your senses when you enter the airport on Bali and
stretch of
doesn’t let go. Of all the places I’ve traveled in the past
accommodations,
35 years, Indonesia continues to be my favorite. The
small restaurants
Hindus of Bali seem to have found a way to let the entire
and tiny stores
world come and visit their Shangri-La without losing the
called warungs in
core of their culture. Western influence is pervasive at the
Indonesian) is a thrill
techno-blaring, motorcycle-infested Kuta Beach, which
ride appropriate for
was developed for and caters to tourists. But if you drive
a Six Flags
into the Bali countryside, it is life as usual for the locals.
Amusement Park.
These days, it’s hard enough to afford airfare to get
The horn is used
anywhere, but when you add a board bag to the haul,
incessantly during
it’s like you’re paying for half of another seat. Like most
the two-hour
of Asia, the prices on Bali and across Indonesia are
journey to
beyond affordable once you’re there; they’re just down
encourage goats,
right cheap compared to so many destinations. Yeah,
dogs and chickens
you can stay at the Hyatt or another luxury chain hotel
to try their luck at
and pay half of what you might normally, or you can
dodging the
research a little and pay $30 for a clean room for two
oncoming vehicle.
with AC, TV and a swimming pool. Hiring a car will cost
People are given
you $35 a day, but it comes with a driver who also acts
the courtesy of six
as a tour guide, guard to valuables, and interpreter. With
inches of clearance
In Indo, you can cross your primordial ancestors anywhere, hanging near a restaruant or walking down the street. 35
from our speeding capsule of happy travelers, while the
the left is Lakey Pipe and it is a come-from-behind and
horse-drawn carts are given three inches. All this while
set-up-for-the-pipe hollow section. To the right about a
your brain keeps freaking out that you are on the wrong
quarter-mile up the reef is Nungas, a long, less
side of the road (if you are from the U.S.). Monkeys sit
threatening wave that offers a more playful wave face.
along the side of the road at one stretch and look at
Other waves are around but some things should be left
each car as if to say, “I remember you!”
to the imagination.
Between the good food and fine accommodations,
the lineup to shoot photos while the brother of the
what we’re here for and with several breaks out front it’s
captain gave directions to guide us through the narrow
a smorgasbord. The premier break is the famous Lakey
low tide channel. He pointed out a coral head to his
Peak, in front of a patch of reef the size of a football
brother, which we still proceeded to run directly onto.
field, with a two story wooden tower on it for shooting or
They argued something like, “I thought you meant go
viewing from. The break attracts pros and novices alike,
this way,” as we pivoted on the coral and the boards in
with picture-perfect barrels going both ways from a
the bottom of the boat groaned and creaked.
classic A-frame, when the size and conditions are
Fortunately, we rose on a swell and drifted off of it. The
correct. The take off spot is tight and wave priority is
engine was a hand crank model that started
earned by reputation or example of your skills. Robby
occasionally and then sounded like a perpetually firing
and Michi were after a wave that would be right for the
shotgun. We positioned ourselves in a great spot for
newest of water sports, Stand-Up Paddle (SUP) surfing
shooting and the brother threw the anchor. “Is this ok for
and they found them in each direction from the peak. To
the boat because it’s nice and close for shooting?” I
No barrel out of reach. Robbie digs deep into the aquamarine wall and tucks in.
36
I chartered a classic Indo-style boat to take out to
our digs at the Amin Gati Hotel are superb, but the surf is
The nightlife is like a human pinball machine, all bright lights and an assortment of sounds.
asked. A set came and we had a bit-too-close front row seat to a couple of five footers as the riders got barreled and kicked out at the stern of our boat. We picked up the anchor and shifted our position. Robby and Michi had a great view of the sea life while standing on their SUP’s and told me about small sea snakes a couple of times, which were trying to crawl onto Robby’s board. Later that day while I was swimming at the same spot I couldn’t help from watching out for ripples in the water with a snake-like pattern. The reef was covered with sea life growths, from plant life to sponge and anemone animals, as well as various types of sea urchins, short and long spined. Sharks, eels and other predators didn’t seem to be common, but, no doubt, were there. Sea lice and blue bottle jellyfish were around but also didn’t seem to be excessive or much interested in two-legged mammals. With a tidal difference of up to three meters on a full moon, the edge of the ocean can change dramatically along with the waves breaking on it. The water temperature was perfect, not too equatorial hot and not chilled. The swell was about four to seven feet on the face our first day and the SUP’s were put to the test. Naish’s new short, but wider boards were perfect for catching and then riding the hollow waves, as Robby tucked into barrel after barrel. The second day, the predicted larger swell arrived and the peak out front was full of hungry surfers searching for satisfaction. Robby and Michi took on some solid waves at the Pipe with the lower tide when most of the other surfers had gone in. Late takeoffs behind the peak proved no problem for the new boards and the guys had a field day. Toward the end of the
37
session a hollow lip landed behind the tail of Robby’s board and compressed his knee, straining his MCL ligament. Later that day, Fred from Reunion Island consulted the injury to the knee and performed some Ryke-like massage on it. According to Fred, his technique is more magic than medical, supposedly helping to draw the injury out. Robby, being the athlete that he is, didn’t quit, borrowed a knee brace from a visiting surfer and over the next days found ways to work with it, creating a new tube stance to prevent further damage to the knee. During a small afternoon swell with the tide running low we decided to try some flash-fill shots in the sunset. I put the housing together and embarked on the long walk up the beach and over the low tide reef. Fish in the tide pools Sometimes you beat the reef, most times, the reef beats you. Michi Schweiger getting sown up.
ran for their holes and a small eel squirmed
Excessive speeds from the steep wave faces made for some swift wrap-arounds. Schweiger swings back around. 38
across dry reef to get to the water. I hoped none of the sea snakes were looking for a place to curl up for the night and pulled the neck of my wetsuit tight. Once I reached the lineup, I realized that it was about as shallow as you can get, with small barrels breaking in a foot or two of water. Michi lined one up and as I got the shot he hesitated on the kick-out thinking he might hit me, and in return for his consideration his own board hit him in the lip. I told him not to worry, as I had met Simon and Sharon, the Swiss doctor and his girlfriend who were staying next door to us. The doctor and his nurse put a couple stitches on Michi’s lip without using any antiseptic; Michi’s a tough guy. Eight days passed much too fast and it was time for us to leave. With the costs in Indonesia, one could get into the rhythm of the lifestyle very
Sightseeing and a workout ... ah, the multidimensional appeal of SUPs.
quickly and settle in. Our time was up and the thrill ride back to the airport awaited us. On the plane headed back to Bali our box lunch provided by the airlines didn’t offer much cultural closure, instead, just a sweet cake and surprise sandwich, which didn’t look too inviting. It was time to deal with Kuta’s traffic gridlock and the fumes of a million motorcycles. Thirty years can change anywhere. Besides the mess of development in Kuta and areas on the south shore of Bali, there is still so much that Indonesia has to offer. Grab a map and do your research and if you’re willing to tough it a bit, maybe you will find your own hidden gem of a break.
39
40
oks ikki Bro yb yN aph Pho tog r
In the early, ochre hours of
By J
enn
ifer
Flan
iga
n
a chilly morning, as the sun burns its way up the eastern sky to set the world on defrost, a shaper is hard at work in a small cubbyhole of a room tucked away off Almar Street in the West Side of Santa Cruz, Calif. Like the early morning marine layer rolling in across the point at nearby Steamer Lane, a cloud of dust whirls its way throughout the tight little room, settling on a windowsill and the long, blonde braid of a girl lost in concentration. Through a crack in the door this quiet scene unfolds. She picks up a planer and runs it along the soybased, Biofoam blank, moving with the long, even strokes of a true craftswoman. Sanding block in hand, she encourages the shape to emerge— deepen the concave, square off the tail, now check that rail against the other. Slowly, a 9’6” noserider begins to emerge from the foam and the dust.
Ashley Lloyd, whimsically reflective.
41
sessions with the likes of classic stylists Josh Farberow, Jimmy Gamboa and Dylan Jones, among other greats attracted to this historic wave, she developed a traditional approach to the sport cloaked in impeccable form, favoring heavy singlefin equipment for her repertoire of dainty maneuvers: tiny cross steps, elegant noserides and the remarkable ability to go switch stance known only to a goofyfoot raised at a perfect right hand point break. Says 2005 Women’s Longboard World Champion, Kristy Murphy, “I remember how impressed I was the first time I saw Ashley surfing the ‘Bu years ago. Pure power and grace … she’s overflowing with talent.” Hooked on the Malibu surf scene, Ashley dreaded making the trek across the mountains to the Valley, where her parents lived, so she acquired a host of beach jobs, lived out of her pickup truck and found a way to make it work. Her late teens and early twenties saw her teaching surfing by day and working nights at the Malibu Shores Motel just across from the pier on Pacific Coast Highway. A lifelong interest in music resulted in guitar-playing gigs at the Malibu Inn Restaurant or down the street at Duke’s singing backup for Denny Aaberg, co-writer of the classic 70’s surf flick, Big Wednesday. Surfboard shaping found its way into her life at that time too, as she attracted the attention of Malibu local legend, Danny Tarampi, who offered to teach her the craft and introduced her to the basics. “Danny had taught men to shape before, but he wanted to teach a woman and see what perspective Lloyd's an anomaly in a male-dominated trade, but she's earned her shaper-stripes.
she might bring to shaping,” says Ashley. “But he wanted to find one who would listen closely, take it seriously… and not be afraid of power tools! For a few weeks he’d
The girl in the scene above is Ashley Lloyd,
then walk away. I was confused at first, but now I know
of summer, eyes like the sea and a sparkling personality
he was testing me to see if I was the right girl to teach.
marked by a humble sort of quiet confidence, Ashley is a
He finally offered to show me how to shape, I agreed,
well-loved ambassador of women’s longboarding
and we started some basic lessons.”
renowned for her polished surf skills and sweet, soft-
But it wasn’t until age twenty-one, after Ashley
spoken nature. With a newly-released album making its
relocated north to Santa Barbara to study music at S.B.
rounds in beach communities worldwide, her notoriety as
City College, that she would shape her first board. “I was
a musician is growing—along with her reputation as a
hanging out a lot at a place they called ‘The Wilderness’
surfboard shaper. One of only a small handful of women
in Santa Barbara—part surf shop, part surfboard factory,
shapers in the world, Ashley is slowly making her mark on
it was this dilapidated little building full of old surf history
a craft entirely dominated by men, and stands as
from the days of George Greenough. I became friends
testament to the fact women are infiltrating surfing on all
with a group of shapers there who reminded me of the
levels, adding valuable layers to a sport already rich in
Lost Boys from Peter Pan. I’d hang out and absorb any
beauty. In the recent past, a woman surfboard shaper
information they were willing to give me about building
would have seemed an impossibility, but today, as
surfboards. I shaped my first board there, and knew right
gender barriers blur and the level of women’s surfing
away I wanted to be a shaper.”
continues to rise quicker than a full moon tide, women
Back and forth between L.A. and Santa Barbara,
like Ashley aren’t only nipping at the heels of the boys,
Ashley built a makeshift shaping shed in her mom’s
they’re forging their own unique paths entirely.
backyard in Newbury Park resourcefully constructed from
Raised around the surfing cultural crucible of Malibu,
42
approach me at the beach, ask a random question,
surfer/shaper/musician extraordinaire. With hair the color
recycled materials acquired during stealthy “dumpster-
Calif., Ashley’s interest in longboarding, shaping and
diving” missions. “It was a honky little place built off the
music would be sparked along the storied shores of
side of the house, but I loved it,” recalls Ashley of her first
California’s most celebrated surf break. Regularly sharing
shaping shack. With an official shaping room anchoring
Ashley is all smiles all of the time.
Ashley Lloyd's Slide Show. 43
her to L.A., Ashley found herself back in the scene of Malibu once again after her brief respite in the quieter locale of Santa Barbara. But as much as she loved Malibu— the characters, the history, the perfect waves—by age twenty-three she was ready for a change of pace. Around that time, Ashley, myself and a group of our girlfriends traveled together throughout Australia and New Zealand for three blissful months, tripping about free as birds, competing at the Noosa Festival of Surfing, guests in a New Zealand Maori village, soul-searching and couch-surfing our way through a foreign continent. Upon returning to California, inspired from traveling and in search of a different way of life, Ashley decided to relocate even further north to the more peaceful Central Cal surf town of Santa Cruz. “When I got back from Australia, I wasn’t sure what I should be doing or where I should be, but I knew the next step for me was recording music. A friend from Santa Cruz, Adam Haverstock, was teaching himself to record music, and he offered to help me record my first album, so I took him up on it,” recalls Ashley. “I love Malibu—it will always be a part of my heart—but I needed a life change. Malibu is such a scene… there’s always a million people and photographers on the beach. I was over it. I needed more solace in my life to focus on my music, so I moved to Santa Cruz,” she recounts. Ashley lived off a credit card, stayed with friends, fell in love with the community and made a record there—The Serenata Road Recordings by The Ashley Lloyd Situation. “The Situation is, well, anytime I’m not
Ashley’s music, the surfing lifestyle filters through in waves
playing solo,” laughs Ashley. Collaborating with
of subtle undertones, leading professional longboard
musicians like Ron Work, Lisa Edberg, Norman Krow and
surfer and close friend, Julie Cox, to proclaim of Ashley’s
her old friend from the ‘Bu, Denny Aaberg, Ashley
new album, “It’s the surf music of today.”
recorded an eleven-track album that’s self-distributed
44
Now settled in Santa Cruz four houses down from the
and slowly migrating through circles of traveling surfers
familiar reeling rights of Pleasure Point, Ashley is focusing
across the globe. Her sound has been compared to Ani
on surfing, shaping and music in equal proportions,
DiFranco and Billie Holiday, and the music can be
though nowadays shaping has stolen the show; two
shelved somewhere between ‘acoustic folk rock’ and
signature models with Bing Surfboards and a host of
‘back porch groove’. The Situation’s simple, acoustic
custom orders keep Ashley in the shaping room fulltime.
arrangements are stripped down and soulful, and led by
Recently, she was featured in the women’s surf film, Dear
Ashley’s mature and earthy voice, breathe
& Yonder by Tiffany Morgan-Campbell, shaping a
unpretentious tones of honesty and heartfelt
surfboard from a new material she’s been experimenting
authenticity. Though the beach is rarely a subject of
with—soy-based Biofoam. “Surfboards are hard to make
Whether in trim (above, Photo: Chris Grant/JettyGirl.com) or in rhythm (insert), Ashley Lloyd's talent garners "oohs" and "aaws."
green, so I’m supportive of any attempt to go in that
singing and surfing,” answers Ashley when asked about
direction. Biofoam blanks are vegetable oil-based, not
her goals for the future. A life of adventure, discovery
petroleum-based like traditional foam, so there’s less
and creative expression seems to be in the cards for
environmental impact.”
Ashley, and if the song, I’ve Got Lots, off her new album
According to Ashley, going green does have its
is any indication, I’d be willing to bet there are many
disadvantages, though. “The foam is strong, sands out
lovely and exciting things we have yet to see from this
really nice and I like the way it surfs, but it isn’t bright
multi-talented young lady: “I’ve got lots of stories to tell,
white in color like traditional foam, so some customers
but I don’t know them yet / I’ve got lots of friends to
are turned off by its yellow-ish hue,” she says. But that
know, but I haven’t met them all / More waves to ride,
doesn’t bother Ashley, who counters with, “Surfing is a
how will I spend my time before I say goodbye? / How
natural thing, shaping is a natural thing, so I think its cool
will I fill my days—will I paint them in colorful ways?”
to have something discolored and more natural-feeling.”
Yes, my friend, I’m sure you will.
“Right now, I just want to travel around shaping, 45
Lensmen
Lance Smith Thirty-five years in and around photography will teach you a thing or two. Like how to shoot, when to shoot, where to shoot, who to shoot, and most importantly, what to shoot. Lance Smith learned long ago that if he shoots what he knows and loves, good results are quite a bit easier to come by. His preference? Anything action: skateboarding, golf, baseball, airplanes, football and, of course, surfing. He also has covered some insane concerts in his earlier years, including Jackson Browne, Crosby and Nash, Van Morrison, Warren Zevon and Poco. Now he spends most of his days on SoCal beaches near his home in Encinitas, Calif. with his trusty Nikon equipment at his side, shooting for his photo company, Freelance Visuals Photography.
46
47
48
Wade Koniakowsky
Artisan
“Point Savage,” 36” x 54”, oil on masonite
“The ocean is my muse. Everyday it inspires me, calls me, challenges me.” –WK
Wade Koniakowsky has spent his entire life involved with the ocean and art. After a 25-year career in advertising, Koniakowsky returned to his true love, painting. Through his exotic wavescapes one can lose the tensions of everyday life and escape to a distant shore. A surfer since 1966, Wade has soaked up everything ocean, resulting in a deep reservoir of imagery to draw from. He now lives and works in Carlsbad, Calif. with his wife and daughters.
“Reclining Wahine,” 12” x 36”, mixed media collage on canvas
49
“Somewhere in Mexico,” 16” x 20”, oil on canvas
“Liquid Fortune II,” 20” x 30”, acrylic on canvas
“Door To Paradise,” 12” x 36”, mixed media collage on canvas
“Sunlit Cove,” 12” x 24”, oil on canvas 50
“Pili Lani,” 7’4”, mixed media on surfboard
“The Last Wave,” 24” x 36”, oil on canvas
“Malama Kai,” 7’6”, mixed media on surfboard 51
Fin-damentals Sifting through all the fin nomenclature is a daunting task. Fin fanatic Greg Loehr simplifies the cluster of oh-so-confusing information.
2. Resistance. Every board resists the wave face. This is because we ride planning hulls and the very act of surfing is about floating on the wave face. A simple example of this is that a full rail resists more than a thin rail. Just as there is a balance to the pitch there is also a balance to the resistance fore and aft. The more
So the editors of morSURF asked me to put together a
resistance there is in the tail (thicker, fuller tail rails for
comprehensive explanation of how fins affect your
instance) the more the board turns tail high through
surfboard without getting technical … uh, how the hell is
turns. Less resistance in the tail will net a board that
that possible? Well, I’ll give it a shot, but no promises…
rides tail low through turns. This is also something that can vary.
Technicalities
what pitch or resistance a board has, and on a modern
understand before we can really talk fins (I’m sorry, I tried):
surfboard pitch and resistance can be changed by
1. Pitch. In boat design pitch is the balance of the boat
changing your fin sets. The way you surf, the waves you
fore and aft. To be a bit simpler, when the boat moves
ride and the type of performance you’re after can all be
through the water and the stern is low it is considered to
enhanced by the choice of fins.
be pitched aft. If the bow is low then it is pitched forward.
52
A couple of cool things: there is no right or wrong to
There are two terms, technical ones, you need to
There are two more important aspects to fins, and
Surfboards work the same way as they move through the
then I promise no more tech talk. First, the way a fin
water: they can be pitched aft or forward. A correct
sweeps has a lot to do with performance. The more
balance of this pitch will give you the ride attributes you’re
swept (angled back) a fin is the more it will drift in turns
looking for in your board and this may vary from session to
and the more speed it will carry over flat sections. The
session or from one surf spot to another.
more upright a fin is the more immediate the turn
Your fins have a role in surfboard speed, maneuverability and stability. So understanding the nuances is vital. Photo: Keith Novosel.
initiation will be, so the more crisply and quicker it reacts. Second, the size of the fin(s) and placement affects
the bigger the fin and/or the further it is back, the more leverage it has to anchor the tail and pitch the board
pitch and resistance. The rear fin will, in effect, pull the
aft. The front fins create resistance in the tail and will
tail of the board down. This affects that pitch thing, and
change the balance of resistance in your board — basically, large fins and/or further up equals more resistance, while smaller fins and/or further back equals less. The more resistance a fin has the less edge you'll be able to set into the wave face. The smaller the side fin, the more edge you'll be able to set.
Off to the Surf So it's a beautiful spring day on Oahu's North Shore. It's dawn and the blue green peaks at Chun's look quite inviting. The waves are 2 to 4 feet, the wind is a light morning trade and hardly anyone is out. It's going to be a noseride delight session and I want to get the right fin set in to maximize my tip time. My board today is an 8'6" classic longboard with hard rails in The range of boards showing up in lineups are also presenting a variety of fin set-ups, depending on the type of wave and ride desired. Photo: Chasen Marshall.
the tail, a nice concave nose and three fin boxes (a Fins Unlimited rear box and 53
two small side boxes about 15 inches from the tail). Since
performance maneuvering for this session. Pulling my
my aim this morning is time on the front 1/3rd, I'm going
large noseride fin out, I replace it with a standard three-
to go for a single fin only, rather large (9.5 inch) that will
fin set, average size (4.25 inch) not much sweep. But
create a pitch aft ride (remember that pitch stuff
again after a few waves I find that the conditions aren't
above?) which will give me the tip time I'm wanting.
quite as powerful as I expected. A quick stop on the
Removing the side fins will allow the board to move
beach and I replace the back 4.25” fin with a 3.75”. This
better rail to rail and I'll have more maneuverability from
will change the pitch just a bit forward, making the
the front end. The waves this morning are virtually
board plane easier in the less powerful conditions. Back
perfect, so I'll choose a fin that allows me good reaction
to the water. I've hit the fins perfect this time. Dropping in
speed, in other words, not much sweep. Paddling out, I
I can feel the extra drive the side fins are giving me and
can see that the wind is holding up the faces and the
that extra speed of the smaller rear fin allows for much
lines are just reeling down the reef. After a couple waves
more performance on the face. Every wave this morning
I notice that the tip time I was hoping for hasn't come as
is allowing numerous maneuvers ... but I never even take
easily as I'd hoped. The offshores are holding up the
a step towards the nose, not really that kind of wave ...
faces, making the waves a bit hollow. So I'll do an in-the-
and I'm in a different mood than earlier.
water adjustment. Flipping the board over I move the fin
I stop for a quick lunch in Haleiwa at Kua Aina
back an inch, which will pitch the board aft a bit more.
sandwich shop and then I’m off for another surf session.
After the adjustment I'm perfect, and tip time is mine for
The swell has really jumped, so off to famed Sunset
the remainder of the dawn session.
Beach for an early afternoon of 8 to 10 foot challenges.
Leaving Chun’s satisfied, I head for breakfast at
It's breaking full into the bay and looks like the typical
Cafe' Haleiwa, Malcolm Campbell's place. Immediately
winter swell day at Sunset, complete with the large peak
after, a stop at Haleiwa Beach Park reveals that the surf's
with lots of slope at the bottom and big gnarly sections
come up a bit, 3 to 5 feet, nice lines coming through
across the inside. I pull out my board, the same one I
from the outside all the way to the toilet bowl. The wave
rode at Chun's earlier and at Haleiwa just before lunch.
at Haleiwa is a nice punchy performance wave so a
The waves will require a new fin outfitting. Dealing with
change in my equipment will be necessary. I want high
all that slope at the base of the wave, all that chop on
When on rail, those side bites really come into play. Colin McPhillips digging deep at Middles. Photo: Chasen Marshall. 54
Building and harnessing speed is all in the speed and stability of your board and fin set-up. Kai Sallas swings back at Haleiwa. Photo: Chasen Marshall.
the face and the big sections require a fin set which will
The larger rear fin will pitch the board balance aft a bit
give me lots of drive and carry speed. So I'm going up
which will allow the nose to ride a bit higher which will
just a taste on fin size to 5.5” and I'll be using a bit more
help on the vertical drops and also keep my rails freer on
sweep in the fins’ plan shape. That will give me power off
the steep face. The smaller side fins will allow less
the bottom and the sweep will allow the board to carry
resistance to the face so I can hold better in the steeps.
speed a bit better, allowing me to get around on that
It'll also allow the board to respond quicker but I will lose
big face. As I drop in I can really feel the reliability of this
some power which I don't need here ... somehow, I think
fin-set in the bumps. The swept shape of this set allows
the wave has enough. The evening session goes great,
me to get down the face a bit earlier and the drift and
good tubes and even some maneuvers across the inside.
carry gets me around those sections and back up onto
Later some buddies and I have a great dinner at Haleiwa
the face with plenty of extra speed to negotiate the
Joe's and reflect on the day.
inside section. A very satisfied feeling after the early afternoon session leads me to the Sunset Beach Store for a take-
Summation I guess the point here is that with removable fin
out snack before heading over to Pipeline for a check
systems you don't have just one board, but many. I've
of the swell and one more late evening go out. While
ridden an 8'6", just like the one in this article, at all the
both are big, tough waves it would be nearly impossible
places I wrote about and while many would tell you that
for Pipeline and Sunset to be any different. Almost hard
a quiver of many boards is a necessity, I can get away
to believe that they're less than a mile from one
with just a couple and a quiver of fin sets and be just
another. For all the bump, slope and gnarly sections of
fine. And fins pack and fly so much easier than boards.
Sunset, Pipeline is generally this very vertical, very steep,
The above is just an example of what works for me.
square-bottomed, violent place. It's not at all
What works for each individual will be a bit different. It
uncommon to see days where most everyone comes
takes a bit of experimentation to find what's right for you
out of the water bloodied. The place requires quickness
in the surf that you frequent, but it's all worth the effort
and agility, and surprisingly, doesn't require real power,
and it's another part of the experience that is surfing. So
but rather, control. For this wave I'll be replacing the
next time you’re at your local surf shop and thinking
Sunset fin set with a narrower base set that's less swept,
about an upgrade in equipment, think about another
more upright for quickness. I'll be increasing the size of
set of fins. Could be worth the small price of admission.
the back fin to 6.5” and reducing the side fins to 3.5”.
And hopefully, not too technical. 55
Fins matter, plain and simple. They determine how high our lines, how smooth our turns, and how crisp our trim. But different fins work different ways on different boards. The best way to figure out the various fin equations? Experiment. Not until you have a board under your feet, feeling first-hand the difference between a quad and a single-fin, a hatchet and a squirrel tail, will the explanations and analysis make full sense. So do you and your surfing future a favor, and try a few out.
Have you ever wondered how the best fins are made? By using cutting edge cad/cam software and a CNC machine, Fins Unlimited is able to offer you the highest quality performance fins available. This technology positions Fins Unlimited as the leader in the industry. All CNC Fins are digitally produced in the USA.
Are you looking for the best custom fins? Need a set of Twin fins? Or a set for your Thruster or Quad? Fins Unlimited’s custom “Curtis Fins” are the S*@t!!! All Fins Made In The USA.
All fins available in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Made In The USA.
Fins Unlimited 585 Westlake Street, Encinitas, CA 92024 Ph: 760-753-0255 • Fax: 760-753-4361 • Email: fins@finsunlimited.com • Website: www.finsunlimited.com
Dolphin
Hatchet
Fatboy
A good all-around fin, which works well as a tri-fin or single, depending on size and type of board. The base area gives you hold and drive throughout turns, while the tips smaller area and flex allows easy entry and exit while turning. The variety of sizes gives you a choice of combinations to add various side fins for every type of condition and board.
Well suited to old style mals with soft, rolled tail edges and modern noserider mals. The large surface area and upright shape allows the board to turn easily in long arcs while holding the tail in when noseriding and maintaining drive.
These are designed for boards that surfers have trouble holding the tail in while turning hard or noseriding. The foil is thick at the base, thin in the middle and thick at the tip, creating a bulb. The water flowing over the bulb holds the tail of the board in the water more than a conventional foil, due to water pressure.
FCS Fin 7615 Othello Avenue, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92111 Ph: 858-300-2640 • Fax: 858-300-2650 • Website: www.surffcs.com
56
The Norm Flex
Greenough Stage 6
Velzy Classic
You’ve seen these geeks: crusty, 40-something with pencil markings on their fin boxes, raping their fins with 200 grit while recounting epic Big Sur sessions for you. If you fit this description, or just own a retro single-fin, you are probably destined to use The Norm. The design’s low base area and extreme rake allow for tremendous projection and ego growth, and its gloss coat comes pre-removed.
In the throes of summer swell melancholia, Santa Barbara surfers fall into the clutches of alternative aquatic medicines. George Greenough sought therapy in windsurfing, and his sessions produced the Stage 6. A sander’s nightmare, but a surfer’s dream, the Stage 6 design thrives from a stiff leg and active, flexible paddle for generating lively and powerful tail turns. Far form depressing on the nose, too.
Sizes: 7/8/9”
Sizes: 7.25/8/9/9.75”
In 1959, while the taxman rapped on the door, and accountants told the Hawk that his boards were costing him more money than he sold them for, Dale Velzy wore diamonds and drove in German luxury. It was a style that married a glitz in fashion with momentary function, and the Classic template was no departure. Flared base and elongated rake make for an almost decadent turn projection for larger mid-lengths and single-fin logs. Best in point surf.
Colors: Transparent
Colors: Transparent
Sizes: 8.5/9/9.5/10”
Colors: Transparent / Solid
True AmesFins 6409 Camino Vista, #A, Goleta, CA 93117 Ph: 805-685-8341 • Fax: 805-562-8540 • Email: trueames@trueames.com • Website: www.trueames.com
Pro Teck Performance Fins
Pro Teck Super Flex Fins
Pro Teck Power Flex Fins
Ridge fiberglass core with flexible edges makes your board ride smooth, fast and fluid. Flexible edges also greatly reduce fin cuts. Available in Thruster, 2+1 and Single-fin. For Short, Long and SUP boards. Recommended for intermediate to professional surfers.
Flexible core with soft edges make these fins the ultimate for safety, almost impossible to get hurt with these fins. Recommended for children, beginners, surf school boards, rentals and rescue boards. Also, for the surfer who wants a fun, very easy to turn, and forgiving fin. Available in Thruster, Two + one, and Single-fin.
Clear, medium core flex, bends on turns then springs back creating forward thrust. Very cool looking fins and fun to surf! Available in Thruster, 2+1 and Single fins, on Short, Long and SUP boards. Recommended for intermediate to professional surfers.
Surfco Hawaii 98-723 Kuahoa Place B-1, Pearl City, HI 96782 Ph: 808-488-5996 • Fax: 808-488-8338 • Email: info@surfcohawaii.com • Website: www.surfcohawaii.com
Speedwing
El Gato 9.5” Bamboo
R5/R8 Bamboo Future
Rainbow has incorporated winglet technology to our fins and we are proud to introduce our “SPEEDWING” fin line. When surfing with the SPEEDWING, you will feel like the fins are slipping through the water, which means that you don’t feel drag. The most repeated comments about the SPEEDWING is “IT FEELS LIKE I HAVE A FIFTH GEAR ON MY SURFBOARD!” Available in Future, FCS and Lokbox.
Reduced weight and incredible beauty of natural Bamboo has been a big focus for Rainbow. We want to provide a fin that gives new life to your longboard. Rainbow Fins has a New complete longboard Bamboo fin line, check it out. USA Made.
The R5/R8 Quad fins are lightweight and made of strong, sustainable, renewable Bamboo. Feel the difference. USA Made.
Rainbow Fin Co. 677 Beach Drive, La Selva Beach, CA 95076 Ph: 831-728-2998 • Fax: 831-728-3156 • Email: info@rainbowfins.com • Website: www.rainbowfins.com 57
The DS
Green Group
The TT
The DS is a well balanced 4” fin that can be used as Longboard sides, trailers for Quads or a great Thruster set for that up and coming grom. Use this template with a smaller center fin and feel your board come alive whether it be a Longboard or SUP.
These marbled beauties are part of the new O’FISH’L “Green” line of products. We have numerous templates in the “One-of-a-kind” Eco-friendly group. Not only does O’FISH’L offer fins in this line, but fin boxes as well. Be sure to ask about the “Green” line for your next board and visit the Blog at ofishl.com for more info.
The TT is a 3 ¾” Longboard side fin, but works great as trailers on a Quad. With less rake, the TT will loosen up your board and create more pivotal surfing. It comes in fiberglass in 6 degree, and in nylon in 4 degree and 8 degree. Also works great with SUPs.
O’FISH’ L Surf Products Inc. 144 Calle De Los Molinos, # B, San Clemente, CA 92672 Ph: 949-218-6635 • Fax: 949-218-0891 • Email: mark@ofishl.com • Website: www.ofishl.com
TURBO TUNNEL
TURBO THRUSTER
TURBO TUNNEL
No other fin can match the drive, control, and overall performance of the "TURBO TUNNEL." Over 75,000 Turbo Tunnel enthusiasts agree that the Turbo Tunnel is the best performance fin on the market today. Available in 7.5", 8.5" and 9.5"sizes and is available in Red, Blue, Clear, Yellow and Black. Made In America. Sometimes you have to be different to be better.
SURF INC. designed the Turbo Thruster fin set as the perfect compliment to the Turbo Tunnel when ridden as a 2+1 or even as a Quad + 1 set-up. Like the Turbo Tunnel fin, they are built from tough, long lasting Lexan. Available in Red, Blue, Yellow and Clear, the Turbo Thrusters are designed to fit both Future and FCS fin systems and they are made in America.
With the Turbo Tunnel in the center of this Quad + 1 fin set-up, using adjustable boxes and side bites by ProBox Fin Systems, this shot clearly shows the versatility of Greek's new "Shorty" surfboard design which, due to the capability of the fin system, may be ridden as a single, a quad, a 2+1, a twin or as some have reported, with all 5 fins.
SURF INCORPORATED 322 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Ph: 714-960-6672 • Email: webmaster@turbotunnel.com • Website: www.turbotunnel.com
Wavegrinder surfboard fins use NASA, aerospace, and sailingproven winglet science to create high-performance, low-drag surfboard fins for quick turns and high speed for longboards and shortboards. Wavegrinder now has symmetrical thrusters in black, red, and blue (12.9 sq. inch surface, 5.6 inches long), along with the longboard fin (30.5 sq. inch surface, 9.25inches long). So unique, the fins are patented.
The Wing Fin, a.k.a the Rocket tail is a Walden original design from 1973 in Hawaii. Designed then to prevent single-fin slide-outs encountered before the thruster or multifin boards. Produces maximum thrust on a turn. As you go onto the rail, the wing bites in and creates acceleration. It also noserides, holds the tail in and eliminates slip. Exclusively on Walden Surfboards.
Wavegrinder
Walden Surfboards
511 7th Street, Cornado, CA 92118 Ph: 619-807-1371 Email: customercare@wavegrinder.com Website: www.wavegrinder.com
Ph: 805-653-1717 Fax: 805-653-2791 Email: info@waldensurfboards.com Website: www.waldensurfboards.com
58
There are over 20 shapes of glass-on fins, spanning over three decades. Fin Box Ready glassed with polyester. There is a clear resin bead around the edges and two glossed and polished layers of fiberglass. Those spectacular fins are solid Rosewood, Mahogany and Balsa at 9 inches deep. 10 inch deep can be custom ordered. Adhesive polyurethane glue. These exotic wood blanks are in limited quantity, call or email for availability.
Shark Bay Balsa P.O. Box 669370, Miami, Fl 33166 Email: info@sharkbaybalsa.com Website: sharkbaybalsa.com
Freedom of the Freecast By Brian King
As with just about everything
Especially if you want
transmitted in cyberspace, the only
it for free. For the
true way to earn the proverbial ‘gold
truly unmotivated,
star’ is to find whatever it is you’re
perhaps poaching a Surfline
swell forecast. But we’re taking out the
looking for, for as free as possible.
account will suffice. But with a little
legwork. The following five sites are
Surf forecasting is an adversary of
motivation and the right data we live
freecaster essentials.
particular interest. Sure, the internet
in a world with the perfect setup for
has helped boil the art of surf
a spot-on freecast.
forecasting down to a science, but
From a meteorlogical standpoint,
17ft.com The epitome of simplicity, 17ft is still a
that’s not to say there’s not still some
there really is daunting to know and
money shot. Thank god someone out
art to getting a spot on forecast.
understand all that is necessary to
there had the sense to sync up all this
60
goodness and put it in one place for the likes of freecasters everywhere. 17ft has just about everything you’d really ever need from wind to waves to weather to whatever.
Buoyalerts.com Links Google map application to weather buoys in both the Pacific and Atlantic. Now, this website isn’t exactly for everyone. Notice how pretty much all the buoys are relatively North American? Our apologies to the southern hemisphere. But for those whom this geographic discrepancy isn’t disadvantageous, Buoyalerts gets a big freecaster “booya!”
CDIP.ucsd.edu It’s no secret, but it’s a freecasters mainstay. Powered by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, much of the data you’ll find on other sites originally comes from these guys. They’re the best and you could almost totally forget about forecasting without this stuff. CDIP is a great baseline for checking the accuracy of other foraged freecast goodies.
NOAA/NCEP Wavewatch III (polar.ncep.noaa.gov ) – There’s nothing more beautiful than watching the global wave height model and seeing a big red blob (40 ft. seas) develop seemingly out of nowhere. But there’s more. A quick look at the period model and it’s pretty simple to figure out exactly when a swell should arrive. Between NOAA and CDIP you’d almost have to be crazy to pay to let someone else do your forecasting.
Weather.com Yes, it’s so silly it shouldn’t deserve a mention, but the truth is if you’re not verifying your wind forecasts here, you’re kind of blowing it. Waves without proper wind are basically worthless and hour-by-hour data spells it out for freecasters everywhere. If you ain’t cheatin’ you ain’t tryin’. Five websites. It’s so simple. Armed with these five alone, you’d be hard pressed to ever miss-time a swell event. But this is just the surface. Delving deeper into the world of freecasting will unearth underground freecasting sites for just about every region in the world — if you know where to look and if you put in the effort. But until then, live free and keep freecasting. 61
Continued from page 20
Bonga soaks in the best type of shower in competitive sports. Photo: Chasen Marshall.
going into a [world championship] event was Cabo San Lucas [in 2002]. It came down to Colin [McPhillips] and me in the finals. I was feeling strong, but I just cracked and ended up short again, and took second to Colin. Before this final, that was playing through my mind over and over again. I wasn’t going to break down because I knew I had the physical and mental edge, and obviously I had the experience. I just had to put all that together for the judges to see. After the contest I told someone, as the contest wound down, I was praying for everyone to take out my opponents, cheering for the boys to take out Antoine or whoever. But at the end of the day, I had to do what a man’s got to do and take care of it myself. I had to get out there and surf my ass off to beat Antoine. Low and behold, here I am, sitting at the top. Pretty good feeling, I have to admit. One of the first guys to greet you at the water’s edge was Rusty Keaulana, who I would imagine has had an effect on your career. For Hawaiian longboarding, he’s pretty much the man, having won three world titles. Before I even went out for the finals, the boys all gave me my space, no talking, nothing. And I actually gave myself some space away from my friends, just because I knew what this meant to me and how much it meant where I’m from. [Rusty] didn’t say nothing, he just looked at me and gave the go get ‘em nod. That meant a lot because Rusty and I over the years, we’ve battled. We’ve battled at home, overseas; had good times, had bad times. We had arguments where he didn’t talk to me, I didn’t talk to him, just gave each other space. But we live on a small island and there’s too much history between he and I. So for him to give me the green light, the nod, that was huge because he’s one of the first
guys to take longboarding to a different level. I’m almost nine years younger than him and watching him and his brothers and Lance Ho’okano, and a couple other guys blow it up on big waves, small waves, whatever, I knew I had a lot to prove. So after the finals, after I’d won, for the guy deemed as like the godfather of longboarding in Hawaii, for him to give me a hug, be there for me, that just meant a lot. Plus, Rusty rallied our team. He had everybody from Keegan [Edwards], Kai [Sallas], Kekoa [Uemura], all the guys who went out early who could have bailed out, he had them there cheering and I saw that. There were a couple generations of Hawaiian surfers in there. Guys that I’ve watched grow up and guys that I grew up under. So that was huge to have them all there. And Rusty really made that happen. How does the second championship differ from the first? I feel like this legitimizes the first one. The first event that I won, we had a couple two- to three-foot days, but when it counted it was anywhere from six to 15 feet at Guethary. So, for me to come to California and do well in California that just puts the nail in the coffin that it wasn’t a fluke in France. It wasn’t random, it wasn’t lucky. [This year’s event] was shoulder- to head-high, and at that size everyone surfs good. I’m glad I was the guy to bring it back, not just for Hawaii but for the U.S. I know Hawaii is always sovereign when it comes to surfing, we’re our own country, but nonetheless I’ve got a lot of friends from California, Florida, so I’ve got to rep those boys too. But deep down inside ... this is all Hawaii. How long did it take for the win to sink in? Well, going into the event, with the new sponsor (Honolua Surf Co.), there wasn’t any pressure but it ended up being a pretty good first week on the job. And [the Honolua] guys took care of me [after the win]. From Sunday to Friday, they had me at a San Diego Chargers game, L.A. Lakers-Detroit game, I was on the Daily Habit (on Fuel TV); they had some things going on. It was like it was planned or something. But they made a newcomer feel really good, it was kind of a rock star blur. Now that you have number two, what’s next? Do you intend to go for three or is that just way beyond where you’re thinking? You know what, three would be nice, I’m not stopping or anything, but I don’t want to think that far. I’m having fun surfing. As far as the future, I just want to get some snowboarding in over the next couple months and change it up. Obviously, I’ll be on the North Shore; I’ll be looking for some Backdoor and Pipe tubes, and just have fun with my friends at home.
63
NextIssue
Change is Always in the Air Over the course of 50 years, a lot can happen: wars start and end, new technology arises and becomes obsolete, fads come and go. And while surfing has been around much longer than 50 years, the scene as we somewhat know it (shapers, big-name surfers, media) more or less began a half-century ago, and it’s still running strong. During that time, the sport has evolved drastically in its popularity and presentation, but at its core it’s still about a board and a wave. The only real change has been in the faces, materials, locations and influx of dollars.
Change happens here.
We are still driven by individuals who refuse to accept stability or solidarity. They’re the ones at the forefront of potential and possibility, insuring the rest of us that cutting-edge never really is cutting-edge for long. They have stories worth telling, and that’ll be happening within these pages. And in a sport founded on an object intended to ride on water, the details continue to change. New ideas are found, old ones discarded, and even older ones revised. Of particular interest to us? The Fish. What’s with the design? Speed? Popularity? Evolution? All questions worth asking. Answers are soon to come. In our next issue, we continue to talk to the personalities, unveil the destinations, discuss the key designs, and even look into the future of this sport we all hold so dear. We know there’s owe-so-much mor to see, read and learn, so we just need to figure out how to fit it all in. Stay tuned.
I broke into my first house when I
SurfStories
the snot out of some unfortunate soul.
was six years old. A kid at school was
On this particular day Duke seemed
selling a new wax especially for
like he had taken his pill.
surfboards. It smelled so good. It cost
The house was across the street
thirty cents a bar and my funds were
from Oakey’s. We went into the
nonexistent. So when Duke told us he
backyard. Oakey knew the dog, so
knew where there was a jar full of
the dog stayed quiet. Duke lifted the
dimes, we listened. By we, I
sliding glass door and opened up the
mean me, and my then
house. The jar of dimes was right out
best friend, Oakey. He
there on the counter for the world to
was lucky. His mom
see. Duke grabbed the jar, and then
didn’t make him bathe. Some guys had it made. Duke was an unstable kid. He was a few years older but
we hit the kitchen for some cookies. We went to Oakey’s house to divide the loot. Nobody was ever home at Oakey’s. Naturally Duke got the lion’s share. We made out pretty good, though. Oakey and I got five
much tougher. He had to
dollars and thirty cents each. In our
take some pill everyday
world, that was some real money.
to calm him down. Every
We spent some of our riches at
once in awhile he’d
Seaside Liquor. We bought candy,
forget his pill and beat
soda, chips, and other essentials. I saved some of my cash for the kid at school who was selling surfboard wax. That night there was a knock on our door. Two tall policemen stood on our porch, and they wanted to talk to my Dad and me. One of the policemen just straight up asked me what happened. All three grownups were looking at me. I told them, “Duke made us do it. He said he’d beat us up if we didn’t go with him. That’s the truth. Everyone knows that Duke’s crazy. I’m afraid of him.” The same cop said to my dad, “Yeah, that’s what the kid named Oakey said. Given what I’ve heard
By Greg Gutierrez
about Duke, I’m inclined to believe your son here. Sorry to have bothered you, have a good night.” When we got into the house my Dad quietly told me, “I never want to see the police on our front porch looking for you again. Do you understand?” I did, and I learned something that day - don’t get caught. I bought four bars of wax the next morning at school. If I try, I can still remember that sweet smell.
66