Santa Cruz Waves Magazine - Vol 1.5 - Redesign

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LIVE THE LIFESTYLE

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S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Dane Nabal nabs an evening gem close to home. Photo: @chachfiles

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Publisher Tyler Fox Editor Elizabeth Limbach Photo Editor Paul Topp Proofreader Josie Cowden

SCW Staff Photographers Yvonne Falk, Tyler Fox, Steve “Birdo” Guisinger, Dave “Nelly” Nelson, George Saitas, Matt Snow, Jake Thomas, Paul Topp, Vaughn Visnius

Contributing Photographers Jant Allinger, Nick Chao, Kevin Craft, Ryan “Chachi” Craig, Dustin Damron, Fred Pompermayer, Edward Saenz, Billy Watts

Contributing Writers Kevin Craft, Yvonne Falk, Tyler Fox, Traci Hukill, Neal Kearney, Linda Koffman, Christa Martin, April Martin-Hansen, Dave Nelson, Damon Orion, Kyle Thiermann

Contributing Artists Andres Amador, Joe Fenton

Design Design nomBat Brand Development

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Creative Director Julie Henry Ad Design Krista Rigsbee, Julie Rovegno

Sales Director of Sales: Stephanie Lutz Account Executives: Julia Cunningham, Jillian Hogan, Jack Neenan, Suzanne Welles-Joesph, Sadie Wittkins Distribution Mick Freeman

Santa Cruz Waves, LLC President Jon Free Founder / CEO Tyler Fox

On the Cover Nic Hdez launches into the lime light.

Photo: Nelly / SPLwaterhousing The content of Santa Cruz Waves Magazine is Copyright © 2015 by Santa Cruz Waves, LLC. No part may be reproduced in any fashion without written consent of the publisher. Santa Cruz Waves Magazine is free of charge, available at more than 100 local distribution points. Anyone inserting, tampering with or diverting circulation will be prosecuted. Santa Cruz Waves assumes no responsibility for content of advertisements.

For advertising inquires, please contact steff@santacruzwaves.com or 831.345.8755.

For paid subscription, visit santacruzwaves.com S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Letter from the Founder

Photo: Billy Watts

FINDING BALANCE In the midst of 50 foamy-mouthed surfers, I somehow found myself in the perfect position for a clean 20-footer while surfing Mavericks on Dec. 20. There was no turning back—I was going no matter what the outcome. After a weightless drop and almost going over the handlebars, I regained balance and started to shift my weight, steering my 10-foot beast of a board toward the safety of the channel. I soon realized there was no way of escaping the oncoming avalanche and I was forced to press the eject button. My attempted dive ended up being more of a side flop and, upon connection with the water, I went into a breakdance spin, throwing one leg forward while the force of 400 bathtubs of water proceeded to pummel me. After a violent rinse cycle, I surfaced to find a sharp and debilitating pain running up the back of my right leg.

My day was done.

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After a week of reflection, my take-away was pretty simple. I have known for years that I’m way too stiff, and now that lack of flexibility has left me hobbling around at a snail’s pace. We often put so much focus on the areas where we already excel that we forget the importance of balance within the body. Whether it’s your nutrition, physical routine or exercising your mind, I encourage you to take that honest assessment of your weaknesses and act now. There’s no time like the present. ≠

Tyler Fox Founder of Santa Cruz Waves and Big Wave World Tour competitor

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In this Issue

VOLUME 1.5 FEB / MARCH 2015

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FIRST LOOK

DROP IN

COOL OFF

8

Word on the Street

20 In Depth:

48 Fashion:

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Best of the Web

24 Special Report:

10 Grom Spotlight:

Break-Ins

Cole Sandman

13 Remember When ... ? Santa Cruz Surf Club 16 Nonprofit: The Clean

Spring Trends

54 Artist Profile: Andres

Mavericks

Amador

29 Behind the Lens:

60 Upcoming Events

Steve “Birdo” Guisinger

61 Field Report: Succulents

40 Travel: Nelly on the North

64 Dining Guide

Shore

Oceans Project

42 Outdoors:

The Great Park

69 Local Eats: Community Tables 74 Music:

Winkipop City

78 Business:

Caliber Truck Co.

83 Comic:

Find us online SantaCruzWaves.com

In the Bubble #2

84 Event Gallery: SCW Holiday |

@santacruzwaves

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Party

FIRST LOOK WORD ON THE STREET BEST OF THE WEB GROM SPOTLIGHT REMEMBER WHEN ... ?

NONPROFIT

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Word on the Street

Interviews + Images: Yvonne Falk

W H AT IS YOUR FAV O R I T E F E S T I VA L? ASKED ON PACIFIC AVENUE IN DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ

Anaiis Nysether | Student

The First Friday Art Tour because it’s an incredible opportunity to discover new artists and see the awesome art being created locally.

The way they set it up makes it fun to walk around downtown [Santa Cruz] on First Friday.

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Matt Scott | Artist

Ian Hall | Street clown

Elii Overham | Student

That dusty art festival in the Nevada desert

The Rainbow Gathering because it’s a peace

My favorite festival is called Loi Krathong.

[Burning Man] is my favorite. It is the best

gathering. It’s not a festival, it’s not an event

It’s a Thai festival that took place in

art party on the planet. So many creative

… there are no live bands playing there. It

November while I was there. It’s basically

people going there and giving gifts of their

doesn’t cost any money. Money is taboo

just a festival of lights with lanterns that

art, creations, sculptures, music. I’ve been

there, food’s free, all your tobacco is free.

you send up into the sky. It’s very beautiful.

going for 20 years, and as a photographer

It’s just a love festival that’s been going on

and an artist, it’s an essential event.

40 years and you can’t beat free love.

Andrew Merrill | Trash truck drive

John Hopper | Retired

Cole Erickson | Student

My favorite event is Fiesta because it brings

St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Boston. It’s a fun

The Avocado Festival in Carpinteria because

the whole community of Santa Barbara

event outdoors and it has a good vibe to it.

I really like avocados and Carpinteria has a good small-town feel.

together. It’s a fun time to celebrate and not think about work worries.

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Best of the Web

MOST LIKED, SHARED & READ ARTICLES

Approaching Superstorm: A River in the Sky

King Tides to Hit Monterey Bay Shores

SantaCruzWaves.com/Local-Loop

Surfer Survives Bite in Central California

Pineapple Express: Santa Cruz Weathers Severe Storm

11,745 views

2,353 views

2,335 views

1,176 views

“Atmospheric Rivers” include hurricane-strength winds and can yield rainfall comparable to that of hurricanes.

The first wave of the year’s highest tide laps California shores.

A man surfing on the Central California coast was dragged underwater by a juvenile great white shark.

The storm barrelled through the county, bringing torrential rain and fierce wind, swamping roads, toppling trees and taking out power.

VIDEOS

SantaCruzWaves.com/videos

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Mountain Biker Gets Chased by Bear

Dangers of Surfing Pipeline with Shaun Tomson

Downhill Skateboarder Narrowly Avoids Tragedy

Bird's Eye View of Massive Mavericks

10,523 views

6,083 views

5,517 views

4,143 views

Can a bike outpace a bear? Mountain bikers would rather not find out. Whether this video of a bear in hot pursuit of a mountain biker is real or not, it’ll get your heart racing.

Surfing great Shaun Tomson opens up about the risks and rewards of surfing one of the sport’s most famous waves—Pipeline.

Watching this downhill skateboarder zig-zag down a narrow, winding country road is entrancing and peaceful—until, that is, he comes around a corner and nearly collides with a bus.

This mesmerizing, slow-paced video gives the viewer a bird’s eye view of the Dec. 20, 2014 Mavericks contest, capturing the uncanny mix of monstrosity and majesty.

INSTAGRAM

Low tide at Natural Bridges tonight.

834 Photo: @xbirdo

Dreaming of pumping winter swells during this period of small surf.

770

Seacliff Beach.

728 Photo: @vvvcruz

Photo: @zorro_del_mar

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@SantaCruzWaves

The first light of 2015, filtering beneath the surface of calm seas.

692 Photo: @tradersnow

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Grom Spotlight

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Words: Neal Kearney

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Images: Paul Topp

ENTER SANDMAN COLE SANDMAN LIGHTS UP THE LINEUP WITH HIS SMOOTH STYLE

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Cole Sandman

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I

t’s not every day you meet a grommet here in Santa

Volcom family. His parents are the nicest people on the

Cruz with an overabundance of charisma and class.

planet and they’ve raised him well. The future is bright for

But Cole Sandman fits the bill. He has to be one of

‘Sand Dude.’”

the happiest and most enthusiastic youngsters I’ve

Sandman’s peers are also well aware of his burgeoning

ever met. Every time I see him, be it in the water with his pops or hanging at a contest site with his homies, Sandman always takes time to say hi and ask how I’m doing. Not too many 12 year olds are so outgoing. There’s something special about this pre-teen towhead.

Richie Olivares, Sandman’s team manager for Volcom, which sponsors him, sensed this young man’s magnetism immediately. “The first time I met Sandman was at Volcom’s Totally Crustaceous Tour championships a couple of years back. He was surrounded by chicks and had the biggest smile on his face. I introduced myself and instantly knew that he belonged [with] the

The first time I met [him] ... he was surrounded by chicks and had the biggest smile on his face.

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talent. Twelve-year-old Santiago Hart, another up-and-coming grom in Santa Cruz, has nothing but good things to say about his counterpart. “Cole has been stepping it up this past year,” Hart says. “He’s been doing some real man hacks and shredding.

[I’m] looking forward to surfing more swells with him.”

At of press time, Sandman was busy with school and the surf team, and was looking forward to a month-long stint in Kauai over the winter. Santa Cruz Waves caught up with the lil’ ripper before he jetted off to the warm water and Hawaiian vibes.

Cole Sandman

IN HIS OWN WORDS DAT E O F B I RT H : Oct. 14, 2002 H O M E B R EAK : The Lane and lots of Midtown spots that will not be named.

H EI G H T / W EI G H T: 4 feet 6 inches, 78 pounds SP O N SO R S : Volcom, O’Neill Surf Shop, B.E. Sanding, Creatures of Leisure Y EAR S SU R F I N G : Four years FAVO R I T E M OV E: Getting barreled and lay-back snaps FAVO R I T E SU R F I N G B U D DI ES: Wow, that’s a hard one—there are so many. Here are a few: my dad, Josh Mulcoy, Autumn Hays, the Edwards sisters, Skinny and Ayanna Collins, Elijah Saleri, Adam Bartlett, the Slebirs, Richie Oliveras, Kris Lyman, London O’Reagen and all my Volcom family buddies—Braden, Alani and Rusty Helm.

Plus all my friends in Kauai and SoCal.

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I N T ER ESTS O U TS I D E O F S URFI N G: Skateboard- BEST CO N TEST RESULT: Third place at a Volcom ing, playing electric guitar, listening to music, art, hanging contest at The Lane. I haven’t done great in contests—I’m out with friends and finger boarding.

more of a free surfer.

FAVORI TE SURFERS I N TH E WO RL D: Josh Mulcoy, Nat Young, Andrew Doheny, Yago Dora, Wade Goodall and John John Florence.

WH AT I N SPI RES YO U TO SURF ? Finding new uncrowded spots to surf with just your good friends out.

I F YO U COUL D TRAVEL ON E PL ACE TO S UR F, WH ERE WOUL D I T BE AN D WH Y ? Somewhere sick in West Oz like Yallingup or the Box, because I like to surf slabby waves.

ADVI CE TO OTH ER GROMS: Don’t be too serious, have fun, do what you love, always respect the older guys and treat others the way you want to be treated.

AN Y TH AN K YO US ? My parents for always helping me out and taking me places to surf, the whole Volcom family for everything they do for me and Josh Mulcoy for taking me on super rad trips and for being a really good friend and role model. ≠

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Remember When ... ?

Words: Neal Kearney

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Images: Courtesy of the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

IN THE CLUB AN ORIGINAL MEMBER OF THE SANTA CRUZ SURFING CLUB DISHES ON THE EARLY DAYS OF SURFING IN SANTA CRUZ

S

anta Cruz hasn’t always been a surf town. Originally, the sport came to Santa Cruz with the visit of three Hawaiian princes in July of 1885. It didn’t become popular until the 1930s, when surfers from Southern California visited the area and discov-

ered the bounty of cold, yet perfect, surf.

A group of local teenagers took original member. Waves sat down notice and subsequently caught with him to hear about his memo“surf fever,” borrowing the visitors’ boards and gathering as much advice as possible. These youngsters began shaping their

ries from that era.

THE CLUB

own surfboards in a high-school “Locally, nobody else was surfwood shop, and a fledgling surf ing. Members of the Santa Cruz community was born, culminating Surfing Club were the ones who in 1936 with the establishment started it. It was a mixed group— of the Santa Cruz Surfing Club. some of us lived on the WestNinety-one-year-old Harry Mayo side, some of us downtown and was one of those pioneering some of us lived on the Eastside. youths, and is the last surviving I started at about age 14 in junior

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Remember When ... ?

THE SURFING

high at Mission Hill Junior High.

It was just us youngsters at first, but then a few older guys from

“You didn’t go out alone. If we

out of town [Burlingame and San

were able to get down to the

Mateo] started coming around,

clubhouse early or something,

and between them and us we

and there was nobody around,

formed the club around 1936.

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we’d wait for somebody to show

In ’38, the Junior Chamber of

up to go out with. Then we’d surf

Commerce built the clubhouse

for approximately an hour and

board house for us. We had

come in. If it was the wintertime,

keys [and] charged guys from

we’d come into the clubhouse

out of town a buck to store their

to warm up—we had a pot-bel-

boards in there. The club was

lied stove. We’d get it goin’ with

social and became more popular

wood, try to warm up, take off

with time. We started charging

our wet bathing suits, put a warm

dues, so in ’38 it became more

one on, or put our pants back on.

organized. We had a president,

Or, if the weather was halfway

a secretary and a treasurer.

decent, we’d sit in front of the

We had our own bank account.

clubhouse facing the east and

During the war we leased a ham-

warm up with the sun.”

burger stand for our clubhouse

and we bought it later.”

THE C U LT U R E

THE EQUIPMENT

“I don’t know exactly what the

“We had basically two types of

us. We had plenty of women

boards. We had the planks—sol-

hanging around. We even had a

id planks—and the rest were hol-

couple gals surfin’ with us. But

low paddleboards. I made mine

folks didn’t like them surfing

in high school in 1939, at Santa

’cause they could fall and get

Cruz High School. We had skegs,

black and blue marks if they got

like on a rowboat. Tom Blake [the

hit with a board.

inventor of the surfboard fin] came and visited us one time. He used an umbrella to sail around Cowell’s. The first windsurfer.

[Laughs] No wetsuits or leashes—we wore bathing suits and we used paraffin wax.”

girls at that time thought about

In the early days, there were no wetsuits or leashes— just bathing suits and paraffin wax.

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

If you weren’t a big football player, or a big basketball player, you were out. Surfing was nothing, it wasn’t even counted.

It’s changed. But still, some girls hung around at the beach with us. We weren’t looked on very highly because we weren’t win-

Santa Cruz Surf Club

Harry Mayo, pictured in his surfing days.

“Originally you couldn’t get in [the club] if you drank or smoked. But that changed during the war.”

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ning any big games for the old alma mater. You had to

attitude. We didn’t know if tomorrow we’d be in the ser-

be a football jock or something, so we more or less flew vice. It was a kind of feeling of ‘What the hell?’ We did under the radar.” no drugs, to my knowledge. All of us went into the ser-

W O R L D WA R II AND THE DECLINE OF THE ORIGINAL CLUB

vice: army, navy, air force. I went into the Coast Guard.

“Originally, in the Santa Cruz Surf Club, you couldn’t get

etc. By the ’50s, I was done. I was workin’ three jobs and I

We all came back—one guy had a knee problem, but we all came back. By then, the club started breaking up. We were older, going to college, married with kids, workin’,

in if you drank or smoked. But that changed during the joined the fire department in ’49. Then I was married and war. I’m sorry to say it did, but it did. It was a different had a baby. Didn’t have the time to go surfin’ no more!” ≠

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Nonprofit

Words: Linda Koffman

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Images: Jake Thomas

SEA SHEPHERDS THE CLEAN OCEANS PROJECT STEERS TOWARD SOLUTIONS TO MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION

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n 2008, as a mass of marine debris con- founder and executive director has secured tinued to swell in the middle of the Pacific an ongoing collaboration with Cabrillo ColOcean, a group of concerned Santa Cruz lege Earth Science Professor David Schwartz residents decided to do something about and his students. Together, they continue to

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it. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as the work on plastic-to-fuel research and debris gyre of trash is called, spawned The Clean surveying, supporting TCOP’s aim to inOceans Project (TCOP), a nonprofit based in crease awareness and create a method of the Santa Cruz harbor and helmed by Cap- gathering waste data on a global basis that tain Jim “Homer” Holm.

will feed policy into the future.

Educating, researching and recycling are at Touting P2F as an alchemist approach of the top of the TCOP agenda. And the orga- morphing excess materials we have already nization has been busy: members have been taken out of the ground into new sources of surveying and collecting massive amounts of oil, Holm tries to bring the futuristic technolrefuse in the Gulf of Alaska, orchestrating a ogy in front of the eyes of the public so that it future project in Micronesia, scientifically dissecting the benefits and concerns of plastic-to-fuel (P2F) conversion and demonstrating a smallscale P2F converter system to the public.

“I’m looking for practical solutions to plastic pollution,” says Holm, who oversees a crew of 10 TCOP volunteers. The

“When you make environmentalism profitable, the whole world will turn a deeper shade of green.”—Jim “Homer” Holm, executive director of The Clean Oceans Project

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Clean Oceans Project

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Nonprofit

can become a normality of the now.

The power of the dollar, he says, can motivate the masses a little faster than simply the do-good romanticism found in the sustainable living dialogue. “Converting plastic to fuel supplies a financial incentive to do the right thing,” he explains. “And when you make environmentalism profitable, the whole world will turn a deeper shade of green.”

While he calls TCOP “a very expensive hobby, because it’s not putting food on the plate but it’s putting food in the soul,” the veteran sailor and impassioned activist hopes that will change.

The last year has seen TCOP embraced by the local community and Holm can’t hide his earnest gratitude as he reels off some shout-outs: “Hula’s gave us money from their Aloha Mondays, Annie [Morhauser] from Annieglass has been an angel, Jeff Larkey

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from Route 1 [Farms] has been an incredible supporter—one of my heroes, and now New Leaf has allowed us to get into their token [donation] program.”

With TCOP aspiring to grow even more with grants and public fundraising, it wants to convert volunteers into paid staff who can impart the dire warnings embodied by the Great Pacific Garbage Patch while also championing some doable remedies.

“A big part of success is just plain old getting the word out,” Holm says. “The education is just as important as picking up the trash and making it into something. If people aren’t aware of these things and don’t have hope that there’s something making a difference, then they won’t go out of their way to change.”

Learn more at thecleanoceansproject.com. ≠

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

DROP IN IN DEPTH MAVERICKS SPECIAL REPORT BEHIND THE LENS TRAVEL OUTDOORS

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In Depth

Words: Damon Orion

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Illustrations: Joe Fenton

DUDE, WHERE’S MY BOARD? RIDING THE WAVES OF THEFT IN THE SANTA CRUZ SURF COMMUNITY

I

f you’re a local surfer, it’s almost a foregone conclu-

he jumped out of his vehicle to get a quick look at the

sion: Somewhere along the line, you, or someone you

surf. After checking out the waves and deciding he was

know, have been a victim of theft. Thieves are the land

done surfing for the day, he returned to the car to find

sharks of the Santa Cruz surf scene, as common as

that an anonymous Christmas elf had helped him ring

pimples at a One Direction concert and as aggravating as

in the holidays in the key of Suck. Kearney drove away

a twerking mosquito.

from the scene one wetsuit lighter. “Within less than

Santa Cruz Waves contributor Neal Kearney is one of

five minutes of leaving my car unlocked, it was gone,” he laments. He adds that this wasn’t the first time a thief

countless local surfers who has lost a wetsuit to a thief.

had made off with one of his belongings: While he was

On Saturday, Dec. 20, after surfing Mavericks’ biggest

surfing at Manresa a few years ago, someone broke into

waves in four years, he drove to Lighthouse Field, where

his car and stole his cell phone.

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

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Overcrowding of local jails makes it easy for people to sustain their criminal careers without fear of severe penalty.

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In Depth

Not too surprisingly, phones are a hot-ticket item for these sticky-fingered crooks. A couple of years ago, pro surfer Kyle Thiermann learned this the hard way when he left his

5 PRANKS TO F ON THOSE PE

keys under one of his car’s tires while surfing at Steamer Lane. Upon returning, he discovered that his cell phone was gone. “Luckily, someone saw the guy who [stole] it, so I was able to chase him down and get it back,” the 24-year-old surfer chuckles. “It didn’t need to get violent, but I definitely made it very clear that I was going to get my cell phone back.”

LEAVE FAKE DRUGS IN YOUR CAR.

According to Thiermann, most of these pilferers are drug

Your would-be thief

addicts who are selling high-end stolen goods for a mere

won’t be in much

$15 or $20 a pop—just enough to get their next fix. Many

of a mood to take

of them prey on surfers by hiding near a spot like Laguna

your iPhone after he

Creek, Pleasure Point or The Hook and watching for some-

snorts the crushed

one to leave a car unlocked or to leave a key in an easily

Altoid powder you’ve

accessible place.

left for him.

Some especially ballsy burglars will walk right up to the front porches and backyards of hapless surfers to swipe

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things like wetsuits, surfboards and bicycles. Thiermann has had several surfboards and wetsuits stolen from the backyards of not only his current residence on 36th Avenue, but also his former residence on the Westside, where theft is especially prevalent. He claims that literally all of his surfer friends have had at least one such experience.

PUT A PEDAL-ACTIVATED TUBE OF BLUE DYE ON YOUR BIKE. When he starts pedaling, a fountain of blue dye will spray out from between the handle-

Professional surfer Ken “Skindog” Collins has seen many

bars, drenching the culprit’s

a thief skulking around his neighborhood on the Westside.

head and turning him into

“Whenever I forget to lock my car, they’re in there, rifling,”

Sticky Fingers Smurf.

he states. “They’re doing it every night. They just go up and down every street in Santa Cruz and check car doors and house doors. If you leave a car unlocked and you have a garage door opener, they’ll just come back between nineto-five, open your garage and rifle through your house.”

According to Collins, the overcrowding of local jails makes it easy for such people to sustain their criminal careers without fear of severe penalty. “You look at mugshotssantacruz.com, and you see guys getting arrested nine times in a month,” he offers. “They rob people, get busted, get a ticket, get out and start robbing people again.”

Santa Cruz mayor Don Lane links the overcrowding of our jails to the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011.

Since the passing of this act, a greater number of Cali-

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

LEAVE A FAKE SEVERED FINGER ON YOUR CAR’S SEAT Realistic-looking fake fingers can be found at Halloween shops, or there are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to make them.

Extra credit: Leave a bloody axe and some stuffed garbage bags on your backseat.

Break-Ins

FLIP THE COIN ESKY THIEVES

fornians who have committed certain mid-level offenses have been sentenced to county jail, resulting in less room for prisoners. Thus, fewer people are being incarcerated for lower-level crimes.

Lane adds that Santa Cruz County is currently working to turn an old jail facility into a rehabilitation facility. “People who are sentenced for these kinds of crimes repeatedly would be locked up, if you will, but they’d be locked in a place where there was real work being done with them to change their lives and habits,” he says. “I see that as being really helpful in this, because even if we were putting small-scale thieves in jail for a month instead of a day, they’d still just be coming out and probably continuing what they’ve been doing.”

The mayor notes that even criminals who have made

INSTALL A JOY BUZZER UNDER YOUR CAR’S DOOR HANDLE.

progress in rehab are likely to relapse if they have no-

Give those nasty bandits the buzz they’re

piece of the puzzle is to find housing for these people.

where to live. For this reason, he believes that another

looking for. For a little extra oomph, hook

“I think it’s going to take the City of Santa Cruz and the

that sucker up to your car battery.

county and other governments doing everything they can to encourage building affordable housing,” he says. “The key for me is building specific kinds of housing: small units and higher density. That’s what makes housing relatively less expensive. People don’t want that kind of density in

PUT RATTLESNAKES IN YOUR DRYING WETSUIT.

single-family neighborhoods, but in a place like downtown Santa Cruz, where we do already have six- and seven- and eight-story buildings, we could build a lot of small apartments, and those then become part of our more affordable

At the very least,

housing stock.”

whoever tries to rob you will turn

While we search for solutions to the theft problem, local

his own clothes

surfers can do their part by looking out for one another.

into a different kind

“The good thing about Santa Cruz, and specifically the

of wetsuit … by

surf community, is that most surfers tend to have each

whizzing in his pants.

other’s back,” Thiermann points out. “I’ve had it happen once or twice where a neighbor called me late at night and said there was someone checking out our house.”

It also can’t hurt to wear your car key as a pendant instead of leaving it under one of your tires while you surf.

And, as Kearney warns, “Lock your doors, be aware of your surroundings and don’t be in too much of a hurry.

Slow it down.” ≠

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Special Report

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Jamie Mitchell wears half the Pacific on his head. Photo: Billy Watts

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Mavericks

Words: Kyle Thiermann

IN THE B E L LY OF THE BEAST

AN INSIDER’S ACCOUNT OF SURFING MAVERICKS 25

“I

f you take four waves on the head, you’ll get washed through the rocks,” Ken “Skindog” Collins tells the motley crew of big-wave surfers as we motor out of the dock on the cold morning of Dec. 20.

Some of the surfers on our boat are Mavericks vets like Nic Lamb,

Tyler Fox and Anthony Tashnick. Others are first timers like Koa Rothman and Koa Smith, both of whom had flown in from Oahu the night before, hungry for the wave of their life and the media attention to keep their sponsors happy.

“If you get close to the rocks, take your leash off and hold it in your hand,” Skindog continues. “If you get caught in the rocks with your leash on, you’ll be in trouble.”

Everyone has their own way of mentally preparing to surf 50-foot waves. Skindog talks to fill the silence. Dave Wassel tucks a Hawaiian tealeaf inside his wetsuit for luck. Mark Healey absently gazes out the window like he’s commuting to work.

As we pull into the channel at Mavericks, the captain parks us so close to the bowl we can hear the surfers talking in the lineup. A pic-

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Underground charger Nic Vaughan snagged one of the biggest waves of the day. Photo: Nelly / SPL Waterhousing

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Shawn Dollar makes his descent on a Mavericks

mountain. Photo: Nelly / SPL Waterhousing

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Mavericks

ture of George Clooney gunning his boat up a mountain of water in The Perfect Storm flashes into my mind, but our captain seems confident and the photographers onboard are giddy to have a front-row seat to the greatest show on Earth.

At first, the waves seem slow and no one rushes to get off the boat—a theme I’ve found to be consistent with most veterans.

But when Jamie Mitchell finally drops into a dark five-story building and takes the brunt of it on his head, the cameras start clicking, and 60-plus people head bravery by British ˆ Backside

surfer Tom Lowe.

Photo: Nelly / SPL Waterhousings

comes up smiling, minus a ˇ Kyle

bootie. Photo: Billy Watts

straight into the serpents’ pit.

The dichotomy of souls Mavericks drew to her on this historic day is surreal. Trained professionals like Shane Dorian and Greg Long sit as deep as possible with icy focus. Men and women wielding 10-foot tanks rest on the shoulder, some of whom looked as though they had just graduated from their final surf lesson at Cowell’s. I saw someone catch a shouldery wave who had not yet mastered the ‘pop-up.’

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Special Report Ken “Skindog” Collins enters the beast with no back. Photo: Billy Watts

The next six hours is an emotional rollercoaster for me. I’m scared and then I’m psyched. Chatty and then silent. I fall on my first wave and the lip blows my bootie off my foot. I don’t catch another wave for three hours. I become crotchety and paddle back to the boat. As the day fades and the crowd thins, I drink a cup of coffee and paddle back out for one more try. Within 15 minutes I catch one of the biggest waves of my life.

Suddenly I’m higher than I’ve ever felt and never want the day to end. Back on the boat once again, I watch the sunset and feel as confident as ever sipping a cold beer. Suddenly, I hear

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someone scream. Apparently our captain got a bit too close to the bowl and the heaving beast that is Mavericks extended her white claws to swat the side of our boat. This sends Tyler Fox and Mark Healey flying. I think she just wanted to remind us humans not to get too comfortable. ≠

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Behind the Lens

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Words: Neal Kearney

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Images: Steve Guisnger

BRANCHING OUT

FROM SKATE DECKS TO SUNSETS, STEVE GUISINGER’S GOT IT COVERED

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Steve Guisinger

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S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Steve Guisinger

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S

teve “Birdo” Guisinger has been en- Guisinger says of his grassroots stance on trenched in the local skating scene the board sports industry. for more than two decades. He started Consolidated Skateboards from

the ground up in 1992. The company gained notoriety for its punk rock team and equally punk rock public ad campaigns, which cried foul over the infiltration of giant corporations (such as Nike) into the world of skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding. No punches were pulled and Consolidated’s motto became the Nike-taunting phrase “Don’t Do It.”

Running a skateboard company has been his primary focus, but Guisinger has developed a new passion project—photography. A hobbyist photographer since the mid ’90s, Guisinger came together in January 2014 with Dave “Nelly” Nelson and Matt “Roots” Walker to start a collective called “NRB Photography.”

They cultivated an online presence by sharing their best photos on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Their social media

“I just want the surf, skate and snowboard clout is strong and growing, and has proindustries to stay in passionate hands—the

vided the three with an easy way to share hands of the people who do it because they their work with the masses. So what makes love it, not some giant, corporate entity,” Guisinger’s shutter click? We ask him below.

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S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Steve Guisinger

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Steve Guisinger

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W H AT I S YO U R FAVO R I T E S U BJ EC T M AT T ER TO P H OTO G R AP H ? [photography

I learned

by]

shooting

skateboarding, so my passion started with that. I love getting out into nature and shooting sunrises and sunsets. That’s one of the benefits of shooting during sunrise and sunset— they offer great opportunities to take in all the beautiful scenery.

Many times I’ll leave the beach or mountains thinking, ‘Wow! I just saw that!’ One time I climbed down the cliff at the Davenport

Many times I’ll leave the beach or mountains thinking, “Wow! I just saw that!”

Pier, which is pretty sketchy, and saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. On my way out in the dark I thought I was going to die and the parting gift was that

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I got to witness that once-in-a-lifetime sunset.

W H AT G EAR AR E YO U PACK I N G? Right now I shoot with a Canon 6d and a great assortment of lenses. I also have an SPL water housing that I shoot water stuff with.

H OW

DID

NRB

cal point and exposure covered.

It’s a great balance. Plus, both of those guys have an amazing eye. I feel really lucky to have teamed up with them and to have them as longtime friends.

WH AT

H AS

TH E

RE-

SPON SE TO N RB PH O TOGRAPH Y BEEN ? It seems like people are stoked. It’s so flattering when people like and share your photo. We feed off of it and, in turn, want to give our followers our best efforts.

H OW D O YOU FEEL ABOUT WATER

PH OTOGRAPH Y ?

It’s way harder than it looks. I’ve got mad respect for the dudes who charge and shoot surfing from the water. Especially with a wide-angle lens. You’ve got to be so close to the guy getting barreled or doing an air to get the shot, so there is a definite skill for getting in the right place at the right time. Dudes like Nelly, who rip at surfing and take surf photos, have an instinct about when and where the

P H OTO GRAPH Y wave is going to bowl or barrel and get them-

STA RT ? Matt “Roots” Walker, Nelly and I grew up together and all have a love for photography, surfing and skating. We decided to team up and share our photos together. It’s great because we can hang out and learn from each other.

selves into that spot. It’s a crazy talent.

WH EN I S YO UR FAVO RI TE TI ME OF DAY TO TAK E PH OTO S ? Sunrise and sunset have the best light. Everything looks more amazing with that golden light. Not to mention that blue hour, about an hour after

W H AT M AK ES T H E PARTN ERSH I P sunset, and shooting with a full moon. I also WO R K ? We all have somewhat different

really love long exposures at night. Clouds

styles. Nelly is an amped-out go-getter— move, water moves and it gives photos such definitely not afraid to do what it takes to get

a cool, unique look. ≠

a shot. I am into trying new techniques and wild hairs in the field to make a photo unique, and Matt is really technical. He makes sure everything is right and that he has every fo-

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Steve Guisinger

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Words + Images: Dave “Nelly” Nelson

THE SEVENMILE MIRACLE 40

DISPATCHES FROM THE NORTH SHORE

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t’s hard to imagine the beauty and power of the North Shore of Oahu until you experience it for yourself. The island has so much to offer—its rich history and culture being some of my favorite aspects. If you are a surfer, it’s the absolute mecca as well as the proving ground where the world’s best showcase their

skills. With the quality of waves and their proximity to the beach, it’s no wonder why this famed stretch of coastline is referred to as the “Seven-Mile Miracle.”

Here’s that incredible vista as seen through my lens. ≠

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Nelly on the North Coast

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Outdoors

Words: Tracy Hukil

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Images: George Saitas

G R E AT E X P E C TA T I O N A CENTURY-OLD DREAM FOR AN EXPANSIVE, PROTECTED REDWOOD FOREST INCHES CLOSER TO COMPLETION

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The Great Park

O

ne drizzly Thursday in November, a friend and I followed the Brook Trail Loop in Pescadero Creek County Park from its high point atop a grassy ridge down to a creek-cut forest seemingly straight out

of the Jurassic era. We’d been chatting nonstop all morning, but as we entered a zone of enormous ferns and filtered daylight, we kept falling silent and stopping to take it all in. In every direction stood massive mature redwood trees, their true size coming gradually into focus as our eyes adjusted to the light and scale of the place. They stood with a presence beyond description: survivors from another world.

In some ways the most remarkable thing about that scene was not the silent giants rising from mist-shrouded hillsides but the fact that it unfolded 18 miles from Palo Alto, birthplace of Silicon Valley. Then again, for some environmentalists, that’s been the whole idea all along. In a 1902 article in the San Francisco Chronicle, redwood crusader Carrie Stevens Walter wrote this: “Imagine a time in the not very remote future when the whole peninsula from San Francisco down to San Jose shall become one great city; then picture, at its very doorway, this magnificent domain of redwood forest and running streams, the breathing place of millions of cramped and crowded denizens of the city.”

At the time, Walter was a leader in the upstart Sempervirens Club, which had formed to save the old-growth redwoods in what is now known as Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Their action led to the creation of California’s first permanent state park: Big Basin, naturally.

Today, 110 years later, the group that now calls itself Sempervirens Fund is poised to manifest Walter’s vision of a sanctuary just over the ridge from 7.4 million Bay Area souls. Measuring 195 square miles, it contains all the biggest old-growth redwood groves south of the Golden Gate Bridge. It incorporates 700 miles of waterways and 30 subwatersheds. It may one day include a national monument.

It’s an idea of such scale and significance that the Sempervirens Fund calls it, simply, the Great Park.

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Outdoors

THE GREAT PARK

BY THE NUMBERS:

If you start at Alice’s Restaurant, at the corner of Skyline Boulevard and Highway 84, and draw a big rectangle using Highway 84, Highway 1, Highway 17 and Skyline Boulevard as the sides, you will have roughly circumscribed

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the massive park.

square miles

This may leave you wondering what, exactly, this Great Park really is. What kind of park has towns—Felton, Pes-

99,000

cadero, Davenport—inside its borders? Or, for that matter, other parks? Inside that big 200-square-mile rectan-

acres of protected land

gle lie some of the state’s most cherished open spaces—Big Basin, Año Nuevo,

39,000

Castle Rock—as well as county parks like Quail Hollow in Santa Cruz County and Pescadero Creek in San Mateo County.

That doesn’t even include the BLM-owned

additional acres planned to be protected

Coast Dairies property, the subject of a

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campaign for national monumenthood, or San Vicente Redwoods, which, at 8,500

miles of waterways

acres, is one of the crown jewels of the Great Park.

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30

In a nutshell, the goal of the Great Park is not to build a gated recreation area with

subwatersheds

a ranger kiosk, it’s to preserve an intact redwood ecosystem spanning 138,000 acres on the windward side of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Right now, about 99,000 of those acres

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endangered or threatened animal species

are protected in the form of parks, open spaces, water district properties and the like. That leaves 39,000 acres that still need protection from development.

It doesn’t all have to turn into parks. In fact, in the end the Great Park will be a crazy quilt of wild lands, recreation areas, agricultural land and working forests where low-yield harvest of second-growth trees will offset land maintenance costs, as it will in San Vicente Redwoods.

The point is that, after the Great Park is complete, the redwood ecosystem won’t be destroyed or hopelessly fragmented. Animals will still be able to live there. Fish

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rare or endangered plant species

375

miles of trails (and counting)

28

campgrounds

The Great Park

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“Imagine a time in the not very remote future when the whole peninsula from San Francisco down to San Jose shall become one great city; then picture, at its very doorway, this magnificent domain of redwood forest and running streams.”—Redwood advocate Carrie Stevens Walter in a 1902 San Francisco Chronicle article

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will be able to swim and spawn in the streams. Plants

At full buildout, three major regional trails—Skyline-to-

will be able to thrive there and absorb climate-changing the-Sea, the California Coastal Trail and the summit-trotcarbon from the atmosphere. The Great Park will still be ting Bay Area Ridge Trail—will traverse sections of the able to support the 11 endangered or threatened species

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Great Park. One day, with luck and some well-placed of animal and the 33 species of rare or endangered plant easements, it might even be possible to hike from Henry sthat currently make their homes there. That includes Cowell Redwoods State Park to the Pacific Ocean via San animals like the marbled murrelet, a seabird that needs old-growth coastal trees for its nest, and the mountain lion, which needs undisturbed areas for birthing and

Vicente Redwoods.

Reed Holderman, executive director of Sempervirens

raising its young. It also includes less charismatic living Fund, says the group aims to complete its protection of things like the Ohlone manzanita, which occurs only on the Great Park during the two-year tenure of Board PresLockheed-Martin land and looks to most people like every ident Fred Keeley, who came into the position on July 1 of last year. other manzanita—yet is nevertheless a unique species.

In short, a completed Great Park means biodiversity,

“Ideally we’ll complete The Great Park while he’s pres-

clean water and clean air. It also means big fun.

ident,” Holderman said last summer. “We’ve been

The opportunities for outdoor play in the Great Park are staggering. Already it contains 375 miles of trails and 28 campgrounds, and that’s without the 40 miles of San Vicente Redwoods trail in the pipeline or the network that will eventually crisscross Coast Dairies.

In the end, the Great Park will be a crazy quilt of wild lands, recreation areas, agricultural land and working forests.

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

building to this point. Now’s the time.”

Traci Hukill is co-founder and editorial director of Hilltromper, an online outdoor recreation resource for Santa Cruz County.

Find it at hilltromper.com. ≠

COOL OFF FASHION ARTIST PROFILE UPCOMING EVENTS FIELD REPORT DINING GUIDE LOCAL EATS MUSIC BUSINESS COMIC EVENT GALLERY

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Fashion

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Words + Styling: Christa Martin

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Images: Nick Chao

IN BLOOM SPRING FASHION IN SANTA CRUZ

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Spring Trends

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S

anta Cruz fashion springs forward this season. Mild temperatures are matched by peekaboo stints from the sun, calling for a change of wardrobe. Shed jackets and scarves and step into this season’s styles. For Santa Cruzans with an aversion to pastels, take the seasonal color palette and make it your own. Use pink in your acces-

sories and make your grounding color a strong burgundy. Pair with classy gray booties and distressed boyfriend jeans. For an alternative look, ditch robin’s egg blue and choose navy.

Add clogs to accommodate the change in weather and a top with a cutout back—perfect for a bright spring day.

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Spring Trends

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Clothing. Look 1: Boots, Coclico, Ringo (Smudge Color), $423, Jade / Pink Clutch, Lee Coren, $70, Jade / Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, Corey, $250, Cameron Marks / Sweater, Loma, $390, Cameron Marks / Triple Leiter Necklace, Erin Considine, $300, Cameron Marks / Cuff, $57, Click Click Bang / Rose Gold Earrings, $88, Blank Verse Jewelry. Look 2: Clogs, Maguba, Stylist’s Own / Clutch, Tracey Tanner, Carmen, Cobalt Distressed, $225, Cameron Marks / Top, Lauren Moffatt, $295, Cameron Marks / Jacket, Lauren Moffatt, $390, Cameron Marks / Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, Corey, $250, Cameron Marks / Cuff, $57, Click Click Bang.

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ABOUT THE SHOOT: Santa Cruz Waves magazine teamed up with The Penny Rose (a Santa Cruz fashion blog) to create this spring editorial fashion spread. Photographer Nick Chao captured these images during a photo shoot at San Lorenzo Garden Center, while Christa Martin styled and produced the project. â‰

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Crew: Photographer, Nick Chao / Stylist, Creative Director, Christa Martin / Model, Heather Chase / Makeup, Jillian Wilkey for Salon on the Square / Hair, Sheryle Pettet for Salon on the Square.

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Bags by Terry McInerney

Words: Christa Martin

IN THE BAG LEATHER WORKER TERRY MCINERNEY IS ONE SKILLED BAG LADY

G

rowing up in a small town in Ireland, Terry McInerney was introduced to fine arts at a young age.

“My mom was a huge crafter,” says McInerney of her teacher. “Todaxy, she ties fishing flies profes-

sionally and travels around the world giving demonstrations. She’s one of the only women in her field.”

And McInerney is one of the only women in her field in Santa Cruz. The skillful leather worker sells her functional and stylish bags at the lifestyle boutique Stripe and on Etsy.

But while she learned how to sew clothing, construct toys and knit as a youngster, it was only recently that she dived into the medium of working with leather.

Seven years ago she was a stay-at-home mom taking a respite from a career in social work. She walked by Leatherwise, a store in Santa Cruz, for the umpteenth time and finally decided to go inside. “That was it,” she says. “Everything happened. The smell of it and the feel of it—I had to work [with leather].”

McInerney scooped up a pile of leather and took it home.

Applying her sewing skills and some instructions from

the owner of Leatherwise, she set to work creating her first bag. That design would become her signature piece in her leather line, Nuala.

Throwing the inaugural bag over her shoulder one day, McInerney stepped out to the drug store where she was approached by Suna Lock, a local business woman who was about to open Stripe. “Suna said, ‘I like your bag,’ and my daughter said, ‘My mom makes them,’” the artisan recalls. Creativity and commerce merged during that chance encounter, and McInerney has been selling her work at Stripe ever since.

Nowadays, her classic bags are her best sellers, but she also creates bracelets, watches, wallets and clutches.

“I love seeing [my bags] out and about in public,” she says as she nods at a passing woman carrying a Nuala bag. “Crafting is like therapy.”

For some retail therapy of your own, find Nuala bags at Stripe, 107 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz, stripedesigngroup. com or at etsy.com/nualaleather. ≠

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Artist Profile

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S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Andres Amador

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Words: Damon Orion

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Images: Courtesy of Andres Amador

THE ART OF NONA T TA C H M E N T SAND ARTIST ANDRES AMADOR FINDS BEAUTY IN THE EPHEMERAL

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S

culptor/illustrator Leonard Baskin was painting with broad strokes

when

he

said, “Art is man’s distinctly human way of fighting death.” While it would probably be fair to say that most artists hope to create works that will outlast them, it’s quite the opposite for Bay Area-based landscape artist Andres Amador, whose creations exist solely for the here-and-now.

Using a rake as his paintbrush, Amador turns the beaches of Northern California into canvases for his art, much of which consists

56

of crop-circle-like patterns and sacred geometry-style designs. Soon after being brought into this world, these

impressive

large-

scale images are erased by the tide.

Amador, who holds a degree in environmental sciences from UC Davis, claims that the practice of creating extremely perishable artwork has given him valuable insights into life’s temporary nature. Most people have to go through a major crisis such as the unexpected loss of a loved one in order to gain been granted this kind of visceral connection to this idea without tragedy, which I feel grateful for,” he says.

Photo: Edward Saenz

this kind of perspective. “Fortunately, I’ve

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Andres Amador

“Every moment is precious. What I leave behind doesn’t matter.

What I’m experiencing right now—that’s all that matters.”

“What’s the motivation to do anything when we know that none of our efforts will persevere not too much longer after our lifetime?” the artist asks rhetorically. This, he muses, can be a dispiriting thought, sometimes leading one down a path of depression or nihilism. “But I’ve had the opposite movement, which is that every moment is precious,” he goes on. “What I leave behind doesn’t matter. What I’m experiencing right now—that’s all that matters. Once I started moving down that track, it was really clear for me: What do I want my life experience to be at any particular moment? I would like it to be filled with … joy, exploration, wonder, love.”

Lest we get the impression that Amador has mastered the art of non-attachment, he notes that he has a garage filled with sculptures that he can’t bear to part with. He describes the impermanent aspect of his beach art as “just a happenstance, a feature of the location and of the medium.”

Before he got into sand art, Amador was doing large sculptural installations, many of which were geometrically oriented. At festivals and other events where his work was on display, people would often ask him about the meanings behind the shapes of these self-stabilizing structures. At a loss for answers, he began to research the meanings that people have ascribed to specific geometrical shapes. This led him into the areas of ancient architecture, sacred geometry and crop circles, the last of which he describes as “essentially the layout VOL 1.5

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Artist Profile

of architecture: a two-dimensional design that you can build from.”

One day in 2004, Amador was on the beach in Hawaii, showing a friend what he had learned about various geometric principles. While illustrating these ideas with a walking stick, he realized that the beach could be the ideal canvas for art that mimics patterns found in the natural world.

“Since I’ve been doing the art, I’ve noticed patterns so much more keenly all around me, whether they’re made by nature or they’re on a piece of fabric,” the artist notes. “I’m always taking pictures of the things that catch my eye so that I can study them and disentangle what’s happening.”

Amador tends to get extremely focused while creating his art, often forgetting to eat, drink or use the bathroom.

“Even though I may need to go to the bathroom when I start, it all goes away once I begin,”

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he says. “So there’s definitely hyper-focus, which is almost a type of meditation.”

Even off the shore, he has a “be-here-now” demeanor that

This practice has taught him to live for the present, not for the future.

bears witness to the lessons he’s learned while creating hundreds of beach paintings over the past 10 years. Among other things, this practice has taught him to live for the present, not for the future.

“I ask myself, and I ask other people when they’re facing issues, ‘How is your light shining? In doing whatever [you’re doing now], is it having your light shine brighter?’” he notes. “I find that if I have a connection to that as my guide, I pretty much can’t make a wrong choice, because I’m really living for my life experience right now … which isn’t to discount thinking toward the future, planning and all that, but I think those things take care of themselves force right now.”

See more of his work at visit andresamadorarts.com. ≠

Photo: Michelle Ranson

when we’re being true to the thing that is bringing us life

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Andres Amador

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Upcoming Events

2/1 – 4/26

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Finding Flow: Introduction to Hula Hoop Dance

2/21, 3/1, 4/11, 5/2

Hula-hoop dance is a quintessential element of a sunset

Santa Cruz Baroque Festival

beach scene in Santa Cruz. The beauty and flow of an adept

This five-piece concert series aims to bring old music back

hoop dancer is astoundingly beautiful. It is aimed at adults

to life. It features early classical music of the Baroque period

just beginning to explore hoop dance. Every Sunday, At 4 - 5

as well as neo-Baroque works. At the UC Santa Cruz Recit-

PM, 2801 Mission St. Ext., Santa Cruz. $10 drop-in, $40 for

al Hall, 1156 High St. General $25, Seniors (62+) $20, youth

five classes and $60 for 10 classes

and college students with ID $5.

2/20 – 2/22

3/6 - 3/22

2/14

Banff Mountain Film Festival

Coastal Spirits Countywide Artists

Migration Festival

This international film festival pre-

Come support local artists by attend-

The Migration Festival is great for

sented by National Geographic and

ing this locals-only art show present-

families who love the outdoors

North Face will instill or reaffirm

ed by the Santa Cruz Art League. If

and enjoy learning about the world

a deep-seated lust for adventure.

you are an artist residing in Santa

they live in. Kids can participate

The short films, which are all ori-

Cruz County, consider submitting a

in games and crafts that celebrate

ented around different outdoor

piece you are proud of. The deadline

animals that migrate to our area,

sports and adventures, will take the

for submissions is March 1. Make

watch skits, listen to migratory an-

audience on a journey across some

sure to bring two labels for your art

imal talks and enjoy live music. At

of the highest mountains and wild-

piece and $35 for the installation fee.

11 AM - 4PM, Natural Bridges State

est water imaginable. At 7 - 10 PM,

Reception is March 7 from 3 - 5 PM,

Park. Free.

the Rio Theatre. $18-$20

526 Broadway, Santa Cruz. Free.

3/20 - 3/22

3/21, 3/22 (Watsonville)

Pinot Paradise you a deeper understanding of the wine you drink and help you

Santa Cruz County Symphony Concerts: “Pacific Perspectives”

discover new wineries. The three-day event includes tastings

Semi-local Bay Area talent will be celebrated through the

of exquisite local pinots and an educational forum about the

performance of Daniel Stewart’s Sinfonia and Lou Harri-

process by which the wine is created. At The Mountain Win-

son’s Pacifika Rondo. Along with pieces by Bay Area com-

ery, 14831 Pierce Road, Saratoga. Day One—Wine Technical

posers, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto will be performed by

Session: $65; Day Two—Pathway to Pinot Paradise: $25; Day

Youjin Lee. At 8 PM at the Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St.

Three—Pinot Noir Grand Cruz Tasting: $85-$100.

and the Mello Center in Watsonville. $25-$70.

The Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association givins

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Field Guide

Words: Linda Koffman

R E A D Y, S E T, GROW STEP INTO EASY SPRING GARDENING WITH WATER-SMART SUCCULENTS

T

he vernal equinox blossoms on March 20, and there’s no better time than the first day of spring to start one of the oldest

hobbies

around.

Gardening—that dirty-

ing, meditative, get-on-yourhands-and-knees

humbling

communion with Mother Nature—makes for some purifying mental and physical fun.

But Santa Cruz, populated with many a landscaper and outdoor enthusiast, can be an intimidating place for newbie gardeners whose novice hands may not be as soilstained as their neighbors’.

Maybe you want some verdant company enlivening your abode but you don’t want to do a lot of maintenance. Maybe you want lush leaves and

Sure, it may be the ultimate “Dummy Garden,” but succulents get the job done in all sorts of colors, geometric shapes and sizes.

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Field Guide

GET TO KNOW YOUR SUCCULENTS

1

3

Here are a few of this beginner gardener’s faves, but be forewarned: What may start out as a quickie endeavor could unearth your latest and long-lasting obsession.

2

5

4 6

62 8

Illustrations: Julie Henry

7

1 • A EO NIUM GA RNE T is another low-growing and wide rosette phenom, only it’s the ginger of the family, with bronze and red hues that darken in the sun to make it a standout from the typical green varieties.

2 • SENEC IO ROWL E YA NU S , commonly known as “string of pearls” for obvious reasons upon first sight, can be striking when disseminated to have a waterfall curtain effect. Literal strings of tiny green globes that retain water hang delicately over planters or pot edges.

3 • CR ASS UL A OVATA is the ever-present “jade plant,” beloved in feng shui because its deep green and fleshy coin-shaped leaves supposedly bring good juju that attracts wealth and luck. Jade, which can also be configured to have a bonsai style, blooms clusters of mini white flowers with pointy petals.

4 • CA L A NDR I NI A G R A NDI FLOR A , a true winner for its grayish-green body and far-reaching tentacular stems that lunge forth with fuchsia flowers like jewels erupting from the ground, is a stress-free scene stealer. Also known as Chilean rock purslane, this perennial pops with vibrant color to make an eye-catching accent when nestled against walls, fencing or bed borders.

5 • KAL AN C H O E TO M EN TO SA sprouts vertically, with elongated, oval leaves whose soft, fuzzy and gray characteristics earn it the nicknames “donkey ears,” “panda plant” and “pussy ears,” while its dotty brown edges get it dubbed “chocolate soldier.” This one is especially alluring to the touch and can be great as contrasting decorative undergrowth at the base of taller potted plants.

6 • S E M PE RVIVU M T EC TO R U M , or “hen and chicks,” is also a popular two-for-one savings because you get clumpings of robust green foliage also shaped like multi-tiered flower heads. The mother plant spawns smaller offshoots that are easy to pick off and replant elsewhere.

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

7 • S EN EC IO M AN D RALI S C AE , widely known as “blue chalk sticks,” groups together long, slender fingers that reach up and outward. Sit back and watch as cooler tones of silver and blue run loose with an expansive, bushy effect.

8 • EC H EVE R IA IMB RI C ATA is the inescapable star of many succulent-heavy landscapes. Dubbed the “blue rose,” it’s clear what’s in a name with this plant’s radial and powdery blue leaves that mimic the elegant unfolding of a rose. When summer heat hits, expect long red stems with flowers tinted red and orange to jut out toward the sky.

Succulents

flower bursts but you don’t want to impose on the environment with hefty water needs.

Be not afraid, ye virgin of the plant world, I’ve been there, and a low-impact garden with high rewards is within your soon-to-be green thumb’s reach. Where to begin your baby steps? Drought- and neophyte-tolerant succulents are your new best friends.

Gather some well-draining cactus soil, hone in on your full sun to partial shade areas (but take note of specimens that can burn easily and prefer more shade), and you’re ready to put some hardy succulents into the ground, planter boxes or pots. After adding some rock mulch atop your beds for increased drainage

Warning: What may start out as a quickie endeavor could unearth your latest and long-lasting obsession.

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and heat retention, your fresh family of flora will require little post-planting attention.

Sure, it may be the ultimate “Dummy Garden” (as a friend of mine recently quipped), but succulents get the job done in all sorts of colors, geometric shapes and sizes. Plus, propagating their cuttings can create the natural gift that keeps on giving. Remember Dolly the sheep? Your at-home cloning may not make news headlines, but it will fare much better—with way fewer financial and feeding needs. ≠

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Dining Guide

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E A T, DRINK & BE MERRY

SANTA CRUZ’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO ALL THE BEST RESTAURANTS AND BARS

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Eating & Drinking in Santa Cruz

PON O & TH E REEF Traditional Hawaiian grill, poke bar, fresh

D OW N TOW N

ingredients, full bar.

ASS E M B LY

Seasonal rustic Californian cuisine.

1108 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

www.assembleforfood.com

(831) 824-6100

www.cafemare.com

(831) 458-1211

E L PA LO M AR

Unique and fresh Mexican cuisine, family recipes.

1336 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

www.elpalomarsantacruz.com

(831) 425-7575

California twist on Hawaiian island grill and tiki bar.

221 Cathcart St., Santa Cruz

www.hulastiki.com

(831) 426-4852

1100 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

www.kiantis.com

415 River St., Santa Cruz

www.rivercafesantacruz.com

(831) 420-1280

High-quality pub fare, 29+ rotating beer taps, and a generous selection of Irish whiskeys.

1220 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

(831) 426-9930

www.rosiemccanns.com/santacruz

WO OD STO CK ’S PI ZZA Craft Brews. Legendary Pizza. Heated Outdoor (831) 427-4444

www.woodstockscruz.com

ZACH ARY ’S Diner-style American cuisine in a casual familyfriendly atmosphere.

KI A NTI ’S P I ZZA & PASTA B AR

Local, organic, farm fresh gourmet.

Unique menu, family style, full bar.

Patio. 710 Front St., Santa Cruz

H UL A’S I SL AN D G R I L L

(831) 426-7666

ROSI E MCCAN N ’S I RI SH PUB & RESTAUR A NT

Authentic Italian dining, fresh, local ingredients.

740 Front St., Santa Cruz

120 Union St., Santa Cruz www.ponohawaiiangrill.com

RI VER CAFE

CA FE M AR E

(831) 469-4400

819 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

www.zacharyssantacruz.com

(831) 427-0646

ZOCCO L I ’S

Iconic delicatessen, sandwiches, salads, sides.

L A I LI

1534 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz’s answer to high-quality organic

www.zoccolis.com

(831) 423-1711

Mediterranean / Indian / Pakistani / Afghan food.

101 Cooper St., Santa Cruz

www. lailirestaurant.com

(831) 423-4545 TH E WH ARF, BOARDWAL K & H ARBOR

PACI FI C T H AI Authentic Thai Cuisine and Boba Teas in a modern and casual dining atmosphere.

1319 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

www.pacificthaisantacruz.com

(831) 420-1700

TH E CROW ’S N EST

Iconic restaurant and bar located at the harbor.

P LE AS U R E P I Z ZA D OW N TOW N

2218 E. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz

Offering traditional pizza, new tastes and textures.

www.crowsnest-santacruz.com

1415 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

www.pleasurepizzasc.com

(831) 600-7859

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(831) 476-4560

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Dining Guide

D E KE ’S M AR K ET

TH E CRÊPE PL ACE

Complete mini-market and the “In Mah’ Belly Deli.”

334 7th Ave., Santa Cruz

www.dekesmarket.com

Array of savory and sweet crêpes, French food and

(831) 476-5897

I D E A L B AR & G R I L L

live muisc.

1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz

www.thecrepeplace.com

(831) 429-6994

Located by the wharf, fun atmosphere.

RI STO RAN TE I TAL I AN O

106 Beach St., Santa Cruz

Vintage venue featuring fish and Italian entrees.

www.idealbarandgrill.com

555 Soquel Ave.,

Ste 150, Santa Cruz www.ristoranteitalianosc.com

(831) 423-5271

J O H NN Y ’S H AR B O R SI D E

Fresh seafood with stunning view of the harbor.

493 Lake Ave., Santa Cruz

SEABRI GH T BREWERY

www.johnnysharborside.com

(831) 479-3430

(831) 458-2321

Rotating beer selection, with dog-friendly outdoor patio.

M I DTOW N

519 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz

www.seabrightbrewery.com

(831) 426-2739

WESTSI DE A KI RA SU SH I

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Made with fresh-caught seafood and locally grown produce.

1222 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz

www.akirasantacruz.com

(831) 600-7093

Grass-fed beef, fun atmosphere, and great beer menu.

A LO H A I SL AN D G R I L L E

Authentic Hawaiian-style plate lunches.

1700 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz

www.alohaislandgrille.com

(831) 479-3299

dining in Santa Cruz.

www.chaminade.com

1520 Mission St., Santa Cruz

www.burgersantacruz.com

(831) 425-5300

H OL L I N S H OUSE AT PASATI EMPO outstanding wine list.

Indulge in decadent culinary choices and fine 1 Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz

Magnificent views, award-winning cuisine, and

CH A MI N AD E

BURGER .

(831) 475-5600

20 Clubhouse Road, Santa Cruz

(831) 459-9177

www.pasatiempo.com/hollins-house

MI SSI O N ST. BBQ Serving up smoked barbecue, craft beer and live music.

CH A RLI E H O N G KO N G

Offering healthy, flavorful Asian street cusine.

1141 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz

www.charliehongkong.com

(831) 426-5664

1618 Mission St., Santa Cruz, CA

www.facebook.com/missionstbbq

(831) 458-2222

PARI SH PUBL I CK H O USE

British-influenced pub food with full bar.

841 Almar Ave., Santa Cruz

www.parishpublickhouse.com

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

(831) 421-0507

Eating & Drinking in Santa Cruz

RI STO R AN T E AVAN T I

EAST SI D E EATERY, PL EASURE PI ZZ A

Featuring local, sustainable, organic foods. Menu,

Offering traditional pizza, new tastes and textures.

wine list, and list of local farmers and ranchers.

800 41st Ave., Santa Cruz

1917 Mission St., Santa Cruz

www.pleasurepizzasc.com

www.ristoranteavanti.com

(831) 427-0135

SH ADOWBROO K

VAS I LI ’S

Since 1947. Fine dining with a romantic setting,

Authentic and fresh, with vegetarian-friendly

cable car lift.

Greek food.

1501A Mission St., Santa Cruz

www.vasilisgreekrestaurant.com

(831) 431-6058

(831) 458-9808

1750 Wharf Road, Capitola

www.shadowbrook-capitola.com

(831) 475-1511

SÜDA

WE ST EN D TAP & K I TC H EN

Contemporary cuisine in retro-modern restaurant.

Traditional pub flavors with a California twist.

3910 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz

334 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz

www.eatsuda.com

www.westendtap.com

(831) 471-8115

(831) 600-7068

SURF CI T Y SAN DWI CH Gourmet sandwiches, homemade soup, salads, beer and wine. Opening 2015.

EASTS I D E & C AP I TO L A

4101 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz

www.surfcitysandwich.com

(831) 239-5801

ZEL DA’S ON TH E BEACH Breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner overlooking

CA NTO N

Cantonese, Szechuan and other Asian fare, full bar.

900 41st Ave., Santa Cruz

www.cantonsantacruz.com

(831) 475-8751

www.zeldasonthebeach.com

(831) 475-4900

Full-service coffeehouse and excellent wine

Authentic Tuscan cuisine and pizza, cozy

selection.

atmosphere.

115 San Jose Ave., Capitola, CA

203 Esplanade, Capitola

ZI ZZO’S COFFEEH OUSE & WI N E BAR

CA RUS O ’S T U S C AN C U I SI N E & P I Z ZERI A

beautiful Capitola Beach.

(831) 465-9040

3555 Clares St., Capitola

www.zizzoscoffee.com

(831) 477-0680

CAVA W I N E B AR

Fine wine, good company, great ambiance.

115 San Jose Ave., Capitola

www.cavacapitola.com

(831) 476-2282

SOQ UEL

CH I LL OU T C AF E Fatty breakfast burritos, espresso drinks, beautiful CAFE CRUZ

backyard garden.

2860 41st Ave., Santa Cruz

www.chilloutcafesantacruz.com

(831) 477-0543

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Rosticceria and bar, nice atmosphere, fresh and local.

2621 41st Ave., Soquel

www.cafecruz.com

FEB / MAR, 2015

(831) 476-3801

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Dining Guide

MA I N ST R EET G AR D EN & C AF E

KAUBOI

Organic Italian Mediterranean in a beautiful

Seasonal organic ingredients, traditional Japanese.

8017 Soquel Drive, Aptos

www.kauboigrillandsushi.com

landscaped garden.

3101 N Main St., Soquel

www.mainstreetgardencafe.com

(831) 477-9265

MAN UEL’S MEXI CAN RESTAURAN T

MI CH A E L’S O N M AI N

Traditional, delicious recipes, cooked fresh daily,

Serving cutting-edge California comfort cuisine, small plates, and salads.

2591 South Main St., Soquel

www.michaelsonmain.net

(831) 661-0449

(831) 479-9777

served with a genuine smile.

261 Center Ave., Aptos

www.manuelsrestaurant.com

(831) 688-4848

PAL APAS RESTAURAN T & CAN TI N A Coastal Mexican Cuisine. Extensive tequila selection. Happy Hour, and dinner specials.

AP TO S & WATSO N V I L L E

21 Seascape Blvd, Aptos

www.palapasrestaurant.com

831662-9000

SAN D ERL I N GS I N TH E SEASCAPE RES ORT A P TO S ST. B B Q Santa Cruz County’s best smoked barbecue, craft brews and live blues every night.

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8059 Aptos St., Aptos

www.aptosstbbq.com

(831) 662-1721

Dining experience is as spectacular as the view.

1 Seacscape Resort Drive, Aptos

www.sanderlingsrestaurant.com

SEVERI N O’S BAR & GRI L L Award-winning chowders, locally sourced ingredients.

BURG E R . AP TO S

Grass-fed beef, fun atmosphere, great beer menu.

7941 Soquel Drive, Aptos

www.burgeraptos.com

(831) 662-2811

7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos (831) 688-8987

www.severinosbarandgrill.com

ZAMEEN Flavorful Mediterranean Cuisine in a casual dining

CA FE R I O

Enjoy ocean-front dining with breathtaking views.

131 Esplanade, Aptos

www.caferioaptos.com

(831) 688-8917

setting.

7528 Soquel Drive, Aptos

www.zameencuisine.com

CA NT I N E W I N E P U B

Extensive selection of wine & beer. Eat, drink, savor.

8050 Soquel Drive, Aptos

www.cantinewinepub.com

(831) 612-6191

CI L A NT R O S PAR R I L L A Y C AN T I N A Authentic Mexican cuisine with fresh ingredients, high-quality meat and seafood.

1934 Main St., Watsonville

www.elpalomarcilantros.com

831-688-7120

(831) 761-2161

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

(831) 688-4465

Local Eats

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Words: Elizabeth Limbach

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Images: Jake Thomas

ALL TOGETHER NOW COMMUNITY TABLES OFFER AN EXPERIMENT IN EATING WITH STRANGERS

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O

n a cold, drizzly Saturday night this past winter, There are four community tables arranged down every seat was taken in Assembly, the year-old Assembly’s center, each with seating for eight to 10 downtown Santa Cruz restaurant that focuses on people. Made locally from snag redwood (trees that local and seasonal cuisine.

are dead but still upright), the tables have a unique

Chandeliers fashioned from cast replicas of elk antlers hung over the cavernous eatery, casting alternating patches of inky shadow and warm golden light across

reddish hue and sporadic pale and dark stripes. But the tables aren’t just tables—for Assembly owners Zachary Davis and Kendra Baker, they are symbols of

what Assembly and its sister endeavors in the pair’s the dining room. Luckily for my mother, who was visiting company, The Glass Jar, Inc., are trying to accomfrom out of town, and me, two seats opened up at the end plish. of one of the restaurant’s community tables. We settled “Before we looked at table layouts or sizes or floor plans in happily at the table’s edge, our elbows mere inches for Assembly, we looked at the things that influence us,” from the thirty-something couple seated beside us.

says Davis. “We wanted it to feel connected to the com-

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

“We wa connected t and to fos ... to be and relax undercurre and merrym Davis, Asse

anted it to feel to the community ster community e comfortable xed, but with an ent of celebration making.” —Zachary embly Co-owner

Community Tables

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munity and to foster community. And we wanted it to be My mother and I did not break bread, per se, with others at comfortable and relaxed, but with an undercurrent of our table that blustery night at Assembly, but we did break celebration, an undercurrent of merrymaking.”

This led the owners to ponder places in life that serve this purpose. From town halls and schools to churches and beer halls, they considered the elements that have made these institutions such beloved gathering places throughout the ages.

At the center of it all was a common feature: the chance to break bread with neighbors.

the ice. Mid-meal and mid-conversation, my mom turned suddenly to our neighbors with her pointer finger raised.

“Ah, but sometimes they do!” she exclaimed. Not having eavesdropped on our fellow diners as she apparently did, I had no context for her interjection. “My husband and I met at a bar and we’ve been married for almost 30 years,” she added. The couple laughed and said they stood corrected and everyone returned to enjoying their meals. (I later learned that the woman had said, “No one ever meets the

“We felt like the community table was really funda- person they marry in a bar,” to which my mother couldn’t mental to making that a reality,” Davis says.

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S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Community Tables

“When they sit down allows them to feel free to experiment and be a little bit more open with their experience.” —Patrice Boyle, Soif Owner The possibility of speaking to people who are trucks serving Korean tacos. Here in Santa communal tables part of a renaissance of not in your party is a condition of sitting at Cruz County, flocks of breakfast lovers roost interaction—an antidote that has surfaced the community table. This is more appealing at the communal tables at Silver Spur in So- to counterbalance our tech-induced secluto some than to others, explains Davis. The

quel, in a scene that one Yelp reviewer paints sion? Are they a symbol of the human spirit host or hostess acts as a filter, identifying as “a never-ending carousel.” About a mile fighting back—of claiming our place at the “community table people” from the “private away, the after-work crowd clinks pints at table, so to speak? table people” and seating customers accord- Beer Thirty Bottle Shop & Pour House’s exPerhaps. ingly. (Shared seating is not, for instance, tensive picnic tables. ideal for private conversations—or breakups, as one germane Portlandia skit so hilariously demonstrated.)

At Soif Wine Bar, a few blocks away from In the very least, they are a recipe for food Assembly, a 12-person community table gets envy-inspired ordering. Even the least sociadiners in the mood for the wine bar’s menu,

ble diners at a community table will inevita-

For those who do seek the communal experi- which encourages trying wines by the glass bly feast their hungry eyes on the parade of ence, it can be enjoyable and unpredictable. and sharing small plates. “I wanted people dishes being delivered to their neighbors; inAt Assembly’s big tables, Davis has observed

to experiment and try new things,” explains fluenced, consciously or not, by the pouring

old acquaintances get reacquainted and

owner Patrice Boyle, “and having a table like of a ruby-red wine, the presence of a frosty

strangers go from polite conversation to this where they don’t know exactly what’s sharing a bottle of wine.

beer, the wafting aromas of a savory appetiz-

going to happen when they sit down allows

er or the arrival of a chocolaty dessert. them to feel free to experiment and be a little “We’re providing the table where you can either For Davis, the tables are an opportunity for run into someone and find a place to sit togeth- bit more open with their experience.” Soif is diners who desire closeness to their food to er or meet someone at the table and strike up a taking its experiment one step further with a find closeness through food, as well. conversation,” Davis notes while Paul McCart- weekly community dinner that they launched

ney appropriately belts “Come Together” over in January. Every Wednesday evening, the “I absolutely think there is a relationship big table hosts a prix fixe, family-style meal between wanting to know about your food, the restaurant’s speaker system. with on- and off-menu dishes for 12 adven- where it’s sourced from, the path of travel Large, shared dining tables are nothing turous diners. (Reservations can be made by it had, and then what the dining experience new—the trend can be traced back to the calling 423-2020.) is like and how you share it,” says Davis. “If French Revolution, and tables that involve you don’t believe in the importance of the eating with strangers have peppered restau- “It could be great for people who are new to rant floors in the foodiest of American food- town and are looking to make new friends in sourcing and how food is raised, how it’s preie cities for years. Now, they are part of the a new place,” says Soif’s general manager, pared and delivered, if you’re just eating for culinary zeitgeist in any town with a high Christian Groon.

subsistence, then there’s not a whole lot to

coffee-obsessed denizens—as expected as

In a time when our eyes are often fixed on share. People who seek out a place like this screens, and we tweet, post and like in or- are seeking to engage on all of those levels.

seasonal ingredients on a menu and food

der to feel some sense of connection, are And I think that spirit is catching.” ≠

enough concentration of kale- and pour-over

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Music

Words: Damon Orion

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Band Images: Janet Allinger

WA L K I N G T H E WITH HIS BOOZED-UP DAYS FAR BEHIND HIM, MUSICIAN AND PRO SURFER RUSSELL SMITH FORGES AHEAD WITH HIS ROCK/BLUEGRASS BAND WINKIPOP CITY

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S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Winkipop City

E LINE

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Music

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ased on the playful title EP fun when you’re doing it, but the

City. Feeling that

Phone Home, you might next day is never fun. I learned there was someexpect to hear something that the hard way, because I thing missing from l i g h t h e a r t e d — m a y b e probably did it a thousand times these

he asked his father

on the debut release from local

to overdub some

bluegrass/rock band Winkipop City. Instead, the opening track is a churning, moody little tune called “Whiskey,” which begins with vocalist/guitarist Russell Smith announcing that he is “wasted on your side of the sun,” and ends with him proclaiming, “I’m free every day. I get by with no fear today.”

While Smith respects people who can have a few drinks without going over the edge, he has never been such a person. “For me, it was all the way to the end: one [drink] is too many and 10 is not enough,” notes the singer, who quit drinking nearly a decade ago. “Every time I did it, it turned into a blackout fest. I’d get phone calls the next day: ‘Hey, dude, you

Smith, who wrote the lyrics to

slapped me down at The Cata-

“Whiskey” by freestyling, hadn’t

lyst, bro. What the hell’s going on,

given much thought to the mean- man?’ I’d get multiple calls like ing of these words until it came

76

recordings,

even funny—when you throw … at least.”

that. After apologizing for six, sev-

time to shoot a video for the en years, I was done apologizing.” song. While kicking around ideas for the clip, local cinematographer Toby Thiermann picked up on something that the songwriter himself had missed: The song can be taken as a tale of Smith’s alcohol- and drug-laden past.

Like many other members of his peer group, Smith grew up in an

banjo tracks onto the preexisting material. As someone who has been playing bluegrass music for

approximately

45 years, Bob was able to listen to the songs

once

and

Winkipop City’s unusual bluegrass/rock sound owes much to the banjo playing of Smith’s father, Bob Smith.

then nail almost all of his tracks in single takes. “We kept pretty much everything,” Russell recalls. “That’s how easy it was for him to read the music and play along with it. If you

listen to it, what you’re hearing Intentionally or not, Smith fun- there is totally improv.” neled those years of struggle into It’s easy to picture the fatherthe lyrics for “Whiskey.” “Sublimand-son dynamic making for inally, I wrote about myself a little some memorable band drama, but bit,” he admits. “I wasn’t even reapart from what Smith laughingally aware of it until Toby started ly alludes to as “a few little weird making a video.” outbursts [on my part] that came “Whiskey” serves as an introduc- from a childhood issue or some-

tion to Winkipop City’s unusual thing,” things have been going went hand-in-hand with an ex- bluegrass/rock sound, which smoothly. “It’s been great connecttreme lifestyle. “In this town, we owes much to the banjo playing ing on a different level than father/ went through a time when we of Smith’s father Bob, whom he son stuff,” the guitarist offers. environment where surf culture

were just doing our own thing, jokingly calls “the common man. and the thing to do was to party,” He’s a carpenter, and his name is

Smith, whose grandmother was

the 34-year-old musician and

Bob Smith, all right?”

playing guitar at about 16. While

pro surfer recalls. “We all were

The younger Smith brought his his father played a key role in get-

just going through our issues and

dad into the fold soon after lis-

numbing [ourselves] to whatever

tening to the first six songs he the elder Smith is “so advanced

also a bluegrass musician, began

ting him into music, he notes that

we were numbing down to. It’s had recorded with Winkipop that it was hard for him to dumb

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Winkipop City

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Photo: Nelly / SPL Waterhousing

bers of his former band, Machete Fight, as being especially

down and teach me, so I kind of just learned by myself.”

The musician adds that his dad and the other members of Winkipop City—percussionist Mario Martinez and bassist Ian Smith—are well versed in music theory. “They re-

helpful in that arena. “All of the chords that I’m playing now in Winkipop City is stuff I learned from them.”

Though he contrasts the all-for-one ethos of playing in

ally know the instruments; they know the wording and a band with the solitariness of surfing, Smith gets the the universal language to music,” he says. “Maybe I’m same feelings when things are going well in either situasinging and writing the songs, but I’m learning from them.

tion. “Playing in a band, once you connect on something

They’re really nice to me as far as helping me learn what

and everyone’s on the right beat, it feels good,” he says.

I’m even playing, because I’m just going off of hearing it Learn more on Winkipop City’s Facebook page: and chords I’ve learned from friends.” He cites the mem- facebook.com/winkipopcity. ≠

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Business

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Words: Kevin Craft

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Images: Dustin Damron

GOING DOWN

CALIBER TRUCK CO. FUELS THE FREE-RIDE DOWNHILL SKATEBOARDING MOVEMENT

S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

Caliber Truck Co.

D

ownhill skateboarding is really gnarly. Manager Spencer Joseph.

That might sound obvious, but I, for one, had no idea just how gnarly it is. I’m a hardcore skateboarder who’s

spent years bombing hills in San Francisco, but what these downhillers do is so next level that it’s a disservice to call it only “next level.” It transcends whatever description I might give it.

The emphasis on style is palpable when you watch Caliber’s promotional videos. The riders draw creative lines, ride beautiful terrain and push the limits physically and mentally.

Imagine bombing down a hill at 50 miles per hour and then power sliding through a hairpin turn. It’s exciting to watch, like a mix of drift-car racing, extreme motorcycle riding

My eyes were recently opened to this when I

and surfing and snowboarding on concrete.

was told that Caliber Truck Co. made skate-

Stewart, who before starting Caliber sold board trucks for downhill long boards. This electronic components to make ends meet, brought to my mind images of racers in leath- wanted to shift his career to reflect this love er suits and pointy helmets speeding down a of skateboarding. Fresh from San Francisco straight line. You know, the type of downhill State College of Business he launched Caliber skateboarding that’s like Nascar—all about from his home during the winter of 2010. competition and who can get from point A to “I assembled 300 trucks on my kitchen table,” point B the fastest. he says, adding that he was inundated with My assumptions were quickly corrected when Christmas orders as soon as he opened for I watched Caliber’s feature-length video, business. “I came in at the right time, when the Grade, which is available on their website, sport was seeing 400-percent growth. Things calibertruckco.com. With California as an have calmed down a lot since then.” influence, a new movement called “free-ride But business remains strong for “the biggest downhill skateboarding” is emerging across downhill skateboard truck company.” When America and, as it turns out, the Santa Cruz we spoke, a large order of trucks was being company is the premier provider of equipment packaged for shipping to Europe. “Things for this movement. are still good,” he says. “We don’t keep many “What we do is definitely influenced by our trucks in the warehouse for long. We get ’em, California roots of surfing and skateboard- and then we ship ’em.” ing,” says Caliber owner Brandon Stewart. “We wear street clothes and just regular skateboard gear, and we are helping skaters break new ground.”

Just like competitive downhill skateboarding, the free-ride guys go extremely fast. But any similarity between the two ends there. “We are all about style,” says Caliber General

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Free-ride downhill skateboarding is like a mix of drift-car racing, extreme motorcycle riding and surfing and snowboarding on concrete.

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Business

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“The faster you go, the better everything works.”

—Spencer Joseph, General Manager

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Caliber Truck Co.

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Their repertoire doesn’t just include trucks. “We make ev-

speed wobbles and increases stability,” says Stewart. “We

erything except boards—we partner with Arbor for boards,” are not reinventing the wheel, just expanding off some of Stewart explains. “We make everything else: wheels, bush- our favorite truck geometries.” Caliber takes its cue from ings, gloves, hardware, and, of course, trucks.”

truck companies like Gullwing and Randall trucks. They

Anyone who’s ridden down a hill on a skateboard has probably experienced speed wobbles. It’s that feeling of impending doom that happens when your trucks begin to

use reverse kingpin geometry and a secret bushing formula to help athletes achieve high-risk maneuvers while traveling at terminal velocity.

tremble, usually just moments before you wipeout. At the

“The faster you go, the better everything works,” says

speeds these daredevils achieve, those quivers can have

Joseph. “[It] takes that commitment to get to that speed

drastic, even deadly, consequences.

where the trucks and wheels work at the optimal level.”

“We’ve been able to develop a geometry that decreases One thing that stands out about the company’s office is

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“What we do is definitely influenced by our California roots of surfing and skateboarding.”

—Brandon Stewart, Owner

that there are a lot of skateboards

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around, but not many longboards.

“We are just skateboarders,” explains Joseph. ”We don’t want to get typecast as just longboarding.

It’s just all skateboarding, and all our guys ride everything.”

A testament to this fact is that they are launching the second generation of a street-skate truck line in 2015. They also hired Jordan Tabayoyon from NHS, Inc., who was also the skate team manager at Santa Cruz Skateboards. He brings hardcore street-skate sensibility to Caliber. “We want to continue to progress skateboarding of all types,” says Joseph.

To that, Stewart adds, “It’s the love of what we do that keeps it fresh and real.” ≠

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Comic

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S A N TA C R U Z W A V E S M A G A Z I N E

SCW HOLIDAY PARTY December 12, 2014 Ringing in the holidays and celebrating our new location at 3912 Portola Drive, Ste. 7.

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us for making it an incredible evening.

Photos: Yvonne Falk

View More Galleries @ SantaCruzwaves.com

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“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” – Tony Robbins Photo @chachfiles

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S A N TA C R U Z WAV E S . C O M

Photo: Nelly / SPL Waterhousing

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