Golden State

Cool little film created by Jack Coleman featuring the ever impressive Kassia Meador.

Quite the Conundrum

So, we're in a bit of pickle. Ready to return to one of the most amazing places in Mexico, we've run into a road block. Our friend is in the Air Force, and right now she is unable to travel to that particular part of the Mexican mainland. Unfortunate, yes, but not the end of the world. We just need to find somewhere else to surf. Where there's warm water and whatnot. Sounds simple. How about Hawaii, or why not Nicaragua? Yes, those are also awesome, but the more I look at our alternatives, the more I want to go back to where we were last winter.

That long left. Breaking slowly over a rock reef. Fifteen feet from our front door. Which, I might add, did a damn fine job of keeping out all kinds of critters. We'd wake up early and look out the little window in the kitchen to see how big the waves were. After drinking a big cup of instant coffee and eating a brown banana, we'd slip into our shorts, er, a Seea suit in Karissa's case, and proceed to paddle all the way out to the point - which will feel like five miles after the first three or four days.

The wave begins breaking about fifteen-hundred feet from shore. Maybe more. One wave will take awhile, but you'll be grinning like an idiot while you paddle back to the point. And so therein lies our issue; where the fuck do we go from here?! Where can we find a wave - long and left, soft and slow - that is as easily accessible? Where there's warm water and cheap beer. Where the people aren't pretentious and hammocks hang from the front porch and you eat avacados and eggs every afternoon. We're exploring other options. But we'll need to go back. Because there really isn't anywhere else that can compare.

Matix + Tyler

Short film highlighting a forthcoming clothing collaboration between Tyler Hatzikian and Matix.

Faraway Friends

Friends are funny. Some of them you see all the time; maybe once or twice a week. Some you only see on certain occasions - like at birthday parties or baseball games. And then there's that whole other group. The ones you see like once or twice a year... if you're lucky. But what's funny is not the fact that you are "friends" with someone you see so seldomly, but that you can be such good friends with said people. Maybe they moved, or perhaps they reproduced, and the time you once enjoyed together has since been cut short by other obligations. Example: I have an old friend coming into town today, someone we lovingly endowed with the appellation, 'Fuckin' Eddy.'

He and I partied played lacrosse together in high school and surfed every summer when he would come home from college. He moved to the southern part of Spain a few years following the end of his education, and although we rarely see each other, when we do, it's as though not a single day has passed. Fuckin' Eddy is a good friend. And so are a lot of the people we surfed with this weekend. People we hadn't seen since last summer. People that can't come out often, but sure know how to have a good time when they do get away for the weekend. And as much as I wish we could surf and camp together more often, I'm glad we have a group of friends that can withstand the test of time.

En Baja

Check out this fantastic lil' film featuring Steven Newton surfing some crystal blue waves in Baja.

Seattle Cider Co.

Did you know that John Adams drank a tankard of cider nearly every morning of his adult life? I'm not talking about apple juice. No sir. This was the strong stuff. Fermented fruit. The drunk drink. And it was, like all the other alcohol at the time, consumed not only for it's flavor, but for safety's sake. Beer being better than brown water, etc. Now, we've come quite a ways since the Founding Fathers drank fermented fruit juice. But that's not to say it's bad. I believe hard cider is the answer to a lot of our alcohol issues. Don't drink beer? Unwilling to whiskey your way through the weekend? Gin and juice a little too O.G. for that ass? Well, you should have some hard cider!

I remember watching the Fantastic Mr. Fox a few years ago. The protagonist, a misbehaving middle aged newspaperman turned thief, spends his evenings chicken stealin' and hard cider swillin'. Living that good life. While weird, the film did, however, inspire us to sample different ciders. There weren't many at the time, though. So after a few of our own cider swillin' evenings, we were all but empty. Fast forward a few years. The local grocery store shelves are now overflowing with options. Especially in Seattle. Every sorta cider you can think of. There's big brown bottles, tall cans, small cans and even those fancy ones with the resealable pop-tops. Overwhelming it is. So when we heard our friends at Full Throttle Bottles were hosting the launch of a new Seattle based cidery, we jumped at the opportunity to learn more about cider and all the available varietals.

One Average Day

Andy Warhurst surfing his signature stick near Noosa Heads. Brought to you by Warwick Gow.

Wheels & Waves

Join us next Thursday night (September 12th) for a solo art exhibition from our friend, Patrick 'Duffy' De Armas. Inspired by his love of engines and the ocean, this art exhibition will take place at The Piranha Shop in downtown Seattle, and will feature a variety of new work, as well as things you may have seen around the city. Show starts at six and ends at ten. And yes, there will be booze you can buy.

Augtember Sessions

I love this time of year. When school starts and the summer surfers return to their suburban surrounds, eagerly awaiting winter so they can start snowboarding and stuff. It's also the time of year when offshore winds and early morning fog are a common occurrence. When the sun sets a little earlier and the evenings become a bit more brisk. Campfires are more important this time of year, providing warmth as well as an easy way to cook big cans of beans and buffalo burgers. I also like to layer - Tellason from top to bottom, and a Cowichan I acquired on accident. I don't, however, enjoy wearing wet wetsuits. Or boots. Or gloves. Oh well. That being said, the surf on Saturday was incredible. With wind howling from the east and waist high waves rolling in at reasonable intervals, it was everything I could ask for. I don't deny it was difficult; extra effort was required to catch a couple. But fuck they were fun! We surfed for six or seven hours and ended the evening with an Invasion! From Planet C screening on the side of Fargo the Cargo Van. A mess of stoke was mined. Follow the link for a few more photos.

Sliding Scorpions

Christian Wach, Jen Smith, Brian Anderson, and Daniel Graham sliding Scorpion Bay in Baja.

Some Friday Fog

Labor Day weekend is traditionally a shit show - the final few before the fall, the last days of summer for some. Everyone is out... everywhere. So we took an extra day, the Friday before, just in case it was crowded. To save our spot on the island and setup for our first Mobile Surf Movie. We left Seattle shortly after six on Thursday. Traffic was unusually alright. We stopped for fuel, followed by a cup of coffee at one of those lingerie latte joints. A little odd. Fast forward a few hours and we were circling the aforementioned island, looking for something level. To our astonishment, the campground was all but empty. So we pitched a few tents to save space, drank some cider and passed out early.

A light fog had settled overnight, and the wind was offshore when we awoke. It had rained. We slipped on our suits and paddled out early. The only ones if I remember right. It was exhausting. Paddling as hard as possible. Fighting the wind in your face. Your body becoming a sail as soon as you stand up. But when it all worked, when you got a good one, goddamn were those waves wonderful. After a few hours Karissa donned a pair of swim fins that Shawn gave us and paddled, er, swam out with our often forgot Canon PowerShot D20. It was an excellent afternoon. Follow the link for a few of her photos.

Le Log. Le Pier.

Louis White and James De La Cruz surfing somewhere down south. Brought to you by Adam Burns.