Early Examples

Short film shot by Bruce Brown and John Severson, brought to you by the Encyclopedia of Surfing.

Eddie Bauer's Cloud Layer Pro Fleece

My mother used to buy me a new fleece every winter when I was a kid. Outgrowing the one she'd purchased the year prior, I could always count on finding a new fleece wrapped and waiting beneath our Christmas tree. They varied by brand, color, fit and finish. I remember a certain brand-name being emblazoned across the front of one fleece - a feature of utmost importance at the time, as I would have almost certainly been a social outcast had I worn one without a logo. As time marched on however, the frequency of the Christmas fleece went from once a year to every so often. I was done growing, and to be perfectly honest, fleece wasn't what the kids were wearing anymore. But now, fifteen years in the future, a fuzzy fleece is just the thing I need to keep me warm in the winter.

Enter Eddie Bauer's Cloud Layer Pro Fleece. Made with Polartec's 5.5oz micro velour fleece, the Cloud Layer is designed to be both warm and lightweight, allowing you to layer if necessary. The 100% polyester velour construction used in Eddie Bauer's fleece creates air pockets that trap air and retain body heat, while also drying quickly and resisting pilling (funny little fleece balls). The Cloud Layer Pro Fleece is available as either a 1/4-zip pullover or a full-zip jacket, and comes in both men's and women's shapes and sizes.

Tycho

What I've been listening to lately...

Till You Can't Feel Your Feet

This is the time of year when I am supposed to be thankful for things. Friends, family, good food, a healthy heart, etc. It's easy to overlook all of the good shit I've got going on, though. Overwhelmed at times by a whole bunch of bullshit, bad people and even worse weather. But when I can step back for a second, you know, really digest some of this shit, it becomes apparent that I've got it really good. It's easy to complain, however. To want more or yearn for something other than what you've already acquired. The grass being greener and all that. And so I struggle. Like a lot of people I presume. Wanting what others own; a bigger van, a different sorta surfboard, some new shoes. Whatever it is. But when I stop to think, to take into account where I am at versus where I was, the desires disappear. Instead I smile, thinking about all the waves we had this weekend, the campfires and the cold beers, the offshore wind and the candid conversations. It was incredible. And I couldn't be more thankful. Because in the end, all the crap we've acquired won't matter that much. It'll be the experiences - daydreams and nightmares alike - that define who we are, or who we were.

Anna Ehrgott

Check out this fun little film featuring Anna Ehrgott and some of our favorite spots down south.

Topo Designs Cinch Tote

I've always been a fan of big bags. Something you can stuff a lot of... well... stuff into. Zippered pockets and separate sections on the inside of backpacks and bags can be cool, but sometimes what you really need is just an oversized sack of sorts. And so I was super stoked when I saw Topo Designs new Cinch Tote ($89), a tall 1000d Cordura creation featuring natural leather lash tabs, long nylon handles, a removable shoulder strap and pack cloth interior. There's a small zippered pocket on the front of the tote, as well as a wide sleeve-style pocket behind it. The top of the tote can be cinched shut to keep your shit secure, or you can stuff it inside to make everything easy to access. Like all of their equipment, the Cinch Tote is made in Topo Designs LEED certified building in Denver, Colorado. And for just $89, the Cinch Tote (which is available in four different color combos, btw) is a perfect replacement for that tattered old grocery tote you keep in the trunk of your car, or an excellent alternative to that big backpack you bring with you every weekend.

Fluctus Splitters

Check out this little trailer for a forthcoming 'Super 8' surf film made by Tristan Mausse.

Clara Ukulele

The Clara Ukulele is an innovative new instrument made from Ekoa, a combination of plant-based, environmentally friendly fabrics and bio-based resins that produces a responsiveness, stability and strength unlike anything else (or so they say). The Clara is built by Blackbird Guitars in San Francisco, CA, a company that has "spent the better part of a decade developing small, travel-friendly, carbon-fiber instruments with world class tone." The Clara is said to provide musicians with the experience of a vintage old-growth instrument in a lightweight, durable and sustainable package. Sounds good to me. Click here to learn more about (and listen to) Blackbird's Clara Ukulele.

Death Dagger

Mark Matisons surfing a Gato Heroi 'Death Dagger' on the west coast of Australia (via Wild Things).

All Men Dream

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible."

- T.E. Lawrence

Whiskey Was The Word

I won't get into it all, but lets just say last week(end) was not wonderful. Two funerals, a lot of whiskey and some sleep left us exhausted come Sunday evening. We'd driven from Federal Way to Port Angeles following the second service and were eagerly anticipating our dinner date with Angel and Quinton. My mother was in town all week and traveled north with us on Sunday evening. After eating and drinking, we all took a seat in front of Angel's tiny television to watch Invasion! From Planet C for the umpteenth time. And while we drank whiskey and ginger syrup and talked about all the bad things that had happened that week, my mother tucked her self into Angel's refurbished guest room, and somehow slept through all of our silliness.

Monday morning we ate bagels for breakfast before heading west in search of surf. We skipped the first spot in favor of the second, and found two of our friends slipping out of their wetsuits as soon as we arrived. There were waves. Reasonably sized ones. But the tide was too high and the swell was reflecting off a steep shelf, creating that baby-in-a-bathtub effect. We paddled out anywhoo, and found a few fun ones. My mother snapped a some photos, poking her head out the passenger side of Fargo every few minutes as to avoid standing in the rain. We kept it short and sweet, donned the Cloak of Stoke and headed back toward Seattle sooner than I would have wanted. It was a rough week, but a salty dip in the sea made everything feel a bit better.

One Average Day

James Parry surfing small stuff on the other side of the earth. Brought to you by Ruwac Productions.