6/27/13

Foals



What I've been listening to lately...

6/26/13

Early Offshore

Sunday was sorta exciting. Offshore winds when we woke up. And rain... lots of rain. Everything was wet, so there was really no reason to sit around our camp site. We paddled out around eleven following a few cups of coffee and way too much goddamn granola. The tide was out, but on its way in. The first few were fun, Karissa and I sliding by ourselves. Friends followed. Stoke harvested. With a four hour drive and a few stops in front of us, we packed up all of our camping crap and started back toward Seattle.

A late lunch at Granny's Cafe was followed by a phone call from my father: "The rear tire on my rig just blew. How far ahead are you guys?" Fuck. It could have been a lot worse, though. Luckily the steel belt stayed together, preventing a four foot fall and additional damage. We took the truck to a friends place in Poulsbo, filled Fargo with a few of my father's things and then (finally) sailed for Seattle. Just glad the old man is alright. Turns out his tires were ten years old! Maintenance. Shit is important.

Two Tribes (2)

Join us at The Piranha Shop on Friday, July 19th for Two Tribes (2), our second annual custom motorcycle and classic surfboard show. This year's event will benefit A Warm Current and will feature an assortment of old school sticks and custom built bikes. Additional info is available here.

6/25/13

Rince Cochon

Rince Cochon is a strong pale ale brewed by Brouwerij Roman in Oudenaarde, Belgium. It's light in color and mild in taste, with a refreshing finish and no hint of it's 8.5% ABV. Honestly, I bought the bottle because there was a pink pig on the label. That said, I was surprised to find that a pretty alright pale ale awaited me this weekend. And having consumed countless IPAs as of late, this light bodied Belgian was a welcome reprieve from the heavily hopped and hard to handle. Find it at Full Throttle Bottles.

Max Schaaf



The fifth annual Born Free Show will take place this weekend at the Oak Canyon Ranch in Silverado, CA. A few of my friends are riding their knuckles and shovels from Seattle to So-Cal. And like my buddy Blubaugh, this dude Max Schaaf from 4Q Conditioning in Oakland, CA, is the real fucking deal.

Compression Check

Surfing swine isn't for everyone. Forty pounds of pork sitting atop your skull, crushing your cranium, shortening your spine. Even the most savory soul isn't inclined. But there's something about the way they slide; trimming toward the top, turning from the tail... it's an acquired taste. One I've probably talked about too much. Anywhoo. Lemme tell you what happened this weekend. We hiked in again, to that secret spot we surfed last Sunday. The wind was working from the west, though. Onshore when we showed up. It took a few hours for us to decide whether we wanted to wander down there. Sixty-five and sunny had us sitting outside instead of surfing.

It was the boats and beginners that sent us somewhere else. Searching for solitude. But as far as I'm concerned, it was worth all the walking. Because we had it to ourselves - small waves that broke both directions. Peeling like a point. We surfed for four hours, finally calling it quits when the wind picked up. By the time we hiked back and headed out, the tide was starting to come in. With sunset scheduled for sometime around ten, we decided to surf a second time. The swell size was increasing and the wind went away. I paddled out alone. Karissa and a few friends followed. It was warm enough to go without gloves and there were whales in the water. We surfed until the sun settled behind the hills, and ate dinner in the dark. A damn fine day.

6/24/13

Harrison x Zye



Harrison Biden and Zye Norris sure know how to slide big sticks. Filmed and edited by Zach Walker.

6/21/13

Topo Designs Hip Pack

When Topo Designs unveiled their Hip Pack, I got all sorts of excited. I’ve never been a fan of the traditional fanny pack, but this thing was different. I saw photos of people wandering the world with the bag slung over their shoulder, and I imagined what my life might be like if I had one as well. I began to think of all the things this bag could do... hold my jacket so I didn’t have to, secure my belongings when I run out the door; rushing off to my next adventure. I was tired of losing my cell phone, keys or my favorite chapstick when I tossed my other bags on the floor of the van and this seemed like the solution.

Honestly I think my husband was tired of me making a mess, because when I sent him a link to Topo's teal and red Hip Pack, he immediately ordered me one! As soon as it arrived, I tested it’s ability to carry some of my stuff, the essentials first... my makeup bag, glasses, sunglasses, money clip, cell phone, keys, Moleskin, chapstick, Opinel picnic knife... and there was still room! So I added the book I’ve been trying to read, our waterproof camera, my extra pair of earrings (a girl can never have too many!), my flask (bourbon please!), and guess what? There was still room for more sutff! This bag is awesome!

I bring it to work and with me on the weekends, and have fallen in love with both its looks and utility. Hell, I've even started wearing it on my hip, not just slung over my shoulder! So if you’re looking for a bag that can carry all sorts of stuff, that is rough and tumble yet stylish and cute, pick up a Hip Pack!

Flexpig



Check out this fantastic bit of film featuring the COOPERFISH Flexpig. Now that's my sorta swine!

6/20/13

Recycled Wetsuit Sleeves

Our friends at Warm Current, "a non-profit that works with underserved communities through kids surfing programs and charitable donations of recycled wetsuits and surfboards," are selling some iPad sleeves made from an assortment of recycled suits. A wonderful way to protect your information superhighway consumption screen, all of the proceeds from the sale of these sleeves will go toward creating more kids camps. $20 can do a lot. So click here and support a pretty awesome project.

DOHO



An evening with Andy Nieblas, JJ Wessels, Nathan Adams and Tyler Warren. Shot by Sam Schafer.

6/19/13

Dewey Weber Surfboards

Dewey Weber has been in the surfboard business since 1960. A brand founded by its namesake, Dewey Weber Surfboards is currently located in San Clemente, California and is still family owned, with the day-to-day operations being run by Dewey's son, Shea. We stumbled into the shop on Friday afternoon on our way back to LA. Old school is how I would immediately describe the store. A menagerie of memorabilia from decades of surf contests and such cover the walls when you walk in. Old, single fin logs hang above your head, and there's two floral print bamboo couches in the middle of an adjacent room surrounded by surfboards. Shea was standing behind the counter wearing that classic California kit; bright red board shorts and a black t-shirt.

Like the Little Man on Wheels, Shea is a man of similar size. Stout, but shorter. Strong in the shoulders. His smile was wide and he greeted us with what seemed like endless enthusiasm. Albeit small, the shop is chock full of character. Trophies and framed photos of famous Weber Competition Team members sit on shelves above shirts and sweaters for sale. We talked about boards, namely the infamous Weber Performer, a surfboard that hasn't changed since the sixties. The colors are what'll really catch your eye. Green and red and yellow, with the famous Dewey Weber logo sitting front and center. Beautiful boards and an awesome shop. So if you're in San Clemente, be sure to stop by and see their shop. Follow the link for a few more photos.

Instant Gramification

Small waves, strong drinks, motorcycles and misbehaving. Follow us @peanutbuttercoast!

6/18/13

Grand Canyon Fold-Top Table

Camp tables come in all shapes and sizes. There's the rubber roll-top type you can get at REI, or those handmade hardwood ones that'll cost you an arm and a leg. Shit, some people just put a piece of plywood on top of a milk crate, or cut and cook stuff on top of their cooler. To each their own. But for the last two years, Karissa and I haven't had one - cooking on whatever flat surface we could find. And when I say "we," what I really mean is Karissa, because I couldn't cook a can of soup to save my life. Anyhow. Our friends at Travel Chair were kind enough to send us one of their Grand Canyon tables ($119), an all aluminium fold-top table with friction locking legs and a carry case.

At it's lowest height, the Grand Canyon table can accommodate 225 lbs (75 lbs when it's all the way upright). When fully assembled, the table measures 35.5" x 27.5" and is adjustable from 18" to 28" tall. The table is large enough to fit our Camp Chef cook stove, a stack of plastic plates, an assortment of utensils and all kinds of accouterments, such as ketchup, mustard, peanut butter and bananas. And it's tall enough that you can stand and cook, which keeps Karissa from looking like a two foot tall troll. Fit and finish is fantastic, and the whole thing packs into a bag the same size as our Teddy chairs. An essential for any car camper, in our opinion.

Polar Primates



What I've been listening to lately...

Hundred Mile Hike

Some say it can take ten days to get down there. A hundred mile hike through a forbidden forest full of evergreens and eagles. Others say that you'll have to hold your breath for a half an hour, and that the only way out there is through a tree lined tunnel with big spinning razor blades on both sides - just like Indiana Jones. But it was worth it, that long walk to the water, because there were waist high waves at the other end. Beautiful blue-green water hills breaking alongside a big brown rock. With a smooth, sandy bottom just below the surface and a forest of black colored kelp on the outside.

This wave isn't like others, however. Blocked by an outcropping of rocks - atop which live KOOK eating creatures, or so they say - it breaks both ways; steep on the one side, soft and slow on the other. We surfed for four or five hours. Dropping in on each other, disregarding any and all etiquette. There were waves for everyone, though. And when the sun began to set and our fingers felt frozen, we started taking pictures with the waterproof camera Karissa acquired on accident. It was an excellent evening - surfing with my friends and my father near the end of the earth. Follow the link for a few more photos.

6/17/13

This is Alex



Interesting little edit featuring the strangest of sliders, Alex Knost. Brought to you by Taylor Bonin.

Sunny Side Up

It's hard to give up what you know to be good. Unwilling to explore at times. Stick to whatcha know and all that. But I'll be goddamned if the grass wasn't greener. Like some kind of well groomed football field. All good and glassy. It was Andy's idea, honestly. Inspired by a week long trip to the Midwest, he was eager for other opportunities - somewhere new to surf. And while I won't tell you where we were, I will tell you that the waves were wonderful, the wind absent and the company couldn't have been better. Karissa tried to capture some of our slides, but I fucked up the camera settings, washing out everything but a few of the photos. Oh well. Here's what we have. More mañana.

6/14/13

The Bu Bu

Karissa and I drove through Malibu back in 2007, noting all of the enormous hillside homes, shitty little stores and plethora of Porsche's. But the point wasn't working when we were there, and honestly, I wasn't all that interested. This time, however, we made a point to visit the point. Which just so happened to be working. And while I've been known to avoid surfing backside, that lil' inside break at the Bu looked pretty damn delicious; albeit crowded and full of kooks. But that's Malibu, and had I not already shipped my stick back to Seattle, I probably would have paddled out for some fun ones. Next time.

Tip Tops & No Tails

Inspired by the snaggle-toothed sepulatoids at Stoke Harvester, we've decided to try and sell some t-shirts through Teespring. Printed on American Apparel, these glorious grey goodies are guaranteed to make you more amazing, as well as prevent the attachment of a tail. Ten shirts. Ten days. $15.

The Emporium of Postmodern Activities

The dudes at Deus are doing a damn fine job of cultivating a culture. Lets call it 'surf inspired moto madness.' Inside their operation(s) you'll find assorted apparel, custom surfboards and hand built bikes - and everything in between. They've got three locations: The House of Simple Pleasures in Sydney, Australia, the Temple of Enthusiasm on the Indonesian island of Bali, and the Emporium of Postmodern Activities, located in a brand new building on Venice Blvd. Which is where we went. To watch the Moto GP race and shoot the shit with a few of our friends after eating breakfast near the beach.

The usual suspects were in attendance - my good buddy Grant (creative director turned dual-sport daredevil), a mustached man some people call Stefan (aka Deus USA Dude #1), our mutual mate, Sean (who somehow managed to survive this shit), and Joe and Flora, two CanaNewMerican filmmakers who've decided to live in the desert. It was Sunday, so there were plenty of other people. Some came to see Rossi wreck, others were there to ogle the apparel, drink coffee and stare at screens. An eclectic mix, that's for sure. The store itself is stellar. With all kinds of cool clothing, framed photos and asymmetrical shapes. So if you're in the LA area, I highly recommend you take some time to see their shop.

Seaside Surf Swap

If you're in the OR area, stop by the Seaside Surf Shop tomorrow, Saturday, June 15th, for their fifth annual surfy swap. Plate lunch is just $5 and it sounds like everything in their shop will be on sale.

6/13/13

Uppers, Lowers & Middles

Big waves don't bother me. I've surfed shit I probably shouldn't have, on boards that were way too big. I guess I'm just not interested in surfing a shorter stick. Well, maybe a Mini Simmons - but not now. So when that southwest swell showed up in Southern California, I was a little bummed I'm not a member of the Tiny Twig Tribe. It was epic, to say the least. We knew it would be. Which is why we took a trip to Trestles. You could see the swell from the street. Huge walls of water, rising and peeling and crashing along the coastline. It took about twenty minutes to walk from where we parked to where we watched. There were hundreds, yes, HUNDREDS of people in the water. Insane. But of all those that were out there, only a handful could actually catch anything. There's so much show in So-Cal. Everyone wants to be seen surfing - whether you're good at it seems to matter a lot less. Anyhow. It was interesting, albeit a little boring. Big waves produce the same style in almost everyone: survival. Big drop, bottom turn, rail grab and then out the other end. Follow the link for a few more photos from our time at Trestles.

Clovis Donizetti



Clovis Donizetti from Biarritz, France, shares his thoughts on surfing big sticks. As seen on OXBOW.

6/11/13

Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Aside from last week, I'd surfed in Southern California just once, in 2007, when Karissa and I drove from Seattle to San Diego, stopping along the way to watch waves and eat tasty tacos. And while I had heard of places like Huntington Beach and Malibu twelve-hundred times, I really had no idea where we should surf. Because picking the right place to paddle out is a lot like finding good food in an unknown area. There's all sorts of shit. Too many taco stands! And although it'd be a lot easier if someone showed you where to score a few slides; where's the fun in that?! So before we landed in the LBC, I Google'd every goddamn spot from upper LA to the southern part of San Diego, trying to find the best place to surf my new stick, a nine eight noserider.

So on Monday morning, after acquiescing a friend's automobile, we drove past the pier at Huntington, skipped San Clemente and went all the way down to Cardiff-by-the-Sea, a sleepy little section of the Coast Highway, just south of Encinitas. After picking up my new board from the boys at Bing, we settled on a spot that people call Pipes... I think. It was pretty small, but sunny. I only surfed for a few hours, as Karissa was without a wave riding apparatus, requiring us to share a stick. Apparently a squirrel broke into our bag while I was in the water, nibbling on a loaf of bread we'd just bought. Somehow Karissa managed to snap a photo of the salty Sciuridae shortly after he'd escaped with a slice.

We stayed in the area for a few days, surfing different spots along that same stretch of sand. It was alright, even when it got windy in the afternoon. Encinitas is quite cool, I might add, and the chile pineapple margaritas at Las Olas are to die for. But when that southwest swell showed up - something like two feet at twenty two seconds - it got a little bit big for my new board. We scurried south, searching for something a little smaller. No such luck. Everywhere we went was windy. So after exhausting our options, we decided to skip the surfing and spend some time at Trestles watching people ride walls of water.

6/10/13

Nine Foot & Single



A few minutes of film from this year's 9'ft & Single competition in Canggu. Brought to you by Deus Bali.

Bing Surfboards

Bing makes beautiful boards. Everything from purple pigs to sexy single fins. Shaped by hand in sunny Southern California, Bing is a brand that's been around for awhile. Founded by Bing Copeland and Rick Stoner in 1959, the brand has transformed over time, however they've managed to maintain the two most important parts: quality and craftsmanship. Their current facility, an enormous warehouse dedicated to shaping and glassing surfboards, epitomizes my 'Made in America' mantra. Brand new boards line the walls when you walk in, ready to be shipped overseas. People in funny face masks are everywhere. The sound of spinning cylindrical things echoes through the hallways. It's an operation, building boards. One that requires a great deal of effort and enthusiasm.

We arrived around noon on Monday, because the boys at Bing spend their mornings surfing a spot near their house. Adam was the first one I found - limping around outside, bamboo cane keeping him upright (apparently he dropped a big barrel of resin on his foot a few days earlier). A classic California kid, Adam is everything you'd expect to see. Tan, kinda tall, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, with his hair combed over like someone from the sixties. I introduced myself, shot the shit for a few and then followed Adam upstairs where I came into contact with Kyle, Margaret's right hand man. He showed me around the shop, starting with where Matt (Calvani) shapes surfboards. Honestly, I don't remember which way we went - start to finish or whether we skipped a few steps - but whichever way it was, I got a good idea of how it all happens, and how difficult it is to do.

When we returned to the room where all the boards await their box, Adam arrived with my brand new BN Lightweight. A beautiful board. Everything I'd imagined. We spoke about where to surf, which place had the best burrito, what it's like living across the street from wonderful waves and how hard it is to be a surfer in Seattle. They seemed stoked. And honestly, it wasn't until we pulled outta the parking lot that the significance of our visit really settled in. I mean, not many people get to see where something is shaped, where it comes to life - the process and the people. It was extraordinary. I just hope that the shitty photos I took while walking around will give you a feel for what they've got going on.

LORDE



What I've been listening to lately...

6/9/13

Gnar Gnar

Some people idolize athletes, wish-was-ing their way through life. Other people are more interested in movie stars, those people that pretend to be other people. I, on the other hand, am inspired by the eccentric, the odd, and the kind you can't contain. Like my friend Mike. He teaches math and makes weird science-fiction surf movies. Also known as Gnar Gnar, or Captain Blackstoke, Mike's about as cool as they come. Unassuming. Approachable. Some real salty swine.

I met Mike like I've met a lot of my friends... on the internet. In addition to making surf movies and teaching people PEMDAS, Mike runs a blog about pig shaped surfboards. He's also worked with Matt Calvani and Bing Surfboards to design something a little different, something from the late fifties - wide point aft, narrow nose, D fin, belly and weight. Ten Foot and Feral!

It's not often you get to eat a breakfast burrito with someone so inspiring - I might mention it had hash browns and avocado inside. He's the reason I bought my board, and the reason I'm still inspired by that time when surfing wasn't shredding. When glide and trim and big fuck-off bottom turns with the tip turned up were what you wanted. He's humble and doesn't seem to give two shits whether or not you agree with what he's got going on. I could say all sorts of stuff - maybe I've already said too much - but Mike made our entire time in sunny Southern California worthwhile. BLAST IT!

6/5/13

Tipping Cows



Nova Scotia noseriding with Dean Petty. Brought to you by Harrison Newman Jardine.