on parade....

 

Stock SeaPeas now at Gulfstream's Braunton shop

chuckle-bility

Randall and Elsie

planing

Jools hard at work in his shaping cave.

It's hard to explain just how difficult it is to cut a decent shape with a planer (for a newbie like me anyway) The foam is so fragile and the planer so aggressive that the tiniest change in angle or speed is reflected by creating a bumo or worse still a gouge....

The best comparison i can make would be trying to carve sonmething out of florists oasis with a dremel tool! Steady hands and a good eye are the bare minimum.

Hope everyone got some fun fathers day waves over the weekend. There certainly were a lot of people in the water. In the end a bit of patience was rewarded with a slightly smaller but quieter session. I rode my pointy squire log which hasn't been in the water for a while. It's pretty different to a proper log and a nice alternative to a three fin longboard in bigger waves. Despite having the wide point back of center, the roll in the bottom and the flexy fin give it an almost hully feel to the bottom turn. Especially if you get low and crank it over. There's a nice pivoty drive to it's cutbacks and the 17 nose really makes you work for your tip time. It's an unusual but satisfying board to surf.

Monday was a beautifully fun logging wave, small glassy and perfect for the if6was9 log i've been favoring recently. Boots off too!

The rain may be back today but it's my birthday and i'm going surfing!!!!

indulge me....

 So i know this is supposed to be about surfing but i just finished this big case and i'm pretty stoked on it so indulge me!

This is before.............

and this is after.....

one of these teeth is completely false and artificial, bet you cant see which one it is!

pensive......

BGA strikes his best catalogue pose while I lie panting on the grass after he lent me his spare bike then me cycle up a steep hill back in may. Jesting aside I owe Al big thank you's for lending me his old cannondale so i could find a new way of scaring myself/ having fun on those many crap surf days we seem to have suffered this summer! It's just about kept me sane and in some semblance of fitness.

 

It's wet and wild out there again today and it seems like we've gone straight to winter again. Almost seems like we've just had one season of grey wetness all year. I feel like i've hardly surfed over the last month or so and my stoke is at a low ebb from a surfing point of view. Thank goodness for alternative entertainment! There is some hope on the horizon, if the wind forecast holds and the logs might just get dusted off at the weekend.

 

In other news, the new iphone 5 is pretty cool and more importantly doesn't randomly crash at annoying moments like my old 3. Hopefully i can waste some time on it later watching the quik pro from france. Wow thats a heavy beachbreak. When a surfer of jeremy flores calibre is visibly shaken after a wipeout/hold down you know there's a lot of water moving around!

extra pickle?

So back from Portugal after some much needed sunshine, shellfish, red wine but few waves and surprise surprise it's howling windy and raining and freezing. Time to start planning another escape i think!

The Tyler Warren piece in drift ended up being chopped up a little to fit the feature space available so i thought i'd post the unabridged version here. Nothing earth shattering extra but a few more of his views on stuff, perhaps a little bit more poignant now given the recent sad news about Terry Martin!

Tyler Warren's star burns ever brighter, his name on more people's lips, his images on more and more pages for his surfing, his shaping and his artwork.  Yet he pilots a serene and steady course through the hype, letting his actions speak louder than words with a quiet assurance rare in this time of endless self promotion and internet scenemaking.

Growing up in Dana Point, away from the million dollar yachts of Newport and the plastic personalities of mtv's real OC, he cut his teeth on the logging waves of Doheny and San O, part of the first generation of surfers growing up with the trailblazing of Tudor to follow. By high school he had graduated from heavy logs to Salt Creek and a little bit of everything else as well.

On a single fin, his style brings much of his early hero Tudor to mind, precise technical footwork and noseriding disguised in a smooth fluid style belying the difficulty within and yet there is more, a timeless bent knee trim and speed lines with economy of movement that smacks of Phil Edwards and earlier times. There may be influences but mixed together they give a silhouette that is all his own.

That same smooth speed is transferred when he steps on shorter equipment. As one of the most visible proponents of the Hynd inspired second coming of the fish a few years ago, many contend that his surfing on the two or four fin fish platform is as artful as you will see anywhere. In truth he has developed into perhaps one of the most gifted "all boards" surfers on the planet, something the forthcoming "Tyler Warren experiments" film will no doubt confirm.

On dry land, Tyler is distinct from the surfer stereotype, inspired by 50's americana with a vintage look that once again harks back to the innocence of the endless summer and before. Clean lines and good design. He's well travelled but just as likely to be home working on his new house or hanging with his girl Taylor or in his studio working on his latest art project.

Fresh from his victory at Joel Tudor's duct tape contest in Spain and preparing for his latest art show in Hawaii, we caught up with him at home in Dana...

Whats your earliest surfing memory?

I grew up around the ocean, I can remember my uncle or dad taking me out tandem on a boogie board at salt creek and taking some free fall drops down the face.  I would go body surf and body board a lot with my brother  in newport and laguna growing up.  Then next I remember my 8th or 9th birthday my dad came in with a Big black trash bag covered thing, It was a late 70's/early 80's Bruce Jones channel bottom twin fin. I began surfing at Doheny when I was about 8 or 9.    

Who influenced you growing up? do you think the quieter beach town vibe in Dana Point shaped you compared to growing up in the more glitz of Newport or the "extreme" party capital that is Huntingdon?

Yeah for sure.. Dana Point is mostly a quiet town with a lot of working class surfers.  A place where you could focus on your surfing more.

Who inspires you now?

Terry Martin, Joel Tudor, Tom Curren, My Uncle Kenton, and any one that is doing what they love.

Do you see yourself as a pro surfer or an artist who surfs?

I dont really like to use the word pro surfer.. I am a creative person that surfs, shapes, and does art.

What's exciting you in surfing right now?

Surfing in general, good uncrowded waves.  Shaping boards and riding them is always exciting and fun.

A long time Hobie team rider and working part time in and around the factory through his youth it was perhaps inevitable that Tyler would be tempted to pick up a planer. Mentored by head Hobie shaper, Terry Martin, Tyler's shapes are very well regarded and becoming highly sought after. While he is best known for his "bar of soap" take on the simmons planing hull that is just of the templates he has been developing.

where does shaping fit for you, is it something you see as taking up more of your time in the future? Do you consider your boards to be art pieces and an extension of your work in other media?

Shaping is something I have just naturally gotten into over the years.  It is a time consuming craft but it is rewarding.  I want to make functional boards that can be ridden, all types of boards from different eras and put my own twist on them..

Every era has its gems, and with modern rails and thickness you cant go wrong. I think surfboards are meant to be ridden...  Some look nicer then others and some clients want the more elaborate stuff.

terry martin is fairly unknown outside california despite being of the same generation of lots of big name 60's shapers, tell us about him and his influence on you?

Terry is a legend but the average person would not know who he is.  He is underground in a way but in Dana Point and San Clemente he is the man.  Most good shapers have heard of him.. He has been shaping since the 50's and has been cranking boards out ever since.

whats in your day to day quiver, do you have a favorite board?

I usually have a log and a twin fin in the van... The sizes and dimensions vary.  Lately I have been enjoying the first nose rider I made myself. Its 9'6'' and a good time.

what do you like as far as longboard shapes go?

I grew up riding all sorts of boards concave, v, channels curvy and straight templates.  They all serve a purpose.  I still ride all types of shapes thats what keeps it interesting.

recently you've made a few 50's inspired malibu chip style boards, what drew you to that shape and how are they to ride?

Now that I think about it.. My first custom board I ordered when I was about 12 came out looking like a Phil Edwards style board, though I didn't know who that was at the time... it just came out that way.. I asked for a 3 stringer, tail block, and a nose with a slight point, the nose came out much more pointy then I expected but I wrode it any ways.  Then when I rode for weber I got a board that had a similar look called a "professional" Both those boards had no concave.  

I grew up surfing with my friend Kio who has a 50's style clothing brand and he's always ridden Mike Marshall boards that looked like Malibu chips.. So that board came from all those influences.

What made you shape the first bar of soap? Have you refined them since?

Richard Kenvin let me borrow "Casper" the first mini simmons him and Joe Bauguess made.  I took it to northern baja and loved it at this slopey point wave. It was 6'0'' eps and about 23" wide.  That is the board that started the mini simmons revolution.  Then he started to make them smaller, and I saw a 5'0'' he made and fell in love with it. I was like "thats what I want!" I did some art for him and never got the board, but they kept popping into my life. RT (Ryan Thomas) got one from Richard and it was the 2nd white pony also in EPS.  RT let me borrow that for a few months and I loved riding it. .. It had a wide shallow swallow tail with 2 fins.. My dad was bugging me to teach this little 9 year old girl to surf that was one of his co workers daughters. So we began meeting at doheny and I would push her in on the white pony.. She would fly down the line and even go switch.. She was super light and small. She did so well on the board that her dad wanted one for her.. I said I'd shape it... So I did. It was my 9th board and I took so much time on it and I was so stoked on how It came out that I said to myself I am going to keep this one and make her another one.  That board was what started it for me.. I rode it for about 6 months then made 3 more for an art show.. I tried different concaves and tails, I kept one of those too and fell in love with it.. That was the first proper bar of soap I guess, shape # 12. My friend said it looked like i was riding a bar of soap when i surfed it and the name stuck. I rode that board for a year or so and loved it.. I still have #9 and 12.. then people started ordering them..

Is style important to you? What makes good style?

The more you do something the more you develop your style.  Smooth and Powerful Style has always appealed to me

You recently signed with Billabong, do you think we are starting to see the big companies become more aware and interested in the marketing potential of the logging/ alternative board scene? will that be a good or bad thing?

I guess surfing is just going in that direction in general... More and more people are riding quads, twin fins and stuff like that.  Its not a bad thing if a corporate company wants to help support what you love.

is competition longboarding relevant at all now?

I think the contest Joel Tudor/Vans is doing a good job keeping logging relevant.

what else do you spend your time doing?

Hanging out with my girlfriend, working on my house I just got.

Tyler's girlfriend, Taylor Simpkins is the sister of underground orange county logging legend Cody Simpkins and a talented surfer in her own right. She forms the muse for many of the female images in his paintings....

Where does your artistic style come from?

Every day life, traveling, vintage illustration, my uncle, art books, and mother nature

do you think the art world pigeon holes you as a "surf artist" or do you feel you are starting to break through on your own merits as an artist, surfing not withstanding?

I'm not sure how much the real art world knows about me or my work...  I don't consider myself a surf artist, I usually don't care to much for "Surf Art".  I am a surfer that does art so it is only natural to depict the ocean.

Is acceptance into the real art world a goal for your future

I am just going to keep working and doing what I love, and hope for the best.  I would love to show my work in a proper white gallery that hangs the work for you and its properly spaced, and they have the small red dots and little pins with #'s on them,.. I always have to do that stuff and be in charge haha.  I just want the work to be represented well. I have been very fortunate with all the places that have had shows for me.

You are pretty well travelled, do you have a favorite travel story?

No horror stories thankfully.  My last trip to indo I scored some magical waves by accident.. We went to this small island for a swell, traveled for a whole day through three airports, really hung over because I had just had an art show and won a longboard contest the night before in bali.  I puked in two airports (the airports in indo are not that pleasant, wierd smells and funky bathrooms!)

We finally get there and it's boiling hot but beautiful, it felt like real island style.  People eating with their hands, kids and old women running up to us to say hello or take a picture with some surfers,  houses with no electricity or windows. After a couple hour drive we made it to the break just before dark.  The swell had not totally hit yet but it was still over head.  The guys I was with wanted it to be triple over head!

The next morning it wasn't so the stoke level was way down. I was feeling tired and out of it so I laid down for a second and the next thing I know the guys are getting ready to hop on a boat to go check a slab wave down the way.  They said it was probably not going to be good because the wind looked like it was coming up and I was feeling over it.  Then Wade (Goodall) said "I am just going to walk it." That sounded nice so I just grabbed my 5'11'' asymmetrical and headed out the door.  I had no idea what I was about to find walking around the point up the beach 1 or 2 kilometers.  

When we see what we were looking for it's huge gaping off shore tubes with no one around just a fisherman and some palm trees.  Wade puts his bag down and puts his leash on, I do the same and follow him across the sharp reef and rock. As we make our way to the water it gets sharper and sharper and we notice the 4 foot waves that are breaking right on the reef just before the deep channel.  Wade found a small out cropping and headed towards that, he looked back at me and said "fuck".  I said "you can do it, charge it!".. So he scurried across the last bit of reef and found a small key hole in the rocks between waves and jumped down in it. As he got sucked out I hurried and did the same. We got l

adventuresintrinmucky, we didn't get cut or break fins 'cos it was the sketchiest of water entries.

We paddled out about a half kilometer to the break in a channel.. Watching these crazy waves come through. The boat was already there and Dylan (Longbottom) and Laurie Towner were already out there. We were wishing we had hopped in the boat with those guys, but we had a adventure...

The wave was one of the heaviest I had surfed.. I scored a couple good ones, a solid air drop and and a backdoor tube that spit me out.. It was a great experience.  Dylan perforated his ear drum and those guys had all surfed Teahupoo and they were saying that one of the sets that came through was like a right hand version.  Only 4 of us out and a beach full of palm trees it was the real deal!

do yo have a favorite wave?

a couple :)

give us three words that define you

Creative Ocean Goer

i guess we had better name-check your sponsors....

Billabong, Hobie, Retro Spective wetsuits

whats next for you?

I am off to Hawaii next week for a art show with Andy Davis and Jeff Canham called "Back in Town" at the Greenroom gallery.  "The Experiments" is in the editing process now & we should be premiering it by fall.  

Explore more of Tyler's world at 

artbytylerwarren.com

surf-knot.blogspot.com

build your own.....

Paul Jensen is considered a bit of a legend in building hollow wood surfboards and it seems like he's going to be over here in october running a workshop.

I don't know much about this but i do know Paul is supposed to be a great guy and a real craftsman and this will be a great opportunity to craft a beautiful, functional board........... if you have seven or eight hundred quid to spare!

logshop...

Part of the roomy interior of the Nineplus shop in Braunton, snapped whie Rob made me a coffee.

It's the closest shop around at the moment  in vibe (except revolver maybe) to the californian shops like Thalia or Mollusc.

With some nice US made logs, Vans, Levi's, some vintage clothes and smooth skin wetsuits, it's worth sticking your head through the door on your way over to Gulfstream to check out their locally made beauties.

in the estuary...

It's a boat.....who'd a thunk?!!

surf museum open now!!!

The Museum of British surfing is now open! Massive congratulations to Pete and the team for making it through the long process with all it's trials and tribulations. It's located at the side of the main car park in Braunton. Please make time to come and visit and support it, it's preserving our nations unique take on surfing and it's really worth your time and support.

nineplussed...

There are some nice Ca made logs in here right now, the new version of the osprey model looks particularly nice. Shaped by Hank Byzak who has a long behind the scenes history and also has hands on Joel Tudor's Kookbox model's check the shop's blog here

leading the charge....

I'm in the enviable position of acquiring two new wetsuits in the same number of weeks after Tim Heyland from Tiki very kindly gave me one of their brand new zepha suits to try.

It's a reassuringly warm looking 6/5/4 suit with a full time hood, super stretchy double lined neoprene, chest entry and liquid sealed seams. Tiki have ditched the warming packs from their old top of the line suit and moved production to the same factory that makes the top of the range o'neill suits. On the hanger it looks the business with subtle logos, mostly black with red shoulders and although obviously thick, the rubber has plenty of give to it.

As you might expect with a six mil suit, trying it on dry it feels a little restrictive and claustrophobically warm but the chest entry and exit is easy enough for this style of suit.

Once you're in the water, all thoughts of being stuck in the equivalent of a rubber straitjacket disappear.  I can honestly say that i didn't notice the extra thickness on the torso or legs compared to the 5/4 xcel i'm sporting in the photo above. It's also a revelation how much more comfortable a full time hood is compared to wearing a separate one giving a much more comfortable and free feeling around the neck and much less tension in my neck muscles post surf.

Paddling wise, the neoprene is so supple there's no feeling that you are losing mobility by being warm and nor did it feel cumbersome to surf in. Warmth wise, which is the important thing i guess, i can confirm that it's bloody good! The seams are watertight and even after an hour of duckdiving 3 foot beachbreak i had dry hair under the hood! I admit i've not exhaustedly tested it but i know a man who has and if it's kept Cotty warm taking cold, heavy, irish water on the head at prowlers and eileens, then i'm sure my first impression is right.

Winter hasn't been too cold here this year, the water is not as cold as it can get but i'm really confident that i'd stay toasty warm in the depths of midwinter with this suit. Much as i was impressed by the nineplus hasu suit i have, this is  the one i'll be grabbing for the dawn patrol for the next few weeks at least!

In other news, the love for Tim Mason is flowing freely and several kind folks have donated stuff to auction and contribute funds to the timmy mason trust. thomas campbell collectibles here and a stretch f4 quad, bag and fins here. Please support them if you can....

douglas e powell

 

 The exceedingly talented, Mr Douglas E Powell. Acoustic singer songwriter tinged with americana, english folk and melancholy. Wholly deserving of your attention!

for the daily commute

Reissue not original but very sweet all the same, stacey peralta warp tail, trackers and cambria wheels. Loose as a goose and oh so much fun.

Mega thanks to Gavin at surrey skateboards for taking so much pleasure in sorting me out, it was greatly appreciated!

hobie split

There are a lot of beautifully maintained hot rods and busses around california, a lot of occasions when i wasn't quick enough with a camera as they drove past. This beautiful splitty resides outside the main hobie store in Dana Point most of the time though so it's an easy target.

This weeks essential reading is "uncle Skello's what's hot and what's not" published every thursday on the Gulfstream blog. Everything you need to know to chart your way through the sartorial and cultural minefield that is staying cool,

Remember, support your local otter..... shaper, sorry!

meanwhile in real life.....

So i obviously keep this blog fairly exclusively about surfing, but  real life has to encroach on things from time to time. I'm pretty proud of my business and the way we look after people so please allow me to blow my own trumpet here just this once!

We are a friendly, family dental practice in Braunton, North Devon. We have a focus on looking after our patients in a relaxed comfortable environment with the highest of professional standards. We provide modern preventive dentistry, helping you to look after your mouth and prevent future problems whether you are 1 or 100 years old.

We know most of you hate coming to the dentist so we try to make things as pleasant as possible. Not only can you be sure we will treat you painlessly with the best possible treatment options tailored to your mouth's needs, you'll know we will treat you as an individual and have your best interests at heart.

Our waiting room has comfy sofa's, a tv, current magazines and free wi-fi so you can relax while you are waiting as much as possible. Once you're in our light modern surgeries, you can watch tv or your favorite dvd on our ceiling mounted tv's while we treat you and hopefully make the experience as pleasant as possible.

We offer a full range of general dentistry and have several dental hygienists to help look after your teeth  well as your gums.

Working in conjunction with some of the best labs in the country, we offer a full range of cosmetic dentistry including tooth whitening and veneers as well as filling gaps left by missing teeth with bridges or dental implants.

We are Denplan Excel accredited which means we have been independantly inspected and given an award for the quality of the service we provide.

We pride ourselves on being friendly, approachable and welcoming. We think it's important to spend time talking to you to make sure you understand whats going on in your mouth.

Click here to see our facebook page and find out a bit more about us!

01271 813721 or email us

OK plug over, normal service is now resumed!!

blurred vision

This week i spent a very enjoyable evening at the Tiki offices seeing them launch their new range of epoxy boards. In between being force fed real ale by Tim Heyland (who i now hold partly responsible for my worst hangover in recent memory!) here's what i remember........

The boards are the frutition of a five year design process and represent an attempt to push board construction forwards by marrying natural and manmade materials to create something with the best of both. The original shapes are by Bruce McKee, an aussie who has shaped for quite a few big names over the years and range from a 5'9 shortboard up to a 7 foot something fun board shape. There are a couple of fish style SUP's in the range too but interestingly no longboards. Tim, who is a very good longboarder himself, doesn't feel the technology gives the right feel to longer shapes and i think that's probably right.

Each board is machine preshaped then hand finished from a eps foam blank. The first "clever bit" is the use of a much much smaller cell and therefore denser and stronger foam stringerless blank. From there things get a bit hazy but..........

The blank gets a layer of glass then the deck and bottom get a thin bamboo skin and the rails get a carbon fibre cloth wrap. The deck gets another 6oz patch where your feet go and the whole baord gets another 4oz layer of glass over all of it. What you end up with is four layers of glass on the deck and the equivalent of seven layers on the rails, but, and here's the second "clever bit",  because it's all epoxy, the boards come out lighter than a conventional PU shortboard!

Aesthetically they look lovely and feel well made. They are strong enough for a well built chap to jump on upside down without damage. I can't comment on how they surf... yet, but i know they spent a lot of time testing to try and avoid the corkiness and tinnyness that surfttechs are often accused of. The bamboo apparently gives a dynamic flex that you wouldn't find in a tufflite board.

They're not entirely my "cup of tea" and others will be far more qualified to comment on how well they work but it's cool to see something new, especially when it's homegrown.

catch of the day

 

The polish on this so shiny and so flat, there's no distortion to the reflection on it at all. Jools nails another class bit of kit. Jonesing to take it for a test drive now!

the american road.....

 

 Well just around the corner from it anyway, near a fun but exceedingly fickle spot that i haven't surfed in a few years.

Despite the sunshine, this was a cold morning, so cold that my fingers barely worked to manipulate the camera. The bike, if you missed the previous shots, is my beloved electra deluxe 3i cruiser. Guarunteed to bring a bigger and bigger smile with each revoloution of the pedals.

Whenever i have to endure a long spell without a dip in the local brine, my dvd library gets a fair bit of attention. I'm a great collector of surf films and have spent probably far too much money over the years devouring the latest logging related releases.

Pick of the latest crop, for me anyway, are:

Rip Shred Tear from Mitch Abshere and crew, full on skinny jean, cutting edge logging and really inspirational. It's no frills and the surfing is cut with random excerpts from 50's b-movie horror films. Shot over just a couple of weeks it makes you realise how consistently good the surf is in the OC from a longboarding perspective.

Stoked and Broke from Cyrus Sutton which is just plain fun and reminds me a lot of "bikecar" the travis parker snowboard film from a few years back. It chronicles a no frills trip around the encinitas area by foot. It has it's tongue firmly in it's cheek but there's some good surfing in it. Logs, fishes, guns, handplanes and square styrofoam blocks!

Final choice is 180 degrees south from Chris Malloy which is big budget and not a full on surf film but has some great surfing and climbing footage in it as well as some quality scenic cinematography. The strong enviro message may be a small turn off  and it could be considered a moving patagonia catalogue by some but it's a good film nonetheless. There's a really cool book of photos by Jeff Johnson that goes with it that i would highly reccomend too!

friends....