Inspiration 1.0

Drink One from Ben Potter on Vimeo.

I don't know if I got a bit stale with surfing over the winter, or just busy or just lost a little bit of enthusiasm for the daily grind required to be a regular wave rider in this country. I think I'm old enough and I've seen enough for not much to seem so new anymore...

Whatever.........

 A good surf trip was always going to top up the stoke-o-meter and California certainly didn't disappoint. Two and a half weeks of glassy waist to head high swell, mostly on right hand points is definitely going to do it. It's amazing what consistent waves will do for your surfing and I've returned full of Stoke and hopefully back up to a decent level of logging.

I'm going to post up my film pictures her over the next few months and I'll type out the highlights as I go, those of you who follow me on Instagram will have seen plenty of pictures already. I met so many cool people in the water and saw some really high level surfing on logs, short boards and everything in between. To everyone that chatted and shared a wave, thanks for being so welcoming and stoked on meeting an English traveller, you all added something.


I want to thank the Threadgills for once again for your hospitality. We wish we saw you more often. And to Matt and Talla for showing us a proper July 4th. Hope we see you guys again soon.

So what's all this got to do with a stolen video of East Coaster Mikey Detemple logging in Montauk, New York?

I took two boards with me to Ca, the seapea and my trusty 9'4 if6was9 log. Pretty much a perfect quiver for summer in California. The logs been featured here more than a couple of times. It's pretty foiled, has the wide point aft of center with a wide tail, a narrow nose and a greenough 4a. It's definitely the direction where logs have gone over the last couple of years drawing from the Aussie involvement movement in a direct line from Nats magic sam board and I for one am a convert. 

It's loose off the tail but still nose rides real well in the pocket and the narrow nose helps with control in steeper waves, allowing the boad to get more parallel. It must do something right, a random Santa Cruz local told me my board looked "bitchin!"

The board Mikey rides in the video plays from the same hymn sheet. It's a christenson flathead model with the similar dimensions and shape to my if6was9 (albeit with a much bigger and longer nose concave and perhaps even more "piggy") it's one of the clips that's been inspiring me since I've been back. Mikey's surfing is smooth yet powerful and stylish. Solid nose-riding and sweeping turns.......

Plus he's got a pacemaker, you can't help but be inspired by that!

eggs for breakfast

Very country soul eh? Still loving the egg, such a smooth refined surf, it's a board that flatters your style.

sundown session

I'm a sucker for a good sunset......

speedy feet

JAI LEE .. these days from Jai Lee on Vimeo.

Probably worth skipping to the 2 minute mark.

One of my favorite loggers to watch, quick, nimble footwork and mentally good noseriding. Point waves help obviously!

a desperate dawn patrol

An epic californian adventure is sadly over. Pictures and tales to follow

Miller surfboards

 

This is Ellie Miller of Miller surfboards, one of the few female shapers in the UK and always a happy face in the local line up. She's not been shaping for that long but she does have a natural talent for it and is turning out some lovely boards that have got the seal of approval from some of the "heavy weight" locals. 

Worth considering if you are in the market for a new board this summer.

iron skies

waves!

Slight hiatus in posts coming as i'm hopefully going to be stocking up on photos and small sunny waves in California for the next three weeks!

 Here's a sunny California kinda tune to get you in my mood!



happy fourth everyone.......

slippery........

TYLER WARREN - SURF from erik derman on Vimeo.

Mini-simmons are not just for bad waves eh?! Tyler Warren ripping a calfornian point (i'm guessing trestles?) on a bar of soap...

contemplation

This news is a few weeks old now, but it's still depressing and the fall out for the local wildlife continues to manifest.

Refugio is a beautiful little beach, about 40 minutes of Santa Barbara with a perfect little right hand point wave. It's tucked away and unspoilt, away from the urbanisation of much of SoCal. It's one of the places ive been looking forward to returning to in a few weeks time although it remains to be seen if thats going to be a possibility. With all the dollars that oil brings into the state comes a responsibility to the environment. It apears someone dropped the ball on this one!

please stop

Extensive research has revealed, it's a really fricken good board!

jaded

It's probably a bit of a hackneyed surf image but i guess the vw camper shot is a timeless image for a reason.

After a pretty good spring, summer has been a real let down so far with no sign of warm water or fun summer swells. The boots are still on and the water has been cold. People have even been surfing spots that usually only work in deep mid winter. I'm rarely lucky enough to have the time to travel that far and i am definately suffering from a distinct lack of surf stoke. Last week helped but i'm not paddl;e fit and feeling rusty.

Hopefully the current offshores will groom a little logging wave for us aver the next few days.......