Anythink beyond three...

Nice location to spread out in the water and on the beach. Can you spot my mat?

Mirandon innovation.

When I was thirteen I could barely put a nail into a 2x4. Mini-Simmons from Windan' Grom Griffin.

Michael Miller is a talented craftsman and as sincere as Sunday (bringin' it back!).

JHall fish with killer artwork.Lovelace's extremely functional fishy being examined by yours truly. Yes, keels are for reals.

The first Fish Frye I've attended since Toby brought stew. I enjoyed it, though the focus has shifted as interests do, away from the San Diego Centric Fishy scene (I had two Fryes and a Lis on the beach to be ridden and only one taker!). Lots of bladey hulls, Campbell Mindful Machines, twin bars of soap, and quad destroyers were on the beach. I tried out my bad toe on a Pendo (Thanks Steve!) but I sucked (don't run down the rocks at bahia burrito reef) . Went to the mat and had a ball- as always. The highlights were talking to and meeting some names and faces, seeing some boards and fins, being in the sun and at the beach. I'll go again next year with a good toe.

All photos borrowed from the internets. Thanks.

Off the rack wings...

There are Skip Frye boards on the racks at Pacific Beach Surf Shop right now: 2:45 p.m. Saturday the 2nd day of spring, 2009. The Double-eagle is calling you. The Fish-Simmons is swimming towards you. The Noserider is picking itself as yours. The Magic is uttering incantations in your general direction. There are mulitple stringers and custom tail-blocks involved. This is rare. Standard finder's fee applies: two shakas and a smoothie.

I am not affiliated with P.B. Surf Shop. I simply like their take on surfing and I like their owner.

"Here at PB Surf Shop we pride ourselves in stocking surfboards of only the highest quality by local shapers. All surfboards are hand shaped, hand glassed, and hand picked personally by our staff here at PB Surf Shop."

If you don't care for a Frye they also carry Larmo boards, JHalls, Kconnelly noseriders and lots of other local craftsmen's shapes.

Periscopic...

Filter through...

Even with the finest surf films I find myself weary of certain sections or riders. I suppose this echoes my surfing interests. The Present was chock full of surfing I loved, liked, and some I'd have just assumed not watch. Highlights for me were the immaculate water shots of Indonesian barrels (courtesy of Mike Stewart I believe), the unbelievable vibe of the "first ascent" on the African oasis, and the comedy skit. I could've left half of the alai'a stuff on the cutting room floor. It's cool but just not my cup.

Above is a little teaser I unearthed at Sway's. Steve Cleveland of Another State of Mind looks to have something fun in the works.

Can you guess what surfing might not be my favorite? You got it, the try-hard superman air on a 9' board- blah!

FIlter through...

To be a surfer...

In the present it is okay to be this guy^

The present moment is a gift.

For the 25th of December I received a worthy surf film. The echoes of stoked surfers' hoots reverberated from the southern hemisphere to my living room. The sea waves were ridden by those worthy of being called surfers as opposed to people who happen to surf. A story of brutal grief transformed through the meditative, restoring life of wave riding. The old soul of the filmmaker mixes with the youthful physicality of his subject. Striking. Beautiful. Honest.

Last night I slipped away to receive a gift. I parked just east of a classic, summertime, low-tide, barreling reef. The film began and I was in a classic, all season, vision of surfing perfection-immersed. Visions of lined up logging waves, fishy-heaven point waves were served. Kegs of machined Indonesian how-deep-can-she get waves, anyman's weekend waves were served. All of them feasts. Boards and non-boards of all types ridden with an evident hand of skill and the bluff of ease were inspirational. From the artist comes art.

To be a surfer in the present moment is a gift. We are more free than ever. We are more able to eschew the branding of surfing and embrace the true community of surfing. More capable of being humbled by unfamiliar surfcraft. We are closer to the purity of sand in the shorts, sun on the back, "did you see that?" days. Rules are for competitions, uniforms for institutions. Believe me- we, us surfers, do not need rules and uniforms. We need the sheer joy of surfing found in the present moment.

Past/Present...

I don't wear tight pants or have a beard. I have never gone by the name "Skeezy" or "Catfish"(Epic!;). I was playing in punk and hardcore bands when "emo" was just a term for a kind of music. I'm a schoolteacher with a receding hairline and a family. I like surfboards and surfing. I will be seeing this film, Thomas Campbell's The Present, on Sunday night at 7 p.m. in La Jolla. I'll be the stoked surfer with the beautiful wife and killer grom. I'll consider a surf movie night a gift.

p.s. I'd like to share some old recordings of my bands on this blog. Any help for ways to embed?