surferbrat

November Blue

2009-12-02T10:25:00.000-08:00

Oregon perfection everywhere.

Dear and Yonder SF premiere.

2009-08-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

What: Art Show to benefit the surf film Dear & Yonder

When: August 7th 7-10pm

Where: Mollusk Surf Shop

Why: Celebrate the release of the new surf film Dear & Yonder
In celebration of the release of Dear & Yonder, Mollusk Surf Shop is proud to feature an group show of artists who have been supportive of Dear & Yonder and reflect the talent and spirit of the women showcased in the film. The dynamic group of artists include Moses Berkson, Thomas Campbell, Tiffany Campbell, Jeff Canham, Andy Davis, Chris Del Moro, Amy Jo Diaz, Chris Duncan, Kyle Field, Laura Flippen, Dave Gardener, Chris Gentile, Evan Hecox, Rich Jacobs, Rachel Kaye, Alex Kopps, Erin Kunkel, Peter McBride, John McCambridge, Geoff McFetridge, Liz Pepin, Lana Porcello, Brittany Powell, Augustus Thompson, Paul Urich, Serena Mitnik-Miller, Dave Muller, Ray Potes, Nathaniel Russell, John Smart, Stefan Simikich, Derek Snodgrass, Johanna St. Clair, Mason St. Peter, Ed Templeton, Spencer Tunik, Tobin Yelland and more. A female duo from San Francisco band Black Bow will perform an acoustic set during the event. The August 7th show is perfect warm up for the events the following afternoon and evening:

Summer love.

2009-07-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Small surf lately.

To ail the slowness of photography work this summer, I got a job teaching surf lessons in Pacifica. Getting paid to be in the ocean is pretty incredible. I was reminded of how difficult it is to learn, of how determined I became to get good at it, to conquer the fear and the frustration and get to the part where I experience the joy of being out there and actually riding waves. So glad I put the work in.

A few weeks ago I finally got my shit together to take my friend up on her offer to teach me to climb at the climbing gym I've belonged to for longer than I can remember. Rock climbing has been one of those things I've longed to learn how to do. I've always been keen on bouldering but anything that's involved any height has left a lump in my throat at the very thought. I'm afraid of heights-on an instinctual level...I have a physical reaction when I'm faced with them. I have to say, once I got going though, that I think I kind of love it. Not in the same way I love the ocean, but maybe I am having the same respect for the challenge. I'm terrible and awkward at it and it scares the crap out of me, but now I want to do it until I no longer feel like that.

Still working on Plastiki for Nat Geo and have had a couple other bits of photography work here and there. Honestly, the industry is suffering greatly right now and no one I know is working that much. It sucks but also feels like an oppurtunity to enjoy my free time, live simply and be outside as much as humanly possible. My photo of chef Bryant Terry is in this month's issue of Yoga Journal.

No matter what people say, the weather has been gorgeous and the sun is definitely present at Ocean Beach, now if only a swell could follow suit.

2009-06-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes all it takes is getting away. Spent the weekend on the Yuba river in Tahoe National forest in Washington, CA. It reminded me of southwestern VA... perfect and green and full of unlikely characters. Another place to add to my list to come back to alone and with the time to focus on photographing it.

Moving tomorrow. Hard not to see it for what it is. A new chapter...and pretty exciting.

2009-06-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was full of surprises. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Overwhelmed with packing and cabin fever, I made it to yoga and told myself if it didn't rid me of the foul mood I was in I'd head West. Driving down the coast chasing surf always does it for me. Cheers me up, brings me peace of mind. Whatever I need, I can usually get it from the woods or the ocean. I didn't have high expectations, but when I came upon this spot I was pleasantly surprised to find the SW wrapping almost to perfection. I caught a dozen waves despite the crowded lineup and headed back up the coast happy as a clam.

On my way home I got an invite to camp in Redwood park. Yoga, surf and sleeping in a tent--all in one day. Life is good.

Notice

2009-06-12T13:21:00.001-07:00

by Steve Kowit

This evening, the sturdy Levi's
I wore every day for over a year
& which seemed to the end
in perfect condition,
suddenly tore.
How or why I don't know,
but there it was: a big rip at the crotch.
A month ago my friend Nick
walked off a racquetball court,
showered,
got into this street clothes,
& halfway home collapsed & died.
Take heed, you who read this,
& drop to your knees now & again
like the poet Christopher Smart,
& kiss the earth & be joyful,
& make much of your time,
& be kindly to everyone,
even to those who do not deserve it.
For although you may not believe
it will happen,
you too will one day be gone,
I, whose Levi's ripped at the crotch
for no reason,
assure you that such is the case.
Pass it on.

180 South

2009-06-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Conquerors of the Useless, That's What We Were. -Yvon Chouinard

I'm so excited to see this movie. Movies like this are the reason I could move into filmmaking. The opportunities to be inspired and create inspiration are endless.

Off to the Ocean Film Fest tonight.

Moving to Fog City.

2009-06-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

There have been a handful of wonderful moments over the last week when I fell in love with CA for the up-teenth millionth time. The kind of love where you feel giddy and drunk and like your heart is bursting out of your chest with excitement. Last Wednesday I surfed Montara for the first time in ages during the magic hour when everything you photograph looks amazing. Oddly enough I was camera-less. Montara is one of the few beaches in the area with white, thick, grainy sand and consistently blue water. I paddled out there again today with a few good friends, a bunch of sunshine and we all had a blast. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by feeling grateful for how wonderful my friends are. Friday night Sarah and I surfed perfect Pleasure Point. I was reminded of some of the challenges the sport can offer (psychologically), but thrilled at theblissful feeling of standing on the nose of my longboard and gliding down the line of a shoulder high point wave. I'm not sure it gets any better than that. Although camping last weekend in the redwoods with no surf actually comes pretty close.

Sometimes it seems like the adventures here are endless.

This month marks the anniversary of a huge change that took place in my life last year and will be the anniversary of another next year. I'm moving to the fog. Literally. The economy has put a decent strain on my business over the last few months and I've come to realize my life isn't really headed in the direction I want it to if I stay where I am, paying what I'm paying to live in this beautiful apartment and commute to the ocean as often as I do. An opportunity opened up to live out by Ocean Beach in a cheap shared house for a few months so I'm on it!

I will be living three blocks from the ocean for the first time in my life.

2009-05-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

Love the work of Patrick Trefz! This event should be fun! Free beer, music, art and visuals and the 'Thread' book available for sale. Stoked!

Get it where you can.

2009-05-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

Spring is all about finding the little spots protected from the wind. This place goes off in the springtime. It's never very big, but the whole coast will be blown to shreds and it'll be offshore with little baby barrels here.

Namaste.

2009-04-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

Lovely late season spring WNW. Nope didn't paddle out here and I'm sure I'll never here the end of it. Somebody said something about Northern California being where it's at. I think I concur. Sunday I spent the day at OB in a bikini and rocked a double session of waist-head high perfection. Went to bed with a sunburn and woke up ready to start all over. So thankful for the adventures possible here. Back on Nat Geo this week and grateful for my awesome job and the people I've met along the way.

Dear and Yonder

2009-04-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Super excited about this one. An all female surf movie done with artistic style and grace? Yes, please. I've had the pleasure of surfing with Andria quite a bit here in SF and she's a wonderful lady with tons of good vibes and creative mojo in the water. Coincidentally, Tiffany Morgan Cambell is also the awesome woman who taught me how to surf six years ago this month. My oldest friend and I took a handful of surf lessons through a company Tiffany was teaching for and she was such a great teacher obviously it stuck! I can't wait to see the outcome of all the hard work these two women have been putting into this film.

2009-03-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

Before I start ranting a bunch of hippie crap about the Present (the movie and this current moment in time) let me say how absolutely thrilled I am that it's spring. I don't care if the winds suck, everything is green and beautiful and it just takes a bit of creativity to find some surf. I've been lucky. I've had three great sessions in the last week (and only one lousy one). One at a spot I haven't been to in ages. Surf was blown out everywhere and on a whim I suggested checking it. We pulled up and it was longboard perfection with only three people out.
The Present was awesome. After reading a bunch of reviews, both good and bad, I was super excited to see it. I'll agree with whoever said the editing was a little choppy and disorganized at times, but for me I thought it was a lot like Thomas Cambell's paintings, loose and expressive, and full of weird characters and sarcastic humor. I'm a fan of any movie that mixes the grateful beauty of surfing and nature with enough comic relief to not take ourselves as seriously as we do sometimes. It was heavy on the tube riding, which definitely got a little old, but for the most part, it felt like pure visual surf porn at it's best. Made me wanna travel, get in some warm water and shoot in perfect light. I'm already stoked on the inspiration it gave me. It was so great to see so many people I recognize from the water get out and support our surf community.
Now in the meantime, I have a list as long as my longboard of things to get done. The Plastiki project is keeping me happily busy, the website is in need of a major update, the IRS is knocking at my door (not really), and I have a ton of new photos I need to print, and the weather is providing a wonderful distraction from the above indoor activities.

Thank god for Santa Cruz

2009-03-23T09:34:00.001-07:00

Springtime has arrived. I'll start by saying all of the things I love about la primavera. It's breathtaking, the clouds get thick and white and look like cotton balls against a painted blue backdrop, the air smells fresh, the temperature is crisp and pleasant and even warm sometimes, the sun sets at like 7pm, the flowers come out, and everything is green and dewy and all quintessential Northern-California-like, and if we are lucky, it rains only once or twice a week which is a nice balance of weather for the bay area. I know, I know we need more.
But the wind sucks. It makes the surf awful, and for that, I kind of loath the spring. I'm looking for alternative activities for rainy day and windy weather. Thinking about taking a rock climbing class. Kite surfing has always peaked my interest. I've also learned to lower my standards for surf these months and just get in the water anyways.
Or do the drive. The last few surfs I've had have been down south in Santa Cruz. One in town at the Point, and one north of town at Scott's creek. I feel lucky to have access to this stretch of coast and thrilled that there is a place that manages to stay protected from the chaos (the environmental kind, that is).
Yesterday was revitalizing, like a mini vacation. I've been working like a mad woman the last week, and even doing the drive down was relaxing. My brains been on kind of a roller coaster lately, I don't know if it's just been the season, the current economic climate or just general emotional stress, but the coming of spring has definitely seemed to give me the calm state of mind I'm after. I can usually tell something is awry with me when my surf sessions fail to mellow me out and yesterday did just that--give me the calm I'm usually after. Yoga seems to help too.

I got nothing.

2009-03-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

I fear to report that the springtime winds are here. Surf sessions have been feeling few and far between. It rained cats and dogs last week so I didn't get in the water until Saturday. The waves at OB that day sent a sad reminder it's now spring and the days of consistent offshore winds and WNW groundswell will be distant soon. Fingers crossed this week will deliver something surfable.

In the meantime there isn't much else to report. I start a Nat Geo week this Saturday and other than that I am wrestling with the procrastination beast. Need to do a website update, and maybe get started on some new prints for my book. Thinking of taking a repeat trip through Death Valley and up 395 in April. Last year I did that drive and vowed to come back to it as a photo trip. April or early May seems like the best time.

I've been running in the cemetery near my house at sunset lately. Maybe it's morbid, but I find the presence of death a little comforting and beautiful as of late.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2009-02-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

The last couple months have been a whirlwind of busyness. Work wise I came off a slow November and December season, and with the economy the way it is, it had me worried. The beginning of the year brought a magnificent reprieve, both work and surfwise. I got hired on to work on a documentary for National Geographic TV on the Plastiki expedition, and the beginning of January reared some of the best surf I've seen in Northern California to date.

The Plastiki project is an expedition to raise awareness about the effects that the pollution of plastic waste is causing on our oceans and the environmental crisis brought about by global warming. The Plastiki boat is setting sail this March on an 8,000-mile journey from San Francisco to Australia with a crew of six. The voyage will go through the Eastern Garbage Patch, the Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu in a 60 foot catamaran (The Plastiki), hewn from post-consumer plastic bottles. Pretty cool! The boat design also aims to be completely self-contained in terms of its energy generation, fresh water creation and waste treatment.

I'm thrilled to be working on the project (and thrilled to have the consistent work right now). The first photo above is from an attempt to kayak down the LA river. It's gross, as you can see, and this all ends up in the ocean. The later image is from my local recycling plant. This process is really helping me learn about the toll that living in a consumer society is taking on our earth, and I'm getting to witness a lot of the process first person.

Ocean Beach had more back-to-back perfect days then I've ever seen in January. Stiff offshore wind, consistent swell and weird sunny warm weather made for an odd but awesome winter month. We're back to rain, but it's kind of hard to complain after a run like that. I experienced one of my scariest surf sessions to date. Held under for a five wave set on the outer bar on a double overhead day at OB. Ouch. Humbling and scary, yet exhilerating for sure. I think it's impossible to not pay your dues there.

The last few days have also proven evidence that February's storms seemed to have cleaned up the sandbar at Linda Mar and I've had some super fun 3-5 foot longboard sessions on the Gordon and Smith. Woot!

2008-12-19T02:26:00.000-08:00

Surfed OB on Tuesday. It was close to being the coldest surf experience I've ever had, and my chapped face has been paying for it all week. The thermometer read 40 degrees, winds were 15 knots offshore and it was the one of the most beautiful days I've been out in the water. Rain stopped mid morning, then the sky opened up with clouds that looked like mountains for miles.

I have way too much free time on my hands these days. Momentarily, I'm grateful.

2008-12-14T20:58:00.001-08:00

"The lonely cliffs, the lonely wind, the lonely sea I hide within" -Three Sails to the Wind

photo by Robin

I haven't given up on this blog. I've just taken a break. Like most things in life, it's good to get away from time to time. I'd like to start again, because my absence hasn't marked any lack of surf or stoke for me, but more the lack of desire to reflect on it publicly I guess. Since it seems that introspection and personal struggle is the mood that is marking just about everyone i know's life these days, I'll spare the details. Instead I'll take this opportunity to mark the good things I remember about 2008.

January:

Watching the Mavericks surf contest from a boat anchored at the break.

February

A couple weeks of perfect sandbar at Bolinas.

March

Camping in Death Valley. I'll never forget the unexpected peace I found in the desert. The laughter and view from the passenger seat of my car as we logged 1200 miles on it was pretty awesome too.

April

Big Sur 4. Challenging conditions, but amazing amounts of beauty and some challenging surf too.

May

Two weeks in New York City in a tiny shared hotel room. It's amazing how New York can put things in perspective in terms of what you miss and appreciate about the life you left behind.

July

A fun farewell bbq at the house on 47th St.

A couple of great sessions in Santa Cruz.

August

A trip to Montana for work. Words can't describe how beautiful it is there.

A freak opportunity to spend three days camping at Hollister Ranch.

September

A four day road trip in Minnesota along Lake Superior.

October

The fall surf season starts with a bang. What follows for me is more fun surf sessions than I can count on three hands in bigger surf and on smaller boards than I've ever ridden.

November

A super successful and reassuring personal portfolio trip to New York.

A stellar birthday evening with friends and family.

December

So far so good. A handful of great surf sessions, some fun art shows and a trip to New Orleans and Florida next week.

2008-10-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

It's funny, in my years of surfing I've only surfed at OB a handful of times. The places requires careful attention, and constant patience and persistence. I've had a couple of great sessions there in the last month and it's peaked my curiosity. All of a sudden I feel drawn to the place. I have no desire to charge the large, but I am finding myself wanting to surf there as much as I can, and the thought of living near it has been my mind several times in the last month. The part of San Francisco that borders OB is a climate of it's own-foggy and sometimes even rainy when the rest of the city is bathed in sunlight. I'm not sure I could handle the dark days, but I wonder if the joys of being so close to the ocean would make it worthwhile?

2008-09-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there"-Louis Carroll

I've been traveling a lot for work this summer. New York, New Mexico, Montana, Minnesota. All places (minus NYC) that I'd potentially never see if I didn't end up there on a job. Places that have surprised me with their beauty and overwhelmed me by their healing capabilities. Spending time in an anonymous hotel room while my life fell apart at home is not something I ever pictured myself doing. The dry air and breathtaking sunsets in New Mexico somehow gave me the peace I needed to live through that loss of control. As life lingered on and I was reminded of what a big world I have before me, I saw endless miles of open road in Montana, then later Minnesota and I knew that I could go anywhere and be ok. This last trip proved to me that even the places that are most unexpected can offer the most beautiful surprises.

Does it always come back to the glide?

2008-09-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

Or is it the food and good company?

Or both? John had a great housewarming party Labor Day weekend. Cheers to John and Clay's new pad, 5 minutes from great surf, and a fun place to hang out and bbq in Santa Cruz. And do the moonwalk on the coffee table.

Blog not forgotten...

2008-08-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

The last month has been a whirlwind and I've had little time to catch up and write about it. Let's just say I've worked really hard, put a lot of miles on my car, and had too much fun for my own good. It's great to feel like the summer has worked out after all. The surf has stayed small but I've had a handful of great sessions nonetheless. I went to Montana for three days, and then, within hours of my return, rode down to Santa Barbara to camp at the Ranch (yes-you read that right). Ever since then, it's been a continuous go-go-go-with a lot work, surfing, drinking, and sunshine--and it doesn't look to be ending anytime soon. The purchase of a new camera didn't hurt much either.
Montana was out of this world beautiful:

The Ranch was also out of this world beautiful. It was a little hectic getting there, but how often do you get an invitation? My appreciation goes out to the love and hospitality I received from the people I met there. Surf was on the small side, maybe chest high at best, but still empty perfection and warm water. It's funny how the experience of teaching someone can add a whole new level of enjoyment to surfing. It's awesome to watch people get the bug and get determined to figure it out and actually enjoy the process of doing it. There is really nothing like a weekend of early morning glass, lazy afternoons, delicious food, beautiful sunsets, great pictures, and good conversation.

Life just has a way of offering things up when you need them most. It's easy to ignore it when it does, but even easier to just soak it up and take it for what it is. Either way, the experience is something to be grateful for.

Sometimes I love the ocean so much it hurts.

2008-07-22T10:28:00.001-07:00

On Monday Kim and I + the boys drove down to Santa Cruz for a much needed quality surf session. We checked a couple spots, met J and C and drove north to a spot where the steep south was hitting a little stronger than in town. It was my first time at this spot, a place where J surfs regularly. I've been craving a good longboard session, so I opted for my beater log, and we hiked down the hill to the little hidden slice of paradise. It was beautiful, the sun was out, the water was blue and the cove was protected enough to be sheltered from the steady onshore winds. There was a small pack of guys out at the main peak, so we settled on the second one with a couple others and waited during the long lull in between sets.
The waves weren't very big. Chest high at best, and mushy with the full tide. I realized I'd have been better off on a snappier board, as the rides were short and best when taken off from a steeper point. So I settled with attempting to catch the leftovers. It was exactly what I needed--decent waves, good friends, beautiful scenery.
It's amazing how fast things can change.
A set rolled in and one of the guys from the outside pack took off on one of the bigger waves. He was a pleasure to watch, gliding and turning down the line. C was on the inside, paddling over the lip to get out from under the breaking wave. The guy barely missed him, but he knew what he was doing and he made steering around him look easy. The second he swerved away from him, he let out a holler and cursed loudly. Then he rode the wave all the way to shore. On his wave back in, this guy lost it. Cursing, yelling, screaming. "Get the fuck out of here." He pointed. C was wide eyed, because this guys response was absolutely ridiculous and immature. It was shocking. We all stared at him in disbelief. He paddled back to his friends and kept yelling from over there for a while.
It was over then. The positivity, the comfort, the enjoyment. This man's need for attention, to cause angry drama ruined the mood for all of us. We left. Part of me wanted to stay, just to spite him. But who wants to surf with that kind of stench in the air? It was my first encounter with that level of entitlement and localism. Again it reminded me of that night in downtown Oakland. It reminded me how easy it is to find yourself in a situation with someone who takes out all of their personal hurt and frustration on the world around them.
Our actions affect those around us. Some people care about that and some people don't. It is easier to choose to only focus on our own experience, what we need, what we want, and not take into consideration the kind of selfish energy we let loose in the world as a result. We can hurt people we don't know or even the people we love the most ...all because of a little thing called entitlement. It's impulsive and it's sad. Everyone is guilty of it at times but without accepting the guilt and shame that comes along with this type of behavior, you end up with a pile of deep seeded aggression and no where to put it. The unfortunate part is that not only does the person responsible pay the price, but so do the people affected by the tantrum.
In then end, the person I feel most sorry for from yesterday is that man himself.
We drove south and surfed in town. It was crowded, but mellow. All was not lost. It's good to make the best of bad situation and just move on, let it go. There are always other waves to be had elsewhere.
It's easy to forget that surfing isn't always an oasis but often just a mirror for the rest of the world, both good and bad.

2008-07-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

White Buffalo show tonight at the Hotel Utah.

I've know I've posted this picture before...

2008-07-03T00:09:00.000-07:00

Back in March, on a weekly trip to Bolinas, I met a guy named Ricky doing handstands by the beach. It was the perfect opportunity for a photograph, so I approached him and we talked for a bit. He was excited for me to shoot him. He was ecstatic about his life and the journey that had led him to Bolinas and he hoped to maybe get in the water to surf one day. He told me about how he used to be an architect and loved art and photography. The only feeling that I got from talking to this man was one of warmth and love. I photographed him doing handstands on the railing for almost a 1/2 hour. He tried really hard to hold them as long as possible for the camera. The surf was perfect in the background. It was inspiring and produced photos that I will forever cherish. I remember paddling out to the lineup later that day and telling Krystal I'd met my new friend crush. We'd exchanged email addresses and I hoped that he would contact me so I could have this wonderful new person in my life. In the coming months I saw Ricky from time to time when we made the trek to Bolinas . He was always friendly and full of good spirits.

Today I opened up the Chronicle online, see here, and read about a horrific beating that occurred in Bolinas last week. Ricky was the victim. To say I felt crushed was an understatement. Ricky was a kind man who ended up homeless in Bolinas to experience life on his own terms. To be assaulted and practically killed by five homophobic drunk teenagers is the last thing he deserved. What has the world come to when something like this happens in a small, peaceful hippie town that claims to be "a socially acknowledged, nature-loving town?"

Two years ago, D and I were assaulted on our way to a bar. Not only was it a physical attack I witnessed on the person I loved, but it was attack on my perspective, and it changed the way I saw the world for quite some time after. I will never forget the evil that was present that night. If every man has a temper or some sort of primal urge or frustration to get angry and destruct or self-destruct, when you combine those feelings into a group mentality with violence, the end result is the both the scariest and the saddest thing that exists in this world.

My prayers go out to Ricky and the people who inflicted this crime. The world can be too painful of a place sometimes. It costs nothing to lead with your heart and give with your soul. I don't know why we are insistent as humans to do otherwise.