Kick, push.

Penny skateboards are the latest craze to hit the shores of Jax Beach.  Imported from Australia, these things are definitely rad. For increased functionality, however, I would suggest getting the longer “nickel” model.  Regardless of your weapon of choice, they provide endless fun to help you cope with the winter time blues.

I just want to do hoodrat things with my friends.

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Dane Reynolds just became one of my favorite surfers...

A letter from Dane

As you've no doubt heard about and wept over by now, Dane Reynolds will not be competing full time as a World Tour competitor next year (save for, fingers crossed, a coupla cameos at Quik events.) Unsurprisingly, the Venturan's felt the heat of this situation and has responded via a letter on his website, Marine Layer Productions. It's concise and, honestly, we enjoyed it. You'll find a link to the Chris Mauro piece that Dane references at the bottom.
>>>>>>>>>>>
i've been getting some pressure from various people and/or websites to write something, sorta like an official statement concerning my exit from the world tour. my dismount. my pirouette. 'an opportunity level with your fans.' that's what they tell me. people wanna know whats goin on. be up to date. i can understand that. i like knowing whats going on. i like being up to date.
one thing to remember is that i have a heart and i have bones and muscle and skin and eyes and teeth. i have emotions. sometimes i act according to emotions. sometimes i think and make a conscious decision. i usually do that. in fact i usually think too much. sorta neurotic. i make mistakes, and i deal with them. i have fears and i have anxiety and i have insecurities and i have vices which i often give in to. social situations enhance all of these qualities. i could probably use some discipline, and lots of things bum me out, but generally i'm happy, and i enjoy making other people happy. sometimes all it takes is a smile. sometimes it takes a lot more than that. i try to be honest. especially with myself. i know that i'm fortunate. i'm sitting here and i have a pulse and i can breath and i hear birds outside and the buzz of the freeway and the suns about to set and it's a friday. that's fortune. i also know that i'm fortunate in many other ways. three brands support me and enable me to surf every day and travel and eat and have a house to live in. in return i represent their company in a positive way. i feel like i do a decent job. but that's obviously up for debate. surfing is my passion in life. i always think about how lucky we are that there's even an ocean, and its not too hot or too turbulent and it's not made of acid that burns our skin off. and how lucky is it that the land tapers into the ocean in just the right way so that when lumps of energy approach from a thousand miles away they gently rise up and crash at just the perfect speed so that we can wave our little arms and match their speed and hang at the crest weightless for just a second before sliding down the face. free to ride it in any way you please. and there's not just one of them. there's tons of them. they keep coming. all different sizes shapes and speeds. everyday they're different. endless joy.
there are of course a number of things that get in the way of feeling this joy: crowds, twitter impostors, eggy locals, eggy surf bloggers, overzealous surf photographers, chris mauro and rip curl contests, just to name a few. that was sort of a joke, but not really, and besides, surfing isn't just about joy. it's also a sport. an industry. and we must not mix business with pleasure. by accepting endorsements i assume a certain responsibility. some think that responsibility is to compete. to put on a jersey and crush my opponent. despite a flimsy one dimensional criteria and an inconsistent playing field that causes the end result to rarely come down to performance alone. maybe that's the fun of it. i don't know. i do enjoy it. but do i believe in it? enough to dedicate the better part of my life to it? or is that irrelevant because it's my responsibility? i didn't have to answer this question because knee surgery in january answered for me. by the time i was healing i was already gone. three buttons to the wind. adventure over responsibility. career suicide! blowing my potential. wasting my talent. i heard the buzz.
in all reality i was being constructive in a different way, traveling to a variety of locations and pushing personal boundaries in an attempt to learn, grow, and improve. it's not as immediate as a contest webcast, and heaven forbid its enjoyable, but in the end it's equally important and i've been neglecting it for too long because i was in a comfy space where contest results alone were satisfying. in order to be successful in surf competition you need to refine your act into a nice little package presentable in a 30 minute period in a number of trying conditions. you need to kill the variables. trim the loose ends. stay on your board. know your equipment. wave selection. endlessly try to revisit motions that score the most points. there are obviously exceptions to this. kelly slaters full rotation slob air reverse in new york. that was not a motion revisited and it was epic. on the beach afterwards: 'so kelly slater, how was that slob air reverse!' 'oh, is that what that's called?' also john john florence and gabriel medina. maybe it's only a matter of time before they refine their act, but for now i'm really impressed with their competitive success despite such rawness. rawness is good. surfing with john john this year in japan was enlightening. it was like every wave he was exploring new territory. i wanna explore new territory! i wanna unwind! by the end of the trip i felt improved and rejuvenated and then crunch! i busted my ribs at the mercy of a fresh typhoon swell. nearly drowned. another month out of the water. gotta pay to play. especially when you're trying to keep up with john john in waves of consequence.
and so here i am. 26. officially off tour. wasted talent. blown potential. refusing responsibility. 'all he wants to do is sit at home and play with crayons and ride fucked up boards.' but wait! but wait! that's not true! don't listen to chris mauro. he's a dinosaur. doesn't get it. this may be the end as a wct contender, but its also a new beginning. i feel like a baseball. the skins been carefully pried off and there's a thread and i'm gonna pull it and i'm gonna end up a pile of string on the floor. but then maybe i'll be knit into something more useful, like a sweater. or perhaps something beautiful, like a hand embroidered masterpiece of a deer and two fawn drinking cold clear water out of a creek. but you never know. i hope to achieve some sort of balance. yeah, i do like riding fucked up boards, but i also like doing airs and taking some aggression out on a cutback. and competings rad if you can stay inspired, but rankings and trophy's mean very little to me. i wanna learn, i wanna make things, things of purpose, be productive. travel. new experiences. new sensations. and most importantly explore the outer limits of performance surfing. i'll still compete. but its not going to consume me.
finding this balance will be a challenge. but its just a step in an endless set of steps. a staircase. it's sort of a big step. too big to just hop up. i gotta climb. like, with a rope and safety gear and shit. and i might get there and be bummed out and like my old step better but that's just the mystery of life and i'm happy to experience it. and i'm endlessly in debt to the ones who make it possible. firstly surf fans who have resonated with my surfing for one reason or another, because at the bottom of everything, you're the only reason i'm able to have the sponsorship that allows me to travel and eat and pay the bills and continue surfing. secondly my sponsors: channel islands believed in me from the ripe age of 13 and continue to craft boards that allow me perform at my highest potential and also craft boards that have nothing to do with performance at all, but make you realize how much joy you can get out of a simple high line. i thank quiksilver for their unwavering support, re-signing me during a year of uncertainty and working with me on honest marketing and products. i also thank vans for picking me up. every person on the team is one of my favorite surfers and/or people and i'm honored to be apart of it. there are, of course, hundreds of people worth thanking here, but this is who comes to mind tonight: my girlfriend courtney, for giving me inspiration, giving me perspective, giving me love and giving me treats. blair, for keeping my otherwise maelstrom of a life in order. my parents, for their conflicting views. i don't think i would have done very well in an ordinary functioning family household. my father particularly for dedicating countless weekends driving me up and down the coast to compete. that was a huge sacrifice. also my mom for preaching creativity, fearlessness, and keeping everything bullshit free. and my brother brek for administering many humbling experiences from a very early age. my grandparents, for being probably my biggest fans on earth. particularly grandma bonnie and papa chuck, who come to every surf contest on the west coast. they show up at 7 am to get good parking, even if i surf at 3. and also grandpa bob for giving me his super 8 cameras when i was 18 and instilling a lifelong hobby.

This article is the reason I won't be buying any more SURFER magazines.

Given all the Dane Reynolds hype of late it's easy to understand how Daneofilia (DANE-oh-FEEL -yah) is now infecting a wide swath of today's young surfing prodigies. Some doctors describe the disease as a virulent strain of languorous behavior, others refer to it as syndrome more commonly known as the fuck-its.

Notable young talents (especially those residing along the surf-industry-laden California coast) run the highest risks of contracting this virus, but the symptoms typically flair up once they've left their comfy little pond for the bigger, badder world of global talent, where they soon discover winning isn't nearly as easy as they, their publicist, biographers, videographers, agents, managers, coaches, bloggers and astrologers, thought it would be.

Consumed by self doubt, they begin to question not just the nipple they've been sucking on since they got their first pair of free trunks, but the very body producing all the nourishment. And the fleeting nature of their most flavored surfer status hits hard. If things don't work out...they soon discover...they're replaceable. At the end of the day they're just tools. Marketing tools. Being exploited to sell wares. Oh the horror.

The lucky ones, like Dane Reynolds, seemingly have a choice in this matter. They can make a career out of being anti-pros, choosing to go down a "soul surfing" route filled with cameras and cameos. The vast majority of pros don't really have that luxury.

Take Adriano de Souza, who by most measuring sticks is the anti-Dane. They both love surfing, no doubt, but Adriano actually thrives in competition. That makes him incredibly uncool in hipster circles. After all, he always gives 100% (what a jock!) He loves to claim (kook!), and what's with that (fugly) wide stance? All that annoying hard work and touchdown dance behavior makes Adriano the tour's perfect villain.

But look deeper into his story and you might begin to see things differently. While growing up in a poor corner Sau Paulo Brazil there were years when his next meal wasn't guaranteed. He and his family fought hard for everything they had, and when the remote possibility of a surfing career appeared he left home for good to chase it.

Thanks to hard work and dedication he's succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Today both his mother and brother are living in houses that Adriano provided with his winnings. Knowing all that, you might understand the passion behind the claims, and you may even start respecting some of his surfing strengths, like how he manages to put his board in all the right places with healthy dose of speed and power.

Adriano's path was undoubtedly a tough one. And it remains so in the court of public opinion. Meanwhile, as we learn in the new Surfer Magazine interview issue, Dane Reynolds road has been obstacle free, and he's essentially flying blind out there.

After all, he prefers to travel with six packs over exercise balls. He doesn't want to waste energy chasing a 5.5 to get through heats just to please sponsors. He finds his friends in Oxnard a lot more interesting than all the exotic people he ignores while traveling. And, oh yeah, Kelly Slater really hasn't done all that much for surfing. (Apparently Dane doesn't count the zeroes in his checks before depositing them.)

All this listlessness makes him a huge surfing hero.

Now he's searching for even less stress. He wants to ride ugly boards in mushy point waves and hang out with his friends scribbling on T-shirts, posting on his blog and making webisodes.

And not surprisingly a handful of younger "highly touted" Californians think the same path will work just as well for them. Incidental stardom is apparently just a cool little blog away.

Of course they'd kinda like to skip that part that Dane had to endure...y'know, the part where he actually earned all his value, the part where he made the tour and validated his hype with brilliant victories on a big stage.

Wait - victories?

Well yes and no. As Slater so aptly noted during his Surfer Poll speech last year, Dane Reynolds has never won anything. Not even the NSSA Nationals. But we needn't weep for him.

Fact is Dane's simply not cut from the same heat-winning cloth as most tour stars. Nevertheless the tour is filled with Daneophiles (DANE-oh-FILEs) for good reason: once he made the tour, he subsequently made more than a few dents with his freakish flying and carnivorous carves. Dane's biggest victories haven't been mathematical ones, they come in statement form - by how he wins heats, and sometimes by the way he loses them. Either way he's made more than a few boundary pushing proclamations in his contest jersey, and that's what's made him the A-lister he is. He's won hearts.

But whether Dane knows it or not, he won the majority of hearts up on the big stage, and his message resonates more from that platform than anywhere else. There's a simple reason for that. Performing on demand in front of hundreds of thousands without the safety net of Final Cut Pro is simply more difficult than posting on a blog, drawing up T-shirts, and shooting videos.

Nothing cheap and easy has value, which is why all that other stuff is considered just surf porn. It's great for a few seconds of fleeting pleasure. Given the choice, the majority of Dane's fans would rather see him keep pushing.

Of course, after years of grueling travel and that hefty work schedule they have on the ASP he's certainly earned the right to pursue what makes him truly happy, be it fashion and film or beer bongs and surf smut. If we've learned nothing else from the dearly departed Steve Jobs it's that loving what you do is the only way to do great work. And we love Dane's great work.

But history tells us that once surfers leave the tour behind a clock starts ticking on their allure, because flash fades a bit faster in this new media age. A few short years from now when Dane's added 15 pounds to his boiler, his neckbeard is grown out, and he's home watching a new generation of stars pick up where he left off, it's possible he could feel more exploited than ever being a video floozy seeking Facebook followers...By then a few 5.5s might just pale in comparison.

I put on for my city.

MUZIK MONDAYZ

Two of my favorites from Lupe...

Back to Rat Town.

Yours truly is officially on Christmas break now.  That means a month with my lovely parents in Atlantic Beach, Florida. It never ceases to amaze me as I drive the hour north on A1A how the culture changes from beach town to beach town.  It really is an interesting experience splitting my time between the nation's oldest city and Rat Town. Part of the year, I am surrounded by prep-school kids decked out in various shades of pastel while the other half of the year I spend with my favorite surf thugs whose life revolves around the pier, beer, and Jaguars football. I'm not sure which scene I prefer yet.  For now, my double-life continues.

Surfers Giving Back.

Fun day with the crew at Wolfson Children's Hospital today. We delivered a ton of new toys to the kids and we're still collecting more at various businesses around Jacksonville. Special thanks to Paul West, Tim Mottern, and all of the pros who came out to support such a great cause.

Quote of the day from rebel surfer Miki Dora:

"Waves are the ultimate illusion. They come out of nowhere, instantaneously materialize and just as quickly they break and vanish. Chasing after such fleeting mirages is a complete waste of time. That is what I chose to do with my life."

Loved by many. Hated by more. Alex doesn't care. He just wants to dance.

Inspired.

This is the prayer of greasy hands. This is the path of resin-stuck sandals. This is the sacred ground on which we dig. Yes, we make motorcycles and surfboards. But it’s everything in between that makes us.

Build your own shaping stand.

I am currently working on building a shaping room at my house in St. Augustine Beach.  The plans below are an easy way to build surfboard shaping stands on a low-budget. If you are building glassing stands, you will want to make them slightly taller so that you can work comfortably when wrapping the fiberglass cloth around the rails.  Materials cost less than $20.

Put the team on my back.

The pinnacle of music videos.

OUR TEAM. OUR TOWN.

Jags vs Chargers. Monday Night Football baby!!! West coast, welcome to the best coast. WE ARE JAGUARS.

Florida State Surfing Championships

Another incredibly fun day brought to you by the Florida Surfing Association. The Florida State Championships went off today at the Jacksonville Beach pier.  What can I say, Paul West really knows how to put on an event. A good time was had by all and TONS of toys were collected for the Wolfson Children's Hospital.  Thanks to everyone who helped out :)

Most Inspirational Surfers (in my humble opinion)

1. Miki Dora
2. David Nuuhiwa
3. Alex Knost
4. Kelly Slater
5. Jay Adams
6. Buttons
7. Gerry Lopez
8. Terry Fitzgerald
9. Nat Young
10. Larry Bertlemann

Timeless Quiver

At some point in time every surfer proudly poses for a shot of themselves and their collection of surfboards but this 1975 photo of Terry Fitzgerald triumphs them all. Taken while Terry was on top of his game... Pushing the limits of surfing, surfboard design, art, and our imagination to the next level.

Relax. Slow down. It's Folly.

Those of you that know me, know that I'm about as laid-back as they come. Not much gets me worked up. I guess I'm a product of my environment. In South Carolina, things seem to move at a slower pace than the rest of the world. I think everyone could benefit from a slower pace of life. Like the sign at my homebreak says, "Relax. Slow down. It's Folly." No matter where I go or what train, boat, bus, or plane I'm on, I always take that Folly state of mind with me.

HOW TO MAKE A SURF MOVIE 101

Scott Anderson mixing things up again.

Livin' the dream.

Bill Pressly - All Yew from www.KORDUROY.tv on Vimeo.

This is the come up.

2011 has not been very kind to Jacksonville sports fans. The Jaguars have had a miserable season and lets not even talk about the performance of our beloved Gators. This week our world was turned upside down with the firing of Jags head coach Jack Del Rio, the sale of the franchise, and Urban Meyers return to college football at Ohio State of all places. Things are changing down here but hopefully this is the new beginning we need for a successful 2012. WE ARE JAGUARS, WE LOVE OUR GATORS, AND THIS IS OUR TIME... DUVALLLLLLL!!!

The times they are a changin'.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have reached an agreement to sell the small-market franchise to Illinois businessman Shahid Khan.

Majority owner Wayne Weaver made the announcement Tuesday, hours after he fired coach Jack Del Rio and gave general manager Gene Smith a three-year contract extension. He said Khan will have 100 percent control of the team.

Weaver called Khan “a great American success story” and said the Pakistan-born entrepreneur will keep the team in Jacksonville.

Khan is the owner and CEO of the Flex-N-Gate Group based in Urbana, Ill. Khan had been a candidate to buy controlling interest in the St. Louis Rams last year.

The sale of the franchise and the firing of Del Rio are the city’s most significant news since the team’s inception in 1993.

grease monkey stuff

2011 Daytona Turkey Run... sun, girls, and bitchin' rides

Surf Community Toy Drive

Florida State Pro/Am Surfing Championships

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!  This contest could be basically free for competitors.  If you bring a toy, unwrapped to the contest, you can surf!  Slots will be limited, so send in your entry and then write at the top of the form you will bring a toy for the Children’s Hospital. Then you can surf!  The Champions in each division along with a few selected top pro surfers will take the toys to the Children’s Hospital and visit, sign autographs and provide a few smiles for this Christmas.  Thanks to DREW’S SURF STIK for providing the support, great trophies, and underwriting this event so that we can provide a bit of holiday cheer!

We will be hosting the 2011 State Surfing Championships in Jacksonville Beach December 3-4, 2011.

You can get more information about FSA programs by emailing us at info@floridasurfing.org

The Future

What do 11-time World Champion surfers do with their leisure time? Design the perfect wave apparently. I swear this guy is from another planet. One thing is for certain though: When Kelly sets his mind to something, it gets done.  Look for this wave park in the very near future my friends.

Players Club

The time that we kill keeps us alive.

Surfer Profile: Piper Austin

AKA:  Pipes, Pipeline, Pipemaster Pro, Pipey, PIP er, Pippy, Pepper.. my personal fav is Woodchip
DOB: 2/25/96
Born: Jax
Resides: Jax
Stance: Goofy!
Favorite wave: Little Talbot
Maneuver: Big off the tops, haha I dont know what to call it.
Inspirations: I have a lot of these. My dad. He passed away from brain cancer when i was 9 and he made everything sooo much fun. He impacted so many people.  Every person he met he left a smile on their face. Everyday he would have to do his "triatholon" and do 3 fun things like surf, go play frisbee golf, and motorcycle ride. He really taught me to live life to the fullest and just have fun in everything you do. Then theres my "brother" Cito.  He reminds me so much of my dad, same outlook on life and everything. He battled liver and lung cancer at age 17 and made it through it all smiling the whole way. He makes me so thankful for everything around me and really helps me through a lot. His faith in God just pushes me to use my surfing talent for HIS glory.

Q&A with Piper:

So you're fresh off a win at Easterns. What's it like being the East Coast champ?

Well everyone keeps asking me that and to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure haha. I mean it feels great to know that I made it all the way and then came out on top, especially with all the really good surfers I had to compete against.  But to me it was really just another contest.   Anything can happen in 15-20 minutes and I was blessed with some awesome waves to show the judges what I could do!

How old were you when you started surfing?

I was 8... or somewhere around there. I used to hate the beach, water, sand, everything but my parents always took me anyways so one day I just decided to hop on a board.

You always ripped but you really turned it on last season. What do you attribute that to?

Well I started really focusing and some people were giving me tips and helping me train.  I really appriciated it.

Contest or free surf?

Ummmmmm... I enjoy both.

Every time I see you, you're wearing that chicken hat. How much do they pay you to wear that thing?

Oh yes!! I love my chicken hat.  I'm excited for winter just so I can wear it :)

Will we be seeing you bust some airs anytime soon?

I'm not going to ruin any surprises so you'll just have to wait and see.

Your boyfriend Adam is a pretty good surfer as well. Tandem championships in your future?

Oh thanks! He is getting really good... and hopefully yes! We just need to find a board that will float both of us and I need to learn how to do a handstand.

What does it mean to you to be an East Coast Surfer?

It means you get excited over 2 ft surf.

5 best surfers in Jax... boys and girls

Cody Thompson, Jake McGuire, Kaylas, Mallory Turner, KK

Where do you see girls surfing in Jacksonville going over the next decade?

Going big! There are a lot more girls out in the line up already and more and more are competing in contests. I think we're really going to have a big break thru in the surfing industry and take it to the next level!

North Florida ESA Update

Congratulations to North Florida's Kayla Durden, Piper Austin, and Merrick Cunningham for being selected for the 2012 Eastern Surfing Association All-Star Team!!!

Code Red Wins Above The Lip at Redbull Night Riders Event

THE FULL MOON LIT THE STAGE AS RED BULL NIGHT RIDERS SHONE.
Six of the South’s Best Surfers Shred It at the 12th Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic at Flagler Beach.

Flagler Beach, FL – November 12, 2011-The full moon and high tide set the stage for six of the top east coast surfers to show off their toe-at skills in one of the most unique surfing competitions around. Over 6,000 spectators gathered around Flagler Pier to cheer on these Red Bull Night Riders as they captured big air, pulled off their best trick and ventured to the limits of their sport. The surfers pushed themselves to the extreme as the enthusiastic crowd cheered their encouragement, each jump made all the more dramatic by the vivid lighting illuminating the surfers against the ominous backdrop of the crashing black waves. This is the second time the nighttime tow-at event took place at Flagler Beach and was part of the Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic presented by Nautica.

The airs were high and the lights were bright as CJ Hobgood and Jake Mcquire went full force soaring into the night sky.  Each exhausted and elated surfer gave everything they had but there can only be one victor and that distinction went deservedly to Red Bull Night Riders veteran Cody Thompson. Judges determined unanimously that Cody hit it the hardest and nailed the best trick of the night and from the crowd poised in stunned silence, mouths agape as Cody rose through the air to the deafening roar as he landed; it was clear the crowd agreed.  Judge Jay Dobson had this to say “I absolutely love the event, it’s one of the most unique events on the entire eastern seaboard. The competitors were the best in Florida, the best on the east coast”

NIGHT BRIGHT

The Sunshine States’ best aerialists put on a world-class performance in a unique and unusual setting, More used to blazing sun and crystal blue waves the surfers were challenged to adapt their technique to deal with the shifting light and shadows underneath the illuminated night sky. Winner Cody Thompson has a distinctive way of dealing with the challenging conditions, “My strategy is to try get the best waves and open my eyes wider than I usually do”. With great conditions, Cody Thompson posted a winning score of 8.17 out of a possible 10 points. “The atmosphere is ridiculous, the hype from last year seems like it’s multiplied” expresses Thompson, “Everyone is really psyched to be here, everyone is hanging out and cheering you on.”

Completing the roster for the evening were CJ Hobgood, Blake Jones, Oliver Kurtz, Eddie Guilbeau and Jake McQuire. All of the surfers admitted to having their nerves rattled by the thousands of fans who gathered to watch from the stadium-like atmosphere of the Flagler Pier.  They needn’t have worried; the spectators were equally as enthralled and excited to be a part of the night.  UNF Student John Flanagan told us; “This was the first time I have heard about something like this in Florida and wanted to come and check it out. I have never seen anything like this before.” Equally excited fan Amy Simmens stated, “I have heard about this event all year and it has lived up to its expectations, it was an incredible night”. We couldn’t agree more Amy.

Courtesy of Void Magazine

This is Rat Town...

A seaside slum located on the coast of Northeastern Florida, the beaches of Jacksonville are often referred to as Rat Town. I've had the privilege to get to know many of the city's greatest residents: the founder of the Rat Town movement Mitch Kaufmann, artist Kathy Frosio, legendary surfer/shaper Clay Bennett, pro surfer/hellraiser Jeff Crego and countless other eclectic figures. I've heard the stories and made some pretty crazy stories of my own. This blog is an insight to our lifestyle. A life that is centered around endless days at the local pier, sleepless nights, and Jaguar football. Rat Town: It's dirty, it's filthy... It's paradise :)