hiya wa howa aswat

the pilot flicked the switch. There was a dull, lifeless click, then nothing. He shot us a bewildered look, mumbling technical jargon to no one in particular. He climbed out of the cockpit and sauntered over to the hangar. We exchanged worried glances. Suddenly, we were questioning our decision. Fresh off a camping trip to one of Western Canada’s notoriously remote slabs, we’d decided to hire a helicopter to go further. It was something we had been humming and hawing about for ages, but it had yet to come to fruition—each time we’d attempted it, bad weather suspended our plans.
That morning had already been an emotional rollercoaster, so in hindsight, engine difficulties were fitting. Having never taken a heli-surf trip to this area, none of us knew what to expect—or whether it would be worth our time and money. The dense landscape and complete lack of roads north of Tofino ensures the reef passes, along most of the coastline, remain almost entirely untouched. It also means that getting to them is an adventure. As some of the few surfers with the knowledge and means to reach the best waves, our tight-knit crew has worked hard perfecting the art of strategic maritime missions. But the thing about exploring the coast by boat is that the same offshore wind that transforms the area’s best reefs from sectioning, chandeliering runners into hollow slabs is the same wind that creates sea conditions too vicious for a small boat to survive the five-hour round-trip out of Tofino. And that’s where the helicopter comes in.
After a few minutes, the pilot emerged from the hangar carrying a trickle-charger type device. He connected the cables, and the engine sputtered to life. Say what you will about the marvels of trickle-charger devices, but jump-starting a helicopter does not fill you a great deal of confidence. Especially when you’re headed somewhere just north of nowhere.
“Okay, we’re set to go,” the pilot assured us. At this point, it was too late to back out. With our money paid and our surfboards strapped to the landing skid, we had no choice but to trust him. We nodded confirmation. Moments later, we were airborne. Below us, Tofino and its surrounding area sloped steeply from rocky headlands to swell-exposed sandy beaches, a pattern that consistently works its way south some 25 miles to neighboring Ucluelet. There, the grains of sand transform into pebbled shorelines as the coast bends eastward toward Barkley Sound. North of Tofino, however, the abrupt headlands begin to take on the form of longer, flatter reefs, and the quantity and quality of surf increases by the mile. From heaving slabs to dribbling points and everything in between, it’s all there for the taking. You just have to know when and where to look.
Say what you will about the marvels of trickle-charger devices, but jump-starting a helicopter does not fill you a great deal of confidence. Especially when you’re headed somewhere just north of nowhere.
Growing up somewhere surrounded by untapped surf potential is both a blessing and a curse. While the ease of warm-water surf destinations has its allure, there’s nothing quite like the pleasure of scoring perfect, completely empty barrels after spending days tracking a swell and hours at sea chasing it down. And whether you end up scoring or not, at the very least you’re always left with an epic tale that those living in surf Meccas can’t even fathom.

One particular mission comes to mind: After a two-day barrel feast, we’d run into a stiff southeasterly just as we left to head home. The chop continued to grow larger, meaning each time the boat’s bow smashed down, more water poured in. The extra weight and violent seas meant that the underpowered vessel could no longer get up on a plane. Our captain, photographer Jeremy Koreski, circled over and over, turning the headwind into a tailwind to help us reach a plane, before quickly spinning back in the direction of home. Meanwhile, Peter Devries and I frantically bailed seawater from the stern. Over the roaring winds, Jeremy screamed every cuss word in existence, occasionally sprinkling in the fact that he was, “Never fucking taking three people in the boat again!” Being the “third” man on that boat hadn’t made the situation very comfortable for me, so rather than joining the complain train, I uncharacteristically kept my mouth shut, bailed water, and tried not to make eye contact with Captain Koreski. Four hours later, when we were safely on land, we couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

Thankfully, our helicopter adventure turned out to be far less dramatic. Traveling north under the now steady whir of the rotating blades, we watched the incoming swell bend around the tiny uninhabited islands dotting the coast. Peter and I squealed at each other through our headsets, pointing out the breaks below, amazed at the perfect, long-period swell and unseasonably warm weather. Every little reef and offshore island was alive with wave energy.
With the day’s unusually low tide, the reef in front of our chosen slab sat high and dry, offering a natural landing pad better than we could have possibly hoped for. Our pilot was able to set the bird down at the water’s edge. Before the blades had stopped, Pete and I had leapt out to survey the conditions. I’d thought long and hard about my chopper exit, and planned exactly how I’d step out tall beneath the spinning rotors—in movies, for some reason they always duck even though there’s ample room to walk upright. But alas, all of my planning was for naught: The minute I stepped out and felt the intense breath of the blades, I ran for safety at a height that could have won any limbo contest. As soon as the blades’ spinning had subsided, we frantically started unpacking gear, readying boards, and talking strategy with the two lensmen.Peter and I squealed at each other through our headsets, pointing out the breaks below, amazed at the perfect, long-period swell and unseasonably warm weather. Every little reef and offshore island was alive with wave energy.
Peter and I both left back-up boards as close to the lineup as possible, something Peter had always insisted upon ever since the first time he had taken me out there. “You’ll waste way too much time running all the way back to camp to get your other board,” he’d say. And although this time “camp” was a flying chunk of metal not 50 yards from where our second boards had been placed, I guess old habits die hard.
While Peter wasn’t among the first to surf this particular spot, he certainly surfs it best. Sliding in behind the peak of double-up wedges with ease, it’s not uncommon for him to double or even triple the barrel count of his peers—locals and visiting pros alike. His surfing ability is head and shoulders above the rest of Canada and has been now for the better part of the last decade. Somehow, he’s remained levelheaded and friendly, despite his growing local celebrity. His patience and humility have made him a respected figurehead of the ever-growing surf community in the Great White North.
We took turns shouting each other into set waves in a lineup shared only with a couple of (relatively) friendly sea lions. Since the swell was on the decline, the continuous wash-through sets that had plagued us during the two days prior were no longer an issue. Generally, when the swell is bigger and the tides are that low, every wave that isn’t made means a nightmarish paddle the long way around, eating up about 15 minutes and dragging you through a labyrinth of pinnacles that jut through the inside of the impact zone. The dangers are usually magnified by the utter remoteness of the break, but this time the helicopter sat idly on the reef, ensuring a quick, dry return home.

Unfortunately, helicopters aren’t ordinarily part of the equation in this neck of the Canadian woods—the financial barrier being what it is. And barring some small miracle, trips like these are never going to be commonplace for my friends and I. But the opportunity remains. The coastline is rife with underexplored reefs and bays, and while it’s never easy, trips in this part of the world aren’t meant to be. Most of us prefer it that way. It’s a special place that few people get the chance to enjoy and even fewer get to surf, and in an era where “secret spots” are nearly extinct, a cold, wet, windy boat ride is a small price to pay for empty, barreling surf.

Throughout history, technological advancements have redefined cultures across the globe. And the surf world is no exception. Wetsuit advancements, altered fin setups, new shapes, and superior surfboard materials changed the how, where, and when we could surf. Most would agree that these innovations have been beneficial, but is there a line to how far these advancements can go before the natural integrity of surfing is jeopardized? Until it no longer becomes surfing? With technological shortcuts like jet-propelled surfboards, artificial wave pools on the horizon, how far are we from losing traditional surfing as we know it?
Let’s start in the competitive realm. According to the 2013 ASP rulebook, there are currently no restrictions on self-propelled surfboards assisting surfers into waves. Sure, jet-propelled boards aren’t currently on the cutting edge of high-performance, but who knows, someone could figure out how to streamline the construction and make a functional, high-performance shortboard—with an added paddle advantage. 20 years from now, will surfers look back at the non-propelled surfboards of today in the same way we recall our phones once being tethered to a wall? Either way, the longstanding relationship between surfers and the environment will change if these self-propelled rides gain traction.
Then there is the question of what we ride. Recently, the newest Wave Garden opened up in Basque County, Spain, and is capable of producing 120 perfect, 200 meter rides every hour. This allows surfers to ride perfect waist- to chest-high waves all day, every day, never waiting for swell, in a completely landlocked area. Although this may seem like any surfer’s dream, does the act of manually paddling out, choosing unique waves, and tracking storms add to the natural integrity of surfing? Perhaps a new schism may surface between traditional surfers who primarily ride ocean waves, and an emerging group of surfers who only surf artificial waves. Our landlocked brethren—raised on inland, manmade waves—may develop a culture all their own. Surfing only perfect, identical waves would generate the flashiest era of high-performance surfing yet—as if we don’t see enough air-reverses already. At its most extreme, it would create a culture of cookie-cutter surfers who can only perform in ideal conditions.

I think the majority of surfers would agree with me when I say there’s something to be said for riding real waves, in the ocean, with no mechanical assistance. Sure, it’s fun to dabble in the latest craze, but as we grow and adapt, let’s make sure to stay rooted in tradition. And when you brag to your buddies about your recent no-paddle take-off, air-reverse, or stand-up barrel, just make sure you include all the details of the session.

Serena Brooke was one of the surf world’s best-liked and brightest stars in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The superfit and fresh-faced regularfoot claimed ASP Rookie of the Year honors in 1995, won her first tour event the next year, and twice finished second in the world (1998 and 1999) before bowing out of full-time tour competition after the 2008 season. In the years since, Brooke’s gone on to do charity work, appear in surf fitness how-tos, and started her own clothes company. This past spring, Brooke moved on to the most important chapter of her life, giving birth to twin girls; she’s raising the future shredders with her long-time partner, visual artist Emma Sheldrake. (The couple briefly made Australian news recently for standing up in support of same sex marriage.) We caught up with Serena to find out what post-tour life has been like.
First, where are you living and what are you up to these days? How’s your new clothing line coming along?
I’m living in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast. I moved back up here a couple of years ago. I grew up here and my partner was living up here, plus the Gold Coast has become so crowded to surf these days, so it’s a little more relaxed up here which is nice. Serena Sportwear is going well, there has been a bit of time off after the birth of the girls, but it is going well, all the samples are done and they look great. We are using some of Em’s artwork on the pieces.
How’s your surfing? Are you able to get in the water much with newborn twins?
Surfing is going well, although I found it really hard at first after the birth of the girls. I had a C-section and I felt so weak, like I had no core strength left. We have a neighbor who loves the girls and comes every morning and watches them, so I have been surfing again quite a bit. When there is swell I surf the national park waves. Tea Tree Bay has been insane lately—great sand, lots of barrels, and not the crazy amount of people like the Gold Coast. When it’s smaller I just surf whatever beachbreaks have the best banks. There are a lot to choose from up here.
Tell us a bit about your partner and your little girls.

My partner is a graphic designer and a fine artist. We work from home which helps a lot as there are always two of us here for the bubs. She is very busy either painting for galleries or doing design work for her own company. Motherhood has been the biggest blessing for both of us. It is the best thing I have ever done. It’s so rewarding in so many ways. I am super happy and have loved transitioning into this phase of life; everyone tells you how amazing parenting will be, but you don’t know the love you will experience until you do it. It’s love on a whole new level. It’s the best.


2008 was your last year on tour. Were you hoping to re-qualify for 2009 or  were you ready for life on tour to be over? Walk me through your thoughts as that year ended.
I was totally ready to leave the tour in 2008. I did it for 14 years and was not too much into competing at that point in my life. I was actually excited, rather than bummed, and didn’t try to re-qualify at all. The timing was perfect to leave full-time competing behind. As much as I had loved doing it, the thrill of being in a different country surfing crappy contest waves was not for me anymore. We had super bad waves on tour that year; all of the good waves weren’t on the women’s tour schedule anymore, so it was more of a beachbreak tour than a dream tour. The days of surfing J-Bay, Trestles, Fiji, Tahiti, and Hawaii were gone. I actually felt bad for the new girls coming on, and fortunate that I got to compete on tour in the earlier years when we had amazing waves and events. I did a bunch of side trips that last year when I was around the WCT events and just enjoyed myself.
What was life like in 2009? Were you doing contests? Did you have a plan in place for life after full-time competition?

2009 was a fun year. I competed in select events with Bud Light and traveled to great waves for photo/video trips: Indo, Hawaii,Tahiti, the Philippines, and all around the USA. It was very relaxed, no stress, just hanging out or going where the waves were good. No points to worry about, and no getting out of bed to surf crappy waves. I enjoyed the more relaxed schedule and enjoyed leaving that little bubble life of the WCT behind. It served me well, but I was ready to explore more outside of full-time tour life. I didn’t really have a “plan” so to speak, but I was still getting paid to surf and I had set myself up over the years so I didn’t have to run out and get a job right away or anything which was a blessing. From when I left the WCT to when I gave birth to the twins, I’ve had a blast. Now I just cant wait to surf with my kids.


What are some of your favorite memories from your pro career?
I have so many amazing memories it’s hard to pick, but my favorite is probably my first WCT win (Hossegor, 1996) when you had to surf all the way through from the trials to get to the main event. It was big, heavy Hossegor and I was stoked to beat the top girls and take my first WCT win. I also loved winning events at home like the Billabong Pro, and competing in Japan when we had WCT events there. It was such a trip going there as a grom, so different from where I had grown up.
Also, I enjoyed side trips like the OP Boat Trip Challenge in the early 2000s. They would take the top four women from the Surfer Poll awards and the top four men. Surfing for 10 days with Bruce, Andy, Occy, Shane—all the top guys—and me, KK [Keala Kennelly], Rochelle [Ballard], and Layne. It was such an amazing concept: hour long heats and perfect waves and a bunch of money just for showing up and a LOT for the winner. We all got into trouble the first year as the contest organizers tried to make it like the “Survivor” TV show, and turn us against each other with a winner takes all concept. So the boys and girls got together and scribbled a little hand-written contract which we all signed, secretly agreeing to just split all the money no matter who won. I think Occy won the men’s and Roach [Ballard] won the women’s and they split it. Although the contest directors were onto it and the next year told us we could not split the money again.
Who were some of your favorite competitors on tour? Were there girls you hated to face in heats? Who do you think was the best surfer you ever faced?
I liked to compete against everyone on tour because they all had their strong points at certain spots. All the heats were tough. The best surfer I faced on tour was probably Steph [Gilmore] as she was coming on strong just when I was leaving. Chelsea [Hedges] was almost unbeatable when there were barreling waves—she was amazing. And of course Layne was the contest queen. I finished runner up to the world title to her twice so she was obviously a tough one.
Do you still follow the women’s tour? Who are your favorite surfers today?

I don’t follow it as closely as I thought I would, there is so much more to life than contests. You don’t realize that until you’re out of that bubble because when you’re in it it becomes all consuming and it’s all you focus on. But I think Steph, Carissa Moore, Tyler Wright, Courtney Conlogue, Sally Fitzgibbons, Lakey Peterson, and Coco Ho are the strongest all around surfers on tour at the moment.

Alejo Muniz (BRA), 23, has won the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Prime Vans US Open of Surfing over Kolohe Andino (USA), 19, in peaky one-to-three foot (1 metre) waves at Huntington Beach Pier.
The Vans US Open of Surfing is the fourth of eight ASP Prime events on the 2013 calendar, offering crucial points towards surfers’ ASP World Ranking and a coveted US$100,000 first place prize purse.
Muniz would get the best of an opening exchange with Andino, belting a 8.43 for a series of seamless frontside turns. The Brazilian would quickly backup the ride on his backhand, scalping a 7.80 on a left breaking in to the pier to solidify the victory.
“I’m so happy, I can’t believe it,” Muniz said. “Today marks the four-year anniversary of my grandfather’s passing and I’d like to dedicate this win to him. This is the biggest win of my career and it’s the biggest crowd I’ve ever surfed in front of. I knew I had to get scores and the waves were dying a little bit with the high tide and the ocean really cooperated with me today.”
Muniz, who entered the Vans US Open ranked No. 24, had struggled to find a big result throughout the first half of his ASP season, but vaults to No. 15 on the rankings compliments of his win in Huntington Beach today.
“I’ve been really focused because I hadn’t really had big results coming in to this event,” Muniz said. “I was putting everything in to this event and the work paid off. I focused more on myself rather than who I was surfing against and what scores they were getting. I’ve been getting good scores, but losing heats for some reason. I knew inside that I just needed to get the good waves and surf how I could. I’m stoked that I was able to do it this week. I think I surfed smart all week and it’s been amazing.”
Kolohe Andino was the last Southern Californian remaining in men’s competition and was in dangerous form entering the final. The progressive regular-footer would open his final exchange with a 7.77 but was unable to find the second score needed to surpass Muniz, finishing runner-up overall.
“Congratulations to Alejo,” Andino said. “He surfed amazing all week. It would have been nice to win, but I just couldn’t find a second wave and I’m happy that I made the final.”
Bede Durbidge (AUS), 31, unloaded signature power-surfing throughout Vans US Open, besting fellow ASP WCT standout Michel Bourez (PYF), 27, while advancing to the Semifinals. The Australian was unable to surpass Andino in the Semifinals, but hopes to take his success in Huntington Beach to the back half of the year.
“Not many people would have picked me to make the Semifinals in this event so it was a good result for me,” Durbidge said. “I came over here to just get back to winning heats and I got four or five wins under my belt and I’ll just take that momentum in to the back half of the year.”
Matt Banting (AUS), 18, proved to be darkhorse of the 2013 Vans US Open of Surfing, besting a flock of the world’s best surfers on his way to an incredible equal 3rd place finish. Banting went on to eliminate Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25, in the Quarterfinals, but was unable to surpass Muniz in their Semifinals clash. Banting’s result launches him from from 92 to 41 on the men’s ASP World Ranking.
“I’ve dreamt of that heat against Jordy (Smith) my whole life and to surf against him and to beat him, I’m so happy,” Banting said following his Quarterfinals win. “I was just wishing that no waves would come and to just better that 3.77 on my final wave. I’m just frothing. I’m not trying to qualify just yet. I’m taking it heat-by-heat and to beat Jordy, anything after that would have been a bonus.”

VANS US OPEN OF SURFING MEN’S FINAL RESULT:
1 - Alejo Muniz (BRA) 16.23
2 - Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.54
VANS US OPEN OF SURFING MEN’S SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.00 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.76
SF 2: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.00 def. Matt Banting (AUS) 11.50

VANS US OPEN OF SURFING MEN’S QUARTERFINALS MATCH UPS:
QF 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.66 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.27
QF 2: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 10.50 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.43
QF 3: Matt Banting (AUS) 10.70 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 9.30
QF 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.64 def. Nat Young (USA) 5.83

Once again the FlowRider Cornwall will be hosting the European FlowTour qualifiers down at Retallack his weekend.
The comp starts at 11am and features Open, Open bodyboard and team comps with prize packs from O’Neill, DC and Redbull!
This year Retallack have a special MasterChef BBQ and Hog Roast as well as four special event bars! As always there will be lots of music, beer and great entertainment throughout the day.
Sponsored by O’neill, DC, Oakley, The Pit and supported by RedBull
Saturday 27th July – Flowrider Cornwall

Open Competition – The main event
Bodyboard Competition
Team Event- The world famous FlowRider Team battles

Epic! Such beauty, liquid poetry. Top quality tube riding, very well edited. Congrats to those who contributed to this breath taking vid. Love it.

A week
A road trip
Covering the vast expanse of the north west is search of firing ledges
before returning home to score more firing ledges with mates
A week of EPIC waves,
THE WEEK THAT WAS
By Tom Jennings and John Barton
Surfers:
Clay Marzo
Kerby Brown
Cortney Brown
Jake Perkins
Ry Craike
Liam Carter
Music:
Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand
and
Three Seed by Silversun Pickups.

Officially a collectivity of France, the island of Bora Bora lies in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia. With its amazing reef, fantastic white sand beaches, and laid-back local population it is easy to see why Bora Bora is considered by many to be paradise on Earth. The island itself features an extinct volcano in the center and is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. Bora Bora is a tourist hot-spot and many resorts and over-the-water bungalows have been built on the island. The population of locals is just under 9,000 with Tahitian, French, and some English spoken. Visitors can enjoy world-class diving and snorkeling, as well as sunset catamaran cruises, fishing trips, and jet ski rentals.

Surf filmmaker Jack McCoy will be inducted into the Surfing Walk Of Fame, in Huntington Beach, California.

Known for his prestigious surf movies, McCoy's film collection includes "Tubular Swells" (1976), "Bunyip Dreaming" (1990), "The Green Iguana" (1992), "The Sons of Fun" (1993), "The Occumentary" (1998), "Sabotaj" (1998), "Blue Horizon" (2004), "Free as a Dog" (2006) and his latest "A Deeper Shade of Blue" (2012), among others.
Jack McCoy Jr. is an internationally recognized surfing photographer, writer, director, producer, and cinematographer, and has been filming the global surfing scene for some 35 years.
Hew grew up in Hawaii on the windward side of Oahu in Kailua. His father Jack McCoy Sr., pushed his 8-year-old son on his first wave at Waikiki Beach, beginning Jack's lifelong love of the ocean.
When he was 12, Jack saw a Bruce Brown surfing film at the Kailua High School Auditorium. It captured his imagination, and inspired passion to create his life's work. Jack put up posters for surfing films coming to his town, including early surfing films by Bruce Brown, Bud Browne, and MacGillivray/Freeman Films.
Jack was privileged to meet Bud Browne, the pioneer water and underwater photographer, whose work he emulated and continues to expand on with new angles and technology. McCoy now resides in Australia.

The 20th year of the Surfing Walk Of Fame highlights people within the surfing lifestyle and culture who have made their mark in their career. Jack McCoy will be a Surf Culture Inductee for 2013.

Despite having a beautiful young family and a highly coveted, well-paying job, Carlos Velarde had a disturbing turn-of-the-century revelation: He wasn’t happy. Having spent the last seven years clawing his way up the corporate ladder, Carlos woke up one day and realized that he had sacrificed too much in order to get there—he had strayed too far from the precious ocean lifestyle he held so dear. He suddenly saw himself as just another hamster on the wheel, another rat chasing the proverbial cheese. So the young Peruvian gathered the family, collected his life savings, and, like the legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl, left Peru and struck out for broader horizons.
While sacrificing family security may be an ill-advised plan for others, it was a fitting decision for someone with Carlos Velarde’s past. Growing up under the auspices of Club Waikiki, the shadow of Pico Alto, and the rich Punta Hermosa surfing culture, this goofy-footer knew how good life could be. As a younger man he had taken a chance and moved to Hawaii, and discovered a path to inner peace through surfing there. He had channeled anger from a family divorce, made a calculated assault on heavy Pipeline barrels, and by testing the limits of his courage, he was able to let go of some deep-seated angst and find a cathartic path to happiness.
During his stint on Oahu, Carlos was one of those surfers who would show up in a surf magazine with the label “unidentified”, and although he would have loved to have had his name attached to the images, he was perfectly content to exist under the radar. Carlos was just happy to be there—to be immersed in the Polynesian lifestyle. And while immersed, Carlos couldn’t help but notice some of the uncanny similarities between Hawaiian and Peruvian culture, especially in terms of cuisine. From the construction and techniques used with the underground Imu oven, to specific and complex uses of the sweet potato, Carlos noticed so many parallels that he grew to believe in Thor Heyerdahl’s trans-cultural diffusion model—that there had to be some sort of ancient Polynesian/Peruvian connection. It also rekindled a long-held culinary interest in Carlos.
When he left Hawaii, Carlos went back to Peru to get serious about his education. He eventually earned an MBA from San Ignacio de Loyola, and began his corporate ascent. But, ultimately, it was Carlos’ time in Hawaii that made him realize that he had sold his soul for the comforts of a paycheck, and so instead of grinding his career out until retirement, he got radical, used his surfing instincts, and changed course. He began by searching the Pacific, eventually deciding to take a trip to Costa Rica. Like many other travelers, Carlos and his wife, Andrea Raffo, became enamored by the Northern Costa Rica Guanacaste vibe, and looked at it as a cosmic sign when their car got stuck in the mud right in front of Playa Negra.
They had found their new home.
Slowly and steadily over the next few years, Carlos and his family took root in Playa Negra and now have a great little hotel and café in town, Café Playa Negra. They also have two beautiful, intelligent, and vibrant teenage daughters, Cloe and Maia, who have grown up living the Pura Vida.
The Café Playa Negra is a highly-rated, open-air establishment that offers excellent Peruvian fusion dishes and a relaxed atmosphere. It sits in the center of town, and is a gathering place for surfers the world over. On any given night it is not uncommon for wave riders from Europe, South America, North America, Polynesia, and the Caribbean to all be enjoying the café cuisine at the same time, with nothing but laughter and good times filling the air.

So the next time you go to Costa Rica, stop by Café Playa Negra for a meal and say hello to Carlos Velarde, the man who branched out and brought a trans-cultural diffusion model of his own to a surfing paradise.

Surf culture has always prided itself on its DIY ethos. Fixing a board yourself is better than sending it to the ding repair shop. Checking the waves in person is better than looking at the cams. Exploring the coastline is better than sticking to well-trodden surf spots. This self-reliance is heavily engrained in our culture, and the ability to make your own boards from start to finish is the logical zenith of that ethos. But there have historically been many barriers to entry for would-be shapers, such as renting a workspace, buying tools, and, most importantly, finding a decent shaper willing to hold their hand through the first few shitty boards.
In the last few years, however, these barriers have been dissolving as the concept of all-inclusive shaping bays began emerging in coastal cities throughout California. Shaper Studios in San Diego is one such workspace. Started less than two years ago by Bay Area transplant Chris Clark, the idea was that Shaper Studios would provide the shaping bays, the templates, and the tools in exchange for a membership fee—like a gym for foam and fiberglass buffs.
Shaper Studios represents an opportunity for young surfers to do something tangible: to deepen their connection to surfing by building a board with their own two hands.
Clark expected most patrons to be experienced backyard shapers looking for a convenient place to practice their hobby and hang out with like-minded individuals, but the bulk of his business came from an unexpected source: average surfers with little or no shaping experience whatsoever. Clark was surprised that this group made up the majority of his clientele, but maybe he shouldn’t have been. Most young middle-class surfers today aren’t nearly as familiar with the teeth of a handsaw as they are with the apps of a smartphone. They’ve been raised on the young American diet of high tech products and social media, where the things that they create exist only in the cloud. Shaper Studios represents an opportunity for them to do something tangible: to deepen their connection to surfing by building a board with their own two hands.
I’m part of the same club. I walked into Shaper Studios a few weeks ago ready to put some callouses on my keyboard-softened hands. For roughly $100 per foot, you can use one of the shaping bays to shape whatever you can dream up. The tools, materials, and instruction are all provided. Being my first board, I wanted to keep the design simple: a relatively straight plan line, low rocker, high width and thickness, and no concave. I figured if I made the board short enough, it should be easy to turn regardless of concave, so I cut it down to 5’4’’. For the tail, I simply chopped the tail to avoid any complications that may arise from attempting a swallow or diamond. “Keep it simple,” I told myself. “You’ll probably fuck this up.”

I grabbed a full-nosed template, got the outline on the blank, and got down to business. My cuts strayed from the lines, my passes with the planer wavered, and my sanding was uneven—it looked like drunken carpentry. Anyone who has seen a master shaper at work knows that everything is smooth, uninterrupted motion like a dusty waltz. I was perpetually stumbling. But Shaper Studios expects this from first timers, which is why they paired me up with Kory Nutter, an in-house shaper and production manager for the facility. He pointed out asymmetries, showed me his planing technique, and kept me from sanding off the down rail in the tail, which I nearly did several times. By the time I was done, sweat had caused the white dust to cling to my every pore. I was a walking powdered sugar donut. But the board was done, it looked beautiful, and I was proud to say that I had made something with my own two hands that would one day be under my feet, high lining through speedy sections and carving the open face.

Two weeks later, I met Kory at the top of the road at Black’s, where he handed me my glassed board: 5 feet and 4 inches of wave destroying potential. As soon as I had it in my hands, I realized just how ugly my creation actually was. I didn’t compensate for the cloth and resin, so the board was substantially bulkier than I had intended, and the rails weren’t uniform, changing shape every few inches from nose to tail. It was a hideous creation, something that most parents would have smothered on sight. But I was determined to love it in spite of its horrible appearance.
I wish I could tell you that I stood up on the first wave and my concerns melted away—that I dropped into a set and linked polished maneuvers through to the inside, coming full circle in my journey from surfer to craftsman to surfer again. But I can’t. I got hung up at the lip, lost my balance on the bottom turn, and bogged on the cutback.
After a few more waves, I started to feel out the board’s limitations and adapted accordingly, and I had an awesome time riding it. In fact, I’ve ridden it everyday since. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s too short with too much nose rocker to be very good at catching waves, and the lack of concave makes it very resistant to turns. Not to mention the problems that I’m just not design savvy enough to pinpoint.
I still love the board, because as its creator I feel warmly obliged to do so, but the odds are I would want nothing to do with it had it been made by someone else. After the session, I was left with one question: If you are paying a similar price to a custom board, and odds are it will ride somewhat worse than a custom board, is it really worth it?
I still love the board, because as its creator I feel warmly obliged to do so, but the odds are I would want nothing to do with it had it been made by someone else.
There’s a reason we turn to master craftsmen to build our surfboards. Taking an unshaped blank and turning it into something that can effectively ride waves is an art form that you can dedicate your life to and still never come close to perfecting. Did I really believe that I could shape myself a magic board on the first try? Was it hubris of Homeric proportions? If I kept shaping my own boards, would my surfing suffer because of it?

The truth is that it if you decide to shape your first board at a place like Shaper Studios, it really doesn’t matter how it turns out. Standing on the other side of the planer has numerous benefits, and there is no scenario in which a surfer shapes his or her own board that doesn’t lead to the betterment of that surfer. The worst-case scenario is that you make a shitty board, learn something about the nuances of concave, rocker, and plan line, and go back to your usual shaper with a much deeper appreciation for what they do. The best-case scenario is that you make a functional board that you enjoy riding, sparking a fire that will lead to you making even better boards in the future. Who knows, you might even become your own favorite shaper—but don’t get your hopes up.

In the spring of 2006, Andy Irons made his Shipstern’s Bluff debut alongside Joel Parkinson, Mark Mathews, Dylan Longbottom, and Laurie Towner. The 3X world champ easily adapted to the deformed right-hand slab, but at the end of the day it was the relatively unknown 19-year-old Laurie Towner who stole the show (and the cover of our June 2006 issue). Irons even went as far as saying that Towner’s wave (at the start of the clip and shown below) was the “biggest paddle-in barrel ever.” Quite a bit has changed since then, but this raw, unscripted footage offers a rare glimpse into the camaraderie behind waves that border the impossible.

In 2007, at the height of the surf industry’s financial prosperity, we put together a rather naive piece titled “How To Get Sponsored.” At the time, companies were so flush with cash that they were throwing contracts at any 10-year-old who could put together a half-decent cutback. Oh, how times have changed. Nearly six years later, with the industry in flux and team rosters cut to the bone, it’s clear that the road to sponsorship has never been more difficult to traverse. Below, Nick Greeninger—a one time Rip Curl team manager turned agent for a handful of today’s top pros—lays out the reality what it’s going to take to obtain a sponsor in today’s anemic environment.
Adjust Your Expectations
It’s no secret that the surf industry is going through some transitions. Needless to say, it’s harder than ever to pick up a sponsor. There are lots of surfers out there who have done everything right and still can’t make a career out of it. If you’re fortunate enough to have a company support you from a young age, you’ll need to understand that you’re not going to be going on plush photo trips or be making a monthly paycheck anymore. Those days are gone. It’s a different world today. So the best advice I could give a young surfer looking for a sponsor is to adjust your expectations. Be thankful that you can get anything. But also keep in mind that being a pro surfer isn’t everything. Hopefully you didn’t start surfing to put stickers on your board, so if it doesn’t happen for you, it’s not the end of the world. You’re still a surfer.
Start Local
If you’re looking for a sponsor, the best thing you can do is to start with your local surf shop. Keep it local. Surf a ton. Get on your high school surf team. Enter all the local contests you can. When you’re not in school and you’re not in the lineup, spend time at the shop and do what you can to support them as a team rider. Surf shops are part of the surfing experience and are a big part of our culture. I love walking into a shop and seeing groms hanging out. Believe it or not, the time you spend in the shop is actually how you’ll start moving up the ranks. You’ll undoubtedly run into sales reps coming in and out of the shop. If you’re surfing well, representing the shop in a positive way, and have a good head on your shoulders, the sales rep will get to know your name. From there, they might pass your name onto his company’s regional team rider. With any luck, you guys will build a relationship and they’ll throw you some clothes and stickers. Like I said, don’t expect boat trips anymore.
Go To Traditional School
One of the biggest pieces of advice that I can give out is to go to traditional school. We saw way too many kids going the homeschool route over the past few years. I personally believe that traditional school is a better option on a number of levels. We’ve seen that, even with the top guys, you can go to traditional school and still be a top-tier athlete. Dillon Perillo, Zeke Lau, Carissa Moore, and Nat Young all went to a regular high school and were able to balance that with the demands of simultaneously being a professional surfer. But more than just that, I think it’s in the best interest of the company you’re riding for to have you in a traditional school. You’ll be socializing. You’ll be wearing their clothes and representing their brand to your friends and the other kids in school. That’s what they need and want.

Elevate Your Attitude and Your Surfing
Being a talented surfer with a terrible attitude will get you absolutely nowhere in surfing. No one will want to work with you. The surf industry doesn’t need their athletes causing trouble. They don’t want to be attached to someone that’s going to lower the image of their brand. I’m not saying that every surfer can’t be an individual or just be themselves, but don’t be a jerk. It’s just like anything else in life: no one wants to hang out with you if you’re constantly bringing them down and getting into a bunch of drama. We’ve seen that a lot in the past where some of the most talented guys weren’t getting media exposure because no one wanted to work with them. Today, you have to be an amazingly talented surfer and also someone that people will want to work with.

A well-timed and powerful backside snap is a thing of pure beauty. While it may not be the flashiest of maneuvers, it’s at the foundation of proper power surfing. Here Santa Cruz’s Nat Young, a man with one of the strongest backside hacks in the game, unveils the inner workings of his patented turn.
The Bottom Turn
A good bottom turn is a crucial setup turn for any move in surfing, but it’s especially important for a backside snap. Without a good bottom turn, you’ll never get a solid hack in. It’s the line you draw that makes all the difference. If you’re looking to do a real straight-up snap, you’ll want to draw a deeper bottom turn at a lower point of the wave. This is where it can get a little tricky. You don’t want to make a mistake and surf too far out into the trough before you begin your bottom turn because you’ll move past the wave’s power source. You also don’t want to begin your bottom turn mid-face either, or that won’t give you enough time to actually get vertical. You’ve got to find that perfect spot, which seems to be around the bottom third of the wave, to begin your turn. Once you find that point of the wave, you’ll instantly feel it as you go into your turn.
Foot Placement
When it comes to a backside snap, I make sure my back foot is in the exact right spot on my board. I like to have my back foot as far back as it can go on the tail pad. Just right there on the kicker. That gives me the most control possible through the turn—from the bottom turn in the beginning to the actual snap itself—and really allows me to get my rail into the wave. A lot of the control you have over your board comes from having your back foot in the right place. For a backside snap, that place is right there on the end of the tail pad.
The Transition
If I’m going for a vertical, straight-up snap, I like to turn my chest towards the oncoming lip to help get my board as vertical as possible as I finish my bottom turn. Once you feel your board connecting with the lip, you can begin your snap. You’ll want to make it quick and powerful. This is where a lot of practice comes into play. A solid snap is sort of a balancing act of transitioning the weight off of your back foot and onto your front foot as you go into the top turn. It’s not easy to describe that transition, it’s kind of like telling someone how to dance, but when you get it right you’ll feel it. Once you feel it, just keep repeating it over and over until it becomes second nature.
Bend Your Knees More
If I had to pick one piece of general advice that we haven’t gone over, I’d say that conditioning and strengthening your legs is pretty crucial. I’ve been working on that a lot and I can really feel the difference. The second thing I think is really important is learning how to coil your body off your bottom turn. It’s basically a matter of getting really low into your turn—you almost want to have your knees touching your chest—and learning how to explode out of that position.

Connect Your Turns
To me, great backside surfing is all about connecting your turns. As soon as I come out of a backside snap, my eyes are down the line looking at what the wave is offering up next. If it looks like there’s a lip forming, I’ll go into another snap, or if it looks like the wave is flattening out, I might do a cutback. But it’s all about transitioning quickly from one move directly into the other.

Featuring Joel Tudor, Alex Knost, Tyler Warren, Ryan Burch, Jared Mell and more.
Directed by Graham Nash and Reagan Ritchie

Photo: Childs

Most of us will never get paid to surf. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a pro surfer to travel like one. I have been traveling full-time for the past eight years, and have visited more than forty countries—all without any form of sponsorship, and on a yearly income that would easily qualify me for the federal welfare program. This obviously would not have been possible if I were paying full price for airline tickets and other expenses, but by working the system I have found ways to travel for free—or at least at a fraction of the normal cost. For those who are tired of breaking the bank every time they travel—or who want to turn that yearly surf trip into two or three—here are a few tricks to help you get the best bang for your buck:
Become a frequent flyer: The first step is to find an airline(s) with a program that caters specifically to the destinations you frequent. Next, study the program’s system until you are more knowledgeable than the representative booking your reward travel. Things like “mandatory layovers” and “open jaws” might sound complicated and frightening, but an intimate understanding of how they work can mean the difference between chasing a swell and staying home. Also, take advantage of partner credit and debit card signing bonuses, which can score you free trips for doing practically nothing—sign up for the card, book at ticket with your bonus points, and promptly close the account. For more creative ways to work the frequent flier system, check out www.thepointsguy.com.
Use low-cost carriers: Budget airlines can save you a surprising amount of money—especially on regional travel. Australia’s Tiger Airlines is often cheaper than taking a bus, and Air Asia has occasional fare specials that are downright ridiculous (I once flew round trip from Singapore to India for $70 plus taxes—an $800 ticket for less than $75!). Most budget airlines will not show up on an Expedia.com search, so you’ll have to go directly to their websites. Another great tool is www.independenttraveler.com, which has a page dedicated to all of the fare sales currently available on most major airlines.
Be flexible: You may be lusting after a trip to the Mentawais, but if you can get a ticket somewhere else for a third of the price, that means you can afford to do three trips this year instead of one. Eventually, tickets to Indonesia will go on sale too—and when they do, you’ll be there to scoop them up. If you can be flexible with both your destinations and dates, you’ll be surprised at how much you can save.
Make friends in high places: Some businessmen travel so much that they can’t possibly use all of their frequent flyer points, and they may be convinced to share the love. Airline employees are also great friends to have, as they are often allocated a certain number of buddy passes each year. And then there is the holy grail of free travel—United Airlines’ “Enrolled Friend” program, which allows each employee to sign up two friends or family members for unlimited standby travel.
Check wisely: When comparison-shopping for tickets, make sure you factor the cost of checked baggage into the equation. Also, memorize your airline’s baggage policy, and never pack your luggage over the weight limit—the less excuses you give the agent to question your board bag, the more likely you are to get it on for free. If possible, check in online and then try to print your own baggage slip at the baggage-drop kiosk. Finally, minimize the number of check-in bags by overloading your carry-ons—and then hiding them during the check-in process. While agents can still force you to check an oversized carry-on as you board the plane, gate checks are free.
Couch surf: The more you travel, the more like-minded people you will meet—and the more free places you’ll have to stay on your next trip. It pays to be friendly.

Work mobile: Travel costs extend beyond airline tickets and hotel rooms. Missed work means a loss of income, so if at all possible, find a job that you can take on the road with you. Crowd sourcing has become increasingly common, and websites like Elance.com are a great tool for picking up virtually any type of freelance work—from writing and editing to programming, accounting, and transcription. When you call your clients from the “office,” they don’t have to know that you’re on a yacht in the Maldives.

Professional Surfer Conner Coffin was surfing back in November 2012 in Rincon, a popular surf spot located at the Ventura and Santa Barbara County line. He had his smartphone with him in its mophie OutRide case so he could capture some photos and videos of his rides. He unfortunately didn’t have his OutRide case strapped to his surfboard and it fell into the ocean, where he figured he would probably never see it again. In June 2013, Conner’s mom received a call from his old smartphone from someone who had recovered it on the beach at La Conchita, about a mile away from Rincon. Conner’s smartphone worked perfectly after spending seven months in the Pacific Ocean, during a season ripe with heavy winter storms and known for having the largest swells of the year.
Conner Coffin is a professional surfer based in Southern California who grew up in the coastal town of Santa Barbara. He was a winner of the 2012 North Shore Surf Shop Pro Junior and the 2012 Nike US Open Pro Junior, and was named the North America Pro Junior Series Champion in the same year.

The creation of one standard surfboard produces nearly 600 pounds of CO2, which is a lot considering that most boards weigh in around six pounds. In 2012, determined to find a solution to this, Michael Stewart and Kevin Whilden cofounded Waste to Waves and challenged surfers to help cut that footprint in half.
The response was extreme. Stewart and Whilden put a call out for foam waste—the kind used as packing for TVs, computers, or anything from Ikea—and they got plenty of it. Thousands of pounds of Styrofoam were collected, loaded into semis, then transported to factories to be reground and mixed into blanks. But the process was inefficient, it wasn’t cost effective, and due to the varied densities of the foam being blended, the blanks were inconsistent.
Progress, they say, often stems from necessity. So the program adapted.
Enter one industrial-grade machine and something called “foam densification.” Standard Styrofoam is 98 percent air and 2 percent plastic, but using this process you’re able to remove the air and reduce the Styrofoam waste to 1/90th of its original size. Basically, the machine allows you to transform various foam waste material into a new solid block of plastic that’s the exact same material used to create virgin EPS blanks.
Stewart and Whilden found access to a densifyer and put the compressed plastic back into the market, which Marko Foam (the leading supplier of surfboard foam in the US) now uses to make new, fresh blanks with 60 percent recycled content. Blanks that could be your next board.
“At its base, pilot level, Waste to Waves was just a Styrofoam collection and recycling program,” said Stewart. “But then we had a moment where we realized we had way more foam regrind than there’s a market for. We weren’t going to send the excess back to the landfills, so we decided to turn it all back into recycled EPS foam, and now Marko can buy as much back as the surfboard market can handle.”
Marko’s recycled blanks, called ECOBOARDS, are stamped with the green arrows and shipped out good as new to shaping bays across California as an option for anyone who wants an EPS board.
“We’re creating ways for surfers to look for a recycled label on boards that are already produced,” says Stewart, “or if they’re getting a custom from Patterson or Biolos or Stretch or Cole or any of these guys, they can simply say ‘Hey, make it with a recycled blank.’ It’s really that easy.”
Torrey Meister can vouch for how simple it is. “I was interested in finding a surfboard that was better for the environment but would still work well,” said Meister. “Waste to Waves and Marko offered to make me a blank, and I got Roberts to shape me a little groveler. Honestly, I couldn’t believe how great it worked. I had my doubts, but as soon as I got it in the water the thing went insane. I didn’t feel any kind of negative differences between the recycled blank and a normal one. If anything, I felt like the recycled blank had more pop and speed then a normal one. The potential is huge for these boards.”

All said, it remains undetermined what exactly it’ll take to encourage surfing’s masses to buy recycled. But demand runs economics, and demand is built one board at a time. “The program is in place,” said Stewart. “Now it’s really just about educating surfers that there are recycled options out there.”