From the day I laid eyes on a Two Crows board I coveted them. They are unlike anything out there, really artistic, colorful and fun. Carl Olson had shaped under the well-known Santa Cruz brand Arrow before breaking off on his own to form Two Crows with his buddy Nic Wells. A few good friends had boards shaped by Carl and absolutely loved them. This fall when I got a chance to meet Carl and check out the shaping room in Santa Cruz I couldn’t stop thinking about what board I would get.
Ever since I started surfing a few years back, I had been using Criagslist boards. My longboard was slowly deteriorating and as great as it was to learn on, it lacked some of the real benefits of having a big board. With thin rails, narrow width and lots of rocker I often got smoked by your traditional logs and couldn’t get myself into soft waves. I decided it was time to go for a real long board, a wave machine, something super fun and easy to paddle. After talking to Carl we debated what fin setup, thickness and length and settled on 9’ tri fin with thinned out rails and tapered tail.
After a few patient months my custom Two Crows longboard is complete. Well worth the wait, this 9 foot tanker ship of a board is truly a piece of art. I keep taking it out of the bag and looking at its shiny glass job polished to perfection. Not only does it look better than most the boards in the lineup, it totally rips. Although it is a different style of surfing than I am used to, it’s going to be a fun board to play around with, walk around and make it to the nose. Already in the first day I found the ride to be solid and smooth as it accelerates to the end of the line.
The soft friendly light contradicts the progression of waves that could eat you alive. I sat in awe as the fierce monsters rose from the ocean, doubling up and swallowing the face. They crept in and dropped like bombs on the white sand, with a roaring echo that could be heard through the night. It was mesmerizing to observe.
Photos taken from the cave at the end of kalalau valley on Kauai, HI.
Just a bunch of city kids let loose on the beach somewhere between San Francisco and Santa Cruz…
On MLK Weekend the weather forecast was sunny and surf report too good to be true for January. We packed up our camping gear and headed down the 101. As we dipped away from the city the swell lines were clean and visible all the way down the coast. For the first time I’ve seen people were surfing all sorts of hidden breaks and spots along the cliffs. When we arrived at Waddell Creek there were only a handful of people in the water and waves “looked” friendly enough. Our crew of six suited up and hit the water.
Being the only people in the water, we charged the waves together, took drops we wouldn’t normally try and acted like fools. Some people caught a few on the head, others sat far outside and some ripped it up for the rest of us who couldn’t catch a break. We surfed till we couldn’t move our arms and chilled on the beach till sundown. Eventually making our way to Santa Cruz where we camped and woke up to do it all over again the next day. Only an hours drive from the city, it felt far more removed than usual because we had the wintery beaches to ourselves.
New years day at the Oregon coast looking out through the sea grass at Tillamook head. The weather was oddly calm and warm for January 1, with just a hint of coastal fog looming in the distance.
My good friend Vinnie on his birthday at Point Reyes, watching the sunset dip into the ocean. We all laughed at the thought of being entertained by the view, it’s far better than television!
When I was little no one had to tell me to color, to play with chalk or to doodle on my books or furniture. It was natural, something I did without thinking. In an effort to keep those creative juices flowing outside the office, I’ve started Art Night. A casual get together with friends, collaboration is welcomed but judgment is not.
Space is luxury in San Francisco, and I am fortunate to have a garage that makes for a great urban art studio. About once a month I bust open the doors for an evening of coloring, painting, spraying, building, designing, dinner and drinking. We plug in a few flood lights, pump some tunes and make something cool. In the past I’ve encouraged people to bring something to work on, something to share and a medium to work with. We’ve worked on everything from surfboards, to pumpkins and driftwood.
The most recent art night was inspired by the Plywood for Good art show on July 14th at Project One. FTC Skateboards donated 30 blank skateboard decks to Collective Good. They gave them to Bay Area artists to use as a canvas for their thoughts and feelings on the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. They auctioned off the skateboards for charity and 100% of the proceeds went to Direct Relief International to aid the rebuilding efforts in Japan.
We ordered our own blank decks and everyone got to create their own skateboard. Below you’ll find some photos from the process. One of the best reaction’s I’ve heard from a friend was “this doesn’t look like work, it looks fun!” well that’s the point. I encourage others to get together, create masterpieces…
10 People, 250 Mile Drive, 18 Mile Hike and a Protected Surf Break.
You are never alone in California. The surf breaks are crowded, the campgrounds are booked a year in advance and there are few places you can escape with out reservation.
For month’s a group of friends had been talking about making the trip up the Lost Coast in northern California. Supposedly one of the best point breaks lies off the protected land. Best, if not for its giant peeling surf and surrounding scenery, then for its lack of competing surfers. The break, called Big Flat owes its emptiness to inaccessibility. The only way to get there is to hike 9 miles along the beach that is impassable at high tide. That is a long way to lug a surfboard on your back, in addition to camping equipment and 5mm wetsuit.
Although there were times when I questioned our sanity, like when I was bent over charging a head wind with a 7″ wind sail on my back, the black sand, cool, wet air, empty beaches and nothing but the sound of waves crashing along the way provided a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The weekend consisted of yoga on the beach, rainbows, uncontested surf, bonfires, and bears who made off with more than half our food.
Here is a short video of our epic adventure up the Lost Coast.
+ high-res version
