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.
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.
Love of the water only grows as you spend time in it. The feeling of freedom it provides and the sense of playfulness within is hard to match.
Whether it was at the pool, beach or on the river, I spent almost every day of my youthful summers in the water. But it was only recently that I started to truly appreciate the ocean in all its beauty and strength. As a surfer you become very in tune with the water around you. It’s very alive, always changing, moving and reminding me to go with the flow of life. Each time as I paddle around, sometimes alone, sometimes joined by dolphins and otters or thousands more people in California, I learn something new. I am continually humbled by the waves, some days they make me feel glorious, while other days it’s like I have no business out there.
It is difficult to explain the connection with waves that keeps myself or others going back. But I thought Mickey Smith, a charming, humble, creative and passionate surfer/ photographer did an exceptional job. In his recent appearance at the DO Lectures he shares a poetic story and the magic of waves in his film Darskide of the Lens, along with a few valuable lessons to live by…
DO arm yourself with a grin.
DO embrace being out of control.
DO let your weirdness flow free. Go mad and be yourself.
DO trust in the things you love.
DO get primal with nature.
DO trust your instincts and run with them always.
DO use your fears and failures as fuel.
DO what you love for a living. But be wise with it.
“Fires of happiness, waves of gratitude for everything that brought us to that point in life at that point in time to do something worth remembering with a photograph or a scar.”
His words are inspiring. Take 20 minutes to watch this talk and steep yourself in some of the wisdom that Mickey has to offer.
MICKEY SMITH
Photographer, film maker & surfer
Mickey Smith is a lad that has lived a life a little less ordinary. He grew up amongst a family of fisherman and mariners, so the ocean and the elements were inevitably where he was drawn. At the age of 9 he was given a disposable camera and an acoustic guitar and cameras and music combined with the magic of waves eventually led him to become a photographer and film maker. From Iceland to Tahiti, Ireland to Japan, Mickey’s love for waves of consequence and isolated environments has left him with many a fine tale to tell and worldwide acclaim for his groundbreaking creative endeavours.
It’s not very often that the conditions align for a full moon surf session in San Francisco. No fog, warm temps, fair waves and a crew willing to jump in the water at dusk. I got an email mid day on Monday September 12th, that simply said: “Conditions are right. It’s on. Who’s in?” The idea had always intrigued me, but it’s a little intimidating to jump in the water when it’s dark and waves are rolling in. Suprisingly at Pacifica that day it was calm, the water warm and the waves fun size and glassy. You could see deep into the water and your feet even glowed as you moved, it was wild. Our group of eight were the only ones at the beach, we laughed and caught waves like little kids. When we finally climbed out of the water is was around 10PM. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Now that I’ve checked of full moon surfing and running through the night, next on my list of night time activities is a full moon backcountry ski. Here is some inspiration to get out there and get it done in the dark; Nike Chosen Premiere showcases Paul Rodriguez, Julian Wilson, Danny Kass and the rest of the Nike team as they kill it at night on skateboards, snowboards and surf.
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.
This month I ventured down south to Costa Rica in pursuit of warm water and glassy waves. With multiple swimsuits in tow, I turned my back on the heavy snowstorm headed for California and set my site on surfing some of the biggest waves of my life.
We were headed to Tamarindo, leaving from San Francisco on a red eye through Miami when we were welcomed by a cancelled flight due to a fuel tank fire. After bartering with the American Airlines agent to get us on standby for a flight that evening, we decided to hit the beach. Miami Beach that is, mind you it was 5:30 am and I was still wearing my San Francisco winter wardrobe – sweater, scarf and long pants. When we rolled up to the water the sun was just rising, it was calm and only a few people were up from the previous night. We picnicked on the sand, rented bikes, beach chairs and enjoyed mojitos as the beach slowly came to life. Techno music pulsed as swarms of girls in bikinis flocked to the streets; it was like Jersey shore meets MTV spring break. By the time we headed back to the airport I turned to my friend and said this place is great to visit, but I sure hope we don’t have to stay the night. Luckily we made our flight, sans bags. But it wouldn’t’ be an adventure without a few hiccups, they eventually made there way as did all seven friends.
Having learned to surf in northern California, I had always dreamt of what it would be like to paddle without a restraining wetsuit or even a hood and booties. When I hit the water on that first day it was like a cool bath, I slipped around on my board with an ear-to-ear smile, hardly worried about catching waves because I was having so much fun. That smile quickly turned to a serious grin as the competitive Annie showed its face. Being the competitive person I am, I had set a goal for the week – To surf a shorter board on bigger waves. I had previously only long boarded and was eager to make the jump. As the week progressed I not only rode, but got barreled by some of my biggest waves. My life changing “I can call my self a surfer” wave was at little Hawaii, just south of Tamarindo, where I caught a long right and it kept accelerating. I was half scared and half stoked that I kept making it out the other side. I paddled back out to the boys with big grin and unforgettable boost of confidence.
For someone who rarely sits still, not much is different on vacation. I relished the opportunity to disconnect from my technology driven lifestyle back home and live in the moment with the people around me. My only obligation was to surf, eat, sleep and do it all over the next day. We rose early with the sun, surfed until we were either too beat to paddle or too burned to bare the sun any longer. We were a group of overgrown children, happy and content playing in the water, cracking jokes and pushing each other to get better. I got much stronger, confident and acquired a nice golden tan. I surfed twice a day, every day, except one when we decided to take a break and visit the jungle. We zip lined through the lush forest, tubed the river and rode horses to a waterfall that we jumped in. It was my first time on a horse and somehow I managed to get it to gallop or race away from the pack, I will admit I was slightly scared.
We wrapped up the week with an epic Sunday morning group session at the river mouth. I caught tons of waves as we raced the clock before heading to the airport. As we went through customs and awaited our departure, we wondered how long the buzz would last, if it would out live the golden tan we were wearing.
Highlight Video from an epic week of two-a-day surf sessions in Guanacaste Costa Rica.
As I sit back in wintery wet San Francisco, dreaming of warm water, coconuts and golden sunsets, I am struggling to muster up the nerve to plunge back into the icy cold water. Although I am dying to get back out, my 5mm wetsuit is not. Until next time, I will miss la pura vida – the good life.
