Squid Force

I once read that your surfing life should begin and end on a longboard. Until recently, I believed this statement to be true. Shit, I’ve even re-quoted during times of quivering doubt, shortboard remorse, and bad choices off the rack, believing that I was soothing my somewhat out of shape or aging compadres with “it’s alright to log” compassion. Well…ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that it’s all a farce!

Because of recent events, shapings and enlightenings, I have come to an epiphany. I know now that this often quoted adage is 100% false.

Like Dickie Vocals once sang: “Body…want to feel my, feel my…BODY!”

The glide begins and ends with the BODY! not the longboard. Just watch a group of kids enjoying small onshorey slop at your local beachie and you’ll know this to be true. My kids can’t even carry a long board to the beach together with a tail wind, let alone paddle one through the soup. But at 10 and 6 they are well on their way to becoming consummate body surfers. I’m so proud:)

Body surfing is the mother of all surf riding acts, and is in fact the truest, most essential and sole-full form of all. Your surfing life should begin and end with body surfing. The real progression goes: birth, bodysurf, belly board, longboard, shortboard, fish (or kneeboard or mat, kite or all of the above depending your turn ons and conditions), funshape (yikes), longboard, belly board, body surf, check the surf, die.

This time of year, in this part of the US and A, body surfing is a bit of a challenge, but please, PLEASE! Embrace the body. The super stoked geezer in the following clip, is push starting his micro bus in the snow and body-whomping somewhere in the Pacific Northwest in a 6 mill, boots and gloves. It appears to be winter and he’s smiling and having a blast. What an animal. Maybe I’m being a pussy when I opt out of a body surf session on New Years Day in the NJ. Going forward, I’ll try not to be such a wuss.

Hand shaped cedar and mahogany hand planes available for special order and special people.
Contact mc405@me.com for info.

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JJ from Madison Dyer on Vimeo.

Bonin up for the “Manasquan Classic“

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Back in the day when we used to go down to Ol Mexico on a semi regular basis, “Bomber Bill from up the hill” was one of the underground chargers. Some time in spring, Bill would drive to Mex, and he’d stay till the southern hemis stopped coming in fall. A 5′8″ish goofy foot with giant hands and a penchant for massive beachbreaks and high grade reefer, Bill was a tile setter or carpenter in the States. In Puerto, he lived up in the hills and charged harder than everyone else when the surf got huge.

You can witness some of Bill’s antics in the original Puerto Underground.

Anyway.. the name of the new hurricane “Bill” reminded me of the old times in Mexico.
Here’s hoping all you SQUIDS get shit shacked like Bomber Bill Himself.
In NJ, look for surf from “Bill” to start filling in sometime Friday and escalating until Sunday when it may be difficult to find a spot that is rideable.
Be safe and charge hard.

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ASBURY PARK (August 5, 2009) – Lightly Salted Surf Mercado, Asbury Park’s oceanfront surf and skate shop, and art gallery, welcomes brand names Dano Surfboard’s White Lotus line and Captain Fin Company on Saturday, August 15 for an all-day, boardwalk fiesta.

The premiere party, kicking off at 2 p.m., will celebrate all things surf and the artistic contributions of the two, new product lines. Local musician Quincy Mumford will play live on the boardwalk as Langosta Lounge serves Sailor Jerry Rum Punch in honor of the festivities. Later in the evening, the party will continue as Captain Fin Company premieres its newest surf film, “You Scratched My Anchor,” featuring wave mavericks Kassia Meador, Tyler Warren, Alex Knost and Rat Boy. Jazz quartet Bossa Brazil will continue the tunes and light-hearted vibes with a performance at sister restaurant Langosta Lounge.

BONUS! Ted Night Moment:

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This is ian exerpt from Surfer magazine volume 8 number 6, the Legend of George Greenough by Bill Clearey:

On a big wave you can pull it down to a 60 degree angle, all the way over till you start dragging your shoulder. That’s two Gs and you’ll hardly notice it if you’re concentrating on the wave. I don’t know how far I’ve gone beyond that but It’s gotten t the point where it started to hurt and things started to break. I had one board start to collapse on me one time, I let off power when I felt it start to go, and I came out of the turn aright…

Then, with out a pause, George launched into a description of one well remembered ride close to the very limit. “It’s a 10-foot wave, a thick heavy powerful wave. And you’ve driven 20 feet ahead of the curl…then you come around left again and put it right on the floor. You’re going as fast as you can, head-on straight into that tube! You’re right at the top and at the last possible second, you peel of and drop like an airplane, diving. You get railed in tight, you get everything setup…get the suspension loaded: everything’s twisted and bent to the maximum like a spring…and then you bring on the forces. Slowly. You come into the turn: brushing the whitewater-going to the bottom-banking harder and harder-still dropping. Then you hit the turn and start climbing., and you begin setting up your target. The target is high, you’ve got to tighten that turn. Now you’re really flying because you began accelerating from the time when you were 20 feet out in front of the curl, and you’ve come all that way back left, and you’ve driven all the way to the bottom. Your speed is tremendous! And now when you pull it down, you are very aware of the forces. Your shoulder is only 3 or four inches from the face, and in your mind you say, “Take it more. There’s more power. You can’t kill this wave!” And you pull it down harder and , and suddenly your foot feels like it’s going to break, and your head is pushed so far down you’re straining to see over the board at the target…and you know there is a lot of something pushing down on you.”

Thanks to “Yatervision” for the text.

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Tyler Vaughan slotted on a his big board somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

Dream wave generator way, way south of the boarder.

From the South Pacific FNMOC WW3.

Call your travel agent, pack up your quiver and get out there.
All hail the southern hemi.

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NATE YEOMANS TEST DRIVES THE DWART from Rusty USA on Vimeo.

Up here in the North East, diversity in your quiver is crucial in helping you maximize all those not so great days. The Dwart looks like a great addition to any quiver. Slot it between fish and flyer, log and rocket or Vipers and Velo for more stoke in your stroke.

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Although Shane-O’s ripping, it looks a bit sketchy.
All the same, just to keep up with the “Slaters”, I just ordered a 3′5″ x 28″ x 2″, 6 fin, Koala tail. It’s bright blue epoxy with kevlar mud flaps and the license plate reads “ScorzoSrf”.
Pretty soon, my surfboard will be smaller than Ty’s body board…go figure.

Here’s what Maurice Cole has to say about surfboard design and cancer: Transworld Surf

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George Greenough - Innermost Limits Of Pure Fun (intro)

Here’s a psychedelic snippet from George Greenough’s first film, The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun.
Can you dig it?

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East coast tour this spring.
Check back for dates, venues and times.

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