Old School

Here is one I like of Chris.  He has this great mix of old school and progressive surfing. This is him in old school mode.

Photo David Gray 

Clean Little Left

Here is one of Joe in the pocket of a clean little left. It wasn't big that day, as you can see, but I'd take it on a day like today. 

Photo by Davis Gray

Thank You For Visiting

Thank you to everyone who has been visiting the site. In five days we have had almost 500 visitors from 15 countries.  

The Walk

Here are a couple of shots I like.  They give you that feeling of anticipation and focus as you walk to the water.  A side note is the wax job on Kirk's board. He and I are known to have a years worth of wax build up on our boards, complete with tropical wax from a trip he made to Bali. Classic.  Hey, if it works don't fix it, right?

Photos by David Gray

Friends and Neighbors

This is how it all begins. 

You get curious about what your neighbor's yard looks like, so you take a peak. You meet your neighbor and get to know them.  You hang out in your front yard. You talk surf but not much more then that. Then you start running into each other in the water. One thing leads to another and you are on the same surf schedule. Before you know it, you are surfing hundreds of hours together and take surf trips.  

The years pass and you start families. Your families are bound together by beach days and the love for the ocean. You look back at the years that have gone by and you see those amazing waves and the fun you had with your friends and neighbors. You smile.  Life is good in Leucadia.

Photo by Ed Lewis

Good Times

Summer Fun

Support Leucadia Artists

Here is a Fish that local friend and artist Rodney McCoubrey gave me as a gift this year.  It is made of  recycled material and articles from my Grandmother's kitchen. Years after her death we cleaned out a storage shed and gave everything we didn't want to Rodney so he could make his art. In return he hooked me up with this piece.  It is a favorite of mine. 

The funny thing is that in 1942 my Grandparents lived in Leucadia at the Royal Motel.  Back then it was a long term rental.  My Grandfather helped build Camp Pendleton and when my mom was born she lived in the one room with  them.  I can imagine that my Grandma and mom walked 101 and looked at the waves, just like all the mothers that live here now. They didn't stay too long as they moved to LA when the work was finished, never to return. 

Fifty four years after that I moved here.  Not knowing the history, I naturally settled within 200 yards of the motel. Now 66 years later their items have made it back to Leucadia, now not more than 100 yards away from where they lived. 

Anyway, thank you Rodney for the memories.  If you don't know Rodney or his work, go to his website www.rodrigosrecycledart.com and take a spin.  He is also having an open studio Saturday the 13th.  Everyone is welcome. We will be featuring Rodney more later. He has promised to locate some Leucadia nostalgia for us to display.

More of Kirk

Here is one of Kirk I like. If you ever watch him surf he has great "Hand". His left hand tells you what he is going to do. Here he is telling you as you watch from outside that he is going off the top. Look at other shots of him, he has his own surf sign language. I think it's cool and original.

Photo by David Gray

Stop and Enjoy

Here are a few I took one morning.  When it is early and the surf is small the beach is pretty quiet.  You get to look around a bit more since you aren't going crazy about getting in the water as fast as you can. Those of you who walk early know the feeling. The beach is so quiet and so healing.  At those times look around at the things that you normally don't appreciate. The stairs are a good example. They are our point of entry and life line to our source of fun. They are also beautiful and built by a Leucadian.

Photos by Ed Lewis

More Leucadia Sunshine

Following David's lead, here are a few golden hour shots I took of my favorite place on earth. We are really lucky to surf in this environment. If the surf is small we still get to look at the sunset and bluff. 

Photos by Ed Lewis

Leucadia Sunset

Leucadia Commute

Here are few shots I took one winter day. I couldn't help but find interest in the less glamorized aspect of what we do. I love what we go through to get to what we want. Nothing motivates you more to run over cobble stone like head high surf.

Photos by Ed Lewis

Safety Dude

Here are a few of Corey Messer a.k.a the Safety Dude.  Corey does safety training to support his surfing habit.  A side note, last winter he broke his neck surfing when his board hit him in the head. After that he decided that he would set a goal. Surf Bali in 6 months. With a lot of help from his friends and neighbors he did just that.  That is why I love this place.  We take care of each other. Photos courtesy of David Gray.

Style Master

Here is one of Chris Miller that I love.  It is a small day but you see how lost he is in the moment of watching that aqua green water slide over the reef.  I was out that day.  It was amazing how clear and beautiful the water was. Chris has a great laid back style. You will see more of him for sure. Photo courtesy of David Gray

Kirk Takes The High Road

Leucadia Foliage

Here is a picture of leaf I found in my backyard. The tree it came from is a a huge eucalyptus tree. The trunk is over 15 feet in diameter and is about 60+ years old.  The tree was here long before the houses around were built. It represents what Leucadia is all about.  I loved how it made a wave.

Photo by Ed Lewis

The One That Got Away

Here is one David Gray got the other day. Hard to image that there is no one on it let alone anywhere near it.  This is one I have as my desktop image.  Reminds me of how clean it can get in fall.

Miss Anne

Another photo by David Gray of local Queen of PR, Miss Anne. You might have meet her while helping Bob Nanninga run for office or helping promote the the Machado Classic. She is always great to have in the water.  Good vibe and always has a good story to tell.  She is riding her GH quad fish. You will be seeing a lot more of her in the coming posts as well.

A Few More Photos

Photos by David Gray

Fin Swap Anyone?

Here is a good series from David Gray. The board I'm is riding is known as the Binki. As after 5 years of riding her I can't give her up. She is still my favorite board. The board is well used and is sporting asymmetrical twin keel setup.  Using a Lockbox turbo fin on the left fin and a regular fin on the right.  It started out as a random test and ended up sticking as my favorite fin set up. Believe it or not it works better then if I use either of the matching fin sets together. Who would have know?

So the next time you paddle out. Ask your buddy to swop a fin with you. You never know what you will learn about your board.

Just Another Turn

Eric Baldwin is an amazing surfer.  You'll find him exploding lips on even the smallest of days. If you are ever out in the water with Eric you will be constantly amazed at the level of surfing he brings to the lineup. He is so fast it will blow you away.  He is also extremely versatile. He can kill it on any type of board.  This shot is sort of a memorial.  That was his favorite board that he broke a week or so later. A 5'10" Xanadu. Look for more of him in the coming months. Photo courtesy of David Gray.

The Leucadia Navy

Here is a shot David Gray took of the Leucadia Navy side by side with the US Navy. While you are at work the Leucadia Navy is selflessly patrolling the waters to keep them safe for you when you get off. Here I am doing my part patrolling a little known right on the SS Binki. A 5'10" twin keel fish shaped by Steve Clark. As you can see the waters were safe from crowds. 

Rojo Grande

Here are a few shots of Kirk (a.k.a Rojo Grande) at the "Spot" somewhere between Moonlight and Ponto. You'll see a lot more of Kirk in the future.  He is a great surfer and friend. Photos courtesy of David Gray.

Weekend Session

Here is some Leucadia soul surfing from this weekend. Photos courtesy of David Gray. Those of you who know David get really excited when you see him at your local spot. David has become my new inspiration. His photography made me want to create this site. You will see a lot more of his work in future posts.