Surf Wax Art.

I am well known for my wax job. I will go six months or more with the same wax build up. Kirk is the same way.  Erik goes crazy over this.  He rides for Sticky Bumps so he gets tons of wax and is always trying out new wax formulas.  One day he was so disgusted that he even offered to rewax my board for me. I politly declined. Besides, it took me six months to get that wax job!

This type of wax job has it's advantages and disadvantages. On the upside it works great. A couple of seasons of wax makes a pretty good blend. You can't buy this stuff. This current wax job was originated sometime in summer so it has a good base of warm wax and is now mixed in with the cold formula. The down side to the caked on wax job is that it looks really bad and it gets really heavy.  It must add a pound at least to the board.

Today I finally couldn't take it any more and decided to rewax my board. Since I have six months of wax I tend to have a decent size ball at the end of the stripping. This time was no different.

I hate to throw out old wax as it isn't the best thing for the environment. I have a few balls floating around my garage just sitting collecting dust.

Today I dicided to do something different with the wax. I decided to put my years of art school to use and make my sculpture professor proud. After looking at this ball of wax I started seeing a face in it. So with a little work I was able to bring my ball of wax to life.

After seeing the results I was pretty stoked. I even put it up on my mantel.  Who knew that your old dirty surf wax would be a pretty good medium to make sculptures out of it? Besides that wax was with me on some amazing waves. It seems fitting that I show it some respect and give it a life after my board.

So the next time you rewax your board, do the environment a favor and make that dirty ball into something cool. When your done, take a snap shot and send it our way and we'll post it.

Cardiff Sunshine

While David was combing through his archives he came across a set from summer that I have always liked.  Here are a few from a small summer Cardiff day.  To me these are amazing. I love the color and the playfulness of a small day. They remind me of why I like to surf, the feeling I get from a warm summer sunset and those moments when I think about life as I paddle back out. 

Pure Beauty

After these storms it has been amazing to witness the colors of the sunsets in the lineup.  I feel so lucky and thankful when I happen to witness these moments of such pure beauty.  

We spend a lot of time in the water searching for waves that we tend to get too busy to stop and look around.  I'm just as guilty of that as anyone but when I do stop for a moment, let a wave pass, and watch in awe I feel better for doing so.  

Photos by David Gray

Post Storm

Here are a few shots from today.  David was down shooting this morning and got some good ones.  I was out last night for a walk and it was victory at sea. What a difference a day makes.

Mattson Family Benefit Show - Sunday Feb. 22nd @5PM

If you have never heard these guys you will be blown away. They played for years around town and have now made it big and are traveling the world and playing.  This event is a special deal as their parents are both self employed and are both recovering from surgery. The concert will help pay their bills and get them back on their feet. This show will most likely be nothing like you have ever seen. These guys play their hearts out for strangers let alone their own family.  

If you can make it you won't be disappointed. If you can't they are graciously accepting donations as well.

www.mattson2.com

Please send donations to:

Jan & Arlene Mattson
c/o
Brooke Mattson
1563 Village View Rd.
Encinitas, CA 92024

Goodbye Bob Nanninga - Thank You For Protecting Leucadia

Click Here for more photos

Early Valentines Day morning we lost one of Leucadia's strongest and most passionate crusaders - Bob Nanninga. Although a native that never surfed, Bob dedicated his life to the preservation, health and quality of Leucadia, it's beaches, and the ocean. He was our personal Environmental Warrior. An avid believer of the spoken word who also had a remarkable gift of poetry and public speaking - Leucadians were somehow the lucky or "chosen" ones who were the recipients of this gift.

I will miss you dearly, Bob, 

Mrs. Anne

What I'm Watching - One California Day

I had seen for years on MTV's Cribs all the pop stars who had movie theaters in their mansions. The first thought that always came to mind was how cool it would be to watch surf films in them.  I never thought I'd have the opportunity to have my own personal movie theater until last week when my neighbor went on a trip and his wife was cool enough to loan me their digital video projector. 

After looking around my place I realized that if I pulled one of my paintings down I had a wall that was 12' x 12' and perfect for watching surf films. So far this week I have watched at least 6.

After going through my collection I started to branch out to my friends.  Erik loaned me One California Day which I hadn't seen in a few years.

The first time I saw One California Day it was at the La Palama on opening night.  It was quite the experience.  The film was good the first time but like leftover Leucaida Pizza, it got better with age. 

That is the one thing that is special about surf films. Ninety-nine percent of the movies I watch in pop culture I can watch once and get bord with them after that.  A good surf film is nothing like that.  You can watch them over and over and they become like an old friend who you don't see for a while but think about.  Once back together, you hit it off like you were never apart.

When given the oppertunity to watch the film again I was immediately transported to the opening night and the scene that inspired me the most.  Although they have a ton of great sequences, like Tudor at Big Rock, Joe and Tom Curren in Santa Barbera, Greg Noll in his work shop, and the Malloys in Baja, it was the Alex Knost and Tyler Warren sequences that by far stood out to me in the film.  I remember being blown away by Alex and Tyler and walking out of the theater completely inspired. It was the same this time around as well.

If you haven't seen this film yet it is one that you need to own in your collection.  The DVD is a great set as you get the extra footage of the Greg Noll segment and a lot more which is really cool. If you can't wait they got it in last week at www.thesurfnetwork.com. Enjoy.

Local Eli Mirandon at Black's

Long time local Eli Mirandon was shot by David at Black's last month on his quad fish shaped by local Manny Caro.  Check out Manny's site The Swallowtail Society. Eli is a great surfer and I love these shots. Manny's boards are amazing as well. The second shot is one of the set that made it on Surfline. Enjoy.

Stained Glass Fin by Jan Rogers

Last night I got a great surprise.  Jan Rogers, long time friend and neighbor, brought over her fin entry, a stained glass original creation she made just for me! I currently have it displayed in my house and will treasure it forever. Thank you Jan!  I Love it!

A Few From Cardiff

David sent me these shots from Cardiff. They are both great. The guy in the first photo is classic. The second shot is cool because it gives me that late summer feel. Enjoy.

Hidden Leucadia Talent

Have you ever known someone for years and never had a clue how talented they were? It happened to me with my friend and neighbor Genie Huey.  She and her husband Allen Herzog have lived in my neighborhood for almost 10 years now and it wasn't until recently that I discovered Genie's amazing talent.

Above are just a few photos she sent me of artwork she has made. She has never shown her work outside of her home and does it just for her own personal enjoyment.  When I saw her art I was blown away. It is clearly gallery quality.

I am encouraging Genie to show her work to the public. I think the Encinitas Library would be a good venue. If you know her, encourage her to share her work with others. 

More from the Murphy Ranch - Fins

My Favorite fin block of all.  One of Dan's creations.

The tool of choice.  Band saw.  It was sitting there in all it's glory. I couldn't resist.

Alia's favorite place of all was the shaping bay. She was fascinated with two things. First was the foam and the next were the fin blocks. Here she is playing with both.  As her usual artistic  self she quickly assembled the fin blocks to make this heart.

Dan explains to Chris how he makes the fin blocks. Really time consuming and amazing work.

Another fin by Dan.

Our trip to the Murphy Ranch was amazing.  It was also a little overwhelming. There was so much going on. We had the Grain board, Dennis' personal quiver (we'll get to that later) and lots and lots of stories.  One of my favorite things though were the fin blocks that Dan Lewis is making. He has found a true passion for fins and as you can see he is coming up with some amazing designs. Enjoy.

The Leucadia Project Is Getting A Grain

The 5'10 Waka Fish Grain Board is being built on the Murphy Ranch in Julian, CA.  On the property Dennis Murphy has a barn with donkeys, a horse, chickens, a wood shop and shaping room. One of the most amazing shaping situations I have ever seen.  Today was 38 degrees and pouring rain. An amazing place for an all wood board to be built.

Tail view with balsa blocks in place to support a quad fin set up.

A close look at the innerds.

Over head view of the tail.

Chris and Dennis going over the board.

Dennis explains his decision to use balsa wood blocks to support the fins. The blocks look heavy but are extremely light.

Dan Lewis getting warm. Dan is no blood relation to me that I know of but a brother indeed. He has been doing a lot of the work on the board and is a fine craftsman in his own right.  A true cowboy, bull rider and woodworker Dan is Dennis' right hand man and for good reason. He is a kick to be around and is extremely talented. 

Dennis is a man that is for the most part serious about his work.  He tells it like it is and for good reason. He has been hand shaping foam, balsa and redwood boards for over 30 years.  Here is a shot of him that I love. It shows the kick he gets out of this and the passion he has for shaping.

Today was an amazing day. I have been literally waiting for 4 years to finally see the makings of what will be the most amazing board I will most likely ever own. It was a day that I got to hang out and be a part of a master shaper's world and get to see the board of my dreams start to take shape.

This post is the first of many to come about my Grain board. I will be following it as it gets built and shaped at the Murphy Ranch. When the board is finished we will ride it and shoot the sessions we have.

Although this is my first post, this journey has been going on for a long time. It started out back in 2005 after watching the Tom Wagener section in Sprout. From that sequence I knew that I wanted to ride an all wood fish.  It was my destiny. 

About a year or so after setting my goal my friend introduced me to the Grain Surfboards website and my search for an all wood fish began to take shape.  I looked at the site every week for a year. I talked about the boards with friends and kept telling everyone who would listen about them. But I never pulled the trigger to buy one. 

Then in 2007, I received a Waka, 5'10" Grain kit for Christmas!  I was so stoked. I was now so close to having my own wood fish.  All I had to do was build it.  After reading the manual several times I came to terms with the fact that I really didn't want to build the board myself as I didn't want to mess it up.  I'm a big believer in sticking to what I do best and wood working and shaping is not one of them.

Over the course of the next year I searched for someone to help me build the board. I showed the kit to friends and looked for someone to help me.  Then after the the Secured Craft show in 2008 I got a call from Chris Miller telling me that Dennis Murphy, a long time friend of his and all time favorite shaper, was interested in meeting with me to talk about how to help me get the board built. 

Dennis, who had seen the Grain boards at the show, had heard from Chris that I had a kit and was intrigued.  He himself builds wood boards from scratch but liked the idea of the Grain boards and wanted to get a crack at one. Chris set up the meeting.  

After meeting with Dennis and dropping the kit off I was elated.  I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get the board built by a legend.

Now that the board is in his hands I feel relieved and excited that soon I will be riding my Murphy shaped Grain board.

Click here more photos of the building process.

After The Storm

Today was amazing.  First was the rain. It poured like crazy for most of the day and then it glassed off and the surf picked up. When you are lucky enough to experience these days you really feel grateful for living where we do. Enjoy.

Photos by David Gray