South Swell

The news of a good south swell had been out for about a week or so and I had more or less planned where and how I was going to shoot the entire thing. It was set that I was going to shoot Blacks on Friday during the peak of the swell. I even went so far as to put a ladder in the car so I could setup and get some new angle shots.

So, I roll up at Blacks ready to put my plan in motion and I ask the first surfer I see "how are the waves" and he says "not that good." What? "How big?"  and he says "chest to head high and a bit blown out." So, I ask a few other people who confirm what the first guy had told me. My friend whom I drove down there with and I have a quick  discussion and conclude that we need to go to La Jolla and check things out there. 

We setup at Big Rock under cloudy skies and watch the crowd grow to about 30 guys in about a 20' take-off radius. The surf is about 5'- 6'... maybe a few larger sets. I was able to get a few good ones but nothing like I was hoping for and not any where near what was predicted by the forecasters. There I was... my plans shattered and it looked like it was just going to be another small swell to shoot in bad lighting... kind of like the way the entire winter swell season went this last year. 

Then, out of the blue a friend of mine who lives down there was driving by and noticed me shooting down on the beach. He pulls over and tells me of a spot that he said would be 3 times as big as Big Rock and 4 times as heavy. I wasn't sure if it would be true and I really didn't want to drive around and just miss everything so I stayed put for about 45 more minutes. The guy I came down to the beach with didn't want to surf at Big Rock because of the crowd so we left. 

We decided to drive by this supposed location that was going to be going off and it was a zoo!  Cars everywhere and not a parking spot for blocks! But, as we approached a car started backing out of the 1st parking spot right in front of the break. We park and get out... I look over and think to my self holy shit it looks like Pipeline! A heavy wave for sure! I get the camera out walk to the beach just as the sun comes out for the first time all morning and I look through the lens as I see Damien Hobgood charging down the line ... click click click... as if it was just meant to be! 

Stoked!

Hugo's Quiver

Left to right... The first board is a replica of the board his dad made him for his 1st birthday. He would carry it around with him everywhere. I think one day he lost it in the water at Beacons. This one was a board his grandparents made for him on a trip back east. The second board is one his dad bought for $30 on Neptune from a dad who made it for his son.  When Hugo got this board he slept with it for at least a week straight. 

Here he is feeling the rails.

Hugo showing me his style.

A standard thruster fin was used for the single fin.

Cool line art drawings were glassed in.

I like the acid wash paint job. Very cool. Grandma has some skills.

My neighbor Hugo is 3 and is one of the most surfed stoked kids I know. He hasn't actually learned to surf yet but he does have a quiver and a lot of imagination. At 1 he was carrying around this wood plank his dad cut out for him and would take it to Beacons and play with it in the white water.  Now that he has this mini board, this is the summer for him to paddle out. 

Erik Baldwin Video

Here is a cool little video I found on Erik's Looped site. He has been working with his shaper Roy Sanchez a lot lately to make a board that is fun to ride in just about anything. It has been fun to watch him experiment with  different shapes and fin set ups. This video is of him testing these boards out. Enjoy.

A Few From Today

Erik was out this morning doing his thing. 

Here he is again doing a Whirly Bird. That's a no footed, no handed, backflip to no landing. It's even better in person.

Grandview or Hawaiian shore break?

Here are the first shots in from the day. When a swell comes all productivity comes to a halt. Not a job anywhere has a full staff. As soon as Surfline puts up the forecast a flurry of phone calls go into bosses taking sick days. Some reports came in that there were a few hundred people from Beacons to Grandview this morning.  I believe it. There were at least 100 at my spot. Enjoy.

Photos by Lauren Tolford

Vanity Fin

Kipp sent in this photo the other day. He had a huge bathroom mirror just give way and crash to the ground. Luckily no one was in the bathroom at the time. 

In the middle of cleaning up he finds this piece of mirror. Any other person would have through it right away. Only a surfer would find fascination in it so much they felt compelled to photo it and share it with their friends. Who, being surfers themselves, all said "wow! that looks like a sweet single fin!"

Wicked Good Wood - Mini Boards

Cowboy Dan has been at it again and making some amazing new mini boards. All from scrap wood. These things are so beautiful and he has been going nuts on the stands. A bunch of you took us up on our offer for a blank. I'll see if I can get more. Once you are are done send them in so we can show them off. If you want to own one of these contact me and I'll put you in touch with Dan. He puts a lot of tme and love into these boards. He would be stoked to see these on people's walls.  Enjoy.

Lauren At Work

Our neighborhood is pretty unique. It seems that just about everyone is self employed.  We all work out of our home office a.k.a. garage. It's a pretty cool place to live. The fun thing about it is that when the garage is open you get to drop in, hang out and get inspired by what everyone is doing. Erik and Lauren's place is sort of ground zero for inspiration. Erik is usually working on something cool. He is the most uniquely gifted guy I know. He can seriously do anything. Lauren is the quite artist who works late and is mellow as she paints away. Here are a few shots that I took off of Erik's computer that show Lauren in her "Office". It just reminded me of a typical day here. Enjoy.

Sneak Peek - Garage Bat Tail Quad

Kipp has been at it again. I got this shot from him today of his latest work in progress, an  om age to Sea Surfboards. This board is a 5'10" Bat Tail Quad with single, to double, back to single concave. His boards are super fun as I have been lucky enough to be borrowing one right now. Kipp was telling me today that he was completely self taught and has been having a blast making these. If you ever see one of these boards in person you'd be amazed that they are made in his garage. The guy has some skill. I can't wait to try this one out! 

Local Guys Rule

David is a unique photographer. He gets just as much, if not more, excitement out of shooting the local guy as he does the pros. There is a certain sense of satisfaction he gets when he sends the best shot of a guy's life to him and they have it framed and put on their wall. The stoke the average guy gets is so amazing that it just makes him feel good to deliver that moment in time. Here is a good example of this. David shot these last summer of a guy, met him after his session and sent over the photos.  The guy was blown away.  Enjoy.

Shannon and Her Wax Buddy

The guys at Wax Buddy sent me a box of their famous wax combs to give out to people who do our dirty wax art project. Shannon was the first to send one in and scored the first one. Here she is with her new Wax Buddy in hand. Her boyfriend Chris Miller did a great job with the photo shoot. Little does she know that he is going to walk off with that as soon as she sets it down. Enjoy your photo Shannon. You'll never see it again.

Mini Frankenreiter

Drive Thru Australia 2 was a huge success. People were lined up down the street to get in. I, like other parents in the crowd, had big hopes of making this my daughter's first surf premier. Although we were lucky enough to make it in the door and get some good seats we never made it long enough to see the film.  I guess seeing Disney films at the corporate theaters never prepared her for the energy of a packed, surf starved, La Paloma crowd. Once the free shwag started to fly she made up her mind that she would rather be home watching Cinderella instead. As much as I wanted to see the film, I took one for the team and went home. Oh well maybe next year.

The above shots are of a local grom who not only got to see the film but came out inspired. Donavan instantly became his new hero and so he went home and worked on his new look. The mustache was courtesy of Chris Cote at Transworld Surf but the attitude is all his own.

Lucas

I was down at Cardiff the other day and ran into Lucas and his dad. Here are a couple of shots of him and his first free board. Lucas was having a great time and I had a blast shooting him. I was just so stoked, I've known him since he was a baby and now he's hang'n ten.  Enjoy.

David

Drive Thru Australia 2 Tonight 7 & 9 pm

This should be fun. I had a great time at the New Zealand one last year. They always have lots of giveaways and the crew always shows up and tells stories. 

Custom Surfboards & Fins by Mike Slingerland & John Peugh

I got a call from Chris Del Moro the other day he was telling me about some amazing boards that Mike Slingerland & John Peugh were making. He thought they would make a great post and that the Leucadia Project would be a nice fit to showcase them. I said sure thing and figured I would run into John sometime out in front of his house and take a few shots. About an hour later I am driving home from my kids music class and I drive up and see John walking with his new custom fins in hand on his way to Mike's house. Before you know it I am checking out some of the coolest surfboards and fins I have seen. Wow, I'm talking real pieces of art! Super high end custom longboards and big wave guns all with custom fins. The big wave balsa gun won 2nd place at the Del Mar Fair this year. If you are interested in purchasing boards or custom fins they can be contacted at: Local2@att.net

Here is some additional information regarding Custom Surf Fins by Mike Slingerland and John Peugh:

Mike Slingerland first started shaping surfboards in 1968 for Hansen's, and in 1970 he began working with Surfboards Hawaii. For the past 35 years, Mike has been shaping his own line of custom surfboards in Encinitas.

John Peugh has lived in Encinitas for 65 years and started surfing in 1956. His love of surfing and woodworking first led to the creation of his custom fins and bent-wood nose and tail blocks 10 years ago, and he has been making them ever since.

All of the fins are hand made with the pattern design and woodworking done by John, and the fiber glassing and color inlay done by Mike

Dreams Do Come True - Free Boards, Photo Shoots and Burritos

My friend Lucas Foster, 14, had his dreams come true last week when Iron Cross picked him up as a team rider. While hanging out at Cardiff doing his thing the guys at Iron Cross noticed him for his style and attitude and offered him a spot on the team. With that spot comes the dream, free boards, photo shoots and burritos.  

Apparently they are making him a board as I write. In the mean time, here he is out at Cardiff riding their 10'2" Mother Load. Lucas' dad Aaron is a long time friend and is happily living his life through Lucas and his brother Logan. The best thing about Aaron is that he has no ego. As long as he gets to tag along on the surf trips and hang out in the factory he is a happy camper. As a parent who grew up surfing this is like a second chance.  

My hat goes off to Iron Cross for picking a solid kid. I've known Lucas since he was 1 and couldn't be happier for him.  Iron Cross was the brand of the Longboard Grotto, a Leucadia staple for years. I heard that the brand is under new ownership.  I'm glad it isn't dead. I just hope they bring back Dennis Murphy to shape a few boards as well for old time sake.

Rainbow Keels - By Shawd DeWitt

Alright, these are the coolest keels I've ever seen. These are real LokBox fins made from fiberglass, resin and resin tint. Shawd DeWitt from Rainbow Fins just sent them in. I was seriously blown away. I love the colors and the looseness of the color flow. I don't know about you but I want a set. Enjoy.

A Little Sompin' Sompin' To Keep you Going

When it gets really small we need a vision of what to look forward to. Here are some shots from David of last winter to keep you going. Enjoy.