Sexy blue green backlit sweetness!

Photo by David Gray

Shackalaca

Photo by David Gray

Blacks Hack

Photos by David Gray

Say Hello to Your Local Sustainable Surfboard Material

There is something about the Agave plant that intrigues me. It has a simple beauty and design. It is also an organic example of how surfboards get there strength. If you cut the Agave stalk up you would see how it has a super soft center and a super hard shell. That design is exactly how the modern surfboard is constructed. It is pretty cool how shapers like Gary Linden and Eli Mirandon have picked up on that and started to make functional high performance boards out of them. Not just wall hanging art, although they are worthy.

In terms of sustainability, it seems to be a pretty good material seeing that only when the plant has died is when it's wood is good to use. That and it grows wild just about everywhere in SoCal.

Hey, Mr. or Ms. Agave plant, live your life to the fullest and when you are done we'll take you out and get barreled on you. Are you cool with that? Shaka!

Here is such example, Eli riding an Agave board that he made with his own two hands and, well, took it out one day to get a few. (Leashless, no wetsuit on a winter day no less. I'm still blown away by this)

Happy New Year!

Hoots and Shakas to you all.

LOST & FOUND SCREENING SATURDAY JANUARY 14 7PM

If you are at X-dance don't miss out of the Lost and Found Screening.

Mick Waters + Rasta + Seth Pettersen = Stoke

One of my favorite scenes in Little Black Wheels was the Rasta section. Yes Dave surfs his brains out but one of the true stars of that section was the song Baby Buddha by Seth Pettersen. The whole scene just makes me want to sing and go surf. Well done Mick, Seth and Dave!

"That's fantastic."

One of my favorite lines in the whole movie....

"It's amazing to me, in this day and age you can get a piece of professional equipment that is is still handmade. They don't make handmade tennis rackets, they don't hand make footballs. Right? So, but you can get a handmade surfboard. That's fantastic."

Glenn Henning Surfer/Activist founder of the Surfrider Foundation

from Manufacturing Stoke

Win An *enjoy handplane and water filming session - Hurry time is running out.

The crew at misfit pictures can think of no other place to celebrate the holidays except deep inside the barrel and we couldn't agree more. So we teamed up with misfit to create a limited pressing of 100 MANUFACTURING STOKE DVDs and inside one of these somebody will find THE GOLDEN TICKET. 

One lucky ticket holder will receive an *enjoy handplane and a complimentary water filming session to record the stoke on your face...forever.

Probably be easiest to film in San Diego but misfits like to travel.

DVDs ARE ONLY $15 and are available at www.manufacturingstoke.com
FREE SHIPPING

Last time we checked there are only 42 left... Pierce will update the count daily on his facebook page.

Good luck!

Mexico needs your help!

Our friends at Quality Peoples are working on a very cool project in collaboration with Hand Me Ups (http://handmeups.org/) and PEACE (http://peacemexico.org). Hand Me Ups is raising $7500 to go down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (where Ed Fladung of QualityPeoples.com lives) to help rehabilitate PEACE's community center, which sorely needs it. You might recognize PEACE, as Quality Peoples donate a portion of their profits to them. They are a non-profit organization that provides all kinds of education and services to the communities in the Puerto Vallarta area.

Hand Me Ups' fundraiser project is set up with a bunch of awesome pledge levels (similar to Kickstarter). Quality Peoples is donating a limited edition collaboration tshirt they created with Hand Me Ups and they are also donating two designs from their Spring Summer 12 collection which isn’t out in stores yet. Cast of Vices (http://castofvices.com) and Fresh Words (http://freshwordsmarket.com) are also donating items and the higher pledge levels have some great items as well.

Check out a video about introducing the project here:
http://www.handmeups.org/rehabilitate-a-community-center

Check it out. If you would like to help they would greatly appreciate.

It's out! Download Come Hell or High Water from TSN!

Oh my, I have been waiting for this one. Starting today you can download Come Hell Or High Water from The Surf Network! Download, watch, enjoy, and enjoy and enjoy...

Big Wednesday - Behind the scenes.

For those of you who are surf big movie buffs like me you can appreciate this little sneak peak into the making of Big Wednesday. Now Big Wednesday was one of my all time favorites films. If you have never seen it watch it on Netflix. I hadn't seen it since I was a kid and when I watched it again recently I was amazed at how good it still was.  Dan Merkel, famed surfing photographer from Surfing Magazine was the principle water cinematographer for the movie. I believe that is him on the left. They had some serious talent work on that film. This little gem was found on Doug Walker's Lost and Found Collection site. Enjoy.

Holiday Art Sale

It's that time of year again. Once a year Rodrigo opens his studio to the community to celebrate art and clear some inventory. If you have been eyeing his art all year and haven't pulled the trigger now is the time to buy. It only happens once a year but when it does you will get deals. Even if you aren't interested in buying art, if you have never been to his studio you should go just to look around. It's a one of a kind place that is truly Leucadia. See flyer below for details. 

A Day in the Shaping Bay With Gerry Lopez

From our friend Doug Walker at The Lost and Found Collection.

Holiday Art Sale Dec 10th and 11th

A PERCENTAGE OF ALL SALES HELPS THE AGUA HEDIONDA DISCOVERY CENTER AND SUPPORTS AN SMALL GROUP OF LOCAL ARTIST....

Holiday Greetings from John Culqui

Welcome to Beacon's

This showed up at Beacon's today. Pretty classic.

Darby by Doug Walker

"Darby is someone who was in the daily hustle & bustle who gave it up to raise her son. In that time she has found a new passion for designing jewelry and making things with her hands. She is an artist who is inspiring others as well as creating organic designs that make you feel good when wearing them. Her design sense is pure, simple & unique."

This is D A R B Y. Los Angeles, Ca.

darbycurts@sbcglobal.net
darbywalkerdesigns.tumblr.com

I met Darby in NY this summer for the New York Surf Film Festival. She and her brother, filmmaker Doug Walker of Lost and Found, were there showing his film. The Manufacturing Stoke crew and I hit it off with them instantly. Lots of talent this family has!  enjoy

Coolest Packaging Ever

Petra Kavanagh is the genus behind the Manufacturing Stoke DVD packaging. Made from pages of post read surf mags and sealed with post consumer paper labels. It is eco for sure but what I like is that it is so damn cool. Each one is a piece of art. Good job Petra

Get you're copy at www.manufacturingstoke.com

Soldier Surfer

I've used surfing in my life to heal and I've seen it work magic for others as well. This new film project by up and coming surf filmmaker Doug Walker explores the role surfing has on healing our warriors as they come home from battle.

Vote for Joe's XGAMES Medal

Our friend Joe Hodnicki made the top 3 for this years winter XGAMES medal.. click in the link, share to your facebook, twitter and all your friends.  Help him win this thing!

————VOTE JOE HODNICKI—————-

Support Local Musicians!

I'm always blown away by the talent of others. My friend John Terbeville is one that inspires me. He lived down the street from me for years and was known to myself and my neighbors as our local shaper. We would order all our boards from him and I still ride one of his magic boards to this day. After shaping for so many years he has now turned his attention to music and has been playing his heart out to anyone that will listen.  I love it. Go after your passion John!

If you want to check out John's skills in person he and his friends are playing over the next few days. Go check him out and support your local musicians!

Crossroads playing at Monterey Bay Canner Oceanside Harbor 11/27 from 1-5 pm on the outdoor patio right on the harbor!

Gary Wright (Killer Dana Surf Shop) and Shafi Rajput Vocals Guitar

John Turbeville Pedal Steel, Leads Guitars, Mandolin

http://www.montereybaycanners.com/html/mbc_oceanside.html

=============================

Fingerprint playing at Le Papagayo in Leucadia.11/26 from 630 pm great food and atmosphere.

Boo Stubs (Future Fins) Vocals Guitar

John Turbeville Pedal Steel, Leads Guitars

http://lepapagayoleucadia.com/

====================

Lighting Bolt by Rory Russell for Sale

From the Lost and Found Collection

"Rory Russell is a legendary surfer from the 1970's who grew up on the North Shore. As a kid growing up all I saw was boards with large lightning bolts on them on these amazing waves and thats when I knew I wanted to surf. Today Rory lives in Kona and has a surfing school and has started shaping these classic boards again. I spoke with him today to let him know I was coming out to show the film and he said he has 2 boards he is shaping that are not glassed yet and that the buyers will have an opportunity to choose there own colors.

If interested give Rory a call. He's a great guy and you will not regret purchasing an amazing piece of art.808.333.2210"

Doug Walker

Watch the the movie THE BIG COMPANIES DO NOT WANT YOU TO SEE

Manufacturing Stoke World Wide (Web/Phone/TV) Debut on The Surf Network! Now you can watch it from your computer, iphone, ipad, ipod, android, roku player, playstation 3, sony TV, microwave oven and now your espresso machine! It's amazing. 

I have seen this movie no less then 12 times with all the touring we did with it and it never gets old. In fact I love it more every time. It is that good. If you haven't seen it I urge you to watch the movie THE BIG COMPANIES DO NOT WANT YOU TO SEE. Watch this film and you wont think the same way about what you ride, what you wear and what you BUY.  Join the revaluation to take back our surf industry.

I'm proud of you Pierce and Petra. You guys did it right and did it from your heart. Here is to you my friends.

Help Kick Start The Encyclopedia of Surfing Online

 Want the history of surfing to be free and online for ever and ever? Want your name to be associated with that? Help make it happen by going to the kickstarter.com page for the Encyclopedia of Surfing. You can donate as little as a dollar but $10 to $1000 get you some pretty cool stuff. 

I think it is great what Matt Warshaw, former editor of SURFER Magazine is doing. His books include the Encyclopedia of Surfing, the History of Surfing, and Maverick's: the Story of Big-Wave Surfing. He has an idea and is going for it. I wish Matt and the crew a heap of luck in this endeavor.