Mullaghmore 8th March 2012 Tow in Session Madness

This is amazing .. All that wind and waves came good – although being chased with a wall of water weighing 100′s of tons and taller than my house

Riding giants

I must have seen this countless times but it always amazes me……

Sujit R. Varma
A semiserious, often rollicking, multigenerational insider’s look at the origins of surfing, the colorful and subversive birth of surf culture, and the mythology and lure of the big wave. This passionate and fluid film is without question the first authentic history of surfing from its humble Hawaiian beginnings to the big business it became to the still-rebellious universe it inhabits today. Riding Giants is a study in individuality and freedom, the pursuit and techniques of pure kinetic pleasure, and the risk taking and attitudes that characterize its leading figures.

For some viewers, this is perhaps more than they ever wanted to know. But Peralta’s detailed knowledge of the surfing lifestyle, its icons and locations, its boom and exploitation by the media, and the fascination it has held for young men for more than five decades is unparalleled and fuels this expedition for the expert and initiate alike. Closely chronicling the sometimes-life-and-death drama that big-wave riding entails, Riding Giants is an often-mesmerizing visual thrill ride. But the most appealing aspect of this often revelatory documentary is the realization that the man versus nature dialectic never ends; the search for the ultimate wave and the spiritual pinnacle can only be pursued but never reached. — IMDb Plot: Riding Giants (2004 Documentary)

Kelly and some homegrown talent

Part 3/5 of the Homegrown Series by Chris Papaleo & Nick Rozsa ft. Kelly Slater.. Some fun winter sessions at home.

HIGH TIDE / BALLITO with Jordy Smith

Jordy Smith doing what he does best – love the black and white effect

Happy New Year

 

This has just made my year

Surfing: Dane Reynolds reclaims his soul from competitive surfing

Surfing is a multimillion $ industry that sucks the life soul and money out of millions whilst rewarding a few (generally company men) Dane has said enough …. the story from Magic Seaweed …

at the Search 2011

Dane 2011 at The Search, Ocean Beach© 2011 – Lucia Griggi

DANE Reynolds is leaving the world of competitive surfing. It’s just not for him. That jersey has just never fitted quite snug and the podium isn’t a mountain he aspires to ascend. He’s pretty pissed-off with internet commentators and the vocal minority who like to give him a kicking for wanting to vibe down that classic soul surfer path. Hell you’ve got one life, ‘this is no audition’ as the saying goes, he doesn’t owe anyone anything. But Dane, and there’s always a but, taking this route is a privilege most cannot afford, so please be a bum to the best of your abilities. 

A letter from Dane to you:

i’ve been getting some pressure from various people and/or websites to write something, sorta like an official statement concerning my exit from the world tour. my dismount. my pirouette. ‘an opportunity level with your fans.’ that’s what they tell me. people wanna know whats goin on. be up to date. i can understand that. i like knowing whats going on. i like being up to date.

one thing to remember is that i have a heart and i have bones and muscle and skin and eyes and teeth. i have emotions. sometimes i act according to emotions. sometimes i think and make a conscious decision. i usually do that. in fact i usually think too much. sorta neurotic. i make mistakes, and i deal with them. i have fears and i have anxiety and i have insecurities and i have vices which i often give in to. social situations enhance all of these qualities. i could probably use some discipline, and lots of things bum me out, but generally i’m happy, and i enjoy making other people happy. sometimes all it takes is a smile. sometimes it takes a lot more than that. i try to be honest. especially with myself. i know that i’m fortunate. i’m sitting here and i have a pulse and i can breath and i hear birds outside and the buzz of the freeway and the suns about to set and it’s a friday. that’s fortune. i also know that i’m fortunate in many other ways. three brands support me and enable me to surf every day and travel and eat and have a house to live in. in return i represent their company in a positive way. i feel like i do a decent job. but that’s obviously up for debate. surfing is my passion in life. i always think about how lucky we are that there’s even an ocean, and its not too hot or too turbulent and it’s not made of acid that burns our skin off. and how lucky is it that the land tapers into the ocean in just the right way so that when lumps of energy approach from a thousand miles away they gently rise up and crash at just the perfect speed so that we can wave our little arms and match their speed and hang at the crest weightless for just a second before sliding down the face. free to ride it in any way you please. and there’s not just one of them. there’s tons of them. they keep coming. all different sizes shapes and speeds. everyday they’re different. endless joy.

there are of course a number of things that get in the way of feeling this joy: crowds, twitter impostors, eggy locals, eggy surf bloggers, overzealous surf photographers, chris mauro and rip curl contests, just to name a few. that was sort of a joke, but not really, and besides, surfing isn’t just about joy. it’s also a sport. an industry. and we must not mix business with pleasure. by accepting endorsements i assume a certain responsibility. some think that responsibility is to compete. to put on a jersey and crush my opponent. despite a flimsy one dimensional criteria and an inconsistent playing field that causes the end result to rarely come down to performance alone. maybe that’s the fun of it. i don’t know. i do enjoy it. but do i believe in it? enough to dedicate the better part of my life to it? or is that irrelevant because it’s my responsibility? i didn’t have to answer this question because knee surgery in january answered for me. by the time i was healing i was already gone. three buttons to the wind. adventure over responsibility. career suicide! blowing my potential. wasting my talent. i heard the buzz.

in all reality i was being constructive in a different way, traveling to a variety of locations and pushing personal boundaries in an attempt to learn, grow, and improve. it’s not as immediate as a contest webcast, and heaven forbid its enjoyable, but in the end it’s equally important and i’ve been neglecting it for too long because i was in a comfy space where contest results alone were satisfying. in order to be successful in surf competition you need to refine your act into a nice little package presentable in a 30 minute period in a number of trying conditions. you need to kill the variables. trim the loose ends. stay on your board. know your equipment. wave selection. endlessly try to revisit motions that score the most points. there are obviously exceptions to this. kelly slaters full rotation slob air reverse in new york. that was not a motion revisited and it was epic. on the beach afterwards: ‘so kelly slater, how was that slob air reverse!’ ‘oh, is that what that’s called?’ also john john florence and gabriel medina. maybe it’s only a matter of time before they refine their act, but for now i’m really impressed with their competitive success despite such rawness. rawness is good. surfing with john john this year in japan was enlightening. it was like every wave he was exploring new territory. i wanna explore new territory! i wanna unwind! by the end of the trip i felt improved and rejuvenated and then crunch! i busted my ribs at the mercy of a fresh typhoon swell. nearly drowned. another month out of the water. gotta pay to play. especially when you’re trying to keep up with john john in waves of consequence.

This vest never fitted comfortable like…© 2011 – Marie-Claire Ferrer

and so here i am. 26. officially off tour. wasted talent. blown potential. refusing responsibility. ‘all he wants to do is sit at home and play with crayons and ride fucked up boards.’ but wait! but wait! that’s not true! don’t listen to chris mauro. he’s a dinosaur. doesn’t get it. this may be the end as a wct contender, but its also a new beginning. i feel like a baseball. the skins been carefully pried off and there’s a thread and i’m gonna pull it and i’m gonna end up a pile of string on the floor. but then maybe i’ll be knit into something more useful, like a sweater. or perhaps something beautiful, like a hand embroidered masterpiece of a deer and two fawn drinking cold clear water out of a creek. but you never know. i hope to achieve some sort of balance. yeah, i do like riding fucked up boards, but i also like doing airs and taking some aggression out on a cutback. and competings rad if you can stay inspired, but rankings and trophy’s mean very little to me. i wanna learn, i wanna make things, things of purpose, be productive. travel. new experiences. new sensations. and most importantly explore the outer limits of performance surfing. i’ll still compete. but its not going to consume me.

finding this balance will be a challenge. but its just a step in an endless set of steps. a staircase. it’s sort of a big step. too big to just hop up. i gotta climb. like, with a rope and safety gear and shit. and i might get there and be bummed out and like my old step better but that’s just the mystery of life and i’m happy to experience it. and i’m endlessly in debt to the ones who make it possible. firstly surf fans who have resonated with my surfing for one reason or another, because at the bottom of everything, you’re the only reason i’m able to have the sponsorship that allows me to travel and eat and pay the bills and continue surfing. secondly my sponsors: channel islands believed in me from the ripe age of 13 and continue to craft boards that allow me perform at my highest potential and also craft boards that have nothing to do with performance at all, but make you realize how much joy you can get out of a simple high line. i thank quiksilver for their unwavering support, re-signing me during a year of uncertainty and working with me on honest marketing and products. i also thank vans for picking me up. every person on the team is one of my favorite surfers and/or people and i’m honored to be apart of it. there are, of course, hundreds of people worth thanking here, but this is who comes to mind tonight: my girlfriend courtney, for giving me inspiration, giving me perspective, giving me love and giving me treats. blair, for keeping my otherwise maelstrom of a life in order. my parents, for their conflicting views. i don’t think i would have done very well in an ordinary functioning family household. my father particularly for dedicating countless weekends driving me up and down the coast to compete. that was a huge sacrifice. also my mom for preaching creativity, fearlessness, and keeping everything bullshit free. and my brother brek for administering many humbling experiences from a very early age. my grandparents, for being probably my biggest fans on earth. particularly grandma bonnie and papa chuck, who come to every surf contest on the west coast. they show up at 7 am to get good parking, even if i surf at 3. and also grandpa bob for giving me his super 8 cameras when i was 18 and instilling a lifelong hobby.

-dane

Everything Dane is and will be on marinelayerproductions.com

The wedge – when waves are egyptian

The Wedge Newport Beach Ca, 2011
Music by The Surf Punks “My Wave”
Video by HBStonelight
http://www.JohnMinarMusic.comhttp://www.JohnMinarPhotography.SmugMug.com

Dane Reynolds surfs on a sperm whale

 

Dane Reynolds on his self-shaped ‘Sperm Whale’ quad, Ventura County, California, September 29, 2011.

Film/Edit: Michael Kew.
peathead.blogspot.com
Song: “American Prayer” by The Doors.

Slo mo makes the most boring surf footage look better

Highlights of the 2011 Quiksilver Pro New York shot on an Epic camera by Red Digital Cinema. Footage and edit by Vincent and Julie Kardasik.

Flat days and then suddenly SURF

beautiful video – found on Finisterre - they make nice merino gear too …..

Rob Brown, PJ Raia and Jonathan Mincher surfing mexico.

blog: TheNewSurf.com
portfolio: RyanStruck.com

Kite Summer – A fish board for lighter days and fun in the surf

KiteSurf Magazine “A perfect example of the most fun and versatile surfboard shape there is”

xelerator 5'8" fish

When the conditions are not perfect and the waves are mushy the Epic fish can make the difference and transform an average kite session into a great session.

The secret behind the successful Xelerator Fish Design is its versatility. Riding the board in Quad setup will give the Fish more grip and works great in slightly bigger surf. Using the board in twinzer setup makes it super loose and snappy and enables you to pull off those arials even in the smallest surf.

They are pretty tough boards – look at the video below.

Finnsurf Trailer on Vimeo

This looks like it is going to be incredible

Documentary dropping spring 2011
Pablo © 2010

Duck Diving underwater pics

 

 

Love underwater pics and duck diving shots – these are the very talented MARK TIPPLE taken from Magic Seaweed

 

 

 

my favourite

 

Sweet sweet surfer Film and music

A great surfing film and sweet tunes found on vimeo by Sean Lesh – check him out here

1 perfect day, 4 different types of surfing

Robby Naish, Dave Kalama, Mick Fanning, Beau Young, Ben Wilson, Stephanie Gilmore & Reo Stevens share a day at one of the best rights in the world.

Beautiful Film – Dark Side of the lens – Surfing

Over 4000 people watch this a day – superb in every way.

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Still think this concept might be the best route into wave sailing for kites – better than getting a surfboard for most kiters. The ability to ride backwards or switch gives huge relief to the legs and back and much better in most of the cross onshore conditions that I see.

You decide which way to ride waves ( front or backside) at the time to switch stance instead you simply switch the nose with the tail..

This great new concept will allow you to combine classi freestyle manouvers with hardcore wave riding.

Design features:

The new ergo heel ABS pre-bent pads , are delivered with each board, allowing a perfect match of footstrap and pad placement when changing position on the deck. A new specifically re-designed Kite Fin set , two smaller fins for the nose and three bigger fins for the tail, allow to use the board at its maximum potential in the two different directions.

A full concave bottom shape gives the board a solid grip feeling and allows a better upwnd performance.

jaws up for a snack

Always good to watch something nice while working

Summer is over

Summer is officially over

kitesurf Dunbar – sometimes everything is wrong

Forecast the night before not great but still worth trying it.

However the only thing accurate on this was the temp – stepped out the car and puddles were all frozen.

frozen in the car park

Beach is so great – well for beginners – most pure surfers head south of Dunbar for the rock reefs – but more closed in than here and less suited to kiting. But today was crap – was forecast to be 19-23mph but was barely 7 …. so had a long drive for a 5km walk.

looking east