Sterling Spencer and a high octane group of his friends (including Taj, Dane, Jordy, Machado and many more) surf across the globe giving you a peek inside of Sterling’s twisted mind. Some comedy, big hacks, and spinning airs are sure to be spotted throughout the 38 minute video…oh and it’s free. If you want it in your permanent collection, download it here.

“Pegadas Salgadas” (Salted Footprints) is a 76 minutes documentary about how surfing culture influenced the city of Florianopolis in Santa Catarina Island (south Brazil). The film is based on 25 interviews with people that make a living out of surfing in the city – shapers, pro athletes, surf reporters, surf school teachers, surf shop owners, surf photographers, etc. It is evident on the world tour that Brazil has some of the biggest up and comers and is a promising force in the industry in the surfing world. The growing population of surfers in Brazil is astonishing, with Florianopolis become the premiere destination for surfers around country. Visit scult.tv for more.

We figured with the epic conditions and surfing at the Pipe Masters, you might need some killer skateboarding visuals to round out your daily diet of online entertainment.

The first features Sergio Jungle getting after it in an amazing looking bowl to a killer edit by Daniel Etura.

 

The second clip features stunning cinematography and editing as Dylan Rieder and Sammy Winter go speeding, flip-tricking, and sliding through the streets of Toyko, showing off the busy city’s amazing colors and culture.

 

Chasing down the semi-professional life in any sport isn’t as easy as it sounds. For Nikolai Samson, he went down that path to become a professional snowboarder but was burned out after years of throwing himself off of massive jumps, just to capture it on film. So he found surfing. From there, he was exposed to a new source of stoke which he wanted to translate onto the snow. With the rise in popularity of noboarding (snowboards without bindings) and splitboards, Nikolai rekindled his passion for hunting down fresh powder lines. Now, Nikolai has started his own company, Almond Manufacturing, making traction pads for surf-inspired snowboarding. In the interview below, he talks about become a DIY board builder, making his own splitboards in the garage, perfecting his lines and templates for over a year now, and how he came into reinventing his passion on the snow.

When did you first start surfing? What spots had you been surfing before you relocated and where about did you move?

Like a lot of Canadians, I didn’t learn to surf til my early twenty’s which would have been around 2002. Been snowboarding in Revelstoke, BC since I was a kid. My good friend Tyler and I had dreams of chasing the semi-pro snowboard life so we were trying to do the ‘backcountry huck carcass off jump and film it’ thing but were starting to get burnt out and not having as much fun on the snowboards. Mid way through the winter he said he wasn’t into it so he hatched a plan to drive to Baja. We were there a week and a half later via his ’84 Astro van. So glad I went, even though I “quit” surfing multiple times that trip. I thought that being a decent snowboarder and a barely average skateboarder would make the surf thing no big deal. It was so tough to learn but the progress was super exciting and rewarding. I barely snowboarded for the next few years but got myself in the water in the US, South America, and Baja a couple more times and then eventually settling on Vancouver Island for a year or two. Eventually, I moved back to Revelstoke, BC for work opportunity as Tyler was starting up his own construction company. Being land locked again and not as interested in ski hills, I decided to buy a splitboard and go hunt down powder.

For those of us who don’t know, can you talk a little about what a splitboard is?

Basically it is a snowboard that can come apart in the middle and be used as two ski’s. You attach adhesive backed skins for traction and ski that sucker up hill. Once you get to the top of where you want to be you peel off the skins and put the board halves back together then blast turns and airs back down the mountain. Best piece of snowboard equipment I’ve ever owned and has helped me make the best turns I’ve ever had. You can cover a lot of ground on the splitboard setup. Go where you want. You’re only limited by motivation and fitness level. The current hardware setup has more or less been around since the mid 90′s but is now just starting to get some mainstream popularity.

How’d you get started in crafting these boards? Any special features on yours?

I had made a set of traction pads for my splitboard after seeing my friend Joel’s board set up with a traction mat on it called a noboard pad. Riding the snow without bindings seemed like a another step closer to surfing, bit of a placebo as making the trek to the ocean was getting harder to make happen the older I got. The more time I spent riding without bindings got me thinking that there had to be better board shapes suited to how I wanted to ride. Most North American snowboard companies seemed to have meat and potato shapes at the time. I got my hands on a big swallowtail board and started to look into some old school snowboard designs. Also, I saw some current boards from Japanese companies such as Gentemstick and Moss that looked more like what I wanted to have under my feet. Snowboards are expensive so I figured I’d make a smallish investment and start to build for myself. With the internet, ski and board building forums were an amazing resource and many years of experience as a cabinetmaker/carpenter, I’d figured I’d give it a try. Been building boards for just over a year now and it’s kind of consuming. Takes a lot of hours to learn and refine technique, but it’s exciting when it works out. I’m just trying to work with outlines to allow for faster turns in tight spots. Trying to make them shorter while still retaining the buoyancy. Radical changes in direction while keeping as much speed as possible is the goal I reckon. Also messing with some secret special sauce base profiles to assist with loosening things up when needed but also help edging engagement. Ideas are always changing, some things work great others need refining.

In what ways is the feeling of riding one different than that of a conventional snowboard?

The boards feel like they roll from edge to edge easier and smoother in deep snow. The swallowtails allow the rear end to sink more so you can have a bit more power when turning as you can use both feet instead of doing the rudder thing and riding with most of your weight on your back foot trying to keep the nose up. Sharp turns and spinning out of turns is a bit easier as well.

How does it compare to surfing?

I think there is a fair amount of likeness to surfing, especially in deep snow. The feeling of buoyancy and railing a good strong turn. I find myself constantly looking for features like banks and walls to turn on. Trying to maintain a good flow and keep speed to clear flat and low angle sections. For me it’s the closet I’ve been to it out of the water.

Once you have the inspiration for a new board, how do you go about materializing that idea into something tangible? What’s the process like?

I start on the computer and with some ballpark measurements of where I think things should be. Once that is kind of sorted, I figure out where I want the stance located, then finally I push and pull the tip curves till my eyeball likes what it sees. From there I print out a rough paper template and throw it on some mdf and cut out and hand sand a half board template to a desired shape. I use this as the master to make all the other core and base templates. Then comes the tricky part of gluing and shaping all the necessary elements and hoping they all line up. After too many hours of hiding out, working in the little garden shed and if all goes well, I’ll have a new tool to surf the mountain with.

Have you tried experimenting with any eco-friendly designs? What are the tradeoffs involved if you go this route?

Eco-friendly was one of my first goals when getting started building. The first board I built was glassed with hemp cloth instead of standard fiberglass. I came up short on epoxy and therefore had to use less cloth when the board went in the press. It had a super soft flex and was fun for about a thousand feet till I hit a rock and snapped it. Hours of work for five minutes of fun. Even with enough epoxy and more cloth I don’t think the board would have had that long of a life span. It ain’t easy being green, especially with the stresses that a snowboard typically endures. The last few boards have been reinforced with fiberglass instead. The hemp cloth is used for a top sheet. The wood for the cores is harvested and processed here in BC. I’m also using Entropy Super Sap Bio Resin which seems to work just dandy. I try to eliminate as much plastic as I can but the glide characteristics’ of a PTEX base is hard to beat so I still use it. There is a fine line in keeping with the eco-friendly thing and still maintaining an acceptable amount of durability. If it’s more eco-friendly but only lasts half as long then it’s kind of redundant. Hopefully the future brings smarter and friendlier ingredients to work with.

Can you talk a little about your company, Almond Manufacturing?

The carpentry thing is still my day job and Almond Mfg is a snowboard product company I work on in the evening. I make and sell traction pads for surf inspired snowboarding. I made my own set of traction pads a few years ago as I couldn’t find a product that would work on my splitboard as well as standard snowboards too. The prototype worked well and friends were keen to try it out. So I went about getting an injection mold made to produce the pads and see where things would go. The pads are molded here in BC and all final machining, drilling, assembly, sewing, packaging, etc. is done here at corporate headquarters in Glacier Heights Trailer Park in Revelstoke, BC. It’s tough working out of home in such small spaces but you learn to make it work. I’m glad the ol’ lady is patient and understanding as I spend quite a bit of my free time working on it and therefore have crap spilling out all over the place. Obviously it’s pretty much a one man band operation. Being small time has also forced me to learn how to do all my own website, video and most of my graphic work (thanks Brent!). It’s all quite different from my day to day at work so it’s exciting to learn some new skills and have a creative outlet.

How can people purchase your creations?

At this point traction kits and accessories can be purchased through the website at www.snowsurf.ca. Maybe I’ll have some boards for sale one of these days. But I’d have to be sure I have things really dialed in before I’d feel comfortable selling them. I’d like to keep them all as there are no duplicates so far but only so many will fit in the trailer.

What’s been driving you to create lately? Anything in particular getting you stoked these days?

Having ideas and seeing them come into fruition under my feet is pretty exciting. The perpetual battle to refine and perfect a craft that you love is a strong driving force. It’s cool to see so many sub genres and riding styles within each and every board sport and the tools used to make them happen. I guess I take bits and pieces from them all, past and present. Pretty stoked for the good fortune of having these recreational pursuits and the good company that I enjoy them with.

For more, be sure to check out Nikolai’s website: www.snowsurf.ca

Tipping Barrels takes you into the deep wilderness in the northern temperate rainforest along the border between British Columbia, Canada and Alaska. Brothers Arran and Reid Jackson enjoy the diverse scenery, wildlife and waves as they learn more about this global treasure. In addition to the adventure, the video provides a look into the environmental issues that the region faces.

Whether he’s sliding on a finless board or noseriding a log, Harrison Roach is as smooth as silk. Filmmaker Nat Lanyon captures some recent sliding with Harrison which further show why is he is one of the best longboarders on the planet.

To stay up to date with Nat’s photo and video work, follow him on Facebook.

 

 

 

 

Born in New York, raised in Miami and now based in Brooklyn, Emilio Perez’s has a very unique style of art. His paintings are created via a signature process that entails painting sheets of enamel, latex and acrylic in different hues onto wood panels and then, using an x-acto blade, slicing away at and removing layers, revealing tracts of muted colors underneath.

He is currently working on a large-scale (6 x 18 ft) triptych at Lux Art Institute in Encinitas (using the above-mentioned process) that will be inspired by Lux’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean, as well as by the surfing he has made part of his daily routine while living in San Diego. His residency will go from NOVEMBER 10 through DECEMBER 10. But his show will be up through DECEMBER 31 so stop by and check it out.

How did you first get involved in art? Are you formally trained or is it something that has come naturally?

Since I can remember, I have always been making art. When I was a kid, my mother used to paint so I always had the materials around to make a mess with. I did end up going to art school but I already had it in me from a very young age.

What are your influences?

I have many different influences. Since my work is abstract and has a tendency to come from the subconscious in a very intuitive way, I feel like my brain is a filter for all of my experiences. The energy in my work is influenced the rhythm of music and the movement of the ocean. The composition is often influenced by classical paintings and the palette from my travels.

How would you describe the style of art you do? Is there a name for it?

I don’t know that there is a name for my style but I would describe it as an abstract expressionist painting, with a graphic component.

What is your process?

My process is a combination of painting and cutting. I make a very loose and expressive painting over a colored background then go back into it with a knife, removing areas of painting to reveal the colors underneath. I look at it as making order out of the chaos.

From talking to you, you seem to approach each piece without much planning. How does working without much preparation to what you are creating affect the end result? Do you feel it has more of a fresh and free?

Because I want to make a painting that has a lot of spontaneity and movement, I find it is better to not have a plan and let the painting evolve on its own. It also makes the process more interesting to me. I feel that I am having a dialogue with the painting as opposed to knowing what it is supposed to look like before starting and just going through the motions.

How do you go about naming your pieces?

I listen to a lot of music while I work so I often write down song lyrics or something I may hear on the radio that grabs my attention. After the paintings are done, I go through my list of titles and try to find something that fits. I try to make the titles fun and they also give the paintings another level of meaning or even ambiguity.

What other types of art do you work in? Any other mediums?

Besides the paintings, I also make works on paper. The approach is the same in the sense that I make a very loose composition and then try to make sense out of it. I make these with ink and watercolors but no cutting with a knife.

Tell us a little bit about your residency at Lux Art Insitute. How did you get connected with them? What is the benefit to doing a residency in a place like Encinitas (which is more known for surfing then art)?

I actually had the good fortune of being contacted by LUX. I was not familiar with their program, but it turns out that my work really lends itself to their mission of making the artist and process accessible to the public. They have given me a beautiful place to live and make work. The best part is that the beach is 5 minutes away! It was a pretty easy decision to accept the invitation. Besides the location, the surf and an excuse to be out of New York for a month, I normally don’t have many visitors when I am working in my studio in Brooklyn, so having access to the public and speaking with students helps me understand and think about my work in different ways.

How does surfing play a part in your artistic process and/or lifestyle?

Although my work is not about surfing, I think that my time on the water really helps me focus and gives me energy to make work. If there is one common thread between surfing and my paintings is that they are both intuitive and happen in the moment. I think that is why I enjoy them so much.

How does the contemporary art world look at you as a surfer?

I am not sure how the contemporary art world looks at me as a surfer. What I can say is that to be a surfer in New York, you need to have a flexible schedule and being an artist allows me to do that.

What’s next for Emilio Perez?

I have had a pretty busy year with a solo show at Galerie Lelong in Paris last month and now this project here at LUX. I think a little break is in order then I will be getting started on a new body of work for my next solo show in New York probably sometime late next year.

Photos: Grace Madamba/Lux Art Institute & Stacy Keck

Eric Arakawa talks about his path and passion for surfing and the craft of building surfboards that has led him to being one of the top shapers on the planet. By following his passion for surfing, he left school and took on a career that has allowed him to build surfboards for some of the worlds best surfers including the late Andy Irons.

 

Although they are one of the most feared aspects of the sea, the intrigue that sharks bring is beyond almost any other species of animal in the world. Their fighter-jet like outline, and mysterious way in the ocean brings them a lot of attention, from Chuck Patterson’s GoPro video on his SUP to even the latest clip of a shark circling a kayak in Florida. It seems with every new YouTube clip, the hype and interest increases.

As we all know, South Africa is the hot bed for the mother of all sharks, the Great White. And in this new film, Surfing and Sharks, we get an inside look at some close encounters between surfers and sharks as well as an exploration into the stigmas that our news and media create around the relationship between the two.

http://surfingandsharks.com

 

 

Although photographer Maggie Marsek grew up in Wisconsin, far from any salt water, her connection to the sea began early on with visits to both Florida and California. After attending Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, she moved to San Diego and was quickly surrounded by the beach culture and more importantly, surfing. Maggie found herself capturing the true lifestyle around the sport while continuing to develop her expertise in the craft of photography. By utilizing film, she takes no short cuts, instead creating saturated and grainy images, bringing a dream-like appearance to her photographs.

How did you get started in photography? Any formal training? Or just learn as you go?

I remember running around with a 110mm camera when I was little. I can’t say I was one for composing, but rather snapping endless shots of my cats, dog and people passing though my field of view.

I began photography classes in high school, and this is where I fell for it. I was just enamored by the process and craft of photography. I then went to study photography at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA. I graduated from there in 2002, with a BFA in Photography, after learning the history of photography and gaining a deeper understanding of all aspects of the field. I had hands-on learning how to shoot everything from products and commercial work with artificial lighting in the studio, to shooting people and architecture in available light. I learned to process my own film and prints in the darkroom and about various film types. I shot with 35mm, medium format and 4×5 large format films and cameras.

What drew you to wanting to shoot surfing and the lifestyle behind it? And what else do you focus on shooting besides surfing?

In high school I worked on some projects shooting water -freezing movement was fascinating to me. In Savannah I began shooting skateboarding, freezing action, and later began shooting surfing, which incorporated the water movement and action. I loved the idea of stopping the action of such a fast paced sport.

After college I came out to San Diego I found myself surrounded by surfing. Casual, mellow long boarding and fast paced short boarding were everywhere. I began to experience how surfing was more than just a sport, it was a way of life. I loved how not only people’s days but also their lives revolved around surfing. It was like their daily vitamin, or ritual. This surfing culture has specific tools-surf boards, for the variety of waves and conditions. They have have their surf rigs – cars and trucks they take them to where the surf is. They drive from a hour inland, up and down the coast, and they camp in cold, wet forests or dusty & dry desert-like dunes when on a perfect wave mission. I love documenting this vast, cool culture that I never had exposure to growing up in Wisconsin.

When I am not shooting surf lifestyle, I shoot weddings, portraits, and editorials. I’m also pretty passionate about food photography so I incorporate that into recipe posts on my blog.

You now also work in a photo lab. How has that helped enhance your understanding of the craft?

I’ve been working in photo labs for the last 8 years and have been really lucky to see literally all subject matters captured on all types of film. It has really enhanced my passion for the craft and deepened my love for the process. Something, an experience, will be shot on film and then taken out of the camera. Then that experience travels in a capsule, a film canister or spool, to chemicals that process it-making it come to life. Now it is tangible, it can be scanned or printed making it visible. There it is. A positive or negative, color or black & white, it is a record of that experience shot weeks, days or even moments earlier.

I’m pretty lucky, and it has been a wild ride. I have been really fortunate to scan the film of so many photographers I admire, that’s probably been the most rewarding part. I’ve gotten to see film of new places, new faces, new tricks landed in skate sequences and portraits of world class surfers who just won another world title… even before the photographers who shot it get to see it.

Working in a photo lab has really taught me you can always learn more about photography. I don’t mean by shooting the newest, and most expensive gear and editing with the latest software. I mean by shooting with the camera you have and learning how to capture your subject in your way. Shoot in a way that shows people how you see the world around you.

I have seen some of your work around where you literally stitch photographs together. Tell us about your process of adding even more of your personal artistic touch to your work.

I started by stitching photos to card stock for impromptu Birthday cards. I thought it transformed my images from photos to art.

Stitching my photos together is way to look at them in a new way. Some of my images can be bold and have an impact on their own. Some images might not say much on their own, but when pieced with others a story may be introduced. Images I may have previously overlooked are resurfacing and being used in collages because they fit in some way. Whether is the the subject in photos, the colors or the over all moods of the images, stitching them together let’s me look at them differently, as a whole. The stitching itself is the tactile connection. You can see how I am physically putting these images together; it adds some texture and variation to my work.

You also enjoy body surfing and mat surfing. What’s the draw for you? And how do they help you understand the ocean more than traditional surfing?

I find myself more comfortable closer to the water’s surface. Mark Cunningham said something about body surfing along the lines of: “It’s a way to be in the wave rather than on it.”

Riding a surf mat, well…it’s just unbelievably fun. That’s the point of it all isn’t? – to have fun. I’m finding both methods are helping me to learn better placement and get me more comfortable shooting in the water.

What can we expect to see from you next?

For my second piece with them Urban Outfitters commissioned me to do a collage, that will be available on-line and in stores in February! I will still be making art and stitching up new collages, and I’d love to have a show in 2012 if the right space were available. As always, I’d love to collaborate on pieces and projects with other surfers and artists.

To stay up to date with Maggie, check out her social networks:
website: www.maggiemarsek.com
blog: maggiemarsek.com/blog/
twitter: @sealayer
Instagram: @maggiemarsekphoto
pinterest: pinterest.com/maggierhyne/

Sean Bernhardt is a 20 years old student/artist out of Monmouth County, New Jersey. He started making art from a young age and figured early on that art was really his passion around 8th grade. Initially he worked in mostly pastels/colored pencils, drawing landscapes. He later transitioned into mixed media by using salvaged objects and gluing them to the canvas. Mixed media gave Sean a chance to really throw in his mix of things and showed him that not everything needs to be perfect, which is why art can be an outlet for inspiration.

When did you start surfing? Do you remember your first wave?

I started surfing when I was about 10 years old, but always would stand on my boogie-board at a young age. I will always remember my first time out in the water.

When did you decide you wanted to be an artist? Is it a full time gig for you, or something you work on during your off time?

It wasn’t until about 8th grade of elementary school when I realized art was something that I really wanted to keep doing. I always drew on everything as a child, which may also be a reason. I mostly work during my off time when I’m not in class or out surfing. I do as much work as I can when I’m free.

Why art? Why not something else?

I chose art because of expression and that it gives people a chance to see how I see things. I don’t see myself doing anything else. I’ll be happy just painting and living my life simple. I don’t want to be a businessman or anything like that.

Where do you look for inspiration for you art? What about in surfing?

Inspiration comes from everything for me. It can be something really simple and I will add on by piecing things together, not really starting off with a plan. I get inspired surfing when I see others raising the bar or just cruising on a wave having a good time. Surfing is a really good way to be creative as well.

How does surfing influence your art?

Surfing influences my art by making me look at things differently no matter what piece I am working on. When I surf I like to think about how waves are not always the same, just like how my work can go from being really basic to very intricate, but still has the same feel and look.

Describe your style. And what’s your process?

My style is mixed media/collage. The way I work varies. Sometimes I will sketch out what I want to lay out, other times I will just go with different pieces that I find interesting, depending on shape and color. I like to look through an old magazine after I’ve cut out certain things and look at the shapes that can be formed and turn it into something. I mostly work in acrylic and combine watercolor, ink, paint pen, and old magazine clippings.

What types of art do you enjoy the most? Is there one in particular that you find yourself sticking you or is variety your spice of life?

I’m a big fan of street art, collage, and illustration. I feel like I will always bounce around with my work, but always be focused on getting the message out with these types of art forms. Each are very similar and work well together.

Where can someone find your work or may recognize it from?

I have work in a few local shops and stores around my town. People may recognize my work from Flickr or from shows I’ve been in recently. You can check out my work on Facebook.

Being from Jersey, do you feel that you have more access to artist culture outside of surfing? And how does that influence your work?

I feel that being from New Jersey, as an artist is different because where I live there really is no scene for the type of work I like to make. It influences my work by making me create pieces that nobody has seen around my area. I like to see people really taking the time to look at every little detail in my work.

What’s next for Sean Bernhardt?

I have a few projects I will be working on. I’m going to launch a series of gray-scaled collage tees and hopefully get some snap-back hats made up. I will also have a ton of new work to showcase for 2012.

To stay up to date with Sean’s work, follow him on Flickr or Facebook.

Riley Blakeway put together this three part epic in Fiji featuring Kelly, Taj, Chippa, and Jay Davies as they each give us a glimpse into how it’s done on some of the perfect waves Fiji has to offer. Riley’s work piecing together this finely shot surfing is pure inspiration.

 

 

 

 

Tobin Yelland grew up immersed in the skateboarding culture on the streets of San Francisco. At 14 years old, he found his passion, photography, and began shooting pictures of his friends and fellow skaters. A year later he had his first work published in Thrasher Magazine. From there, an amazing career as a photographer began which eventually transformed into filmmaking where he has worked on projects with some well known clients such as Nike, MTV, DC Shoes, and also was the eye behind the lens for the feature documentary, Beautiful Losers. In the interview below, you’ll learn a bit more about Tobin’s path and his view on the DIY sub-cultures that has developed around skating, street art, surfing, and more.

Growing up in San Fransisco and being part of that skate scene in the 80′s and 90′s, how do think that culture has affect you as an artist? How has that culture affect mainstream society?

Looking back I think my friends and I cared more about having fun and having a good day skating then anything else. Fast forward 20 years, I think if it is not fun then something is wrong and I better change course with what I’m doing.

I hope skate culture has affected mainstream society by teaching people to think on their feet and to just go ahead and do what you want without asking for permission. You are skating through the city as a young person with not much power and you are skating different public and private property skate spots and just seeing how long you can skate before getting kicked out and then when you are get kicked out, you haggle with security guard or just come back when they are not looking and make your trick. I think street skating has taught me that there are no excuses to working to get what you want.

When did you start shooting photographs and what were your primary subjects your early years of photography?

I started in 1984 at 14 years old. I shot all my friends goofing off and skate action shots. I pretty much shot everything. Stupid self portraits and girls that were cute. I tried to copy photographers I liked. Like Edward Weston and Grant Brittain and many more.

You started filmmaking 5 years after picking up a still camera. What drew you to filmmaking? What does shooting motion allow you capture that stills do not?

I started through skate videos. I shot Stereo, A Visual Sound and Anti Hero, Fucktards both with Hi 8 video and Super 8 film and some Pixelvison. The first real introduction I got to cinematography was when Director Mike Mills needed a location to do a Coors Light commercial. Dave Carnie and I were roommates and Mike used us as the actors drinking and falling asleep in front of the TV. Scott Henriksen was the DP and I asked him all kinds of questions about his 16mm Ari SR that he was shooting with and we talked a lot. He hired me a couple months later to shoot some 16mm Bolex of a live concert for a record company. It was the first time that I was loading and shooting 16mm and I was so stoked ! Shooting motion is so fun because you get to tell your story with hundreds and thousands of images instead of one or a handful. I love both stills and motion although I’ve been slacking in the stills department lately.

Today you shoot both stills and motion. Artistically, when you think it’s best to shoot stills? Motion?

I think stills and motion are both so cool. It’s nice to blend them together. When I’m shooting a still sometimes I think ‘wow this would make a great motion shot’ and when I’m shooting motion sometimes I think the opposite and just want to capture the action in another way.

The short film “Encinitas Realization” was made during the months you were living in Encinitas with Thomas Campbell before move to NYC. How did your time here affect you?

Living with Thomas and Michelle Lockwood was great to get introduced to surfing. And also to take a break from San Francisco.

What did you like about the area?

I like that you can just walk to the beach anytime your at home and that people take time out to go watch the sunset. That’s super cool.

What did you find it lacking?

My sublet with Thomas ran out and I wanted to move downtown San Diego. I was shooting lots of skate photos and I needed to be closer to the photo lab and Encinitas was a little slow.

Korduroy headquarters is in Encinitas and we were rolling after we watched “Encinitas Realization”. You hit the nail on the head with that one. Where did the idea come from and what were you hoping to convey?

Chris Johanson wrote and directed the film I think he was influenced by staying with Thomas and just his take on Encinitas surf culture mixed with his sense of humor.

You moved to NYC in 2001 and now have a family in Brooklyn. Why the move? What do you most enjoy about living there? Are there any other spots where you could see yourself living?

I actually moved to LA and have lived here for a year. Living in New York for 9 years was an adventure for sure (I had lived in Brooklyn for six months before 9/11. I watched it all from my roof. ) Brooklyn is a fun place to live and really hard at times with the weather and all; but I’m glad to live in California now where the weather is nice.

You do a lot of commercial work now. Growing up documenting areas of life that were untouched my corporate agendas, did the transition to commercial work come easily or was it difficult? What advice would you have for artists adapting their work into the commercial world?

When I started I was doing skate photography the difference between commercial and editorial could be the same photograph but just a bigger check for a print add so I always wanted to use my photos for adds considering how little magazines paid. For me my balance has always been trying to get enough personal work done that I’m having fun with and then going after commercial jobs to earn some income. My advice for transitioning into commercial world is don’t be upset if you don’t make it all at once. success happens to some people quickly but just be sure you enjoy what your doing and then just work every angle business wise to do the jobs you want to do. Find the people who know what you want to know and take them out to lunch or work as intern etc and find out what you need to know to get closer to what you want to do.

You’ve really seen the transformation of these DIY subcultures like skating, tagging, surfing, etc. grow into large industries. What you think about this transformation?

I can talk about skating. I shot a lot of skating from 1985 to 1999 and Its great to see people do well and great to be a part of something when money isn’t the main purpose to why you are doing it. I have so many good memories of skating around San Francisco all day and I have watched companies grow and It seems like the successful companies are making things that are inspired and you can tell that what they make has something behind it.

Who have you seen go “big time” but still retain the mindset of when you were groms? And what attributes to their ability to maintain a healthy mindset amidst the change of pace of stakes?

Anti Hero Skateboards has stayed true I think. They really focus on skateboarding and I think that keeps things simple. They have the best adds and videos. Also Independent truck print adds have never changed and I think that’s so cool. They just focus on a great skate photo and simple design and that’s it.

For more on Tobin, check out his website at http://www.tobinyelland.com/

A Korduroy TV photographic collection curated by Ryan Tatar.

Part 13: Tyler Warren x Zac Baillie

Words & Photos Zac Baillie

http://zacbailliephoto.blogspot.com/

I met Tyler whilst he was the artist/shaper in residence at the DEUS ‘TEMPLE OF ENTHUSIASM’ in Canggu, Bali where I live.  He had just returned from a trip to some other islands with Dunc Macfarlane who was kind enough to share his guy. Haha. Tyler is a renaissance man in the truest sense, and a rounded man be he painting, surfing, shaping, (beer drinking haha). Tyler puts the same passion into all these, and does it with a flair and humble demeanor that belies his talents and the years of work he’s put into his craft(s). To watch him shaping this board, nicknamed ‘Bali Soap,’ all by eye and feel, no templates, just passion and experience, was quite eye opening for me and was a nice way to spend a few days, especially shooting him on medium format 120 film.

Canada’s Jenner Cormier teamed up with editor Julian Crick as he slides on his log and skateboard around beautiful Nova Scotia in this stylish, short film titled Clear Cutting. Using some different GoPro riggings to produce some odd angles, this unique little piece took 2nd at the 2011 Canadian Surf Film Festival.