Grant Thompson had no connection to slacklining or highlining until about 4 months ago. By utilizing modern technology, he was able to contact some of the world’s best, dive head first into the sport, and experience something that would quickly change his life. He was hooked from those first steps along the webbing. And now he wants to share that gift he was given with the rest of the world and so begins his first film, Highliners. In this in-depth and personal interview, Grant shares his experiences in his new found community, what standing on the line can do for you mentally, physically and even spiritually, and how you can help his dreams become a reality (although it doesn’t seem like anything will stop him). And who knows, maybe getting into slacklining will improve your surfing…

Tell us about your film. What is the goal behind it? How did you get inspired to create this film?

About 4 months ago, I didn’t even really know anyone who slacklined or highlined. I had known about highlining for a few years, watched many videos on the internet, but when you don’t know anyone doing it, it feels difficult to approach and understand. I finally got fed up with the fact that I had no idea how to make this sport apart of my life. So I emailed probably about thirty people with cool videos on Vimeo and YouTube asking where I should start. Brian Mosbaugh, a highliner from Oregon, responded kindly and ended up inviting me to meet him and his friends around Smith Rock State Park. My first day there, I walked my first highline, and then rigged and walked another one the next week. I started walking longer slacklines on the ground and lines made from different materials. I felt so moved and inspired by this sport, the kindness of the people who practice it, and the natural beauty of the places where it is practiced. The combination of these three things have completely changed my life. They have made me clear on a life I want to live and work for. Parts of myself that used to feel anxious, fearful or depressed now seem to feel calm and whole, and all I want to do is be able to share this feeling with as many people as possible.

This film will share the stories of different people who practice this sport, leaving the viewer feeling like they have met the highliners themselves. My goal is to document and share highlining in an honest, inclusive and engaging way that will impact the viewer long after the credits have run. I want people to be inspired by these stories and the pristine beauty of the world we live in. I want to remind the audience that there are many kind, generous people out there who are doing incredible things. The film will be engaging for anyone, people who slackline and those that don’t. Regardless of their interests, it is my goal to get the viewers psyched on dedicating themselves to whatever they care deeply about.

Grant's first step on his first highline. Photo: Jacqueline Harrah

Where is it being filmed and who is involved?

Thus far I have been working mainly with Jerry Miszewski, who currently shares the world record for longest slackline walked (1260ft) and shares the world record for the longest highline walked (375ft). In addition, he designs and distributes different slackline webbings and devices through his business, Balance Community. And most importantly, he is a kind person who is sharing something he cares deeply about. Up to this point, I have mainly been shooting with him and Chris Rigby, a highliner from Arizona, in different locations throughout California. There are other highliners I am planning to work with in California, Nevada, Utah, and possibly Oregon. The different people all manage to incorporate this sport into their lives in different ways while balancing it between the demands and responsibilities of adulthood.

What’s your background in film? And where do you hope that this film will take you?

I grew up making skateboarding videos with my friends and was into photography throughout high school. I also took film classes in college and wanted to pursue a degree in film, but I figured making this film would likely be a better way for me to approach this career.

I see this film as my first solid step towards a career that revolves around working with stoked and motivated people.

For those who don’t know much about slacklining or highlining, can you please explain a bit about the sport and what is involved. What is the difference between the two? And what happens if you fall?

Slacklining in a nutshell is generally stretching a flat, 1-inch-wide strip of dynamic webbing between two anchor points. You can anchor it between trees, rocks, just over water, very high off the ground, or where ever you see fit. Varying pulley systems are used to tension the lines. You can walk on the line, jump, flip, bounce, do yoga poses or dynamic movements with the line. When you rig a highline, redundancy is critical. You can rig two lines together or a line and a rope to make sure if your main line fails you don’t die. Ideally, you want every aspect of your rigging to be backed up, so there is not one single point that your living existence is dependent on. You run both lines through rings, and join yourself to lose rings with a climbing harness and a rope. So if you fall, you are attached to the line and essentially just get whipped around from your momentum. It’s actually an incredibly draining process falling, then climbing up your leash and getting back on top of the highline. Ideally, when you fall you catch the line.

How long have you been slacklining/highlining? And how long did it take you to get it wired (no pun intended)? How has it changed you?

I started getting into slacklining last spring, but I couldn’t really find anyone who was doing it. I had a very basic set up and it wasn’t as enjoyable doing it alone. Consequently, I put it on hold until I got better equipment and started meeting highliners a few months ago in July. But I was watching so many highlining videos before that I would say I have been hooked on it for about two years. So just the process of going from deeply yearning to be apart of this sport, to avidly pursuing it, to being so warmly received by these wonderful people has been absolutely inspiring. After walking my first two highlines, I immediately shifted all of my focus into being able to create this film, so walking lines quickly went onto the back burner. That said, rigging and walking long and high lines has had a profound impact on me. Rigging highlines demands huge amounts of integrity. You have to trust your decisions with your life and the lives of your friends. Then actually walking requires huge amounts of faith and trust in yourself. I’ve learned that even if I feel terrified, sometimes taking a step forward is the best course of action. When the line shakes, it is because of your own unsteady thoughts, feelings, and actions. So in order to walk lines successfully you must own the responsibility for any unsteadiness of the line. You must correct yourself to bring the line back into a peaceful state. Life on earth is exactly the same way. Walking lines has taught me to take full responsibility for my life and my actions. It has reminded me to make a constant effort to work through my patterns and tendencies that have resulted in any negative repercussions. And for me, that mindset has given me a sense of freedom.

Talk about the devotion it takes to be good at slacklining and highlining. What kind of mind frame must you have to be successful? What are some of the steps a slackliner must take in order to mentally prepare themselves? And how do you stay calm?

The way I see it, the mind frame of walking a line is based in the nature of experience. You can sit on a highline and look across it forever and never want to get up and try it because it looks so scary, even though falling is harmless. When your in that mind set, your preconceptions of what you think is possible are governing you. Your not actually getting up and trying it, your letting your fear come between you and your experience of life. When your able to work through it, stand up and start walking, it starts to feel easier. I think to successfully walk lines you must be immersed in your experience of life and let go of what think it is or what it should be. You must fully cultivate your senses and become aware of what is going on inside and outside of yourself. How to stay calm is the hardest part of it all for me. If I get freaked out or upset, it is extremely difficult for me to call upon a calm state of mind. That seems to be a huge part of it all, developing the skill to summon a calm state of mind in any and all circumstances.

As far as preparations go, I think it varies person to person. If Jerry can’t cross a line one day, he goes as far as trying to force himself into dreaming about successfully walking it during his sleep. And he said it has worked almost every time.

What are some obstacles you have faced while making this film? I would imagine you must be a climber of sorts to get some of your shots…

Honestly, I have been amazed how smoothly everything has been flowing. Although this is my first serious, full length film, it seems to have gone from being just an idea to having a life of it’s own rather quickly. I would say the biggest challenge is being responsible for every aspect of the production and to always focus on making sure the different phases run smoothly. Right now the main obstacle I am facing is how to be able to continue working on this project full heartedly with no funding. As far as shooting goes, I am not a climber. I love shooting this sport so much and am always working as hard as I can to get as many different angles as possible, which often requires some hiking and occasionally some serious bush whacking.

How can our viewers help?

We have recently launched a fundraising campaign through Kickstarter.com. Donations are met with rewards like digital downloads of the film, slackline friendship bracelets, photographs, and signed DVD’s. Even if you can only afford a small donation it helps so much! Readers can also help us share what we are doing and get others stoked http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1544822309/highliners-a-film-about-staying-calm-and-loving-yo Being that we are a surf website, how does slacklining/highlining relate to surfing? Do you see this is a good training tool for our sport?

I absolutely see a connection. I think that slacklining is the only other sport where one actively interacts with large, visible energy waves. When I first started sitting on long lines, I would feel awkward and not know how to sit on the line and be comfortable with the oscillations. It reminded me of when I first started surfing and felt so uncomfortable sitting on my board in the ocean. As far as training goes, slacklining and highlining gets you in shape! You really get a full body work out, and it helps a lot with posture. I also have found that highlining is great training for bigger surf because it makes you cultivate a calm, logical, and confident state of being in situations that appear terrifying. Slacklining is a great way to stay stoked when there’s no waves.

What’s next for Grant Thompson?

I am leaving today for an international highlining gathering in Utah. It looks like we will have some new world records by next week and I feel so stoked and honored to be a part of it and document it. I’m excited to hop on some lines myself too. Beyond that, I look forward to being able to share this sport with you the way I see it and feel it in my heart.

For more on the film, check out the official website at www.highlinersfilm.com

Tom Petriken is a 23 year old professional surfer from Point Pleasant Boro, New Jersey. He’s the newest member of the Insight team and contributor for The Inertia. Instead of focusing on contests, Tom’s tracking the next swell in his 1971 Volkswagen Bus. In this interview, we decided to take a peek inside Tom’s world.

Describe a day in the life of Tom Petriken.

I’m partial to getting up early so I can exercise and start the day. When there’s waves, I like to spend the majority of my time in the water. I always try to take advantage of what the Atlantic Ocean produces, you never know when the next flat spell is coming. On days where the ocean is taking a rest, I’m writing and searching for new adventures. Yesterday, I took a drive down Whipporwill Valley Road. It’s one of the haunted roads in New Jersey.

How did you first get into surfing? What was your first board?

Both of my parents surf; it was in my blood to become a surfer. My dad pushed me into my first wave when I was 7. Since that moment, I was hooked. My first board was a custom 5’6″ Gary Linden swallow tail. It’s blue with a huge dragon on the bottom and it’s still in my basement. I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of that board.

As a professional surfer, do you feel you have a certain duty or image to maintain every time you paddle out? In other words, is it all business when you hit the water?

Mixing business with pleasure is a risky endeavor. Its always good to remember why you started in the first place, to have fun. I consider myself very privileged that another day in the office means another day doing what I love.

What’s with building igloos? How did you learn to do that? And what’s in it for you?

When 4 feet of snow keeps me trapped inside for a week, there’s only so much TV I can handle before going insane. I’ve been making igloos since I was in 3rd grade. Every winter I try to outdo myself with a better creation. Last year I constructed my greatest masterpiece which contained 3 rooms. A 15 foot long tunnel led to a game room and my bedroom. Some say building igloos is crazy but at least I’m entertained.

Any other sort of art that you are into?

I’m lucky to live an hour away from NYC where there’s museums like the MoMA, MET, and AMNH. A day inside of any of those places will have your mind overflowing with inspiration.

Tell us a little about your blog and what you are doing on there? What do you feel about your personality or life experiences that people will find interesting enough to check in on your blog?

I started The Tommy Log while I was spending a week inside my ice palace. After surviving the first night, I realized that I needed to share my story. I hoped my words could bring positivity into the lives of those who were undergoing harsh times during the blizzard. I keep my blog updated daily with ramblings and photos from my life. I just want my readers to be inspired to go on their own adventures and smile while they think back to a similar experience in their past.

For those of us who haven’t had a chance to explore the New Jersey surfing experience, describe the scene over there?

New Jersey has a love/hate relationship with most surfers. Some days mother nature provides the waves of your dreams while other days have the side shore winds from your worst nightmare. It’s a fickle surf destination. We spend our summers staring at a flat ocean and a beach blanketed with tourists. The colder it gets, the better it gets. Its possible to encounter waves that resemble French beach breaks but you might need to climb into 5 millimeter of rubber to surf them.

What has been getting you the most stoked lately?

Trading off waves with my friends during an evening glass off. When its windy all day, the best sessions are when you least expect it.

Photos by Mike Incitti and Melissa Dilger

For more from Tom, check out The Tommy Log or like him on Facebook.

Shaping your first surfboard can be a daunting task to take on. Purchasing tools and a blank, figuring out a template, and then finding a place to make a gigantic mess are just a few of the steps that one must take to even begin the process of building a board. And while there are opportunities around to make putting together the necessary ingredients to shaping your first board a bit easier, it all depends on where you live and the type of commitment you want to take. But, there is nothing quite like riding a surfboard that you made with your own two hands. And no matter how ugly it may be, a self-made surfboard just seem to work better under your own feet…

But there are options for getting your hands dirty, without having to get crazy. For artist, Kris Chatterson, he took it upon himself to go another route, without making a huge commitment. Kris built his own mini-fish. While he may not be able to ride this pint-sized surfboard, he was able to gain an appreciation for the craft that he would not have experience otherwise. In the end, it is all about thinking outside the box, using your hands to create something, and keeping the stoke alive, even if it is bite-sized! Check out some words and photos by Kris about his model surfboard project:

Being locked in my Brooklyn studio working on a painting show during a relatively flat summer inspired me to make my own mini-fish surfboard. I wanted to work with two ideas: 1) to see what the imagery of my paintings would look like on a surfboard, and 2) to figure out how to shape a board having never done so. Thinking back, I got the idea of making a model surfboard by looking at images of Carl Ekstrom’s model asymmetrical concepts. I often study a well-shaped board as if it’s a sculpture (because it is). I took on this project as a personal challenge and a learning experience. I wanted to get in the head of a shaper and see a surfboard through those eyes—the eyes of a maker.

I didn’t pre-plan this project, it really just came over me like a wave. One day I was playing around in the studio, as I often do, and I decided to go for it. I have these blocks of blue styrofoam that I use to keep paintings off of the ground and the idea clicked. After determining that I was going to take this full on, I took a quick trip to the hardware store to pick up the proper tools, like a saw, respirator, sand paper, and box knife. Other materials I used include acrylic paint, polymer medium instead of polyester resin, and a milk carton for the fins.

I have watched a fair amount of boards being shaped online so I started with finding an outline and rocker template, along with the fin template. I scaled everything down to 6 inches to keep it at a nice round number. The only easy part of this project was cutting the outline. Once I entered the 3-D realm of the rocker and rails my mind was blown. I was surprised though at just how much my hands would tell me rather than my eyes. I have felt up an fair number of boards in my day so I let that intuition guide me. After a lot of sanding, and even more sanding, I managed to get the rails. Glassing the board was the most fun. This is the part where my experience with painting really kicked in. For the bottom I used imagery from my paintings, and for the deck I played around with pouring stripes while everything was wet. I got really excited to see how the deck and bottom worked together once I peeled the tape away. It came out way better than I thought it would. For the final touch I gave it a two coats of polymer medium as a kind of hot coat and called it done!

I learned a lot by taking this on. Art has its place in gallery but it also has a place on the side of the wall or flying across the face of a wave. This project stirred something new in both my creative and surfing life. I have a deeper respect for shapers, who shape by hand and use their experience and intuition to lead the way. This was just the start for me. I plan to make more model boards with different materials and eventually shape my own board. What I learned the most was I have a lot to learn.

For more of Kris’s work, check out http://kchatterson.com/

Day of enlightenment? Supernatural activity? Armageddon? Veteran’s Day? For us, this auspicious day is Corduroy Day.

http://corduroyclub.com/cordulog/long-last-the-grandest-announcement.html

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/corduroy-fans-prepare-for-the-fabrics-day-of-all-days/

11.11.11 All those one’s resembling lines of goodness…so put on your furry lined jackets and trousers, it’s Corudroy Day!

Writer and surf historian, Matt Warshaw, is putting together what should be an amazing interactive website, The Encyclopedia of Surfing. After years of research, sifting through old surf mags, and talking with some of our sport’s icons, Matt is taking the encyclopedia into the 21st century by going digital. It will be a fully searchable and constantly updated database stocked with tons of photos, video clips, and links. It will also include all the archive material, plus a rundown on what’s happening in surfing right now. But Matt needs your help to bring this gift to surfing a reality. Get involved by helping Matt and his team out on Kickstarter and read the interview below to find out a bit more about the project.

This seems like an amazing gift to surfing. Why did you take on this project? And what is your goal?

Took up the project in 1999 almost as a challenge; to see if I could actually write an encyclopedia. Going online — well for starters, it pretty much has to go online or die. Reference books are toast. I’ve got this incredible two-volume Oxford English Dictionary here on my desk, but its pretty much just for show. I do my research on the computer like everybody. The other thing about going online is now I can update the material as needed. Daily, probably. Even better, I can go nuts with photos and clips and everything else. The book is great, but when I look at it, it’s like damn that is a LOT of words and barely any photos.

How long has the processes taken? And what kind of hurdles did you have to overcome to uncover all the facts about surfing’s history?

In 2000 I bought a copy of Filemaker Pro, then spent a year going through all my surf mags, databasing everything. That was actually pretty gnarly. Like the most boring work you can imagine. From there, is was pretty writing 1,500 short little articles, anywhere from 50 to 1500 words. Nathan Myers and Marcus Sanders and myself, sitting in my spare bedroom/office in the Sunset District, eating pretzels and writing entries. As for uncovering facts. I don’t know. You stack up five tons of magazines and books, set it on fire, and sift through the remains for the stuff that doesn’t burn. And you still end up getting stuff wrong.

It seems like there are some different stories out there for specific events that have happened in our sport’s history. How do you figure out who’s story is fact and who’s is fiction?

Different ways. Some people you learn are super reliable, and some aren’t. Nick Carroll was always my go-to guy in Australia. He was one of the unsung heros of the book for sure. What else? We made a lot of phone calls. Or Nathan did, I should say. I’m always a bit suspect of anybody’s recollections from 30, 40, 50 years ago, but sometimes you go with that. Or you go with the magazine account of things, even though the mags, then and now, are notoriously flakey on straight-up reportage.At some point, you just hold up the evidence and make a call. And like I say, there will still be mistakes.

What does it take to be considered a surf historian?

Makes me sound old and boring as fuck. And I use words like “fuck” a lot, in print, in interviews, on Twitter, because I’ve got a phobia of being thought of as old and boring.

You have set this website up as a non-profit. What is the benefit of going that route?

Good will from the surf industry, who will eventually have to back this thing, plus it makes it easier for me to get photos and vids from all the right people. Fundraising — that’s a big part of it too, and a nonprofit has big advantages there, too. I need to give a shout out to Lewis Samuels for the idea; he suggested the nonprofit thing.

What can people expect to find when they visit the upcoming interactive website?

Hundreds and hundreds of photos of Teddy, my two-year-old. Plus a lot of surf stuff.

How can people get involved and help out?

We’re gunning for 20K with this Kickstarter campaign, but seriously, we could use double or triple that. I need to hire three or four desk monkeys to help put all the pieces together. Even at minimum wage, it’s going to add up fast.

To help out with this great project, visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1391193483/encyclopedia-of-surfing

Last weekend, we went back-to-back-to-back on Under the Sun, starting out in Portland then on to the Outer Banks, and finishing in Ventura. Each event was great and we are stoked on the support! Thanks to those who hosted us as well as those who came out for a night of fun.

Portland, OR

Outer Banks, NC

donation jar!

Ventura, CA

Nathan Oldfield is at it again. Working with the Critical Slide Society, this little adventure explores the stoke of a variety of surf crafts as well as some pretty talented test pilots.

A passionate writer, surfer & shaper, Bryan Knowles fell in love with the ocean at an early age. Shaping his first surfboard at 14, he later wrote his college application essay about board building, which brought him from his hometown on Cape Cod, MA to Stanford University.

Bryan now resides in San Clemente, CA as “Rider-in-Chief” of Ride Anything Surfboards and shares his surf-inspired poetry on his website SurfPoetry.com. He is currently involved in writing his own children’s book, Where the Albatross Soar, and is working hard on finding the funding to turn this project into reality (read the interview below to find out how you can help). Although board building and writing are not often thought of in the same sentence, we salute Bryan as he has found a way to turn his passions into his professions.

What types of writing do you do? Is there a certain type/genre that you prefer?

Well, lately I’ve been writing a lot of emails (laughs). It feels like I’m always writing one thing or another, whether it’s poetry, marketing copy, business plans or just jotting down random ideas. I don’t know that there’s necessarily a specific type I prefer, but I definitely enjoy writing poetry. It’s fun incorporating verse & rhythm when I’m trying to convey my thoughts so I guess in that sense, poetry can feel a little more artistic & creative to me than other forms of writing. There’s just something therapeutic to me about stitching words together, so when I’m confused or stressed about something it’s nice to just sit down with a blank page and see what it turns into.

Where do you draw your inspiration from for your writing?

Everywhere. I grew up on the Cape (Cape Cod, MA), so I’ve always been surrounded by the ocean and nature. Just being outside and observing all the life & little things that make up our surroundings is really inspirational. I write a lot of surf-inspired poetry and definitely have my best ideas and feel most in touch when I’m in the water. It’s amazing how small the ocean can make you feel because there’s so much to explore & we don’t get all that much time to do it. Puts things in perspective & keeps me motivated.

Sounds like you’re a bit of a naturalist too?

Ha, ya I guess that might’ve sounded a little granola crunchy huh? I’m stoked on technology too though; it’s pretty amazing. I just never had video games as a kid & used to be really jealous of the kids who did, but in retrospect that was one of the best things for me because it forced me to be outdoors and realize how amazing nature & ecology are. Pure entertainment!

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? Was there a defining moment where you said, “This is the path for me…”?

Hmmm. There has definitely not been a defining moment & I don’t know that I’m ready to say that it’s “the path for me” or anything like that. I mean I definitely love writing and always will, but I really like having lots of different projects going on, especially the shaping & entrepreneurial stuff. Keeps things fresh & interesting. Let’s see how this first book goes before we go labeling me a writer (laughs).

Besides the words on a page, what does it take to be a successful writer in this day and age?

How should I know? So far all I’ve sold is a few Surf Poetry Calendars! I guess it seems like success in most things is a combination of authenticity, connecting with people, marketing yourself well and a bit of luck. In terms of children’s books I think it’s recognizing that kids are digesting literature much differently than when you or I were young. I hope there’s always a place for old-fashioned print, but it’s no secret that kids now are most engaged when they’re interacting with literature on the iPad and other digital devices.

You also shape surfboards. How did you get started in board building? And what are your inspirations for surfboard design? What types of boards do you make?

When I was 14 I broke my ankle and couldn’t play basketball for a season so I ordered a blank, cloth and some resin and made my first board. The glass job left a lot to be desired, but the shape was descent and it surfed surprisingly well. I loved the idea of riding something I made so I turned our woodshed into a shaping bay and started making boards for myself and friends. I knew early on that pro surfing wasn’t in the cards for me, but was getting really positive feedback on my shapes and felt like building boards for some of the best surfers and waves in the world was within reach. My company is called Ride Anything, so I make all types of boards from performance shapes and grovelers to guns, logs & alaias. I’ve kinda been on a square-nose kick lately and boards like our Chicken Nugget have been really popular.

As someone who started shaping in the backyard, what would be your advice to a youngster who wants to make their first board?

Go slow, light hands near the stringer, don’t cut your finger off.

What do you see as the future of surfboard design.

People will always be tinkering with shapes, modernizing old concepts and calling them “revolutionary.” The real breakthroughs will be in materials that are more durable and sustainable without sacrificing performance. I hope we can explore new ways to fine tune flex properties at different focal points throughout the board. We all need to adopt more environmentally responsible processes, myself included.

Favorite surfer?

Carissa Moore. I’ve seen her out at Lowers quite a bit lately just killing it. I hope she gives the boys a run for their money at Triple Crown!

You’re based in San Clemente, CA, but I understand you have roots on the East Coast as well. Can you tell us a little about how you made it out west?

I grew up on Cape Cod, MA and absolutely love it there. There are some amazing waves when it’s on, with a really solid crew of local surfers. When I started looking at colleges I was pretty set on California and applied all over the place. Somehow I tricked Stanford into accepting me and was really fortunate to go there. That place is just so special and it didn’t hurt that Santa Cruz and OB were about an hour or so away. I still love the east coast and make it back often, but for the past 9 years CA has been home.

You are working on your book Where Albatross Soar. Tell us a little bit about the book and what you are trying to convey?

Ya, it’s been a really fun project and I’m super excited about it. Basically it’s a surf- inspired story about waves and the big, spinning storms that create them. The best way to learn more about what I’m trying to accomplish with Where Albatross Soar is to check out the video on my Kickstarter page. I introduce & narrate the story there.

What was the inspiration behind writing a children’s book?

I’ve wanted to write a kid’s book for a while now. I think being part of a child’s development and influencing the way they think about things is one of the most humbling, inspirational things I can imagine. I can’t wait to see it come together and hope it becomes a story that inspires children to explore nature and appreciate the ocean a little more.

What’s your vision for where you’d like this book to take you?

Hmmm. I don’t really know. Indo would be nice! Honestly, I’m just excited to get it out there and see what people think. Hopefully it leads to more books, maybe not all children’s books, but stuff that makes people think, without being overly preachy. If I can use my writing to inspire people to get out, enjoy the outdoors and develop a stronger appreciation for nature I’ll be very happy.

How can people help?

Check out Where Albatross Soar on Kickstarter. Watch the video and if you like it I hope you’ll consider supporting my project & spreading the word, which will allow me to move forward with the next phase of the book. There are some pretty cool incentives including pre-ordering signed 1st edition copies, dedicating or sponsoring the book and even one of a kind, collectable surfboards. We’re also looking for back cover endorsement quotes from any top pros & surf icons out there.

To support Where Albatross Soar, visit & share the following link:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bryanknowles/where-albatross-soar

To contact Bryan directly you can email him at bryan@rideanything.com

Or check out his various work at:

www.surfpoetry.com
http://www.rideanything.com/

We’ve heard that the San Francisco Bodysurf Classic was a huge success this past weekend. Here are some photos that Ryan Tatar passed on to us of the event.

Making an independent film of any kind is tough. Add in a feature length runtime, Bolex cameras, 16mm film, traveling to far off destinations, scoring an original soundtrack, and being pretty much self taught in filmmaking, Jeremy Rumas has NO easy task in his upcoming film, Hangs Upon Nothing. But with a lot of hard work and patience, perseverance will pay off. And by the look of it, it will. Hangs Upon Nothing takes you on a journey around the world to experience life as a surfer. We are excited to share with you Jeremy’s official teaser for the film as well as an in depth interview about the man behind the project…

How does your art background translate into filmmaking? What skills do you find go hand in hand between the two?

I like creating whether it’s drawing with pencil and paper, playing a guitar, shaping a surfboard, or filming and editing. I feel like they are all interrelated. I’ve done a lot of traditional animation for work, and with that I’ll be working on a few seconds of animation for a couple weeks. I’m not really sure if that relates directly to filmmaking other than teaching me patience. I guess it might help with pacing too.

I think that surfing is a lot like making art or music. It’s spontaneous and flowing, it’s in the moment. You’re drawing your own lines on a wave. I’ve noticed that a lot of surfers and skaters and snowboarders are really creative people. A lot of us draw or paint or play music. I think we see the world a bit differently.

I think just being a creative person can translate into filmmaking. Having a vision, and wanting to see it realized. That’s where I started, and then I learned the tools to help me realize it.

What is your background in film? How did you get started? What projects have you worked on in the past?

I took one filmmaking class at Columbia College in Chicago where I learned to shoot with a Bolex. That was 13 years ago. After that I got more into animation. I thought I had a more realistic chance of getting work if I pursued animation, and I figured I could later on try to get into filmmaking on my own.

I’ve worked on a bunch of different stuff as a commercial artist, from educational software, to slot machines, to animating the Trix Rabbit. Really, whatever drawing work I could find at any given time, all in Chicago.

What led you to this film project, Hangs Upon Nothing.

I learned to surf when I was 24 during a solo trip to Samoa. I bought a longboard and went there with my bike, and a trailer to haul around my longboard with. It had been a life long dream to surf, and I finally went for it. I wanted to go somewhere way different than Chicago where I was living, and I chose Samoa. I biked around until I ended up in a village where a few local kids knew how to surf. They had a beat up bodyboard, and we took turns on my board in some little waves out front. I traveled on, and my second week surfing there I ended up in what are still to this day the heaviest waves I have ever been out in. My first day in real Samoan waves I got the closest I have been to drowning. But I stuck with it and I caught solid waves on the south coast of Upolo. I was floored by how beautiful surfing was. I couldn’t believe I’d been missing out on this my first 24 years.

The whole experience changed my life and sent me off in a different direction. It was during that trip that I decided I wanted to make a film about surfing. Over the next year I thought about it, and then started arranging things in my life so that I could do it.

That was seven years ago now. The first two years I was shooting with a video camera, and that was more like a test run. The footage that’s going to end up in Hangs Upon Nothing is from the last five years, all 16mm and Super 16mm Bolex footage. I’ll also mention I’ve put in time on this off and on when I can. This isn’t all I’ve been doing for seven years. I’ve spent more time than not back home working between trips.

Tell us a bit about your film. Who is in it? What do you hope viewers gain after watching?

Hangs Upon Nothing is really just about experiencing life on earth. It’s about what it feels like to experience the world as a surfer. I have to admit it’s so hard for me to put the film into words.

My idea for filming this was just to follow around a few different surfers with my camera, and film what their lives are like. I wanted the viewer to feel they are experiencing life as the surfers in the film experience it.

The surfers in this are all people I’ve met while traveling, with the exception of Chuck Corbett who I contacted through the internet after stumbling across some of his postings about lonely equatorial waves. They were rambling postings, half finished thoughts, and stories of surfing alone. Chuck spent about 30 years in the equatorial Pacific, and a lot of that time he surfed reef passes far off the beaten path. He sometimes refers to these places as wave monasteries.

Mikala and Daniel Jones of Hawaii are a big part of this. Their brother Keoni is in this also, and some of their friends became a part of the project too, like Ryan and Timmy Turner.

And then there’s also a group of local kids from Bali. They’re not really kids anymore, but they still act like it. You might have seen one of them in surf news recently, Darmaputra Tonyo (also spelled as Tonjo). He’s been making his way up in competition surfing.

The idea is having a representation of the past, present, and future.

It seems like filmmakers who are committed to using 16mm run into financial problems, especially doing it independently. Do you think this is the biggest obstacle to overcome when shooting with film? Or is there something else that creates a bigger hurdle when shooting film?

I think it’s one of the big obstacles among many. The expense is one thing, it’s an expensive process for sure. It’s daunting as an independent. To keep funding this as I have trudged along with this project I have done everything from working as a commercial artist to washing dishes and setting up tables and chairs at my friend’s banquet hall.

Another challenge is transporting film, it’s heavy, x-ray sensitive, and heat sensitive.

With shooting with a Bolex, I shoot 100 foot rolls of film that are just under 3 minutes a piece. So I shoot with a mindset like I’m editing while I shoot. I only pull the trigger when I see something happening that I think is unique, or interesting, something that I think can make it into the final film. The nice plus side to this is that the footage I get back seems to flow like a roughly edited film already.

I’d say the biggest challenge though while filming surfing is having to change film. I’ve missed some good rides while changing rolls of film. I’ve even upset a few friends at times because of this, and I can understand the frustration, if I missed their best wave. It can happen when shooting 16mm film.

Shooting in the water is pretty tough too. Heavy camera and housing, a few minutes of footage, less if shooting slo-mo, and I have to manually wind my camera back up between shots, while trying not to get pounded by waves or swimming against currents. I love shooting in the water, and it also scares me a bit. It’s a rush, and it’s a unique way of experiencing waves, especially the views from inside a wave as surfers pass by a few feet in front of you, it is fast and powerful. You can feel it. That is amazing to experience.

I think choosing to shoot film is going to be worth it. I love the look of surfing captured on 16mm film, especially with a camera like a Bolex. Bolex footage is not perfect, and I like that. To me, it just feels a bit different. It feels real. It feels more human. Kind of in the same way that late 1960′s rock recordings have this sound/feel that impacts me more than today’s studio recordings. I like the sound quality of Hendrix and Zeppelin recordings more than I do newer stuff. And for this project at least, I like the look of film.

After doing this film independently, would you choose that path again if you were to make another?

Well, I’m not sure. It is very tough trying to make a feature length film independently. After I finish this, I’d like to go back to a bit of a more normal life again. Hopefully that includes making more films. Right now my focus is just finishing this film and I’ll take it from there.

You have some pretty well known surfers in your film. How did you hook up with these guys?

During one visit to see Chuck Corbett, Mikala and Daniel Jones came out with a few other guys to stay on Chuck’s boat for a couple weeks. At first I did not plan on shooting any of them even. I did not have much film, and I planned on only shooting with Chuck. When I saw them all surfing though, I just started shooting. The sun was shining through the backs of these turquoise waves, there were local kids out in the shorebreak body surfing with little wooden boards. It was too good not to shoot, so I shot that day.

I was able to show them a bit of footage of my project in progress, and Mikala and Daniel really liked it all. They gave me an open invitation to come film with them. After that they became one of the main parts of the film and they became good friends too.

When do you expect the film to be released?

That’s up in the air still, but I hope to be wrapped up shooting and editing by the end of summer 2012. Doing the soundtrack on our own, that takes a while. It will get done one way or another!

Stay updated with the film at the film’s official blog: www.hangsuponnothing.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hangs-Upon-Nothing-a-16mm-surf-film/246361802068338

Blakeney Sanford is an amazing contemporary artist we recently ran into that we thought was WELL WORTH finding a bit more about…a true woman of the DIY culture. This Santa Barbara resident creates gorgeous, innovative sculptures and paintings. Her work ranges from pint-sized art pieces to large 40′ installations that will blow your mind. Working with industrial materials such as rebar, fiberglass, and looking to nature for inspiration, Blakeney has successfully carved out her own unique style of art that we are sure you will dig. We hope you enjoy this thoughtful and complete interview with the artist herself…

How did you first get started in creating art? And was there a defining moment along the way that made you say, “This is what I need to be doing for the rest of my life”, or was it something you knew you wanted to do from the get go?

I’ve always loved to create, but it wasn’t until 2008 that I really jumped full bore into my career as an artist. In 2006, I was traveling in Baja when my appendix ruptured. It took me two days and miles of dirt roads to get to a medical facility and in that time I got really sick, my stomach bulging like a watermelon, coming close to the point of no return… After a major surgery in a funky farm town in Mexico, and a year spent in and out of a hospital in California, I had had some time to consider my life and what I had chosen to do so far. I realized that in my core, I really wasn’t very happy and hadn’t been, but that I had the power to make changes in my life and that I really was the only one that could. It was time to stop ignoring myself, and time to start making art.

Now my creative process is my work, my passion, my purpose and I know in my gut of all guts that it is exactly what I am supposed to be doing with my life. It’s funny to me how cliché stories like these become; how it takes those massive life-changing glimpses of mortality to put us on point, to clarify, to set us straight…

You have such an awesome and unusual name. Any story behind it?

Thanks! I’m a last name girl. My name, Blakeney, is my grandmother’s maiden name. It’s Welsh in its origin. I’ve never met another… It usually takes three goes at the coffee shop for them to get it right. I’m a grandma combo: my middle name is Virginia and was the name of my other grandmother. I secretly like to imagine that, beyond my name, I might possibly be a mix of both of these creative, elegant, and capable women…

Blakeney & her nautulus alaia. Joni Sternbach Shoot

Alaia, olo, & SUP paddle

How did how did you learn to create these amazing sculptures?

I spent my twenties really struggling to feel like I was doing something of purpose with my life. I toyed in a bunch of different careers and activities. I was a teacher, on sailboats for 25 days at a time, and then taught math in the classroom. I worked as a cook on a dive boat, rebuilt a CAL 40, took an extensive bike trip, worked a grape harvest, learned to ice climb, and surfed in far off places, not realizing how much each of these experiences would affect or have an impact on the next. So when I really decided to commit to my art career, I had all of these tools that I had acquired from all of my jobs and adventures in my tool belt. I had skills that had developed through life experience. It turned out that each thing I had done that seemed invaluable at the time had HUGE value. I have a knack for experimenting so I was willing to take these skills and then apply them to the next thing in line. Thus evolved my first major body of work, my blue resin series, involving learned skills in engineering and building. The defining moment of my resin career was while installing a toilet in the sailboat that I was rebuilding and I was shocked at the flexibility that I had with the material. You can basically build ANYTHING out of resin.

My first show, my debut, was a one-nighter in a courtyard of a beauty salon in San Clemente, CA. I had denied myself creative freedom for so long that the piece I created was massive: the 40′ long sculpture, “Shades of Blue,” was an opportunity to introduce the world to the creativity I had kept bottled up inside for so long. I think that is a big part of why my work has always been so large in scale: my creativity has needed a BIG outlet.

I’ve since created sculptures in this material ranging in size from 3′ to 50′, hanging from ceilings and structures, freestanding on floors and mounted on walls. Many are site specific while the others can be moved and installed in any location.

Left, Middle Peak, and Right

Left, Middle Peak, and Right

Can you talk a little bit about the process in creating them?

When I first experience or look at space with the intention of creating an installation, I typically have an immediate inspiration. When I first saw the courtyard in San Clemente, I envisioned a massive wave barreling over the space, and my brain and my hands went to work creating the piece. Knowing that resin had a translucent quality, I began the process of experimentation, developing a system to create the materials that I needed to bring my vision to fruition. The work has a contemporary contrast using industrial materials to translate a natural experience.

I spend ages in the mental engineering and envisioning steps when creating my work. I make sketches and drawings. I apply my love for mathematics to the engineering and construction process of the pieces. I spend time in the space where the pieces will live. I lay awake at night and realize that things will or will not work in the construction aspect. Day and night, the creative process is constant.

I create all of the resin panels that I use in my work by hand, in my studio, using molds that I’ve invented or built. This involves measuring and mixing resin, prepping molds, pouring and curing, and popping out the end result. I’ve created pieces that use steel as a structure, and others that are themselves structural. I bend all of the steel myself by hand or with a machine and I work with an awesome welder to tack the pieces together. This work is a PHENOMENAL commitment in time, energy and physical labor. Installations are multi-month processes, with 15+ hour days in the welding shop and the studio and round the clock installation processes on site. My hands hurt for days after and the scars are deep. It is thoroughly exhausting, but SO BEYOND exciting and seeing the outcome makes it worth it. The work is striking and feels so good on so many levels.

In surviving these pushes and these sleepless nights, I have learned that, in the end, everything comes together perfectly, exactly as it is meant to. So much of art, I’ve found, evolves from either knowing a skill and being able to apply it, or having the willingness to experiment and learn something new, creating a method to execute a vision. It evolves from the materials that you have lying around, or that you have access to and from the willingness to discover new methods, which leads you to the most unexpected places and the amazing people that inhabit them. People are really keen to teach when you’re willing to learn.

Small Day at Teahupoo. Epoxy resin, fiberglass screen, rebar , 9x12x8

Kelly & Raimana. photo: Duane Uyeda, photographiccontent.com

What is the inspiration behind them?

It’s a mixture of my need for time in nature and my intrigue with machinery and the industrial world.

I grew up on a ranch on California’s central coast close to where I now live. My parents have farmed organic vineyards and made wine my entire life, and spending time in nature, both in and on the water in the hills, has always been really important to them and they passed this on to me. I really connected with the ocean as an adult when I began surfing at 18, and the ocean has since influenced many of my decisions regarding the who’s, what’s and where’s of my life.

This coastal inspiration has thus have been a very fitting subject in my art. As most surfers will rattle on about the ‘cleansing of the ocean and how surfing takes them to another place, I too will join the bandwagon in claiming surfing to be a hugely important part of my routine. The sensation is like no other, and the variety of implements that you can use to achieve that feeling is so inspiring to me. My sessions are about playfulness, about having fun. Whether surfing tandem or on a longboard, riding a random shape or a handplane, the motion of my body on a peeling wave does something to me. For me. And for that I am grateful. So naturally, it was appropriate that my first major series in my professional career as an artist has been dedicated to translating this healing experience to the masses.

Blue Tube. Epoxy resin, fiberglass screen, rebar, 9x35x2

Deep. Epoxy resin, fiberglass screen, steel, 9x3.5x4

Cresting. Epoxy resin, fiberglass, steel, 18x12x12

What has been the evolution of your art? What mediums did you start with and how has your methods and style changed over time?

Crayons, paints, and paper have always been a fixture in my reality. I spent many a wine dinner diving into my drawings while my parents told their story to interested consumers. Now I love using traditional materials, such as paint and clay and plaster, as well as discovering materials, and experimenting and figuring out what can bring my vision to fruition. Much of my work contrasts nature and natural materials with contemporary materials or technologies. The hardware store and the McMaster Carr catalog are two of my favorite places to get lost in… Endless possibilities!

I have another series that I am working on right now called the “Shark Park Series.” It mixes traditional mediums, acrylic and panel and gold leaf, in a contemporary style. The series evolved from a photo shoot that we did at 6am in a kids park in Santa Barbara that we refer to as ‘Shark Park’ because of the giant shark play toy (although there are a few ‘shark parks’ in our neck of the woods up here that have personal significance to my family…) The photos were super. I then translated their silhouettes into a contemporary portrayal of bikini-clad women. There is something really beautiful and intriguing and sexy about bikinis and the female form, as there is about the allure of gold and the aesthetic of multiples. Bringing all of this together created the Shark Park Series. Initially as an effort to create something small and marketable (4″x6″), the series has evolved into an entity all its own, and now ranges from little to larger than life.

Shark Park series postcard

Tell us a little bit about your work with B&B Designs. What exactly is B&B Designs? And what is your involvement with them?

I met my beau, Bennett about a year after my Baja incident. The first present he gave me was a hand plane that he had shaped out of scrap balsa and had affixed an old windsurfing foot strap to. I loved to concept of surfing something that he had made. Soon after, our friends needed a stand up paddle, so, in what would become a common occurrence, we turned again to the scrap pile and went to work. We shaped a blade, I inlaid it with an abalone design, and glassed it, and we stuck it onto an old windsurfing mast. Perfect. And that was really the beginning of B&B Designs.

We both are mad for the ocean and love to surf and play and we really enjoy just being silly in the water on ANY ocean implement. It really brings us pure joy.

We’ve since crafted alaias, SUP paddles and many hand planes, and have made a little business of it. Most of the work is crafted out of found materials: scraps from shapers, tables found on the side of the road, hand harvested agave, and piles of barn wood. Each piece is super unique; either inlaid with abalone, overlaid with gold leaf, or embellished with a sketch or drawing. The pieces really are beautiful and although our completion time for commissions takes an exorbitantly long time, I like to think our work is worth it… It really comes from the heart and is made with love!

Rogue Wave. Epoxy resin, fiberglass screen, rebar, 13x12x12. photo Bill Dewey

How has working with resin affected your relationship with surfboards? You involved in any board building yourself?

Resin is an amazing material. I can do SO much with it. Really, I can create anything out of this plastic. I use epoxy resin from Fiberglass Hawaii. They have been amazing at coaching me in methods, but is has taken extensive experimentation in developing the systems for creating my work. In being aware of my impact on the planet, I’ve been on the hunt for a bio resin and I’ve just found an awesome company in Los Angeles, Entropy Resins, that I am going to begin working with!

I haven’t delved into shaping/glassing large format boards. I’ve been sticking to hand planes and paddle blades, and shaping and glassing those. We do have a collection of boards that we are surfing right now that we haven’t so much shaped as reshaped… We find so many boards broken in half in dumpsters, so we chop of the frayed edges and stick them back together and shape down the rails and glass ‘em up. We’re always amazed at how well they ride!

Building Swell. Epoxy resin, fiberglass screen, steel, 35x18. photo Nick Reinhardt

Shades of Blue. Epoxy resin, fiberglass screen, rebar, wire. 12x10x35

Where can people see your work? And what’s next for Blakeney Sanford?

My website and my mailing list are great ways to keep up with my work. There’s always something on the horizon!

And what’s next? THE MAKING OF MORE ART! I’m continuing to do a bunch of work with ROXY/Quiksilver right now on in-store installations, which is super fun and exciting. I also have a few gallery shows coming down the pike. Museum shows, international shows, commissions for private collectors and corporate clients, and design collaborations are goals that I’m working on attaining right now as well.

And then of course, there’s always the need to get inspired! More learning, traveling and blissful surf please! I’m loving connecting with inspired and interesting people that are imagining their lives as they want them to be and are bringing ideas to fruition. This life is beautiful, intriguing, challenging and endlessly refreshing.

Stay up to date with Blakeney’s work at www.blakeneysanford.com or www.facebook.com/pages/Blakeney-Sanford-Fine-Art/353779465778

Mexico’s right points are dreamy. Chris Hannant captures some of culture, barrels, and beauty that Mexico has to offer in this short film that features surfing by Christian Moutinho, Leah Oke, Keegan Varney, Mick Fanning, Dane Reynolds, Shane Dorian, and Alex Gray.

This short will also be a part of a larger feature called The Water’s Edge Project.

Ethan Estess, 22, is Masters student studying environmental science at Stanford University.  His academic interests include white shark ecology, mechanical engineering, and sculpture, with an overarching focus on marine conservation. Born and raised in Santa Cruz County, his love for surfing, creativity, and family is an ocean in itself. Last spring he constructed a 12ft by 20ft kinetic sculpture of pelicans flying in a sine wave motion. The piece used mostly reclaimed materials – scrap metal, fishing wire, discarded wood. The sine wave motion tells the story of the California Brown Pelican’s rebound from near extinction.

Tell us about your Dumpster Diver project. How did the idea come about? What was the goal?

I took a kinetic sculpture class at Stanford with a group of students and visiting artist Reuben Margolin to create a kinetic sine wave sculpture of 800 soda cans oscillating like the surface of the sea. The class changed the way I looked at nature; I see it as a tremendous source of knowledge and inspiration. A few months later I was surfing at Carmel Beach when a flock of California Brown Pelican’s flew by in a perfect sine wave pattern and I sat there mesmerized. I became pretty much obsessed with modeling that behavior in a large-scale sculpture from there on.

My intention for the piece shifted the more I thought about it. I didn’t just want it to solely be a model of pelican flight but to have a deeper meaning, and a narrative evolved as I thought about what my parents had taught me about Brown Pelicans. My dad grew up in Santa Cruz too, and he would always mention how he never used to see pelicans in the old days but now they’re a common sight. I did a little research and learned that pelicans were one of many bird species hit hard by the pesticide pollution in the 60’s and 70’s. They were listed as Critically Endangered in 1970 and as the result of well-focused environmental activism, the use of one of the worst pesticides, DDT, was banned in 1972. Pelican populations have since rebounded to healthy levels- a true success story for marine conservation. The connection between this science concept and the movements of this kinetic sculpture is the idea that humans are causing the pelicans’ population to rise and fall through a complex set of mechanisms.

How long did it take you to build? And what materials were used?

This piece took 9 months from inception to completion. Five months of this were spent designing it while studying abroad in Australia and the next four were spent collecting materials, prototyping, and fabricating at full speed. I did a solid amount of dumpster diving, but got most of my materials from scrap yards, reclaimed lumber yards, and damaged inventory piles from industrial distributors.

It seems like a visual depiction of an environmental issue makes it much easier to understand and relate to. How do you think projects like yours will influence people to investigate a bit deeper and make change?

The bottom line is that humans don’t make decisions based off of scientific studies- they act based on the value sets of their surrounding culture. To me, the idea of changing culture to create a sustainable society is really exciting. Art is one of many aspects that influences culture, and I love making sculptures so that is the approach I plan to take.

I think sculptures like Dumpster Diver can be effective at getting people to think differently about how they interact with the environment because if they’re done right, they create an emotional connection between the piece and the viewer. As I see it, combining an emotional connection with a simple scientific subtext can be an extremely effective communication approach.

What other installations/sculptures do you have planned for the future?

I am currently doing a student artist in residency program at Recology, the San Francisco dump. I will spend the next four months scavenging materials from the dump and creating sculptures to display in a show in January. I’m super pumped on that! I hope to make more kinetic sculptures, but none as large or complex as Dumpster Diver.

You also shape surfboards. Tell us about your surfboard shaping exploits. How did you learn? How many boards have you made? What types of boards do you make? Any special construction that you work with?

When I was fourteen I watched a friend make a board in his back yard and I got hooked right then and there. I studied the John Carper VHS shaping and glassing videotapes religiously and taught myself through practice. I’ve made thirty boards since, and I’ve learned something new every time. I’m not very tall/heavy so I usually make little five foot something air fishes and short boards, along with a few longboards and guns. I typically use epoxy on sealed polyurethane blanks to keep my boards light and strong. I’m hoping to make a switch to more sustainable materials once my course load at school lightens up and I have more time to experiment. One thing I always do, though, is to add colored pigment to my glass jobs so my boards don’t get sunburned and thus stay looking good longer. This way I’m less likely to replace them for looking haggard.

With the wide variety of boards and shapers in today’s surf industry, who has influenced the boards you are making?

I don’t follow the surf industry very closely. I would say instead that growing up in Santa Cruz County has had the biggest influence on my board design because it has such a diversity of wave types. I have focused on making boards that are suited to different spots, from the softer, more rippable point breaks in town to the punchy beach breaks to the south.

How does surfboard building influence your other art?

Making surfboards taught me about the creative process- from visualizing a form in your mind to physically working materials to achieve that vision. It also was a source for learning random but very useful design techniques from how to make a symmetric 3D form to using different types of composites.

Beyond surfboards and sculptures, what kind of science are you involved in?

In the summertime I do research at Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove in a lab that studies lamnid sharks (makos and white sharks) and tunas. I’m obsessed with white sharks, and even though it means sitting at a computer all day for the entire summer there’s nothing more interesting to me than sorting through data from satellite tags that were positioned on real white sharks. Satellite tag technology is really incredible- it enables us to learn so much about the lives of these super mysterious creatures. It’s only within the last 10 years that we learned that California’s white sharks leave the coast on long distance migrations to an area near Hawaii, and we’re just beginning to figure out what these top predators are doing while they’re on these open ocean migrations. Communicating this kind of science to people from all walks of life is something I’m really passionate about.

As far as surfing and the sea, what is inspiring you the most these days?

The ocean itself is definitely my greatest source of inspiration. It’s just pure dynamic beauty, and I hope humans can evolve their thinking to keep it that way. To get inspired to make something or just to re-center, I sit on my board and look out to sea. Inspiration is just one of many resources that the ocean supplies us with, and we should do our best to keep it clean and full of life. Thanks for talking, Korduroy!

Our Bay Area friend Aleks Petrovitch has a pretty notorious dog around San Francisco named Merle. If you have ever been around the Aqua Surf Shop or checked out any of their hilarious parody videos, you’ve more than likely caught a glimpse of Merle. Well, this talented dog has a mind of his own and he has some thoughts on the judging criteria for the Rip Curl Pro Search Contest that starts today in Ocean Beach…

After a long frustrating paddle out the other day to surf lackluster waves (big surprise), it got me really thinking about the upcoming contest at The Beach. I mean these are world class athletes, but a lot of times, The Beach gives you only a couple of waves in a two hour session. Besides being ripped all the way down The Beach only to have a 20 minute walk home, and your privates royally chafed from walking in your full-suit. All the questions I’ve been overhearing in the shop like, “What do you think about the contest?”; “How are they going to get enough scoring waves in a 20 minute heat?”; “What if the current rips competitors out of the contest area?”

Finally I got inspired to log on to the official contest rules website, for some real information- and low and behold, I found out the competitors will actually have their scores influenced by what 90% of our local surfing is anyways- PADDLING!

Check it – from the “Official Rules Site.”

With a number of enhancements being activated on the ASP World Tour this season, the ASP Judging Criteria has been refined to reflect the moods of each uniquely different surf spot on the tour and how each competitor shows progression and synchronicity with each break’s strengths. For example: Tahiti is known for its hollow barrels, therefore barrel rides would constitute the central judging criteria. Ocean Beach San Francisco is notoriously famous for its fierce currents and challenging paddle outs, therefore competitors whom show progressive talent in this skill can expect to see potentially crucial dividends paid to their individual wave scores during the heat.

The Ocean Beach SF Judging Criteria for 2011 is as follows:

Surfers must perform to the ASP Judging Key paddling elements to maximize their scoring potential.
* Judges will analyze the following major [criteria] when scoring waves:

– Innovative and Progressive paddling maneuvers – That show experience in working with and around the current instead of fighting against it.

– Commitment and Tenacity – Even though judges want to see competitors flow instead of fight the current, they are also realistic about Ocean Beach’s currents and will reward competitors for both paddling physically at 100% while also maintaining a 100% positive mental outlook (“YES, I will make it to the outside!”).

– Combination of duck-diving maneuvers – Judges expect to see flowing duck dives at varying depths that show positive momentum once the surfer has breached. Mixing up knee with foot duck-dives or other tricks that show accomplishment in this unappreciated art.

– Balancing the length of the ride with the amount of difficulty it will take to get back out – Was it worth the beating to get back out to take that massive floater on the inside? vs. Yes, that was a nice bottom turn and hack but two turns and out…really? Commitment along these lines will be recognized as taking courage and showing strength.

– Staying inside of the designated contest area – Surfers will be docked points form their final score if they allow themselves to be taken out of the designated contest area by the current, and will be rewarded points if they appear (through hard paddling negotiations) to be unaffected by any currents and stay in one general area.

* It is important to note that the points will not be docked for victorious double armed claims once the surfer has finally succeeded on making it out, but do try to keep it classy! Minor style points will be rewarded for making the trying paddle look easy. Minor points will again be awarded in the case of an extremely rare dry hair paddle out- no style points for this however, as nobody likes seeing dry hair in the lineup.

* Also rewarded is innovative and committed kick-outs- A wild arms and legs akimbo kick-out is a crowd pleaser at any surf event and here at OB it will place competitors at a significant advantage over those who take the alternate quick escape off the back route.

So this all really makes sense now, and it seems the ASP and Rip Curl really understands what makes The Beach so special and will reward competitors accordingly. I really look forward to seeing whom the best paddler on the Dream Tour is! I’ll see you all on The Beach.

Aim all your shakas high!

-Merle

Living in Sao Vicente City, on the south coast of São Paulo, Brazil, photographer Jair Bortoleto has developed an eye to see the magic where others see the mundane. This keen eye has paved the path for a successful career for this talented Brazilian, shooting photos and curating various art exhibits around the world. Striving to convey honesty and the imperfections of life, Jair has found that he is most adept to maintaining the pureness that life really brings…something we all can appreciate.

How long have you been shooting photographs? What sparked your interest?

I have been taking photos since I was a kid. When I was 8, my mom gave me an old Yashica that it was broken. So I ran around the neighborhood faking that I was a photojournalist. I still have those pictures in my mind. Since the beginning, photojournalism was my deal. I was all about Magnum photographers and use to say that I would love to go to conflict zones as a war photographer.

Then when I was 22, I went to Boston for a few months, and I was always around artists and musicians that study at the colleges there. This one student, Tiffany Knight, gave me a black and white roll of film. I shot it on my old point and shoot camera and gave it to a friend that works on a lab by Harvard square, a place that I use to go a lot. A week later, she came with the photos. I will never forget that day. All my images started to make sense to me, and after that I began to see the world around me in black in white. Some years later, I got a better camera and had the idea of taking photos of the iconic surfers from Santos City, the place that I live and where all my inspiration came from. That’s when it all came together.

You stated that you are searching for the imperfection via your photographs. Define the “pureness in the imperfection.”

The pureness in the imperfection. We are all imperfect human beings, so in my mind, it’s impossible to reach perfection in anything we do. We can be very good in some things, but not perfect. Knowing that, I search for pureness in everything. Even with all the imperfection in our bodies and minds, we can try to be pure.

Why do you feel most photographers are in search of perfection? And how do you find the opposite…the pureness in the imperfect?

I have read about and talked with photographers all over, and most of them talk that they reach for the “perfect photo”. To me that´s impossible. As I said, you can come close, but not perfect. In my photography, I see the opposite.

I was in Chile some years ago, and I bought two 100’ rolls of 35mm and a little machine to roll them. I didn’t use that much, and stayed with me for 4 years. When I eventually used it, it was full of fungus and defects. Those images where so beautiful to me and made me think completely different from the crowd here. It opened my mind and made me change my directions and thoughts. The exaggerated granulation and defects, in my opinion, brings reality and pureness in the middle of the chaos that we live.

What type of equipment do you use? Digital or film?

I like to use film, but in this day and age, I catch myself using digital more. Processing film and the prices here made everything harder. I would love to use film exclusively, but unfortunately I can’t.

What does it take to be a successful curator? And how do you approach your curation process?

I don’t see myself as a successful curator, but I think the curator job is to show the best of the artists. I think I did that in my shows, but unfortunately the lack of financial support made my shows less cool then they could be. My last show was super fun to do. Jazzy Way to End a Day was an experiment that worked out well. Sending my own photos to a bunch of different artists around the world and showing the result in the concrete jungle of Sao Paulo made everything work.

Most of the process of curating a show is to talk with artists. Most of the artists know their own work, which makes it very easy for me to work with them. Art to me is very subjective. I try to work with artists that I like what they do. This is very important to me and makes everything smoother. I started to work as a curator for the surf brand Art in Surf here in Brazil and I’m learning everyday to put myself down, and make myself more humble in a way that I can work with all kinds of artists, even if, personally, I am not a fan of their work.

It seems the Brazilians are starting to move up the ranks in the professional surfing scene. What do you think accounts for this rise in, not only popularity, but also the level of surfing for the Brazilians?

I think the easy answer is that the younger generation has much more support than the older guys. We have a legend surfer in Brazil named Picuruta Salazar. He was a professional surfer in the end of 70’s and in the 80’s. He was for sure one of the best surfers in the world at his time, but unfortunately didn’t have support. You can ask most of the pro surfer from his time and they will easily remember his name, “Picuruta”. If he had all the support he would be a world champion or very close to that.

The new Brazilians kids travel the whole world intensely, and surf the best waves. These kids, Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo, Junior Faria, Jesse Mendes, just to name a few, are surfing so good that really impresses everyone. But they are completely different from the older guys. They are much more clean, travel more, trains a lot, work out, eat well and surf a lot. They eat waves. Most of them don’t party much, sleep well. I think all of this can relate to this new wave of Brazilians surfers that are breaking the walls. I think this is the new Busting Down The Doors.

What’s next for Jair Bortoleto?

I love photography. It’s my way to express my feelings and thoughts. I think I will keep doing it forever. Now I’m really interest in filmmaking. With this new boom of HDSLRs, I have started to express myself in motion. I’m interested in making short films about the surf culture here in Brazil, especially here in Santos City areas, where surfing was born in Brazil. We have so much to show, it would be a shame if nobody does it. I need to learn more about filming and editing. Also, want to keep working as a curator and photographer for Art in Surf. I just got hired as an executive editor for a publishing house here in Brazil, and soon we will have some exciting news.

For more, check out his websites at
www.jairbortoleto.tumblr.com
www.purenessintheimperfection.blogspot.com