December 2005 Issue
Drumbeat: Eric's Path
By David Pu’u
Eric Akiskalian has always been sort of different. He is one of those people who, from a very early age insisted on marching to the beat of a drummer only he heard.
He has been a surfer for as long as any of us who grew up here, yet he was never a participant in the main stream Santa Barbara surf cognoscenti, which defined surfing in the area. Not a part of the Yater, Bradbury, Channel Islands, or Wilderness crews, he always got his boards built by Goleta shaper Dave Johnson and remained out of the fringes of the sport, while people like George Greenough, Dave Smith, Tom Curren, and transplants Kelly Slater and Shaun Tomson went on to forge the equipment and approach that which would define Santa Barbara surfing and style.
Over the years I had somehow been drawn into Eric’s reality over and over again. It has always been with interesting results. We have ridden some good surf and engaged in some funny projects, like his local variety cable access show, which he somehow managed to convince me to work on. Each project was actually very fun, and managed to push me in directions I had not planned on going. Ever had one of those eccentric childhood pals? Then you know exactly what I am getting at. Eric was always just a little different, but somehow my friendship with him managed to span a large part of my life.
So it really came as no surprise that when I returned from Maui in 2001, with about 50 rolls of film from participating with fellow Santa Barbaran Greg Huglin in shooting the first World Tow In Surfing Championship at Jaws, Eric approached me with another of his “ideas.” Tow surfing was newly born really, and many aspects were still undefined. Eric’s concept was to build a website that would serve as a focal point for advancing the sport, thereby eventually defining it as a marketable entity. Having experienced Eric’s drive to accomplish the unlikely and even unimaginable, I realized it was more efficient to just give him the information and let him do what he would likely just do anyway. He licensed some images from the shoot and launched Towsurfer.com.
Of course, knowing Eric as well as I do, I realized that there was another incentive. He wanted to ride big surf. He had almost zero background or qualification to do so. But those issues have always been a motivator for Eric in the past. When things seem stupidly impossible, he pursues his goals with an even greater zeal. After a thorough lecture about the folly of a 40 year old embarking on a new career as a big wave rider, even if it was at the end of a tow rope, I introduced him to my friend and colleague Archie Kalepa. Archie is likely one of the most renowned watermen on the planet today, and Head of Ocean Safety in Maui. He is a no BS sort of guy. On the QT I cautioned Archie about Eric, and knew he would do his best to keep Eric alive by putting him through training hell. Eric went to Maui to be tutored in PWC use and big wave rescue and survival techniques. One of the smartest moves I have seen the man make and classic Eric A.
Now, years later, Eric has moved from his long time SB home, and resides in Olympia, Washington. He continues to organize the sport he is so deeply involved in, and travels the world with some of tow surfing’s elite, filming and riding the more dangerous waves of the world. He is alive. That is a sign that he has done something right. In tow surfing, margins for error are thin with penalties potentially fatal when one makes a mistake.
Eric is also involved in a huge number of commercial projects revolving around tow surfing, many of which will have far reaching effects on the still young sport. The following are questions put to Eric in an online interview a while back about his involvement in the sport.
INTERVIEW
BE: What motivates you to want to tow surf?
EA: The sheer rush, excitement and unknown. I love the travel involved and the expeditions of getting to a specific place. I love the feeling I get after putting my partner on an insane wave and I get the same feeling when I am done riding one.
BE: What is your greatest fear and why?
EA: My greatest fear is not being fearful and not having the spiritual presence that I need when I am out in very large surf. I am always fearful and always in check with my higher power and surroundings.
BE: When did you first become interested in tow surfing and why?
EA: When I saw a photo of Laird back in the mid 90's on a giant wave at Jaws and was left in ahhh. A few years later I had heard that tow surfing was now being done at Mavz and I knew then that it was a possibility and I wanted to go for it.
BE: Where do you aspire to land with the APT?
EA:The Association of Professional Towsurfers is dedicated to sanctioning and promoting world class competitions, dissemination of safety and technical information to athletes, and technical direction to event organizers. The empirical growth in alternative sports and the increase in extreme athletic pursuits are well documented. The Association of Professional Towsurfers embraces corporate sponsors and media entities that provide the support necessary to increase its events and goals. The Association of Professional Towsurfers has goals to expand its support throughout the world; lobby government agencies and municipalities to provide more certified tow-in access to ocean venues; and be ever attentive to the unique technical and safety needs of this evolving sport and its constituents.
Posted December 2005 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Borderless
By Ted Reckas
First glimpse.
My first glimpse was nothing—solid, motionless white out another bus window. Goddam buses. It was dumping. Street signs would shift by outside the dripping pane, almost buried in snow. This proved to be an accurate intro: we were always seeing something we couldn’t quite access—a big, beautiful couloir that you could never get with safe enough snow; an austere, mesmerizing Argentinian girl who would never let you past hello; a three meter dump hit by such fierce winds you could only watch as it all blew into Chile.
We were propelled through a convoluted, brilliant four months of South American wandering by our simple curiosity and tales of a snowboarding Shangri La in the Andes. Cheap heli-riding. Gobs of snow. Over 4,000 feet of vert. Gourmet meals for six bucks. More lift accessed backcountry than you could imagine. And Argentina’s famous beauties. When I got the email I immediately decided to pull the plug. I lived in my truck to save, then quit my job and caught a plane as a few friends skidded into this Andean town.
My boots squeaked on the icy porch. I was standing in a jagged cauldron of peaks, the highest ones just going pink in the rising sun, 7,000 feet above. Plumes of snow shot hundreds of feet off of the summits, floating into the bright blue. It had snowed 4 meters and the relentless wind was scouring the ridges down to bare rock. I hunched my shoulders, buried face in jacket and hopped on a bus full of Gore-Tex and helmets, leather seats and visor fringe. It was going to be a deep day.
We got off and hurried for the lifts. Funny thing though, no one else did. People here don’t do that. They don’t really get into powder. They think riding out of bounds is weird, reckless, too much work, something for crazed Americans and Euros.
We watched avalanches everywhere—some natural, some made by dynamite. There was another blast, but this one continued. All heads turned. A big slab ripped and sent a churning mass of blocks and powder down the mountain. Directly below the growing avalanche a snow cat was slowly grooming the lower face. By the time it reached the cat it was sending clouds 50 feet in the air. There were gasps and “Oh my Gods.” The cat was engulfed. The driver had a violent death.
It looked like the slide was going to continue down the mountain and destroy a lodge, a chairlift and several skiers, but it ran out. When the powder cloud settled, the cat was still there. The slide had stopped cement-solid just before reaching the cat. The driver survived, merely breathed upon by the mountain, swallowed by a huge cloud of sparkling spray.
Upheaval.
The town sits in a valley between 14,000 foot peaks—not huge for the Andes—but with 7,000 feet between town and summit you might as well be looking up at Aconcagua. There are no trees, just snow, rock and wind-scoured ridges making jagged stabs toward the sky. Rock bands snake about in parallel. No question this is the site of severe geologic activity; I almost expected to see new mountains jutting up by the end of the day.
The summit hut regularly clocks winds over 130 km/h. Three-meter dumps are followed by 65-degree heat, the sun intensified by altitude and the Southern Hemisphere’s lack of ozone. This causes frequent avalanches, leaving everything in disrepair. A two-day hike from here lies the plane wreckage of the Uruguayan rugby team that resorted to eating their dead.
Digging.
The only chair that gained access to the top of the mountain had been hit by yet another avalanche, this one so big the whole lift was frozen in place. Ski patrol dropped us at the summit and we rode down to Tower 10; they had already begun digging 30 feet straight down to the base of the tower. It was bent off its foundation, so they jammed in some shims, cranked down the bolts and called it good. Our job: dig a tunnel 100 meters long for the chairs to go through. By hand. It took 50 people 3 days.
Once it was functional they brought up laborers from the nearest town and they went on shoveling as skiers rode the lift, tons of cold metal passing within inches of their helmet-less heads. Eventually one man sustained severe head trauma and died. He was probably getting paid 10 bucks a day.
UFO Point.
Dinner here is around midnight, eleven if you eat early. We walk into UFO Point and get a kiss from Majo, the bombshell hostess. The doormen wear black jackets with American flags on the shoulders, the letters “U.F.O.” in place of the stars. We slide into an alcove with white leather couches and concert stacks at each side. Waitresses circle around the room, wearing sunglasses—they’re all knockouts. A blonde server comes to our table. She has the graceful face of an angel and a two-inch gap between her shirt and jeans revealing the loveliest ribbon of stomach in the Southern Hemisphere. She takes our order, and brings a side of ennui.
Dinner is done, tables are removed. The crowd starts jumping, lights low, music high. We give the waitress a big tip—partly because we are sucked in by her ridiculously good looks, partly because her wage is $12 a day. We order a bottle of vodka. After a long while she drops it on the table and bolts. People begin streaming in around 2 a.m. The place pumps. Some sit; I step into the crowd of people dancing, giddy to finally be here, surrounded by friends and big, powder laden peaks.
Marks.
We first met Mark taking a snow cat to a backcountry line. But we would have eventually met him anyway. He was everywhere. If there were ever people hanging out, especially girls, Mark was there trying to chat them up. And he had a voice that made I Love Lucy sound good. When she was crying. Self-billed as a ski guide, when his first group of clients arrived from Europe, he asked us where runs were. Jack and Mikel took a side trip over to Portillo with him because he claimed to have connections there. The only connection he made was between his drinks and the boys’ bill. By the end of the season he was telling me in the same breath that he was concerned about preserving the cultural integrity of the place, and that he was buying a double condo to rent to large tourist groups. And for $20k, you could too! Made me wonder, how many Marks are out there, saving up their $20k, building their “Ski the Andes” websites?
The Fall.
We were on top of one of the biggest peaks of the back range. Near the summit was a rock pinnacle. The boys were taking the line around the right so I went left. Standing there I looked down at a smooth blue wall, curving up at me like a wave—steepest thing I’d ever seen. I pulled out my axe and dropped in on my toe side; the face was right next to mine. I made one turn, rode across the wall then, lost my edge and was sliding. Ice came over my edge and all I could see was blur, like opening your eyes underwater. I jammed in my axe but it didn’t grab. I knew somewhere below me were chutes and real, real big cliffs. I got that, “you are really, seriously screwed” feeling, where you hang for a moment, your brain in the throes of a disturbing question: to try something drastic to stop your fall, or to not spend your last few seconds flailing because it’s useless? On your way to your death you try to get your head around this conflict, but you can’t really, so you just keep trying as you blindly slide toward whatever is below, pissed off at yourself and amazed. Just before entering the chutes I ran up on a soft flute, sank in and stopped. I sat there looking down at steep slots and rocks below me, speechless. Thoughtless. Me-less. Fuck!
Jack and Kelly came swooping down the other side, carving turns, pushing against the steepness, nothing but fun in their heads. They hadn’t seen. I followed them down the rest of the run, riding between two banked spines, curving around a cliff band, then across a huge snowfield back into the ski area. I hoped my legs would hold out until the bottom.
There is a man at the base of the ski area who makes steaming crepes filled with every good thing you can possibly fit into a little crepe stand in the snow. Cooking each one takes a long time—you feel you’ve earned the pleasure as much by the wait as by the huge hike or line or whatever you have just done. Our boards were in a pile next to our chairs. I sat there, looking back up at the mountain. I bit into my crepe, exhaled. The sun was on my face. The crepe man had more customers.
Posted December 2005 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Northern California Cruising-Visiting With An Old Friend
Story and Photos by Glenn Dubock / Dubock.com
In the glory days of my youth, exploring the wildest reaches of the California coast in search of tall surf and grand adventure, it was made clear to me by the elders that the true California coastal experience could only be found north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. 
Southern California was all strip mall glitz and glamour; Northern California was where true adventure came with the wide-open freedom of miles of undeveloped shores.
So I’ve spent a fair amount of my days wandering this vast space looking for that elusive perfect wave. Fifty years on in my life, coming closer to elder status and moving further away from my youth, I now feel the need to share all this knowledge with the youngsters around me, maybe give them something that they could pass on in due time. And just maybe they could help me see some new things in an old place.
Kiteboarding in Southern California has grown exponentially since I first started taking photos of it in 1998. Back then I would have to hunt down kiters to get photos. My, how things have changed! Some spots have reached capacity crowds and some have even had restrictions placed on them. I don’t think that will ever happen in the northern half of our State––all the natural restrictions are already in place. Difficult if not foreboding access is a huge factor. Much of the area is far from the roadside and just plain out of sight. Sea and weather conditions can be a challenge. This whole stretch of coast takes the brunt of storms generated deep in the Pacific Ocean. And then there are the locals––sharks on land and sea that don’t particularly want to share these resources. Is it really worth dealing with all of this? Take a look at the photos, read about our latest adventure and decide for yourself.
At this stage of my life, I am extremely picky about who I travel with. Paradise with punks does not appeal to me. If life on the road has taught me one thing it is that the right crew is as important as the right shoes. Peter Trow is a great roady. He’s got the right attitude and the same sense of adventure that has kept me on the road all these years. Plus he rips any size wave anywhere in the world. I asked Pete to assemble a strike team to do a low-key kiteboarding insertion into an area known to the locals as the Mendonoma Coast. You won’t find that name on any maps or signs but in loose terms it defines the coastal zone from the north coast of Sonoma County to the south coast of Mendocino County. As the imbedded journalist on this sortie, I would be responsible for documenting our discoveries and reporting them in a manner respectful to the current regime. Is this beginning to sound like some sort of military stealth operation? In many ways, it was.
I told Pete to meet me at Fort Point, in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge just after daybreak with a map, a cup of coffee, and an open mind. I would review the troops, make any personnel adjustments as necessary and then entertain their vision of how this whole thing should go down. In a sign of the times, the real troops – U.S. Army Rangers in full military garb- kept a wary eye on us as we plotted our travels. Little did they know that they were looking at some of the best kiters in the world about to embark on a historic journey to tap the legendary wind and waves on the rugged coast to the north. Little did we know what a fun time was ahead.
Pete chose few, but he chose well when it came to who was on this trip. I was very glad to see Ammy Naff, a woman known to excel in extreme conditions. He also chose Josh Mulcoy, who is no stranger to the wild waters of Northern California. His fame in the world of professional surfing preceded him and his popularity on this trip would compel us to call him The Mayor. Josh brought along his video pal Mad Dog, appropriately named for his aggressive and relentless filming technique. Rounding out the crew was Kirk Peterson- the pride of Petaluma- his hometown that we would pass right through on our way north. Soon he would be nicknamed The Rodent in recognition of his strange sleeping habits. Later in the trip, Nick Geranio would swoop in from the skies in his helicopter and give us all an unparalleled view of the action.
So on a crystal clear California morning we set off across the Golden Gate without the foggiest notion of exactly where we would end up. Up the 101 freeway about 50 miles we made a cut for the coast that took us through the sleepy downtown of Kirk’s childhood. Kirk had grown a bit and so had Petaluma. We slowed our pace as Kirk pointed out every landmark of his youth that had been torn down after his departure – sad but true.
Upon reaching Highway 1, our first view of the blue Pacific was at Bodega Bay. We decided to press ahead to the town of Jenner, located where the Russian River meets the ocean. Knowing that a long winding road called Dramamine drive lay ahead, we decided to have lunch at the Jenner Inn. Our waiter was interested to hear about our plans to kitesurf this coast but was not forthcoming with any information that would make our search any easier. This became a recurring theme on the trip and the message was subtle but always clear- respect the locals and respect the locale. We made it clear to all that ours was a mission of exploration, not exploitation.
The area north of The Russian River but south of Manchester Beach is known as the Redwood coast. About halfway between these two landmarks is the town of Gualala, which is perched on the inland side of the Gualala River, nearby where it empties into the sea. By virtue of its midway position and its friendly saloon, we made the 102-year-old Gualala Hotel our headquarters. Our first day was very frustrating in our search for a good place to kitesurf. Just like many previous trips I had made to the area, hours were spent searching for access to the multitude of points and bays on the jagged coast. To be honest, I knew a sure bet could be had at a spot called Schooner Gulch, but I wanted our troops to suffer a little bit just to toughen them up. By the time we scrambled down the steep cliffs near the gulch, the wind had picked up to a gusty 18-25 knots. The surf was very small but everyone had a lot of fun pioneering a kiteboarding spot that has probably not been ridden before.
By the time we got back to the saloon at The Gualala Hotel, word of our adventure had spread like wildfire. Josh who was already a surfing legend, spent the better part of the night shaking hands and spinning tales about how great the kiteboarding was on the Redwood Coast.He made so many new friends and met so many that he never knew he had, that I offered to help run his campaign for Mayor of Gualala. If beers bought votes, Mulcoy for Mayor would have been a landslide!
The next day, Pete decided to call in some air support. Our buddy Nick flew his chopper up from San Francisco Airport, did a quick aerial survey and gave us all the info we needed to make a pinpoint strike for another session on the water. Ace videographer Mad Dog and I went up in the helicopter to get some overall views of the action and scenics. What lay before us was a spectacle the likes of which I have never seen in all my travels. This magnificent coastline was aglow with endless possibilities for kiteboarding and exploration. Hovering over the countless surf breaks like a curious seagull, we noted all of the potential spots. What would have taken us weeks to explore by conventional means, we checked out in a matter of minutes. Thank you Nick, for the ride of a lifetime!
The following day we went straight to a spot we knew would have all the ingredients necessary for some insane wave riding. Macking swells with a nasty cross chop earned the name Lumpys for this location. Sometimes you got the wave, sometimes the wave got you. After all full day of cracking some very thick lips, our crew was ready to head home.
Before we made this trip, I thought I knew this coast pretty well – at least well enough to call it an old friend. Well I guess old friends can still surprise you and teach you a few things you never knew.
Posted December 2005 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
On a Different Plane: Al Merrick
By Chuck Graham
Al Merrick’s greatest attribute might be his ability to understand each of his team rider’s needs. Most would argue that it’s his state of the art designs, the ability to develop a cache of new designs before they reach the surfing public, fine tuned under the feet of the Currens, Slaters, Machados and Martinezes of the wave riding world, that sets him apart.
However, when it comes time to produce another “magic board,” Al is always fishing for each of his surfer’s interpretation of what makes a board work or not work.
For the past 30 years, ever since a 12-year-old Tom Curren stepped inside the bowels of Al’s shaping room, he’s produced boards for the best in the world and quite a few hot unknowns along the way. But life has changed in some ways for Merrick: his successful bout with prostate cancer, grandchildren, and the recent release of Flow, a documentary film about nearly everything Merrick and the surfers surrounding him.
So between burritos and doting over his one-year-old granddaughter Daisy, Al reflected on years past and some of the incredible surfers who ride his boards.
Surfer Magazine: How long have you been shaping?
Al Merrick: Since 1968, so 37 years.
SM: How did you decide on Channel Islands as the name for your boards?
AM: Not quite sure. I just remember thinking about what can I use for a name, and I thought it was obvious that Channel Islands was a good name for a surfboard. I probably could’ve chosen a better name because it’s so long and hard to work with.
SM: When you first began did you ever envision Channel Islands becoming what it is today?
AM: No. It’s way more than I ever imagined. I always had the dream, I was telling Terry (Al’s wife) I’d like to be the best at what I do, but I never envisioned Channel Islands to be what it’s become. I can’t envision surfing being what it is now worldwide. It’s amazing.
SM: Is there anything in regards to shaping that you haven’t accomplished yet, but want to?
AM: No, not really. I’ve accomplished more than I ever dreamed of so I don’t really think that way. It’s more day to day. The big thing is to make magic boards more regularly, and then keep advancing boards. Being able to make boards that will accommodate surfers, their imaginations and where they want to go. Whether that’s reachable or not, I don’t know.
SM: What about the relationships you’ve developed over the years with certain surfers?
AM: That’s motivational trying to make boards for them to surf at their peak or close to it. It’s not motivating to work, but it is spiritually and that connection with people. It’s something that’s really special. That in itself is a much bigger reward I think than shaping.
SM: Do you have a favorite era as a shaper?
AM: I had a lot of fun back during the time we had the team going, the team workouts. The whole thing was so energetic. That was a lot of fun. But then again you’d have to say traveling with Tommy and shaping boards for him when he was winning his titles, and it was the same thing with Kelly. It’s hard picking a favorite period of time. They all have their special memories.
SM: What do you think is your greatest strength as a shaper?
AM: I think my designing over the years has been a big strength. Suddenly they just come. It’s surprising to me I suppose as it would to anybody some of the designs and the amount of designs I’m coming out with. I could be five or six designs ahead of what I’m actually selling to the public as far as what I’m doing for different surfers. Then I think communication. Being able to understand what a surfer is saying to me when their board isn’t working or a rail is catching. Everyone communicates that a little differently. You have to be able to actually weed through what the person is saying and really figure out what the problem is because a guy may say his rails are too thick. That may mean the tail rocker isn’t right, but it may be something to the surfer that he’s obviously feeling, but as a designer and shaper it could be totally different in reality to what’s making the board not functioning the way it should.
SM: Weaknesses?
AM: I’m probably not the best craftsmen in the world, not the best finisher. There are guys better than I am. I’m good enough to get where I want to go, but I don’t think I’m the best. But in reality it’s more important for me to spend time trying to make sure the design features of the board, major design features that make the board really work in my mind are right, and not to be spending my time trying to fine sand it so you can get the most perfect finish.
SM: Do you remember the first board you shaped?
AM: I do. A 7’2” round pin single fin with a purple arrow on the deck and a red bottom.
SM: What about the first board you shaped for Tom?
AM: I really don’t. I remember specific boards, but not the first one. I remember Tommy in the shaping room. He was probably 12 and his mom’s the one that did all the talking.
SM: First one for Kelly?
AM: No, certain boards yes like the Trestles board, things like that, but I don’t remember and I don’t know why (laughs).
SM: Well, there’s lots to remember.
AM: I used to remember every person’s dimensions that I shaped for. You could come in and I could tell you your dimensions.
SM: I remember you had them all on index cards. I don’t know if you still have them?
AM: I do, every board I shaped for my pros and even my amateur guys I keep records on. I got files and files on top of files. I have a file cabinet this big (gestures to about four feet high).
SM: Do you have a favorite type of surfing?
AM: Well, you probably remember from the old days, Santa Barbara was always black wetsuits, clear boards, 7’-6” pintails and everyone wanted to draw clean lines.
SM: We’ve always had the waves to do that though.
AM: I was always interested in Davey Smith and watching the kids go different directions on waves. I still think that is my favorite today. Although I love Taylor’s (Knox) surfing, the clean line surfing, not that Taylor doesn’t do modern things. He does, but it’s really fun to watch people push it. You watch Dane (Reynolds) surf and seeing him clear airs that are 10 feet it’s just amazing, then landing it and going into another maneuver.
SM: Regarding Dane, what is his potential? What do you see for him?
AM: I see the same thing I saw in Tom and Kelly. He has potential to be a world champion. But I’m not sure whether the dominance level is there say at Tommy’s time when he was so far ahead of people.
SM: Dane’s 19.
AM: But he has great potential to be a world champion if he wants to be. He has the physical ability, but right now he’s taken a different approach in that, because the money is there now. Kids can maybe do a little more traveling, do videos and make their decisions a little slower. But he’s very exciting. Obviously, I think Kelly is probably the best surfer in the world by a long shot right now in my mind. You take Dane, he’s probably the most exciting surfer I’ve seen and he’s right up there. He’s very close to the top guys, competitively not right now, but his surfing, straight out surfing, I’d say in the world.
SM: What surfer has changed the sport more than any other?
AM: I think I’m prejudice but I’d have to say Tommy and Kelly. I can’t think of any other that have changed surfing so radically, but I hate to leave anyone out. I know there are other guys, but I feel so fortunate to be able to have been involved with those two.
SM: You could say Simon Anderson as a top competitive surfer and shaper.
AM: Yes, no question about it. Simon brought a giant change with his configuration of the thruster. Of course, before that there was the Campbell brothers of Oxnard that were making 3-fin boards. Generally, you’d have to say Simon came up with the more modern 3-fin the way it’s configured now.
SM: When you see Tom surf today, do you enjoy his surfing more now or was he more fun to watch growing up on your boards?
AM: I spent a whole lot of time watching him surf and surfing with him years past. I was taking him surfing it seemed like everyday. Going to all the contests and all the travel. That was a different sense of enjoyment. Recently when I have gotten to watch him surf, he’s still just a beautiful surfer, an amazing surfer.
SM: Two winters ago there was a day at Rincon and it was almost completely flat, maybe ankle-high. No one was around except this one guy. He’s suiting up, his gloves, hood, booties and paddles out on a beat up, old longboard. At the top of the cove he catches this mere ripple and somehow connects all the way through to the freeway. There was no mistaking the style, it was Tom. It reminded me of surfing against him when we were kids, how he was always able to find a wave when he needed one, or get a tube ride when there was none to be had. My question is he always seems to have that special connection with the ocean. Does Kelly possess that same trait?
AM: I think he does, and I think all great surfers have that connection. It’s almost like they can paddle over to an area where there hasn’t been a peak all day and the peak comes through and they get a 9.5 on it. It’s hard to explain. It seems to me great athletes have that ability to connect and also the ability for time to stand still or slow down. I always relate it to a great hitter in baseball. Great hitters say they can see the stitching on the ball when it’s coming at them. It’s a different perspective. To me when those guys get on a wave, they’re seeing things before it happens in a different time frame than the average person on a wave.
SM: Do you see any other Currens or Slaters out on the horizon?
AM: Maybe an Australian or two, a Brazilian kid that’s very good. In my particular sphere of influence and knowledge, Dane is the most exciting surfer that I see that has the possibility of separating himself from the rest.
SM: It seems like it’s much harder today because there’s more good surfers out there and equipment is better.
AM: I think in a sense you’re right, but it’s harder every time. You know what I mean? So every jump in every progression in each period of time that it occurs it’s always a feat and it always appears harder. But you have to give the accolades to everyone along the way because the time they did it, it was harder than the time before. But that’s what makes progression. That’s what makes it fun and exciting. What came before is allowing what is going on now because people see what did happen and it opens up the possibility of what can happen. You need everything that went before.
SM: Bobby Martinez qualified for the WCT this past year. What is your opinion of his potential?
AM: I told Bobby, I think those guys are in trouble with him coming on the tour. If you put two of the things about surfing that people really love-raw power and rail surfing-getting on a rail and really carving and the ability to blow lips and tails out and come down sideways, Bobby is the perfect fit. He has style and power, and he’s totally into the new realm of surfing which is blowing out of the wave, and has the tremendous ability to put that all together. To me he stands out as the one that’s of the new age surfers that have really put that together. I think it will be devastating when he gets on the CT. I think when he goes man on man in good waves and holds his emotions together, he’s going to be devastating.
SM: So physically he’s there, what about mentally?
AM: I don’t know. Bobby’s Bobby. I think he’s a great kid. I think he’s mentally strong. I think he’s stronger since being laid off from Oakley. I think it’s given him a new desire to go out and prove himself. I think that kicked up everything a notch. So much of it comes down with Santa Barbara kids and traveling. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve watched them all through the years. Tommy was able to travel pretty well, although he did eventually burn out kind of at the end. Chris Brown, tremendous surfer, probably a great hope in this area, at one time was right up there, but couldn’t travel. Bobby has had some problems leaving home and being away, so we’ll see how well he adapts to the schedule. Travel I think is a great part of surfing. I hope he’ll be able to put it together and feel comfortable on the road.
SM: Talking about Bobby blowing the doors down, does Dane fit into that realm?
AM: Dane hasn’t reached a competitive level yet. It’s hard to talk about Dane that way because he hasn’t been at it as long or as serious with it. He’s had the opportunity to travel, do more videos and not have to concentrate so much on the competitive end. Bobby had that, but now he’s had to earn his keep, so to speak. So Dane in respect to how he’ll do, with his surfing he’ll be great, no problem there, but whether he’ll be able to contain himself to surf at a constant level, not making mistakes remains in question. Bobby’s a little older and has that experience. He has the experience of losing, which hurts a guy that likes to win. Sometimes it really matures you. Bobby has more of a maturing process in his life. You need to lose, because if you don’t lose you won’t learn how much you don’t like it. Some lose and it makes them want to win. Dane has a lot of synchronism between his creative ability and physical ability, and he’s able to paint a canvas. He’s able to take that rush and take himself to places that other people probably haven’t thought were possible to reach. The extent of his airs, the stuff he does is why competitively I don’t know how he’ll develop because right now he just wants to push things as far as he can go.
Fittingly, the last clip in Flow shows a high flying Reynolds, nothing but a liquid blur, streaking across a wave with only a frothy trough left in his wake.
Posted December 2005 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
December Calendar
Thursday, December 1
Come out to Santa Barbara Surfrider’s General Meeting. Meet at the Watershed Resource Center at Arroyo Burro Beach at 7 p.m. Meetings take place on the first Thursday of every month.
Saturday, December 3
Make Art from Scrap with the Community Environmental Council. The CEC takes materials that would normally be thrown away and recycles them into art supplies for the public. Join them at 10 a.m. at 302 E. Cota. Call 884-0459 or visit http://www.communityenvironmentalcouncil.org/artfromscrap/for more information. Art from Scrap will also take place on December 10th and 17th.
The Ventura Surfrider Foundation and Santa Barbara Channel Keeper’s “Stream Team” meets on the first Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. . The Stream Team recruits and trains community members to take part in monthly water quality monitoring sections. Plan on getting your feet wet, free pizza and drinks provided. Call 648–4807 for more information.
Sunday, December 4
The Ventura Surf Club will be celebrating their annual Surfin’ Santa’s Party at the Case House. This event is open to all Surf Club members, guests, kids, and “all those prone to exaggeration.” Admission is a donation of $10-$15 unwrapped children’s holiday gift. All gifts will be given to needy or terminally ill children of the Ventura County on behalf of the Surfin’ Santas and their helpers. Call 643-4345 for more information or to rsvp.
The Oceanducks swim at Butterfly Beach, “For Palms to Red Hut,” every Sunday for about 50 minutes. Meet at the stairs by the Coral Casino at 9 a.m. Go to http;//www.oceanducks.org for more information or contact Emilio Casanueva at 683–6676.
Sunday, December 5
Santa Barbara Surfrider Foundation will host a Beach Clean this weekend. Meet at 9 a.m. at Santa Clause Lane. Visit http://www.rain.org/~srfrdrsb/about.html for more details.
Tuesday, December 6
Get involved and learn what’s happening within your community at Ventura Surfrider’s meeting. The group meets at 6 p.m. at the Foster Library (651 Main St.) in the Topper Meeting Room. Anyone who wants to learn or lend a helping hand is welcome. For more info, call 667-2222 or visit their new updated website at http://www.surfrider.org/ventura/.
Enjoy yoga by the sun and the sea for Yoga at Shoreline Park, every Tuesday, 9-10 a.m. (weather dependent). All levels are welcome. Meet on the grass and bring something to practice on. First class free! Contact Monica for more info: 681-9293. Visit www.sbhealingarts.com/monica.htm.
Thursday, December 8
Yoga/Surf Session for Women! Every Thursday from 9–11 a.m. Start with a pre-yoga session on the beach and then get coached to step up your surf skills. Call Monica at 681-9293 or Angelika at 451-8213.
Friday, December 9
Santa Barbara’s Citizens Planning Association and Foundation invites you to their Holiday Auction and 45th Anniversary Celebration. Help them celebrate 45 years of promoting sound planning and environmental protection in SB County. The event will be held at the SB Contemporary Arts Forum (Paseo Nuevo, 2nd floor) 5:30-8:30. For more information call 966-3979.
Saturday, December 10
Santa Barbara Surfrider Foundation is proud to host guest speaker, renowned surfer Jesse Billauer, at their chapter general interest meeting. Jesse, who was paralyzed in a serious surfing accident at the age of 17, has proven to all how strong the will to surf is. He still surfs today, and he runs a “Life Rolls On” Foundation that channels donations to spinal cord research. Come hear his message and also find out what issues and challenges face our coast and what we can do about it.
Tuesday, December 13
The Ventura Surf Club will be meeting today at Yolie’s Fresh Mexican Grill, 26 S. Garden. As a club member, you will be able to surf in all intra-club contests and become eligible to surf in coalition and other contests. Meetings start at 6:30, visit www.venturasurfclub.org for more information.
Saturday, December 17
The Community Environmental Council is organizing a beach clean-up at Arroyo Burro Beach from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information and to volunteer, call 963-0584 x116.
Sunday, December 18
Volcom’s Goldfish Series Competition will visit Pismo Pier for a V1 contest. Visit www.volcom.com for more details.
Tuesday, December 20
The Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council conducts their monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of every month. Meet at the Red Cross on State St. and Alamar at 7:00. There is parking in the rear. Call 968–3000 for more information.
Tuesday, December 27
Yoga/Surf Camp for Women begins today until Friday, Dec. 30th, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Enjoy the magical combination of yoga and surfing! Learn yoga postures to improve and enhance your surfing–get coached on your surfing skills. All levels welcome. Contact Monica at 681-9293 or visit www.sbhealingarts.com/monica.htm for more information.
Thursday, December 29
The Santa Barbara County Surf Club meets on the last Thursday of every month. Anyone who wants to learn more about the SB surfing community is welcome to come to the meeting which starts at 6:30 p.m. at Rusty’s Pizza on Cabrillo and Bath St. Visit www.sbsurfclub.com or call President Debby at 569-1029.
Posted December 2005 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
