February 2007 Issue
Jeff Johnson: The Student
By Chris Malloy
We live in an era full of fakers and dilettantes.
When somebody paddles out to 54th St. in Newport Beach without a leash on, the surf media calls them a “waterman”. When somebody is spotted with a long skateboard in the back of their Miata squished between their golf clubs and lapdog at Starbucks, they are called an “old school skater”. When somebody includes a few nights at a climbing gym into their low carb Tae-Bo cross training regimen they consider themselves a “climber”. And, since being a writer or photographer seems to woo the opposite sex, MySpace.com (a.k.a LieSpace.com) shows that almost all of its customers are lensmen or authors.
Jeff Johnson doesn’t slow down long enough to call himself anything. He starts his day long before the sun has risen, presses himself a batch of super potent dark roast, and depending on the given wind, swell, tide and location (mountains or ocean), immerses himself in the elements at hand until long after the sun has set.
He grew up in Northern California roaming the East Bay poaching empty pools and curbs, winning the only skate contest he ever entered. Right out of high school he moved to the North Shore. During his time there he worked for years as a North Shore lifeguard plucking the high paid pros out of harms way. He swam the Napali coast during big winter conditions. He paddled canoe three years in the Molokai and finished well. He won his division in the Duke paddleboard race. Last year he made the finals of the Pipeline Bodysurfing classic and took fourth (many people see this event as bodysurfing world championship). He learned to climb on the boulders at Waimea Bay and quickly graduated to Yosemite Valley where he has done El Capitan twice and Half Dome in a one day push. Any time the surf wasn’t pumping for the last five years Jeff has lived out of his van in places like Joshua Tree and Tuolumne Meadows ticking off his dream list. He has written volumes of stories true and fictional for most of his life and had many pieces published in The Surfer’s Journal and The Alpinist. His first book of writing and photography is in its second printing and he shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
So why doesn’t he call himself a waterman, climber, skater, photographer or writer?
“It ain’t that big a deal,” Jeff laughs, “I guess I just have more fun learning something than being something.”
What are you doing?
What do you mean what am I doing? Like, right now or in life?
Alright. Is this how its gonna be?
I dunno. You started it.
Well then… How’s life as a writer and a photographer?
Good. Good. I’ve always taken pictures and written in my journal. I’ve traveled quite a bit. I’d be doing all of this anyway. I’m just very fortunate to be getting paid for some of it now. But at the end of the day I’m a surfer and a climber- that’s really what I want to be doing.
Who are your favorite writers?
Charles Bukowski for simplicity and rhythm, Fyodor Dostoevsky for depth,
Cormac McCarthy for his descriptions and unusual style, um…
Who are your favorite photographers?
Paul Bowles, Dave Eggers, Hunter S. Thompson, Jon Krakauer…
Those are writers
(laughs) Well, writers have inspired me to make pictures more than anything. How do you say it? …a good word is worth a thousand pictures.
Hmmm. Writing, skating, surfing, photography, climbing- out of all those things, if you had to pick only two to do the rest of your life what would they be?
I’d have to pick surfing and photography.
Why’s that?
Surfing you can do till you are pretty old and even if I can’t walk or talk I could still tell a story with some photos.
Why not writing?
Writing is very hard for me. It’s the most rewarding but it takes a lot out of you- lots of energy.
You’ve traveled with some of the best surfers and climbers in the world. Who do you think is the most hardcore? Surfers or climbers?
There’s nothing better than surfing and I think there are some radical people out there living the life but I think all the money and hype these days has made it a bit soft. Surfing’s lost a lot of character. I’ve been on trips with “professional” surfers and I hear them complain about the food, their bed, the waves- can’t wait to get home to their fancy cars and shopping malls. I know some climbers who are at the top of their game and they’re dumpster-diving, living year-round out of their trucks. In Yosemite Valley you see these guys come in, climb some audacious new route and come Monday their pounding nails at the construction site- purely ‘cause they love it.
What does the dawn of the digital photography era mean to you?
You got an hour? (laughs) I can’t stand computers. I think it is a shame that to be a photographer now you have to spend a lot of time indoors rotting in front of a computer screen. And uh… it's changed the flow of picture making- take a shot, look at the back of the camera, take a shot, look at the back of the camera. But there are crazy benefits to digital. Less environmental impact, it's cheaper, and in low light situations there’s no comparison. But with digital you get noise whereas film you have beautiful grain. You can go back and fourth all day with this. Over all I wish the digital thing never happened. Am I sounding too negative?
I dunno. Any advice to young photographers?
Tom Servais said one time that 90 percent of taking a great photo is just being there. I think that sums it up pretty well.
You grew up in Northern California then lived on the North Shore of Oahu for fifteen years. Now you live in Ventura. What do you think?
It’s been a little bit of a shock. Big change in lifestyle. I basically moved here to work for Patagonia. I wouldn’t have done it for any other company. I love it. Made the right choice for sure. But, how do I put this? --I can’t stand southern California. But Ventura feels different than the rest of it. It’s the last coastal town that hasn’t been taken over. It’s got a lot of character still. And I dig the fact that you can’t just pull up here in a car full of guys and paddle out. The locals won’t have it. They have some integrity, they demand respect. Old school. I’m a strong supporter of localism.
(laughs) Was leaving Hawaii and moving to California to work full-time the biggest turning point in you life?
Not really. It’s kinda funny. The most defining moment in my life was in the seventh grade at the end of a football game. I walked out of the locker room and all the guys on my team began laughing at my brand new checkerboard Vans- cause the shoes were different. Nobody had them yet. I realized then that none of these guys could stand alone. They weren’t individuals. And for some reason I had a deep respect for the individual. So that football game was the last organized sport I ever played. I got a haircut, a skateboard, and started listening to punk rock. I began to question everything. It changed my life for the better.
Ever get your ass kicked?
Yeah, a few times. I wasn’t too popular with the jocks after that. Had some trouble.
Who are your heroes?
Man, I have a lot of ‘em. My dad for beginners. He’s had such an influence on me. He was a top springboard diver, still is a world-class skier and loves a bit of adventure. A great storyteller too! After that there’s Xocoyotzin Moraza, Jay Adams, Dan Malloy, Neil Young, Peter Croft, Eric Haas, Yvon Chouinard, Lucas Ray, Iggy Pop, Owl Chapman… there’s too many to list.
So what are your plans?
You mean like tonight or in life?
C’mon man. I thought we got through this?
Ok, ok. Um, lets see… Get up. Make some coffee… Shit, I don’t know.
Posted February 2007 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Chris Brown: Well Rounded Surfer
BY Chuck Graham
Photos by: Huglin and S. Gibson
Walking up from the bottom of the cove at Rincon, I watched a familiar figure in a familiar zone get utterly drained on a low tide barrel driving for the yellow call box. Silhouetted in a timeless backlit green curl, Chris Brown emerged several seconds later from yet another text book Rincon gem.
When he hit the beach, "Brownie" was characteristically brimming with an enthusiastic stoke he’s carried with him since his days as a rising star in the amateur ranks of the ancient Western Surfing Association (WSA) and the ultra competitive National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA)in the mid 1980s. Those endless weekends of slogging it out in southern California slop served him well when he exploded on the U.S. Bud Tour of the Professional Surfing Association of America (PSSA). Into the next decade he proceeded to wax his peers up and down the coast and beyond. Eventually he found himself atop of the ratings in 1993, and qualified for the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour (WCT) through the World Qualifying Series (WQS).
Brownie, now 36, is one of the best big wave chargers on the west coast whether he’s paddling in at Mavericks or slung into a behemoth on a jet ski at Shark Park. However, while reading this interview you’ll find one of the most grateful surfers around, who’s experienced a bit of everything in his surfing career.
In the 1980s you were one of the fastest rising stars on the amateur circuit. What were some of your highlights leading up to the pro tour?
I competed in two world amateur championships, the first at Fistral Beach in England in 1986 where I finished 13th, and in 1988 at Puerto Rico, where I won the juniors division. I was 17 at the time and that was a real breakthrough for me. It was funny because I wasn’t thinking about turning pro at the time, but when it happened I realized this was a big break for me. There was no better time as far as the financial end of it to capitalize and run with it, turn pro and see where it leads me. If it lasted one year, great! I just knew that was my chance, so my pops drove me around and we had meetings with different companies. At the time Bob Hurley was the licensee for Billabong in America, and he had the best offer. I also signed
with Rip Curl Wetsuits. Just like that, I was 17 and turned pro. I think between the two deals I got $1000.00 a month.
It just didn’t pay then like it does now. That was my start, but surfing has grown as a sport. Back then that was a lot of money. It was a dream come true for me. I had no overhead, so off I went.
Which pro tour did you begin on?
The Bud Tour was coming into what I called its 'golden years' then. It was established with a large number of events in California, and a good opportunity to make money. I also competed on the WQS, and Al Merrick sent me off to compete in Japan and the Gotcha Pro in Hawaii. That was back when the ASP still held trials. He sent me to get some experience, and it was my first big trip away from home. It was an abrupt transition going from a child to an adult. Off I went into the big world, hanging out with my heroes.
Who were they?
Tom Curren, Martin Potter, Tom Carroll and Sunny Garcia, who wasn’t much older than me, but already an established pro and one of my top 5 favorites.
How long did you compete on the Bud Tour?
It was a good thing for American surfers. It provided a stage, a stepping stone for young surfers that wanted to go to the world tour but maybe not quite ready yet, or for surfers not good enough for the international level, but could still be decent on a local level, so I did that for four years when I was 21. It was also when the world tour went to the different format and formed the 'QS and the 'CT. The year I decided to make a serious effort on the ASP Tour was 1992, and I qualified for the 'CT. At the time the Bud Tour was part of the 'QS. I got good results in Australia, Portugal and Brazil. Those three results cinched it for me, not to mention my results at home. In 1993 I won the Bud Tour, and surfed the 'QS and the 'CT. I was definitely a competitive workhorse.
What were your years like on the CT?
I surfed on the 'CT for three years. My first year was my best year and I finished 23rd. The following two years didn’t go well and I finished around 40th, but I re-qualified in the 'QS for a fourth year. I knew my results were mediocre so I backed them up on the 'QS. However, I walked away. I lost my sponsor, MCD. The combination of losing my sponsor and my daughter Chloe being born, I decided to walk away. I felt like I’d reached a level, the peak of my ability, and I wasn’t a champion, so I felt I’d gone as far as I could go. I wanted to move on and be around my daughter
What did you do after leaving the CT?
There was still some Bud Tour left, and I got picked up by Hawaiian Islands Creations in 1996. They paid me a salary to stay home and it extended my career for a couple more years.
Then there was that new page in your career, and you landed on the cover of Surfing Magazine in 1998.
That was a lucky twist of fate. It got me another year on my contract. It was at Mavericks in their June 1998 issue, free-falling at the take-off on a 20 footer.
When did you make that transition from contest machine to surfing big waves?
For starters, I was never a big wave charger. I like it all, big or small waves. I don’t pitch myself as a big wave rider or a contest guy. The media will put a label on you and rightfully so. I always looked at myself as doing it all. That’s what my heroes did and I strove to be like that. Growing up for me, it was my weakness, so as I got older I tried to improve on that.
So what happened on that wave?
I’d been putting in my time actually before that. I wasn’t trying to be a hero. Believe me, that wasn’t all a good memory (laughs). I did wipe out on that wave. The glory is all good, but reality can be different.
Is that wipeout still vivid?
It’s one of the ones I remember for sure. I’d been surfing Mavs since 1994. I’ve had a bunch of falls out there, but three stand out. There was the cover shot, and another paddle-in and a tow-in wipeout. The worst was the second paddle-in. I fell and got blasted by five waves and went through the rocks. It’s a killer spot. The consequences are so serious. You’ve really got to be focused in on your game.
What was your fist session like?
When I first went to Mavs, it was pretty shocking. My first session was the day Jay Moriarty got that cover shot. I was in that pic sitting on the shoulder. I was the deer in the headlights. I didn’t catch a wave that day. At that point I was reevaluating what was important to me in surfing and in life. I was wondering, am I up for this? I kind of left with my tail between my legs. Then [Mark] Foo died that same week and only added to what was going on in my head. I didn’t go back that season. I waited the whole next year to see where I was at. The first day I returned, it was smaller. I caught waves and boosted my confidence; baby steps toward what I wanted to accomplish. I took the advice of my mentors and looked at their approach. Not everyone was a reckless charger. A lot of guys were really calculated about it. I took notice of that and went at my own pace. Up through 1998 I was on every swell, put in a lot of sessions, caught a lot of waves and learned about the place. When I got the cover, that was a big moment for me. It was definitely a highlight.
How did you get into tow surfing?
After the cover, I didn’t just stop going up there. I do it because I love it, it’s where the challenge lies. So in 1999, that’s when tow-in surfing came into effect around here. Mavs was the place. I remember distinctly the first day it was towed. Dan Moore and Ken Bradshaw were there, and Moore got the cover of Surfer. I watched from the beach. In my mind it revolutionized the sport. It amazed me how easily these guys were tackling these waves on such small boards, performing better, and the success rate went up.
Anthony Tashnick, a young up and comer from up there, who won the Mavs contest one year, slung me into my first waves. He actually did great. He put me into one of the heaviest waves I’ve ever ridden, behind the peak on a 20 footer. I actually got scared and faded left because I was so far behind the peak.
Who is your tow-in partner now?
I’ve got a few of them, but I’ve been towing regularly with my boss, Cappy Pettersen. He’s a great surfer and waterman. I work on his urchin boat tending. He’s an underground legend. Towing in is a team sport. You want to be able to give back just as much as you’re taking. Cap has done so much for me, so I want to get him the best waves possible.
Where else are you towing in?
Mouse Rock and Shark Park. Also training with another partner, Eric Akiskalian (TowSurfer.com) at places like Mugu and Hueneme where no people are around.
Who’s making your boards these days?
John Roddenberry of JHR Surfboards. A few years ago I was in between sponsors. I realized with my knowledge and his craftsmanship, he could make me what I needed. It’s worked out like I expected.
Any goals in place for towing in?
My goal is to stay alive (laughs). To be safe, have fun and spread the stoke to the next generation not only in surfing but in life; to be a good ambassador .
But do you have this goal to ride something you haven’t already?
Maybe. Last year was the peak of my surfing career, it was the best of my life as far as surfing goes. I landed another Surfing cover, this time at Mouse Rock, got the biggest barrel of my life at Mavs, and we pioneered Weener's Reef. The reef at Shark Park, named after Jimmy Robinson. That was his nickname. He was killed by a white shark there in 1994. Cappy, Josh Bradbury and I pioneered it. I also signed with Quiksilver and Revolution Surf Shop.
I’m still a pro surfer living my dream. As far as accomplishing something new, I’d like to push it a little further, pull into the tube a little deeper. Then again, lets be honest, this stuff is dangerous and so with regards to safety, I have fears.
I think being scared keeps things real.
And it also keeps you safe. If you’re scared, there’s a reason, and it’s your body’s way of telling you you’re in danger (laughs). I want to do this for the long run, so I don’t want to do anything stupid.
Anyone you’d like to thank?
God, my folks, Chloe Brown, Jenny Culver, Tina Culver, Nathan Brown, Heather King, Cappy Petterson, Double Edge, Josh Bradbury, Al Merrick, Strider Wasilewski and Willy Morris at Quiksilver, Johnny and Jesse at Revolution Surf Shop, John Roddenberry at JHR Surfboards, Eric Akiskalian at TowSurfer.com, Mike and Lucy Borello at Tony’s Pizza, Scott and Arti Stanley at Esaus Coffee Shop, Rincon pit crew, Bobby McKinley, and all my other family and friends.
Posted February 2007 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Shaun Tomson
Shaun Tomson-Paddling Back Out
Photos and Story by Glenn Dubock
Full of the exuberance that only youth and foolishness can bring, I showed up in Carpinteria in 1976 with a long telephoto and a large dream of being a surf photographer. I called the late Larry Moore, then photo editor at Surfing Magazine, and announced that I was on station at Rincon Point and ready to provide him with a steady stream of action photos. He poured a bucket of cold salt water on my grand plans by telling me that I shouldn’t even bother to shoot unless there was 10-foot surf and Shaun Tomson was out. His reasoning was that the “clear board, black wetsuit” look adopted by the media-shunning locals would never make for good color photos. Only a world class surfer like Tomson would make the pages because he was sponsored by O’Neill wetsuits, a big advertiser, and only Shaun could turn those cold dark walls of water into things of beauty. Good thing I didn’t listen to Larry and kept on shooting anyway. But in a way, he was right, because Shaun had a very special relationship with Rincon and with the Santa Barbara surfing scene that lives on today.
Recently, I sat down with Shaun to talk about the Santa Barbara surfing experience, past and present, and what he sees in the future.
For Shaun and his wife Carla, life in the recent past has been a wave of difficult emotions. Their young son Mathew died in a tragic accident last year, far away in Tomson’s South Africa homeland, where he was attending school. Looking into Shaun’s eyes, I saw the pain of a father who has felt the agony of losing a dear sweet child. Also in those eyes, I could see the competitive fire that has kept him in the game for so long. In his warm smile, I could see his great desire to pass along to the next generation of surfers some advice in the form of "Surfer's Code," his guidebook for surfing through the sometimes-rough seas of life in the water or on land.
When quizzed about first surfing Rincon in the late 70’s, Tomson replies,
“I love Rincon, that wave is dear to me. I don’t have the relationship there that I have with my earliest memories of Jeffery’s Bay in South Africa, but I loved surfing Rincon with Al Merrick all morning then going into the shaping bay in the afternoon."
According to Tomson, he and Channel Islands Surfboards shaper Al Merrick, had the ultimate work/play ethic going. They would mix the lessons learned at the Rincon sessions with Shaun’s exposure to the latest designs he would see out on the World Tour in Hawaii, Australia and beyond.
“The late 70’s was a time when surfing was starting to change in Santa Barbara. For many years there had been an active surf culture but it was dominated by people looking to the past rather than into the future in terms of the equipment and the experience they were having in the water. We’d paddle out and there weren’t a lot of guys on cutting edge equipment. Certainly, there were good surfers up here, but it was fun to be with Al when there was a whole new crew of young guys just starting up.”
Tomson loves to reminisce about those long gone days of empty Rincon walls and all the excitement of connecting with Merrick on so many levels.
“I met him though Hawaiian surfboard shaper Bill Barnfield. It was a great opportunity to be with a guy who was really just starting out on the journey of his shaping philosophy. Even though he was a good shaper, he was always excited to hear about the new stuff and look at the new designs. He had a whole young surf team, he was very progressive. I would be in the shaping bay with Al and a day later I would ride the board, then Al would ride it, then back into the bay again.”
Those young team members benefited from all of this intense activity. Future stars Tom Curren and Kim Mearig were just getting their hair wet in preparation for the growing world of professional surfing that Tomson and others had laid the groundwork for.
“When I first saw Tommy surf, I definitely thought this kid had a lot of potential. But I have seen so many kids over the years, with so much potential, that just get lost along the way. They get lost to drugs, lack of focus and motivation. Tom really had that special touch and had that single-minded focus and determination. It was good to surf with him when was just a young little guy starting out in the Rincon swells.”
Speaking of those swells, Shaun and a lot of long time Rincon aficionados recall that the waves came to the Queen of The Coast more often and stayed a lot longer back in the 70’s and 80’s.
On his longer visits, Shaun would stay at the Merrick’s home, “surf for hours and hours, then his wife Terry would make us these huge dinners and we would just collapse in front of the fireplace. Their kids Britt and Heidi were very young and they had a 3-legged dog named Sadie. It was almost as though I had a second family up here.”
That warm welcome to the Santa Barbara surf scene helped Shaun decide to put down permanent roots here in 1995. And that same spirit of care continues to help Shaun and Carla get through the loss of their only son. “We are so thankful to be a part of this community. We feel embraced during the incredible tragedy we’ve suffered through…” Shaun’s voice trails off as tears form in the eyes of a man who is perhaps riding a very difficult wave though an ocean of sadness.
In spite of the rough patch that is woven into his present life, Tomson can still look ahead and see some bright moments. I ask him to comment on the latest crop of pro surfers in the area and the two names that come quickly off his tongue are Bobby Martinez and Dane Reynolds.
“I’ve been surfing with Martinez for a number of years now and I think everyone in Santa Barbara ought to admire what he has done. He didn’t have the route to pro surfing like Tom did. Curren was an incredibly gifted athlete and he had great support from Al and the industry, he was sort of the ‘wonder boy’ from the start. Bobby had a really good amateur career but he couldn’t cut it for years on the WQS (World Qualifying Series). The credit to him is that he kept going, persevering with incredible courage and determination.”
It’s very clear that Shaun is impressed with that set of traits. He is a living example of where that spirit will get you in life long after the surfing contest circuit.
“Bobby has that fighting spirit. He came from a tough side of town and maybe that’s what helped him – that hard fighting spirit. To me, that’s really something to be admired. For four years he slugged it out – and got slugged. Eventually, when he came on the WCT (World Contest Tour), he had one of the best starts, won two events and really showed that he was tempered in that fire”
Shaun greatly admires the incredible talents of young Dane Reynolds but is adamant that he goes out on the tour and likewise proves himself.
“Dane needs to stand up and be counted, he needs to get on the WQS tour because he will never be considered a great surfer until he competes against the best surfers in the world in the most challenging waves in the world. It’s one thing to be an aerial wiz kid at your home beach. It’s another thing to paddle out at Pipeline or Teahupoo, take on Andy Irons or Kelly Slater or Bobby Martinez. That’s the true test of being a man. I love to watch the young kids and innovative surfing but that’s just one small part of what being a great surfer is all about. Maybe that’s not what Dane wants, but that’s what it is for me. What ever he decides, he is still fun to watch.”
I asked him how all this surfing competition has helped Shaun and the everyday surfer in Santa Barbara.
“I’m 51 years old now and I’m surfing better today than I did when I was 19 because I have this great equipment that Al Merrick and other shapers around the world have developed in association with the greatest surfers in the world. So surfers all over the world are having a vastly better surfing experience with the greatly improved equipment. The contests are watched by millions of people on the web and it has created this wonderful community of people that are all focused on watching the best surfing in the world. Moms, Dads, kids, Americans, Africans, Asians, Europeans and Australians - surfing has brought them all together.”
And now it’s that community that is helping Shaun get back in the water and heal himself. As Shaun says, “Surfing never lets me down, it always keeps me paddling back out.”
Posted February 2007 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
Patina: An acquired change in the appearance of a surface
Joe Curren's art showing at "The Happening"
As I went through Branden Arroyan's recent shots of Joe Curren's work which showed at “The Happening Music Festival and Art Show,” I couldn't help but notice the distinct natural beauty of the frames surrounding Joe's black and white images. As it turns out, those frames were crafted special for the show, and with a whole lot of local soul.
Last year, while visiting a friend on the East Coast, Joe noticed a series of Peter Beard photos, an African Elephant and other safari animals, with rustic old wood framing the images black and white images. He was interested in the way the gray patina colored wood complimented the black and white prints, and wanted, to at some point, emulate the look for his own work.
When it comes to his photography, Joe enjoys being involved in the whole process, “It's fun being hands-on from the dark room to framing.” For the past three years Joe has been building frames between trips and late at night in the work shop. He'd taken an adult education framing class for one semester at city college to get the basics, and has spent some time in San Fransisco hanging with friend and master frame builder Peter Kirkeby. “He showed me how to make basic clean shadow boxes out of maple.”
For the close at hand project “The Happening” Joe called Gunner Tautrim and John Bircham of Sea Born Designs, who are experts in framing and using recycled wood. Joe recalled the Beard photos and told the two craftsmen his ideas and the look he was going for. The beautiful wood they used came from an old redwood fence which once surrounded one of the Beach Boys Mesa property in Santa Barbara. The frames were completed just in time for the show. “It was a group effort--they were building and I was putting everything together. It's a good feeling knowing exactly where the finished product came from.”
To check out more of Joe's work go to www.joecurrenphotograpy.com “The Happening” will continue on to New York and Japan. Joe is also involved with the films “Thread” and “One California Day.” He recently signed on with a Local company, Simple and will have his photography on his own organic signature shoe. You will also see new sponsor Redsand on his boards.
Posted February 2007 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
End of a Lifestyle: Historic Sale of Cojo Ranch
By Ben Preston
It’s a fact we cannot escape. Land developers find the Gaviota Coast very attractive. What’s not to like? This relatively untouched stretch of Pacific Coastline is one of the most beautiful pieces of real estate our state has to offer. The Camp Pendleton military reservation and the Gaviota Coast are the last undeveloped expanses of coastal land in Southern California. In fact, the Gaviota Coast comprises 50% of California’s remaining rural coastline. Added to its list of attributes is the fact that its near-shore waters are biologically rich and diverse, providing valuable commercial and recreational resources.
Let’s not forget that Gaviota serves us, the humble surfers, with such amazing spots as Naples, El Capitan, the Hollister Ranch, and countless other points and reefs in between. Sitting in the water on a sunlit day, with the green (or brown, depending upon the season) hills and mountains behind, the full effect of this area’s beauty can be truly felt. Now imagine the same scene with a bunch of mansions cluttering the hillside. Not so nice.
This was the fate that befell Malibu, which, unfortunately, was developed at a time when “Weekend at Bernie’s”-style houses were en vogue. What were once beautiful bluffs and deserted beaches are now ugly houses that are literally falling into the ocean. Bearing this in mind, it is surprising that anyone would want to develop on a coastal bluff, but land development companies such as Vintage Properties have just such a thing in mind for the property at Naples.
Naples, however, is the tip of the iceberg. All along the Gaviota Coast, bids and proposals exist for developments of one sort or another. El Capitan Canyon Resort wants to add a significant number of new guest facilities in El Capitan Canyon. Vintage has plans to build 50 to 70 mega-mansions at Naples. There are countless plans for development of smaller land parcels up and down the 101 corridor, consisting mostly of single-family dwellings.
Topping all of this is the recent sale of the Bixby Ranch at Point Conception. This huge chunk of pristine coastline has served as a cattle ranch for the past century, but its sale to a no-nonsense Boston investment firm gives it—for now—a somewhat uncertain future. At $135 million, this is one of the priciest land sales in California history. It’s hard to imagine that an investment firm would have benevolent conservation efforts planned for a property which is so attractive to a very wealthy lot of prospective homeowners. However, their attorney said that they do not yet have any plans for the property.
As surfers and lovers of our uniquely rural coastal scene, many of us would like to see the land preserved. The only way to ensure that this happens is to get involved. There are several organizations dedicated environmentalism and a slow-growth ideal—the Gaviota Coast Conservancy, the Naples Coalition, and Surfrider Foundation, to name a few. For more information, visit the following websites: www.gaviotacoastconservancy.org, www.savenaples.org, or www.sbsurfrider.org. 
Your Next Board: The 'Green' Board
By Katie McLean
The 2005 demise of Clark Foam, due to lack of compliance with environmental regulations, has opened up experimentation with 'green' alternatives. Many companies and shapers are attempting to use other methods and materials to make boards that will meet the standards of the Environmental Protection Agency and benefit the environment. But polyurethane foam has proved over the years to be hard to replace because of its quality and price, so thousands of polyurethane blanks are being imported from countries around the world. These countries still use the harmful TDI that is restricted by the EPA and their extensive shipping is wasteful. With the end of the manufacturer of 65% of the world's surfboard blanks, various forms of blanks have been created to fill the hole in the market. Hess Surfboards is using sustainable harvested wood, cork, EPS foam, and epoxy resin. Aviso and Firewire are working with hollow carbon fiber board technology. Surftech is utilizing their Tuflite technology to mesh together fiberglass and PVC with epoxy resin over an EPS blank. S-core by Salomon uses hydrophobic extruded polystyrene foam and epoxy resin. Ocean Green's Ecofoil boards use hollow balsa blanks and organic hemp cloth.
UK's Sannyasi is using castor oil polyurethane and starch polymer resin to create biodegradable boards that are free of petrochemicals. Fletcher Chouinard is using low-pollution foam, chromium-free fiberglass treatments and epoxy resin. But because these alternatives are just now being introduced, they still have some problems. Wood boards are too heavy and cannot be produced in large quantities. Other boards will not gain enough attention because of their unattractive natural look. One of the most popular alternative, EPS foam, even includes some production, environmental, and popularity problems. Some shapers do not like extruded polystyrene foam because the huge blocks must be cut with a hot wire into blanks before the string glue-up. The metal molds in which polystyrene beads are expanded are expensive and difficult to make. Because of their bead composition the EPS foams are hard to shape cleanly and must be sealed before glassing. EPS foams must also be glassed with epoxy resin, which contains 75% volatile organic compounds, which contaminates air and water and contributes to global warming. Riders also complain of the stiffness of these boards. To win over shapers and surfers these new boards must provide quality, durability, aesthetic appeal, and ease of production. They must also struggle in competition with longstanding popular boards and cheaper boards. But what is important here is the surge in environmental designs encompassing both recyclable and sustainable materials showing the industry's desire to protect the environment.
The biggest advancement in environmental surfboards is Homeblown's new 'green' surfboard blank, which was recently presented by Ned McMahon at Surf Expo. In partnership with the UK's Eden Project and Wetsand, Homeblown has created a blank with 50% of the core ingredients constructed from renewable agricultural products. It does not contain synthetics, toxins, or any environmentally damaging substances. It was originally constructed from balsa wood which proved to be to heavy, so Chuck Menzel of Wetsand then formulated Biofoam by replacing the petroleum component of the foam with materials converted from natural plant oils. This production results in 36% less global warming emissions and a 61% reduction in non-renewable energy use. It reduces dependence on fossil fuels, reduces water and air pollution, and has low health risks. The polyurethane foam uses MDI rather than TDI, a foam that Gordon Clark himself had begun to experiment with. MDI has less health hazards, is stronger in compression strength, and is ten times more waterproof than TDI. It's small cell structure is good for color work and absorbs less resin. It eliminates air voids and pour marks, and has a consistent density for easy and clean shaping. This formula is ideal for shapers to easily work with to produce lighter and stronger boards. This environmentally conscious company has invented a blank that benefits the environment while still gaining the approval of shapers and riders. Homeblown understands that to win popularity, these eco-boards must impress the public with their performance and cost. In order to compete with other blanks, Homeblown has factories in Cornwall and Jeffrey's Bay and has recently opened their third plant in San Diego to support the largest surfboard manufacturing base in the nation. With the excitement of the surf industry's first 'green' surfboard blank, shapers, pros, and you will be lining up to try the 'green' board.
DVD Review
Surf Stronger: The Surfer's Workout
By: B.E Staff
I was pretty certain the Surf Stronger workout would bug me, so I invited a few of my discerning surf-rat/yoga friends over to check it out. My original snobbish rational was that in order to be a better surfer, you should surf more. This, would in fact prepare you for surfing in a way nothing else could. I turned on the video and am pleased to say, that I was wrong. The 45 minute DVD is a very professional well-done non-cheesy and easy to follow routine. The workout specifically focuses on strengthening muscles and areas of the body a surfer uses and overuses. The beauty of this workout, is the marriage between rehabilitative and restorative movements with the more physically demanding ones. Instructor Scott Adams is clearly well trained and knowledgeable and he holds a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He expertly utilizes weight training and the balance ball which is excellent for folks who are quick to lose focus and in need of more challenging movements. That said, in the first section, he leads a sort of pre-paddle out routine, which could very well be the most embarrassing thing you do, aside from being pitched into a cartwheel down the face of a wave. However, I still found great joy in my pre-surf warm-up. It felt somehow defiant and liberating stretching, as the ridiculous crowd watched and crowded the line up. Plus, if you want 'warm,' get into your 4/3 wetsuit, do a few 'deep lunges' and 'pop-ups' and let me tell you, you will be warm. The moves were really nice for my overworked back muscles and knees and I must say, I really did feel great before I even stepped one toe in the water. As surfers and fitness people, my friends and I had to admit that anyone--surfer or no—could gain something from the video.
Info:SURFSTRONGER is proud to support the Surfrider Foundation.
and is likewise proud to give 1% for the Planet .
Surf Stronger: The Surfer's workoutis available online at Wetsand.com and at Surfstronger.com
Posted February 2007 Blue Edge Magazine. All rights reserved.
