Bump to Bump from Steve Shlens on Vimeo.
Video by my daughter. Rest assured: There is no steveshlens.org. (There is, however, this blog.)
Sure you can't understand much, but it was incredible linking bumps. Damn fun.
Friday, December 30, 2011
DDW - 808 Edition. (v.2)
Video by my daughter. Rest assured: There is no steveshlens.org. (There is, however, this blog.)
Sure you can't understand much, but it was incredible linking bumps. Damn fun.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
DDW - 808 Edition. (v.1)
Dead down wind.
As a paddler, there's very little that's better.
5 days, three 6 mile downwinders. Today had 30+ gusts and huge bumps. Weeee!!!!
No gps, no water bottles, no gu, no watch. Just doing it.
Working on uploading my daughter's interview video post paddle with me. Best part is you can't understand a single word.
My thanks to Ralph at Second Wind for the loaner board.
As a paddler, there's very little that's better.
5 days, three 6 mile downwinders. Today had 30+ gusts and huge bumps. Weeee!!!!
 |
| Prevailing winds: NNW at 29 knots! |
 |
| Post paddle -- stoked! |
 |
| Check out those palm trees. |
No gps, no water bottles, no gu, no watch. Just doing it.
Working on uploading my daughter's interview video post paddle with me. Best part is you can't understand a single word.
My thanks to Ralph at Second Wind for the loaner board.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Chris Owens: Oahu to Kauai
August 2005
At 3:32 pm on Thursday, Aug 18, North Shore paddleboarder Chris Owens made landfall at Kalapaki Beach on Kaua‘i’s south shore, writing himself into history as the second man ever to paddle from O‘ahu to Kaua‘i. True to his prediction that if he could make it through the night, he would make it all the way, Owens completed the 65 nautical mile crossing in 22 hours and 6 minutes on his 17’2” fiberglass paddleboard. This was his second attempt; his first attempt was three months earlier on May 17.
Owens departed from Camp Erdmann in Mokulei‘a on Wednesday afternoon at 5:25 pm. For the first three hours, conditions were promising, with a favorable current and light winds. A red-footed boobie hovered over the boat and landed on the radar bracket, where it remained through the night to watch over Chris’s journey.
As darkness set in, forceful, 20-knot winds stirred up the sea, bringing increasingly big, choppy swells. Owens was forced to fight through unforgiving currents and tumultuous conditions that brought on a four-hour bout of motion sickness, during which he vomited several times. With fierce determination, Owens pressed on, a swath of ocean behind him lit by the full moon.
“This is one of the greatest feats of human endurance I’ve ever witnessed,” says veteran North Shore lifeguard Dave Yester, who accompanied Owens on the Erika Marie escort boat. “I’m in absolute awe. To paddle through that slop the whole night, alone, in the dark? I mean, we were all getting nauseous on the boat.”
Yester was part of a crew of six who helped Chris endure the hours of darkness. Dave made good use of the bullhorn provided by Quiksilveredition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race organizer Mike Takahashi. “Chris Owens, you’ve been paddling for 12 hours. This song is dedicated to you!” he quipped, breaking into the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.”
Around 5:00 am, the full moon sunk out of sight and half an hour later, daybreak revealed the horizon. The sunrise was the crucial turning point in the journey. After 35 miles of paddling, Chris could make out the island of Kaua‘i. As he sat alongside the boat to savor his hot chicken noodle soup breakfast, a giant smile crept across his face. With a soft voice, he affirmed, “I’m going to make it.”
“Getting through the night was like overcoming some kind of evil,” Chris expressed with relief as he surveyed the new day. “I knew that it was going to be bad at night. It was the pride in myself and not wanting to lose my dream that kept me going. All those people who’ve helped me out—I didn’t want to let them down.”
For the next nine hours, Owens paddled aggressively, making calculated changes between prone-paddling and knee-paddling, and catching a glide wherever he could. He stayed alert and in good spirits, joking with the crew. At one point, he called out, “It’s on!” as he stood up to surf a wave.
The tenacious paddleboarder surfed a wave on his knees to the beach at Nawiliwili Harbor at 3:32 pm, a couple of hours earlier than he had anticipated. Chris would like to thank his sponsors—Cholo’s, Surf ‘N Sea, Hale‘iwa Joe’s, Da Hui, Hawaiian {{{Soul}}} Surfing, Xcel Wetsuits, Kainoa’s {{{Sports}}} Bar, Stunt Dog Productions, Duke’s on Kauai, Captain Rick Stevens—and all his friends who have supported him. The only other person in history reported to have completed the crossing successfully was Gene “Tarzan” Smith in 1940.
From Surfing Magazine. Link Here.
 |
| Chris & his son in the channel. |
Owens departed from Camp Erdmann in Mokulei‘a on Wednesday afternoon at 5:25 pm. For the first three hours, conditions were promising, with a favorable current and light winds. A red-footed boobie hovered over the boat and landed on the radar bracket, where it remained through the night to watch over Chris’s journey.
As darkness set in, forceful, 20-knot winds stirred up the sea, bringing increasingly big, choppy swells. Owens was forced to fight through unforgiving currents and tumultuous conditions that brought on a four-hour bout of motion sickness, during which he vomited several times. With fierce determination, Owens pressed on, a swath of ocean behind him lit by the full moon.
“This is one of the greatest feats of human endurance I’ve ever witnessed,” says veteran North Shore lifeguard Dave Yester, who accompanied Owens on the Erika Marie escort boat. “I’m in absolute awe. To paddle through that slop the whole night, alone, in the dark? I mean, we were all getting nauseous on the boat.”
Yester was part of a crew of six who helped Chris endure the hours of darkness. Dave made good use of the bullhorn provided by Quiksilveredition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race organizer Mike Takahashi. “Chris Owens, you’ve been paddling for 12 hours. This song is dedicated to you!” he quipped, breaking into the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.”
Around 5:00 am, the full moon sunk out of sight and half an hour later, daybreak revealed the horizon. The sunrise was the crucial turning point in the journey. After 35 miles of paddling, Chris could make out the island of Kaua‘i. As he sat alongside the boat to savor his hot chicken noodle soup breakfast, a giant smile crept across his face. With a soft voice, he affirmed, “I’m going to make it.”
“Getting through the night was like overcoming some kind of evil,” Chris expressed with relief as he surveyed the new day. “I knew that it was going to be bad at night. It was the pride in myself and not wanting to lose my dream that kept me going. All those people who’ve helped me out—I didn’t want to let them down.”
For the next nine hours, Owens paddled aggressively, making calculated changes between prone-paddling and knee-paddling, and catching a glide wherever he could. He stayed alert and in good spirits, joking with the crew. At one point, he called out, “It’s on!” as he stood up to surf a wave.
The tenacious paddleboarder surfed a wave on his knees to the beach at Nawiliwili Harbor at 3:32 pm, a couple of hours earlier than he had anticipated. Chris would like to thank his sponsors—Cholo’s, Surf ‘N Sea, Hale‘iwa Joe’s, Da Hui, Hawaiian {{{Soul}}} Surfing, Xcel Wetsuits, Kainoa’s {{{Sports}}} Bar, Stunt Dog Productions, Duke’s on Kauai, Captain Rick Stevens—and all his friends who have supported him. The only other person in history reported to have completed the crossing successfully was Gene “Tarzan” Smith in 1940.
 |
| Chris charging. |
From Surfing Magazine. Link Here.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Yoga mat for sale. Used once. - $1 (Bellevue)
Yoga mat for sale. Used once at lunch hour class in December 2009. Usage timeline as follows:
11:45a
Register for hot yoga class. Infinite wisdom tells me to commit to 5 class package and purchase a yoga mat. I pay $89.74. Money well spent, I smugly confirm to myself.
11:55a
Open door to yoga room. A gush of hot dry air rushes through and past me. It smells of breath, sweat and hot. Take spot on floor in back of room next to cute blonde. We will date.
11:57a
I feel the need to be as near to naked as possible. This is a problem because of the hot blonde to my left and our pending courtship. She will not be pleased to learn that I need to lose 30 pounds before I propose to her.
11:58a
The shirt and sweats have to come off. I throw caution to the wind and decide to rely on my wit and conditioning to overcome any weight issues my fiancée may take issue with. This will take a lot of wit and conditioning.
11:59a
Begin small talk with my bride to be. She pretends to ignore me but I know how she can be. I allow her to concentrate and stare straight ahead and continue to pretend that I don't exist. As we finish sharing our special moment, I am suddenly aware of a sweat moustache that has formed below my nose. This must be from the all the whispering between us.
12:00p
Instructor enters the room and ascends her special podium at the front of the room. She is a slight, agitated Chinese woman. She introduces me to the class and everyone turns around to greet me just as I decide to aggressively adjust my penis and testes packed in my Under Armor. My bride is notably unfazed.
12:02p
Since I do have experience with Hot Yoga (4 sessions just 5 short years ago) I fully consider that I may be so outstanding and skilled that my instructor may call me out and ask me to guide the class. My wife will look on with a sparkle in her eye. We will make love after class.
12:10p
It is now up to 95 degrees in the room. We have been practicing deep breathing exercises for the last 8 minutes. This would not be a problem if we were all breathing actual, you know, oxygen. Instead, we are breathing each other's body odor, expelled carbon dioxide and other unmentionables. (Don't worry, I'll mention them later.)
12:26p
It is now 100 degrees and I take notice of the humidity, which is hovering at about 90%. I feel the familiar adorning stare of my bride and decide to look back at her. She appears to be nauseated. I then realize that I forgot to brush my teeth prior to attending this class. We bond.
12:33p
It is now 110 degrees and 95% humidity. I am now balancing on one leg with the other leg crossed over the other. My arms are intertwined and I am squatting. The last time I was in this position was 44 years ago in the womb, but I'm in this for the long haul. My wife looks slightly weathered dripping sweat and her eyeliner is streaming down her face. Well, "for better or worse" is what we committed to so we press on.
12:40p
The overweight Hispanic man two spots over has sweat running down his legs. At least I think its sweat. He is holding every position and has not had a sip of water since we walked in. He is making me look bad and I hate him.
12:44p
I consider that if anyone in this room farted that we would all certainly perish.
12:52p
It is now 140 degrees and 100% humidity. I am covered from head to toe in sweat. There is not a square millimeter on my body that is not slippery and sweaty. I am so slimy that I feel like a sea lion or a maybe sea eel. Not even a bear trap could hold me. The sweat is stinging my eyeballs and I can no longer see.
12:55p
This room stinks of asparagus, cloves, tuna and tacos. There is no food in the room. I realize that this is an amalgamation of the body odors of 30 people in a 140 degree room for the last 55 minutes. Seriously, enough with the asparagus, ok?
1:01p
140 degrees and 130% humidity. Look, bitch, I need my space here so don't get all pissy with me if I accidentally sprayed you with sweat as I flipped over. Seriously, is that where this relationship is going? Get over yourself. We need counseling and she needs to be medicated. Stat!
1:09p
150 degrees and cloudy. And hot. I can no longer move my limbs on my own. I have given up on attempting any of the commands this Chinese chick is yelling out at us. I will lay sedentary until the aid unit arrives. I will buy this building and then have it destroyed.
I lose consciousness.
1:15p
I have a headache and my wife is being a selfish bitch. I can't really breathe. All I can think about is holding a cup worth of hot sand in my mouth. I cannot remember what an ice cube is and cannot remember what snow looks like. I consider that my only escape might be a crab walk across 15 bodies and then out of the room. I am paralyzed, and may never walk again so the whole crab walk thing is pretty much out.
1:17p
I cannot move at all and cannot reach my water. Is breathing voluntary or involuntary? If it's voluntary, I am screwed. I stopped participating in the class 20 minutes ago. Hey, lady! I paid for this frickin class, ok?! You work for me! Stop yelling at everyone and just tell us a story or something. It's like juice and cracker time, ok?
1:20p
It is now 165 degrees and moisture is dripping from the ceiling. The towel that I am laying on is no longer providing any wicking or drying properties. It is actually placing additional sweat on me as I touch it. My towel reeks. I cannot identify the smell but no way can it be from me. Did someone spray some stank on my towel or something?
1:30p
Torture session is over. I wish hateful things upon the instructor. She graciously allows us to stay and 'cool down' in the room. It is 175 degrees. Who cools down in 175 degrees? A Komodo Dragon? My wife has left the room. Probably to throw up.
1:34p
My opportunity to escape has arrived. I roll over to my stomach and press up to my knees. It is warmer as I rise up from ground level - probably by 15 degrees. So let's conservatively say it's 190. I muster my final energy and slowly rise. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Towards the door. Towards the door.
1:37p
The temperature in the lobby is 72 degrees. Both nipples stiffen to diamond strength and my penis begins to retract into my abdomen from the 100 degree temp swing. I can once again breathe though so I am pleased. I spot my future ex wife in the lobby. We had such a good thing going but I know that no measure of counseling will be able to unravel the day's turmoil and mental scaring.
1:47p
Arrive at Emerald City Smoothie and proceed to order a 32 oz beverage. 402 calories, 0 fat and 14 grams of protein -- effectively negating any caloric burn or benefit from the last 90 minutes. I finish it in 3 minutes and spend the next 2 hours writing this memoir.
3:47p
Create Craigslist ad while burning final 2 grams of protein from Smoothie and before the "shakes" consume my body.
4:29p
Note to self - check car for missing wet yoga towel in am.
11:45a
Register for hot yoga class. Infinite wisdom tells me to commit to 5 class package and purchase a yoga mat. I pay $89.74. Money well spent, I smugly confirm to myself.
11:55a
Open door to yoga room. A gush of hot dry air rushes through and past me. It smells of breath, sweat and hot. Take spot on floor in back of room next to cute blonde. We will date.
11:57a
I feel the need to be as near to naked as possible. This is a problem because of the hot blonde to my left and our pending courtship. She will not be pleased to learn that I need to lose 30 pounds before I propose to her.
11:58a
The shirt and sweats have to come off. I throw caution to the wind and decide to rely on my wit and conditioning to overcome any weight issues my fiancée may take issue with. This will take a lot of wit and conditioning.
11:59a
Begin small talk with my bride to be. She pretends to ignore me but I know how she can be. I allow her to concentrate and stare straight ahead and continue to pretend that I don't exist. As we finish sharing our special moment, I am suddenly aware of a sweat moustache that has formed below my nose. This must be from the all the whispering between us.
12:00p
Instructor enters the room and ascends her special podium at the front of the room. She is a slight, agitated Chinese woman. She introduces me to the class and everyone turns around to greet me just as I decide to aggressively adjust my penis and testes packed in my Under Armor. My bride is notably unfazed.
12:02p
Since I do have experience with Hot Yoga (4 sessions just 5 short years ago) I fully consider that I may be so outstanding and skilled that my instructor may call me out and ask me to guide the class. My wife will look on with a sparkle in her eye. We will make love after class.
12:10p
It is now up to 95 degrees in the room. We have been practicing deep breathing exercises for the last 8 minutes. This would not be a problem if we were all breathing actual, you know, oxygen. Instead, we are breathing each other's body odor, expelled carbon dioxide and other unmentionables. (Don't worry, I'll mention them later.)
12:26p
It is now 100 degrees and I take notice of the humidity, which is hovering at about 90%. I feel the familiar adorning stare of my bride and decide to look back at her. She appears to be nauseated. I then realize that I forgot to brush my teeth prior to attending this class. We bond.
12:33p
It is now 110 degrees and 95% humidity. I am now balancing on one leg with the other leg crossed over the other. My arms are intertwined and I am squatting. The last time I was in this position was 44 years ago in the womb, but I'm in this for the long haul. My wife looks slightly weathered dripping sweat and her eyeliner is streaming down her face. Well, "for better or worse" is what we committed to so we press on.
12:40p
The overweight Hispanic man two spots over has sweat running down his legs. At least I think its sweat. He is holding every position and has not had a sip of water since we walked in. He is making me look bad and I hate him.
12:44p
I consider that if anyone in this room farted that we would all certainly perish.
12:52p
It is now 140 degrees and 100% humidity. I am covered from head to toe in sweat. There is not a square millimeter on my body that is not slippery and sweaty. I am so slimy that I feel like a sea lion or a maybe sea eel. Not even a bear trap could hold me. The sweat is stinging my eyeballs and I can no longer see.
12:55p
This room stinks of asparagus, cloves, tuna and tacos. There is no food in the room. I realize that this is an amalgamation of the body odors of 30 people in a 140 degree room for the last 55 minutes. Seriously, enough with the asparagus, ok?
1:01p
140 degrees and 130% humidity. Look, bitch, I need my space here so don't get all pissy with me if I accidentally sprayed you with sweat as I flipped over. Seriously, is that where this relationship is going? Get over yourself. We need counseling and she needs to be medicated. Stat!
1:09p
150 degrees and cloudy. And hot. I can no longer move my limbs on my own. I have given up on attempting any of the commands this Chinese chick is yelling out at us. I will lay sedentary until the aid unit arrives. I will buy this building and then have it destroyed.
I lose consciousness.
1:15p
I have a headache and my wife is being a selfish bitch. I can't really breathe. All I can think about is holding a cup worth of hot sand in my mouth. I cannot remember what an ice cube is and cannot remember what snow looks like. I consider that my only escape might be a crab walk across 15 bodies and then out of the room. I am paralyzed, and may never walk again so the whole crab walk thing is pretty much out.
1:17p
I cannot move at all and cannot reach my water. Is breathing voluntary or involuntary? If it's voluntary, I am screwed. I stopped participating in the class 20 minutes ago. Hey, lady! I paid for this frickin class, ok?! You work for me! Stop yelling at everyone and just tell us a story or something. It's like juice and cracker time, ok?
1:20p
It is now 165 degrees and moisture is dripping from the ceiling. The towel that I am laying on is no longer providing any wicking or drying properties. It is actually placing additional sweat on me as I touch it. My towel reeks. I cannot identify the smell but no way can it be from me. Did someone spray some stank on my towel or something?
1:30p
Torture session is over. I wish hateful things upon the instructor. She graciously allows us to stay and 'cool down' in the room. It is 175 degrees. Who cools down in 175 degrees? A Komodo Dragon? My wife has left the room. Probably to throw up.
1:34p
My opportunity to escape has arrived. I roll over to my stomach and press up to my knees. It is warmer as I rise up from ground level - probably by 15 degrees. So let's conservatively say it's 190. I muster my final energy and slowly rise. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Towards the door. Towards the door.
1:37p
The temperature in the lobby is 72 degrees. Both nipples stiffen to diamond strength and my penis begins to retract into my abdomen from the 100 degree temp swing. I can once again breathe though so I am pleased. I spot my future ex wife in the lobby. We had such a good thing going but I know that no measure of counseling will be able to unravel the day's turmoil and mental scaring.
1:47p
Arrive at Emerald City Smoothie and proceed to order a 32 oz beverage. 402 calories, 0 fat and 14 grams of protein -- effectively negating any caloric burn or benefit from the last 90 minutes. I finish it in 3 minutes and spend the next 2 hours writing this memoir.
3:47p
Create Craigslist ad while burning final 2 grams of protein from Smoothie and before the "shakes" consume my body.
4:29p
Note to self - check car for missing wet yoga towel in am.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
ASP Top 24: End of Year Rankings
 |
| KP jumps to #15, Parko leapfrogs Owen for runner-up, and Slater continues to rule the roost. |
Saturday, December 10, 2011
KP: Feel Good Story of the (WCT Surf) Year
 |
| Kieren Perrow wins the Pipe Masters. |
Brought a tear to my eye.
Maybe a couple.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Eddie Opening Ceremonies
Frame grab at 1:01 from Alex Gray's video on the opening ceremonies of the Eddie.
Here's the video:
The Eddie opening ceremony from Turkeymelt on Vimeo.
Let's hope for an Eddie year.
-Steve
 |
| Keone Watson, BARK team rider. |
Here's the video:
The Eddie opening ceremony from Turkeymelt on Vimeo.
Let's hope for an Eddie year.
-Steve
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Clark Little Photography
A highly recommended review. AMAZING.
CLICK ME FOR LINK.
Clark's work has been featured on Hawaii 5-0 & has sold all over the world.
To give you a sense of scale, here's a shot Clark took of a guy who significantly mis-timed his paddle out.
And here's a shot from his wife, Sandy, showing Clark hard at work.
As I said above: AMAZING.
CLICK ME FOR LINK.
Clark's work has been featured on Hawaii 5-0 & has sold all over the world.
To give you a sense of scale, here's a shot Clark took of a guy who significantly mis-timed his paddle out.
And here's a shot from his wife, Sandy, showing Clark hard at work.
As I said above: AMAZING.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Turkey Day: Five Things I'm Thankful For.
 |
| Five Things I'm Thankful For. |
On this Thanksgiving, a list of five things for which I'm thankful.
1. Family.
 |
| L-R, Front: Me, Kim, Makena L-R, Back: Dad, Mom, Grandpa Harold, Aunt Gladys |
2. Good surf.
 |
| Good surf cures all, according to the saying. Deceptively perfect looking. Photo courtesy Mike Randolph. |
3. Paddling.
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| A sport with a long & checkered history. What could be better?! |
4. Friends.
 |
| These jerks will convince you to do stupid stuff... like running a 50 mile race... on an island that is purely made of hills so there are no flat sections... that starts at 3 or 4 in the morning... in winter time. Thanks? |
5. Not living on this road.
 |
| I guess this one speaks for itself. Photo courtesy Fred Sardisco. |
Monday, November 21, 2011
PADDLE FOR SOREL: A huge success & a great day!
On Saturday, November 19, the Paddle for Sorel (first annual, I do believe... that is until we find the cure!) went forward in Santa Barbara. It was an amazing success.
Meeting at 9:00 a.m., the group did a paddle from Goleta to Ledbetter in honor of Sorel and to bring awareness to Rett Syndrome. Donations were made to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation and a great time was had by all. Following the paddle, an incredible barbecue and buffet was provided to all and a raffle went forward with tons of great goodies for all. The grand prize winner of a new Patagonia wetsuit was Mike Lionello! In truth, everybody won.
You can still donate to the IRSF. Go here: Click here.
The paddling community rallied for one of our own. Even the weather cooperated, holding the storm off until after the event had concluded. As Sorel's father Chris said: "We had a great day and karma weather on our side!"
-Steve S.
 |
| Sorel & her mom, celebrating at the finish. |
Meeting at 9:00 a.m., the group did a paddle from Goleta to Ledbetter in honor of Sorel and to bring awareness to Rett Syndrome. Donations were made to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation and a great time was had by all. Following the paddle, an incredible barbecue and buffet was provided to all and a raffle went forward with tons of great goodies for all. The grand prize winner of a new Patagonia wetsuit was Mike Lionello! In truth, everybody won.
 |
| The Group. |
You can still donate to the IRSF. Go here: Click here.
The paddling community rallied for one of our own. Even the weather cooperated, holding the storm off until after the event had concluded. As Sorel's father Chris said: "We had a great day and karma weather on our side!"
-Steve S.
Friday, November 18, 2011
It's in the hands... (style related)
On the one hand, it absolutely sucks when little kids rip way harder than you. This once little kid is now a man. So, going to the other hand, there's a sense of the guard changing and, totally inappropriately and not at all warranted, a sense of pride. This was a kid I helped carry his board WAAAAY back when down to Hammies. His dad and I would talk while the kids floated into white water reforms... then progressed to pushing into peaks... then progressed to ripping... then progressed to this. Connor Coffin has boat loads of style.
Hawaii Vacation from youngwisetails on Vimeo.
Hawaii Vacation from youngwisetails on Vimeo.
Monday, November 14, 2011
PADDLE FOR SOREL - THIS SATURDAY (11/19)
This Saturday, November 19, 2011, will be the first ever Paddle for Sorel in Santa Barbara. Please join in!
Led by Chris Kolendrianos and friends, the event is designed to raise money and awareness for Rett syndrome and research, in honor of Kolendrianos’ daughter, Sorel. All money donated will go to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation.
Rett syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects one in 10,000 girls. Sorel can’t walk, talk, crawl or have any purposeful hand use. She requires therapy every day. Some days are better than others, but she does show progress in her movements. Sorel has a smile that lights the room and warms the heart, and will be waiting on the beach to meet the paddlers at the finish.
To participate in the event, call Kolendrianos on 805.570.5275. People can paddle whatever they like — prone paddle boards, stand up or kayak.
To make a donation to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation: CLICK HERE.
To see Sorel on her blog: CLICK HERE.
And here's all the details (just click it & print it):
If you can't make it, here's a donation form (just click it & print it)!
PLEASE JOIN US IN SANTA BARBARA FOR A GREAT PADDLE ON SATURDAY!
-Steve
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Surfline Has Ripped Me Off Twice Now
I guess I'm just slightly ahead of the curve. I can live with that.
Now for something totally unrelated:
This is an old gun I bought used in April of 2007 in HI when I heard a big swell was coming...
Using it at Waimea two days after I bought it and fixed its dings...
I love this shot. I'm the guy who's committed w the lip. Not the guy on the shoulder, not the guy pearling, and not the board that's flying out the back. In deep, in late, and committed.
Here's the story, cut-&-paste from my 2007 Journal entry from Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007 (please forgive the bro-brah ending, but I couldn't have been riding higher)...
"Turned a great get-away into an incredible one. Staying over on Oahu, a large swell was forecast to hit on Sunday morning.
Challenge number one: Change my return flight from Saturday morning to Sunday night or Monday morning. At first, there were no open seats until Wednesday, and that just wouldn’t do. After a few more calls and discussions were had with airline representatives, a seat magically opened on the 10 p.m. Sunday flight! I immediately footed the bill for it. $150 down, with a huge grin. At 6 a.m. Saturday morning, with the blessing from my beautiful wife, I dropped her & my daughter off at the airport and headed straight for the Bay to scope out the scene.
Challenge number two: A rockslide at 1 a.m. that very morning closed Kam Highway in both directions! I was not going to be denied, though. Fighting the crazy traffic I made it out to Waimea at 11 a.m. I eventually found parking at Marijuana’s and walked to the Bay on Saturday, to be greeted by… three foot shore pound. It was not huge surf, so I stashed the 6’3” and body-surfed for 2 hours.
Challenge number three: Find a good gun. After body-surfing at the Bay, I drove into Haleiwa to see about a big gun. At Haleiwa Surf & Sea I’d seen a few beautiful used boards over the past week, including a quiver of Mick Fanning boards, Kekoa Bacalso boards, and assorted other pro boards. I was very tempted by a 7’5” Chris Ward down railed gun in perfect condition, but held off knowing it wouldn’t be big enough. Picking through their used selections, I found an 8’2” Kerry Tokoro red railed rocket; no (used) bigger guns could be found in decent condition, so this was it. It had a few rail dings, but the bottom was clean, no buckles, and the glass-on fins were intact without any stresses. Including the new pair of trunks, bottle of Solarez, and the 9 foot leash, another $350 down. The grin got bigger.
Challenge number four: Make that gun water tight. I spent the afternoon Saturday patching a few minor rail snackles and sanding them down to flush. The weather was overcast, but the Solarez eventually managed to go off. I sanded the board down in my hotel room, and then waxed it up for Sunday.
Challenge number five: Surf! Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and drove to the Bay for the Easter Sunrise Service at 6:30. The parking lot was full, so I again parked at Marijuana’s, put on my sunscreen, loaded up my backpack with water and oranges, and hiked on up to the Bay with the Tokoro gun. The service was packed. The waves slowly rose during the service, with a few 4-6 footers initially showing at Pinballs. I hung until 7:30 picking up trash on the beach, then stretched & paddled out to Waimea at 8 a.m. Some 8 footers were showing at this point, and only three other guys were on it including my local friend Ian. I hadn’t seen Ian since Christmas, and this wasn’t a planned meeting, so I was stoked to see a familiar face. It was just another happy serendipity. I caught a few good warm up rides off the boil until 9 a.m. Meanwhile, the swell kept building until some 10, then 12, then 15 foot (Hawaiian) waves were rolling through by noon! As the sets grew in size, the line-up shifted deeper and deeper into the Bay. Killer sets, killer time, killer waves. The crowd kept building to about a maximum of 30-40 guys while I was out, but I was still catching a ton of rides deeper than most. Because my board was so small, I was forced to play the odds and stay inside of the crowd. This gave me the advantage of taking off deeper, but pretty late, every time; I was flying from behind the peak on most waves. By the time I decided to come in, it was 3:15 p.m. I stayed out for 7+ hours, caught a ton of waves and ended up seeing many old friends. Sooooo stoked!
All told, this was an outstanding vacation. My extreme thanks & aloha go out to Jeff, Ian, Dennis, Kalani, TJ, AJ, Chris, Kyle, Rob, and many, many others… but especially to my beautiful wife & daughter who blessed my life and gave me the big thumbs up to stay for the Bay! Aloha, Mahalo, and Blessings to all.
-ShShSh"
Now for something totally unrelated:
This is an old gun I bought used in April of 2007 in HI when I heard a big swell was coming...
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| 8'2" x 19-1/2" x 2-7/8"... I think. |
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| Photo by Jamie Ballinger. |
Here's the story, cut-&-paste from my 2007 Journal entry from Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007 (please forgive the bro-brah ending, but I couldn't have been riding higher)...
"Turned a great get-away into an incredible one. Staying over on Oahu, a large swell was forecast to hit on Sunday morning.
Challenge number one: Change my return flight from Saturday morning to Sunday night or Monday morning. At first, there were no open seats until Wednesday, and that just wouldn’t do. After a few more calls and discussions were had with airline representatives, a seat magically opened on the 10 p.m. Sunday flight! I immediately footed the bill for it. $150 down, with a huge grin. At 6 a.m. Saturday morning, with the blessing from my beautiful wife, I dropped her & my daughter off at the airport and headed straight for the Bay to scope out the scene.
Challenge number two: A rockslide at 1 a.m. that very morning closed Kam Highway in both directions! I was not going to be denied, though. Fighting the crazy traffic I made it out to Waimea at 11 a.m. I eventually found parking at Marijuana’s and walked to the Bay on Saturday, to be greeted by… three foot shore pound. It was not huge surf, so I stashed the 6’3” and body-surfed for 2 hours.
Challenge number three: Find a good gun. After body-surfing at the Bay, I drove into Haleiwa to see about a big gun. At Haleiwa Surf & Sea I’d seen a few beautiful used boards over the past week, including a quiver of Mick Fanning boards, Kekoa Bacalso boards, and assorted other pro boards. I was very tempted by a 7’5” Chris Ward down railed gun in perfect condition, but held off knowing it wouldn’t be big enough. Picking through their used selections, I found an 8’2” Kerry Tokoro red railed rocket; no (used) bigger guns could be found in decent condition, so this was it. It had a few rail dings, but the bottom was clean, no buckles, and the glass-on fins were intact without any stresses. Including the new pair of trunks, bottle of Solarez, and the 9 foot leash, another $350 down. The grin got bigger.
Challenge number four: Make that gun water tight. I spent the afternoon Saturday patching a few minor rail snackles and sanding them down to flush. The weather was overcast, but the Solarez eventually managed to go off. I sanded the board down in my hotel room, and then waxed it up for Sunday.
Challenge number five: Surf! Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and drove to the Bay for the Easter Sunrise Service at 6:30. The parking lot was full, so I again parked at Marijuana’s, put on my sunscreen, loaded up my backpack with water and oranges, and hiked on up to the Bay with the Tokoro gun. The service was packed. The waves slowly rose during the service, with a few 4-6 footers initially showing at Pinballs. I hung until 7:30 picking up trash on the beach, then stretched & paddled out to Waimea at 8 a.m. Some 8 footers were showing at this point, and only three other guys were on it including my local friend Ian. I hadn’t seen Ian since Christmas, and this wasn’t a planned meeting, so I was stoked to see a familiar face. It was just another happy serendipity. I caught a few good warm up rides off the boil until 9 a.m. Meanwhile, the swell kept building until some 10, then 12, then 15 foot (Hawaiian) waves were rolling through by noon! As the sets grew in size, the line-up shifted deeper and deeper into the Bay. Killer sets, killer time, killer waves. The crowd kept building to about a maximum of 30-40 guys while I was out, but I was still catching a ton of rides deeper than most. Because my board was so small, I was forced to play the odds and stay inside of the crowd. This gave me the advantage of taking off deeper, but pretty late, every time; I was flying from behind the peak on most waves. By the time I decided to come in, it was 3:15 p.m. I stayed out for 7+ hours, caught a ton of waves and ended up seeing many old friends. Sooooo stoked!
All told, this was an outstanding vacation. My extreme thanks & aloha go out to Jeff, Ian, Dennis, Kalani, TJ, AJ, Chris, Kyle, Rob, and many, many others… but especially to my beautiful wife & daughter who blessed my life and gave me the big thumbs up to stay for the Bay! Aloha, Mahalo, and Blessings to all.
-ShShSh"
Friday, November 11, 2011
Riding Big Waves
From Chris Dixon:
So last week, I had the enormous honor of being asked to speak and show a photo and video presentation from the Ghost Wave project at Google HQ in Mountain View. Fricking fascinating place. Nothing more so than this huge surround you Google Earth exhibit that had Greg Long in particular, utterly slackjawed.
Thankfully, a cast of suspects came too - Jeff Clark, Skindog, Greg, and photogs Jason Murray, Rob Brown and my lovely wife Quinn. If you have an hour to kill, give it a click. If you don't, fast forward past my rambling and get to the Q&A that starts right at one hour and be highly entertained by the guys who made the book possible. Or if you only have a few minutes, fast forward to about 1:12:00 and watch the exchange on tow versus paddle surfing and an explanation of the different boards - Skindog pointing at both paddle boards: "That's Greg Long's board - that's my board. Greg Long has a supermodel - super sexy, super thin. I got a big fat chick over here. I find out they feel way better..."
I can't thank everyone enough.
I loved this, Chris. Thank you!
So last week, I had the enormous honor of being asked to speak and show a photo and video presentation from the Ghost Wave project at Google HQ in Mountain View. Fricking fascinating place. Nothing more so than this huge surround you Google Earth exhibit that had Greg Long in particular, utterly slackjawed.
Thankfully, a cast of suspects came too - Jeff Clark, Skindog, Greg, and photogs Jason Murray, Rob Brown and my lovely wife Quinn. If you have an hour to kill, give it a click. If you don't, fast forward past my rambling and get to the Q&A that starts right at one hour and be highly entertained by the guys who made the book possible. Or if you only have a few minutes, fast forward to about 1:12:00 and watch the exchange on tow versus paddle surfing and an explanation of the different boards - Skindog pointing at both paddle boards: "That's Greg Long's board - that's my board. Greg Long has a supermodel - super sexy, super thin. I got a big fat chick over here. I find out they feel way better..."
I can't thank everyone enough.
I loved this, Chris. Thank you!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Surfing... circa 1906 w/ Jack London.
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| Marlin, by Clark Little. |
"And that is how it came about that I tackled surfriding. And now that I have tackled it, more than ever do I hold it to be a royal sport. But first let me explain the physics of it. A wave is a communicated agitation. The water that composes the body of a wave does not move. If it did, when a stone is thrown into a pond and the ripples spread away in an ever widening circle, there would appear at the centre an ever increasing hole. No, the water that composes the body of a wave is stationary. Thus, you may watch a particular portion of the ocean's surface and you will see the same water rise and fall a thousand times to the agitation communicated by a thousand successive waves.
Now imagine this communicated agitation moving shoreward. As the bottom shoals, the lower portion of the wave strikes land first and is stopped. But water is fluid,
and the upper portion has not struck anything, wherefore it keeps on communicating its agitation, keeps on going. And when the top of the wave keeps on going, while the bottom of it lags behind, something is bound to happen. The bottom of the wave drops out from under and the top of the wave falls over, forward, and down, curling and cresting and roaring as it does so. It is the bottom of a wave striking against the top of the land that is the cause of all surfs.
But the transformation from a smooth undulation to a breaker is not abrupt except where the bottom shoals abruptly. Say the bottom shoals gradually for from quarter of a mile to a mile, then an equal distance will be occupied by the transformation. Such a bottom is that off the beach of Waikiki, and it produces a splendid surf-riding surf. One leaps upon the back of a breaker just as it begins to break, and stays on it as it continues to break all the way in to shore.
And now to the particular physics of surf-riding.
Get out-on a flat board, six feet long, two feet wide, and roughly oval in shape. Lie down upon it like a small boy on a coaster and paddle with your hands out to deep water, where the waves begin to crest. Lie out there quietly on the board. Sea after sea breaks before, behind, and under and over you, and rushes in to shore, leaving you behind. When a wave crests, it gets steeper. Imagine yourself, on your board, on the face of that steep slope. If it stood still, you would slide down just as a boy slides down a hill on his coaster. "But," you object, " the wave doesn't stand still." Very true, but the water composing the wave stands still, and there you have the secret.
If ever you start sliding down the face of that wave, you'll keep on sliding and you'll never reach the bottom. Please don't laugh. The face of that wave may be only six feet, yet you can slide down it a quarter of a mile, or half a mile, and not reach the bottom. For, see, since a wave is only a communicated agitation or impetus, and since the water that composes a wave is changing every instant, new water is rising into the wave as fast as the wave travels. You slide down this new water, and yet remain in your old position on the wave, sliding down the still newer water that is rising and forming the wave. You slide precisely as fast as the wave travels.
If it travels fifteen miles an hour, you slide fifteen miles an hour. Between you and shore stretches a quarter of mile of water. As the wave travels, this water obligingly heaps itself into the wave, gravity does the rest, and down you go, sliding the whole length of it. If you still cherish the notion, while sliding, that the water is moving with you, thrust your arms into it and attempt to paddle; you will find
that you have to be remarkably quick to get a stroke, for that water is dropping astern just as fast as you are rushing ahead."
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
TJ MIller
I have new found respect for this comedian, and not just because he's a dead ringer for Scognuts.
TJ Miller played Ranger Jones in the movie "Yogi the Bear in 3D."
Well before the movie was made, and after doing the studio audition, he was out with his manager bs'ing when they thought about how funny it would be to send in an audition tape with a real bear.
Okay... let's do it. And here it is:
Real juice! Drink it up!
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| No, this is not Scoggins. |
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| (He's the guy on the left.) |
Okay... let's do it. And here it is:
Real juice! Drink it up!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Shark or Dolphin?
Great White? from Mike Cochran on Vimeo.
Link courtesy Jim Brateris of Isurus Wetsuits.
(Edit: I've since seen this on Surfline.)
Tom Wilson
Not Biff, but Tom Wilson.
He was on the Nerdist recently, and I highly recommend a listen if you get a chance. It's a podcast, free to download on your ipod. Makes for an excellent listen while running, paddling, driving, et cetera. Here's the link: CLICK ME FOR TOM WILSON ON THE NERDIST.
And, here are some of Tom's best songs for those who don't have a lot of time:
He was on the Nerdist recently, and I highly recommend a listen if you get a chance. It's a podcast, free to download on your ipod. Makes for an excellent listen while running, paddling, driving, et cetera. Here's the link: CLICK ME FOR TOM WILSON ON THE NERDIST.
And, here are some of Tom's best songs for those who don't have a lot of time:
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Topsy Turvy
This is for the folks at Surfer Magazine. I present to you the following counter arguments.
A. Reverse/negative nose rocker and fin on top. David Nuuhiwa:
B. Reverse/negative rocker, tail pad on the bottom, fins on top. PK:
C. Negative rocker, fins on top, and loving it. Dolphin:
Dolphin photo from here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/snarkphoto/2798308604/
Somewhere out there is a shot of Machado (if memory serves) on his board upside down trimming down the line.
So, what design elements work? All of them.
A. Reverse/negative nose rocker and fin on top. David Nuuhiwa:
B. Reverse/negative rocker, tail pad on the bottom, fins on top. PK:
C. Negative rocker, fins on top, and loving it. Dolphin:
Somewhere out there is a shot of Machado (if memory serves) on his board upside down trimming down the line.
So, what design elements work? All of them.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Paddleboards are not surfboards.
They're also not SUPs or kayaks or surfskis or canoes or any of those other things we're always asked.
Still, some people need a reminder.
Like me.
Or you can just cheat and not let go of the rails.
Still, some people need a reminder.
Like me.
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| If you stand, you can easily fall backwards... |
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| and almost lose your board. |
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| Or you can fall forwards... |
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| and almost lose your board. |
Or you can just cheat and not let go of the rails.
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| Weeeeee..... |
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The Saturday Paddle: October 1, 2011
Untitled by shshlens at Garmin Connect - Details
Fun mid afternoon paddle w/ John & Jack. Not setting any speed records. Just having a good time. Took the GoPro and the GPS... freaking nerd. That's me.
Fun mid afternoon paddle w/ John & Jack. Not setting any speed records. Just having a good time. Took the GoPro and the GPS... freaking nerd. That's me.
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| Set up. My board, Jack's board (w/ Jack) & John's board. |
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| Paddle out: John. |
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| Paddle out: Jack. |
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| And they're off... |
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| Pit stop at the 1/2 way point. |
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| Pit stop at the 1/2 way point. |
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| Jack coming in to Summerland. Nice tiny little bump. |
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| And letting the water do the work. |
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| On the beach... the full Santa Barbara experience. |
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| Riding off into the sunset. |
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