Sand In My Joints

From Terra Australis comes the above: new Mackie/Fibre Flex boards. Carbon Fibre rails, EPS foam and heavy duty epoxy glassing. Close to bullet proof and from the look of the shapes really fun. There's a model in between these two as well. Serious bottom concaves, pulled in profiles- these things will fly and I'll share more as I get it- check Mick's site though, he has a section for them with more pictures. Some ways north of these Kidman is hard at work and reports that the Brown Birds From Windy Hill hit the studio this week to record the soundtrack for a new Michael Peterson film that's due very soon, and there's two new cinematic offerings due from Andrew himself in 2009, the first being a collaborative venture that should appear in the early part of the year. Again, I'll keep you updated- all a ploy to make you come back to the blog. Recent Socal swell has been interesting as it's coincided with mega tides (in my window of opportunity anyway), so a bit of finesse has been required. The points were good but according to one of the gladiators out at Malibu this past weekend, a bit hectic. I opted for the beachy as always and managed to time the tide/wave size and sand banks to get some really fun peaky stuff yesterday and a bit more walled and thumping earlier in the swell. Yesterdays session did involve surfing in about 30 foot visibility from the fog though, and it was weirdly fun. Pelicans appearing out of nowhere, dolphins I could hear but not see and a couple of seals hanging around. The problem with the beach break/swell/high tide combo was as always that around those fun peaky little runs it gets pretty dredging, although being used to alter the bottom contours of the Santa Monica Bay a few times was a small price to pay for a couple of hours of solo walls.

Cold World

photos by Joe Curren

Just as this current socal heatwave was kicking in, Joe sent a few photos from his Alaska trip. Whole 'nother world as they say. Surfed in North County on the flextail. Still utterly stoked on it.

3 (It's The Magic Number)

Despite being the twin fin obsessive I am, winter is the time a young man's thoughts turn to the mighty three fin cluster and something serious to pit them against. I'm hardly young anymore, but here's the business as sculpted by Tim Griffin- a serious looking widowmaker for his personal use ("..watch out Blacks"), and one for the ladies in the form of a Lynch team board for Serena Brook. She's going to charge some waves many of us would rather not deal with on that thing, and do it with confidence. Fine work indeed. I'm not alone in these thoughts, Joey at Grey Ghost beat me to the thruster punch with a Brewer post and even RK is getting in on it all with the oddest tri you'll see this year over at Hydrodynamica. Bring on them waves.

Garageland

Straight from the shed in Ulladulla comes a new and fine surfboard. What we have here is a 5'10" sidecut fish, little over 2.5" thick and with Futures boxes and a set of Rasta 'Sea Shepherd' cutaway keels. Mick has once again done a very fine job with the details being the gems- beautiful stringer and a nice double concave happening, and of curse the O.G. Southerly Change logo. Someone needs to buy this thing so I'm not tempted to ride it myself. Which reminds me, if you're in the Santa Barbara area this weekend, come on by the 2nd Annual Santa Barbara Surf Swap Meet. There's going to be all sorts of vendors, new and used stuff and I'll be there with books and the Mackies I have in stock at the moment. Apparently last year's was a roaring success and as the surf looks like being crappy you may as well come handle some gear. On the internet the latest addition to the literate fun available is Jamie Brisick's blog, Wrestling Elephants. I've linked him, check it out as he's got some great tales of the surfing life up. I've lagged on posting and can't even use good surf as an excuse, but there's been a few photo gems turning up so I'll be back on it this week I hope.

Rub & Scrub

Bailed on an open day to surf on Weds and instead spent the day cleaning house which turned to be far more rewarding than a day battling little waves and big tides. I not only have a more comfortable residence, but I found my sunglasses which had fallen down behind some books, the Duchess made an excellent and extravagant repast (accompanied by foaming ales) and I finally pulled these shirts remaining from the tour out to photograph. The yellow ones are hand screened by Kidman using the same screens he makes his art with, and were limited to the 20 or so he brought up. What you see here is what's left, and the catch is they are all size medium. (I'd be keeping the Kenvin & Spoons one if it were a large.) The white shirt is the infamous 'Completely Untrustworthy' tour poster that got us reviled by the surf-art community. Original Kidman sketch making fun of us that RK pounced on and put on white cotton T's, much better range of sizes- S, M & L for the ladies, M, L & XL for the gents. Prices are $35 postpaid in the US for the Kidman screens, $25 postpaid in the US for the 'Untrustworthy'. There's also still copies of Ether itself available of course, and it's an ideal christmas gift for the surfer you want to make very happy. Email consafos at earthlink.net for orders or info as always. I did head out on Friday and was utterly happy I dragged my arse out of bed. The SaMo beachie was moderately crap, but there was a bit more size and power than we've seen in a long while, and corners opened up so I could not only give the flextail a few good runs down the line, but actually got to throw a little spray on top turns. I still went down the mines on some closeouts, but it was a far better day than had expected. Of course it didn't hold and Saturday was not much good, more closeout than shoulder and the size bottomed out fast as the tide came up and I obviously should have gone north as planned, but the good Friday and crowd fear threw me. All of which reminds me, Mackie has updated his website and there's some nice new pictures up- take a look via the link over on the right. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, (and not just because I want you to buy one) but the Mackie boards are the business. Mick is playing with board design elements in a forward thinking way, and he's delivering. Between the Casper and these boards it's like being a grom stoked on surfing all over again.