Surf Ride/Бурун Автомобиль

Sideburn has easily the most entertaining blog on the internet, even if you're not so concerned about motorcyles. A recent post of theirs sent me on an obsessive hunt for videos of Вездеход, or Russian off road/cross country vehicles, the best of which are garage built and just perfectly extreme. The above item for instance, add a roof rack (preferably welded on and made from a shopping cart or something, none of this branded soft rack capitalist weakness) and you'd be set for whatever Sakhalin Island or Baja has to throw at you. Meanwhile, as the previous Wheels & Waves post proves, there's a certain hip factor to the surf/motorbike crossover at present, and of course our Russian друзья have that sorted too...

As used to a nice looking motorbike as the crowd at the Venice Beach Deus cafe are for instance, I think that would turn heads as you roll up on it. And in true motorbike fashion Aleksandr manages to get the lovely (and probably blonde) Anastasia on the back, but best of all there's room for a board back there too....

It's On- Wheels & Waves 2014!

This insane influx of boards has not been without cause- they will be traveling to Biarritz in the south of France for a monster surf & motorbike event! The legendary J. Isaac of Cornwall has coordinated a fantastic bit of logistics so that we will be bringing the surf portion of the event. John has an unparalled selection of old ply sliders, finless madness and kneeboards while I'll be contributing the more mundane standup end of it all with a selection of Mackies (both flextail and 'normal'), Parmenters and a couple of Kidman shaped craft if I can get it all in the bags. It's an event celebrating custom bikes, so we're bringing the custom surfboards and should you attend and want a go on one, there will be some demos going down. Better yet we're overlanding from the UK in conjunction with the mighty Stevie Gee so this stuff is going to get seriously custom by the time we make it to la plage. Utterly stoked on it all obviously, and there will be a bit of time after the event spent in London, so if you're a UK or French reader and want to check these boards out let us know at info @ foamandfunction.com and we'll see what can be done. More on it all soon, and here's the event info

http://www.wheels-and-waves.com/

And Again....

Oh why not? A few more Mackies for your perusal....

These Will Also Do Nicely...

Yes, I am a sad case. 3/4's of the widowmaker selection, 2/3's of which are Parmenters.

Homeland Bonzer

Maz, from the old country, got in touch and in the course of an email exchange sent these amazing photos. He picked up a Russ Short model bonzer direct from Malcom Campbell not so long ago. Truly an iconic board in my mind, a classic bit of surf design and from the look of Maz's view an excellent tool in the circumstances. Could this be the most southerly Bonzer? Can't be too many further south than 41.34 degrees (roughly).

Garage Score

I love these stories- Rohan in Australia remembered his cousin having a pretty cool old Kryptonics board back in the day, and after a surf one day had a look in Cuz's garage, lo and behold the board is still there. Awesome old complete right down to the Sims wheels and skid plate, bit of grease and maybe some new bushings and you could bomb a hill I'd say. This is super cool, and the board Rohan pulled out of skip is making watertight is not a bad score either- hopefully pictures that when it's done will follow.....

Stephanie Gilmore by Andrew Kidman

Single - Studies of Movement - featuring Stephanie Gilmore from the Spirit of Akasha sessions by Andrew Kidman from Andrew Kidman on Vimeo.

Dave Parmenter made the surfboard, Stephanis Gilmore surfed it and Andrew Kidman conceived of it all and filmed it. Dave will make you one of the boards if you want, he made me one and I won't surf it with anything approaching even a tiny portion of the skill and grace you see Stephanie demonstrate here, but it's still going to give me some peak moments.