by The Editors on January 3, 2009
David Lee rides the A Train for the The New York Times and explains what it’s like to be a New York City surfer.
Contrary to so many surf destinations, nothing about the subway platform on Broad Channel Island suggests the approach of the beach. There are no bleached blondes talking it up, no garish surf stickers on public property, just the resigned faces of commuters in a place that could be anywhere grim. . . . We boarded the same shuttle with our disparate intentions, and within minutes I could see the sea peeking from behind a high-rise apartment building, the north wind holding up the waves, curling lips on cold dark faces.
Truth is: surfers around the world do whatever it takes to ride waves and if that means the A-Train and surviving the Rockaway locals, then so be it.
[Link: New York Times]
by The Editors on January 2, 2009
by The Editors on January 1, 2009
Santa Cruz resident Ryan Rittenhouse has apparently trademarked a logo for the Santa Cruz Surf Club (founded in 1936) and has been selling all kinds of merchandise without giving anything back to the club which created the logo. Now the surfers are suing to get their logo back and accusing Rittenhouse of elder abuse and trademark infringement.
In 2006, the suit alleges, Rittenhouse visited original club member Harry Mayo, 85, who keeps a “museum-quality” collection of club photographs and memorabilia. Rittenhouse asked Mayo to sign over the rights to the logo and photographs “so that people in Southern California would not be able to use the name and logo,” according to the suit filed late Tuesday afternoon. . . . Mayo was pressured into signing Rittenhouse’s documents without first consulting a lawyer or other members of the club, the suit alleges. Rittenhouse also told Mayo he wanted to sell shirts bearing the logo, the suit said, and would give part of the proceeds to the original club members. Rittenhouse has not donated any money, the suit said.
Looks like something only a judge and jury will be able to sort out.
[Link: San Jose Mercury News]
by The Editors on December 31, 2008
It is time to take a look back at the most viewed stories of the last half of 2008 (we went online July 1, 200). The posts listed below are ranked by the number of pageviews each received. Follow the jump for the complete rundown:
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on December 30, 2008
Fuel TV is finally living up to its potential with the recently release news that the cable channel will be broadcasting the 2009 Mavericks contest live on the Internet and in HD.
We’re excited about working with Mavericks to create a truly historic event—the first live webcast of a surfing event in HD over the Internet,” said Gene Pao, Fuel TV Vice President of New Media and International Development. “The quality of the viewing experience will really be unmatched anywhere online in the action sports world. This demonstrates that Mavericks is a true leader in bringing the best possible action sports experience to fans, and Fuel TV is proud to be a part of it.
The event goes off with only 24 hours notice sometime between January 1 and March 31, 2009. This should be good: especially since we threw the box in on cable months ago.
[Link: Fuel TV/Maverickssurf]
by The Editors on December 28, 2008
To us Alex Knost has always been “that RVCA guy with a cool haircut” who is in that band that we’ve seen dozens of photos of, but never heard.”
We’ve seen him surf in Thomas Campbell’s film Sprout, but obviously we haven’t followed along properly. Now, after reading Joel Patterson’s profile (which we’re guessing is/was from an old (or never published) issue of Water Magazine on Surfline.com) we’re a little bummed that we haven’t paid Mr. Knost more attention. But that’s what good writing does. Right?
Alex looks like a beat poet. At 23, he is taller than average, and he sports a hipster haircut and a tan so true one suspects foul play. He smiles easily and contagiously, though his default facial expression seems to be that of someone listening with purpose to a conversation he’s eavesdropping on: head slightly cocked, eyes narrowed, focus shifting.
With lines like that, how can you not read the rest.
[Link: Surfline]
by The Editors on December 28, 2008
The San Diego Union-Tribune has again jumped in on the SUP vs. surfers story with a piece on what’s going on in the water in Cardiff, California.
But the temptation to grab the wave is almost irresistible when one has such an overwhelming advantage, said Scott Bass, a former professional surfer, author and filmmaker who helped popularize stand-up paddle surfing at Cardiff Reef. “The animosity out there is pretty thick and it’s understandable,” said Bass, editor of Surfer magazine’s Web site. “And it’s because, no matter how hard we try to share, we’re almost always catching another wave.”
There’s much back and forth between the stand-ups and the shortboarders, but we keep coming back to the same question: aren’t the janitors supposed to clean up after the party is over?
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on December 27, 2008
We’re glad to see our favorite old supermodel still trying new things (with Rusty Miller no less). Elle Macpherson is 44. Can you believe that? But she still looks good in the water.
Click the link for the entire photo gallery.
[Link: The Daily Telegraph]
by The Editors on December 27, 2008
Bruce Strunk, 56, owner of Spunky’s Surf Shop in Fort Pierce, Florida who went missing Friday December 26, 2008 at about 9 AM after reportedly running by the bank to make a deposit was found alive 12 hours later. Friends and family has originally found his his truck “abandoned at John Brooks Park on South Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County” but couldn’t locate him.
“Mr. Strunk was found in some heavy weeds and brush east of the dune line about 9:20 this evening,” said Sheriff Mascara from South A1A where deputies located Strunk. “Our helicopter equipped with an infrared sensing device called a FLIR (‘forward looking infrared‘) located Mr. Strunk, and deputies were sent to the scene.“
He was taken to a hospital for an evaluation. We’re not even going to hazard any guesses on this one.
[Link: WPTV.com]
by The Editors on December 24, 2008
According to a new study released by Oregon State University surfers “unintentionally ingest 10 times more water than swimmers or divers, putting them at higher risk of contracting gastrointestinal illnesses when surfing in contaminated waters.” Having experience “shit-mouth” while surfing dirty third-world river mouths we believe it.
The results of this Sea Grant study could be useful to public health and environmental officials responsible for beach sampling and advisory thresholds. . . . “On beaches popular with surfers, for example, officials might want to consider lowering the advisory threshold because surfers ingest higher doses of water than swimmers,” said Anna Harding, a professor in the OSU Department of Public Health who collaborated with Stone on the study.
That would be a start. How about lowering the amount of pollution that gets into the ocean in the first place? Until then we’re following the advice of our old social drinking coach: swallow less, spit more.
[Link: KVAL.com]
