by The Editors on September 28, 2008
Famous brother and filmmaker Chris Malloy apparently had better things to do this weekend than to attend the world premiere of his newest film One Track Mind (like work on his next film 180 South). That did not, however, keep hundreds of people from lining up outside the Patagonia Store in Cardiff, California last night for the film’s two showings (the line for the second showing stacked up all the way to The Office).
One Track Mind takes a look at the world of progressive contest surfing through the minds and wave riding of current, former, and potentially future ASP champs like Rabbit Bartholomew, Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Taj Burrow, Rob Machado, Mick Fanning, Jon Jon Florence, Jordy Smith, Sunny Garcia, Dane Renolds, Kolohe Andino, and others.
Rather than the usual artsy, hippie, trip-out “Malloy” film, One Track Mind is a clean, concise documentary that could easily be a 2008 update to the classic 1990 Bill Delaney film Surfers: The Movie.
In interviews the surfers explain what it’s like to try to be the best in the world and how each generation builds on the past to push progression forward. The interviews are interspersed with amazingly tight action sequences that almost become boring in their brilliance.
Follow the jump for the rest of the story. . .
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on September 24, 2008
Looks like there was no magic for Kelly Slater in his final against Adrian Buchan. Kelly stuck at it with 11 waves, but could only come up with an 8.43 and a 6.73. The Australian edged in with an 8.17 and a 7.75 with 9 waves total.
[Link: Quiksilver Live]
by The Editors on September 23, 2008
The Christian Science Monitor is paddling into the “battle of the boards” as things heat up at the ‘Bu thanks to stand up paddlers invading the lineups. And who is the go-to guy for all thing SUP? San Diego surf talk radio host Scott Bass.
“SUP is a throwback to what true watermen all aspired to do, and once you try it, you’re instantly hooked,” says Scott Bass, a San Diego surf talk radio host. “But it’s also a curse.” . . . Mr. Bass, who prefers stand-up surfing when the waves aren’t big enough for shortboarding, says SUP is like having too much of a good thing. . . . “People see stand-up riders catching waves and suddenly they’re everyone’s enemy,” he says. “There are some beaches where there’s such a negative vibe that stand-up surfers don’t even step foot in the water.”
And it’s true. Malibu City Councilman Jefferson Wagner thinks they should be banned.
“Stand-up paddle boarders should be banned from the surf zone,” says Mr. Wagner, who owns Zuma Jay, a surf shop that is a Malibu icon. “SUPs are too large and bulky for a person to control around other people.”
For the rest of what’s SUP, click the link.
[Link: Christian Science Monitor]
by The Editors on September 23, 2008
by The Editors on September 22, 2008
We knew we should have flown down to Del Mar today. Looks like the the US Commerce Department hearing over route 241 tuned into more of a yelling and screaming, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Despite repeated warnings to maintain decorum, supporters and opponents of the proposed state Route 241 toll-road extension both cheered and jeered dozens of speakers at a public hearing Monday. . . . At times, some of those in the crowd of more than 1,000 drowned out the speakers. “Stop the lies,” yelled a woman from the audience.
Leave it to the engineers, construction workers, and unions to think that stopping this new road is all about them. For a surf-industry perspective check out Sean O’Brien’s story and photos on Surfexpo.com.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on September 22, 2008
The biggest Trestles toll road hearing yet is going on today at the O’Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, California.
The U.S. Secretary of Commerce scheduled the hearing to get public input on the controversial 241 Toll Road extension that will reportedly have a huge effect on one of the continental US best surf breaks. The issue has grown even larger since the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council jumped into the fracas.
While it’s too late to speak at the hearing, it’s never too late to show up to support the cause. The hearing runs today, September 22, 2008 from 10:30 AM until 8:30 PM. If you live in SoCal, there is still time.
[Link: Save Trestles]
by The Editors on September 19, 2008
Globe International Limited released their 2008 annual report today. And while the document contains loads of interesting information (like the fact that the company suffered a $24.6 million net loss in fiscal 2007/2008) we dove straight to the “Key Management Personnel And Top 5 Remunerated Executives” section (page 34), because we love knowing how well our friends are doing.
Here is the breakdown of salaries plus cash bonuses:
Matthew Hill $948,222
Chief Executive Officer
Matthew Wong $554,490
President – Europe
Gary Valentine $433,271
President – North America
Marc McKee $421,263
Graphic Designer
Bod Boyle $381,507
President – Dwindle
John Sherwood $344,879
Vice President – North American Sales
Steve Douglas $233,129
President – Australia
Jessica Hogan $213,129
Chief Financial Officer
Gerhard Correa $154,700
Company Secretary
And this “salary transparency” is just one of the reasons that it sucks to work for a publicly traded company. Though, it obviously doesn’t suck that much for many on this list.
[Link: Sydney Morning Herald]
by The Editors on September 19, 2008
Maverick’s surf photographer Don Montgomery has left his hometown of Pacifica and moved to the Sierra near the town of Placerville, but his friends wanted to give him a proper send off party.
His buddy and business partner Eric W. Nelson, a big wave documentarian and videographer who produces all of the Maverick’s video films (also the first person to shoot Maverick’s from the water on a surfboard), was behind the party. Eric told Montgomery in advance there was going to be just a little farewell get together. What Nelson did not tell his friend is that Mayor Jim Vreeland would be on hand to officially proclaim the day the “Don Montgomery Day.”
Montgomery’s early photographs of Maverick’s stunned the world when they were first published in Surfer magazine in 1987. In 2007 his photo of Shane Desmond at Maverick’s won the surfer the award for largest paddle-in wave. A lot of surfers are going to miss Don, especially when they’re throwing their asses on the line.
[Link: Pacifica Tribune]
by The Editors on September 19, 2008
Surfline.com has amazing photos from Greg Long and Mark Healey’s trip to China where they surfed a tidal bore on the Qiantang River for close to 12 miles.
Greg Long and Healey zigzagged and carved through our familiar zone. But once they shot Bridge #6 together, the river bent and the wind turned offshore. Rippable sections popped up all over the place. We were forced to forge ahead, much to the dismay of the Communist Government officials, because there was no way for the guide boat to punch through the eight-foot wall of whitewater. And this was our precise excuse for forging past our boundary during the final day.
Click the link for all the photos and the rest of the story.
[Link: Surfline.com]
by The Editors on September 19, 2008
Newcastle, the latest in what seems like a string of gay surf movies coming out, is premiering in its Australian namesake city on October 29.
The film is a the coming-of-age story about three young surfer brothers growing up in Australia, according to a story in The Hearld.
While rising surf star Jesse chases waves and girls and battles his resentful older brother, a former surfing champion, misfit Fergus develops a crush on one of Jesse’s macho mates.
The film was written and directed by American Dan Castle who says he “wove aspects of his own experiences as a surf-mad teen into his Newcastle script.” In a humorous twist of irony, the film is being distributed by actor Mel Gibson’s company Icon Film Distribution.
[Link: The Hearld]
Famous brother and filmmaker Chris Malloy apparently had better things to do this weekend than to attend the world premiere of his newest film One Track Mind (like work on his next film 180 South). That did not, however, keep hundreds of people from lining up outside the Patagonia Store in Cardiff, California last night for the film’s two showings (the line for the second showing stacked up all the way to The Office).
