Out of the Darkness

Justin Quintal in the second episode of his four part Peru series. Filmed and edited by Drew Miller.

Almond Women

Our friends at Almond Surfboards & Designs have just unveiled a new line of women's apparel. Inspired by "the spirit of the sea," Almond's new apparel includes an assortment of woven shirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, pants and skirts. Every piece is made in California with an emphasis on year-round wear-ability and a focus on natural fabrications and colors. Click here to see their collection.

Escape From Bigfoot Country

Here's the second installment from Trevor Gordon's surf journey to the heart of Bigfoot Country in his custom camper. Filmed and edited by Jeremy Koreski, Erin Feinblatt and Ian Durkin.

The Day of...

The cast of Bella Vita reunited at Rincon late last month. Brought to you by Bing Surfboards.

Tellason's Fleece Lined Jean Jacket

There are only a few things that get better with time. Wine is one of them. Leather is another. I suppose cars, motorcycles, and even surfboards acquire character over the years, but unlike other things that will naturally age no matter the owner, denim is something that differs from person to person. The patina, the wear pattern, the holes and the split seams. Denim is different. Almost alive. And every pair of pants (or jean jacket) looks different than the next, effected by its owner and his or her lifestyle. Maybe you work on motorcycles; covered in oil and petrol all afternoon. Or perhaps you spend your weekends in the woods, hiking over hills or camping along the coast. Each of these activities changes the way it wears. The way it smells. Which is why, perhaps, we become attached to a particular pair. We wear them when we ought not to. Long past their prime. After all the indigo is gone, and the back pockets have huge holes. But that's when they're best. Because there's something comforting about a proper pair of pants, or the jean jacket you've kept in your closet since you were sixteen. Canadian Tuxedo? Sure. But there's nothing better than some damn fine denim. Handmade in America. Aging alongside you. Till your wife won't let you wear it.

Dead Kooks & Friends

Eden Saul, Lachlan Leckie and Andy Macpherson surfing near NSW. Filmed by Jackson O'Brien.

Surf Wagon: Almond Surfboards' Sixty-Five Falcon

Our friends at Almond Surfboards have one of the coolest Surf Wagons we've seen. A classic California car, Chad's 1965(?) Ford Falcon station wagon is as cool as they come, especially when the back end is loaded with logs! Click here to check out some of the different sticks they have for sale.

Troy Mothershead at C Street

Dylan Gordon shot this beautiful bit of film at C Street for our friends at Iron & Resin.

Hombre En El Mar - Part One

Justin Quintal in the first episode of his four part Peru series. Filmed and edited by Drew Miller.

From the Phone - Vol.4

It's been awhile since I cleared the cache. Photos from my phone. Images that have been altered, shared, Instagram'd, etc. Albeit less interesting than other images, phone photos are, however, a window into ones life. What happens during their day. The things that surround them and garner their attention. You get it. So follow the link and take a look at some of the shit I've uploaded to Instagram in the last few weeks.

The Adventures of Woody and the Blue Ox

After building a camper in the bed of his Jeep Comanche, Trevor Gordon embarked on a mission to find surf in the heart of Cascadia. Filmed and edited by Jeremy Koreski, Erin Feinblatt and Ian Durkin.

This is Snow Fun!

The stairway was narrow, turning toward the top before opening into the upper car of the Coast Starlight, an Amtrak train that travels from Seattle to Los Angeles. We boarded around 9:30am, planning to be in Portland in the early afternoon. Our objective was The One Motorcycle Show, a now twice annual gathering of custom built bikes and the people that play with them. This would be our third year.

An excuse to escape one city in exchange for another, this year's show was held in an otherwise unused warehouse on the south side of the city, a space that can house more than 150 motorcycles. Snow showed up the day before the show, though. A cold front moved into the area, leaving the city of Portland covered in more than eight inches of winter wonderland. Hence our decision not to drive.

Our friend Chris had offered us both a place to stay and a ride to and from the train station. His two-wheel drive Chevy creeper van, equipped with chains, was "unstoppable," or so he said. The train ride, my first since I was seven or eight, was a slow experience; albeit better than risking the well being of our automobile. By the time we crossed the border into Oregon, the windows on either side of the train looked out onto snow covered trees, farmland and tiny little towns I had never seen before. We wondered how well Chris' cargo van would handle what lie ahead...

Chris was waiting outside the train station. His Xtreme edition Chevy van, with which he hauls motorcycles to race tracks, was warmed up and waiting. Assuming the snow would not cease, we headed straight to the show. The streets of Portland on this particular day were all but empty. And so we slid sideways through every intersection, Chris and I commenting on apex's and appropriate entry points as we went. Unlike other years, there were very few motorcycles sitting outside the show. We wandered in, past a crowd of cigarette smoking showgoers, and began what would be our first and only night of attendance.

Knost Central

Alex Knost surfing somewhere in Central America (ca. 2012). Brought to you by Taylor Bonin.

Time-Warp Vacation

Mikey Lay and James Parry surfing somewhere last summer. Shot and edited by John Eldrigde.

The Downward Spiral of the Surf Obsessed

I have closed my eyes... It's obvious. Blinded by a deep desire to become better, to surf like someone other than myself, I've given time, money, unmeasurable amounts of energy and to some extent - perhaps most importantly - a lot of my life to becoming better. "Bullshit," you say, "you're not wasting your time or energy!" Surfing is good for the soul, etc. It connects us with nature, with water, with the essence of our existing (I'll save my breath for this bit, as I am sure you've heard it all before). But I'm not so sure I still buy into all that business. I'm beginning to think I've lost a lot of opportunities, a lot of time, and certainly a lot of money. I'm beginning to think there are other things out there, things that are in fact more enriching than this surfing stuff.

I suppose it started during the weeks after I returned from a fifteen day surf trip to a rather crowded but otherwise awesome spot in Costa Rica. Returning to colder climates, surfing in a suit, driving four hours in Fargo - these things almost always suck. But this time was different. This time I felt (feel, depending on when you're reading to this), that there was something else I ought to be doing. Riding my motorcycle, mostly.

While we search for waves every weekend - driving two-to-five hours in any given direction, scoring sometimes, being skunked more often then not - we weren't really exploring other areas. Albeit necessary to some, surfing the same spot(s) over and over again is limiting, to say the least. And while we have surfed other areas: Oregon, California, Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii and even Israel, I feel as though surfing keeps us close to home. The idea of living inland or landlocked is fully frightening. And herein lies the problem...

Save for a few days during the summer, I've been off my motorcycle for two plus years. Riding at a rally sponsored by a company I keep as a client, I couldn't help but feel as if I've spent the last two years living without something I find incredible: the sound of speed, fir trees flying past my face, the backend of my bike coming loose around a corner, climbing, accelerating, escaping.

And so here I sit, confused as to what exactly I want, wondering if this wave riding stuff is really worth all, or even some of my energy. Wondering if I should instead spend my time searching for a smile, in whatever way I can acquire one. Motorcycles, maybe, but more importantly not limiting myself to one spot, one source. Diversifying my stoke supplier.

Tony

Tony Stephens surfing Malibu aboard a 9'6 Zamora Surf stick. As seen on Longboard Retro Days.

The One Motorcycle Show (2014)

Now in its fifth iteration, The One Motorcycle Show is a three day thing starting at 6pm on Friday, February 7th and ending around 3pm on Sunday, February 9th. The show, which will be held in a beautiful brick building on the corner of SE Morrison St and SE 10th Ave (map), will feature more than 100 motorcycles built by El Solitario MC, RSD, ICON, See See Motorcycles, 4Q Conditioning, Loaded Gun Customs and Classified Moto (plus many more), as well as 21 helmets decorated by an assortment of artists. If you're interested in attending (it's free, you fool!), additional info is available here.

Now For Then

Mikey DeTemple made this fantastic short film for Jack Spade, highlighting their S/S '14 collection.