On Empty Streets

“Maybe there is no Heaven. Or maybe this is all pure gibberish - a product of the demented imagination of a lazy drunken hillbilly with a heart full of hate who has found a way to live out where the real winds blow—to sleep late, have fun, get wild, drink whisky, and drive fast on empty streets with nothing in mind except falling in love and not getting arrested...”

- Hunter S. Thompson

PHOTO GALLERY | Baggin Waves

Back in August, Kyra and I borrowed a pair of Victory Motorcycles (the mid-sized Octane and a full-dress Cross Country), then proceeded to pack wetsuits, swim fins and an inflatable surf mat onto the bikes before making our way from Southern California to Seattle, riding waves and windy roads along the way. The story about our adventure was recently published by Outside Magazine (read it here). The number of photos Outside was able to publish was limited to just six shots, so I thought I'd share an assortment of images that both Kyra and myself took while riding up the West Coast.

S U R V I V E

Everyone has been at home watching Stranger Things. I've been listening to this shit on my motorcycle.

Can't say for certain...

Just spent a week in the woods filming a short sci-fi motorcycle thriller movie. Stay tuned...

Action Bronson

Been listening to a lot of this guy lately... Also, this video is excellent.

Baggin Waves

Can't divulge the details, or too many images for that matter, but basically we've been riding a pair of Victory Motorcycles from Southern California to Seattle, with inflatable surf mats, wetsuits and swim fins strapped to the tail. Check the #BagginWaves tag for a few photos, and stay tuned for the full story on Outside!

Azizi Gibson

What I've been listening to lately...

The UNKNOWN Ride

Currently obsessing over this sorta shit. Dyna culture, Harley wheelies, loud paint and even louder bikes...

Nine Foot - Vol.II

Because enough is never really enough... Shot and edited by Arturo Dedace.

You Should Probably Go To Puerto Rico

If America is Budweiser, then Puerto Rico is Bud Light Lime; the lighter, maybe I’ll have one-too-many, Caribbean step-sister of the USA. It’s affordable, relatively speaking, offers a wide array of cultural oddities and a plethora of tropical treats that make a box of Mike & Ike’s look like kid’s play. And so with that said, allow me to explain why Puerto Rico should be your next ‘adventurous vacation’ destination.

The Plastic Camera Project

It happened at the Hard-Off, what the Japanese would call a thrift store, but what I would describe as a lightly-used shopping experience, where last year's Omega Submariner and DSLR cameras go to die. Or to find a new home if you're a frugal American looking for a steal. Anyhow. While browsing the used camera inventory, my eyes crossed paths with a bright blue plastic camera sitting on a shelf. Round1 was written atop the hot-shoe, and a price tag with a meager sum was siting beside it. Something like $10 when all was said and done. I had to have it. What the fuck it was, however, I had no idea.

Japan is notorious for gifts and gift giving, so when we discovered this was a prize someone might win at the local Round1 bowling alley, it all started to make sense. It came complete with cardboard box, filters, a flash and an instruction manual... in Japanese. I picked up a few rolls of cheap 35mm film and fired away. I took the camera to Italy a few months later where I covered the efforts of a few friends racing in the Sardegna Rally. After that it traveled with me on more than a few surf trips in Japan, to include a week long stay on the Izu Peninsula. Before departing Bousou Island, I entrusted my new toy to my friend Rabbitt. I instructed him to shoot a few rolls and share the shots. We'll see what happens. What follows, however, are a handful of photographs I took with the camera in Italy and elsewhere.

The Abundance Model | Matt Cone

My high school lacrosse coach on spreading yourself a little thinner, and for good reason...

Aubreyus & Dej Loaf

What I've been listening to lately...

I'm Pretty Sure You Suck

A photo posted by Justin W. Coffey (@justinwcoffey) on Apr 14, 2016 at 1:51pm PDT

I've gotta be honest, you and I probably wouldn't get along all that good. It's nothing personal, I just don't get on with that many people, especially all you 'surf enthusiasts.' I don't like the kind of music you like, the kind of car you drive, your dolphin friendly diet, and our political opinions are probably about as far apart as they can be. I like bad rap music, El Camino's and Box Chevy's on big wheels, 12-gauge shotguns, two-stroke dirt bikes, rye whiskey and people that I can get good and fucked up with and not have to worry about what I say. I keep my circle small. And I don't trust anyone. I guess I just figure it was about time I said something. I used to put a lot of music on here that I don't really listen to, videos that I couldn't care less about, and occasionally something perhaps a little too personal - like dribbling on about my divorce, or marijuana induced ramblings about being on the road forever. The reality is, I'm pretty sure you're interests and mine are at opposite ends of the spectrum. And that we probably wouldn't get along if we ever met. Sorry. You can still read this shit, but I think I am going to stop posting the sort of stuff I think you'd like, and instead share the kind of nonsense that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Like this photo of my godbrother Kell and his son Malcolm squattin' hard next to my 95-year-old grandfather's Chevy Avalanche sitting on 22's.

Nine Foot Single Sixteen

Footage from Deus Ex Machina's annual 9ft and Single competition at Canggu, as seen on SurfStitch.

Transcendental Delusion

Cole and Caelan Burford surfing a variety of pig shaped Hobie Surfboards somewhere down south...

Scenes From Silverado

I picked up an old Ricoh FF-90 point-and-shoot camera about a year ago. I found it at a thrift store in Sequim. I think I paid $2.00 for it. The first few rolls I burned weren't bad. It was fast and fun, and something I could shoot shitty Kodak through when I came across it - you know, the expired stuff, or the box of Fujifilm 400 you find in the bins at your local Goodwill. Anyhow. I shot a handful of photos while we were visiting Mike and Cindee a few months back. Nothing to write home about, although I am pretty stoked on the shot of Kyra taking a shower outside (BEWARE OF BUTT!). What follows is the result of my most recent roll - what will likely be my last with the ol' FF - as it's time to take the new T2 out for a spin!

SUNDAY

Solid shredding from some of those dudes down under. Shot and edited by James Smith.

A Nightmare of Note

I had a nightmare the other night. The kind that startles you out of sleep and won't allow you to go back bed. A perplexing experience. I was running late to catch a bus to go to a class that I was already late for. I was in Washington, as evidenced by the damp grass and grey skies that surrounded me. It was either early morning, or perhaps shortly after sunset. An ambient light was just over the horizon and the air was cool but not cold. I was walking along a narrow stretch of trail that ran alongside a parking lot for some kind of massive shopping complex. Negotiating my way around some caution tape that was laid out in an oblong shape directing me around some unknown obstacle, I felt anxious.

I looked at my watch - it was nearly nine. I hurried. The trail twisted out ahead of me - a lone stretch of single track across an otherwise empty grass field. Just as I was about to enter a dark space in a tree lined patch of woods, what appeared to be some type of tunnel that would eventually lead me to my beckoning bus stop, a voice called out... "Part of you is ready to meet him, but part of you isn't." At that moment a man, or maybe a creature, shrouded in darkness came bounding toward me down the path from whence I came. It traveled in a neolithic fashion, hunched over using its arms to propel itself forward at a pace I couldn't outrun. But I tried. It was too dark to see. Too dark to know what it was. I ran, looking over my shoulder, trying to decipher what was chasing me, and why. All I knew is that I wasn't ready to encounter it. Whatever it was. And that I needed more time. As the creature drew close, its shadow enveloping me, I called out, "No! Not yet," holding my arm outstretched in an attempt to prevent this thing from doing its bidding. And then I was awake.

Finstinct

Corey Colapinto surfing some empty So Cal spots. Shot and edited by Evan Adamson for KORDUROY.tv

#Scouts_Honor

Been offline for a bit. My bad. As you may or may not know, Kyra and I just rode an Indian Scout and Scout Sixty from California to Key West. A story highlighting our adventure - dubbed #Scouts_Honor - is being featured in eight parts on Motorcyclist Magazine's website. You can also expect to see something in the July issue of their print publication. In the mean time, read all eight of our online updates HERE.

Leche Miel

"Nathan Adams and Kameron Brown travel to Central America to visit their friend Benny Geren, and the favorable surf conditions of the region." Shot and edited by Thomas H Green for Almond Surfboards.

Future Islands

What I've been listening to lately... Can't tell if I'm more mesmerized by the sound or the showmanship.

GREY

I don't really miss living in LA, but I definitely miss these sort of mornings... Keila Moniz cruising Malibu.

Have A Great Flight

What I've been listening to lately...

MOTHERSHEAD

Sliding C-Street accompanied by the sounds of the Simple Symphony English Chamber Orchestra.

Dragoon Brewing Company IPA

Unbeknownst to me, there were a lot of alright IPAs being brewed in Arizona prior to our arrival. SanTan's HopShock and Moon Juice, AZ Wilderness' Refuge, Mother Bunch Brewing's Old Skool and Black Hole's Comet IPA are all solid sippers. Now if you know anything about me, you know I like my beer bitter, with all the IBUs and at least 6% ABV. My math works like this: 70 IBU and 7% ABV is just about perfect, assuming the "brewmaster" has a palate that I'd appreciate. Anything over that 7% ABV mark will have me chewing my face and talking like a pirate.

Considering the fact that I'm rather particular when it comes to my IPAs (I recently poured a few down the drain... I know, FOR SHAME!), I was pleasantly surprised when we wandered into the Dragoon Brewing Company in Tuscon, AZ and they poured me a pint of their IPA. What they consider 'West Coast Style,' the Dragoon iteration of an IPA is "deep gold in color, featuring a dank, herbal, citrusy hop aroma supported by a sparse malt backbone. It is appropriately bitter, with a relatively high alcohol content." So there you go! At 7.3% ABV and 83 IBUs, it's a pretty perfect match with my brilliant Beer Math.

Available in four-packs at Whole Foods (at least in AZ), Dragoon's IPA is a damn fine beer that might be better than most of the IPAs featured in our Brew Reviews. That said, and like a lot of other wonderful beers being brewed by small shops all around America, it's hard to find, easy to drink and will leave you wishing you'd gone for the growler.

Dedicated to the Craft: Matt Chojnacki

Did I run this already? Does it matter?! Check out this short film featuring Matt Chojnacki. SHREDDER!

Silver Piston + Hobo Shane

A few months ago, I asked my buddy HoboShane Hunter to carve an R2-D2 likeness onto an old Mercury dime. Shane then shipped the coin to Steve from Silver Piston who turned it into this epic ring. Needless to say, Kyra was stoked when I surprised her with this one-of-a-kind ring. So, if you're unfamiliar with either of these fellows, I suggest you take a look at what they do. Their collaborations are quite incredible. And if you're in the PNW this weekend, be sure to stop by The One Motorcycle Show and check out Steve's stuff!

Eleven Foota

Petey Johnson riding an 11-foot 1967 Hansen surfboard. Video brought to you by Birdman Media.

The Six-Pack Pizza Mission

I'm not going to get too deep into the details, but lets just say that Kyra and I rolled hard and fast from Redlands to San Clemente in order to pick up a six-pack of Swami's. The mission, part of our forthcoming #Scouts_Honor adventure, was a simple one. We needed to break in our new bikes, as well as our butts. Neither one of us had ridden a foot-forward, V-twin powered cruiser of any kind... So this was sort of test run. Would we like this kind of motorcycle? Would the sound of American Thunder flow through our veins forever after? Or would we regret our idea to ride across the country on a pair of Scouts? Like I said, I won't throw too much information at you - we'll save that for our digital updates on Motorcyclist Magazine - but I can say that the bikes surprised us, the beer was worth it and the long, straight slabs of blacktop that separate Southern California and the desert we've decided to reside in this winter were mind-numbingly boring. Follow the link for a few photos.

One Day in Port A

Our upcoming #Scouts_Honor adventure will take us through the Southern States.

Perhaps we should plan to spend a few days in Port Arthur?! Anyone have a board I can borrow...?

Blind Love

What I've been listening to lately...

California to Key West

After two years of off-road adventuring, we’ve decided to change gears, ditching our small dual-sport bikes for the promise of on-road comfort courtesy of classically styled American V-twin cruisers. They’re the kind of bikes - and audience - we're wholly unfamiliar with, which will make this adventure all the more fun. Because before we set eyes on the new Indians, you’d have been hard pressed to talk either one of us into riding a cruiser of any kind.

Lust at first sight, the latest iteration of the Scout pushes us ask for more out of motorcycling - to take an honest approach to the unknown, and then offer an honest opinion. Why Indian? Because they’ve crafted beautiful American bikes that are modern, unassuming and approachable. And with the help of Motorcyclist Magazine, we are about to embark on the Great American Motorcycle Adventure, riding a Scout and Scout Sixty from California to Key West.