Waves and Ways

Progress Project recycled Longboard bag

2012-01-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

Progress Project Longboard bag
Boardbag built with Upcycled materials--Made in AMERICA

For most of my life, I have been a fan of products made in America. This affinity for such things can be attributed to the fact that when growing up, when I bought something, the first thing my father would ask me was where it was made. He has always been this way because America gave so much to him as he worked his entire life for America. Which brings me to my latest purchase. A Progress Project Longboard bag. After acquiring a Takayama DT1, I needed a board bag for it. At first I swapped out my Scorpion and used its board bag, an Ocean Earth Global Travel Series bag, which is a decent bag. But that was just a temporary solution because it was a tight fit, give the DT1 was a 9'2" and the bag was a 9'0". So I did the next thing, I went to the local surf shops to see what was in store. Now I don't go into the local shops all too often, because I don't wear surf clothes, just not my style. But for the board bag, I went. And I was sorta shocked with what I saw. Virtually everything that I looked at was made in China, from the leashes to the traction to the board bags. I went to at least six shops, from the megashops such as Jacks and HSS in HB, to the Frog House in Newps. They all carried the same usual suspects, Destination, Dakine, Ocean Earth, Prolite, FCS. But none that really were inspiring. In fact, they all looked sorta the same with a different logo slapped on them. Probably because they were all made in the same factory in China. I wasn't impressed at all with the bags, especially the Dakine bags, they have turned into garbage. I have a 10'0" Dakine board bag, silver material, super strong zipper, made in Oregon, USA. And what I saw at the stores were garbage. tarpaulin material is really garbage that doesn't really protect your board.

The recycled material had previously been a banner for a surf contest in San Diego.

The first thing I did upon the bag's arrival was to check the stitching and the material

The expandable tail section is done without the use of zippers, unlike my Ocean Earth bag, which has a blown zipper.

The finslot also has a YKK zipper. Not sure why board bags even have zippers or velcro at the finslot.

So I searched on the Internet for a bag; eBay, Craigslist, no company had what I wanted at a reasonable price, a decent bag, non-tarpaulin material, made in USA. The surf industry jumped on the cheapest at all cost bandwagon and sent manufacturing to China. I then came across a company called Midnight Products in Garden Grove. It makes a decent looking boardbag right in Garden Grove. You could customize it based on your preference, bare bones, day bag, travel bag. I then came across another company called WaveTribe, and they had a hemp based bag, made in America. I emailed WaveTribe, and their available hemp bags were 10'0" at the time, too big for the 9'2" but the guy there, Derek, turned me on to the Progress Project bag. Progress Project is based out of Encinitas, CA and uses used billboard material to build a fairly killer board bag. They call the process upcycling, because the billboard material cannot be recycled, and the only thing that you can do with it is throw it away, use it as cover on farm crops, or repurpose the PVC material into something else. Progress Project decided to build a better boardbag (among other things) with this material, right in Encinitas, CA.I ordered the bag on Dec. 10, and wondered how it would turn out, what the PVC material was like, I had no clue. I sent Progress Project owner Noah Johnson my dimensions, explaining to him that my board wasn't a noserider (as most of the board bags on the market in this size are designed for noseriders). I also explained that the board had glass on side fins. I sent the dimensions in and waited. I then got an email about three weeks later with a photo of the bag and was told it would be arrive the next day.

YKK zippers

Bag quality
Upon arrival, I pulled the bag from the box and got a cursory feel for the material. The material is heavy. I then inspected the craftsmanship, going over every stitch and observing how the bag was assembled. I was stoked with the craftsmanship. I was surprised at the weight of the bag, and am overall highly satisfied with the board bag. The problem with today's made in China boardbags is the materials used. While the major manufacturers offer polyester fabric-based bags, these bags were over the limit in which I wanted to spend, AND I don't know of one surf accessories company that uses YKK zippers. My Ocean Earth Global Travel series bag has plastic zippers, one set which is blown out due to lack of quality. And the use of tarpaulin material is a joke. I've never liked tarpaulin material because it is weak and doesn't adequately protect your board like polyester-based material. I have a 10'0" board bag that has polyester on one side and the tarpaulin material on the other. There is a rip in the tarpaulin material that has pretty much ruined the bag. The only reason that I can surmise the surf accessories companies use tarpaulin is cost. Tarpaulin is the cheapest material to foist upon a gullible surf public. The stuff reminds me of a lightly laminated potato sack. The surf accessories companies need to come up with a stronger material because spending $80-$100 for a bag that is only going to last several seasons is going to get old quick, especially given how long most people keep their longboards.But they don't care to innovate and companies such as Progress Project will step in and offer a quality product.

The Progress Project bag has several features worth noting. It has an expandable tail area to accommodate glass on fins in longboards. Johnson does this without having to add a second zipper like the Ocean Earth bag. The bag also has a tail pocket within the board bag that further envelopes the tail of the board. The zippers of course are YKK, the best in the business and the stitches are super strong, akin to the beautiful welds that you see on a finely handcrafted bicycle. You just know it when you feel it. Another notable factoid about the company is it donates a portion of its sales to environmental causes.

First Impressions
So far, so good. The bag has hit the parking lot at Blackies and has been in the fine dirt of the Sano parking lot, and aside from a few nicks caused by loading my board while the bag was on the ground, there is nothing really to write about. The white bottom tends to get dirty, but that is an indication that you are going surfing, and the bag is doing what it was intended, to protect the board. And with the cost of good longboards hitting the $1000+ mark, and even used ones going for $750, spending an Uncle Ben and some change is a wise investment to protect your board. The Progress Project longboard bag exceeds in quality any other boardbag in the $120 price range. I'll be updating this page in a few months to let you know how the bag is holding up, but I suspect it should do just fine.

9'2" Progress Project longboard bag
$130
$20 shipping
TheProgressProject.org

2011-12-13T20:54:00.001-08:00

The environmental effects caused by the SURF INDUSTRY

2011-12-13T20:53:00.000-08:00

The effects of the surf industry on the environment are pretty astounding. WAKE UP, and support sustainability.

Created by Envirosurfer: Eco-friendly Wetsuits & Surf Clothing.

2011-11-16T20:50:00.001-08:00

OK, now this has got to be hella fun.

Long-Lining from BASE-Book - Matt Gerdes on Vimeo.

Solo Slide at Oceanside

2011-10-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

The Model T does not disappointToday, as is most Sunday's the last few months, was a solo slide day again. Trace couldn't make the trip, Kevin works Sundays as a golf pro, the busiest day of the week for him, and Takayama, well, Michael is Michael, hard to get out of bed, waiting three hours for the tide to change, or whatever, I went solo again to OceanSlide, a 50 plus mile slog through the concrete jungle of the OC to surf the South Jetty. Because the forecast called for a fat tide coupled with a dying south swell, I rode the Model T. Was it worth the drive? Absolutely. Do I thouroughly love the Model T? ABSOLUTELY. For those who don't know, the Model T was created in the late 80s early 90s for a certain surfer named Joel Tudor. Single fin square tail, 60/40 rails with heavy glass. It seems to be a more modern version of the Nuuhiwa Noserider, a board Donald designed and created while Donald was shaping for Bing. While HPD claims the board is more ideal for "shoulder high to ankle small" I've ridden it in more punchy conditions, and it still holds well in the pocket. It is just a fun board to ride. Today I explored the capabilities of the board in what started out looking like a swampy session, at least from the initial look while putting on my wetsuit.Paddling out, the winds were offshore, causing the seemingly anemic waves to stand up a bit. It wasn't howling offshore, you know, those devil winds that cause the waves to barrel, but rather, it was just enough wind to pick the waves up a bit, give them a slightly more hollow feel than if no winds were blowing. The first several waves were a bit swamply, but then a few sets rolled in, and I dropped in on a few fade left then crank the board right waves for some pure funness. Once you get the hang, the 10 footer turns with authority, and I love the butter smooth, almost effortless bottom turns I was doing with the board. After the turn on several waves, I crossed stepped up to the nose and planted five in the pink, keeping my back foot behind for stability. The Model T just screamed down the line and I got a mini coverup, then got spit out. Not too bad for a day that called for ankle to waist high surf elsewhere.I knew the call going down was the Model T and the waves cooperated. While the rest of the guys in the water were struggling on their shortboards, I picked off wave after wave with the 10 footer, a few that took more to get into (and waiting for the wave to gain speed, which shortened the ride considerably), but the other few where the fade left crank right was employed I was loving it. With the early morning offshores, changing into the suit was a reminder of the upcoming winter, the water though is still not yet freezing. I did look for my hood though, to no avail. Overall, the two hour session was worth the trip, especially given my sessions have been cut from 3-4 days a week to a single Sunday surf surfari. Gotta make the most with what is thrown at you, and today, I did.

Takayama DT-1 ride report

2011-10-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

Takayama DT-1 ride reportI have ridden my new Hawaiian Pro Designs Takayama DT-1 exactly twice since I acquired it. It is still an unfamiliar board, but will take some time to get a feel for. The first ride session was at Blackies on 10-8-2011. The waves were smallish, sorta weak really, and more tuned for the Model T than the DT-1. Since the waves were uneventful, I couldn't really comment on how it rode, SO, today, I went for a slide down in Oceanside. In between the North and South jetties to be exact. There was an extreme high tide, offshore winds, and the NSSA juniors contest going on, hence the session between jetties. The contest had the south jetty all to the competitors. I was able to finally get the DT-1 into some semi decent waves. Actually I got a few that were semi-decent. I took off on a right, it was sorta a late drop, and the board just locked in on the drop in. I did a super smooth bottom turn and the board then straightened out, ready to go where I pointed it, but sadly, the wave was controlling the situation and it just died out. I loved how the board responded though on the drop in. It was like butter. It was one of those days where the wave looks good, but then dies out quickly. The high tide really screwed it up a bit. Another wave I got, a left, enabled me to scream down the line and get some turns in, but it also died out rather quickly. A few more waves, including a super late drop where I was standing but then got hammered by the whitewash was really all there was today, so I can't really formulate a solid opinion on it. One other thing, the center fin that I went with, a Guy Takayama Orca 8-inch fin, I am still not sure if that is the right fin for this board, but that is what is in there right now. I want to get the Takayama DT-1 into some hollower waves to see how it responds. Right now, the jury is still out.

Where is the Stoke?

2011-10-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Who are these people? and why are they here?I overheard this statement from a long time Newport local at Blackies on a crisp Sunday morning in November. Blackies was firing, it was crowded, and there were a heck of a lot of "new" surfers in the water, riding softtop, pop outs, old logs, and everything in between. I don't personally talk to the guy, but I've seen him in the water over the last eight years I've surfed Blackies, and he has dropped in on me just a handful of times. Sure the spot was crowded, as most any spot in Orange County, California is, but his statement in my mind is what is wrong with surfing today. Where is the stoke? or better yet, why is it so hard for California surfers to share the stoke? As surfers, we are often still misunderstood, even though more and more Coastal Americans are picking up and joining the throngs that have existed in lineups since I started surfing in 1978. We have experienced quite a bit, from the neon days of the 1980s and the movie North Shore, which at the time most surfers I knew and even surf magazines thought was the kookiest, lamest surf film of all time, but has actually stood the test of time, teaching new generations exactly why people should surf in the first place; to Kelly's domination of that aspect of surfing that drives the "surf industry," to Joel Tudor and the throwback days of riding old school boards.

So, who are these people? Everybody was a kook once in their life. Some still are. "These" people are those who are newly minted surfers, barneys if you will, who enjoy surfing for the stoke of it. They are a fact of life in virtually every local lineup, all over the world. They are pursuing that part of surfing of which that longtime Newport local, and by extension many other competent surfers who are in it, but don't want to share, have lost; The stoke.

So where did the stoke go? Surfers are getting stoked in all corners of the globe where the sport and lifestyle was previously enjoyed by just a select few, mostly expats. For example, in the Philippine Islands, the surfing subculture, a mere 20 or so years old, is thriving. For these Filipino surfers it is all about the stoke. While they certainly enjoy surfing as much as us here in the United States, they have not yet succumbed, (at least I don't think that they have) to adhering to that early 80s punk song My Wave by the Surf Punks. Most surfers in the Philippines don't maintain a huge quiver of surfboards, they are just stoked to be out in the water surfing on the board that they have under their feet. They don't have 10 different sizes of the same thruster by Channel Islands, they don't have 10 different sizes of the same hull by Greg Liddle, and they don't have 10 different sizes of the same longboard by Donald Takayama.

Most have a single surfboard and most surf not for the fashion of the trendiest name brand board, but rather for the enjoyment of the sport. Popouts are hugely popular in the Philippines. Ride a popout at Blackies and you'll get stinkeye from many of the locals of that surfspot. "Popouts have no soul" or "They chatter when it’s choppy" are the common arguments as to why these boards are so maligned, but they do work, and isn't it the surfer who has the soul and not the equipment that they ride? Of course it is. As with the construction of a surfboard, be it completely by hand, machined and then the ripples smoothed out, or a popout, a surfboard is but a tool for which a surfer expresses him or herself. Many surfers will never know that many so called shapers out there can't craft a board from a block of foam, rather, they rely on the curves of a "pre-shaped" blank, and build the board off of that outline. There is really nothing wrong with that, as the process is made easier, but don't call yourself a shaper if all you are doing is turning rails and sanding a few ruffles off a CNC'd blank. But alas, there are shapers out who are fooling the buying public with their shaping "skills" when in fact they lack in them.

How do I know this as fact? It goes back to 1981, when I was riding my cruiser home from Kmart one day when I was a freshman in high school. I happened upon an open garage door and heard the sweet sounds of a planer. I ventured in to that shaping shack, and met Jaime, the man who would shape my boards until I graduated high school. Jaime grew up with Greg Liddle and now runs the CNC machine at a local factory here in Orange County. And he has seen all manner of shaper come through the factory, and I have heard stories about this shaper and that, how some can actually shape a board from a block of foam, such as Tanner Prairie, and how others (no names will be mentioned but you know who you are) can't even smooth the ruffles off a board that came off the CNC machine.

Sorry for getting off on a tangent. Where is the stoke? Oh yeah, the stoke. Well, the stoke is wherever you want it to be, be it at your local lineup with a few friends (like when myself and my new friend Bryan caught the Point all by our lonesome, riding LOGS no less, or with the brothers Takayama, Trace, and myself catching epic OceanSlide with nary a soul in the water, or at Lowers, with a pack of groms, chasing every scrap that MO threw at us), it is where you want it. It is not with that surfwear company that has a slogan "Created to Destroy," or another that milks the heck out of a world champ, refuses to acknowledge the guy had a drug problem, and then when he dies, says he died of Dengue without even knowing the facts, or that other surf "lifestyle" manufacturer that hijacks a Hawaiian name, slaps a fishhook logo on sandals made in China, and then sells them to a gullible public to the tune of $120 at your local Sport Chalet, where is the stoke in that? That's right, there is none. If you are going to claim Hawaii, employ people in Hawaii and make some sandals in Hawaii. Why outsource to China. While people are free to spend their hard earned money on whatever they want, be wary of this company or that company, or the flavored shaper of the month. They are not all as they seem. They may claim to have the stoke, but in reality, you can't sell stoke.

2011-08-27T08:08:00.001-07:00

Larry Bertlemann, Hawaii circa 1970

2011-08-20T22:32:00.001-07:00

Larry Bertlemann 16mm Shredding - Sea Movies from www.KORDUROY.tv on Vimeo.

Paddle out for Timmy O'neill

2011-08-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Blackies crew had a paddle out for Tim O'neill, one of the most progressive surfers at Blackies. Tim was an older guy, having grown up surfing during the late 1960s-early 70s. He roomed with the father of Al Knost in Hawaii for several seasons, until Mr. Knost up and joined the army and went to Vietnam. Tim was one of those hardcore longboarders who absolutely ripped on a longboard. Although his board was a single fin, he rode it as if it were a 2+1, not really a noserider but a power surfer. In the short time that I knew him, we traded waves almost everytime we were in the water together, and we complimented each other on our surfing ability. There was no bullshit that I could feel in any of our conversations, which is surprising given that Blackies is sort of a bullshit place where some people tend to be more full of bullshit than anything else. Thank god the bullshit people didn't show up at Timmy's paddle out. I was just talking to Trace on our way to Doheny this morning about who showed to pay respects to Timmy, and we both said, nearly in unison, that the mean people of Blackies didn't show up. That was fine and all. The tribute was fine without the nonsense.

At any rate, bye timmy, and catch some lefts for me in heaven.

Al Knost at malibu

2011-07-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure this is the day my fb friend buji brownlegs was at Malibu. Al's shredding as usual and Tanner, well, Tanner's Tanner, a great surfer and shaper.

Alex Knost : Summer Shreddin' at the Bu from buji brownlegs on Vimeo.

Five OHver

2011-07-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Surfed with Trace this am at Church. Passed Old Faithful blowing in the winds. . . offshore winds at the Rip Curl store and took a gander at lowers as we exited Basilone Road. Sweetness. Was micro from the road, and even smaller when we went over the bridge over looking Church. Parked and looked at Church, then the Point, then Church, then the point. We decided to go to Church. We lugged our Model T's down the beach. Dang that 10fter is HEAVY. DId the rock dance and paddled out to less than a handful of people surfing the micro waves. But it was worth the walk. No winds, the water was warm, Glassy and an occasionally peeler came through. Caught my first wave with 5 Oh over ever on the Model T. Was super stoked to plant five toes. Was the wave of the day, must've been a 20 yard nose ride. I love when it works out like that. Walked back to Sano and it was a zoo, plus the wind shifted direction and we decided to call it a session. SUPER FUN.

Surfing Sorsogon

2011-05-19T07:43:00.003-07:00

Cloud 9 Philippines teaser

2011-05-05T19:54:00.001-07:00

2011-02-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Kai Sallas ripping at OceanSlide

Gavin Beschen surfing Cloud 9 in the Philippines

2011-02-02T08:44:00.001-08:00

Blunt Magazine

2011-01-29T06:54:00.000-08:00

A new online magazine covering the surf scene in the Philippine Islands

Check it

http://issuu.com/blunt_magazine/docs/blunt-02

2011-01-20T14:49:00.000-08:00

Donald Takayama's Model T is designed primarily for noseriding. However, it does surprisingly well with this type of ankle slapper.

5'6" Takayama Scorpion Quad

2011-01-03T07:58:00.000-08:00

Before you open an account with Eagle Community Credit Union

2010-12-31T14:18:00.000-08:00

Before you open an account with Eagle Community Credit Union of Lake Forest, CA, Read the fine print. Here is an exchange I had with the president of my credit union, Bill Birnie of Eagle Community Credit Union in Lake Forest CA. I opened an IRA to the tune of $2000. Eagle Community Credit union charges a yearly "maintenance fee" currently pegged at $10. For those of you familiar with interest rates these days, the $10 "maintenance fee" wipes out any accrued interest for a $2000 IRA, and even digs into the original principal. So, before you "invest" in any IRA from this credit union, or any other credit union that charges such "maintenance fees", read the fine print, as I failed to do.

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Birnie
To: 'jvirXXX@aol.com'
Sent: Fri, Dec 31, 2010 10:23 am
Subject: RE: Eagle Community Credit Union annual IRA Maintenance fee

Good Morning!

I wanted to take a moment to follow-up with you on our conversation back in July about the maintenance fee for IRA accounts.

In October I formed a Committee to review all fees and service pricing. Among other things, the Committee recommended that the IRA maintenance fee remain intact. Eventually, I concurred.

We will be publishing our 2011 Service Pricing Schedule with the mailing of December 2010 statements. I know that the maintenance fee was an issue for you – so I wanted to let you know in advance that we chose not to make a change. While I hope you have found value in your membership with Eagle Community Credit Union, I certainly understand that you have to do what is in your best interests.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday weekend and a terrific 2011!!

Bill Birnie
President/CEO
Eagle Community Credit Union

(949) 639-7832
(949) 639-7996 (fax)

23021 Lake Center Drive | Lake Forest, CA 92630

From: jvirXXX@aol.com [mailto:jvirXXX@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 6:17 PM
To: Bill Birnie
Subject: Re: Eagle Community Credit Union annual IRA Maintenance fee

Dear Mr. Birnie,

Thank you for taking the time to actually answer my letter. What concerns me is small investors saving for retirement like myself will have nothing left of the initial investment when the IRA matures. For me and my economy, $2000 is a lot of money to place in an IRA, especially in these times, but to have a $10 annual "maintenance fee" assessed every year on this amount of savings to recoup the "additional" costs associated with the creation of the account is ridiculous. I can understand if this was a credit card account or a checking account, which are used daily, but this is supposed to be an instrument for retirement, a sort of set it up and not worry about it type account, the main reason why I set this account up. Like I said, I have another IRA set up with a different credit union, and it does not charge any type of annual "maintenance" fee. There are no costs involved with that account, and I have watched it accrue interest and grow, albeit slowly, yet surely, and without any incurred fees. I was hoping that this account would do the same. I appreciate you getting back to me and I look forward to read whatever changes, if any, are made to benefit members who don't have large sums of money to put away for retirement.

Sincerely,

John Virata

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Birnie
To: 'jvirXXX@aol.com'
Sent: Tue, Jul 13, 2010 5:09 pm
Subject: RE: Eagle Community Credit Union annual IRA Maintenance fee
Good Afternoon!

Again, please accept my apologies for not responding to your request sooner. I wanted to read through our disclosures and gain a firm grasp on our procedures for opening IRA accounts before I responded.

The reason for the fee is to recoup the additional costs associated with the creation and maintenance of IRA accounts as opposed to other account forms.

The fee is disclosed on our Fee Schedule and should have been explained to your at the time your account was created. Given your comments, I will assume that my staff did not explain the fee to you. Again, please accept my apologies. It appears that we need little training in this area.

I will reverse the fee.

In the fourth quarter of each year we convene a committee within the credit union to review all fees and charges. We will take a good long look at this fee to ensure that it is commensurate with the costs. This particular fee is assessed annually on June 30th. We will publish any changes to Fees and Charges during January 2011. This should provide you an opportunity to see what changes we have made and decide what, if any, actions you may want to take in regards to your IRA account.

Thank you for your membership with Eagle Community Credit Union!

Bill Birnie
President/CEO
Eagle Community Credit Union
Where community counts...
one member at a time.
Email: bbirXXX@eaglecu.org
Phone: (949) 639-7832
Fax: (949) 639-7996
Web: www.eaglecu.org
From: jvirXXX@aol.com [mailto:jvirXXX@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 2:04 PM
To: CEO
Subject: Eagle Community Credit Union annual IRA Maintenance fee

Takayama Model T

2010-12-19T01:46:00.000-08:00

Takayama Model T

I have been wanting a Takayama Model T for many years, and finally, one was made available. I put an ad out on Craigslist for a traditional single fin noserider, and one respondent offered up his 10 ft. Model T, which of course I jumped at for a more than fair price. Put it this way, I could turn around and sell it for $250-$300 more than I bought it for. This Model T is the old version, not the T2. It was shaped by Donald not off a machine (this is per Donald's nephew Michael, who I grew up surfing with) using a Walker foam blank. It has heavy volan glass, no knee patch but a tail patch, T-band stringer, and boxed fin. It came with a 9-inch Takayama Pivot fin. Other than a snackle on the nose, knee paddle dents, and some rice paper discoloration on the bottom, the board is quite sweet.

How it rides
In a word, beautifully. I was expecting the board to be a bit unwieldy, given the size, but it was actually quite easy to ride. My first outing with it was at Blackies on a rather fast day, not really conducive to noseriding, what the board was made specifically to do. I actually was surprised how the board handled in the punchier surf. Blackies was crowded, as there was a swell in , a swell that wasn't holding very well in other spots. Shortboarders were out en masse and the vibe in the water was typical Huntington beach Pier, meaning the vibe was negative. You had guys turning around in front of you as you paddled for a wave, which is typical of HB pier. I dropped in on several serious waves and had a blast, garnering some decent full round house cutbacks in the process, which was a total surprise. Unlike a high performance board, like my 9'0" Scorpion, you can't really pump the Model T. You really just go with the flow. Turning the board was surprisingly easy, hence the ease of cutbacks. I was able to get a fast noseride going left, but had to back pedal after a while as the wave got too hollow for my liking. It was a leash day, and I wore a leash.
My second go out was at super small Blackies, which was two days after that Thursday. No leash, which is the way to go with this board, was the call. I had a super fun time catching the ankle to knee high runners, and was able to work on the footwork and placement.

The third outing was at a secret spot in OceanSlide with the Takayama brothers, Michael and Larry, and my surf friend Trace from Costa Mesa. This was by far the best day. We were the only surfers out for two hours and we were working with a decent southwest swell that was producing both rights and lefts. I really worked on my noseriding, and even got a super clean layback barrel on this overhead left. Michael and Larry were giving me props on that wave, in addition to Michael's noseriding advice from previous waves. That is one thing I really enjoy about Michael, and that is his constructive criticism that he lays on me as I practice the craft of noseriding. He got his advice direct from the master, Donald Takayama, so I take his advice to heart.

In all the Model T is a keeper. I am super stoked I chanced upon it, and for such a great deal. Thank you Mr. Gordon for the killer deal.

Takayama Model T review

Wipeouts from the last 40 years

2010-12-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

Style Evolution: Wipeout from The Glassy Knoll on Vimeo.

Andy Irons RIP

2010-11-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

You left us too early, AI.

Andy Irons Tribute from Brian Bielmann from M. Scott Mortensen on Vimeo.

The OC and Entitlement

2010-09-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was California Coastal Cleanup, part of an international effort to clean up the world's beaches. Juliana and I went down to Brookhurst Street in Huntington Beach. She actually did a good job seeking out the plastic, fast food wrappers, cans, your basic beach trash, and placing the trash in her little bucket. After about 15 or so minutes, she, being the 3 1/2 year old that she is, got bored and decided to play with some other children who were building a sand castle. So, not having proper beach provisions, I sat on the bucket next to the kids and watched them play, about 15 minutes later, this older man, probably in his late 50s early 60s, comes out of the water and says "There is the whole beach to choose from and you decide to block my view." I was at first sort of shocked, but then again not surprised considering these people think they own the whole damn beach.

This is the OC after all, lots of assholes live here. So I said "sorry about that" and proceeded to move about 2ft to the right of where I was originally sitting. Which I am sure pissed the guy off because I heard him mutter "Unbelievable" under his breath as he walked back to the water's edge to rinse off his wetsuit. If the guy was courteous, and said something like, "can you move a bit buddy, you are blocking my view" I would have had no problem moving away from him, but he was a total asshole, like a dog marking his territory, so, in essence, I made no real effort to move, because 1. he was a total asshole, and 2. my daughter was playing right next to where he was sitting. I was waiting for him to say something adverse, being the dick that he was initially, but when he came back from rinsing his wetsuit, he said to me, "your daughter is really cute." Which in of itself defused the whole situation. While it is true that I would have blocked his view, nobody was sitting there when we first arrived, and I thought it not a big deal to sit next to where juliana was playing. But the guy was such an asshole, an entitled, wrinkly, American scoun who owns the whole damn beach.

20 years later a surf subculture thrives in the Philippines

2010-09-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

If ever I was wrong about something, it is about the Philippines progressing. Well, I can't really say if it has gotten better, but judging on the surfing culture that was virtually non existent 20 years ago, it has blossomed into a full fledged subculture. Back in 1987, when I shipped two surfboards to the Philippines inside my cousin Marlon's Toyota 4Runner, I had no idea that I would ever get to use the boards. It wasn't until 1989 that I was able to use them, albeit at a small beach break south of Manila called Matabunkay Beach.

In 1985 I was in the Philippines for three months with no surfboard, and Typhoon Saling roared through, coming from mainland China and causing 100 deaths and more than $68 million in damages. After the storm, my Uncle Ramon wanted to get out of the house, so he and I drove onto the Coastal Road for a typical Sunday drive. Although the destruction of the nipa huts, and alimango stalls was depressing to see, along with felled palm trees and water everywhere, what really caught my eye were these perfect little lefts that somehow made it through Manila Bay and were breaking just offshore, a stones throw from the Coastal Road. These were hollow barrells that were a bit fast, but totally makeable. It was a constant barrage of waves with no interval between. I asked my Uncle to stop and I watched the waves roll in, one after another after another. Perfect shape, top to bottom. It was then that I realized that the Philippines was a potential surfing mecca that will rival Indonesia.

In 1989, I surfed Matabunkay with a new found friend Joselle of BF Paranaque, whose family owned a cement/ brick company off of Sucat Road, my then wife Rosalynn (who boogie boarded), and a local guy named Rolly, who was the resident king of Matabunkay Beach. When we arrived at the beach, the waves were small, but shreddable, and I paddled out right away. Joselle being a big mestizo, rode a Dewey Weber Performer. Almost immediately, two menehunes came out and started dominating the peak. They were not more than 12 years old, but were already ripping. One was riding a finless thruster while the other was riding a thruster with a side fin and the center fin. They were having a blast and we traded waves for an hour or so before Rolly called them in. He then came out and started to rip. I was trading him maneuver for maneuver; off the lips, cutbacks, floaters, until he went switchfoot. I couldn't do THAT!

Fast forward 20 years and Philippines is truly the new surf mecca. While Indo has Uluwatu and the Mentawais and Nias, Philippines has Cloud9 and Majestics. I've spent the last 10 years going to Hawaii every vacation and should have went to the Philippines. I've missed the country grow up surfwise. Now there are contests, a thriving surfwear culture and endless possibilities to get tubed. Bring me my passport to surfing heaven.

Hang 10, Dude

2010-07-28T22:08:00.001-07:00

The Surfers Pro Shop is closing down

2010-06-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

I just heard that the Surfer's Pro Shop in Oceanside aka Donald's retail store in Oceanside California is closing down. It in no way affects Hawaiian Pro Designs. The shop wasn't run by Donald, but rather a Japanese company called K&T Enterprises. Sad deal because the shop is actually pretty cool. Donald was there almost everyday, and there was even a shaping room in the back of theshop, in what is the garage area. I spoke with Donald's nephew, and he had all kinds of theories as to why the retail store was going out of business, but at any rate, its a sad deal. I am hoping that someone can step up and save that place, because it has been there for a long time.

Takayama Noah Ka Oi/56th Street ASShole

2010-06-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

My surfing friend trace just got a like new Takayama Noah model. It's a 9'0" white resin tint 2+1 with no gloss coat. I was able to ride it at Church last Tuesday, and it was surprisingly easy to ride. First wave I was on the nose with it. Take off and it immediately finds the pocket. Run to the nose. Second wave was just as fun. Trace rode my Guy Takayama GWAT and I think he had fun with it as well. Second or third wave he drops in and sets up, tucks under for a barrel run,. right in front of me and gets a cheater five, five toes over a 7'2". And then wipes out. I dive a bit under, bail on his board and pop up. Everything ok no harm no foul. It was a good day.

On Thursday we decided to surf 56th street in Newps when this complete asshole pulls up behind me, steps out of his car and says "I might not run you over here, but in the water, I'll run you over." Total asshole young punk. Trace chimes in, "We might laugh here but in the water we won't laugh." Then this guy, in his 20s, who drives a black A3, takes off his shirt and wants to kick all our asses. "It is a good day to go to jail, then he mouths off that we come to his local break, blah blah blah" Total localism asshole. Except I have been surfing West Newps before he was even born. So Trace called the cops on him for threatening us. I mean we are all in our late 30s, I am in my early 40s, and I have been surfing for 30 years, with the majority of it up and down West Newport, including 56th street, and this total dick wants to fight us because we didn't agree with his boorish behavior. He wants to go to jail for fighting us? Fine. Rich daddy will probably bail him out. I can't afford to go to jail, and I wouldn't even fight the guy, unless he threatened my family. That is the only fight that is worth fighting. So to the asshole who drives the black A3, don't even bother trying to drop in on me, because you might just get stung by a Red Scorpion.

Staying Shacked

2010-06-03T14:13:00.001-07:00

The new Howard Special Mini

2010-05-11T19:28:00.001-07:00

The new Takayama Howard Special Mini.

Over at Mitchs they've got a few new versions of what looks like the Flow Egg, called the Howard Special mini. This board looks super fun. 6'10" to 7'6" with a sanded gloss and tweaked v in the tail as well with Jack Jenson tuned side fins and Larry Allison tuned center fin. Can you say speed?

Church, SANO, and 38th St

2010-05-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

Paddled out at Church yesterday, one of the first south swells of the summer and got absolutely hammered on the paddle out by consecutive waves on the head. Usually, when Church is firing, you can paddle out to the peak from the side. Yesterday the waves were closing out at the shorebreak, and there was no real "channel" to paddle out to get to the peak. I was seriously going to give up trying to make it outside when I finally made it out. Exhausted, the sets were well overhead, walled and ugly. Kevin caught a good right that held up, and he took it to the beach. I got the next one which was a semi close out. Dropped in, got a few pumps down the line then it closed out. We then went to Sano

San was more of the same. The shorepound was unforgiving, and we met up with Trace and Austin. I finally made it out, but the waves were shifty. I spent the entire two hours chasing ghosts, and caught just five waves. Kevin was on fire, with his wave count into the double digits. I had a bad day with the Red Scorpion. The waves were essentially gutless big gobs of mush, but the Scorp spun out on the first wave I took, the fins for whatever reason didn't hold. On the second wave, I stepped on my leash (Big days, I wear a cord), third and fourth waves, I didn't even feel comfortable on the board. It felt like a whole different board than what I was used to. Just a crappy session. It wasn't any fun at all. I did talk to Liz, she is one of the Takayama riders, not sure if she is a team rider but she is pretty cool anyway.

38th St. Newport
Now I haven't surfed any jetties in Newport for a long time, at least since Paul moved to Hawaii. Today, I went down and found a parking spot, and paddled out at 38th st. First shift consisted of the groms, going for a session before school. Second shift could've well been the groms dads. Waves were definitely better than Sano yesterday. Hollow, with an occasional overhead barrel. I had a blast on the Red Scorpion. The lefts were coming in pretty consistently for the first hour and I scored several hollw lefts, placing my arm in the barrell (and filling the armsuit with water in the process) just for fun. I got maybe 8 or nine solid fun waves, and a host of smaller fun waves. I love Red Scorpion again.

Donald Takayama Scorpion 5'6" Quad at Lowers

2010-05-06T21:06:00.001-07:00

Kassia Meador and Donald Takayama at the retail store

2010-05-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

My Favorite surfer

Takayama Scorpion Surftechs

2010-04-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Help me win a Takayama Scorpion Surftech!

Hey all Facebook users, Please vote for me and Frog House to win the West wetsuit contest. If I win, I get to spend $500 at TK's Froghouse, and get a new West suit! and help Frog House in the process.

HOW TO VOTE:Here is how you can vote for me . Copy and paste ActionSportsNow.com into Facebook's search bar and "like" them.

Click on the poll question, Then you can vote for me in the poll

http://apps.facebook.com/opinionpolls/index.php?pid=ABJT0fuv3iw

If I win, I can get a scorpion surftech and give you my unvarnished opinion on how it rides!

Surftech and Hawaiian Pro Designs will ship Takayama Scorpion Surftech models this summer in 5'10, 6'4" and 6'8 sizes in single, twin, 2+1 and quad fin configurations. Yup the board is going to support all those fin setups. Now my Scorpion is a 9'0 and it is really a great board. I am excited to see how these Scorpion Surftechs sell, and am eager to try one out. I hope to try one this summer if I can get my friend Michael to take me to his uncle's shop where I am sure a loaner model will be. If they work good, and I can't imagine that they wouldn't, I'd like to get my hands on a 6'8" model, hopefully in yellow or red. We'll see. I can always get a traditional foam board planed on the computer and finished shaped, but I am really interested in the Surftech model, after all, its the surfer and not the board.

There is a certain stink regarding Surftechs in California, the so-called purists don't like them and call them garbage yada yada yada. There is one particular craigslist surfboard salesman who really doesn't like them. Screw those idiots. Its a surfboard, and I don't care what people think regarding what kind of board I ride. I personally have only ridden two, an In the Pink and an Al Merrick Water Hog. I've ridden the ITP surftech at overhead Blackies as well as super fun Diamond Head. I could care less about the water hog.

Sano in Slomo

2010-04-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I surfed Sano today. Drove the turbo benzo for the first time in a month. We were initially going to surf Church, but the Point looked good enough, so we paddled out. I rode the last longboard that I have, the Takayama Scorpion (aka Erki Sommer model). The waves were a bit on the soft side, typically for Sano, but there were waves from the South West that is in the water. We surfed for about two hours and it was pretty fun. The cool thing about Sano, especially when it is slow, is you can take off with four or so other people and not get in anyone's way. Kevin rode the Scorpion for the first time, he got several super long rights, and I think he enjoyed riding it. Water is warming up, around 62 degrees or so. And it was super clear, at least on the reef before the paddle out. A few hotties were in the water, including Tammy, an Indo friend of Mona. Also talked to the Buy my Bikes owner, he's had the shop for 32 years, which is a dang long time. No pics today.

Church

2010-03-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

Trace and I surfed Church today. Kevin and I looked at the usual spots and they were not picking up the swells, though the cliffs had good size if a bit walled. Kevin couldn't go down south so I picked up Trace and we headed to Sano. Sano was a bit mushy when we got there so we walked to Church. Church was firing, not perfect, but it had size, with the sets going overhead. Dano was out on a shortboard. Most of the surfers were riding thrusters. Trace, me, and maybe three or four others were the only ones with longboards. I had a blast dropping in, cutting back and then just hitting the turbo benzo button. It was really pretty fun. The rights were pretty long, and if you caught the first of the set, you got pounded going back out. I then saw Dano drop in on another guy, full on snake drop, and the guy was spazzing at Dano for dropping in, and Dano finally pulled out of the wave. My last wave, a guy on a longboard dropped in on me, and while he got stuck on the top of the wave, I just started pumping up and down, up and down. I gained some speed but couldn't catch the guy, and I then headed it in. It was actually a pretty fun day. Got home around 12:30.

Alex Knost on a Model T?

2010-03-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Breakfast at Blackies from RVCA on Vimeo.

Holly Beck Barrells

2010-02-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

Holly Beck showcasing some cool goPro video she shot from her board cam.

Swell remnants

2010-01-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

There was still some remnants of the swell from Tuesday lingering today, Thursday. The water still hasn't cleaned up from the storms, but its slowly regaining the color back (that's not brown, yuck). Water was pretty chilly today. Rode the 8'8" Takayama noserider with some degree of success, but not a whole lot. I just wish it was a 9'0". Will ride the 9'0" tomorrow. Hope there are still waves.In the mean time, enjoy this video of Takayama team rider Noah Shimabukuro ripping some big surf on Maui

Solid Blackies for a day

2010-01-27T20:11:00.000-08:00

After the initial big swell dropped off on Sunday a bit, Monday got small, but then yesterday a new swell came up and Blackies came alive yet again. The waves were solid, head high to slightly overhead peaks. Really good with some juice. Surfed for a few hours before work, traded some peaks with Kevin S. and had a really good time on the Scorpion. Water cleaned up a tad, but was still a bit dirty from last week's rains. Not too many folks out, and I inadvertently dropped in on a guy, who took off later than me. I didn't see him and was about to wrap it around when he let me know he was behind me. I then pulled out immediately, saying sorry as I ended what was a pretty good ride. He still rode the wave in and we talked briefly when he paddled back out. Totally cool guy. Anyway, here's a YouTube clip I found via Board Collector's blog.

Dirty Blackies

2010-01-23T16:31:00.001-08:00

Surfer/Photographer Bart Tuck sent these photos of Blackies on Saturday Jan. 23, 2010. The waves were pretty much going off, except for that brown tinge of hepatitis, staph infectionitis, cholera, and all other mad diseases that flow out to sea during a big storm. Hope nobody gets sick, cause the water looks like poo.

Storm Blows over

2010-01-22T21:26:00.001-08:00

After a week of rain and wetness, it appears that things may dry out for a spell. Below is some of your basic trash that washed up on the beach at Blackies.

Surf in Long Beach

2010-01-20T18:23:00.002-08:00

And they say there is never any surf in Long Beach. Sink the breakwater!

Surf in Long Beach

2010-01-20T18:23:00.001-08:00

Sunday Blackies

2010-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

Surfed Sunday from 7 to around 930 this morning. Swell was still in the water but not as clean as Friday. The lefts near the jetty was working but walled. I caught about three or four lefts on the 9'8" Junod, and discovered that the board needs sidebites when the waves are hollow. The board kept spinning out even with the 9.75-inch Greenough 4A. I'm looking for some Future sidebites for the board, because spinouts are no good.

Surf Friday

2010-01-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

There was good surf at Blackies today. Surfed this morning before work andenjoyed some pretty solid swell from the W that rolled through this week. Although Friday was supposed to be the tail end of the swell that started mid week, it was still solid 4-6ft. The place was totally crowded from HB interlopers, but I still was able to get a fair share of good set waves. Super glassy today and even saw Jaime, the surfboard shaper who used to shape my boards when I was in high school. Caught three or four solid rights and as many lefts, and on the last left, I got stuck inside and watched this one guy I know from HB catch three waves before I could even get out, so I called it a day. It was a relentless set of about 10 waves, of which half I got on the head and had to bail on my board. I was just really stuck inside and decided to give it up, already have surfed for two hours.

Flat Blackies

2010-01-04T16:54:00.001-08:00

IMages from the early morning. No surf

Blackies Jan 3

2010-01-03T10:57:00.000-08:00

Surfed Blackies am from 7am to 10am. Place was packed. Waves were about 2-3 with a few head high sets. Rode the 7'2" Guy Takayama GWAT. What a zoo. Got a few good ones, as well as some sets. But the place is crazy. All in all, the waves were good, water was freezing and dirty, and crowded. Typical OC surf spot.

Back to Blackies

2010-01-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

Surfed high tide, freezing, crowded, crappy Blackies yesterday and have to tell you I didn't have much fun. Talked with Pooch about my trip to O'ahu, and let me tell you something, say what you want about the man, but this guy understands the plight of the Hawaiian people. When I told him about the homeless encampments, he said that the government needs to give the Hawaiians some land back that they stole when they overthrew the queen. And I couldn't agree more. The Big Island is large enough to support what is left of the Hawaiian people.

Homeless in Hawaii

2010-01-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Things have changed quite a bit on Oahu from 10 years ago when we moved b/to California. The Waianae coast, which remains one of the most beautiful drives on Oahu, has been innundated with tent cities, homeless encampments for those unfortunate Hawaiians who have lost their homes, jobs, but surely not hope. It has to be a combination of the economy, drugs, whatever, there needs to be a solution. In addition to Waianae, these encampments can also be seen in Hauula, Kaawaa, Punaluu, and even Kahuku, as well as in town at the beach park at Ala Moana and Kapiolani Park. It really is sad. We fed several homeless people in Kapiolani Beach park on Christmas day, with food from Zippy's. I know not the best food, but still food nonetheless, and the people that we gave the food to were very grateful, especially this couple living underneath a tent/tarp structure at Ala Moana. It is a pressing problem especially in Waianae, where families have been displaced and are living with a bit of shelter. I am not sure how dire the situation is, but it is not the Hawaii that I know, and the people and Government need to step up, and not to just ban camping at Kapiolani or Ala Moana. Mufi needs to figure out a solution.

Oahu Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

I've been on Oahu with the family since Dec. 21. There was some fairly big surf around Christmas, with Waimea breaking. Pipe was also somewhat on, Haleiwa was out of control on Dec. 24, not surfable. Surfed the beach park on Dec. 22, with shoulder to head high waves, with a few sneaker sets. Was able to witness the rise in swell before we left the water. Stayed at cousin Pauls, place on Wilder in town. Dec. 24 we surfed Diamond Head, which was actually pretty good. The wave is super fun. I only surfed in once before when I lived on Oahu, and didn't really get it good. Dec. 24 Paul and I surfed it and I had a blast. Dec. 26 surfed Pops and Canoes, which was really underwhelming. Not very good at all. Today surfed Diamond Head again with Paul, and it was ok. There was a south swell in the water which brought some waves to town. Hopefull we'll make another trip to the North Shore tomorrow, or to the West side. We'll see.

Blackies Nov 19 2009

2009-11-19T21:38:00.001-08:00

Newps was looking real good this am. Lots of surfers out, as well as a lot of shortboarders. Conditions were optimum with good tide and no wind. It wasn't quite as good as a few monday's ago, but it had its moments. There were a few shacks that rolled through. Didn't make it out today but hopefully tomorrow it will still have some push.

Southside HB Pier 11-16-2009

2009-11-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

The waves were pretty small, but super fun. Looked at the flatness down at Blackies and headed to HB. Almost surfed B-hurst, but I don't really want to surf so close to the river mouth, with all the filth floating down that way. Water was decent, still not biting cold. Waves were waist high. We surfed on the high tide. Could've had more power, but waves were still fun. The clickaction guy got some shots of me.
There was a guy out in the water, blodn guy with ponytail. I've seen him there a few times, and he is always in position but has a hard time taking off. The local guys were harassing him to no end. A bunch of dicks.

Surfed southside of the HB pier with Stan the Man.

Friday the 13th at Blackies

2009-11-13T15:25:00.000-08:00

Blackies this am was basically windswell garbage. There were a a few rideable waves, water was cleaner than it has been, and the wind got on it around 9am as I was leaving. Not much to write about and yes, I forgot the camera again.

Blackies Nov. 8 and 9 2009

2009-11-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

Surfed Blackies on Sunday from 630 to 10am. A NW swell was in that came down from Canada and was supposed to bring big surf primarily to Oregon, Northern and Central CA, with SoCal receiving any remnants. Blackies was a pretty good spot Sunday though a bit crowded (as usual for a weekend). I got some nice rides and a few off the tops. I am getting real confident with the Scorpion, it has not yet disappointed, though I did take off on a wave where I was too deep and didn't make the drop. It was actually a wave I should've let go for the guy on the shoulder who was better positioned. I also got snaked by this local guy, just an out and out dangerous drop in he pulled. What a dick. Now payback will be a bitch next time out.

ON Monday, I surfed with Stan the man, and it was a lot cleaner today with much less crowdage. I got an in and out and in and out barrel in front of Danny boy, another Takayama afficionado, and then got shacked again in front of Dano, who was paddling over the shoulder as I slowed down in the pocket so he could make it over. Waves were a good 2-3, just nice walls to hop onto, a little fast on the lefts but still extremely makeable. It was a fun session, but I forgot the camera. This blog needs photos. I also wore the new X-zip for the first time. What a pain in the ass to take off. But it was warm and I could feel the benefits of a front zip.

HB Pier shots of Scorp

2009-11-06T16:17:00.001-08:00

Surfed the south side of the Huntington Beach pier today. Water was in the 50s, red tide, just nasty water. Hope I don't get sick. Waves were weak 2ft slop. A NW swell is supposed to hit by tomorrow through Monday. Coming from the pacific Northwest should be a cold one. Photos were taken by clickaction. He gave me his card. I hate surfing the HB Pier but when its flat at Blackies, and the points not working, I head here.

2009-11-04T12:52:00.000-08:00

good vibrations from boemtjak on Vimeo.

Takayama In the Pink circa 1980s

2009-11-03T15:21:00.001-08:00

This is a photo I pulled off the Internet. It is of a surf contest in the 1980s. There is Guy Takayama holding a single fin In the Pink. Pretty interesting that now they have side bites. You gotta dig those Sundek surf trunks the photog is wearing, as well as that Velzy fin on the Stewart.

Donald Takayama Erik Sommer model

2009-11-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

When I first picked up my brand new never waxed Donald Takayama Erik Sommer model (The Scorpion), I didn't know what to expect. I have been riding longboards, more on the HP side, and the Scorpion is a high performance model. I was looking to get a Model T or a Double Ender to round out my quiver of various 9ft plus longboards, because I don't have a log in the traditional sense. The Scorpion sat on Craigslist for $775 for the better part of two months, and I wondered why. It is 9'0" X 22.5" X 3" has glass on sidebites and an 8 inch center fin. I paid $725 for it, but then sold the board bag it came with to some guy for $45, so the total price was $680 (keep in mind this board was brand new never waxed) I've had it for more than a month, and have surfed it at Doheny, Blackies, Church, south side of the the south jetty at O-side harbor, and southside of the Huntington Beach Pier. Here is a breakdown of how it rides at the spots ridden so far.

Doheny
The initiation of the Scorp at Doheny was a nightmare. Not only was the SUP event going on, the waves sucked, the tide was high, and I lost the board, scratching the hell out of the nose as it went into shore.

Church
I caught Church on a small day, 2-3ft. The waves were super clean and had that typical point breakish feel to it. The Scorpion handled really well. I was at first concerned that it might spin out because of its super extreme pintail, but this was not the case. Once locked in trim, the board was as stable as heck and I got my feet in the pink. Not a true noseride but cheater 5 at best. As a regular foot, my noseriding ability is better going left. DOn't ask why, that is just how it is. ON the lefts, I had a blast.

Blackies
At Blackies the board did not perform the same as at Church. The waves were marginal and fairly weak, but I did get a feel for the performance aspect of the shape on a chest high freak left that came in. I buzzed fairly quickly down the line and again, the board held remarkably.

South Jetty O-side
I surfed the Scorp at the South Jetty at O-side with Donald Takayama's nephew, Michael Takayama. He sweared by the Scorpion, riding a 9'4" of his own. We surfed smallish South Jetty, and this is where Mike taught me how to set the Scorp up for noseriding. I heeded his advice and really got a good feel for the board. The Scorp has a much narrower nose than my since sold In The Pink, and that narrowness caused me to be skeptical before I even waxed the board up (I was going to trade it for a Takayama Double Ender, thank god I didn't) I was doing things on the Scorp that I never have done on a longboard, just really taking advantage of that extreme pintail.

South Side of HB Pier
This is where I really got the performance feel of the Scorpion. ON the last wave of my day, I took off left and just smacked the lip twice, so much so that a guy on a fish who saw the whole thing said, "Damn nice wave" I replied, yes perfect wave to end the session. Now I have never whipped a longboard around like I can with the Scorpion, and also never felt the stability that the design brings. The design just works. Better than my In the Pink, my Ole, my Hobie Fusion, and my Michel Junod.

After my session with Michael at O-side, I asked him why my board didn't sell. He had no idea, and I replied, "Because nobody knows how the Scorpion rides" And he agreed. In my mind, the Scorpion aka Erik Sommer model is Donald's best kept secret in modern longboards.