Go ahead... be happy!

The Devil Wears Prada

Me, my sister, Cody Fairfield, Madison Dyer, and a couple other kids from Point Loma hit up the Devil Wears Prada, Day to Remember, and Sky Eats Airplane show last friday. It was nuts. Probably 1000+ people, everyone hardcore dancing, the energy in the main stage at Soma was incredible. Nonstop moving for 3 hours. Cant wait till the next show to roll through San Diego...

Pastiche Teaser

Pastiche Teaser from dan claws on Vimeo.

Invisible Children

This past weekend, me and 30 other kids from Point Loma attended an Invisible Children event called The Rescue. It was an organized "protest" to call the leaders of our nation to help out the child soldiers who are forced to kill for Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lords Resistance Army (a rebel army) in Uganda, Africa. We met in downtown San Diego and walked a couple miles to a park behind Petco Park where we filmed for a movie that will be sent to Capitol Hill, wrote letters to Senators, and listened to speeches from dignitaries ranging from a Governor in Uganda, two Olympic runners, and a Chargers Wide Receiver. All in all, it was an eventful night, until the sprinklers turned on in the park and everyone got soaked. This is a worthwhile cause that grows exponentially each year, so keep an eye out for Invisible Children to see the great stuff that they are doing for Uganda.

Sucks

Apparently Obama's speeches don't invigorate everyone!

Lawrence Summers, Director of the White House's Economic Council fell asleep while Obama was speaking... 

Lookatthisfuckinghipster.com

Untitled from lookatthisfuckinghipster on Vimeo.

Ballers

Adam Kimmel presents: Claremont HD from adam kimmel on Vimeo.

The Jerk

New goal: learn The Jerk....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxV22S0LJgo

Forgotten Surfer/Shapers

There have been oh so many underrated and overlooked surfers that have influenced our surf culture, they have just fallen by the wayside with the fast pace of this wave sliding sport.

One of these stylish men is Gary Propper, just recently Surfline.com brought him back to the "spotlight" with If These Boards Could Talk. This short 5 minute video brought Mr. Proppers excellent style back to the eyes of a younger generation, if only for several minutes. It talked about how he was flamboyant, awe inspiring, and impeccable and slashing those clean little waves of Malibu and Florida. His Hobie model sold more than Corky Carrolls did at the time, incredible because you dont hear anything about Gary Propper anymore.

Another influential surfer/shaper that has been forgotten by history is Steve Lis; he created and developed a board what we know today as the Fish. Steve Lis was a kneeboarder out of Point Loma, California that surfed Sunset Cliff's on a daily routine. My father had the privilege with surfing with this creative gentleman and purchasing a 5'7 Orange Fish for $25 in 1971. My dad rode it for several years before putting it away for 20 years. I happened to find it in our garage in 2006, and since then it has become one of the most used boards in my quiver. This Fish blows my mind, Mr. Lis shaped it off a kneeboard model; the fins almost at the tail, the tail in the shape of a deep V, foam displacement more towards the front of the board, and a Hull shape. In turn, Steve Lis created one of the fastest, smoothest, and stylish boards seen in any lineup up and down the coast.

While there are many more shapers and surfers that have been "forgotten", it seems as though more and more younger guys like myself that are trying to find out their inspirations for their ideas and hopefully replicate their boards. In some circumstances, we have to look to the past in order to move forward into the future...

Tourmaline/ Sunset Cliffs

In The Stillness of The Water

Life is beautiful
It gives and we take
It takes and we break
But the time, it mends 
And all’s well if that’s how it ends
Even when above a storm lingers
And pain scratches with outstretched fingers
We can find solace in the rain

As the drops fall and land
And pools form in my cupped hands
I dive into the blue
Where worldly perspective is askew
Above the surface it’s still spinning
But below my mind is winning
The battle between future and past
I’m in love with the present at last

The longer I’m under 
The less I hear the thunder
Screaming from the streaks above
As the storm still rages on 
And Zeus’s bolts sing their song
Below, all is still
Like cities perched on hills
Higher than the hail and rain
Near the sun, far from pain
Where, at night, the stars align
And in the lights you see the divine

Finally, the sky goes from black to blue
And shafts of sun pierce through
The surface turns to glass
The battle’s won, the storm is passed
Slowly, to the top, I float
While Apollo, in his victory, gloats
I step from the pool with life anew
The earth once more fresh with creation’s dew
I know that storms will come again
But all’s well if that’s how it ends

-Denny Moody

Written 4/9/09

Gato Heroi 1653 5'7 "Shark Tooth"

San O Shred Session

Last Friday, me, my siblings Natasha and Greg, and my buds Trevor, Cody, Aimi, and Ashley, all cruised down to San Onofre for a late morning surf session. We ended up surfing for 2 1/2 hours, switching out boards with one another. We all had logs, and me and my brother Greg used a 5'11 Almond Egg and a 5'7 Gato Heroi hull. It was my sisters birthday so we all went out to lunch afterwords, but not before having Tanner Prairie sing Happy Birthday to her on his Ukulele. As we were about to leave we saw Al Knost, the Prairie Brothers, and Nolan Hall so we blasted Japanese Motors and got a laugh out of Knost. 

Going to Mars?!

Bodysurfink

The Delmartians

I go to school with these two characters; Mason (on the drums) and Madison Dyer. They both shred on the waves, and in the music scene. Their band; The Delmartians played for us students at school late one Wednesday night. It was a pretty good turnout. Probably around 80+ people showed up to listen to their surf beats. I dont know whats in store for these cats next, but whatever it is, I'm sure they'll do great at it.

Localism

"Hey! Hey! Get out of here! What do you think you're doing??" We have all heard something along the lines of this out in the lineup sometime. It's those guys we all dread, the locals. It's because of them we cringe in disgust. It's because of them that so many new surfers quit before they have a chance to enjoy the sport. For example, I was out at Sunset Cliffs at 9:oo am the other day. I didn't think too much of the local guys, they always caught the best ones while we had to scrap for the inside waves. But this little kid paddled out with his Dad, the kid must have not been over 12 years old. He was pretty decent. He starts to paddle for a beauty of  a wave, I back off so he can go for it, but one of the locals wasn't gonna let that happen. So this local goes out of his way to take the inside and call the kid off the wave while the kids Dad is cheering him on. All of the locals 40 year old buddies were screaming at the kid too! I couldn't believe it. The kid was 12 years old! What happened to the stoke? The aloha? If it wasn't for that one person that egged us on when we were younger, we wouldn't be where we are today in surfing. The sport cannot grow with jerks out there ripping on everyone. So when it all boils down to it, screw the locals, catch whatever you want. Just as long as you have a buddy who's watching your back...