Hard to Watch

Had breakfast with my wife and daughter at Ki's (Cardiff) this morning. We were there waiting to meet up with some friends visiting from out-of-town. The surf wasn't epic, but there were definitely some very fun-looking waves. Now, my family is the most important thing in the world to me, but damn! Anyone who has dealt with looking at sparkling glassy surf while unable to partake knows that painful tension I'm talking about.

Now it's raining.

Today's Special…

…is Memphis Soul Stew.

1/2 teacup of bass
1 pound of fatback drums
4 level tablespoons of boiling Memphis guitar
a pinch of organ

King Curtis live in 1971. Not really the tightest version of this song. Check out Live at Filmore West for the real deal.

Welcome to the Family

A few views of the current lineup including the newest additions.
The Pavel 5-Fin is 7'11 with tapered stringer, Biofoam blank, and Marlin Bacon bamboo runners. The Andreini is 8'0 and indicative of the detail and craftsmanship Marc puts into his boards. I must add that he sent that L-Flex to me overnight when the board was shipped without it. I didn't expect it to be included. He goes above and beyond.

As you can see, the new additions haven't been ridden. I've only been able to get a couple of short sessions in lately and I've just been grabbing the familiar before I run out the door. Plus, I have this weird delayed gratification thing anyway. They'll be in the water when the time is right.

As always, thanks for checking in with the SB1000.

Airline Design

Vintage airline design is definitely one of my things, and I haven't posted anything about it yet. The above image with a mix of baggage labels was bitten from a blog I recently happened upon. Though the blog isn't surf-related, there's still a whole lot of good stuff to check out. A nice eclectic mix with design as a clear throughline.

If there do happen to be any airline geeks out there, the website he got the images from is right here. The site isn't much to look at, just a basic archive, but man it runs pretty deep. Good stuff.

*Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about surfing. There's much to talk about; I just need the time to do it justice. Thanks for hanging in there.

Treat, 1970

Early Santana always takes me back to growing up in PL, playing in bands, backyard parties, etc. And for me it is also linked to surfing in the winter. Not sure why. To me it's just the sound of that area of San Diego, and we listened to it constantly on the way to surf sessions at OB or the cliffs. Beginning in my early twenties I pretty much shelved my Santana records and didn't listen to them for a long time. I was too into raw soul, funk, hip hop, jazz, etc. Plus, I don't think Santana has recorded a decent record since the late 70's and I had listened to all of the good ones until they were indelibly burned into my brain. Maybe I needed a break. Recently I began listening to my old records again, and I have to say it's been nice revisiting the warmth and soul of Santana 1, Abraxas, Santana 3, Welcome, Lotus, etc.

Anyway, here's a Treat from 1970. A more obvious choice would be Black Magic Woman, or Santana at Woodstock doing Soul Sacrifice. Both of these are great, but Treat is just such a gem. I hope you enjoy it.

Beware

If you see Yoshie in the lineup, you better be nice. The Yubiwaza technique is some serious shit. She rides a 10 ft. Robert August Surftech with a leash and likes to get waves—a LOT of waves. She sits right on the peak and is really loud, talking about how things aren't the same as they were in the old days (2003). It can be annoying, but do not cut her off or you could get Yubiwaza'd.

Work

More working than surfing lately. This has lead to fewer new posts than I'd like, but I'll get back on it soon. Hope all is well.

On a Stormy Day...

Bill Evans sounds especially good. Check out any of his stuff on the Verve or Riverside labels and it is impossible to be disappointed. Great piano trio music. Footage from '65. Enjoy.

Newbreak The T-Shirt?

Am I the only one who thinks these guys are completely missing the mark? I don't think surfers want to walk around with the names of surf spots on their chests. Who's going to wear a shirt that says Newbreak or Big Rock? Not the people that are actually surfing those spots. Maybe they'll nail it in the Midwest. Or, maybe I'm way off-base and they'll be a success. Seems that anything goes these days.

Halloween 1976

Guess which one I am. RIP Evel