“I pretty much fell off the face of the earth and chased great waves around for 6 months.” -Machado

by Scott Bass
Scott@surfermag.com
SurferMag

DOWN THE LINE SURF TALK RADIO – LET THE SALT WATER NOSE DRIP POUR
http://www.xtrasports1360.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=downtheline.xml

San Diego’s Rob Machado, one of the most stylish surfers alive, discusses last summer’s Indonesian sojourn and his new movie chronicling his experiences abroad.

You were drifting around Indonesia on a motor scooter most of last summer; tell us about your Indo experience cruising around Indo.

I prefer to call it a motorcycle. Motor scooter makes it sound like a Vespa or something. I actually bought a Honda CB 100. I cruised around filming for my flick. I spent about six months living…sort of based out of Bali. I ventured out to the outer islands from Sumba to Lombok to Java…spent a bit of time in Java. There are a ridiculous amount of waves there that you can find if you really want to find them.

You sort of did the unconventional surf trip, in that you veered off the beaten path. You hung out with the local people in, as you mentioned, rather remote regions. I see that you helped the local communities out over there too.

As the trip went on I sort of realized that to really get away you have to venture way out. My bike started breaking down, and I used public transport and got into some cool funky places and I did a lot of camping, and I removed myself from my normal routine and it was good.

Your movie is called, tentatively, THE DRIFTER. With whom are you working on this film project? Is this a Taylor Steele production?

Yeah, Taylor and I came up with it, and Hurley is backing it and gave me the opportunity to basically disappear in Indo for six months. I pretty much fell off the face of the earth and chased great waves around for six months.

Undoubtedly, you scored some great waves and some great tubes. Photos have already trickled into the pages of surf magazines and on websites. We’ve seen some insane barrels from your trip. The notion that time stands still in the tube, the old surfing cliché, do you think there is any truth to that?

Wow, that’s pretty deep right there. For me, it’s about not thinking. I like the idea of actually being on a wave…I think that’s the only time that I’m actually not thinking. That’s the magic of surfing for me. There aren’t too many things that you do in life where your brain shuts off and you acting on what you are feeling and you’re not consciously making decisions.

Seems like the free-surfing vibe fits you perfectly. But watching you surf in events, your level of performance surfing is higher than it’s ever been. Do you still enjoy competitive surfing?

Yeah. Occasionally. It’s still fun, and I like watching those guys. That’s where the best surfing in the world is happening. If you watch those guys: Mick and Joel and Kelly and Andy, and now Dane and Jordy, The stuff that’s going on is pretty radical, so it is fun to go in there and mix it up with those guys. It’s hard because those guys are on tour together all the time and constantly pushing each other. When you are not around that level of surfing all the time it is hard to maintain and stay at that level. I try and hang with those guys as much as I can; it is inspiring to see those guys in person that’s for sure.

So the guys at Cardiff Reef aren’t inspiring you too much then?

(Laughs) Oh, you know, not quite the same level. But those guys at Cardiff are cool.

You mentioned Kelly, and I’m wondering, earlier in the year, Slater played in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and hit some great golf shots. Especially on number 17, the par 3, it’s 200-plus yards, he hit it into a strong 20-knot head wind. Kelly put his tee shot 8-feet from the hole and birdied. Being an avid golfer yourself and a friend of Kelly’s, did you see that shot?

No I didn’t see this year’s event. That’s cool. That’s heavy. Serious stuff.

The movie is THE DRIFTER. Where are you at with that?

We are elbow deep in the editing room right now, so we are looking at a summer time release, we hope.

Are you involved with the music on the movie?

Oh yeah, I’m involved, and it’s pretty exciting. We just had Warner Brothers music come on board so we’ll be adding some of their acts to the flick. I recorded some music. We recorded some music in Indo. We are throwing everything we can into the mixing bowl and see how it goes.

Rob, thanks for the time today. Can’t wait to see the movie.

Thanks for calling, and thanks for the inspiration at Cardiff (laughs).

Interview by Scott Bass
Scott@surfermag.com
http://www.surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/the_drifter_qna_with_life_glider_rob_machado/
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http://www.mysurfboardbag.com
http://www.peaksandbarrels.com
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Thank you Rob Machado.

Technorati Tags: Al Merrick, al merrick surfboard, Bali, Beach, Costa rica, Drifter, Drifting By The Sea, Hurley, Indonesia, LOST.TV, Ocean, Pavones, Peru, rob machado, Rob Machado Movie, saving the waves, Surf Film, Surf News, Surf Travel, Surf Trip, Surfboard Brands, Surfboard Rack, Surfrider, The Drifter

Surf City, at the Corner of Varick and Laight

By Tetsuhiko Endo

Brett Beyer NY Surf Festival

With last weekend’s Unsound Pro surf contest in Long Beach, Long Island; the second annual New York Surf Film Festival in TriBeCa, which ended last night; and the recent art opening of the female longboard pro Kassia Meador of California at the Tribeca Grand Hotel, the New York area has been crawling with the biggest names in surfing. A friend of Waves, the surf writer Tetsuhiko Endo, caught up with the film festival over the weekend.

Rob Machado, professional surfing’s ambassador of soul, was standing outside Tribeca Cinemas on Friday, waiting for the national premiere of his new movie, “The Drifter,’’ at the second annual New York Surf Film Festival.

The oddity of the location for his United States premiere — the theater is on the concrete corner of Varick and Laight Streets — was not lost on Mr. Machado, who can more regularly be found in Hawaii, Tahiti or Indonesia, where “The Drifter” takes place.

“There’s this crazy, underground surf scene here that no one seems to know about,” he said while waiting outside the theater for his film to begin. “And it makes it really cool to come to an event like this.”

In his narration of “The Drifter,’’ Mr. Machado says, “The surf world moves like a traveling circus.” Well, that circus came to town this weekend along with the festival, whose organizers were hoping to showcase the eclecticism of a spreading area surf scene that is increasingly drawing fascination from other parts.

A quick look around Tribeca Cinemas on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday underscored his point: The New York/New Jersey surfing scene showed up in force, from swaggering hipsters to suit-wearing bankers, to the Jersey boys in their flannel-shirt-and-baseball-hat uniforms. The rest of the crowd was a mélange of industry types from California, Aussie expats, a handful of Irish, the odd Basque, and even a couple of Ohio lake surfers. The filmmaker Andrew Kidman and local pros like Will Tant and Dean Randazzo blended in happily with local recreational surfers, including the fashion designer Cynthia Rowley .

“It doesn’t feel like a typical surf event,” the Australian filmmaker Stefan Hunt agreed. Mr. Hunt’s movie, “Surfing in 50 States,” was one of 18 featured over the weekend along with 13 shorts. “Usually, theses things are filled with the surfer dudes with bleached hair, the skinny girls in bikinis, and a bunch of surfing films that all look the same.”

Homogeneity is one of the things that the event’s founder, Tyler Breuer, who is also manager of the Sundown Surf Shop on Long Island, said he specifically tried to avoid. “I want the old guys I grew up surfing with in Long Beach, I want the grommets who are just interested in the shred flicks, I want the artists, and I want the people who don’t surf at all,” he said.

Sancho Rodriguez, the founder and organizer of the San Sebastián Surfilm Festibal, who was also in attendance, praised the mix of the crowd over the lip of his beer can. “New York is a strange place for a festival like this, but doing things that are slightly out of the ordinary is good for surfing,” he said. “We have to understand that our sport is growing and maturing, so the role of festivals like this is to convey the best parts of surfing to people that may not have been exposed to them.”

Ms. Rowley suggested that the surf world was ready for some distance from its traditional epicenter on the West Coast, and that New York seemed to be providing it.

“Californian surf culture has been a little mined,” she said, in that dismissive way that only fashion designers can fully evoke. “People are inherently interested in things that are alternative.”

When asked what she thought of the general surfing vibe in the room, she called it “aspiring to be non-aspirational,” and added: “New York surfers are a stylish bunch. In fashion, it’s got to be genuine to be cool, and this definitely feels genuine.”

Waves is an occasional City Room feature chronicling surfing in and around New York City, and the issues important to local surfers. Its author, Jim Rutenberg, is a Washington correspondent who grew up surfing in New Jersey and continues to surf regularly on Eastern Long Island. Ideas and comments are welcome at Wavesnyt@gmail.com.

Article at: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com

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Technorati Tags: australia surf, Bali, Beach, Costa rica, Indonesia, NY Surf Film Festival, Pavones, peaks and barrels, rob machado, saving the waves, Surf, Surf Competition, Surf Film, Surf movie, Surf movie premiere, Surf News, Surf rack, Surf Travel, Surf Trip, Surfaid, Surfboard, surfboard bag, Surfboard Brands, Surfboard Making, Surfboard Rack, Surfboards for sale, Surfing, Surfing dvd, Trestles

By mbauer – September 23, 2009 – 09:05

Tuna Aquaculture Project Threatens Wave at Pavones, Costa Rica

Tuna excrement, red tides, algal blooms, and hydrogen sulfide are not the first things that come to mind when planning a surfing vacation to Costa Rica. But the country’s recent approval of a tuna farm project could contaminate coastal waters and dismantle one of the areas best preserved surfing destinations.

A proposed tuna farm project at the mouth of the Golfo Dulce, located along Costa Rica’s remote southern Pacific coast, threatens the area’s water quality and the overall pristine state of the wave at Pavones – considered to be one of the world’s longest lefts.


The company responsible for the tuna farm project, Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. (GAGSA), selected this section of coastline because the area’s swift running currents would bring a consistent flow of clean water to the captive tuna. However, these same currents could sweep the massive quantities of fish excrement and food waste produced by the tuna right up to Pavones’ doorstep.
Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court suspended the project’s approval in 2007, sighting inconsistencies in GAGSA’s environmental impact study. A part of the suspension, the court ordered a detailed independent investigation be done on the superficial and deepwater currents to better understand where the tuna byproducts would end up. This study was to be undertaken before any future environmental viability approval would be issued by the Costa Rican Environmental Ministry. However, in May 2009 Costa Rica’s environmental minister, Jorge Rodríguez, reopened the case and approved the project’s environmental viability without performing the court-mandated study.If the project is allowed to proceed, there is a high probability that the unappetizing mix of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methane – all chemicals found in tuna excrement and leftover decaying food products produced at other tuna farm projects around the world – would reach Pavones. If this were to happen, algal blooms, decreased dissolved oxygen amounts, and wide spread dinoflagellate occurrences resulting in red tides and widespread fish kills could contribute to the dismantling of the area’s aesthetic beauty, artisanal fisheries, vibrant ecotourism businesses, and surfing industry.

Local surfers and conservation groups are vociferously campaigning against the tuna farm project (see related articles below). They are urging the international surfing community to write letters to Costa Rica’s Tourism Minister’s assessor, Marissia Obando, reminding her how important surfing is to the country’s economy and how crucial it is to protect coastlines and marine areas for recreational and economic opportunities.

Pavones was recently nominated to Save The Waves’ World Surfing Reserves program – an initiative designed to proactively protect the greatest and most threatened surf breaks around the world – because of its world class wave and the local community’s dedication to conserving the area’s natural surroundings.To get involved in the campaign and urge the Costa Rican government to protect the wave at Pavones – please send a letter to:

Sra. Marissia Obando
Minister’s assessor, Ministry of Tourism San José, Costa Rica,
Email mailto: mobando@ict.go.cr
Copy email: mailto: info@pretoma.org

Sample Letter:

Dear Sra. Marissia Obando,

I am extremely concerned about the fate the wave at Pavones, one of the most pristine surfing destinations in Costa Rica. Please act now and work with the Environmental Ministry to revoke the environmental viability given to the tuna farm project planned for the mouth of the Golfo Dulce and comply with the Constitutional Court’s resolution 2007-06315 to perform an extensive study of the areas currents in order to determine the environmental impact of the project.

Thank you.
–For more information please contact Andy Bystrom at mailto: andy@pretoma.org or visit the following websites:

Costa Rican Conservation Network: http://costaricanconservationnetwork.wordpress.com/

Pretoma: http://www.pretoma.org/

Please EVERYONE this is your call to action TODAY!!!

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http://www.mysurfboardbag.com/

http://www.peaksandbarrels.com/

Technorati Tags: Costa rica, Fish Farm, Pavones, Surf, Surf Cause, Surf News, Surf Trip, Surfboard, Surfboard Brands, Surfboard Rack, surfboardbag, Surfing, Surfing costa rica, Tuna Farm

There’s always been that comparison between the way Gerry and I surfed, but we had never spent any amount of time together. The first time I hung out with him was in 2004. We had crossed paths many times before and had known of each other for a long time. We were in Indo filming for Waterman and both Gerry and I showed up late, and the boat was already gone. The rest of the crew had gone down to Thunders, and Gerry and I had to jump on a speedboat to catch them. We basically sat on a boat from sunrise to the late afternoon. It was just a small little speedboat and it had one little bench seat. We sat on that seat for eight hours straight. At the time, I thought to myself, “This is how you get to know someone.” We talked about everything and anything. I asked him about G-Land, Uluwatu, Padang—spots he had pioneered. Of course, there would be these awkward silences and I would suddenly think, “Gosh, I’m sitting here with Gerry Lopez, I could ask him about anything.”
Banzai Pipeline in 1979. Photo: Jeff Divine

We just went from one thing to the next, speaking about life and love and surfing. When we arrived at Thunders, the boat wasn’t there. They were surfing somewhere else. There were a couple of guys out so we unpacked our boards and paddled out. Within minutes everyone went in. We surfed these perfect little 3- to 4-foot barreling lefts with no one out, just us. There were no cameras. No one was watching. We were out there hooting each other into waves. When Gerry’s surfing, you can really just tell just how much he enjoys the actual act of riding waves. When you watch him surf you realize there’s something else going on there beyond what normal humans encounter—like he’s tapped into something that the rest of us are not.

Fifty years from now, Gerry will probably be remembered for his tube-riding, and the way he surfed Pipeline, but I think his contribution to surfing has been more than that. He’s inspirational, not just in the way he makes difficult situations look easy, but in his whole act from head to toe, from sunrise to sunset. There is a relationship he has with riding waves and with being in the ocean, there’s that synergy between the two, and you can just see it.


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SURFER MAG ARTICLE

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By Rob Machado

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Technorati Tags: Al Merrick, al merrick surfboard, ASP, australia surf, Bali, Beach, Costa rica, Drifter, Gerry Lopez, Hawaii, Pavones, Peru, pipeline, rob machado, rusty, saving the waves, Surf rack, Surf Travel, Surfaid, Surfboard, surfboard bag, Surfboard Brands, Surfboard Rack, Surfboard Shaping, Surfing, Surfrider, Trestles

Celebrating 16 years in business!

Sea Kayak Adventures Inc. has operated sea kayak tours to the premier whale watching destinations of Loreto in Baja California, Mexico and at the northern end of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada since 1993. Blue and fin whales are frequently seen in the Sea of Cortez (known also as Gulf of California) on our Baja sea kayaking tours in Loreto Bay National Marine Park. Surround yourself with gray whales in Magdalena Bay. On our British Columbia sea kayak tours, kayaking with Orcas in Johnstone Strait, near Robson Bight Orca Preserve, a biological wonderland between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island near Port McNeill and Telegraph Cove.

Our camping, BC lodge-based and Baja mothership whale watching and sea kayaking BC Canada trips feature close encounters with wildlife, whales, extraordinary wilderness areas and incredible cuisine. No prior experience is necessary and we provide all the equipment needed. We are fully permitted and licensed in the areas/countries we paddle in, and well versed in natural history. For your safety and enjoyment we offer the best staff-to-guest ratio of any outfitter of Baja or BC Canada sea kayak tours!

Please check out Sea Kayak Adventures Inc.

To learn more about paddling visit http://www.ultimatepaddler.com 

Posted via email from ultimatepaddler’s posterous

Technorati Tags: Al Merrick, al merrick surfboard, australia surf, Costa rica, LOST.TV, Pavones, Peru, pipeline, rusty, saving the waves, Sb5120, Surf, Surf Competition, Surf Fins, Surf Gear, Surf rack, Surf Wax, Surfaid, Surfboard, surfboard bag, Surfboard Brands, Surfboard Making, Surfboard Rack, Surfboards for sale, Surfing, Surfrider, Tom Curren, Trestles

Total Surfing Fitness is the #1 Functional Training Program for Surfers on the Internet…

“I probably improved my surfing more in the past year than previous 10 years combined. Keep up the good work man! ” Ian, Redondo Beach , CA

“Total  Surfing Fitness has improved my balance and shoulder strength. I now catch around 12-15 waves per hour and can stay out in the water much longer. Cheers.”
Phil Hart

The 5 Steps Revealed: How to Triple Your Wave Count in 30 Days or Less

“The surf fitness training helped me improve my strength when paddling and my cardio strength as well. My physical appearance is better, my arms are a bit more toned and instead of having a 4 pack I now have a six, I also have been able to do more powerful turns.” Naomi

Thanks to you and your program my surfing has not only improved but become a lot more enjoyable. Note: Been in J- Bay surfing all time waves for the last 10 days – two surfs per day!  No problems and that’s only after 5 weeks of the program.”
Fabian Coetzer

Technorati Tags: Al Merrick, al merrick surfboard, australia surf, Costa rica, LOST.TV, Pavones, Peru, pipeline, rusty, saving the waves, Sb5120, Surf, Surf Competition, Surf Fins, Surf Gear, Surf rack, Surf Wax, Surfaid, Surfboard, surfboard bag, Surfboard Brands, Surfboard Making, Surfboard Rack, Surfboards for sale, Surfing, Surfing Fitness, Surfrider, Total surf fitness, Trestles

9Fish Tent & Jay Alders Board

Through the collaborative efforts of VERB TV, 9:Fish Surfboards , and PEAKSandBARRELS.com the Surfboard Recycling Project was established to raise awareness for Surf-Aid International & Save The S.D. Fire Pits. This partnership is proud to announce an innovative fundraiser at this year’s Vavi National Kickball Championship at NTC Park in Point Loma on August 15^th.

The Surfboard Recycling Project will be raffling off select prizes donated by local businesses and used surfboards donated by local surfers.  Prizes will include the limited edition 9:Fish Surf-Aid Surfboard (6’2”) featuring the artwork of renown surf artist Jay Alders, gift cards from local shops like Muir Surf, free subscriptions to Surfshot’s digital Magazine, used surfboards and much more.

* All are welcome to donate or participate in the raffle!

* Proceeds will be donated to: Save the S.D. Fire Pits & Surf-Aid International.

* Please give back and assist the initiative by donating a surfboard.

Surfboards can be donated 7 days a week. Please email verb@verbnetwork.tv to make arrangements for pick up or drop off. You may bring your board to raffle at the event as well.

Jay Alders Art Board

The Surfboard Recycling project would like to thank Jay Alders for graciously donating his artwork to help the cause and Vavi Sport & Social Club for hosting this amazing event on August 15^th at NTC Park in Point Loma, 8am- 5pm.

Surfboard Rack and Set up

Technorati Tags: Amee Donohoe, Ocean, rerip, saving the waves, Surf Gear, Surf rack, Surfaid, Surfboard, surfboard bag, Surfboard Brands, Surfboard Rack, Surfboard recycling, Surfboard Recycling Project, Surfboard Shaping, Trestles, Verb media

OUTSIDE MAGAZINE BUYERS GUIDE 2009 selects WAVE TRIBE as part of its BEST NEW GEAR for 2009.

I am a big fan of OUTSIDE Magazine because of their killer content that covers people, activities, gear, and politics of the world outside. The buyers guide comes out once a year and is dedicated to only the best new and improved gear, like surfboards, surfboard bags and leashes for us surfers.

OUTSIDE’s product review editors included Wave Tribe’s recycled leash in the 2009 gear guide is a testimony to a conscious shift that is takeing place among surfing aficionados and straight up gear heads.

Wave Tribe’s product line also includes recycled surfboard bags and hemp surfboard bags. These eco-friendly bags will only improve our environment through recyling. If you are an experianced surfer or a grom you will definitely want a WT bag as your next upgrade. Give back to your ocean and buy recycleable products.

Technorati Tags: surfboard bag, surfboard leash