SurfSkateSnowBlog

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube Direktdays of the strange

I thinks it’s pretty crazy  that the footage from this movie is a bunch of stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor after the editing of “Stranger than Fiction”.  Though this may be the “Factory Seconds” of the new millennium, the video is actually way better than the majority of other surf videos that are currently out.  It just goes to show how amazing the top group of surfers are right now.  Dion Agius is one of the biggest stand outs of the video.  The stuff he is doing is pretty ridiculous.  People may not like his choppy style, but you can’t argue that he is really pushing the limits right now.

Kai Neville is really starting to appear out of Taylor Steele’s shadow.  With a very unique editing and musical style, I think his videos will be the template of surf movies for the next five years.  Another nice thing about the video is that it’s a little cheaper than most new titles out today, but as I said before, with better content.  I would recommend getting this as a great pre-surf amp.  Can’t wait until the next movie “Modern Collective” comes out!

Just a couple of interesting events coming up next month to let you guys know about. First, for any of those interested in wakeboarding, the new Billabong Wake video “Out of the Pond” is going to be premiering May 2, at Boardriders in Boca Raton. There will be a demo at Quiet Waters, and some Pros signing autographs, and should be a cool event for those interested.

And letting you guys know early so that you can get the word out, Saturday May 30, Volcom is having a beach cleanup at Ft Lauderdale beach. Meet at the BC Surf and Sport parking lot at 10 AM if you want to be involved. Being that we just celebrated Earth Day, let’s keep that spirit up, and continue the movement to help our environment year round.

Please let me know if you have any questions about either event.

Surfrider Foundation’s South Florida chapter is having a movie premier next Friday night, April 24.  From what I hear, it’s a really great movie, and the proceeds go towards a good cause, so if you can make it out, it should be a fun evening.  Go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/62320 to buy tickets and get full event information.  SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SURFRIDER CHAPTER!

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube Direkt

I have always had mixed feelings about Lost as a company.  I grew up on the videos “What’s Really Goin’ On” and “What’s Really Goin’ Wrong” and my surfing has been heavily influenced by both videos…….. I still try a chop hop on every other wave (without much success).  While I love the surfing in the past videos, and have been somewhat amused by some of the footage, I never really liked the image the company portrayed.

This video is completely dedicated to alternative boards that are not your basic squash tail with three fins.  With everyone from Lost team guys, to your favorite WCT tour pros, you get to see people do some pretty crazy stuff on some really interesting boards.  It’s also great to see some fresh faces like Aaron Cormican and Mason Ho, who aren’t on every other video out there.  Being that I haven’t ridden a standard squash tail in about three years as my regular board, it’s really nice to see what people can do riding similar equipment to what I use on a regular basis.

The standard party footage from the past is noticeably absent from 5′5 redux being replaced by some of the surfers explaining the boards they are using.  The video is also pretty long, which is actually one of the downsides to it.  I have not been able to sit and watch the whole thing from start to finish without getting distracted.  A lot of the surfing gets a little too redundant, and they could have edited it down to about forty minutes without loosing any significant footage.  However, there is also a ton of footage in the bonus section, including a 300 lb fat guy who probably charges harder than you do.  The other standout part is the footage of Africa’s Cape St. Francis being surfed by Corey Lopez and crew.  It’s insane how long this wave breaks for.

Overall, if you want to see guys ripping on alternative wave riding craft, set to fast paced punk rock (the real stuff, not that pop crap on other videos), get this video.  If you want something, mellow and cruisy this is not the flick for you.

I have always been resigned to longboarding because I though it was a cop out for not riding shortboards. But, I finally started using them a couple of years ago, after getting frustrated by not surfing for long durations of time during the summer.  When I got my first longboard, I figured they were all the same, and contently used my cheap pop out thinking that I would never be able to do more than just point the board in one direction and go straight all the way to the beach, trying to get to the nose every now and then.  My perceptions changed completely about longboarding when the store  I work for, got a 9′0″ Flexflight as a demo.

The board is by no means a nose rider, and for those of you looking for a board that is a wave hog, you will definitely need to look elsewhere.  One of the misconceptions about Firewires is that because they are epoxy, they float better than standard poly boards.  This is definitely not the case, these boards have the same flotation characteristics that a standard board has.  The nose does not have the surface area to be a good noserider, and the only way to get up there and stay there is to have a wave with a steep enough face to enable you to do so.

The ability to actually turn is this boards greatest feature.  Because I have always ridden smaller boards, I have the tendency to get bored riding a longboard after a while.  This board, though, was the first longboard that I was actually able to do a real bottom turn on.  It has a pretty substantial amount of tail rocker, letting the board change directions very quickly for its size, and the rails are pretty sharp through the last third of the board making it very responsive.  This feature also makes it a little less forgiving than a softer railed board.

Over all, as someone who wanted a board for really small waves, and who has absolutely no skills on a longboard, but is competant on a shortboard, the Firewire Flexflight fits in all the things I want a longboard to do.  If you are a longboard purist, looking for a classic kind of feel, this may not be the board for you, however, I do suggest you try one, you may just love it like I did.

The first Surfboard I’m going to review is the latest addition to my collection.  It is a 5′8″ Starr Rocket.  Starr surfboards are hand shaped out of central florida, and are priced just above most pop out boards in the mid 400 range.  Firstly, it’s really nice to see a domestic board be competetively priced with the mass produced boards from overseas like the 7s and the Dolsey boards.  This board’s template is pretty much a direct copy of the Lost Rocket, and should generally be ridden four to eight inches shorter than your standard shortboard.

I am about 5′10″, and weigh about 175 lbs so I decided on a 5′8″ even though I could have gone a little smaller.  With the small waves I have to deal with, the extra size is welcome.  I currently have the board set up with the FCS Simon Anderson Quad set up, but have also used the standard FCS SF4’s that come with the board.  I prefer the Simon fins in small to medium size waves because of the added drive.

So Far, I could not be happier with the boards performance.  Because of the low entry rocker, and the extra width through the nose, the board paddles well for it’s small size, and catches waves relatively easily.  It’s the speed and looseness, though, that really stand out.  Unlike many other of the “fishy” quads that I have used in the past, this board turns on a dime.  This is probably because of the wider diamond shaped rocket tail.  Without the standard swallow tail that most similar boards have, the board is able to pivot more quickly, resulting in a very responsive board.  The other great benefit to these boards is the convertible fin set up, so, for those that don’t like quads, you can set it up as a tri-fin.  I do however recommend using it as a quad in smaller mushier wave.

I really look forward to using the board in some waves with a little more size and power to see how it responds, being that the largest I have used it in has only been chest high windchop.  If someone is looking for an all around small to medium wave board, this is the shape I would point them to.  Ever since Lost’s most recent DVD 5′5 19 1/4 Redux came out most shapers have caught on to the trend, and are doing some type of variation of the Rocket, so the general shape should be easy to come across.