A Northern Ally

In the chronic battle against the evil pop-out empire it is always nice to find an ally.

A week or to ago the owner of Kennebunk Outdoors, a surf, snowboard, and skate shop in Maine, came by the shop and introduced himself. He told me that he completely agrees with our particular stance on the issue of mass manufactured molded surfboards and even features a section on his website here (scroll down) using an amended version of our pop-out definition. Usually the Mckevlin's blog isn't used for advertising other surf shops, but I don't know if this recognition is going to cut too deep in our business. Thanks to the guys out in Kennebunk Maine for finding the time in between putting on and taking off the 6/5 mm's to keep the dream alive.

longboarding saved my life...

...no, not those longboards. A longboard skateboard. Well, not actually the longboard itself, but the nice soft wheels of this borrowed over-sized plank. Normally, I wouldn't be caught dead on one of those things but it was the only option to bomb the hill on this day and get myself a bite to eat. Well, that bite to eat was almost sh*t.

A 90 degree turn at high-speed is pretty hairy especially when its at a blind stop sign with parked cars lining the street and little green reflectors leaving a 2-inch margin for error. Don't know how I made it, but I think the gummy wheels may have been saved my life. Death is inevitable, but I know a few people who would have been devastated... to hear I was riding a longboard skateboard that is.

hell hath no fury...

...like the raspy tongue of one Ocean Beach charger Lewis Samuels. The author of the Surfline Power Rankings has had this POSTSURF blog/website going for a little bit and the hilarity is hilarious. All this truth doesn't come without a price, which he will eventually pay, but for now enjoy it while it lasts. Cheers to you Mr. Samuels and your big brass balls.

Reese's smashed to pieces...

...still dominating one of those Florida inlets along with Gorkin, former South Carolina ripper Reese Lewis. Reese and I are both on an EPS kick right now. Look how hard he's hammering those pockets. The boards feel so light under your feet you can nonchalantly put them in any moist pocket of a wave. The hand-shaped epoxies usually cost a little more, but you can get away with riding a little less board without losing flotation. Lots of ...Lost models available in Marko EPS.

Getting in touch with our roots.

As you may remember this blog was heavily saturated with some of our shops colorful patrons and their mockery. Well, today that memory is honored.

Yesterday's highly anticipated Folly Gras festival was so popular this moonshiner traveled from as far as rural Tennessee . Looks like he must make some good shine to be able to afford a sharp looking watch like that.

Today must be my birthday because right after the moonshiner left this guy came in. Undoubtedly another festival goer left over. You know he had a good time yesterday though with that serious party going on on the back of his head.

I know, I have much to learn in the art of stealth photography.

a turd in the punchbowl...

...the surf flick A Fly in the Champagne premiered last night at the La Paloma theater in Encinitas. Unlike a movie premier in Charleston, a pro surfer actually showed up. Not a WCT surfer though, just Andy Irons. That's Sal Masekala, Chris Cote and AI on stage. I'm glad it was free because well...the title of this post says it all. I'm sure soon enough you can pay $8 to see it at American Theater or the Music Farm in Charleston, bro down with the bros, and then go to O'Malley's and drink with all the underage kids. I would wait for it to come out on DVD and rent it at McKevlin's.

Besides that, you can thank McKevlin's very own Perng for yesterday's epic waves on Folly because she's here is San Diego surfing measly chest-high Swami's while those with good timing got dredging Folly rights.

Well... it's not flat.

Here is a few pics from this afternoon. The waves looked better in the morning before the wind picked up, but smaller.

I know it is nothing epic, but the waves are bigger than they look in the pictures, about waist to stomach and the occasional shoulder high at the washout. Hey, if you couldn't make it out today don't worry, the wind is supposed to switch offshore tonight and should clean it up for the morning, but don't tell anyone. Oh yeah, the tide will be low in the morning and the wind swell won't last long so I'm not promising waves, but in flat times I'll take what I can get.

Secret Messages...

Hey, do you guys remember those magic eye books? Lost does, and is featuring that same technology in their ad from the latest issue of Surfing Magazine.

Can you see it?

If not, that probably means you are not rad enough for these baggies. Sorry.

If you can see the message, I am sure it is referring to airs.

Some Saturday Pics...

I finished my bonzer yesterday. Well, it still needs glassing but that will have to wait until the fins get here.


Dimensions: 5'10" x 19 7/8" x 2 1/2"
Hey Ian, here is that outline pic.

Friday the 13th...

... and bad luck follows. It looks like there will be a little swell on Tuesday, but it will just miss us. Why couldn't the continental shelf drop off a little closer to shore?

Oh well, get ready for some stomach high wind chop on Wednesday...

... better then nothing right?

in the ghetto...

...the windows at my house are always rattling, whether its from bass-heavy ghetto-blaster strip-cruisers or the peaky stink nuggets like the ones above. California has many "ghettos-by-the-sea" which aren't too scary, as long as its broad daylight. Earlier this morning the only thing you had to worry about was losing a finger to frostbite.

Tuesday afternoon surf review...

...nope, that's not the Folly Pier suckers. The rain has stopped for a day offering up semi-clean, shoulder-high plus, turd filled bombers for those who have all their shots.

Monday Morning Board Review

Here is a 7' 4" Lightning bolt single fin circa late seventies.

Shaped by Tom Parrish, who used to shape most of the contest boards in Oahu for guys like Rabbit Bartholomew, Mark Richards, Peter Townhend, and Shaun and Micheal Tomson as well as others.

I guess they only had really thick fins in the 70's.

That fin looks like it is almost 1" thick.

I guess when you're surfing in Hawaii a little bit of drag isn't that big of a deal.

Still Flat...

... and it seems to be affecting everyone a little oddly as illustrated below with some pictures and captions (I can only assume this is what these people were saying/thinking, but I am sure it is accurate).

Officer: Excuse me sir, would you like to see a new impression of The Fonz I have been working on?

Citizen: What? Come on, you've got nothing!

Officer: Oh yeah? Watch this!

Officer: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaeh!

Citizen: Haha, that was perfect!

Officer: Thank you kindly sir, I've worked very hard on it.

Our tax dollars at work, where are you?

he's on, he's off, he's on, he's off, he's on...

...while we're never sure if he's still on or off the ...Lost team (currently on, I think...) Aaron Cormican's surfing is always ON. He's half of the 5'5" Redux video, 2x ECSC champ and his buttery-ass approach to knee-high waves makes you want to paddle out in dribbles. He's an East Coast surfer's surfer, and he's also responsible for bringing you the Grocket, the perfect Folly Beach pocket tickler for the summer.

Check his little interview over at Australia's STAB MAG

fresh catch...

...found this over at 5ONES.com. Good site that has quick-read articles (perfect for work) and exposes some of the idiotic stuff that goes on in the "action sports industry."

stuck like stupid...

...nothing makes you feel like a kid again than running from security guards after a harmless prank. I kept blasting the Surftech booth at ASR with no-popout stickers. Since the only people near the booth were the 8 sales guys, it gave them something to do besides circle j@#*ing.