Once again, it’s surf movie time at Oceanside film festival
I had seen “Gidget” in 1959, but my first real surf movie was Bruce Brown’s “Waterlogged” in 1962. Other than Saturday matinees, I had never...
Waterspot
The ‘Mouse’ that roared
You may not believe this, but I used to surf better than Rob Machado. (Is it significant that he was 6 at the time?) I...
Where surf history lives
Today’s high-flying surfers are making history; they just don’t know it yet. And wherever there is history, there has to be a repository for it....
Book excerpt: Style
When people reflect on perfect style in surfing, they often point to Pipeline master Gerry Lopez. From takeoff to kickout, Lopez was flawless. Immaculate. It’s...
Joel Tudor and the rise of modern longboarding
Before I begin, let me get this out of my guts. Okay, I hate the world “log” in reference to surfboards over 10 feet. And,...
How the shortboard revolution sparked a longboard renaissance
In 1967, something called the shortboard revolution overthrew longstanding traditions. To be fair, surfing had encountered prior revolutions. In 1935, the addition of a fin...
How I discovered surfing
The first known surf story was told by ancient Hawaiians nearly 500 years ago. Preserved through chants and hulas, they communicated how Maui Chiefess Kelea...
Looking backward and forward
Before I wish any of you a Happy New Year, let me acknowledge that I realize many of us are not so much looking forward...
Wishing you a Glassy Christmas and an Offshore New Year
Theft is bad any time of year, but during the Christmas season…? I confess to you that I blatantly took something that was not mine....
The Tudor dynasty
Joel Tudor was a brat when I met him in the late 1980s. A very talented brat, but a brat, nonetheless. The rail-thin, freckle-faced, blond...
Surf art for Christmas
Having grown up surfing in North County, local artist Kevin Anderson’s aquatic roots are apparent in all of his work. This is especially conspicuous in...
Swami’s, 1970
I had moved to Encinitas in the summer of 1970. Then, I lived on the porch of an old “plantation” style house at the corner...
Who would do such a thing?
Tom Wolfe does a good job describing space in “The Right Stuff,” but when attempted to capture surf culture as he did in his book...
Phil, Bobby and the return of Terra Mar
Walking up the Swami’s stairs one afternoon, I heard my name called from above. A bearded man in a sports cap pulled low on his...
Surf reporter knows what he’s talking about
I have never seen CBS 8 meteorologist Shawn Styles surf. Of course, that made me wonder if he was any good at it. Even when...