Red Rocker: Vol.1-4 (less Vol.3)

Some photos of Tom Scott and his craft:

Tom is a surfer/shaper out of northern Oregon. He's been surfing cold-water point breaks and shaping boards in the NorthWest for decades.

I've been calling on his services during the last few years, and it's been a lot of fun working with him during that time.

Above (from left):

5'11" neo-fishy thruster (see another photo below, under 'The Grass...' post)

6'2" short-board for average beach-break conditions (shown above with Tom)

6'5" step-up thumb-tail for bigger days at point-breaks

(6'8" pin-tail -- not shown -- back at home during this road trip in May)

Evidently he was listening to Sammy Hagar when he was painting that first board. The name stuck. Rock on, Tom.

is anyone reading this?

Orange County

it is everything you image and more.

The Grass is Always Greener

Spring is a great season up here, the days are longer (yes, we've surpassed NorCal sunlight) and we get plenty of overhead swell and relatively benign winds (don't even get me started on summer). These pics are from Saturday: Jer behind the lens and John_B in the water. I wonder how much longer it will stay this uncrowded up here? Sometimes, I wonder why I want to leave? Then I miss a good day like this, 'stuck' 2 1/2 hrs. from the waves, having the time of my life with an awesome girl and great friends in an otherwise rad city. At that point, all I can do is bitterly concede that I would probably trade an empty line-up with my buddies a couple days a week, for getting to surf twice as often if it meant dealing with some level of crowd. I guess that's part of the habit; after years of chasing the dragon's tail, we develop a certain tolerance for stoke which defines the basic surfers' dilemma and defies all but the most temporary satisfaction. Old and grumpy here I come.

Epic March Swell - not in Cali

March Epic Swell - Coastalwatch from coastalwatch on Vimeo.

videos like this, remind me its time to get out of socal. Take note of the speed and distance traveled on the Kirra waves and of the ridiculous barrel that Bede gets about 3/4 the way through the video.

I've passed my third day wearing a mustache. It has been an interesting experiment so far. Have you always wanted to grow yours out, but haven't had the cajones to try a different look? Maybe you're thinking that an underground army of mustaches might be just the secret-hand-shake kind of protest against the corporate machine that could unite our brethren? Facial Hair meats Fight Club? Well, let me pass on some hard-earned insight (if you're already a misfit, this won't come as news). Basically, this is how it works: the first 24 hours are the hardest; after that initial introductory period when ugly girls and all but the gayest gay guys won't even give you a second look, you'll become more comfortable with your appearance and possibly begin to regain some of your previous confidence. If you have a girlfriend, do not expect her to find any humor in your antics. Trust me on that one, you are on your own and swimming upstream against possibly the biggest fashion faux pas you could hope to cross. No one said it would be easy. Personally, I'm not sure what to expect from here on out. I'm coming up on my first full weekend in the city as such. If anyone has any tips, bring them on. As far as I'm concerned, it could go either way. So stay tuned, there are only three short weeks until Chile. (Full disclaimer, I don't think anyone in Chile will care either)

What makes a spot secret?

Submitted for your consideration, two photos: one is a secret spot the other is not. Or at least that's my guess if I had to label them into such categories. What is your definition of a secret spot? One that hasn't been in the magazines? Somewhere that only 'locals' know about? I'm guessing no one reading this knows about either of the spots in these photos, so maybe they are both secrets. I don't know. Is a secret spot one that you can't see from a road? What do you think? What makes a spot secret? Or maybe, there simply is no such thing and we should all stop believing in the Easter Bunny?