Next To Zen

Waimea Shorebreak

2009-12-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

Not my photo, but I really dig this one

It's Coming....

2009-12-07T18:07:00.001-08:00

Photo taken from Adam Wright's socalforecast.blogspot.com (great and accurate blog)

The Bay is already breaking in Hawaii and waves even in So-cal are forecasted to hit Double Overhead+

Hang on...

Speedwings

2009-11-16T22:27:00.000-08:00

Been riding these Rainbow Speedwing fins as a quad set-up in my trusty old 5'11 Zamora HP-Fish. Those little winglets break up the cavitation (unstable water at the tip of the fin). Serious speed and way less drag than w/ a standard front fin. Very stoked on how you can feel the difference, especially when pushing them hard. No wonder the commercial airlines use them. Saves fuel and increases speed.
(photos courtesy of rainbow fins)

More SUBB

2009-11-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

More SUBB: Stand Up Boogie Boarding. This guys got some serious talent!

Also that's a spot that I grew up surfing. Wonder how the old school crowd is doing there: Donald Day, Wilson, Chaka (Darren), Tre... Some of the rippers that inspired my surfing youth.

All Your Base Are Belong To Us

2009-11-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

Some midweek comedy from our friends at engrish.com

Better be careful in the "naughty palace" lol

Stand Up Boogie Boarding (SUBB)

2009-11-11T23:42:00.000-08:00

This is how I got my start into the surfing world back when I was 10 years old. I started standing on my boogie and my bro was like "that's it buddy, it's time to get you a surfboard!" and the rest is history...

The guys in the vid are getting shacks that would make any surfer jealous, great stuff!

Fast Food Tray Fun!

2009-11-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

I've got a custom handplane coming in the next few days... until then, some fast food goodness to keep me motivated. Fun Stuff!

Small, Fading...

2009-06-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

Still fun! Make the best of it:

Timmy:

Havoc

Best Single Surfing Clip of All Time!

2009-06-23T23:25:00.000-07:00

Taylor Knox at Lowers. The definition of power surfer!

TAYLOR KNOX LOWERS ROUND 2 from Jon Hechtkopf on Vimeo.

Havoc

Non Standard Shapes

2009-06-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Eli Mirandon ripping on one of his strange creations. Looks fun!

VIMBY - Eli Mirandon

Havoc

2009-06-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

Weird Board Wednesday:

insurfnews.com - WEIRD BOARD WED. Part One The Force from Andrew Oliver on Vimeo.

insurfnews.com - WEIRD BOARD WED. Part Two The Darkside from Andrew Oliver on Vimeo.

Those crazy Hawaiians at it again!

Havoc

2009-05-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

My buddy Timmy dropping in on an overhead bomb somewhere in North OC during a sneaker spring time south swell. Timmy's surfing roots trace back deep into his native Hawaiian culture. His cousin is one of the pioneers of our sport: Reno Abellira.

Fun seeing him out recently ripping on his Greg Griffin modfish trading combo swell bowls. The definition of Aloha. Shaka Brah!

Havoc

Cold Water

2009-05-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

I did some time in Ann Arbor during my Postdoc at the University of Michigan. It was soooo cold. These guys define the word "hardcore"

Apparently it gets good over there too:

Havoc

Point Break Fun Part II

2009-05-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, 6+ hour session yesterday and man I'm beat. Caught so many waves, some were pushing into the HH+ range. Lots of fun cutties and hacks and one in and out barrel. Pic above is of me bottom turning on a fun one. Great waves, great board, great weather... Stoked!

Havoc

Point-Break Fun

2009-03-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Me on a fun righthander at a famous so-cal pointbreak. This was just a set-up turn for the inside and luckily a surf photographer caught it. (Click for larger Image)

Good times! Hoping for an exceptional Spring of clean glassy conditions, fun waves, hot weather, and hot babes!

Havoc

5'9" HP Dialer

2009-03-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Just picked up this absolutely bad-ass ride from Ian Zamora.
Dim's 5'9"x20.5x2-3/8 in poly w/ tapered stringer and abstract resin tint. The color-work came out unbelievable. By far the best resin-tint abstract I have ever seen and it happens to be on my board!!! Stoked!!!

Can't wait to get this board out in the water this week. I had two of the best sessions of the past 2 years at a socal pointbreak last week on my eps/resin-x hp fish. My last 2 boards from Ian were magic. Can't wait to ride this one! Stoked! (Photos courtesy of Ian Zamora)

Havoc

Brah, you get the most epic barrels

2009-03-17T00:07:00.000-07:00

This one always makes me crack up...

South swell in the water all week. Had a blast at Trestles last week, more of the same this week...

Havoc

Always puts me in a good mood...

2009-03-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

Something about this video and the surfing on here that always puts me in a good mood. I think its the music and artistic nature

Cool cheater 5 at 3:05 too!

Hynson Black Knight Quad

2009-03-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Can't say enough great things about these boards. Fun everytime I ride em' in the small stuff and one of the fastest fish out there.

Sean Mattison riding a 5'7" Hynson Black Knight Quad:

Sean on another BKQ in O-Side:

Quiver

2009-03-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

Two new additions to the quiver. I usually sell a board or two before adding. I recently let 2 boards go before these bad-boys arrived. Board on the left is an eps/resin-x tapered stringer Zamora HP Fish at 5'10"x19-3/4x2-7/16. The one on the right is a Hynson Black Knight Quad (BKQ) in xtr at 5'9x20.5x2.5.
Both boards go insane. The Zamora works in anything from waist high up to waves well overhead and the Hynson BKQ shines in anything from knee to about chest/shoulder high. I rode both over the weekend in ankle to barely knee high slop and was amazed at how easily both boards just picked up even the tiniest little high tide mushburgers. I've vowed off longboards on the smallest days b/c I always regret it when the surf picks up and I'm trying to get used to my shortboards during the first few sessions. On those weakest of weak waves, the Zamora had to be worked rail to rail pretty good to keep up the momentum, but the BKQ just flew... and allowed some nice little cutbacks and small hits. So darn fun. The first left I took off on on the BKQ was this little knee high dribbler and when I connected to the inside section, I couldn't believe the speed I was getting on this thing... it was like whooosh. When the waves get punchier I whip out the Zamora hp fish, but either way I'm covered.
With these two boards, I think I can handle about 95% of what So-cal has to offer, in fact 100% so far of what winters thrown at us this year, even up to 8-10 ft faces. OK, I dodged the 10 foot bombs. Nontheless, I've gotten some dicey OH beachbreak bombs on the Zamora hp fish. I was thinking about getting a step up this winter, but doesn't look like I'll be needing it.

So I'm still getting the hp fish dialed in w/ fins and stuff (running composite lokbox T-knox fronts and the lbxm 3.8 rears) but a set of Bamboo 101's would just kill on that board! Very different personality from my first poly hp fish from Zamora, this feels more twangy and crisp w/ the eps/resin-x combo... still getting used to the new materials as these both are my first non-poly boards being they are in epoxy/resin-x and xtr respectively. More to follow and hopefully some nice pics on them as soon as I get my camera back from Olympus. Until then, surf on!

Havoc

Couple before the weekend

2009-02-23T00:03:00.000-08:00

Waves were bumpy, mushy, and windy but the new swell was starting to fill in. Caught a couple of photos but I'm clearly new to H20 photography and hopefully my pics will get better with time! On the above wave, rider was turning off the top but I was a few frames too late and only caught him coming down. You can see the arc of his path... always next time!

Havoc

1030 SW A Goner

2009-02-22T23:47:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately my trusty 2 week old Olympus 1030 sw sucked in some water in the battery compartment and bit the dust... no water photos until I get a replacement.

Havoc

You should've been here yesterday!

2009-02-15T23:11:00.001-08:00

Another small day... wanted to wait for the water to clear up a bit before headin' out... waves were head high outta the west/ssw short period yesterday, by the time we arrived today all was gone. At least it felt good to get out in the water and ride a few zippy rights and lefts in a few inches of water... watch those fins!

The long wait between the sets...

The bodyboarders were having some fun...

Looking forward to Tues and Thursday. Pray for Surf!
Havoc

On the Road

2009-02-04T22:01:00.000-08:00

Couple of randoms from a drive up highway 1

I never tire of watching sunsets over the ocean... a calming effect for us before the storm

Havoc

Flatness and Frustration

2009-02-04T00:47:00.000-08:00

Some of the jokesters on the surfermagbb took their frustrations out on lake pacifica via photo-shop. I thought this was pretty funny. Note: explicit language involved

We've literally only gotten like 3-4 swells over chest high this Winter so hopefully Poseidon unleashes his wrath on La Nina. Thursday through the weekend looks promising, and hopefully the conditions will hold so I can try out my new hp-fish and get some Shakalaka... Cheers!

Havoc

Twins

2009-02-02T22:30:00.001-08:00

Twin Zamora HP Fishies. Board on the left is my trusty 5'11x19.5x2.5 hp fish in poly. You can see the review on the surfermagbb here. The bad-boy on the right was just picked up from talented shaper Ian Zamora. New one clocks in at 5'10x19-3/4x2-7/16 in eps w/ resin-x. Board's got a sweet tapered stringer and if it's anything like the 5'11 is gonna fly.... 100% pure stoked!!

More photos below:

Worth Saving

2009-02-01T23:44:00.001-08:00

Image of one of my most favorite surf breaks in the entire world: T-Land! There's been lots of controversy about this place, but it is safe for now...
(photo courtesy of surfrider foundation )

Welcome

2009-02-01T23:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome all to my journal of adventures to the pacific ocean

I will update this blog once a week with surfing and lifestyle related posts...

Here's to a great new year!

Havoc