My first board years ago was a big ‘ol 7’0 NWSD thruster, big-guy-tri, water logged, hand-me-down, POS.  That thing seriously sucked and held me back for a while.  I should’a just went with a longboard for a bit, learned how to paddle, catch a wave, ride a wave etc.  Instead i took beatings for two years.  The second board i got was a thick 6’5 Rusty fish from a friend.  Then a beat up 6’5 Bessel, then a 6’5 Stretch, then another 6’5 Stretch, and then a 6’2 Pod (RIP).  Now i’m on a 6’0 Lost Monkfish.  Totally stoked–here’s my take on it:

The Monkfish came out in 2008.  Lost makes it in a bunch of different combinations–thruster, quad, 5 fin, rounded pin, swallow tail, and a weird bat tail thing.  I got the rounded pin/quad.

The board has a lot of foam and is intended to be ridden quite a bit shorter than a traditional shortboard.  I run about 200 pounds and the 6’0 Monkfish has plenty of float.  I’m sure i could ride a few inches shorter but i need an easier paddle due to this.

The float on this board allows you to get into waves early and catch dinky waves relatively easy.  The rails on the Monkfish are quite a bit tighter than the Pod–really quick bottom turns.  A lot of times on the Pod i couldn’t get a tight enough bottom turn–i’d have to draw out the turn more.  This board bites much harder.  The board feels faster down the line and much quicker top-to-bottom (see specs below).  As a quad, the board rides loose and lively but feels pretty damn locked in and in control.

I’ve ridden this board in small, knee-to-waist surf and it’s fast–generates speed with a couple pumps insta.  I’ve also had this board at a couple legit heavy waves in WA on well overhead days.  Although not the ideal board…it did juuuust fine on sizeable drops and is surprisingly stable hauling ass (of course i did get murdered a few times).

I got my Monkfish about 5 months ago, right after the ocean snapped my Pod in half.  I’ve had it in all kinds of waves since then and it continues to please.  Every time i’ve gotten a new board it seems like i have a significant change in the way i surf and this Monkfish is no different.  I’ve definitely gotten a lot more confident in my surfing–especially backhand.  The Monkfish has allowed me to progress for sure.  Best board i’ve owned yet.

I get the impression that the Monkfishies aren’t easy to come by in the PNW.  But i’ve seen em at WaveHounds in Seattle, SSS in Seaside, and Moments in PC. But if you’re looking for a versatile board that dominates in smaller junk surf, but can hold it down when waves start pumping, take a look at the Lost Monkfish.

Here’s some specs:

*Couldn’t find specs online so i measured the width of both the nose and tail on the bottom of the board, 12 inches inward from either end.

More info about the Monkfish here:  http://www.lostenterprises.com/surfboards/details/the-monkfish

Here’s a video of Biolas describing the Monkfish shape:

Here’s a super sick video of Corey Lopez from 5’5″ x 19 1/4″ Redux.  Evidently the Monkfish was shaped specifically for this wave:

At 2200 cubic inches, there’s  plenty of room to pack in a XL wetsuit, booties, towel and a 6er.  Comes in black only–no sissy colors.  The bag has a roll top closure and is very much water/air tight when closed up.  You could use it as a pillow.

I was a little worried about the bag getting stinky after letting a salty, pissy wetsuit soak in it a few hours on the car ride home.  Stank free.  Kinda nice rolling with a bag rather than a big ‘ol Rubbermaid tub. A little more on the compact side.

In typical Dakine form, the bag is plenty comfortable on your shoulders.  It’ll  make a great hike in/out option for you mini surf expeditions.

The only thing i might have added to the bag is some sort of hanger loop on the bottom of the bag so you could hang it upside down and let what ever liquid was inside drip out.  But you can always get creative.

Pretty stoked on this bag.  This is a great addition to my gear and generally a handy piece of equipment to own.

If you’re looking to get some sort of sturdy wetsuit bag check this thing out.

So a couple days ago i picked up the Pentax Optio W90.  IT IS THE SHIZ.

The W90 is a waterproof, 12 mega-pixel, HD video, point-and-shoot digital camera. At full resolution the pictures are 4000×3000 and the HD video runs at 1280×1024/30fps with a 5x optical zoom. It’s waterproof, shock proof, dirt/dust/sand proof, cold proof, and beer proof. It’s small and lightweight. Best of all it’s super easy to tuck into your wetsuit. I comes with a little carrybeaner lanyard that you can clip onto your zipper or elasto cord thingy. The on/off and shutter button are plenty big to use with gloves on.  The menu buttons aren’t super big so if you have to use gloves, it’s best to get your cam settings dialed pre-paddle.

If you have a wetsuit with a little chest pocket/flap zone (i have and Xcel suit) this camera tucks in there perfectly.  I doesn’t get in the way paddling, or create a gap where water can get in.

Additionally the W90 has a pretty fast burst shutter mode.  You can shoot 6 frames in about 1.1 seconds.  Plenty for getting that sweet handrail sequence.  It also has a super macro.  You can snap shots of stuff up to 1cm away.  And it has little LED lights that you can turn on for extra lighting on close up shots.

Navigating the cameras operating system/firmware wasn’t the most intuitive at first–i’m used to Canon.  Setting up manual settings was a bit tricky but they have pre-configured shooting modes for just about every scenario you could imagine.

Here’s a few shots from the other weekend:

In addition to being an excellent camera for water related activities…this could also be a good camera for someone who’s prone to breaking small electronic devices.  Need to bring your camera to the bar to get those rad drunk party pics for Facebook?  Ever drop your camera to the floor and watched it explode into smithereens?  Have a hard time holding your camera AND double fisting? Get the Pentax W90.  It’s drunk proof.

The camera run about $3hundo with tax/shipping on Amazon. I got mine in a couple days via USPS. More info here.

Here’s the description from the App Store:

“Choosing the correct surfboard and equipment can be a confusing and complex experience. This application will help make sense of the shape and design features that make up a surfboard – from rocker to roll, rails to tails, fins to foils – and assist in making the best, most informed choice from a multitude of possibilities. It also gives an overview and explanation of the best equipment to go along with a surfboard to make the most of the surfing experience.

• 15 of the most popular surfboard shapes
• 50 hand drawn illustrations
• Ability level recommendation by shape
• 18 surfboard design features from rails to rocker
• 15 essential accessories from wetsuits to wax
• 5,000 word surfing glossary
• A Surfer’s Code
• A listing of master shapers and contact information

Surfboards was created by Shaun Tomson.  Shaun has been surfing since the sixties, traveled the world, and won the World Pro Tour in 77.  He’s been involved with surfing long enough to see trends come, go, and come back.  That pretty much makes him an authority on all things surf.

Surfboards is a wealth of information for the novice surfer and a good history lesson for everyone else.  If you’re new to surfing or if you know someone who is, this would be a great purchase or gift.  $1.99.  Check it out.

Here’s a few screen shots:

If you’re heading up on a weekend, your best bet is to call ahead and order.  If not, you’ll be waiting in line 15 minutes plus.  It’s best to know what you want beforehand.  If you don’t know the ‘menu’, don’t even bother calling.  Don’t be half-steppin on your order either.  If you order a sangwich wait till they ask you what you want.  If you start spouting off  “cheese, mayo, bacon, pickles, um….” it’ll mess up the flow.  The ladies that answer your call need that shiz to be on point.  They have an order form and they like the fixins ordered in order.  Don’t blow it bro.

I love the Sultan Bakery so much that i’ve driven there from Seattle just for a Turkey Bacon Swiss sangwich.  In the summer. Of course i got 3 donuts too.  If i lived near the Sultan Bakery i’d eat there everyday. I’m really glad i don’t live in Snohomish County though.

The other weekend at the Bakery I was eyeing one of their huge cinnamon rolls.  I overheard the lady working mention to some girl in line the cinnamon rolls cost 5 bucks .  Girl didn’t seem sold so i informed her that it was worth every penny.  I think she was intimidated by the size.

Here’s how to get there:

And one last shot of the radness.

Modern Collective is about as polar opposite from the review i wrote of Rob Machado’s The Drifter as you can get.  If the mellow, stoney-baloney feel of that movie made you want to travel to indo solo and make art, Modern Collective will make you want to haul azz down to your local break and rip apart crappy waves.

In Modern Collective, the same six dudes tear apart waves in France, Morocco, Australia, Mexico, etc.  I dig following just a few guys rather than the typical surf flick that runs through a roster 20 dudes deep.  You get a better chance to recognize style before they skip on to they next guy.

The cinematography in this flick is artsy and weird.  The diluted grainy colors feel like 70′s television.  There’s a bunch of landscape filler shots that add to the artsyness and help give context to the places these guys surf.  This movie also has lasers.

Here’s some pics i took while watching the flick on my (apparently) crappy laptop.  I think they look extra artsy.

The surfing in this flick is radical new school stuff.  Non-stop alley-oops, rodeos and other aerials that my brain can’t comprehend.  Dane and Jordy tore it up but Yadin Nicol stuck out for me.  There’s a part where he’s seshing the brains out of some shore pound trying to nail an alley-oop three, just getting pummeled.  Eventually he nails it clean.  I can only imagine how many boards these dudes went through making this film…

The soundtrack is super good.  Upbeat coked out dance party style on most of it.  Play this at a house party and chicks will dig it.  I am now a Sebastien Tellier fan.

SONG	ARTIST	iTunes
Mind Dimension	Tiga
Liar Liar	The Castaways
Some Velvet Morning	Primal Scream
Johnny Remember Me	John Leyton and The Flames
Highway of Endless Dreams	M83
The Worm	ZZT
Back to Wilderness	Joakim
Six Months in a Leaky Boat	Split Enz
P.Y.X (Golden Bug Mix)	G.L.O.V.E.S
Divine (Midnight Juggernauts Remix)	Sebastien Tellier
Destination (Cassian Remix)	Damn Arms
Blood Theme	DATA
Kilometer (Aeroplane ‘Italo 84′ Remix)	Sebastien Tellier
Sea Within A Sea	The Horrors
Anthonio (Designer Drugs Remix)	Annie
Wellness Is Wild (Dre Skull Remix)	Goon & Koyote

You can get the movie via iTunes here:

Stoked to check out Taylor Steele’s Castles In The Sky whenever that comes out…

Rather than write my own recap i decided to rhyme.  Here goes:

The Slalom had a lotta bros.  A few Yo’s.  Probably some ho’s, but i don’t knows.  There were a bunch of crows flying in circols.  Some people met the 5-0.  This dude got clipped in the nose.

..and here’s a POV shot with a ContourHD of a hike we did up the Arm on Saturday.  It was fun.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Shape: The board is a twin. I typically ride directional, or directional twins when i can but this boards has done me well.

Reverse: Not a ton of reverse camber on this board. Just enough to make riding pow a little bit less effort. Still plenty of tail for riding pipe and jumping. Landing in pow is also not much different. On some reverse camber boards your tail will wash out pretty bad landing in pow–not here.

Sprack: MAD Sprack! This board effing ejects off the tail.

Turning: Has a progressive sidecut which i’m not completely hyped on. Not totally sure what the hell it is though. For a mid-wide board it’s plenty turny, edge to edge.

Dampness: This board is damp. I consider boards to be damp when you can haul ass through chunder without getting bucked. There has been a lot of chunder this year. If you ride in the NW you need to be able to handle chunder. As in, make it your friend. It’s everywhere. Board handles that shiz on edge too. Has that slimewall stuff which i believe in.

The only thing i don’t dig about this board is the top-sheet. As soon as my foot touches it i go down. Skating and unloading a lift is like it was when i 1st started riding. Sometimes i even ask the other people on the chair if they’re going left or right. Unloading top chair Alpental is terrifying. I’m pretty sure the top sheet is actually slicker than the base.

Aside from that this board is a damn solid all-around board. It rides everything really good. Alpental, Park, Pipe. Done. I don’t like the graphics…but could give a shiz.

I think this would be a great board for someone looking to transition into reverse camber. The reverse camber isn’t super dramatic–you get used to it quick. You would notice it’s handling in chunder instantly.

I convinced a friend of mine who was a bit skeptical to get one of these. Earlier this year we were riding Crystal–2nd run he was locked in and super stoked on the board.

More info about the Ride Machete here: http://ridesnowboards.com/boards/machete

I bet the Ride Machete would even slay the Banked Slalom–which is this weekend at Mt. Baker. Can’t wait to heckle friends, stalk pros, throw snowballs at other bloggers, drink beer and eat salmon.

A few dudes with big ideas are looking to turn the Rose Garden and Memorial Colosseum into a giant Extreme Sports shyte-show.

Check out this quote:

“Action Sports, however, represent the next generation of athletics in the US; with participation growing, in some sports by as much as 90% over the past decade, new indoor and high-quality facilities for many of these sports are lacking.”

No ish they’re lacking.  Cause they aren’t indoor activities.

These dudes are serious.  A wave pool, a levitating skate park, child care, rock climbing, and more all in Portland!  This will officially make Portland waay cooler than Seattle if this pans out.  I can’t wait.

Anyways…you should read more about it here:  http://www.actionsportsnw.com/

If your ability to be entertained by a surf video relies on a series of dudes destroying a wave, a pop soundtrack, shenanigans, and repeat then The Drifter might not appeal to you.  Don’t get me wrong, I dig “surf porn” as much as the next overly-hyped-on-surf-30-year-old-dude but I found the Drifter to be a refreshing change for a surf film.

The gist of the film is Rob Machado surfing in Bali. But the difference is it’s emotional, introspective, pseudo documentary feel. If the format of a typical surf film is a 24oz Monster Energy Drink, The Drifter would be a cup of green tea. Probably decaf.

Most videos I find myself struggling to comprehend how some dude just made that drop or another managed to get around that Alley-oop 360 and then duck right into a barrel. That kind of shiz though sick to watch and definitely entertaining seems pretty unattainable.

The waves Rob surfs in Bali are big sick barreling lefts for the most part. I’m sure I’d think twice before paddling into the same waves but the surfing in this movie looks a lot more appealing to me.

The soundtrack is really good. Songs from the Black Keys, The Raconteurs, Jose Gonzales, MGMT meld perfectly with the feel of each scene.  Rock it below:

You can get The Drifter on Amazon or at ya local surf shop.

Here’s a trailer.