ettalong bike polo club

... no surf? no problem

Ettalong Bike Polo Club from ben conquest on Vimeo.

cobblestone slipperies

Here's a little short I made featuring our friend DP:

Cobblestone Slipperies // Dane Peterson from Nathan Oldfield on Vimeo.

local love #3... the sugarmill

Today we catch up with Chris Chong, tireless retailer/surfer/good times organiser and one of the brains behind The Sugarmill:

Sir Chongy

Name and location of your store:

THE SUGARMILL FINE SURF EMPORIUM
1329 Pittwater Rd, Narrabeen, NSW, 2101

1. How long has this store been operating?

Still garage days – Jan this year.

2. What's your local break?

Our shop local is the mighty Narra strip, Southy all the way to Northy, but Davy is a Bungan boy and Stu and Chongy are lords of mantown. You’re likely to find those land pirates mincing on the Nth Steyne bench most mornings of the week.

3. Who is your favourite local surfer or shaper?

Our faves are all the boys we surf with, hang with, do life with, build boards for... Kids like Matty Chojnacki, Ellis, the brothers Salsbury, Otis Carey, Stuey (ha), but I still love seeing Ozzie in the line up and the Fitzy’s still throw more water than anyone.

As for fave shaper, well that’s easy; Davy Howell from Misfit Shapes, and not just saying that cause he co-owns the store, but Davy’s approach to board design is pure radness. Its never a dull moment when Davy walks out of the bay...




What's your favourite local eatery/drinkery?

We love japanese, so tamagawa, izumi, jipang in manly are always frequent destinations, but vespa across the road is the boobs for a poached egg breaky and zubi bar at newport make the coffee from Jesus. As for rare coffee The Sugarmill is now serving the amazingly refined coffee of ‘SINGLE ORIGIN ROASTERS‘ and their heavy bodied ‘Mostro blend’. Come in and let our renowned log shredder barista Matty Chojnacki treat your lip and support a great cause with all coffee profits going towards supporting the global aid projects of non-for-prof org - Misfit Aid.

And for drinkerys – the pony room in manly (old safety wolf boys), the sands for a countery and a fight and our verandah in summer when there is arvo sun.

What keeps the locals coming in?

I guess our whole approach to everything is community. We love people and we strive to make that known to our clientele. Unique product, good service, a warm retail environment and getting behind whats happening around us keeps us in favour with them. We get behind a lot of board riders clubs, local events etc, plus we have been known to throw an event or two ourselves. You have to give people a good reason to come see you and I guess that’s what we strive tirelessly for...

summer log

Jesse Watson from Black Apache has shaped this log for some lucky punter





his description: its a 9'6 semi pig/velzy style outline, its 3 1/8" but super bladey in the rails. full rolled bottom no concaves. glass on 11 1/2" rudder fin i'd like to have this one in my quiver, but its not gonna happen

fin box shindig

this Saturday pop out yer teeth, pop in yer corn pipe and join Chris & the crew at Fin Box Surf Shop as they celebrate the store launch. There's art by good pal Simon Perini to gaze upon and snappy new sea pants by Critical Slide to feel up. Awesomeness.

good wood

a smooth slide into the week... photos by Kerry Down

ryan heywood / nine lives

local love #2.. glass avenue

This week I catch up with Rabbit, the ever hospitable owner of Glass Avenue


Name and location of your store: Glass Avenue – Newport Beach, NSW

http://www.glassavenue.com.au/
http://darkwindows.wordpress.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/glassavenue

Glass Avenue are Rabbit, Lara, Cuba, Manchild, Reddog, Marbles, Polly Head to name a few staff

1. How long has this store been operating?

We opened two years ago on a cool August morning. And I’m pretty sure you were there too (we go way back)

2. What's your local break?
Northern Beaches of Sydney need no introduction. We surf the Peak.

3. Who is your favourite local surfer or shaper?
I used to surf with the Godfather, Simon Andersons which you can’t beat but right now I have a massive man crush on one Mr James Chilli and what he does with a piece of foam.

4. What's your favourite local eatery/drinkery?
Pacific Grill across the road. Coronas and Tapas all day. Then there is the Arms of course around the corner, biggest beer garden I know of.
And I’m not afraid of the cross in Sydney either, although I should be.



5. What keeps the locals coming in?
Pretty sure it’s the dog but I’d like to think it’s our very different brand mix, rock and roll gigs out back, our twisted sense of style and humour, possibly the dog, relaxed vibe and excellent music taste. My staff are pretty rad, it could be them too.

Oh and we sell fucking cool clothes. Speaking off that, where the hell is TCSS my summer indent?

Glass Ave summer parties are legendary

bodhi rips finally drops

If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price, well $49.95 + postage. We finally have our Bodhi RIPs T-shirts in-store. A hommage to the late Patrick Swayze and a film that's given us an unprecedented number of great quotes. Available in White and Grey Marle. We've got limited stock and they're a limited print run.

the big one

... yep, it's that time of year again... Mick Mock's annual Surf Auction. The real deal.



Viewing & registration tomorrow from 3pm to 5pm, then the action starts 10:30 Sunday morning at the Harbord Diggers Club. I've bought and sold some gems from Mick over the years, makes me feel like a kid on Christmas Eve thinking of the goodies on offer.

See you there.

tonight!

... at China Heights Gallery, Surry Hills this good looking show by Shaun Freeman. Only up for 2 days so don't dilly dally folks

Solwata People

The latest issue of Pacific Longboarder is on the stands & has some fine words with pictures, not least of which is this spread by Mark Onorati.

Shot in the Solomon Islands, it describes an untouched paradise. Mark went up there with 4 Critical compadres: Johnny Gill, Cloudy Rhodes, Carl Gonsalves and Matt Chojnacki to surf unspoilt reefs and hang heels with the local crew.

Cloudy aka Baro Baro in the local lingo

Cloudy .............. Carl

Matt .................. John

I dig these shots... the guys were using their boards as sun shades
between sets ...... & a local legend shows off his quiver.

all photos by Mark Onorati
Pacific Longboarder Volume 14 #1

Bodhi hits Byron

TCSS super agent Benny Lathlean & I drove down to Byron Bay last week to introduce Bodhi to the locals.

checking out the Pass

checking the temperature of the beer at the Buddha Bar....

team rider Brett Caller, Byron Surf owner Steve Packer & Ben... talking heads tees

Bodhi's new abode until the 50 year storm hits ... Byron Surf

Byron Surf
46 Jonson Street
Byron Bay
ph: 02 6685 7986

Art 'n' about in NYC

This is a bit of a "mixed bag" post......

I have been in and out of NYC from Long Beach, NY through to Morristown, New Jersey (staying in an amazing house- think the "Draper residence" from Mad Men) and back to NYC!
I've seen a lot and done a lot in 1.5 weeks (one more to go!).

Sooooooo much art, music, and the occasional celebrity/model spotting due to Fashion Week..............

God Bless America.

Last night, Fri.Sept 17th, I was lucky to attend this amazing art show held in Chelsea. The venue was this massive warehouse space full of mainly Photography from the Nixon team.
I almost had kittens between skate photographer, Mike Blabac's work and Kassia Meador's breathtaking photo wall.

Introducing Mr. Ray Barbee on guitar.......

He was super chill. We spoke about how we were at Greenroom Festival 09 together and how his hands reek of Fixer from his new Darkroom........niiiice


Headed to Kassia's show at Mollusk in Brooklyn last wk.......local band "Beach Fossils" played, soon after we jived all super sweaty to a bad mixing DJ.
Great night.........we ended up eating amazing Jalapeno burgers at a diner on East 56th, and woke up snuggling a black poodle puppy.

Jared, myself, Adam + Chris from BLORR.

My first night in NYC and the cab drove past the Barry McGee!!!! Super stoked, I believe its on East Houston?

Fashion Night Out on Sept 10th was INSAAAANE. People absolutely everywhere. Harrison and I gave up on all cabs, subways, line-ups...........oh but Hello Mr. Lagerfeld!!!


This poster of Helena Christensen/the Joker is all over the streets. Love it.

I took this today in Jersey.......2 clowns sitting in a Camero??!!!!!

I'll do a music post next. Stay tuned!

Doc

Thomas Bexon by Lachie Goldsworthy