So a number of years ago, maybe ten or more, we were still using three-quarter video tapes for all the rough cuts we'd send out (this was before QTs and posting on the interweb and immediate gratification and iPhones and iPods and iChats and iBlips and iTweeks) a co-worker runs through the door and slams one of those massive babies into the big old machine and we watch this thing down on the boob-tube. Incredible. Beautiful. I still have that 3/4 tape somewhere, tucked into a corner in a box under the bed. William Shatner is surfy.

Heywood

The flabbergastingly smalling aspects of the digital information revolution is pretty well documented, commented upon, mulched, digested, pooped out and worshiped. It has been equally reviled, dismissed and fraught with voodoo dangers. But I can't get over it. Had I an ounce less cinicism, I'd write a love poem to the blogosphere. Had I an ounce less suspicion, I'd go ahead and proclaim my undying love. But the doubts remain. I figure this is holdover of being a 20th Century Man. But the fact that I can sit down before diving into work and pogostick index fingers to a virtual spot with images like this, well, I can't fault it no matter how fleeting and immaterial it may be.

-toddy

Seppo Street Machine

The Dear & Yonder NYC Premier EBNY Biopic Trailer

(Feature Length Coming Soon)



The Official Endless Bummer Television Crew descended upon the unsuspecting at Mollusk this evening, capturing the Dear & Yonder New York premier. You wish you were there, perhaps. I wish I were there a little longer. But I did get home in time to watch Frost Nixon, wifey's pick of the night, which, I gotta say, was well worth the early exit; a good film about a great subject. D&Y, from what I saw of it, which, I gotta say, was not much as usual, seemed for all intents and purposes to be a well crafted, well-shot, standardly historo-narrato-surf0-porn propulsed affair. Good, enjoyable probably, and the surfing looked super every time I looked. I suppose that's all one can ask for. But why not ask for more? Anyhow, go see it when you get a chance and let me know what you think. Certainly a bit better than the shakedowns we post-up here.
-toddy

Today's bit of sunshine arrived yesterday. But I'd made such a muck of it yesterday I didn't have the stomach to venture into the room with the mail. Pleasantly surprised to find that my maiden issue of Kurungabaa slipped itself into that big manila envelope I previously avoided at other costs. A quick perusal and I realize I need to save the reading for my vacation next week.

Deathbowl to Downtown (EB review)

Deathbowl to Downtown played last night at the Melbourne International Film Festival to a sold out theatre. The doco is a history of skateboarding in NYC from a grass roots perspective, right through to the huge industry it has become today! Or so it would let on, but it doesn't actually reach the current day! It seems to stop around 98'. It documents the rise of NYC skateboarding company Zoo York & riders Harold Hunter R.I.P, Mike Vallely, Keith Hufnagel & The Gonz.The filmmakers have done their homework & re-trace the origins of skateboarding in NYC beginning with the Zoo York crew (there was an early crew of graf writers & skaters who coined the name Zoo York) who were heavily influenced by the whole Dogtown pool craze on the West Coast, although it would seem that the only pool on the East Coast was at the very end of the 1 train in the Bronx (242nd st, Van Cortland Park). They named this pool The Deathbowl! This crew of skaters were hard up for rippable transition (- the Deathbowl) so they would look at the natural infrastructure of NYC for inspiration to try out pool & ramp moves on!
The archival footage in the documentary is great, especially of Mike Vallely doing some of the weirdest aerobic skateboarding i've ever seen & Mark Gonzales tearing through New York doing death defying car tow runs, jumping out of moving cars & landing the historic "first" 50-50 handrail!
One of the flaws of the documentary was the choice of Chloe Sevigny for the monologue, it seems to be a monologue written for a guy & when Chloe attempts to hit those moments of pure skateboarding gnar, it doesn't quite hit home like say someone like, Jason Lee for instance would have said it! There are interviews with Larry Clark & footage of his film Kids which featured a young, boyish looking Sevigny, so I suppose thats why she was a candidate for the role. All in all, Deathbowl is defenitely worth a peep, I got quite nostalgic watching it & it made me want to jump on one of those cheap flights back to New York for a roll around BK with Ray "Knives", BIG UP RAY @ PRIZE FIGHTER CUTTLERY & KCDC (I love that mini!)

I give Deathbowl 3 stars.

Peace from Melbourne, Australia!

-Gus.

NY Times Body Board Article

It's always a funny thing to wake up with the New York Times staring back under your morning cup of coffee, trumpeting some surf feat or fad or design improvement. Here, in the Thursday Fashions section is a llittle primer for the very latest in spongy advancements. -toddy

Fotos de Cristian y Norman Perdigo

Here is a new blog that has some nice longboard photos and a lot of Spanish language. Things I purport to prefer to some other things. -toddy

Dear & Yonder at Mollusk

Facebook Surfing

Tyler

Tim

Pete

Mark

Mick

Julianne

Josh

Bernie

Elizabeth

Curran

Jackie

Jon

Time for another lunchtime installment of Facebook Surfing, where I do a quick cruise through the photos on my friend's Facebook pages to see what they've posted recently. Needless to say, this is probably a gross crossing of some personal, proprietary line where the outcome can only be bruised feelings and lawsuits. Hooray for us outlaws.

Monday Fotos

A very quick pre-grindstone perusal of the online surfing world offers these images. One from Shakas & Singlefins, the other from Osio In Blue. Both make the most of big horizontal foregrounds. Both remind me of good things.
-toddy

Ceci n'est pas un foto du surf.

Yesterday dawned early. 4 o'clock AM and we were up in varied states of duress glazed with the hope of the incoming swell. By 7 AM we were in the waters off Long Island, picking out clean & healthy chest to shoulder rights and lefts. By 11 AM, further east still, in the driveway sipping rum and playing petanc, waiting for grilled-up goodies. By 3PM, intermittently downing Red Stripes and trying our best not to bust our backs in the Amagansett shore pound. 5 PM, in the backyard salt water pool and by 8 PM a return to Smitty's, enjoying the chunky evening leftovers. 9:30 PM munching on the fastest vegetarian fare Mastic has to offer. Yesterday closed late. Midnight back in bed in Brooklyn.
Suffice to say, Friday was a good day in and around the water.

Here is the thoroughly unhelpful inexplicatory video. Music By W. Nelson.

Western Australia Dreaming

My girlfriend snapped some shots on a recent visit to Western Australia & I was stoked to see she'd picked off afew at Supertubes at Smiths Beach (at Yallingup & quite close to infamous big wave spot, Margeret River), Supers is primarily a right but you can go left if ya dare. Have a read of Anthony Walsh's story, in the most recent edition of Surfing World, to find out the possible ramifications of going left here! Anywayz, hope u enjoy the shots & stay tuned for more to come from Down Under!

Cheers, Gustav.

ps oh & it's Cape Le Grande I was just informed, the French mustv'e landed there or something!

LBIF Big Stuff

We here at Endless Bummer are an able bunch. Just where our abilities lay is a good question. How they are used is another. But some of Antonio's have been languishing a bit in the wash of the tsunami called film editing, and we are proud to announce his return to something.

"After a few years of not putting work together for art shows, I am
going to be participating in a group painting show called "Big Suff" in
august on LBI. The unifying theme is that we all work on larger images,
the dimensions for the paintings in the show can be up to 7ft x 7ft and
no smaller than 3 ft x 5ft. The show will be hung in the LBI Arts
foundation located in Loveladies, Long Beach Island, NJ. The Foundation
holds classes for adults and children and has recently reinstated an
artist in residency program.
The opening of the show is August 2nd in the evening from 5 to 7 and
the show will be up through the 17th of August. So if you find yourself
on LBI that weekend please stop by the opening and see the show.

- Antonio"

Eleanor Schonell Bridge, Brisbane Bureau

A gift of symmetry from around the world landed in our laps last night.

Eleanor Schonell made an internationally recognized contribution to testing for dyslexia and was renown for her generous and humane approach to life. Her work with cerebral palsy children led to international recognition and she also contributed substantially to the education of children with intellectual disabilities.

Endless Bummer New York Surfer Profile: Mike Sherry

Mike and Angela's honeymoon, a couple years ago, took them to Waikiki where they booked a lesson from a beach boy, getting hooked in the process on the soft consistency of Waikiki surf. This winter, Angela finally got around to buying Mike the board she'd wanted to get him since their time in the islands. He soon discovered how different the waves of New York are, and she soon discovered the pitfalls of a surfer's schedule. I have been surprised at how good Mike has become despite only surfing for the last handful of months. It might be thanks to the years he spent as a professional cyclist, a practice that demands a maniacal lack of fear and a compulsive dedication to training, but since that first day surfing in the cold slop at Rockaway Mike has been out in the water, no matter the conditions, with more regularity this year than most surfers I know. And it shows. He instinctively knows where to line up, he knows how to paddle, and he is getting the hang of riding the wave. All far sooner than your typical dabbler. It's plenty inspiring.

Mastic Weekend Vol. 2

Just a few from this weekend for now. Three rolls and a handful of gems. Lo-fi scanning technique doesn't always offer the best clarity, but I am dead tired and just wanted to get some up before I fall over. These are all from Sunday morning.

This guy was having a ball right as I was packing up, he was sitting right in that little pocket.


Single fin MR under the wing. Said he bought it fresh more than a couple decades ago.


Thad, resolute.


Shanan, watching it line up, speeding with laid back style.

Learn To Surf (or) How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Kook

There is a long tradition and proud tradition of local surfers swelling their cash flow by teaching the landlocked how to surf. And while there is no shame in earning a little out of the whole deal (try telling a true beach boy they are off their moral high perch) when I see the classic lesson learning motions I always chuckle a little. It's just funny. Then again, some people say I plain walk funny, so there you go.
There is always that moment when someone finds out you are a "surfer" where they say something like "I've always wanted to learn!" or "I just bought a board after my trip to Costa Rica!" Then they ask, if not beg, for you to take them out. It's an uncomfortable moment, really. I always say, "Ok, yeah sure, let's do that," only to be thinking oh man, there is no way I am going to take you out with me. I don't surf enough myself (let alone have enough alone time) to actually want to drag another person out into the water with me. There are notable exceptions of course, but this is generally how it goes. However, I'd feel a lot more amenable to taking along a learner if I knew they took some serious time with the following list:

Before
A. Go watch a Thomas Campbell film or another similarly smallish-wave, longish board sort of film that includes plenty of paddling and catching footage. Watch how they stand up. Watch where they are on the wave. Watch where their feet are on the board. Repeat.
B. Go to local "famous" break and do the same. Watch the movements and how people take off, how they move, etc. Next, watch the etiquette. Notice how many surfers are really catching the waves. You'll be surprised at how a few surfers actually bag a majority of waves and how the people bobbing up and down move within the pack. Take two things from this: 1) a better idea of how to actually manage yourself in a lineup, and 2) a more realistic set of expectations as to how many waves you'll actually catch during any subsequent session at any good spot for the next long while.
C. Buy some fins and go bodysurfing. Learn how to bodysurf down the line, not just womping straight down, waiting for your back to break. Bodysurf whenever you can. Get so good at bodysurfing you start to think you might actually rather do that on any given day, even after you learn to surf.

During
A. When you paddle for a wave, look behind you at the wave. I've seen a ton of people who see the wave coming, turn their head to shore and paddle like crazy. They miss the wave or get slammed. Paddling like crazy is not a bad idea, but while you're doing that, look behind you, see how you need to position the board while you're paddling. Odds are you aren't where you think you are.
B. Kneeboard. I still kneeboard some waves because sometimes a cruddy wave just calls for a little goofy kneeboarding. But for a learner, not putting pressure on themselves to stand up can be a big piece of the conceptual puzzle. Concentrate on feeling the push of the wave, the moment of acceleration, how to not pearl the board, how to turn on your knees into trim. Learn how to ride the wave. Then concentrate on standing up. Surfing isn't standing, it's riding. No shame in kneeling when you're learning, and it will give you the right understanding quicker.
C. Stay out of the way. And don't get me into a fight.

And really, you want to learn how to surf? Do it as much as you can. Alone and afraid, but consistent. Don't wait around for perfect conditions or for people to keep showing you.
-toddy

The Greenough Fin courtesy of Kenny Bloggins

The Mastic experiment got turned up to eleven this weekend with lots of plausible surf and vociferous consumption all around. Johnny and Felicia came over for the Saturday BBQ followed by the early AM Sunday call on a very decent mid-summer swell. Johnny, Thad, Shanan, Greg and a bunch of guys and girls whose faces I've gotten to know over the last few months out in the water, reaping big benefits of obviously beneficial karma. Photo spread on the way tonight.
If you ever have a chance to bite into a Johnny Mastic day-soaked-corn slathered in chili-lime butter, I'd reckon you'd be a fool to pass it up.

Word on the street about some showing of the Bunker Spreckles mystery tour Kenneth Anger short film at P.S. 1 through September. An interesting viewing of this artist's work either way, but perhaps more fuel to fire to see how he manages a short flic about his friend and legendary flame-out, Bunker.

Mejillas, lenguas y videos de iTelephonos

The world premier of our first iPhone surf film.
A spectacular and invigorating example of how far technology has come.
I promise the surfing world doesn't know what just hit it.
This is going to change everything.

Mollusk Board Swap

Sunday, July 19th 9 am til 6pm rain or shine!

Bring in your used boards ready to sell and receive 100% store credit
of your board sale!
Come and peruse the offerings of pre-owned shred sleds and enjoy
grilled goodness. Cookout to start around 1pm weather providing..
Contact the shop for details

Mollusk Surf Shop

718-218-7456
mollusknyc@gmail.com

Sometimes they get it right.

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Today's commute eye-catcher.

Mastic Weekend Vol. 1

A handful of images from a weekend spent eating, drinking and playing. Old school new wave anadigilogue super scan style. I was happy to meet up with some friends this weekend, old and new. Johnny, Chenan (sp?), Mike, Angela, Dan, Archer, Newsie, A Couple Undentifieds, Wife & Boy. Pleasant relaxation.
-toddy