Boys to Men Mentoring Network Starts Summer Surf Series With Donated Boards

I'm really stoked to be involved with the 100 Wave Challenge for Boys to Men again this year! We're already starting off with a bang! Check out this awesome segment by Shawn Styles with KFMB-TV.  Our community rocks!


CBS News 8 - San Diego, CA News Station - KFMB Channel 8

Kooks Only...A Beach Retrospective

My home break in Cardiff-by-the-Sea

If you are lucky enough to live by the sea you are lucky enough. This is something that I remind myself of every time I surf (which is almost every day). Due to the huge influx of people in the line-up these days, however, it is becoming harder and harder to find that solace that I once enjoyed in the sea.
While there are still small pockets of soul surfers scattered throughout the SoCal coastline, many breaks have been polluted by armies of novices and stand up paddle boarders, many of whom do not know the first thing about being a  true surfer or etiquette in the line-up.

During a debate about this, someone recently asked me, "Isn't the ocean for everyone?" Well, that's the way it was intended, but it has gotten way out of control. Many "new" surfers are aggravating veteran surfers, which is causing a lot of unwanted animosity and bad vibes in the water.  Let's take SUPs, for example: My experience has been that many of these people on SUPs are abusing their privileges by taking every outside wave, being a hazard in the water, and then having a bad attitude about it. They are taking ownership of "my" waves. Not cool.
It's just like texting and driving. Many people are abusing their cell phone privileges  by texting and driving, which has, at times, many grave consequences.

As I reflect on this sad sea change, I wonder how our surfing forefathers would react to the Sport of Kings it once was. And furthermore, how do all the sea life feel about us humans taking over the ocean and claiming it as our own?
On a recent beach walk I came across this ironic sign spray painted on a sea wall:

Hmmm, maybe we are all just kooks?

Ocean Inspirations

The great thing about being connected to the tight-knit surfing community in San Diego is I meet a lot of amazing and inspiring people. I was recently introduced to Craig McClain and Joe Sigurdson, who run a fantastic nonprofit called Boys to Men Mentoring Network, which provides critical guidance to fatherless teenage boys. When they asked me to help them promote their annual fundraiser, the 100 Wave Challenge, I jumped at the chance. After all, isn't this what responsible journalism and PR are all about?


Fifteen-year-old Lewis Castrejon doesn’t know how to surf, but he is learning how so he can participate in the Fourth Annual 100 Wave Challenge for Boys to Men to raise money for the organization that he says changed his life.  Castrejon is one of 14 boys mentored by Boys to Men who will be surfing in this year’s 100 Wave Challenge. These young men will be sponsored by “Surf Angels,” a new addition to the annual event.
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The surf-a-thon, scheduled  for September 21, 2013 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Mission Beach, Calif., will include about 150 surfers who will attempt to ride 100 waves each in 12 hours. The goal for each surfer is to raise $1,000. All proceeds will go toward the San Diego-based non profit Boys to Men Mentoring Network, which is dedicated to mentoring fatherless teenage boys throughout the county. The goal for the 2013 100 Wave Challenge is $150,000, up from $110,000 in 2012

“Since being a part of Boys to Men my entire way of thinking has changed,” Castrejon said. “I am no longer that angry teenager who hurts other kids and mouths off all the time. I tolerate people better and treat them with the same kindness I know I want them to treat me with. Boys to Men has given me much more than a place of safety; they have given me a place of healing. When I go to the meetings I don't just see friends;  I see fathers, brothers and uncles I can trust.”

Visit Castrejon’s 100 Wave Challeneg web site here.

 

Boys to Men is also recruiting independent Surf Angels (non surfers) to create their own web page to help raise funds for the boys surfing in the event. One of them is Tammy Parry, a family therapist who has been involved with the organization for more than 18 years. So far, Parry has raised more than $3,700 for this year’s 100 Wave Challenge.

“In my practice, I have seen the devastation of children's lives due to lack of male (mentors) in our society,” she said. “Boys to Men has developed an amazing program that gives young men what they need to become good men.”

The main purpose of the new Surf Angels program is to give non-surfers a chance to participate in the 100 Wave Challenge.  To become a Surf Angel click here.

“The surf angels are not only raising funds to support our boys to surf in the event;  they are also investing in the future of these young men,” said Boys to Men cofounder and executive director Craig McClain.

Launched in San Diego in 1996, Boys to Men has become a thriving international organization, with chapters in 32 cities around the world. More than 6,000 teenage boys have been mentored through the organization since its inception.

The annual 100 Wave Challenge accounts for 60 percent of the Boys to Men’s annual budget, which has doubled since the first surf-a-thon event. The organization’s 2013 budget is $250,000.

 

“One of the great things about the 100 Wave Challenge is it promotes what we are doing to a  specific target audience of mentors that we otherwise wouldn’t reach,” said Joe Sigurdson, cofounder and community development director for Boys to Men. “This gives them a chance to blend their passion for surfing with helping the boys. We have recruited some great mentors from guys who have surfed with us, and then decided they wanted to become a mentor.”

While Boys to Men mentors boys ages 12 to 17, it has refocused its efforts on middle school- boys.  Boys are mentored all year through various programs, meetings and events, including the organization’s after school weekly mentoring program, in which dedicated mentors show up at middle schools, high schools and foster care facilities to give teenage boys a community of mentors who listen, encourage and believe in them.

Consider these facts:

* Since 1960, the number of American children without fathers in their lives has quadrupled, from 6 million to more than 24 million.

* Children without fathers in their lives are nine times more likely to drop out of school, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison.

*5% of the adult male population is in or has been in prison, costing taxpayers $75 billion a year.

* It costs $500 to give one boy a year in Boys to Men. It costs $47,102 a year to incarcerate one inmate in California.

“These boys come in to Boys to Men with a lot of intrepidation and questions, and not a whole lot of faith and zero trust,” Sigurdson said. “After they become involved with Boys to Men, they start feeling safe. These boys are unburdening their souls; when they do that is has a compounding effect and it frees them.  Their grades and school attendance go up and their discipline problems go down. They can start redirecting their lives. They have role models who help them become the good men they all want to become.”

For more information about the 100 Wave Challenge please visit 100wave.org.

Check out the video:

Video for the Secret Life of Teenage Boys:

In the Sea I am Free

"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came." ~John F. Kennedy


The sea constantly calls me, for it nourishes my body and soul. I am grateful for my freedom to skip down to the nearby beach and take a dip anytime I want. I am constantly reminded of and thankful for this freedom as the U.S. helicopters from a nearby Marine base frequently fly over my local surf break.
Memorial Day evokes the young soldier sweating on the filed in a far away place from his family and friends, not knowing if he will make it back. While we enjoy our BBQs and beach parties, the men and women who have and are currently serving our county are in my heart and thoughts. The below sea/surfing shots (taken with my GoPro Hero 3) are a tribute to all these men and women. Thank you.

 

 

The finest in wavecraft, courtesy of Michael Miller and John Cherry, two of the best surfboard shapers in San Diego and in the biz.

There's nothing like sharing your passion with your child. Thanks to my friend Val Reynolds for this fun photo of me and my son sharing some waves together.

In the sea I am free...thanks photographer Andrew Quinn for capturing me in my element.

 

The photo I found on the Internet says it all. Thank you!

Daily Dose of Vitamin "Sea"

Living in a Southern California coastal city affords me the time and luxury of daily trips to the beach -- to surf, walk or to just breath in some salty air. I'm aware of my daily sea fortune and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The ocean is my solace and inspiration.
In her book, "Gift from the Sea" Anne Morrow Lindbergh tells us how the sea can teach us many life lessons:
 “The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach—waiting for a gift from the sea.” 
Every time I go to the beach, I try to dump any expectations and just go with the flow. But the one thing that is the same is the pure stoke, peace, giddiness and gratefulness I feel once my feet hit the sand.

Here is the beach through my eyes (or in this case, through my Android phone camera/Instagram). Every day is a different experience. Enjoy!

Splashing around with Pro Surfer and Model Anastasia Ashley

 



Anastasia Ashley gettin' vertical. Photo by Chris Grant, JettyGirl.

 

I recenlty wrote an article on surfing superstar and model Anastasia Ashley for Pacific San Diego magazine. Below is the longer, unedited version of my story, along with some killer photos of Anastasia by the awesomely talented Chris Grant from JettyGirl online surf mag. http://www.jettygirl.com/.  (I highly recommend clicking on each photo to see a larger version. Chris has some major  photog skills!)
Enjoy!

At 25, Anastasia Ashley has already graced the pages of numerous magazines for her surfing and modeling prowess,  has starred in her own MTV documentary, and was even featured in Playboy (in a bikini).

But the SoCal surfer girl, whom Hugh Hefner once referred to as a “sea goddess,” is as down-to-Earth as they get (when she’s not pulling airs of course). Don’t let her good looks and sex appeal intimidate you – she’ll do that in the surf line-up.  Anastasia – who won the professional surf tour in the United States at age 16 and was the 2010 women’s Pipeline Pro champion – has been a water baby since the age of 5.  The Los Angeles-born beauty naturally picked up surfing at an early age, spending time between the North Shore of Ohua in Hawaii and Southern California.
Anastasia’s surfing talents have even landed her a major sponsorship with Airwalk (she even has her own signature shoe). When asked about her life, the role of women’s surfing, and being a “sex symbol” Anastasia talks candidly and freely as if she was kickin’ it in a T-shirt, leggings and a pair of sneaks.  Friend and professional surf photographer Chris Grant describes Anastasia this way: “She walks to the beat of a different drummer and doesn't abide by conventional surf industry rules. She has an interesting rebel streak. She speaks her mind and doesn't shy from controversy.”

Although Anastasia is a member of a growing cadre of strong female surfers, she knows she will always be compared to the males in her sport.
“In any sport the males typically get more sponsorships and attention,” says Anastasia, who was also a competitive swimmer between the ages of 5 and 12. “There aren’t as many women pro surfers, so there is less competition but also less opportunity.”

Needless to say, however, Anastasia is keen on the power of surf advertising and has used it to a certain extent to help catapult her career.

“If you look at advertising around the world, surfing is one of the most marketed lifestyle images – the image of you in your swimsuit and on the beach and on your board. The reason it is so marketable to brands is because it is a desirable lifestyle,” she says. “The more companies and brands that support female surfing the better. I have had great support from all of my sponsors.”

Photo: Chris Grant

 

Unlike many surfers who have grown weary of crowded surf breaks, Anastasia welcomes newcomers to the sport of kings and queens.
“I think the more people learning how to surf, and sharing the sport with other people is a good thing,” she says. “I think in a sense I wouldn’t have a job if people didn’t want to learn how to surf.”

As for her modeling career, Anastasia sees it as an extension of her surfing career.

“I never pursued modeling; I mainly consider it as advertising for my sponsors,” she says. “It’s a lot of fun and I love dressing up and having someone do my hair and make-up.”

She is also quick witted when asked about her stance on being labelled a “sexy” surfer.  Like many female ocean gems, Anastasia has experienced the stereotype of women in the surf world. For her, however, it just comes with the job.

“Surfing is my number one focus; I am a surfer first. No matter what people say, whether it’s positive or negative, I don’t mind it,” she says.  “There are a lot of beautiful female surfers. But you can’t just be pretty and cut it. You have to be a good athlete as well. Sometimes people forget that and focus more on appearances. For myself, I have accomplished things that I can back myself up talent wise and I know my ability.

“It’s funny because the female surfing side gets a lot of brunt,” Anastasia continues. “People say women get sponsorship because they are attractive.  Overall, surfing is a very over-sexualized sport and people forget it’s on the male side too. You also have attractive and ripped male surfers modeling with their shirts off.”

Anastasia’s powerful surfing skills have taken her around the globe and back, including France, Spain, Portugal, Indonesia, Equator, Japan, Panama and Micronesia, to name a few. Going global has given her a broader insight on how others live.
“Traveling to Third World countries gives me more of a global perspective of things like poverty and struggles of other countries and how lucky it makes you feel to live in America and the different rights we have,” she says.  

                                                                           Photo: Chris Grant

While she has enjoyed globetrotting and the limelight, Anastasia, who also goes by the nickname Stasia, insists that her life is not all that “bling.”
“I’m really boring,” she admits. “I have the same group of friends I have had for years that keep me grounded.  I do consider myself pretty normal.  If you are blessed enough to do a professional sport or be in entertainment, you have to give up some of your personal life and give people access to parts of your life. I don’t have a problem with that because it’s an exchange for what I do.”

This is what a “typical” day is like for Anastasia when she is at home in San Clemente, Calif.:
“When I get up I check the waves. If it’s good I will go surf and then I will come back and check emails, maybe go on Facebook or Twitter, and catch up with sponsors. Then I usually go work out at the gym and train, and then grab lunch or dinner with a friend, then maybe try to surf again if it’s good. My days are pretty active – they revolve around surfing and working out.”

Anastaisa’s work out usually consists of spinning, weight training and sometimes beach runs. She also occasionally does Pilates.  While she calls San Clemente home, Anastasia frequently surfs and plays in San Diego.
“There are so many things I love about San Diego – you can go to the beach and surf or go for a long run, then go to dinner with friends, or you can go to a professional football or baseball game.  I like how active everyone is in San Diego and I like the vibe. San Diego is more laid back than L.A.”

                                                                 Photo: Chris Grant

She likens San Diego to her description of surfing: Relaxing.
“The thing I like about surfing is it’s an individual sport and you can go whenever you want on your own and you are disconnected from everything. It’s a really relaxing and calming thing for me.”

In between relaxing, catching airs, and photo shoots, Anastasia is a staunch advocate and activist for animal rights and the environment. She works with PETA, and in conjunction with Surfrider Foundation’s Oahu chapter, she and Airwalk sponsor an annual beach clean-up at North Shore’s Sunset Beach Park. Anastasia has also given her support to Young Faces of ALS, which brings awareness to the progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
As a young professional female athlete, Anastasia also feels that it is her duty to be a positive role model for young girls and women.
“There has been a positive influx of so many great, aspirational female athletes who can be looked up to as role models, which is very important to me,” she says. “I just like being out there and want to continue what I’m doing and prove that you can be a female athlete and be feminine and respected at the same time.

For my Pacific Magazine story, check out: http://www.pacificsandiego.com/2012/11/26/surf-chic/

 

 

Trash Talk

The knowledge and passion of today's youth continue to impress me. In particular, I am inspired by the Diaz kids -- Jasmine, Diego, & Nicolai -- of Jr H2O Trash Patrol. These kids, along with their parents (Lorenzo and Patti), are making a great impact on our environment by cleaning up our beaches and waterways (http://h2otrashpatrol.com/)
These rubbish renegades recently made the promo video for this year's Cardiff Surf Classic & Green Beach Fair (http://cardiffsurfclassic.com/).
Check it out!






Here's the story I wrote on H2O Trash Patrol in a previous post: http://hippydirt.blogspot.com/2011/04/hippy-heroes.html

Fin-tastic!

The scent of resin and wood burning has been wavering from the garage this week. It's a sign that Daniel must be getting arty again.  I am constantly inspired by him.
This is a result of his work this week:

Daniel's wood burns also capture the eye. Wood burning, or pyrography,  has been practiced by a number of cultures, including the Egyptians and some African tribes since the dawn of recorded time.

Traditional Hawaiian paipo handcrafted and wood burned by Daniel Partch

In Greek mythology, the owl is firmly linked with Athena, the Goddess of wisdom. We recently spotted a horned owl near our yard. It was an amazing and spiritual experience. 

Read the full story on Daniel Partch in one of my previous blog posts: 

http://hippydirt.blogspot.com/2011/04/love-letters-from-hawaii.html

Salt Water Sessions for Breast Cancer

A Wave A Day's Sarah Kobach Hughen. Photo by Jay Reilly

I smile every time I see Sarah Kobach Hughen heading down the stairs at my local  surf break with her surfboard under her arm and her beautiful red  hair flowing behind her. The Wisconsin native -- who now lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif. with her husband and two young boys --  is not only stoked to surf but she's also armed with a purpose and a mission.
In May 2011 Sarah started "A Wave A Day: The Pink Board Project" in hopes of raising awareness and funds for breast cancer. Every day since then the 34-year-old has ventured out into the sea to catch a wave or two (or sometimes a lot more) --  rain or shine or sick.
"There have been a lot of awesome days that have been sunny with great waves," Sarah says. "I've also surfed in 20 MPH winds and I was the only person out. Sometimes it's  invigorating to be out there when it's like that."
Sarah gets major props for her "surf no-matter-what" mentality.
"There have  been days where I was so sick I had to throw up in a trash can and then paddle out real quick and catch a wave and come in and throw up again," she says. "I've also paddled out with a fever and a sinus infection."

Here's an excerpt from Sarah's blog on April 27:
Yesterday, was one of those days I would had rather not surfed.  Murky water, wind on it, and no swell – not to mention a tight schedule.
My window was at sunset… I suited up without even looking at it… does it really matter? I still had to go!  I ran from the car to up the path way to get my heart rate up a little – and when I got to the top of the stairs, I was taken back.
No one in sight.
Not one surfer.
Not one walker on the beach.
No one watching the sunset.
I know it is most likely circumstantial considering the conditions, but part of me feels like the ocean is really offering me this space and time before the project comes to and end to reflect.
I walked down the steps and stuck my feet in to the sand.  I love walking pass the days doings… I saw tiny baby footsteps, and soon to be washed away sand castles. As I looked out passed the surf the horizon seemed to be covered in whale spouts back lit by the sunset.  Sort of ridiculously beautiful.
I caught a couple poo poo water closeouts and stood  in waist deep water for a while.  Just feeling the current push at me from the North.
4 more days…

Check out more of Sarah's musings on the Wave A  Day blog: http://awaveaday.com/ .

For Sarah, the A Wave A Day project is also about raising awareness for living a healthy lifestyle.
"I really believe cancer is an environmental disease," she says. "When I'm out in the water I always see and  pick up trash floating around. We need to take care of our environment because it does affect our health.
I believe that having a healthy lifestyle and being in the ocean surfing can reduce your risk of diseases like cancer."

As Sarah celebrates her last day of the A Wave A Day project on May 1, she is overwhelmed at the wave of support and awareness she has garnered.
"I did this  project as a challenge. I knew it was going to be hard. It comes down to dedication; I knew I had to go for this 100 percent. I think about the people who are sick with cancer and other diseases who can't choose to wake up and surf everyday.
"One in 8 woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer sometime during their life. This is unacceptable to me," Sarah adds. "My hope is that through research, awareness, and an active lifestyle we can help make this statistic history."

*Sarah will celebrate her 365 days of surfing with friends and family tonight, April 30, for one last fundraiser at Curruth Cellars in Solana Beach, Calif. One hundred percent of all proceeds from the night, along with all the money Sarah has raised over the last year, will go to the Keep A Breast Foundation.

Tonight's even will include:
*Live Music from the Mattson 2 and the Red Fox Tails
*Farm to Table food from Green Truck
*Beer from Stone Brewing Co.
*Wine from Carruth Cellars
*Amazing raffle prizes from Spy Optics, Indigo Dragon Wellness Center, Greenasium Fitness Studio, Dakine, Bing and so more.
Tickets $10
Raffle tickets $5


Here are some photos from A Wave A Day's six-month celebration at Cardiff Reef in late October 2011:

Sarah (left) and Margaret Yao Calvani  from Bing Surfboards

Sarah and one of her groms

Sarah's six-month paddle out. Go girl!

A Wave A Day paddle out at Cardiff Reef October 2011

Sarah and friends, including breast cancer survivor Cindy Gomez Sanchez (far right)

Sarah's A Wave A Day project has collected a ton of supporters, including Margaret Yao Calvani of Bing surfboards

Hippy Hoots & Shakas

Bird's Surf Shed will be the venue for the first ever San Diego Surf Film Festival May 11-13, 2012. Photo by: Shawna Suffriti

For the past five decades, hoots and shakas have echoed throughout theaters in celebration of the art of surf cinema. This gathering of the tribes made its debut in 1953 when Bud Browne introduced Hawaiian Surfing Movie, the first commercial surf film that was shown anywhere. John Severson and Bruce Brown followed suit by creating the standard style of modern surf films, complete with slapstick comedy routines. Add Jim Freeman, Walt Phillips, Greg MacGillivray,Hal Jepsen, Bill Delaney, Greg Weaver, Spyder Wills, and Steve Soderberg (to name a few)and you have a dynamic collection of surf films that have taken us on a saltwater journey around the globe and back.

Today’s surf filmmakers are tenfold. The progression of technology and surfing has made the sport even that more exciting to capture on film. Many of these independent filmmakers, however, have a  difficult time promoting their films and spreading the stoke.
It’s something that La Jolla native, bodysurfer and filmmaker Pierce Kavanagh wants to change. That’s why he, his wife Petra, and friend and artist Ed Lewis came up with the first ever San Diego Surf Film Festival (SDSFF).
The inaugural event, May 11-13, will be held at Bird’s Surf Shed in San Diego, a world famous restored quonset hut filled with an impressive collection of historically significant surfboards and artifacts.  Twelve  feature-length films and 20 short films centered around surfing will be shown during the three-day festival.     The names of the films to be shown will be announced April 14.
The event, which will kick off with a VIP party on May 10, will also feature surf-related art and photography by local artists.  Since San Diego is synonymous with surfing, the City of San Diego will present the San Diego Surf Film Festival with a proclamation on the opening night, Friday, May 11.

The SDSFF will be a platform for independent filmmakers from around the world to showcase their talents.  This will truly be an international event celebrating surf cultures from around the world.
“This festival is all about promoting and congratulating the individuals who create surf cinema simply out of passion,” Pierce Kavanagh says.
“A lot of our friends are independent surf filmmakers and we started to notice that it was becoming harder and harder to make surf films as an independent art form. The motivation of the film festival is to help support the independent filmmaker, give them promotional opportunities, help place them into distribution deals and get the public behind them. Doing this will allow them to get their freedom back and ultimately we will have better films because of it.”

To Kavanagh, San Diego and Bird’s Surf Shed are the perfect venues for the festival. After all, the San Diego surfing community has had a major influence on the history and development of surfing through its unique surfboard designers and remarkable surfers. San Diego may not be the birthplace of surfing, but there is no denying the contributions and innovations that this beautiful city and its ocean loving community have provided to the surfing world. The San Diego surfing timeline consists of such revered names as Bob Simmons, Carl Ekstrom, Larry Gordon, Butch Van Artsdalen, Skip Frye, Mike Diffenderfer, Bob Hansen, Pat Curren, Bill Caster, Steve Pendarvis, Mike Hynson, Dale Dobson, Rusty Preisendorfer, Joe Roper, and Hank Warner, to name a few.
“Intertwine this amazing surf history with 75 miles of diverse coastline, a new crop of creative board designers and an incredibly deep talent pool, and you soon realize San Diego simply lives and breathes everything that is wave riding,” Kavanagh says.

San Diego's famous surf breaks such as Wind 'N Sea, Black's, Scripps and Swami's act as a venue for many surf filmmakers and photographers from around the world. Photo by: David Gray

The main goal of the San Diego Surf Film Festival is to bring the entire global surfing community together on a grassroots level.
“This is the main reason why we are going to put a twist on the competitive film festival concept.  We don’t want this to be a popularity contest, or a way to promote a particular brand so we are actually letting the filmmakers themselves decide on the awards” Kavanagh says.  “Surf Films are one of the most important mediums we have to honor our most beloved pastime and lifestyle. We want this to be a time to come together, enjoy each other’s company and be inspired by the works of art that these artists and filmmakers worked so hard to bring to life.”

Check out http://www.sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/ for more info and tickets!

Shaka!

SDSFF creators, from L to R: Ed Lewis, Petra Kavanagh & Pierce Kavanagh
Photo by: Mark Bromley

Check out the promo video:

San Diego Surf Film Festival Trailer from misfit pictures on Vimeo.

Passing on the Stoke

I wouldn’t quite call Pierce Kavanagh the “Michael Moore” of the surf industry, but the 6’2”  bearded body surfer has created a wave of fervor for the eco-surf documentary Manufacturing Stoke since its debut in the Spring of 2011. The critically acclaimed film about sustainability in the surf industry is more than an in-your-face documentary about why surf manufacturers should clean up their act. This film creates an essential and entertaining dialogue about the current and future state of  the surf industry and its dire impacts on the Earth. In between candid interviews with some top influentials in the green surf movement (such as Bird Huffman, Ned McMahon, Jon Wegener, Ed Lewis, Danny Hess and Clay Peterson), the film is gleamed with superb wave riding cinematography and a  groovy soundtrack. Manufacturing Stoke gives an insightful look at how some pioneers are changing the rhythm of the surf industry through their own visions and eco creations.
Pierce and his wife Petra (co-creator of Manufacturing Stoke) came up with the idea for the film after attending the Cardiff Surf Classic and Rerip Green Fest in 2010 in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif.
“I was walking around the booths and saw a shift in consciousness from people who were switching to more organic components  and an environmental awareness that I had not seen before in the surf industry,” Kavanagh says.  “Through  my research I found individuals  who were manufacturing their own stoke and pushing  away from the mainstream and developing their own products and lifestyle. … Everything has to start from a grassroots level.”
Armed with this new consciousness, the Kavanaghs created Misfit Pictures and shortly after assembled a talented group of filmmakers/surfers to make Manufacturing Stoke.  The independent film, which was made on a shoestring budget coupled with a lot of stoke, is an impressive debut from Misfit Pictures. From using news footage from the astonishing close of Clark Foam in December 2005 due to its use of deadly, toxic materials, to a whimsical view of wave riding from top to bottom, Manufacturing Stoke takes the “Oh shit what have we done?” a step further by exploring and offering  solutions to the growing challenge of enjoying the ocean without destroying it and ourselves.
To quote one of my favorite lines from the film, “There’s nothing more punk rock than being sustainable.”
Manufacturing Stoke, which appeals not only to surfers but ocean lovers alike, should be revered as the pinnacle of the surf industry’s transformation towards a cleaner way of life.
This Dirty Hippy gives Manufacturing Stoke five shakas!

You may even get a glimpse or viewing of Manufacturing Stoke  during the first ever San Diego Surf Film Festival (http://sandiegosurffilmfestival.com/)  May 11-13, 2012 at Bird's Surf Shed. Stay tuned!







Other Links:
http://www.manufacturingstoke.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHDeWGLnBGA
http://cardiffsurfclassic.com/

Free Diving With a Mermaid

Photo by Bo Pardou

Dana Richardson was born a fish out of water, so-to-speak. Richardson, who began her life in the fossilized ocean (Phoenix, Ariz.), always felt the yearning to be in the sea. The need to be aquatic led her to practice free diving in pools at the age of 8. To keep her scales from drying up, Richardson moved to Southern California in 1996. Now, at 33, the self taught free diver and “mermaid” feels right at home in Kona on Hawaii‘s Big Island, a free diving paradise where she has lived for the past decade.

“I remember visiting Oahu when I was younger and Hawaii has always felt more like home to me than anywhere else,“ she says. “I’ve always had a deep respect for island culture and love all the islands, yet the moment I landed in Kona I knew this was my home. The island is alive and full of so much life and aloha, with an active volcano that is erupting daily. The Kona sea is filled with an incredibly vast amount of marine life, including my favorites, whales and dolphins."

An average day for Richardson is, of course, waking up to some Kona coffee, catching the morning sunrise and checking to surf. Luckily for her, Kona is the leeward side of the island so generally the water conditions are beautiful and glassy. If she’s not surfing or out on the boat she finds a good beach to swim from shore to say hi to all her sea buddies. Some of those “friends” are three main pods of spinner dolphins that travel off the Kona coast, which Richardson has swam with, photographed and researched for the last 10 years.

“I know their behaviors and routes well and can also recognize many by their scars and markings,” says Richardson, who also works on a dolphin and whale watch boat in Kona as a captain and naturalist. “ As wild dolphins, even though their route stays consistent, they do occasionally change it up, which always makes for an adventure.”

Richardson normally stays between 30-to-60 feet deep while swimming or photographing sea life (but she can go as deep as 100 feet) . She can hold her breath up to 4 ½ minutes now, but when she’s actively swimming, her breath hold is much shorter, around 1 ½ -to- 2 minutes, depending on how fast she’s going.

“I started as a self-taught free diver, having always been more comfortable under water than on land, and have since taken free dive courses to ensure safety and deeper levels of practice,“ she says. “The more you relax the longer you can stay down, and it truly is mind over matter. Free diving is a practice of discipline as well as awareness. I relate free diving to the alpha state, which is how some marine mammals rest. Basically they slow their heart rate down and shut half their brain down at a time, yet still are very conscious and aware of their surroundings. Underwater meditation.”

In between free dives, surfing, teaching snorkeling lessons, boating, “mermaiding” and underwater photography, Richardson, known to some as Dana Mermaid, took some time out to talk more in depth about her life under the sea.

DH: Describe to me as best you can the world beneath the depths.

DR: Beautiful, magical, amazing, and definitely to be respected. The ocean beneath the depths really is another world. The waves, plankton, coral, fish, turtles, rays, dolphins, whales, and sharks are all co–related and need each other to survive. Watching how the world works so gracefully in that circle of life underwater is a beautiful thing. Personally, I believe life on land is much more dangerous than underwater. The ocean life still has the ability to co-exist and everything is in tune with one another. Here on land, we seem to have forgotten that innate ability and there is much more destruction, which is now greatly affecting the underwater world. The ocean really is a magical place that needs to be respected rather than feared. Learning about sea life and their behaviors is so important and can help dispel the deep seated fears the world has spread about sharks and other sea life. Learning how the ocean world lives teaches us when and how to swim, which is key to respecting the sea life and being safe. Having swam with many types of shark species I can honestly say they are not out to get us. Rather, they are mostly shy creatures fulfilling an important role in the ocean ecosystem.

DH: What have been some of your most exciting experiences in the ocean?

DR: Swimming with sperm whales by far is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve swam with whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean, and when rare species like beaked whales surface it’s very exciting. I had an amazing swim with some pilot whales who were extremely playful. When I’m swimming in the ocean I never touch or feed any of the sea life and match whatever mood they are in out of respect, and let them come to me. I’ve had some amazing dolphin swims, and it’s very cool since I know a lot of them. Many times they have swam over and rubbed up against me. One time in particular a dolphin and I were swimming and he stopped next to me and came so close he put his dorsal fin under my arm and glided with me down to about 40 feet. Humpback whales are also one of my favorites to be in the water with. I’ve had some insane experiences with groups of males competing for a female, singers that sing so loud you can feel the sound. I was swimming with the Southern Pacific Humpback Whales and there was a baby that was so playful that it just kept rolling and circling, blowing bubbles and even swam over and grazed me with her pectoral fin. I could go on and on.

DH: What have been some of your most fearful moments under the sea?

DR: One time I was swimming near this fish farm in a few hundred feet of water with a couple bottlenose dolphins when I noticed the dolphins swim off a bit. I dove down in an attempt to encourage their playfulness and invite them back over and out of the depths I saw a large shape coming towards me. Tiger sharks and baby whale sharks can look very similar so I just looked for either spots or stripes. I saw the stripes and waited as he came up to me and circled me a few times then lost interest. He was just curious, but I definitely was caught off guard and had that feeling of being checked out. Honestly, I really feel much safer in the seas than on land.


DH: What does it take to be a free diver?

DR: Free divers are definitely a unique group of people who continue to break records in the underwater realm, showing the impossible to be possible. Free diving is all self-discipline and mind-over-matter. We are basically diving underwater with breath hold and depth, which goes against what our minds and bodies tell us we can do. Much like yoga, breath is involved to relax the body and allow for more open movement. Breath is a big part of free diving, relaxing the body and lungs in order for the body to stay oxygenated longer. That ultimately takes practice, discipline and patience. It’s really important to not force dives, as you can really injure yourself. Most marine life seem to communicate through energy and there is the ebb and flow of life that shows their awareness of surroundings. Free diving is similar to surfing in that it’s very much self-discipline and ever changing. The ocean environment changes and each day can be a different experience in the elements. My body is also changing as well so it's very important to tune in to my surroundings and also where I’m at physically and mentally. Cold water is much more challenging to free dive in and also sinus problems or a full stomach really prevent length and depth while diving. When I’m away traveling on land, it takes a couple days for my body to re adjust back to free diving mode.

DH: How and why did you start “mermaiding?” Do you make your own costumes?

DR: I do make and create all my own tails to swim in. I started doing this about three years ago. As a child I always felt very connected to the ocean and played mermaids in the water. I believe a real mermaid lives and breathes the sea and has that deep connection to the ocean. As a marine mammal naturalist I’m blessed to be able to educate people about the ocean and help them experience the magic of the sea. Through the years my love of the ocean took me to different types of work from being a lifeguard, swim instructor, boat crew member, underwater photographer, snorkel instructor and safety swimmer, boat captain, surfer, and marine mammal naturalist. I just decided to take it to the next level and grow a tail! My main message is to re inspire our connection from land to sea as a mermaid. It’s pretty cool because I get to really capture the audience of kids and adults, educate about the magic of the ocean, and also really help others follow their dreams.

DH: Tell me about life behind the lens.

DR: I’ve been photographing underwater for the last 10 years. I’ve always loved the creativity of photography and started just playing around with some underwater cameras. The lighting underwater made for some really amazing photos. I started using a Nikonos film camera, which was fun for a little while until I realized what a drag it is to be having an amazing experience underwater and then run out of film and have to head back to the boat. So I switched over to the digital side and found a great housing that is perfect for how I swim with sea life and enables me to capture them in their habitat. My photography is called Mana Kai photography. Mana in Hawaiian means spirit, power, or life source, and Kai means the sea, so basically the spirit of the sea comes out through my photos. My favorite things to photograph are dolphins and whales and light rays beaming through the water. Sharks and rays are fun too. I love going back through the pictures and seeing the amazing things I was able to capture in that watery world. It’s pretty cool to be able to share that with others too, especially people who live far from the ocean and need to see what goes on under there.

　

DH: How do you give back to the sea and the environment?

DR: Every way I can -- picking up trash, educating others on the state of the ocean. The coolest thing is meeting kids even as young as 6 who are learning about the ocean in schools and how to make a difference. We all can create change at any age. I do some research for whale and dolphin species and do everything I can to bring awareness to marine life. I’ve come across several species of sea life entangled in fishing line and always carry scissors with me so if the opportunity arises I can help. I was able to free two different dolphins who had fishing line entangled in their mouth and tail. I also happened upon a humpback whale who I thought was entangled in a huge fishing net and lines. He was actually curious and starting to play with it, which is one of the main reasons whales get entangled. Luckily I caught him just in time and was able to get the entire mass of fishing line onto the boat and save him from an entanglement. “Malama I Ke Kai” -- take care of the ocean.

Thank you Dana for your inspirations and proving my belief that mermaids really do exist!!

Below are some more photos and a video of Dana the mermaid. Enjoy. Also check out Dana's website: www.danamermaid.com.

Photo by Sarah Lee

Misha Photography

Photo by Lisa Denning

Mana Kai photography

Misha Photography