COLONY

Shaper Monday - Sean Collins

2012-02-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

Sean Collins shaped the way people look for surf, plan trips, and check the surf. Big wave surfers can hit multiple locations for one swell, thanks to surf forecasting pioneered by Sean Collins. The ASP Dream Tour improved due to Mr. Collins's ability to predict swell.
Read more about this influential man here. He will be missed.

Surf Movie Friday - Hull Surfing

2012-02-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hull surfing is so graceful, fast, simple, fun looking. I will ride one this year. I am just afraid I will do so, and want to only surf those and I am not that close to a point break....

MUSIC THURSDAY - Music to my ears....

2012-02-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

....is the click of a keyboard. It would be music to my ears if you like the Colony blog to do two things:

Like us on Facebook.
Add us to your Google+. Colony ThirteenStars is our handle.

Happy Thursday!

Surf Shop Wednesday - SurfRide

2012-02-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

BIG shop, BIG selection. Their board selection alone is drool-worthy. If you are looking for a shortboard that gets you through the flat spots, shreds ankle-slappers, or just makes you surf like Kelly, then this is the place to look. I especially like some of the new small wave boards by JC. His tails on these small wave boards are imaginative and look slick. So head over to their website (SURFRIDE.COM) and look around, but be careful not to have a credit card with a large amount of open dollars near you, or you could be in a pickle next month (though you would have some great boards to ride).

PHOTOUESDAY - Byron Bay, Australia

2012-02-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

I have not been there, but REALLY want to go. If the photos do it any sort of justice, it should be a top destination on any surfer's list. Warm water, sand bottom, point surf, lots of spots, natural beauty, the list goes on and on. When I make it there, I hope it lives up to all the hype I have placed on it.

Shaper Monday - BeachBeat surfboards in Cornwall

2012-02-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

BeachBeat has one of the best websites for boards. Great descriptions, ordering capabilities, explanations, etc. They shape ALL kinds of boards and look to do a GREAT job on all of them. I especially like their single fins (as you can see above), their mid-lengths, and their retro type shortboards.
This is a full fledge surfshop as well. Take a look at their site. Thumb through all the boards and think about your Summer sled. They have some really great options!

Surf Movie Friday - Cold Tuscany Waves by Nicola Bresciani

2012-02-03T13:08:00.000-08:00

Looks fun, clean, and chilly. Nice camera work by Nicola Bresciani.
Happy Friday!

Music Thursday - Spoon

2012-02-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday - one of my favourite songs by a great band. I can mind surf very well to this tune....

Surf Shop Wednesday - outdoorgb.com

2012-02-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, you just want a simple, indestructible board that you can just have fun on, be safe on, and also will serve as a GREAT board on which to teach people to surf - outdoorgb.com has that type of board. They have a broad selection of that type of board. It reminds me that sometimes, it doesn't matter what you ride, as long as you experience the stoke of riding a wave. Mosey over to their site, and while you are at it, check out a cool watch.

I think I am in love.

Photouesday - Rincon

2012-01-31T17:31:00.000-08:00

I have written lovingly and longingly about Rincon many times here in this blog. Today, we will let the photos speak for themselves. Beautiful!

Shaper Monday - Brad Gerlach

2012-01-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Why is Brad Gerlach a shaper, or what has he shaped?

He was one of the new guard who surfed very aggressively and radically. I witnessed this first hand at Uppers in the early 90s. Fast, smooth, stylish, and radical. I was an instant fan.
He paved the way for others in Big Wave Surfing.
He started the National Surf League before the ASP tried to update their criteria and make contests more exciting.
He was "a personality" before others in the surf world started making money for being so.
He was in a band before other surfers took it seriously - witness Musket.
He shapes the new surfing generation by his coaching and mentoring.

Kudos is deserved and kudos is given to Mr. Gerlach!

Thankful Sunday - 20 reasons to be thankful.

2012-01-29T13:10:00.000-08:00

Free online surf videos.
Fun beachbreak surf.
Point breaks.
Rincon in particular.
Glassy fall and winter days.
Sharing a peak with a good friend.
Barrel rides.
A solid cutback.
A clean bottom turn to off the top combo.
Ten toes over.
Watching someone get a great tube as you paddle over the shoulder.
Pushing a learning surfer into their first wave and watching them get to their feet.
Wetsuit technology.
Warm water.
Surfers who inspire.
Great shapers.
The Lord for giving us waves and the ocean.
Sunset sessions.
Dawn patrols.
You for checking out my blog.

Saturday Shredding - Joel Parkinson

2012-01-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

After watching this video from Surfline yesterday, I had a few thoughts:

I look forward to summer.
I don't look forward to the crowds of summer.
I love fun beachbreaks.
I want to visit Australia - VERY SOON.
I would like Joel Parkinson to win the title this year.

Joel surfs smoothly, gracefully, powerfully, and has a great repertoire. He makes it look easy. He deserves a title.

Surf Movie Friday - Boards and Burch

2012-01-27T11:03:00.001-08:00

EXCERPT #1 from TWEAKIN' on BOARDS with RYAN BURCH from R.T. on Vimeo.

Ryan Burch is a great surfer. There are some VERY fun looking waves here, and his skills are demonstrated on various boards. It would be nice to be as talented as that at surfing. I wish the board information stayed up longer int he video, but he does talk you through the boards he rides. I would like to have his board shed....with all the boards in it. Happy Friday.

Music Thursday - Ketch Secor and The Toughcats

2012-01-26T10:10:00.001-08:00

Good stuff!

Surf Shop Wednesday - Olde Naples Surf Shop

2012-01-25T10:38:00.000-08:00

I have been to Naples, and it is great to see a core shop amongst the more touristy trappings. These guys have been around some time with a true love and devotion to the ocean. They have all the toys you need - Skim, Surf, or Skate. Their site is clean, easy to navigate, and they even have a custom surf report. The shop is classy and carries a lot of great brands, along with boards by local shapers. Check out their site - OLDE NAPLES SURF SHOP - and "Like" them on Facebook.

Photouesday - Patrick Smith

2012-01-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

Patrick Smith is a master manipulator of a camera. As my friend Johnny Beutler, an exceptional photographer in his own right, says, "He is a bender of light." These photos are of places dear to me - Hanalei Bay on Kauai and the Central Coast of California. Mr. Smith does a great job of showcasing the beauty of each place while highlighting its distinct qualities. Check out all of his photography at his website. They are VERY worthy of wall space in a home or office.

Shaper Monday - The Internet and Surf Trips

2012-01-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

The Internet has made planning a surf trip easier. From booking a flight, hotel, surf conditions check, and even predicting a swell. I have many friends who have taken numerous trips to Costa Rica. Costa Rica sounds my speed for surf and for location. No endless flights and thoughts of fighting for a great spot with 18 other boats checking the same spot. So, I popped online to look into surf trips in Costa Rica and found a great place in Real Surf Trips.
They have great looking accommodation, point breaks and beach break, healthy food, yoga classes (though I would prefer to surf), a professional photographer to document your shredding, and numerous other activities for the family or if the surf goes flat. Bob runs the show over there and will help you with all the details. I would love to go, now I just need to start saving for it.....
Go on over to their website yourself. But, I warn you, you will be ready to go.

Surf Shop Wednesday - old and new

2012-01-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

Times have changed.

Then -

Rip Curl Watches - Now!

Then -

XCEL WETSUITS Now!

Then -

SECTOR 9 LONGBOARDS Now!

As a youngster, I poured over the magazines, then rushed to the local surf shop to see what was new. Now, you just click on a surf shop website, examples above, and you have more choice than is imaginable for wetsuits (all made for surfing, not dive suits as in the past), watches, and skateboards. Mind, the links above are all for one brand of the category, and Jack's has multiple brands with various models in each category. The surf industry has come a loooonnnnggg way. Now if we could have just kept the crowds as they were in years past....

Photouesday - Maverick's

2012-01-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

I have an utter fascination with Maverick's. As I am a guy who typically likes surf in the double-overhead (and only that big when it is clean with a clear channel and not barreling top to bottom) and under range, Maverick's is especially awe-inspiring.

When I see photos as the one at the top above, I think, "Wow. That is so clean. It would be great to paddle out and catch one wave like that just for the rush. I could do it."
Then I see the other photos, and am brought back to reality. The location is so far out to sea. The shoreline is treacherously rocky. The water is cold. The amount of water moving is enormous. This is a spot reserved for people with a lot more know-how and guts than I have.

So here is to the men and women who ride Maverick's. Winter is upon us, and these folks are out there riding those mountains of sea. I, on the other hand, am happy to be absorbed in photos and videos.

Thankful Sunday - Vacation

2012-01-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

After Italy, we went on to London. We visited our favourite village in England, West End in Surrey. It is quaint, beautiful, and serene. I am thankful I have the opportunity to go back and visit places I love, rather than just have had the chance to go there once. I am truly blessed.
I look forward to getting back into the surf now that I am back, my cold is gone, and I can't regularly have perfect cappuccinos or Cornish pasties.
Happy Sunday!

Surf Movie Friday - Seaworthy

2012-01-13T10:13:00.000-08:00

Heydon Bunting Sequence: From Seaworthy from Nathan Oldfield on Vimeo.
There is a possibility I have run this great clip from the fantastic Nathan Oldfield before. But, it is so good that I don't mind if I have. Happy Friday.

Multi-Media Thursday - AlohaAloha.net

2012-01-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

You are a surfer. You have tired of facebook and surfline. You hunger for something more, something interactive, people who actually like it when it gets too windy to just conventionally surf. Look no further, go to alohaaloha.net.

It is nice to see a social media site with videos, blogs, businesses, etc. all for surfers - that is surfers, windsurfers, and kitesurfers. It is available in multiple languages. It is user-friendly and tied into facebook.

I especially liked the spots map, as shown above. You can filter what kind of surf spots you are looking for, then zoom in on a location. Once there, you can add pictures from that spot, add a surf spot, etc. It is great!

Mosey on over to their site and have a look around. Join the community. It is nice to see a site trying to connect people with a shared passion.

Music Thursday - Jovanotti

2012-01-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

In honour of my return from Italy (and a few days in my beloved London), here is Jovanotti. The Italian equivalent of Beck in that he can do about any genre of music VERY well. This song is from his new disc - ORA.
I am back on the blogging now. I missed sending out new updates.

Roma - Bellisima

2012-01-05T14:01:00.000-08:00

By day - Piazza del Popolo

By night - Via del Corso

For views, people, and food like this, I will miss a few days surfing - no problem.