I’m sure by now most of you have noticed that Vertra sunscreen has unfortunately, pretty much gone out of business due to last years quake in Japan.
The good news is that I was just introduced to another brand which I feel could be the replacement we’ve all been looking for. My amigo Albert dropped off some SurferSkin brand products for me to try out and I have to say I was impressed. The facestick is great and even though I’m always a little skeptical about lotions due to running in, and burning of the eyes, I have to say it worked amazing. Most importantly no burning eyes. I surfed for quite awhile and had no feeling of burn whatsoever and actually was left with a feeling like I had applied a vitamin E after cream or some other moisturizer when I was done. A pleasant surprise. It’s not yet available here is SD but make sure to ask your local shop for it next time you go in so that they stock up when they have the chance to order it!

SurferSkin facestick and lotion.

I really enjoy looking at old pictures of familiar places. Especially when it comes to surfing thoughts. My mind just races with ideas of no crowds and discovering spots that are now hard to park at. Here are some pictures of La Jolla ranging from 1897-1967 or so. Enjoy and let your mind get creative!

Like millions before have said…Mr. Rusty Preisendorfer is the best shaper in the world. And as the expression goes…”the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Which I’d have to say is completely true because I’ve now had Rusty’s son Clint make me two boards and they have both worked AMAZING. This is the latest, a 5’8″x18.7″x2.3″ Slackerr. If you haven’t checked out this model yet head to rusty and check it out. It could be exactly what you need for summer! Also I’d like to send a huge thank you to Frieda at X-Trak for the care package. I love these pads, and if you haven’t tried one in a while get one! They are soft, super grippy and don’t fall off!! X-Trak

I hadn’t seen this video in about a year and it was due to a comment on Facebook this morning that made it appear right in front of my face again. As I’ve made mention a few times lately, I am really missing my east coast stomping grounds right now. Now before you watch the video, please take note of these facts…1)When the water is 34-36 degrees a good majority of the year, surfing is the last thing on a lot of peoples minds. 2)When the outside air temperature is even lower than that, and usually dramatically so due to wind chill from the same winds that help groom the little swell this area receives, finding a videographer to stand on the beach is next to impossible. 3)With up to 7mm of rubber between the bottom of your foot and the top of your wax, surfing is much more difficult and pretty much all muscle memory. 4)Streaks of 5 weeks at a time go by with no surfable waves in this region ALL THE TIME….so that muscle memory is hard to build without traveling a lot. 5)You will NEVER, EVER, EVER hear one of these guys complaining about an “ice cream headache” in 53 degree water! This video was all filmed from the dashboard of my buddy Ryan Jacksons car, which I believe makes it a one in a million surf video. There is no zoom so that the most action possible is caught within frame. Which is also why the footage is blurry, not centered, etc. I wanted to feature this video because these guys love surfing WAY MORE than most people, and usually go unnoticed in the global surf community. Now enjoy the video and please realize how easy you probably have it!