Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Roll Two!

A gorgeous sunset at Pleasure Point...
Untitled
Nikonos V
Kodak GC 400 

 
The Nose
Nikonos V
Kodak GC 400

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Introducing the Nikonos!

I was lucky enough to track down and acquire a new camera for my quiver. I've been wanting to get a fresh perspective taking photos of surfing and waves, and there is not a better tool to do this while still shooting 35mm. Here are a few shots of the first roll, and I am super impressed how they turned out given the conditions. Hopefully, they will get better and better!

Nikonos V
Produced by Nikon until 1984
This thing is a tank!

Sunset at the Point
Nikonos V
 
Off The Lip
Nikonos V

Monday, September 24, 2012

Fall Is Here

Fall has began its advance on the coast, slowly marching through town with its cold aura. Mornings and evenings are crisp, and the daylight is rapidly diminishing. Soon there will be little time to play outside, and thoughts will wander to the warmth of summer days. My last days of summer were spent down in Costa Rica, getting some wild rides both on land and on the waves. Poseidon was grumpy that morning, causing a 7.6 earthquake to shake the jungle violently for 35 seconds. Time slowed, and the earth jumped to and fro, what seemed like two to three feet. But despite the madness, little was damaged. There were few landslides, mostly due to the land being so dry. Although it is rainy season, little rain has fallen. 

 Quad
Nikon FM2
Kodak 400
 
 Sr. Crabby
Nikon FM2
Kodak 400
 
Tidepool Reflecting
Nikon FM2
Kodak 400


Counting the days until the fall swells!

View from Lighthouse Field
Nikon FM2
Kodak 400

 

Monday, August 20, 2012

Think You Are Hardcore

Check out this guy...

 

...makes me feel like a sally when the water drops into the 50's here.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

July's Haps

Summer means many different things to many people, and to me, it means trying to stay busy doing things since there's been no swell. That being said, I did recover my log, which was stolen last winter. I had been training for, and have completed the 12 mile Jay Moriarity Paddleboard race (prone), and have been in the process of shaping my first surfboard. Until then, I just dream of waves like the one taken of one of the great mornings last winter at the hook...

Ripping day at the Hook
Nikon FM
Fuji 400

Below are some pictures of board number 1, and hopefully many more will follow. I have literally been dreaming about shaping surfboards since I was a little kid, land-locked in Arizona, playing Endless Summer on loop, hands itching to shave some foam into wave shred sleds.


Here it is... A summertime inspired, mush cruising, squat diamond tailed, stick, meant for pure pleasure. It has a low entry rocker flat mid section, and low tail rocker, meant for turning the waves energy into slip sliding fun (in theory).




5'8"x21.5"x2.5"

And now, to glass this beast...

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Summer Doldrums

Summer has launched is full fledged attack on Santa Cruz, and, as you can tell, I have been playing out side quite a bit and not posting too much. Weekends have been filled with mountain bike rides, paddle board training, bbq's and too little surfing and art. I hope to turn this around and get some new work up shortly. 

Until then, here is a kindly stolen, amazing video of some underwater action by Jon Frank. A brief view of the unseen dynamic between surfer and wave. 



Thursday, March 29, 2012

Summer Day Dreaming

With the spring equinox in the past, the days are steadily growing longer. I cant wait for the warmth of summer the days, sun kissed babes, and loggin' waves. Its my favorite time of year!






This band is playing in town soon. I might just have to go see them!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

"Santa Cruz Power Hour"

Every day when I get off work, furiously driving into the sunset to Santa Cruz, I'm blown away by the beauty of the coast surrounded by town. The cliffs, waves, and beaches ignite, and the town is painted in a golden hue. Yeah, I'm pretty lucky to live here.

My buddy Mark Billingsby put this vignette together, and has definitely captured some of the beauty around town. Check out more of his work on vimeo - he's a super awesome guy, and pretty good at the camera too!


Santa Cruz Power Hour from Mark Billingsby on Vimeo.

Kindly stolen from the man above...

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Secret Spot - Big Sur

Howling off shore, great waves, great friends, great music, great weekend.





I Want A Bird [Live] - Current Swell from LadyMeta Productions on Vimeo.

These guys put on a killer show at the Maiden Publik House in Big Sur last night. Soundtrack to everything good.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Retro Style

I had a good laugh at this video. Its pretty amazing when someone has so much talent that they can emulate a completely different era of style just for fun. I try it, and just look like a goon...


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Rincon Lovin'

"Bro" from the Brothers Alder in Santa Barbara. Great style, great waves.



Bro. from Michael Kew on Vimeo.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Hey Wave, Let's Party!

After getting completely skunked at lunch the past few days, dawn patrol this morning offered some redemption. A big NW came charging down the coast, kissing the coast with some tasty waves. So big in fact, that I decided to switch from the normal dawn patrol spot, and jump in at the hook instead. It was the right call. The Hook has a vast kelp bed, which helps to smooth the chop, creating a groomed wall over a fairly shallow reef. The rain and swells over the past few weeks have stolen a lot of sand from random beaches, and have been depositing it all along the point. Sharp contours are softened and random holes filled. It is a face melting playground. As luck would have it, I was in the perfect spot and dropped into a glistening, sun-kissed gem, which lined up all the way to privates. One of the longest and most picture perfect rides I have had in a long time. 

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

A Big Swell and A Road Less Traveled

With no destination in mind, known, or sought after, the future is an uncertain place. It is a road less traveled, where the adventure is the dream, and the destination is overrated. Its a constant search for beauty, for meaning, all spawned from curiosity and an overbearing need to reaffirm values that are hard to explain to others. What is it that drives me? That excites me? That gets me up and out of bed each day. Is it mixed in with my coffee? Or is something calling? Is it the wave on the horizon, or the possibilities that are on the horizon of the day. Like this wave, its a terrible, unique, powerful and beautiful thing wrapped all in one. 


A Manhattan Swell
Courtesy of Andrew Hill
Canon 7D
January 6th


Or is it just my curiosity towards the world...




The Future Belongs to the Curious from Skillshare on Vimeo.