Summer Yachting: Palm Trees, Tequila, and Blue Water

The yearning for an endless summer can take many forms. It can be searching for the perfect wave in warm waters, backpacking the New England Coast while feasting on lobster and wine, or exploring the unknown pretending you are a teenager on summer break. While the surf conditions have been flat in San Diego, Scrimshaw took to the sea on our own vessel with nothing but good friends, tequila, music, and the wind at our back.  Here is a small taste of how to yacht during the summer in San Diego.

 

 

Superhuman Surfing: The 2016 Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro

As the horn sounds, a crowd of family, friends and fans cheer as Coco Ho just won the 2016 Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro.  A victory like this is so monumental, not just because of the points this qualifying event holds, but because of what an event like this does for female surfing.

Coco Ho moments after winning the 2016 Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro

This victory will shoot Coco from rank No.21 to No.6 and get her a juicy check, which is well deserved after her 9.0 ride in the finals.  But even with all the excitement and the win on her mind, Coco Ho paddles over to her competitor and friend, the kickass surfer from Hawaii, Malia Manuel, and nothing but smiles and hugs are exchanged.  The two approach the cheering crowd, side by side, and as Coco is hoisted into the air on the shoulders of family, it’s truly self evident that the respect and passion that each of these surfers pour into their sport is admired by fans of all ages allowing them to be the role models that every child needs.

This is the ninth consecutive year the Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro was held at the Oceanside Pier in Oceanside, CA and served as the lone women’s WSL qualifying event in the U.S.  With conditions being glassy and sunny and the with such high qualifying stakes on the line, it was no surprise that 120 top pros registered to compete making this the largest female surf contest in the world.  Bringing this talent to Oceanside does such great things for the community as fans and onlookers flocked from all up and down the California Coast to come watch some of the best surfers in the world.  Even with all the talent in the world, the winners must be crowned, and Coco Ho, Malia Manuel, and Laura Enever took the top three in that order.

With the victory at hand, the Women’s Qualifying Series Top 6 Rankings were adjusted to:

1. Malia Manuel (HAW) 16,250
2. Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 15,300
3. Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 14,850
4. Keely Andrew (AUS) 11,550
5. Silvana Lima (BRA) 11,200
6. Coco Ho (HAW) 11,050

An event as large as the Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro for surfing is telling of the trajectory the sport is taking.  Surfing itself, but especially female surfing, in the past couple years has grown monumentally with sponsorships and technology forming massive interest in companies and in athletes. 

Sage Erickson with some serious spray

It is amazing to see little groms stare in awe as Laura Enever rips down the line or as Coco Ho pumps so hard to connect her wave and land a massive cutback before she hits the beach.  Between the training and the passion these ladies pour into their craft, it shows aspiring female surfers that anything is possible. 

Scrimshaw wants to give a massive thanks to the ladies who competed, ASA Entertainment for holding such an amazing event and bringing such talent both in and out of the water, the WSL for having this event on tour, Paul Mitchell for giving the competitors a platform to show the world what they can do, as well as the community of Oceanside for hosting all the friends, family and fans for the weekend.

Anastasia Ashley about to get some warm up waves

Home Grown 'n' Locally Sewn: Dale Hope & The Aloha Shirt

This feature is about shirts; tops, button-downs, pullovers, etc. - shirts. But not any old shirts, we’re all about Aloha Shirts. Bright or subtle, hand painted or block printed, wooden buttons or not, the Aloha Shirt has been a staple to the islands of Hawaii and across the Pacific for more than a century. Through the trends of fashion, Aloha Shirts and their infamous design have held strong in the spotlight, speckling the streets of Honolulu just as much as in Williamsburg (maybe even more). So, to learn more, we went straight to the guru himself, Dale Hope, to get the 411 on the history, cultural significance, and life of the beloved Hawaiian shirts.

Dale recently collaborated with the masterminds over at Patagonia to re-release the third edition of his book, The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands. Dale’s publisher worked with Patagonia to launch the Aloha Shirt Book Tour, where both coasts of Scrimshaw got to connect with Dale; Will met Dale at Patagonia Bowery in New York, NY, and then a week later Wes saw him at Patagonia Cardiff-by-the-Sea in Encinitas, CA (not to mention Rob Machado & Jeff Devine were there too). Inspired by his presentation and innate passion for Hawaii, we got Dale on the phone from his place in Oahu to pick his brain a bit further about the infamous Aloha Shirts. Make sure to check out Dale’s personal website - The Aloha Shirt - and if you want to purchase your own copy, CLICK THE PHOTO OF THE BOOK BELOW (or this link) TO BE ROUTED DIRECTLY TO PATAGONIA’S ON-LINE STORE!

Scrimshaw Collective (SC): Hi Dale, thanks so much for taking time to connect with us - we really appreciate it!

Dale Hope (DH): Aloha guys! I’m all yours for as long as you need - go for it!

SC: Awesome! So you explained briefly on your tour, that the book was originally published back in 2000, correct? Was that edition also with Patagonia?

DH: Yes, the first edition was originally in 2000, but no, that was with another publisher, Beyond Words Publishing (Portland, OR). It was a great book, beautiful, well designed, 224 pages, pretty much described as the definitive book on the subject. I was always quite content with it, and never thought it would be done again! But I have a really good friend from Patagonia when I used to worked there, who basically started the Patagonia operations in Japan from scratch, which is now super profitable and has a really strong following there. Fuji would come to Hawaii a couple times a year, really liked it, loved the people, and loved the shirts - loved them! So, one time I told Fuji, we needed to reprint the Aloha shirt book in Japan; long story short, different cover, but we did a version in Japanese too!

I thought that was going to be my LAST book again. Then most recently, the USA Patagonia people saw it, went to the editor and wanted to redo it in English. Then the editor and Patagonia came through and said, hey we’re going to be doing your book and all of a sudden they started getting a team together.

SC: That’s amazing! We’re assuming you got a pretty good team together?

DH: Of course! Non other than Jeff Devine, legendary surf photographer, was the Photo Curator for the book alongside Art Director Scott Massey. They both spent a week with me at my place in Hawaii, going through archives, papers, shirts, collectibles, digital stuff, artwork, and Jeff just started shooting away. We collected a reservoir of imagery, plus some from the Bishop Museum & State Archives, and ended up completely overhauling, adding over 150+ new pages - a completely new book.

Hey, so how old are you guys?

SC: 27.

DH: So when the book originally came out in 2000, it’s likely that you wouldn’t have known about it. But now that you’re at your age, it's really fun for me to see younger people learn and be interested in it. It's been really fun seeing all the young people coming to the book tour events on the mainland. It’s a whole new younger audience that’s keen to learn, which is pretty cool.

SC: Yeah! You start to appreciate things more over time. Growing up on the ocean and surfing, is something that resonates so much with us. And while neither of us have been to Hawaii, we really want to learn more about it, and this book has been essential to fuel our distant dream of getting there.

DH: That’s great to hear because I did it to showcase the beauty of Hawaii, which influenced the artists for these shirts, and in turn the art for the book. The Hawaii that the artists were immersed in during the 30s, 40s, and 50s, was a pretty magical place. Like I say in my talk, in 1936, Panam flew eight to nine people from San Francisco once a week (with mail), and the steamships would come once a week, with a couple hundred people over each load and only a couple hotels. Bronze beach boys, gorgeous girls, fresh fruit, it was magical because it wasn’t very accessible. Now we have 8 million something tourists a year!

But it started back then. You have the guys from California in their suits, asking the beach boys where they can get some HI shirts like the ones they have, because they don’t need to wear the wool suits they have to wear every day in SF. And the beach boys would walk them across the street or downtown to a tailor, and either buy a shirt or custom order a shirt. You could go down, pick your fabric, get measured, and in a couple days go down and pick up your shirt.

SC: You mentioned in your talk, that you’d found a couple rolls of unique fabric out for trash once at home, when you were going around and interviewing for the book. Remind us again, was that outside an old tailor or something similar?

DH: Well, that time I actually found textile art, that Alfred Shaheen had thrown away. He really had the best company in HI from the 1930s to today. To me he was the most amazing! I was really fortunate to have met him. I actually called his daughter and explained that our fathers were in the business, and that they might’ve known each other. I asked if I could come up to the mainland and talk to him. She called her father, asked him, and then she said sure, he would love to talk to you! I talked with him for hours in an Elks Club Lodge. One of the most intelligent men I’d ever met! They basically did everything. They created their own art, and would travel to Tahiti and elsewhere for influence. But I’d heard one night that Freddie threw away all his art designs, and that I should go pick them up. I was paddling professionally those days, but drove my van up there, and collected a huge bundle of art. Then (fast forward) in the process when I interviewed Alfred, I found out that his daughter was doing an excellent job at archiving all her father’s art so I ended up sending her a lot of them, of which I’d (up until that point) held on to forever. She never asked me how I got them! But Alfred to me was the epitome of a Hawaiian manufacturer. They had hundreds of employees, and if you put what they were making back then into today’s business, they’d be making $100 million a year - and the shirts were only selling for about $5!

SC: What!! $5 bucks - sounds like quite the legend! So tell us about your line, Hope For Man, isn’t that the name?

DH: Well, I had a line I started with my father HRH (His Royal Highness). My dad pulled me out of college and said I want you to come work with me, and I said - oh boy! He made really bright ladies stuff geared for the visitors. I hung out with him in the factory for about a two weeks and said if you want me to stick around, you’ve got to let me do shirts! He insisted there was no money in shirts, but I let him know other guys were doing it. And before you knew it, I started making reverse pullovers out of his fabric. Eventually got some open yardage for a new label but I needed a name and a label - quick! My dad said I didn’t have any time, so he gave me leftover labels from his boutique line that he had lying around. His name was Howard Robert Hope, abbreviated as HRH. So I bit my lip and used the name for ten years, which started to become a fairly meaningful company. But then - its a long story - I got the Kahala name, that had been bankrupt. At which point I wanted to change from HRH to Kahala (the original shirtmaker from ’36) but all the retailers said that if we changed the name we were going to lose loyal customers.

So I stuck with that, but now I do freelance projects with a bunch of people. There is this lady from the other side of town, in Kailua, Deb Mascia. She had this phenomenal store where everything was recycled; she’d get old muumuus and change them into something that young hip 22-year-olds would want to wear. Then one night she and her husband came over to our house for dinner and we sat and talked about things, and she was telling me about the shirts and fabric she had; then I showed her my collection. After seeing it all, she goes… “You’re the male version of me!” Then she says that she wants to do a line with all my shirts that are 20 years or older, called Hope For Man! Deb’s the most amazing designer & entrepreneur, she’s on the leading edge of sustainability, design, and fashion that’s kick ass here on the island. She’s got this great store, and I put my shirts in there. I actually have a photo of Prince Charles in one with Diana and the boys when they were little.

SC: That’s so cool, that Prince Charles rocked one of your shirts! So were these very special shirts you were curating with Deb?

DH: We’d have a story (on hangtags) of who the artist was, and tell how each one of them had a story! The shirts would go from $100-$1000 depending on the pedigree of the shirt. Her shop was amazing. Mark Cunningham collected skegs from the beach for nearly 40 years, put them all together, made collages and other artwork and debuted them in an art show opening gallery hosted in her shop! Additionally, she’s had Jack Johnson perform in the store. But unfortunately the landlord wanted to charge her more, and she had to close MuuMuu Heaven, but relocated and reopened as Hana Hoa Vintage.

SC: Sucks to hear that she’s not in the same shop, but glad she’s still got something similar going on!

DH: Yeah - how’s this though?! She’s just got her real estate license, and is doing great! She’ll reopen a bigger store someday!

SC: Great to hear on that front. Speaking of, I can only imagine what the real estate is going for now across all the islands, comparatively, to what it was like (maybe) back in the day.

DH: When my parents bought their first house - in a relatively nice neighborhood - that same price could probably go a couple month's mortgage payment in today’s world. It’s happening everywhere.

SC: Hey Dale, I had a question, from the cover of this book, is this a shirt that you actually have?

DH: Yeah, it is and it's one of my favorites. I got it about 30 years ago, when it wouldn’t have cost much money. I’d never seen that shirt, and I haven’t seen it again, not even in any other book or mook (mook: a Japanese publication similar to a magazine). It was hand painted, and it could’ve been done before the war, we don’t really know, maybe a limited run, didn’t sell well… hard to say exactly. The intricacy of that pattern the canoe, which is a wooden one log hand carved canoe (40 ft. long), can ride waves with a plumper design, staying above the water, and there’s four caucasian girls & two local guys steering the boat. Guy on the back is wearing a captain’s hat with scrambled eggs on it, that’s what those guys wore (when I was a kid) those were the hats! There’s tandem surfers, the guy throwing the net, and the silhouette of Diamond head framing the coconut trees - I mean I just love it.

Jeff and Scott and I came up with this one, I’d made a allover t-shirt with that print, and I said here’s the art; it's already been separated and I can get this for the book.

SC: That’s amazing, and that’s what I think is really just so fascinating, is that there seems to be story for virtually every shirt. Well maybe not every shirt, but at least every design. And that each one speaks it’s own story depending on who designed it, who wore it, etc.

D: Yeah who the artist was, who the inspiration was? Who the maker was? To me the story is just as important as the fabric, the buttons, the label, and all that other stuff. The story is always important to me. There are some companies that don’t care about the stories and they just make shirts, and I’d bite my lip and say shake my head and it's all about the story.

SC: So you told me something about my shirt at the NYC Book Release, it’s a paradise Found one. Was it Joe…?

DH: Yeah Joe Atkinson! Joe used to be the Ocean Pacific rep out here and drove a Rolls Royce with the OP on it! Super gregarious guy! He ended up doing so well, as Hawaii was the biggest market, he left OP and started his own clothing company called Paradise Found. He had the good fortune of Tom Selleck wearing one (or a couple) of his shirts, from his show out here in Hawaii. And I think they literally sold a million shirts of the one Tom was wearing. It was a little orchid print… I mean you talk about the STORY. Tom was driving his red sports car, and his black orchid shirt, and they must’ve done a million shirts.

SC: I know the exact shirt, from photos!

DH: Well you know he was younger then. Volleyball, fit, big mustache.

SC: The stache, man - we (try and) do it every Movember.

DH: The girls were chasing him and he was chasing them.

Source: Google Images, mauishirts.com

SC: With that, and popularizing the style of one design, I’ve noticed online when looking to buy used Aloha Shirts, we’re seeing a lot of popovers or pullovers, and I’m not seeing that as much anymore. I mean I’m seeing lots of short sleeve pullovers, but no aloha print ones, and I was wondering if that was a thing, or if it faded out?

DH: You know, it brought dignity to the guys working the board rooms in the 1960s. The 50s were too bright, too much for serious guys. Then came along the patterns for the button down pullover, with specific prints, two-tone Tahitian style. They were pretty conservative, and fairly gentlemanly conceived. Not big and bright, but it would enable the guys in town to wear them to work - and it was a big deal. Like the bankers would wear them versus a suit and tie. We started working with an artist about 15-18 years ago called Avi. And he was somebody who I saw a block print by, from the Big Island. For our company, we were doing a punch of pullovers, and most of them were reverse style. But Avi was doing all of this intricate block printing. So... when we reversed the print, we unfortunately lost a lot of the detail that way. So we actually got away from the reverse and pullover style to avoid losing detail and better showcasing his art. We did more of a tailored standard Aloha shirt, and I vowed never to wear a reversed pullover again. So in those days we kind of pulled the market that direction.

SC: So not necessarily reversible, but the bold print of the fabric is on the inside?

DH: Yeah so what happened in the 60s was, one guy got one made for him because he didn’t want a bright one, and made them more subtle, giving them an entire new look and consumer. It was a powerful move to switch. Yeah it had a nice look, and was a really big thing! We all used to wear them in middle and high school, because the coolest surfers were all wearing them too.

SC: Well Dale, one final thing - with this being such a big part of your life, and the third book with such an incredible company like Patagonia, how has this tour been, from Coast to Coast? I think you’ve still got Honolulu now and maybe another…?

DH: We’ve got town (Honolulu) and country (Haleiwa) coming up, and books are being received in the Patagonia stores for distribution. Plus the books are going to be going through to Barnes and Nobles, possibly RRL - Ralph Lauren, we’ll see! My dream with this momentum would be to do a documentary about the Aloha Shirt. Do it really well, make it fun and tell the story!

SC: Well Dale, you know we’ll be there in person, front row! Hope to see you soon again and thank you so much for your time and expertise!

DH: And of course, come on out and we’ll get you on the water anytime! Aloha!

Point Break Live!: A Live Action Theatrical Party

It’s Monday Morning. I’m sitting in the middle of the line up and over the sound of the waves rolling and the movement of the ocean I hear “I, am an F.B.I. Agent!”  This Northern San Diego surfer is not only quoting a classic surf film Point Break, but he is quoting the live-action stage show about the iconic surf film, Point Break Live!

Point Break Live! is an interactive-improvisation-stage-show-party that is hilarious, extreme, massively entertaining, incredibly impressive, and 100% pure adrenaline!  Point Break Live! is a spoof on the 1991 classic film, Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves as  Johnny Utah, a former football player / undercover FBI agent, turned surfer bro by a group of adrenaline surfers who double as bank robbers to pay for the search of the perfect wave.  This group of Ex-Presidents, (their bank robbing group name) is led by Bodhi, played by Patrick Swayze, a wise Zen-master local surfer with hair flow like no other, who lives to search for that once in a lifetime opportunity, man!  Point Break reached cult like status because of its crazy plot line, outrageous acting, and insanely quotable dialogue.  Point Break Live! takes this iconic cult film and put a unique spin on the movie and classic theatre all together by engaging the audience during the show and allowing a random person chosen by the crowd, to play Keanu Reeves.

The show starts with the “director” of the movie Point Break, leading the crowd through the selection of the star of the show.  Anyone can go on stage to try out, and it ranges from people who brushed up on their Keanu impressions that day to men who can’t even speak English.  While the chosen Keanu is guided through the show by cue cards, the real reason that this random audience member is able to survive an entire play and pump out the role of a lifetime, is because of the insane amount of talent that the surrounding actors have on stage. 

Scrimshaw got a behind the scenes look at Point Break Live! and was able to talk to the show’s director Thomas Blake Jr. and some of the show’s actors.  The cast consists of Thomas Blake Jr. (director and Roach), Christi Waldon (Keanu’s savior and cue cards), Charlie Farrell (Bodhi), John Moeslein (Grommet), Luke Royer (Surfer #2), Joya Italiano (Tyler), Scott Crawley (Pappas), David Simon (Harp), Amber Hubert (Kathryn Bigelow), Kevin Bone (Bunny/Lights) and Tim McKeown (Rosie/Sound).  Point Break Live! has been running for 10 years now and almost half of the cast has been with the show since the beginning.  It is easy to see that the cast is family at this point both on and off stage and can adapt to any scenario because of their familiarity with each other.  Thomas explains it by saying, “These actors can adjust to the vibe of the show and the calculated chaos that is backstage, and make this theatrical party something really special.” 

Their conversations and improvisations are seamless as they cover each other’s backs in any scenario.  Luke Royer (Surfer #2) explains it great by saying “We are a really strong fabric.  A funny way to put it is we are somewhat like a trampoline.  You know when you get those epic double bounces.  You’re jumping along, and then all of a sudden a cast member will set you up perfectly and then Boom, you are just out there and floating so high and you realize that you could have never gotten to that spot without them catapulting you or without them helping you.  We rely on each other so much and we are such an awesome team.”  Their energy and love is palpable and this is only slightly out staged by their quick wit and talent.  While they seem insane and crazy on stage, behind the scenes they are as professional as one can be about their craft (and still a little crazy).  From preparation to practice they understand how to give the best performance possible that night.  Christi Waldon, Johnny Utah’s Jiminy Cricket and cue card extraordinaire, explains that “it is what I live for.  When I do these shows, with these people, I am in my element.  I light up the most and I feel home, and that’s so rad.  Doing it for so long and it still being this way, with everyone in the cast giving so much of their heart, is magical.”

Thomas, started working on Point Break Live! in 2006 in a black box theatre and helped transform it into the interactive party play sensation that it is today.  He goes onto explain that “it’s also good for us, because we have been doing it for 10 years, and we will never have the same show twice.  Sometimes the crowd is hammered drunk or sometimes they can’t speak English, but it’s at the will of the audience.  Also, every audience is different.  Some audiences feel the need to heckle, which we encourage because we have been doing it for so long, that we can dish it out better than they can.”  This on stage performance resonated so much with Thomas, because as a child growing up, he had a personality where one side was dedicated to surfing and the other to theatre.  “My goal was to direct and create performances that both my friends and I could be proud of.  I love to take my vision that day and transform the theatre around that.” 

After all these years of Point Break Live! engaging with audiences, playing Bonnaroo, and selling out theatres, the show is coming to a close (WHAT?!?!).  “PBL is something special.  Why so many people like that movie and I feel like our show is because we have true passion for the project and put our own blood, sweat and heart into it” says Christi.  While Thomas and the cast are continuing to adjust this style of theatre and move to a new chapter in life with Terminator Too: Judgement Play, their years as cast members of Point Break Live!, will always leave a legacy.  Charlie Farrell (who plays Bodhi and is a constant presence on stage) phrased it best by saying “When this is over, years from now, I think we will realize that there is only so much stamping you can do in your era of performance or in Hollywood.  Some people make classic movies, or great rock anthems, or are reality celebrities, but to me, it’s amazing to know that we were here.  We were here during a 10 year period, where people knew and supported us as we all put our effort into this project we loved so much.  For that we are eternally grateful.”

It is obvious upon seeing the show and cast for their characters and the true actors they are, that there is a special bond between them all.  The passion they pour into Point Break Live! shines through in their excitement and commitment to the show.  This cast channels their inner Bodhi because “if you want the ultimate, you’ve got to be willing to pay the ultimate price.  It’s not tragic to die doing what you love.” The actors of Point Break Live! love what they do and are going out on top.

Vaya con Dios!

Ps: If you wish to see Point Break Live! they will be doing one more show in San Diego at Belly Up on June 19th.  They will also be playing in San Francisco May 6th and June 3rd while playing Saturday’s in LA until June 25th.  Don’t miss your chance to see this stellar cast and performance!  You should also be stoked to hear their new show, Terminator Too: Judgement Play will be pumping out shows soon!  They will be playing Belly Up on May 1st and continuing this unique interactive theatre party!

A New Swell with Some Unique History

If you have been on the West Coast at all in the past couple months, you have undoubtedly heard the words "El Nino" amid common conversation.  El Nino is a cycle of warm and cold temperatures of the Tropical Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean.  With this weather pattern, comes high air pressure in the Western Pacific and low air pressure in the Eastern Pacific.  For those looking for a less technical term, El Nino has brought insane winds and some gnarly surf.

Ocean Beach (OB) Pier Closed due to High Surf Warnings

While El Nino has had SoCal surfers frothing for some perfect swells, it has also unexpectedly unearthed a piece of history, the SS Monte Carlo.

SS Monte Carlo : Coronado, San Diego

The SS More Carlo was launched in 1921 with the sole purpose of being an Oil Tanker, originally under the name SS McKittrick.  Over the years, the boat made the transformation not only by name but in purpose, as it became a tanker known for gambling, prostitution, and drinking during the prohibition era.  The SS Monte Carlo was a destination for a man looking for his vice, and he could find it 3 miles off Coronado beach in San Diego.  This was technically international waters, which remained outside the jurisdiction of state and federal law.

In 1937, on New Year's Day, a morning undoubtedly filled with hangovers and regret aboard the SS Monte Carlo, the anchor of the tanker lost its hold and the ship drifted towards to coast. The SS Monte Carlo beached itself causing a mass exodus of the ship to a point where no one claimed ownership, as the ship, was now considered illegal.

SS Monte Carlo : Courtesy of the San Diego Public Library

Through the years of erosion, storms, winds, and waves, the ship was buried in the sand and the tanker was brought to a mere hull. About 30 years ago, while the ship of debauchery started to sink, it just so happened to create a surf break.  Locals could be seen at certain tides surfing near the ship.  As sets rolled in around the SS Monte Carlo, it would create a rolling break, for those willing to test their wanderlust and surfing skills.  Over the years the SS Monte Carlo became further buried and could only be seen underwater at low tide and occasionally slightly exposed during strong storms, until the recent El Nino.

SS Monte Carlo : San Diego Tribune

The current El Nino of 2015/2016, has brought some of the largest swells in decades to San Diego and in doing so, unearthed the SS Monte Carlo.  The ship is more exposed than ever before and is revealing both the body of the tanker and the history that was buried with it.

If history and a one of a kind San Diego view isn't enough to spike your interest, it has been rumored that there is around $150,000 worth of silver dollar coins among the SS Monte Carlo wreckage. Happy treasure hunting you Scrimshaw scallywags.

SS Monte Carlo : Collection of the Coronado Historical Association


Jamie O'Brien: Pushing Surfing to the Next Level

Jamie O’Brien, also known as J.O.B (@WHOISJOB), is pushing limits on his surfboard and conquering social media one wave at a time.  Scrimshaw gave Jamie a call recently to talk to him about his favorite waves, Red Bull’s increasingly popular and thrilling TV show - Who Is J.O.B, and how to live life like a free surfer.  He was calm and collected and gave a sense of appreciation and love for his craft throughout the whole interview.  Jamie is true professional speaking like a quintessential surfer who lives his life to the fullest.  So once initial niceties were exchanged, he was excited to answer any question we had:

For someone who has never been to Pipeline, what is paddling out like in ideal conditions (without tourists, boogie boarders, and kooks)?

When the waves are bumping, you have so much anxiety.  You are pre-meditating what kind of wave you are going to catch and what you are going to do, then you also have to think about what is going to happen.  There is this crazy buzz, like the highest buzz of your life, and then there is this buzz kill behind it dealing with the reality of everything at that moment.  It is unlike anything you have ever felt.

When you ride waves like Pipeline or Teahupoo, and others that are so heavy, do you have any specialty boards that you like to ride?  In your show (Who is J.O.B) you even ride soft tops and the SUPSquatch, how do you choose what to ride?

Shit, I get into rhythms with a board and it becomes my bread and butter, but it is so fun to go and challenge myself with all different boards.  The Catch Surf (@CATCHSURF) soft tops are so fun because they paddle really great and you can catch all the waves.

With all your boards and the ability to choose any wave, would you ever return to competitions, or do you feel that progressing as a free surfer is more your style still? 

I enjoy myself every day man, and I don’t have to go where I don’t want to go.  What the ASP (The Association of Surfing Professionals) is doing currently is really good for surfing but you know what, it’s not for everyone and to each there own, and I just choose to free surf and go with my own path.

Yea you kind of own that lifestyle and you are sponsored by these great companies who allow you to create your own TV show and surf where you want.

Yea it’s a blessing in the skies man, My dad raised me right here in Oahu (Home of Pipeline) and he taught me everything I know, whether its being a good person on land or whether its learning how to surf, he set me up in the right place.  It all worked out.

You said that it was a blessing that your dad raised you out there, was he also born in Hawaii?

So my dad was born in America, but grew up in Australia and met my mom, and she was from Australia.  And because of my family and Grandparents, we ended up here in Hawaii. 

Do you have duel citizenship?

Yea I am dual, and a real fun thing to do in Australia is I go to the bar and talk to someone and I’m like “Yeh, I’m Australian mate” (Australian accent). They bet me next couple rounds of drinks that I’m not, and I win every time.  Pull out my passport and boom. 

Hahaha, that’s amazing.  

Ah yea I love Australia man. The people, the surf, it’s a great place.

Nice, so would you ever live there or anywhere besides Hawaii?

Ah nah man, I love Hawaii.

That’s awesome.  Well we have to say, we have been watching your Red Bull TV show, Who is J.O.B, since the beginning.  Absolutely stellar stuff.  What prompted you to start this project?  Just that you lived this life and wanted to record everything?

You know, I was always into filming and have always enjoyed filming. It was like a year of me surfing and not really doing anything and the next thing you know, Red Bull has an idea and asked if I was into it.  I took my own initiative and time and really made sure it was a good show and quality content.  And each year I get more excited and think about it more and figure out what worked and what didn’t work and better what we do every year.  And I think that can really make it a success. 

Which is so commendable because not only are you bettering the show, but you guys are pushing the limits of surfing, like setting yourself on fire and surfing Teahupoo and surfing places most people wouldn’t go near.

You know I just think, everyone just does the same shit and we are just having fun.  People say we are like Jackass but it’s like saying every surfer is Kelly Slater.  What, just because we like to have fun?  We have the talent behind us both on and off screen and we have real passion about what we do. Shit, we just have fun and that’s amazing to run your life and show that way. 

You guys really do have such an awesome group.  Speaking of your group, we gotta know, how did you meet Poopies (Sean McInerny @Poopiesgram)?

Ha you know, I met him because there was this guy renting a room from me and the next thing I know, he has like 8 guys in the room, so I came over to the house to figure out what was going on.  Sure enough, Poopies was one of the 8 humans that were living in my house.  And I kicked everyone out, told them to beat it, except for my good friends.  And you know, Poopies kept just coming around after that and was just a real nice and a real chill and down dude.  I felt bad because his name was Poopies, so I was like, ‘yo man, you are a really cool guy, I will just call you Sean’ (his real name) and it just didn’t work, he’s just not a Sean, he’s Poopies. 

Haha, yea you guys have such a solid cast.  Between the filming and your social media presence with photography you guys are killing it.  Your pictures that you post from these photographers are just so epic.

The thing about it is we have just an amazing team and the people that I work with are so amazing and without them I wouldn’t be who I am.  As a group, we work together.  We are all about social media and great content, and we like to take pictures and show off our work.  I keep up on the surfing community and the following it is getting on social media and I was like shit, I am like top 5 most followed, which is really cool.  I think that goes to show, you don’t have to be the best surfer, but you could be great and have a great lifestyle and work really hard and people will enjoy watching it. 

Do you ever feel any pressure to entertain since you are top 5 and a big social media player? 

I think the hardest thing to do is to produce good content when you are taken out of your direct element.  Like when there are no waves.  Like right now, I feel like a fish out of water and am just trying to think of something that could keep the ball rolling.  Some days I don’t know what to post, but I need to keep people happy and put something out. 

So if there are no waves at home do you travel?  Like what’s the craziest place you have ever visited? Outside of the Island. 

I think South Africa is one of the craziest places I have ever visited.  There is so much diversity and culture there between the location and the people.  The waves are so epic and whether its crowded and huge or pristine and no one is out there, there are so many channels and it is crazy. 

Yea man, I stayed in South Africa for 6 months and everything about it is amazing.  From the people to surfing to just living there, it is so incredible. 

Yea South Africa is insane. 

Have you been a couple times?

I have been like 5 times.  I recently just visited for John-John’s (John-John Florence @John_John_Florence) new movie, View From a Blue Moon. 

Do you get to surf with the talent of John-John often or do you rather take trips with your crew or alone?

You know, I love surfing with John, and we surf together in the winter sometimes.  It’s awesome being able to push yourself with him.  I just like to surf and have fun.  Whether it’s on my boards or the SUPSquatch with my friends.  I just want to have fun man.  Surfing is like anything else and can be made boring, so I try and enjoy every second and make it as fun as possible.  That way I love what I am doing.

Well thanks man, for doing this.  We started Scrimshaw (@Scrimshaw_Collective) because we wanted to make our passions come to life.  It really means a lot to speak to you, someone who follows his passions and made it his livelihood. 

Yea no worries, glad I could help you guys out!

 

 

 

NYSEA 6th Annual Surf Week

While Mick Fanning was being a total legend by punching a shark in the back and getting attacked during the finals at J-Bay in South Africa, New York had its own excitement to kick off Shark Week.  NYSEA hosted their 6th Annual Surf Week.  

NYSEA's Surf week is filled with activities to encourage love for the ocean and promote a surf culture in a city where barrels are hard to find.  The week started with the NYSEA Pro Open, which had 3-4ft surf with a solid swell that allowed for perfect competition conditions on the East Coast.  It was a close competition but at the end of the day Leif Engstrom ended up getting sprayed with the celebratory beer and taking home the win.  

6th Annual NYSEA Pro Open Results:

NYSEA PRO OPEN

1. Leif Engstrom

2. TJ Gumiela

3. Alex Fawess, Balaram Stack

Courtesy of: NYSEA

The all day surfing Pro event was followed by a Mini-Ramp-Skate-Jam which was presented by Red Bull.  During the remainder of the week, there were beach concerts presented by Raised Fist Propaganda blaring good tunes and bringing crowds that filled the boardwalk. The week long festivities also included autograph signings, boardwalk fairs, and Surf 4 All charity events.  The week was a monstrous success and Scrimshaw looks forward to next year's events!  For more pictures and results go to NYSEA.com and check out their recent video below of the first ever, New York surf thriller, "Empire Now."