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Yesterday I checked the Cardiff cam on SurfLie at around 8:30am, and aside from the perfect conditions and empty parking lot that was closed for safety reasons, what immediately caught my eye was the insane flock of birds that were attacking the waves with even more fercocity than the surfers! 

Check it out for yourself:

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My buddy Caleb snapped this today... too classic, haha! 

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The custom trophy for the PBSC/CSC/TCC 8 Ball Bash pool tournament

What can I say other than i had great time assembling this trophy in honor of my surf club, PBSC, and my fellow members (and the greater coalition of surfing clubs) and their unwavering dedication to stepping forward and helping our friends in need in times of crisis.

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March 27 I went for a surf with my nephew Quinn and I brought two boards along for him to try out. After being out for a while we did a board swap and left the Vr2(b) at the top of the iceplant at Tourmaline, right where the ramp begins and people are all over the place, including lots of my friends who are regulars.

Quinn said that the whole time he was out he kept looking back to make sure the board was still there, which it was until we got out of the water and walked up the ramp. We had been surfing Green Pipe so it was a little bit of a walk and during that time is when it got pinched.

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Jeff's photography is always so spot on. He's gotten more great photos of me surfing over the years than anyone else, and I mean the photos are great even if my surfing is average. He always finds a way to make it look like you are really hanging it out there, even though it's just as much about his sense of positioning his camera, framing his shots, the insane clarity of his images, and the absolutely stunning sense of timing that he has on the shutter button.

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One day I'm walking back to my car in my full suit after a session and I run into someone I want to talk to, only I still have my earplugs in and no pockets to put them in. So what do I do? Did you know many surfboards have a secret earplug locker?

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I took a drive up Van Nuys yesterday to find some advice on my 1994 BMW and had a great time geeking out on all the great cars that were there. Here are some photos I shot with my Nikon Df and home made tilt/shift lens. Click any thumbnail to start a full size slide show. Enjoy!

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FULL DISCLOSURE: I was asked to build a website* for Horny Toads Surf Wax by my friends Shaun and Kasie. 

And the story goes like this...

One day Shaun saw me getting ready to paddle out and asked me if I wanted to try some new wax he was making at home in his kitchen.

"Sure thing."
"Let me know how it goes."
"Will do!"

After my session I saw Shaun and he asked me what I thought.

"Worst wax I have ever used. I rate it a 2 on a 1 to 10 scale."
"Thanks for your feedback."
"No problem!"

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I recently got a request to send out a W.A.V.E.set fin box adapter to the owner of a Wilken midlength board from the late '60s. More specifically, a 7'0" vee bottom with a WS box.

Excited to try out the adapter. I have a Wilken 7' vee that will benefit from some fin diversity. I love waveset, but they're not the most versatile!

So another one goes out the door and into the water, woohoo!

This got me thinking about boards I have owned and let go of. Yeah, another "one that got away story"... but it's a good one, I promise!

User Rating: 5 / 5

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A little while back I got a random but very welcome email from a young lady named Lainey who is the proud owner of a late 1960s or early '70s Hobie surfboard. She told me that she found Qustom via a web search for a WAVEset adapter for this very pristine midlength that bears no model name and just the way cool Hobie logo that you see in the photos below.

After exchanging a few messages we agreed that I would send her one of my test pieces, which she was stoked to try out.

Lainey's experience in her own words:

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Tourmaline Surfing Park on a Summer's Morning as Seen Through a Nikkor-Q Auto 1:3.5 f=13.5cm

Everything about this is little project has been a test of will. Nothing wanted to go right without a lot of coaxing. But what would you expect from ancient artifacts, anyhow...?

User Rating: 5 / 5

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1968 Surfboards Hawaii 8'0" Vee Bottom

It's going on five years since I bought this board at Bird's, and in that time I've heard all kinds of things said about it...

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OK, actually I've made the key...

If you have problems with your spare car key rusting like I do (you would think BMW would make their keys out of something more impervious to the elements...), why not just make a new one out of plastic?!?

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And so it begins... the planning for my first hand shaped surfing board:

Building things has always been a big interest of mine. When I was a kid, it was all about Tinker Toys, then model cars, then real cars, then racing Lambrettas, and so on...

Anyone who knows me well will agree that when it comes to short term memory, I can forget my own name at the drop of a hat, and I've also been known to forget how to properly strap a board down to my car now and then, or to grab my wetsuit off the fence at Tourmo before leaving...

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The fiasco that was the sale of LambrettaWorks forced me to sell many of the boards that I had collected over the years, some of which can be seen hanging from the ceiling in this photo from my last blog post.

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Here's a nice snapshot from the old West Coast Lambretta Works days...

Going through my old photo library I found this picture that really shows off the inside of the old shop, including a nice LD MkIII Lambretta and some of the old surfboards I used to have.

About the Blue and White Lambretta:

This thing is about 95% finished after a frame off restoration. It probably came to our shop as a rusty pile of junk! One of the telltale signs that it's not entirely done is that there is no rubber beading on the frame where the side panels go. The panels are probably waiting for the grilles from the chrome shop, or maybe brand new grilles are on their way from Italia...

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After weeks of spotty weather, San Diego finally came through with one of those amazing clear, sunny days that it's so famous for. The locals took quick advantage of the opportunity to grab their surfing boards and head down to their favorite hiding place, far away from the maddening crowds of tourists that flock to our fair city like so many ants to honey. 

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I just got an email from my good buddy and fellow Tourmo regular Chris Cantore letting me know that a handful of my photos are currently being featured on the new Cantore+Woods effort at Yewonline.com, and I am beyond stoked about it!

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Like many other San Diegans I spent a gorgeous Sunday morning yesterday at the beach: surfing, hanging with friends, and soaking up some sun. It was one of those classic days that everyone who lives here cherishes.

Before heading home, I did a quick check of InstaGram and in an instant had my world turned upside down. By now many of you reading this will already know of the unfortunate fate of our beloved Sofia Tiare Bartlow, whose body left this physical realm yesterday in an auto accident, though her unstoppable spirit will live on for eternity.

User Rating: 5 / 5

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Another blast from the past from back in the old West Coast Lambretta Works days

A few random thoughts on this photo...

Using the Gasca's (later Todd Delle's/Bob Brown's) Auto parking lot for Saturday morning test rides was common practice. Helmet laws were strictly unenforced.

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