Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Post NY Surf Film Festival

Here's a shot of me hard at work judging for the 2010 NY Surf Film Festival. There were still waves from Hurricane Igor this day, but I had 30 films to get through, reading to complete, and a different blog to manage (for the course I TA at Parsons). The film I'm watching in this shot is called Stoked and Broke by Cyrus Sutton. It didn't win, but it is a damn fine surf film and I recommend it to anyone looking for great footage of shredders on alternative crafts (the kid Ryan Burch absolutely kills it) and which also has an entertaining and enlightening storyline. As you can see here, my wetties are drying on the fire escape. They got plenty of water time during Igor, which produced the shapliest surf I've gotten in quite some time. Managed to ride my fish, my shorty, and a borrowed 6'3" widow-maker (Grey Ghost Surfboards) in the space of four days. As for the surf film fest, it was a blast. I only went for Saturday's showing of the brilliant short titled Darkside of the Lens and the feature Fiberglass and Megapixels. Darkside of the Lens won top honors for best short. I'm calling it the Joy Division of surf films. Nuanced. Dark. Beautiful. Only slightly bothered that it was funded by an energy drink, but hey, if someone's gonna throw you cash to make a surf film, you better put that cash to good use. Fiberglass and Megapixels is a highly educational film about the pro photo scene on the North Shore. First "surf film" I've seen to ever turn the lens on the lens, which is highly refreshing. You get a fish eye view into the heavy photo crowding situations at Pipe and a pretty complex view on how surfing as an industry relies on the shots taken on the North Shore every winter. It's not my cup of tea, but it is very true to reality. And in case you are curious about the results of the NYSFF, well Dark Fall, a film about New Jersey surfers, took first place for best film and viewers choice. Not a big surprise there, being that it was the best East Coast surf film, and well the festival is on the East Coast. It was good, I'm not saying much else...... Patrick Trefz's Idiosyncracies won for Best Cinematography and Dane Reynold's epic, no-talking, weird shred show, Thrills Spills and Whatnot, won for best soundtrack. Best part of Dane's film? Drawing a heart around Kelly in the water and writing BFF. Oh and did I say there was no talking? So refreshing. Dane and I must share the opinion that listening to surfers talk (unless they're British or Irish) is a pain which must be registered on a certain level in Dante's Inferno. In the end I am stoked to have been a part of the NYSFF. Tyler Breuer and Mike Machemer really put on a great event. Open bar. What? And Mike was throwing down the best vinyl tracks I've heard outside of myself djing at random bars with no dance floors. I remember his set went Sweet Dreams (are made of this) --> Ceremony --> So In Love --> Love Will Tear Us Apart, etc. awesomeness. I wanted to start creepy dancing in the middle of the surf party, but no one else got it, so I just threw Mike a devil shaka. Last note of the post. See my loafers in the photo? My pal Asa turned me on to wearing loafers. They're Florsheims and they're soft as a baby's bottom. Best with slim pants, a button down shirt untucked, and a v-neck sweater. So Italian in all the right ways. TTFN.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Fall and all of its Glory

This might be the last photo for a while of me waiting for a train to take me back to Brooklyn. The car is fixed and in my possession. Perfect timing for hurricane season and you can bet that I'm psyched about the arrival this week of Hurricane Igor. It's looking like Igor will produce 3-4 days of swell to Earl's 1-2. Definitely a word of caution to all beginners. I have learned that when there are waves the East Coast is no joke. You can get hurt and tossed out here just as bad as anywhere. Well maybe not Teauhupoo or Hawaii....Also coming up is the NY Surf Film Festival, of which I am one of the judges. I hope those dvds arrive soon or I'll have nothing to judge! Not sure which films I'm aiming to check out in the theater, but I think I'll shoot for Saturday night's Dark Fall about New Jersey surfers and the season we are heading into right now. Regarding the hopes and desires listed in my last post I have decided to nix a return to pro surfing. Philosophy and especially aesthetics and an interest in fashion theory has just won me over for good it seems. Plus I am surfing enough and having a blast doing what I love. As for lessons, well, nobody seemed to bite this summer. Too expensive perhaps? Well folks a good teacher ain't cheap, so I'm sticking to my guns. I'll try to keep the car in action to the best of my ability because I understand that that really increases the value. I did have one pupil this summer, Rachel, and she was awesome. She went from barely being able to catch waves to making drops on her own. She also developed a nice slouchy style ala Thomas Campbell flicks, which is always nice to see. On the music front, another Rachel I know has invited me to dj 80's music with her at Iona's in Williamsburg every other Thursday. Last Thursday was a blast, with Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen definitely taking the crowd's fancy. It always does. Kind of like Cuts You Up by Peter Murphy. Well that's a wrap for now. I'll try my darndest to update more often throughout the fall.