BL!SSS Magazine | December 2008 | #16

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PHOTO: RUBEN RUIZ

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T H E B A L A N C E O F O P P O S I T E SV O L U M E 0 2 | C H A P T E R 0 6

M A K U A R O T H M A N S 9 5

Makua was having a good day: went on the morning news at 7am,

had quick surf at 9:30am, then hit Turtle Bay golf course at 11:00am.

After 17 holes, he was on his way to shooting an all time best, all

he needed was a par. He was on the green in regulation and had a

three-footer for birdie, without hesitation he sunk the putt. Later that

night, with the same fortitude, he introduced BJ Penn to a crowd of

8,500 people at the Shell in Waikiki. All in a days work

R V C A . C O M / S U R F

FOR BEFORE AND AFTER SURFING. VANSSURF.COM 2008 VANS, INC. PHOTO : HANK FOTO

ULTRA LIGHT WASTE-FREE OUTSOLE FEATURING VANSLITE TECHNOLOGY IN A CLASSIC WINO SILOHUETTE.

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Designed and built from the ground up by the Gravis skate team.Look for Dylans signature shoe dropping April 2009.

Exclusively available at skate shops. ivsk8.com to get connected.

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GRV_BLISSS_Dec Dylan.indd 1 11/24/08 4:37:03 PM

Greg Simkins

west coast 800.225.1364 east coast 800.621.6578 www.alstyle.com

Alstyle Apparel has 5 Distribution Centers across the USA. For quick product delivery, choose the location nearest you. Also contact us about our re-label program, heat transfer capabilities, and our NEW tear away labels.

Anaheim, CA Chicago, IL Philadelphia, PA Atlanta, GA Dallas, TX

5574AAA Junior Hooded Full-Zip Fleece8oz. 75% Ringspun Cotton/25% Polyester

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFnick kalionzes

[email protected]

EDITORjoey marshall

[email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTORmark paul deren

[email protected]

MUSIC EDITORkimmie bergevin

[email protected]

SNOW EDITORjon francis

[email protected]

OFFICE MANAGERzach baker

[email protected]

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSJason Kenworthy, Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom

Carey, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran,

Dave Nelson, Pat Eichstaedt, Andrew Miller, Julien Lecorps, Ryan Boyes,

Zach Hooper, Tim Peare

CONTRIBUTORSMatt Patterson, Willie Marshall, Josh Spencer, Aaron Astorga, Daniel

Russo, Liz Rice, Jason Arnold, Greg Escalante, Tom Carey, Travis Millard,

David Choe, Kai Garcia, Mickey Neilsen, Peter Townend, Hamilton

Endo, Tawnya Schultz, Mike Murciano, Geoff Shively, Casey Holland,

Steve Stratton, Robbie Sell, Andrew Miller, Pat Towersey

BL!SSS Magazine

413 31st Street

Newport Beach, CA 92663

www.blisssmag.comDisclaimer: Although all best efforts are made to avoid the same, we reserve the right to publish unintentional mistakes and/or factual errors which may occur on a monthly basis. No responsibility is assumed by the publishers for unsolicited materials/articles/letters/advertising and all submissions will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright and/or appropriate licensing purposes subject to Blisss right to edit and comment editorially. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine reectthe opinions of their respective authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Blisss Magazine reserves the right to accept orrejectanyadvertisingmatterwhichmayreectnegatively on the integrity of the magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form [print or electronic] without prior written consent from the publisher.

Cover Art : Greg SimkinsIf your favorite shop isnt receiving BL!SSS Magazine

please contact [email protected]

DECEMBER 2008

THE NOMADICBRING THE NOISEnixonnow.com

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PUB: Bl!ss MagazineIssue: NovArt Director: Denis KeglerDesigner: Justin Hawkins

WAX ON

VON ZIPPER X SKULLCANDY

FREE MUSIC FOR GAMBLERS

FUEL TV

COMUNEIf youre not already aware theres a new company coming of age that goes by the name of Comune. Like the Phoenix, this crew is not new to the game and as it rises from the ashes it has already quite the following. With a skate and snow roster unlike any startup brand of yesteryear, expect to hear things from the Comune camp. Exclusive tees and denim will be released at the beginning of 09, so keep your eyes peeled.

Withwinterbearingitsuglyheadonceagainandsnownallycompilingatour local mountains, its time to dust off your snowboards and unpack the outerwear. Von Zipper and Skullcandy have teamed up once again this season and have developed quite a few must-haves for the slopes. My fa-vorite is the Feenom VZ Skullcrusher, just plug them into your iPod and youre good to go. Nothing like some fresh powder and some good tunes to get the season going. Check out your local store or log onto vonzipper.com tondoutwheretoscoreyourselfapair.

If youre anything like us these days, you sure could use something free, besides this magazine. Well thats exactly what the boys from Riverboat Gamblers are doing giving away a free track off their upcoming album. The single is titled, A Choppy, Yet Sincere Apology and you can get yourself a free download by pointing your mouse over to theriverboatgamblers.com.

If youre in the lineup and paddling behind me expect to get a whiff of some sweet, sweet strawberries. No, my ass doesnt smell like roses, but thanks to my boys at Famous Wax Company BL!SSS has got our own surf wax. Its super exclusive and with an extra gooey blend that will keep your feet stuck all winter long. We just got the fresh batch delivered last week so when see any of us suiting up for a session dont hesitate to ask.

With everyone holding onto their pocketbooks a little tighter I catch myself going out a little less and watching TV a little more. Bad news for the bars (I think theyll be alright) good news for FUEL. Actually, now that I think about it, most the bars I frequent are airing FUEL TV the whole time anyway; I guess thats what I get for living in Southern California. My newest fav is a series called Built to Shred, where top skaters get to de-sign, build and skate all types of unique obstacles. If you havent already, be sure to tune in every Sunday at 8pm.

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The 36 billion aluminum cans landfilled last year had a scrap value of more than $600 million. When you toss out one aluminum can you waste as much energy as if youd filled the same can half-full of gasoline and poured it into the ground. Thats why Mike drinks beer out of bottles.

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FOOD COURT GANGSTA

GRAVIS

808s AND HEARTBREAKS

SAMBAZON ENERGY

MOCA BUCKS

Most of you probably already know that our Creative Director, Mad-steez, is quite possibly the most shameless, self-promoting art fag in the entire universe. He begged and begged and begged that he could get another Randoms write up on his latest creation for Capita Snowboards. I wasnt going to let this happen but since his pay is getting slashed if this recession continues,IgureditstheleastIcould do. Besides, the graphics on the Food Court Gangsta Collec-tion are quite dope and theres also a Qween series available just for the ladies. You can even ride one of these bad boys in the new Shaun White Snowboarding video game.

Since bailout plans are the newest fad, LAs Museum of Contemporary Art didnt feel the least bit guilty for accepting a 30-million dollar hand-outtokeepthemaoat.WeallknowitwasnttheFederalGovernment(as they only bailout complete, utter failures) but a billionaire art lover named Eli Broad. We personally wanted to give Eli a shout and thank him for single handedly keeping one of our favorite museums alive.

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Got a visit from the Sambazon dude right before we were sending this edition off to the press. These guys are quite clever and they just stocked our fridge full of their or-ganic energy drink Amazon Energy. Full of antioxidants and made from acerola, guarana, yerba mate, and acai, this drink will heighten your awareness, boost your immune system and not leave you with the jitters. Way better tasting than many of the others out there, so be sure to give them a try.

Kanye West is look-ing to put some more cabbage in his pockets for the holidays as his newest album, 808s and Heartbreaks, has just dropped. Now Im not some music critic, Ill leave that for Kimmie, but Im sure this album will hit platinum be-fore years end. Yet again proving that this black man who still dresses like a college nerd is much cooler than both you and I.

Gravis is taking comfort to the next level. Each shoe in the IV Skate-boarding Collection is designed and tested in collaboration with their team. Arto Saari and Dylan Rieder had a ton of input into this shoe, re-questing canvas uppers, a super grippy vulcanized outsole, and the Gravis PU Cloud 9 footbed. These shoes skate better than any other shoe out of the box, plus they look and feel damn good.

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ROLLIN WITH TERELL

BL!$$$

Terell Robinson is on the move as the Darkstar pro recently inked a deal with Mada. While most brands are struggling to keep what they got, the Mada crew is still busting at the seams, signing talent left and right. Surviving the streets of Compton and a gunshot wound to the ass, you better be-lieve Terell isnt done yet. Be on the look out for signature Terell Mada gear in 09.

SURFLINE MOBILE

WATCH OUT

KROOKED CLAYTONS

BITE THE BULLITT

Krooked Skateboards and iconic pro skater Mark Gonzalez hooked up with the Clayton Brothers (featured April 2008 booyah BL!SSS) on a set of fresh skate decks. The two-piece set will feature original artwork as part of the Krooked Guest Artist Series. Limited to only 300 pieces, the decks will see a release at select locations while 25 hand signed pieces received even more stencil-ing by the Clayton Brothers as well as a letter of au-thenticity, hardware and a special mount. A must have for the skating art fan.

Though it might not be the brightest time of the year, the voltage is still through the roof at the Electric factory. Out now the Bullitt is this winters hottest shade. Whether youre escaping into the trop-ics or just protecting your eyes from the winter glare on the slopes, these modi-edaviatorsareamusthave.Theycomein a variety of colors like black, platinum, gold or red - so you know theyve got you covered.

Formally known for their insane wetsuits and surf threads, the good folks at Rip Curl have been releasing some really sweet looking timepieces lately. While raid-ing their wetsuit warehouse my eyes came across the perfect stocking stuffer, the De-troit (shown here). There are quite a few colorways available so swing on over and support you local shop during these times of need and pick one up for yourself or a loved one.

The rst ones to bring usstreaming cams on the web have now taken things mobile with live cams on your phone. And yes, this is the greatest thing I have ever heard. Now, I never considered myself lazy before but I may just have to reassess things because I now nditquiteatasktoturnonmy laptop to check the surf, never mind actually driving to the beach. I just wake up, rollover and check my phone. Thank you Surine. Also, if you have an iPhone you may wanna check the surf report app they put out in conjunc-tion with Oakley, another winner.

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COCO HO

Recognizing that todays cell phones are probably your most coveted ac-cessory, WESC has teamed up with Nokia to collaborate on an exclusive Nokia + WESC Sound collaboration. Only available in select Telecom shops and WESC concept stores in Scandinavia, you would be one cool cat to score a set of these exclusive combinations. Your best bet on scor-ing a pair is to hunt online or beg someone who works at WESC until they nallygivein.DESTRUCTO D2 TRUCKS

STICKY GRENADES

WESC + NOKIA

ELECTRIC IPONE APP

WALK THE WALK

I have a new favorite surfer and she goes by the name of Coco Ho. I gotta hand it to Coco Ho - After a highly controversial interference call on Ho during the dying minutes of the Reef Hawaiian Pro, it seems like Coco hasbeengettingquiteabitofackfromthemediaandalloverthenet.I think what she did was the most exciting thing to happen to womens surng in a long timeanditnallybroughtsomelongoverduelightonthesport.ItwasquiteentertainingtowatchanddontsweatackBL!SSS mag has your back.

Hurley has had quite the run with the high school Walk the Walk run-way competitions. Number nine went down this past month in the Inland Empire. Hundreds of people were in attendance including the likes of pro surfer Timmy Curran and actors Paul Walker and Scott Reeves. And though each school was awarded $2000 for their outstanding efforts it was Poly High that reigned supreme and was awarded $5000 for their arts and music program along with the chance to compete at the Grand Championship Walk the Walk going down in mid-May.

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We got a little visit from our boy Jim Shubin over at Destructo, who was literallysweatinovertherecentresgettingdangerouslyclosetohishouseinOrangeCounty.Betweenevacuations,Shubinlledusinontheirnewestgear dropping this holiday season, the Desructo D2. These new trucks are touted as some of the lightest, strongest and guaranteed for life. The D2s are also tested and approved by Arto Saari, so really, what more do you need? Put these puppies on your list for Santa now.

The peeps behind Grenade and Vestal have once again teamed up with local Newport artist/vagabond Robert Sticky Shaw to collaborate on a fashion-forward timepiece. Inspired by his one-of-a-kind bracelets, Dan-ny Kass couldnt pass up the opportunity and the Sticky Bomb was born. Available at all retailers carrying Vestal, be sure to ask for it by name.

Last months cover artist, Alex Grey sent us over this painting of Barack Obama that he did the day after it was announced that Obama would in fact, become therstblackPresidentof theUnitedStates.Be-sides being one of the coolest portraits weve ever seen, it is a picture that signals a change in history as we see, live and breathe it.

President Elect, Barack Hussein Obama is pure in-spiration. Never before in the history of our nation has a president motivated such a large and diverse group of young people to get out there and become involved with the way our country is running. His axiomofchangehaslitaameofrevolutioninthehearts and minds of all Americans. Alex Grey has captured that motivation so perfectly here on this page that we almost ran it without any text at all.

ALEX GREY X OBAMA

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At just 16 years of age, Carissa became the youngest surfer ever to win aVansTripleCrownofSurngcontestwhenshetookhomethetitleatthe WQS 6-star Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa on Oahus North Shore. Nottomention,theeventmarkedherreturntocompetitivesurngaf-ter taking a year hiatus to focus on school. On her way to the podium, Carissa knocked off many top competitors, including Layne Beachley andCocoHointhenal.

With 11 national titles already under her belt, it looks like Carissa has truly raised the bar another level, and the surf world has taken notice. For her extraordinary talents in the water, Surfer Magazine has recently recognizedherasoneofthemostinuentialsurfersoftheyear,rightalongsideKellySlaterandahostofothersurngluminaries.

CurrentlysittinginrstplaceintheracefortheTripleCrownandsecur-ingvaluablepointstowardqualicationfortheWCT,Carissasreturntocompetitivesurnghasnotbeensubtle.ItisanhonortohaveCarissaon the 6.0 program, Jason Kenworthy, Nike 6.0 Surf Mentor said. Car-issaiselevatingwomenssurngonadailybasis.Herincrediblenaturaltalent, plus her drive and positive attitude make her a true asset to womenssurngandthe6.0program.Iamlookingforwardtoseeinghow high she can raise the bar and truly drive the progression of the sport. Welcome to the team Carissa!

WINS REEF HAWAIIAN PRO @ HALEIWA

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So work is fun you say? Well if you hap-pen to be lucky enough to ride for or to be employed by Fox Head Inc., it sure is. The newest addition to Foxs Orange County Design Center is the much anticipated, super sneaky, private mini moto track. The track was put in to their new facil-ity for team riders, friends, family, and employees to go head-to-head with each other. Its not a massive professional dirt bike track, but more of a super fun rider friendly mini track. BL!SSS has the gold-en ticket and we get to ride whenever we like. In your face!

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Special Edition Wall Street Goggle

MAGAZINE: BL!SSSISSUE: DecemberJOB NUMBER: SMITH-0834-B

SPECS:9.5 x 12.625 Live Area10.5 x 13.625" Trim11 x 14.125" Bleed

CONTACT:Craig Fuller - Nemo [email protected]

InJuly,famedLosAngelesgraftiartistRevokwasarrestedon felony vandalism charges. Indio police raided his home, conscating art supplies, cameras, hard drives, computers- essentially everything he uses to earn a living. This has crippled his entire business and destroyed his income. To add insult to injury, the felony charges are excessive and unjusti-ed,(apotentialsentenceof3years).Revokisacelebratedartist who has dedicated his life to his work, not a criminal deservedofjailtime.Toghtthesecharges,Revokwillincurgreat legal expenses. If you would like to help, please come out and show some love.

The event will be taking place at GCS in Pomona on the 14th of December, starting at 5pm. Log onto www.gcsclothing.com or www.revok1.com for more info.

FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

Words: R. Gastman

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Matte Black Holt Helmet and Black Southbeach Heiress Goggle

MAGAZINE: BL!SSSISSUE: DecemberJOB NUMBER: SMITH-0834-A

SPECS:9.5 x 12.625 Live Area10.5 x 13.625" Trim11 x 14.125" Bleed

CONTACT:Craig Fuller - Nemo [email protected]

Whats your full name and age? Gregory Frank Bretz Jr. and Im 17. Who are your sponsors? Forum Snowboards, Special Blend, Oakley, Utility Board Shop, XRC and Mammoth Mountain. How long have you lived in Mammoth? Well before I lived in Mammoth I lived in Bishop with my mom. Then, when I was about 13 I moved up to Mammoth with my dad and have been here ever since. I know you are one of the founders of the XRC crew, who is in it and what is it all about? Well lets see here We got the actual founder Tyler Flanagan, our young grom Brock Crouch, our woman shredder Bryn Valaika, and then we got our overseas ripper Ruiki Masuda. We also have Spencer Link, The Kotsenburg brothers Sage and Blaze, the two Mammoth brothers Jared and Alex Dawoud and me. We got a pretty tight group of friends.

Last year you went to Japan, tell me a funny story about thattrip.Wasntitthersttime you traveled to Asia? Yeah, Japan is crazy. I dont really have any funny stories but that trip was a blast. I did get drug behind some random car down the street in a snowstorm. Tell me about some of the other places you went outside the U.S. last year? I did take a trip to Italy with a pretty good group - Matt Ladley, Broc Waring, Luke Wynen, and Spencer Tamblin. A great experienceandthersttimeeverout of the country. How do you manage to stay up with your school while traveling so much? School is pretty important to me and I always have my step mom riding my ass about school so you just got to take some time out of your life and focus for a little bit and power down. You are starting to get a lot of people paying attention to you. Besides this interview, the

Photos & Interview: Peter Morning

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Photos & Interview: Peter Morning

magazines are noticing your riding. Is that strange to you or does it just feel natural? When I was younger I used to get little ads here and there and was pretty pumped but seeing more photos in magazines is pretty sick, its a good feeling. I know you are always listening to your iPod when you ride. Give me your top 5 bands or artists that you are listening to right now? I have been pretty big with the Beatles, some Ozzy, Jimmy Hendrix, Stones, and Ziggy Marley. I mix it up every once in a while but those are denitelyveofmyfavorites.

Your dad, Greg Sr. (aka Big Al),

is one of the top lift maintenance workers in Mammoth and around theworld.Hasthatbenetedyou?Any special privileges? Yeah, for sure. When I was younger I used to go to work with him in the morning around about 5:45 or 6 oclock and he would open up the chair lifts. I would beg him so much to let me get fresh cords at like 7:30 in the morning. I was pumped on that, he is always there for me and helps out whenever he can. Shuttling me around the mountain on his sled and a little bit oflming.Hedoesitall. I know you have grown up around theUnboundteamandofces,howhave those guys helped you and your career?

Well Oren Tanzer, the man, has always helped me get in touch with the people that threw me down some gear. Knowing the staff is a plus because we would just shred all day and whenever a jump needed to be raked all I had to do was go grab a rake and do it myself, or just ask one of the dudes to do it. All your female fans want to know, are you single or taken? At this point Im single but hey you never know what might come around at any time. Lastly, I heard you LOVE to go to Mule Days in Bishop, CA? Yeah, its the mule capital of the world and I just love going so I can smell all the fresh donkey doo. I look forward to it every year, Memorial Day here I come.

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BUR09_FrediAK_BlissDec.pdf 10/27/08 9:09:07 AM

Although graceful in 4-inch stilettos, California native Elicia Perkins also answers to the nickname Crash. Friends enjoy her quick- witted humor as much as watching her embarrass herself with daily activities. When she isnt infrontofthecamerayoucanndherbakingupastormofsinfuldessertsoraddingthingssuchas,getapetpeacock or move to Athens to her long to-do list. With her energetic charisma, the fearless brunette is sure to make you smile and leave you wanting more.

Photo: Dominic Petruzzi // dominicpetruzzi.com // Model: Elicia :: Next Models

Name, age, town where you are from?Ben Fisher, Im 20, and Im from Long Beach. Why, where and how did you start skating?I think one of my neighbors had a skateboard when I was maybe 12 or so? Fuck, I dont remember but Im sure it was around that age. I thought that an ollie was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Tell me the funniest story about a girl you once knew?I tend to forget about most girls I know, so I cant think of anything off the top of my head really. Tell me a funny story about a

good friend of yours then?A couple of my friends met some random girls through Myspace a few years ago. The girls lived in San Diego, so my friends had to stay at their house when they went to visit. To start the trip off, they gotaattireonthewaydown,sothey some how managed to swoop a spare from a random parked car andreplaceitwiththeirat.Sotheyget there, and one of my friends, James, has a tendency to get down with at least one girl wherever he goes. But the other two, G-horse and Pete, didnt really care about it. Anyways, I guess it started out with Pete and G-horse throwing each other in the pool with their clothes on still - like right off the bat when they got there. So these girls are

already kinda bummed on the whole situation. Then, as the night went on, G-horse and Pete had an all out war. Anything goes, ya know? They were pissing in each others shoes and throwing things at each other throughout the house. Things are breaking; the girls are getting pissed already. Then, I guess as some time passed, James and the girls walked in on a shit-faced G-horse and Pete, who got so drunk that they each had a bottle of bleach and were squirting each other in their living room - a legitimate bleach war. Apparently they ruined everything in the room, including everything they had on. Not to mention one of them pissed in the microwave and turned it on. Luckily, the girls just thought that someone was cooking

hot dogs. Keep in mind these girls dont know any of my friends really. They were about to kick them out for the night but James smooth talked his way into letting them stay. So theyre all going to bed when the girls started hearing loud sharp noises coming from the other room. They walked in on Pete and G-horse throwing marbles in the ceiling fan, just fucking shit up, ya know? After that settled down, James was trying to make amends with one of the girls who lived there when he heard FIRE! FIRE! Everyone that lives there came rushing out at like 4:30 inthemorningjusttondPeteandG-horse in hysterics, laughing on the ground. I think they still got to stay the night too.

Photo: Karpinski

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B.S Nose Blunt

If you could travel anywhere tomorrow where would it be and why?I would go anywhere outside of the US other than Mexico. It wouldnt even matter, I just want to travel. I would love to go to Mexico, why not for you? You have a bad experience there or something? Be careful what you say.Haha nah, nothing bad has happened to me there, its just a sketchy place to go. People have been dying a lot lately over there. My friend told me a story about how he got lost from his friends and ended up going around to bars with some guys for the night. One of the guys went to the bathroom and the other one told my friend that the other guy was gonna ask him if he needed a place to stay. And being drunk, my friend would most likely say yes. Then he said that his friend is gonna ask if you want to do things with him, and even if my friend didnt want to, he was going to make him do them. Long story short, some guy saved my friends life by telling him that this guy was gonna rape and kill him if he stuck around any longer. Are you a homebody or would you like to be away from Long Beach for a long period of time? What do you think you would miss the most by going away?

B.S Nose Blunt : Radison Banks

Cab Over Table :: Photo: Otto

If I left for a long period of time, which I wouldnt mind doing, I woulddenitelymissmyfamilyand friends. Some of the local food places will always hold a place in my heart as well, but generally speaking, just friends and family. Do you own a passport?Nah,Ihavetheapplicationlledout, but I dont have enough money to pay for the processing. Have you ever stolen anything and if so, what was it?Thrift stores only sell things that were given to them, so I dont

think stealing is the proper term. Whats your favorite thrifty item you have got?I have this one collared shirt Im really hyped on. Lately Ive been really into collared shirts with the pocket. I dont know though, Im pretty down for almost everything I take. If it isnt worth risking for, I wont take it, ya know? Whats up with the video you and your boys are making?Oh shit... ZOO TIGER DEATH MASK Fuck, I dont even know where to start. I think what

happened was that a group of my good friends realized that we were sick of all these candy-ass jabronies making garbage-ass skate videos, so we took the initiativeandboughtsomelmingaccessories. Whats gonna happen is that its going to make kids stop thinking they need to skate El Toro to have a legitimate good time skateboarding. I wont go into too much detail, but ZOO TIGER DEATH MASK will make you want to get down in every way imaginable. How did that video name come about?

Well, one day we were driving to go skate, and we brought up the topic of how John McCain couldnt have a straight head on his shoulders because he had been tortured as a P.O.W. and someone just threw out, Yeah, the motherfucker wore a death mask, fuck that and it just kind of stuck. As far as the Zoo Tiger goes, Im not sure if youve heard about this or not, but a while back, some kids were fucking with a tiger at the San Francisco Zoo. They hit it with something I guess and then left to walk around. The tiger escaped from his cage, hunted down the kids and mauled

Switch Big Spin Wall Ride

one of them to death for punking it. After it had killed the kid, it just stood its ground till people came and of course killed him. Fuckin brilliant if you ask me. Whos going to be in it?Zack, James, BP, John, Chase and any real skaters we managed to either go skate with, or bootleg from a distance. Do you have any hidden talents?If pessimism is hidden, then yes. Is there anything in your past you wished you had never done?Yeah, that sex change operation Birdhouse paid for was a big mistake. What you want to be doing 10 years from today?Word on the street is that we only have til 2012, but if that falls through, I just wanna be skating with the friends who havent stopped yet. Explain to me a normal week in the life of Ben?Fuck, wake up at someones house 5 days out of the week, get coffee, skate for a fewhoursaday,gureoutwheretodrink,drink, meet worthless women, drunk dial, then regret the drunk dialing. Tell me your best drunk dialing conversation and with who?Thats a good question Paul. For now, well just call her Stoli. But pretty much what happens is: I see Stoli out at bars and what not, but every time we run into each other theresthissortofquasi-irtingthatgoesdown. Then, when last call comes around, we end up on the phone and I pretty much just end up talking shit to her. Then I wake up with this motivation to skate something thats going to get me hurt really bad, cause thats naturally how I feel for even wasting my time with Stoli. But what happens is I dont get hurt, I usually land somethingImsatisedwith,andthenIgoout and have a celebratory drink, see her again, and repeat the process. I guess you could say, shes responsible for a majority of my better skate tricks. What do you think of my questions considering I only met you once?I think theyre pretty amazing. Im glad you agreed to do this, people are gonna think Im cool cause you interviewed me. What you reading right now?The label of a water bottle, I cant sit still long enough to read a book usually. Fat or skinny and why?Denitelyskinny.Thatswhatsup.Thick

girls, not so much. Morrissey or Metallica and why?It all depends on the mood, but if I had to choose between those two, I would go with Metallica. Older Metallica though, none of that newer soft country bullshit. I dont mind Morrissey, its just that all these fag scene kids worship him, so it kind of kills it for me. What do your parents think about what you do right now?Theyre actually hyped that Im out doing what I wanna do, but they get bummed when I have no money and dont help out around the house. Why dont you help around in the house?Im lazy. Whenwasyournestmoment?IdontknowifIcanthinkofanestmoment, theres a lot of really good ones. Maybe when I got my car, or when I found out Blueprint was giving me boards. Oh, I found 20 bucks on the ground, so I went to the store with it and bought a scratcher and won 50 bucks. That was pretty cool. Have you ever wished you had never set your eyes on a skateboard?No. Fuck no. What you think is going to happen come November 4th?I would like to think that by then, this skating ticket I have will be dismissed and Ill be out skating happily with some friends. Ill tell you what though, if that worthless pile McCain wins the presidency, Im fuckin outta here. What you got in your pockets right now?My ID, change and pills. What are the pills for?They just keep me relaxed. Its not like Im crazy into them, they just mellow me out after a long day of skating or something of that sort. Are you in a band or have you been? If so, what you play?Nah, I have no patience to learn an instrument. Although, I would really like to be able to play classical piano. Have you any people you want to say what up to or thanks?Family, Blueprint, Ortiz, ZOO TIGER DEATH MASK, Ben K, coffee, Feds, Lou, good pants, clean socks, In-N-Out.

S. Ollie N. Manual N. Flip Out

Ollie :: Photo: Karpinski

State your name and age?Dusty Payne, age 19.

Youre 19?Yep.

Ok. Lets hear your sponsors so I dont fuck it up later.

Volcom, Local Motion, Nike 6.0, Body Glove, Dragon, Creatures of Leisure and Monster.

Hometown?Lahaina, Maui.

Dusty, does it bum you out that your

Dad just rules you and just owns you at the bay?What do you mean? I push him into those waves!

How do you push him in when hes burning you?

Burning me? He never burns me. You gotta get your eyes checked.

Ive seen your dad shit on some big waves at the mill. Is that how youre so dramatic on

Photos & Interview: Tom Carey

64

your falls?What do you mean dramatic? Im not dramatic. Youre trippin.

Youve had a pretty busy year. After Hawaii, what have you been up to since last winter season?Ivebeensurngabunchofjunk waves all year.

Where?Australia, Indonesia, thats it I think. Oh, the Maldives sucked.

I heard you have a pretty shitty part in Taylor Steeles movie. How can

they put such shitty parts in movies?I dont know. Im rattled.

I heard you got your part in Taylors movie, Stranger than Beef Curtains. Howd that come about?Umm, I dont know. I think someone paid him off to put me in the video.

Is that how surf people get in those movies by getting paid through their sponsors? I dont know. Maybe.

How important are video

parts to you?Ya know, its the most important thing Id say.

Seriously?Whats better than a video part? Winning the QS?

No. Absolutely not. I think thats worse. Exactly.

Would you rather win CT or have a mean part in a video?Umm, Id probably rather have a mean part in a video.

Whys that?Becauseveyearsfrom

now, people probably wont remember the CT but theyll remember the video part.

Good answer. Whos side did you take in Nicole Ritchies and Paris Hiltons break-up?I dont even know who Nicole Ritchie is.

Paris Hiltons best friend from The Simple Life.They broke up? Are they lesbians?

No, they were buddy-buddy. Do you think Brittany Spears has a chance at a come back?

Photos & Interview: Tom Carey

Nah.

Why not?Because shes fat.

Was it hard growing up as an albino kid in Maui?Well, once you prove to Hawaiians youre crazier than them, they usually dont mess with you.

I heard you have the same agent as Bruce and Andy. Does that make you feel warm inside?

Youre weird.

Does that help when it comes to signing on the dotted line? Do you think youre as gnarly as Bruce and Andy or something?No! Are you kidding me?

Ok really, how did that come about that you have the same agent?Well, we went on a boat trip last year, and I just got along with Blair and thought he was a cool guy.

Does he do your laundry for you?No. I dont do laundry.

Who does?My mom.

I heard you only wear new clothes once and then you throw them out. Is that true?Who said that?

Everyone.Thats what she said.

Your dad was a pilot for Aloha. Do you ever

think about following in his footsteps? Ihateying.Andweredoing this interview on an airplane. So if we crashandsomeonendsthis

What would your last words be?Umm, I love you mom and dad.

Good son. Were just coming back from Cabo. What do you have to say about all the old gringo dudes

that try and get all local on us on all the shitty soft right hand points weve been surng?Theyre trippin if they think theyre local at the shittiest waves in the world.

How would you describe your style of surng?Terrible. I should live in Brazil.

Neco Padaratz or Mike Lambresi?

I dont know who Mike is, but Necos a legend.

Right on. Richie Collins or Todd Miller?I dont know Todd Miller, but I know Richie Collins and he has a dope haircut.

Tom Carey or Brian Bielmann?Brian Bielmann because Tom Careys doing this interview.

Who are you voting for in the next

FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, PEOPLE PROBABLY WONT REMEMBER THE CT BUT THEYLL REMEMBER THE VIDEO PART.

presidential election and how do you feel about Russias invasion of Georgia?Russians are invading Georgia?

Not the state, the country.Georgias not a country!

Who are you voting for in the next presidential election?Barack Obama. Hes from Hawaii. Hes from Punaho.

What are your plans and goals for 2009?Iwannadosomemorelming,andgetasolid seat in the WQS.

And where do you want to be exactly?Top 48 for sure.

Youhadacouplegoodresults.Yougotfthplace in the US Open?Yeah.

Doesthatgiveyousomecondencefornextyear?Yeah for sure. Ive never really done well in the QS, and thats only one so, hopefully next year I can get three or four good results.

Do you think that you need to improve on yoursmallwavesurng?Yeahdenitely.Ineedtoimproveoneverything.

Doyoufeelmorecondentonbiggerwaves?I dont know. I feel more comfortable.

So lets say if the surfs like four to six feet in a contest rather than say, chest high beach brakes, you feel more comfortable?Yeah, I get so nervous in little beach brakes. But if its like a contest at Haleiwa, four to six feet, Im a lot more comfortable I think because I know there are waves coming in.

How much of the QS is luck? Just getting lucky and getting a good wave, and just making a random heat, and just judges pushing you through?I guess its a lot of luck, but good surfers make their own luck. So hopefully next year, Ill make my own luck.

Are you going to try and juggle doing the QS and going on photo trips and video trips and still being in good movie sections? Or do you think its one or the other?I think you can do both. People just choose to do one or the other. You just gotta be on the road a lot more.

Do you think that hurts people? Hurts their image if they arent showing up in magazines and videos because theyre going full boar on the QS? Is that something you think about?Yeah for sure. There are so many good surfers on the QS that you never see in magazines that kinda get lost intheshufeorwhatever.Yeah, a lot of people get lost doing the QS.

So lets say you get a good seed next year, and say 2010, after that QS season, you make the CT. And then say youre not getting the results you want on the CT, youre making it each year but youre just doing average. Is that something you still would wanna do? Or would you look to do something else?I would probably look to do something else. I mean, the top ten guys are the best surfers in the world, and I think if youre not there, youre just kinda making up the numbers on the tour. I dont know. I wanna do something. I dont wanna just get lost on tour. Either tour.

How important do you think is the CT for

everybody?I think you have to make it at least once in your career just to prove that you can do it. The best surfers do qualify for it, ya know?

Do you think that a lot of its political though, like where guys are getting pushed through because they think theyll help the tour?Umm, some of it. I dont know. Id say some of it, for sure.

Give a percentage. Like 10 percent? 25 percent?99.9 percent. No, I dont know. Im not sure.

What do you think about girlssurngthesedays?Are you in Club MAGS, [Men Against Girls Surng],thatwasfoundedpartially by Andrew Doheny?Yep, I joined the club about a year ago.

Why is it that guys are so eggyaboutgirlssurng?Because they try and hustle us for waves and then they usually try and steal your chick later that night.

Have you heard any good Womens CT tour love stories?Nah.

Can you not go there?No, Ive never heard any!

Yeah, youve heard a couple huh? Lets hear one. No, Id probably be hunted down and beheaded.

Are the girls on all the CTs with you guys? Or are they all spread out?I dont know; Im not on tour.

I mean the QS. I think they have a few events with chicks, like chicks and mens events at the same spot. Im not sure about the CT though.

THEY TRY AND HUSTLE US FOR WAVES AND THEN THEY USUALLY TRY AND STEAL YOUR CHICK LATER THAT NIGHT.

Is it true that all the older girls on the CT try and turn all the younger girls into lesbians?I could get killed for that too! But yeah, I think so!

Youd get killed? Arent you bigger than those girls?Are you kidding me? Have you seen the shoulders on some of them chicks? I fear some chicks. Theyre gnarly.

Who are some of the guys you like to travel with?Well I just did a trip with Laurie Towner that was fun. Just whoever is easy going and down for whatever. I just like to hangout with people who really dont care.

Do you feel like the older you get, the more spoiled you get, like for waves, and maybe like take sessions for granted?If the waves are good, Im psyched. But if its like mushy and average, then I dont get psyched.

Ive seen you at home psych out over some pretty average two-foot days. Do you still have that attitude?Yeah, but thats home. If I go somewhere and get terrible waves, I think thats a bit different.

Who do you surf with at home?I surf with Granger Larson all the time, and Wesley, Clay, Ty Barker, Hank and Ola, all the Maui boys.

Are there any rivalries or harsh competition that goes on between you guys? Or are you guys really tight friends?I think when we were younger yeah, but now were becoming good friends. No real serious rivalries. We all get jealous of each

other sometimes I bet. I get jealous of them.

What do you get jealous over?Their sick video parts and that.

Whats the best surf trip youve ever been on?Pohnpei. I went with the Hobgoods and a bunch of cool kids from all over the world, and we scored perfect waves. Best wave of my life.

Tell us about that wave.Perfect right-hander. You couldnt ask for anything better. You just get barreled for like eight seconds and come out and do a big turn or whatever you want. Its perfect.

Lets hear about the waves you surf at home. Do you think theyre a good mix of waves to prepare you for everything else?Yeah, weve got rights, lefts, semi beach break, but not really. Its kinda reef. A little sand. And weve got points, a bunch of different waves. Big waves. Weve got it all Id say.

Would you rather grow up on Maui or Oahu?Maui.

Whys that?Theres less people.

Do you think your guys waves compare to theirs?Some of them, sure. But they have way more consistent waves.

How often are you at home these days?Probably just during the winter months really. Probably four months out of the year.

Is that Maui or Oahu?Maui and Oahu.

How often would you be on Maui?I dont know. Probably three months.

What do you miss about home?Just hanging out with all my friends from back home, and all the fun waves we have when they break.

What do you want to say to the people back home and your friends that are on Maui Fever?Yeah boys back home!

What do you think about all the lame TV shows that have been going on on Maui?Theyre terrible. They should have never been on TV. It makes everyone from Maui look stupid. Theyre terrible.

Alright Dusty, youve been a good sport and hopefully this interview doesnt make you look like an idiot. Any last words? Thanks to all my family and friends and to all my sponsors and everybody who supported me. And yeah Tom Carey!

No, he wasnt involved with this.Yes she was.

When not busy chasing Satin Dagger on tour, youcanndLaneracinghisstreetbikearoundthe streets of Reno or shredding Kingvale in Tahoe. You may know Lane from one of his many standout parts in any Grenade video, from his own video he produced a couple years ago called The Chronicles of Gnarlia (which has one of the best sound tracks in any snowboard video) or in this years new release of BozWreck 2,wherehelmedhalfofhisownpartonatripod in solo sessions simply for the love of snowboarding.

Lane is one of creativity, and also one of the many innovators of style in snowboarding. Even two of SoCals best and most stylish riders such as Keegan Valaika and Chris Bradshaw would tell you that Lane is one of their favorite snowboarders and would admit that style pointsweredenitelybittenfromhim.Laneisby far one of the most underrated and over-looked snowboarders and he holds no shame in being the pioneer of the term Dirty in todays snowboard society.

We had planned to do an interview over a few drinks at the bar but instead I thought I would write a few words on him myself. Lane still has the talent to put out many more impressive video parts and if you already havent, Id suggest you take notice to his riding if youre looking to improve or maybe even invent some of your own new trends or tricks, or even just to learn how to really ride switch on rails. Lane is the man.

Words: Jon Francis

Photo: Jake Grossman-Crist

72


Photo: Binki Inc


Photo: Binki Inc

Photo: Bob Plumb

For the 7th year in a row, the Damn Am rolled through Volcom headquarters and brought with it a small army of young and hungry amateurs from all over the globe. Some came with lavish gear, others in tatters, some were focused, and others confused and nave. All this mixed with excellent skateboarding, the Spotlight Crews antics on the mic, DJ Wade keeping the tunes going (despite his records melting in the sun), and you had the classic Damn Am weekend. The weather was great, and the free food was a nice bonus and made for an enjoyable weekend.

Volcom put a lot of effort this time around to keeping the event green. Yes, deem it a sign of the times, but in the end, the entire event was run off solar power from the ASEC Sol Bus, a converted school bus that is covered in solar panels. It was the fuel for all those microphone call outs, Wades sounds, the web teams cyberability, and energy to supply Axysss youthful rock assault during best trick.

The Darkstar best trick was a battle on the double set and rails. There were about 50 guys jostling for position in a place meant to hold about 15. This made for chaos, 5 guys dropping in at once and getting in each others way. Those lucky enough to make it through the fray and actually try the trick they intended includedMoose,whocabippedthestairs,RyanReyeswhodidasmithgrindkickipout,andDanielEspinozawhotookthegrandprizewithasmoothbluntkickiptofakieout.

Words: Strato

Loui Lopez : Hurricane

76

David Loy : F.S Air

VCOlogical

Kyle Walker : F.S Feeble :: Strato

Felipe Gustavo : K-Flip F.S Nose :: StratoKechaud Johnson : Gap F.S Lip :: Strato

Tommy Fynn : B.S Noseblunt :: Mapstone

Timmy Knuth : K-Flip Crooked GrindCody Davis : B.S Smith

Ryan Reyes : Smith K-Flip Out

1. David Loy2. Cody Davis3. Felipe Gustavo4. Timmy Knuth5. Kechaud Johnson6. Louie Lopez7. Shawn Hale8. Rob Maatman9. Kyle Walker10. Will Marshall11. Donovan Piscopo

Darkstar Best Trick:

1.DanielEspinoza-$500-frontbluntkickipfakieontherail2.RyanReyes-$200-smithgrindkickipoutontherail3.Moose!-$100-cabipdownthedoubleset4.CodyDavis-$100-frontboardkickipoutontherail5.GrantEggyMuller-$100-switchdolphinipdownthedoubleset

The contest had too much talent to talk about. There were a lot of guys who ripped, but did not hold it together during their runs,thusmissingthecut.Thenalswereupforgrabs.Anyofthe guys who made the cut could have taken it, which made for excitement. After 2 of 3 runs complete, nobody had stuck a run yet.TherstpersontodothiswasCodyDavis,andtherewereonly 4 guys left skate after that. Up until that point, it was too close to call. Felipe Gustavo almost completed one of the most technicalrunsinDamnAmhistory(nollieipnoseslide360shuv-it out in a run), but ended up falling on a trick. David Loy stole theshowonhisnalrun,airingthemassivegapfromquartertoquarter,andannihilatingthequartertoatbank.Whenitwasover and the judges were tallying, it was pretty clear that David put his foot down and took it, for the 2nd time as he won two years ago.Allthiswasmadeofcialwhenthescoreswereread.DavidLoy in 1st, followed by Cody Davis and then Felipe Gustavo in 3rd. The kids were hyped, loaded with prizes and pride. This was then followed by the annual promo toss of epic proportions, where the crowd feasted on product until there was no more to be had. All that was left was a mess of post contest debris, all pointing to another successful Damn Am in the history books.

DAMN AM 2008 FINAL RESULTS:

DARKSTAR BEST TRICK:

Rob Maatman : Gap B.S Smith :: Mapstone

Photography: Dominic Petruzzi Stylist: Conor GrahamMakeup: Audrey Starn

dominicpetruzzi.com

conorgraham.com

Model: Lindsey Hartley :: Next Models

audreystarn.com

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Ok Greg you have to bare with me, I have never interviewed an artist, let alone an artist of your caliber, so please dont laugh if my questions seem amateur. I have always admired your work and I want to take this opportunity to introduce you and your talent to BL!SSS readers. So lets start with the basics, I have known you for years and always wanted to ask, whats up with your nickname Craola? Ineededaname/aliasifIwasgoingtodografti,soCraolajust made sense. The original spelling crayola just seemed too long, so I dropped the Y. Pretty simple. I think alternate stories about getting my name are more interesting though, like defeating a rare mutant race of hedgehogs with just a box of crayons, or climbing out of a well with just my crayons for a grip in the wall. But unfortunately, I just liked the sound of it andthewaythelettersowedforme.ItwasimportantthatIhad letters I could bend and abstract, and the R and As gave me plenty of room to play with. I have had the name since 1993 (I also wrote Crum back then, but that is a different story) and it has become a part of me. I have it tattooedonmeaboutvedifferentplacesandhaveworkedinjobs where nobody knows me as Greg, but just as Craola. OkCraola,llusinaboutyourgraftibackground. WhenIwas18afriendofmineshowedmeagraftibookcalled Subway Art and it completely took over my brain - I have been doing it since 1993, you do the math. There were writers such as Seen and Dondi in there and the trains they were painting were complete murals, not just tags, and I was amazed at what they could do in the middle of a freezing New York night. I also had gotten a hold of a magazine called Can Control,whichfocusedontheL.A.graftisceneandmainlyonthe CBS crew. I was convinced that if this art could be done with spray cans, then I was going to do it. I started painting different yards and spots with friends whom had the same interests (such as Casl, Circus, Laten, Tron, and others) as well as working on my themes and illustrations in blackbooks, trying to develop my style. Upon getting into WAI and CBS, I was greatly inspired by the guys in these crews. Plek, Axis, and Natoe really schooled me on how to use spray cans and how to hook up a production. I owe them greatly. A lot of graftiiscollaborating,artdirectingorbeingartdirected,composition and color theory. These are all things I learned painting walls. You meet new artists, you develop a theme or concept for a wall and then you execute it. Hopefully it comes out how you planned. At least that is how my friends and I worked together. There were days that you just grabbed your cans and painted off the head whatever you felt. I did like the collaborative efforts though and made a lot of friends and painted some sick walls with this process. Wasitdifcultforawhitekidfromthebeachtobecome accepted by established urban artists? Not really. I never really felt any discrimination, not ever. It was more about your heart and talent with graf than skin color.Ilikedthemeltingpotaspectofgrafti,andhowitcrossed racial lines. I never tried to be something I wasnt

either. I never portrayed myself as an urban artist because Im not. If people dislike me because of where I am from my background as a Christian/nerd/skater/white beach rat/punk (wow, those dont sound like they go together entirely), then so be it. I am not trying to make anybody happy with the basics of who I am. I am grateful for my friends from all walks of life and how knowing them has enriched my life and broadened my outlook. Graftihasatendencytogetabadwrap,howdoyouanswer those critics? Id say it deserves it in some aspects. Look, for the most part doinggraftiismainlyrespectedbyotherwritersonlywhenyouaregettingupondifcult,illegalspotswhicharealmostalways someones property. The owners of these properties are not going to be happy, it is going to effect their life in some ways. They will have to remove the paint, or replace windows, etc. and in the big picture, if you are one of these owners and have a family and lots of expenses on top of keeping your storefront clean, you are going to be pissed. I have always respected that, and although it doesnt make me popular, I have always kept my graff in yards, cement river washes and run down areas where it isnt going to hurt anything, and legal permission walls. I never got into painting walls to be the most up (but I do have respect for those who do and do it well), I just had an overwhelming desire to paint. So to answer your question, I understand the bad wrap it gets, butthereisaipsidetoitthatthecriticsneedtosee-thatitis an art movement with so much talent putting out so much good art that it cant all be lumped into one category. There are different degrees to it. You ever get busted? Never got caught, but I have been chased by the police and gangsters. I have had guns pulled on me at least four times while painting. I have had to jump over barbwire fences, you name it. This one time when I had to run I sprained my ankle so bad that I had to wear a cast for a few weeks. I guess I enjoyed the risk factor, you never knew what was gonna happen when youre out painting in Compton or abandoned areas of LA. Of course those days were a while ago and I have a wife and kid now. It has been weird to see my interests change as well. Before, I would always say that I would always paintwallsanddografti;butinthelastfewyears,experiencing some bad kidney problems, a bad back, knees and ankles, and mainly getting super absorbed in the creation of my old black book styles into new acrylic canvas, with no limitstocreativeimpetus,Ihavesloweddownonthegrafti;almost to a halt, but not completely. My main focus in art these days is creating the worlds from my head and dreams and making them a snapshot on canvas. I have always been working on these images in some form, through my youngest years, in coloring books outside the lines, then in my blackbooks with markers and color pencils, on walls with spray paint and rollers, in my video game and clothing design years on a computer and with pencil and ink. Now with all that training, some schooling, advice from friends, and a lot of reading, with acrylics on canvas.

Skater,punker,graftiartistsanddadareafewwordsthatdescribeGregCraolaSimkins.InuencedbyCaravaggio,JacquesLuisDavid, Jan Van Huysom, Dr. Seuss, Tim Burton, Salvador Dali, Old Disney, the Zoo, The Bible, Frazetta, Todd Schorr, the legendary SouthBaySkate/Punkscene,graftiandtattoos,Simkinsarthasinltratedtheworldofpopcultureinmanyforms-Fromteeshirts,album covers, back alleys, video games to the Magic Kingdom of Disney, he has earned the respect of his peers on the streets and in galleries across the country. Simkins is one of the lucky few in this world that has managed to turn his passion into a career. After the interview check out imscared.com for more on Greg Craola Simkins.

GREG CRAOLA SIMKINS Interview: Jani Lange

Thats such a great story, has your family been big supporters of your art? Mostdenitely,mydadbuildsme panels to paint on and he used to buy me spray paint for Christmas. They preferred I painted at home more than on the streets but you know how that goes. They did stress that I get a formal education, and I am glad I got my bachelors degree in Studio Art from Cal State Long Beach. One of the mostdeningmomentsinmycreative life was when my Grandpa bought me the book

Watership Down by Richard Adams. I was 12 and we were on our yearly trip to San Diego to go to the zoo and I needed a book to read on the drive. I read a lot growing up and still do, but Watership Down holds a special place in my life. It is about of a bunch of rabbits, the runts and outcasts, being held down by the more prominent rabbits in there warren, and thereescapefromtheretonda new home and start there own society where no one would be held down, but all would be encouraged to grow

and excel. Rereading this book several times, especially through my awkward high school years, helped a lot. I used to get nightmares from that book, there are some scary scenes of rabbit death and dismembering. Ya, its an impactful story, I have read it at least 8 times. I like to try and sneak elements of the book into my paintings, like Inle, he is the Black Rabbit who takes dead rabbits to the other side. I have incorporated him many paintings in some

form or other. Wow thats heavy, so aside fromyourgraftiworkyouhave worked with some big name bands? Denitely,comingfromtheSouth Bay punk rock is everywhere; I started doing yersandteeshirtdesignsforthe Deviates. Then when Epitaph signed them I got the opportunity to do their album cover for Time is the Distance. Since then I have done design work for Pennywise, AFI, Saosin, Gym Class Heroes,

1208, Western Waste and others. I like working with bands, but have had a hard time getting time with the heavy painting schedule we have me on over here. It is always awesome when it works out though because music plays a large part in my life and work. So are you on the life time guest list with these guys? Yeah right, that would be cool, I wish I could get out and go to more shows. These days I am changing diapers and warming up bottles at night. I think the last show I went to was Bayside at the Glass House last year. It felt good to get out and feel like I was back in my element. Is it true that you are a video game designer also? A few years ago I did some work for Treyarch/Activision where I worked on a bunch of games including Tony Hawk 2x, Kelly Slaters Pro Surfer, Spiderman 2 and Ultimate Spiderman. They knew my skateandgraftibackgroundandhadmemaketheurbanbackground look authentic. I re-created the legendary Venice Pit for Tony Hawk 2X, which was still my favorite project of all time. You ever sneak any subliminal stuff in the games? For sure, we call them Easter Eggs. In Spiderman 2 there is a picture of my wife and I dancing at our wedding, there are all kinds of things in Tony Hawk 2X (disclaimer: all these things were properly signedoffon),especiallymyfriendsgrafti. Who else have you done work for? Disney, Mattel, Hurley, Vans, Converse, Juxtapoz, To Die For, Upper Playground, STRANGEco, Ningyoushi, Kid Robot, Zero Friends, Dark Horse, Iron Fist, Pulse International (and in my early days, the horrible company JNCO, which was a terrible brand but a great learning ground where I made many friends whom helped me along in my life and career) and others that I cant think of off the top of my head. Any big projects coming up? In February 2009 I will be at Upper Playgrounds 5024SF gallery in San Francisco. I am looking forward to this one, as San Francisco

is one of my favorite places to visit. I really love doing art shows, it allows me to be my own boss, and after all they are my bread and butter. I try to have a minimum of 2 shows a year, one on the West Coast and one on the East Coast. I mainly work with Gallery 1988 in LA, Joshua Liner Gallery in New York, and Upper playground/5024sf in San Fran. These galleries have been

so supportive throughout my career, especially Jensen and Katie at 1988 who gave me a real push out of my comfort zone and helped me in transitioning from doing art on the side to doing it full time. In May of 2009 I am making the trip out to Croatia foragraftieventcalledXstatic 09.Iwillforthersttimeinmylife be able to paint with a couple oftheartiststhatIrstsawin

Subway Art as well as some of theworldsbestgraftiwriters.Iam a bit nervous and dont feel worthy of painting with them, but couldnt pass this opportunity up. Well Greg thanks for your time, and shout outs? Yup, hellos and thanks to: Jenn, Isaac, Dad, Mom, and family... Alex Pardee, Bob Dob, Gunnar,

Adam Hathorn, Deph, Matthew Bone, Jeff Page, Joe Ledbetter, Luke Chueh, Steven Daily, Devious, Axis, Ian, Jani, Jason Maloney, Travis Louie, Jensen, Katie, Josh Liner, Elias and Colleen, Nic and Kylee, To Die For, Iron Fist, Upper Playground, CBS, WAI, VT, and Bashers Crews, Guru Tattoo, and big bad Werk for all his help.

Dege OConnell comes from the Hawaiian Islands but is not your average Hawaiian. He does not look like a Hawaiian; he actually looks like he could be the goalie for the Anaheim Ducks. He rocks a 3/2 with no booties in frigid waters, but he does surf with the power of a Hawaiian. With so much talent in the water today you have to be doing something different to get noticed. Dege recently signed with Mada after not having a sponsor for most of 2008. He kept his mouth shut and surfed heat after heat and as a result he made the Explorer Juniors Semis at the NSSA Nationals this year. He has been winning heats on the WQS

and amping up for the North Shore season. With a solid attitude and good head on top of his thick neck, Dege is ready to step up to the big leagues and start swinging.

Whats up Dege, are you getting ready to head over to the North Shore?Yup, just after Thanksgiving heading over to stay for the month of December.

So have you been spending a lot of time over there in the winters?Yeah I have been going over there my whole life, but this year more thaneverIfeelcondentgoinginto

the season. I have a good quiver of boards that I am stoked on.

Where were you born and raised, and where do you currently call home?I was born and raised in Hana, Maui and I still live there.

How is it living on a rock in Hawaii?I couldnt imagine living anywhere else. Living on a rock is the best thing ever. You can always tell where the ocean is because of how low the mountains are. I get lost so much in Southern California because I never know my sense of direction

because there are no mountains for landmarks. How old were you when you started shredding the ice rink? You are Canadian right? HAHA. Well, I was born in Maui and lived there my whole life but both my parents are from Canada. I have duel citizenship. As for the ice rink, I am probably the worst ice skater you will ever see. I spend a lot of time on my ass. I rip when I use one of those walker things though.

Besidessurng,whatelsedoesDege do?Where I live on Maui there are

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mostly always waves to surf so I try to surf as much as I can but there aredenitelysomeatspellsinthesummer. All my friends and I are superintospearshingandnightdiving so we do that whenever there are no waves. We also like to do adventures, actually camping trips we call death missions. We go to some scary valleys down the coast on kayaks. We dont bring any food; Only water, a liter, a knife, and a sleeping bag and I guess we try to survive for acoupleofnights.Wecatchshandprawns in the river and make sick shacks from driftwood. I think like 2 out of the 4 times we got scared out of our minds. I guess their pretty fun though.

How is it growing up in Maui and who is your crew you roll with that helps you push the limits?Growing up on Maui is the sickest thing ever. When we do the local contest on Maui its kind of like all the different sides battle. Then when we do contest inter island, its Island rivalries and then when we go out

of Hawaii we are all one big family, its cool. Back home I hang out with Makana, Ola and Uila Eleogram, Hank Gaskell, Monyca, Matt Meola, Albee Layer, Billy Kemper, all the Hana Boys. My closest friend is Gabe but he doesnt surf, hes just the man. Name one animal, two colors and three words that describe you?Lama;blackandblue;surng,skating, sleeping. And chicks too! What tunes get you amped up from pre-surf to pre-night on the town? I dont really listen to music to get amped to go surf, but rap and hip-hop always gets you psyched to party. Then I throw on the Sublime to mellow it out. Who is your dream girl and where would you take her on a date? Megan Fox. Id take her to my room rstforalittlebit,thentodinnersomewhere expensive. Then back to my room for a few weeks.

Is Slater a freak? Will he quit or go for ten?Slaterisdenitelycrazy.Ithink he sold his soul to the devil or something. Hell probably quit just to mess with people and then come back in like two years and win a couple more titles. If you could change one thingaboutsurngtodaywhat would it be?I would make mental wave pools that actually have sick wavesandthensurngcouldbe in the Olympics. What is your super skill?I have a really thick neck. Thats not really a skill but its probably my most dominant feature. You know what they say about thick necks?Yup, I sure do. They can pound ya!

Who is helping you these days?Well my mom and dad are always supporting me and they are amazing parents. Theyre more like my friends then my parents. My friends are always pushing me and of course all of my sponsors. Frankie and all the boys from Mada are so sick, I couldnt do it without them. I also ride for DaKine, Macbeth Shoes and Anon eye wear. Nimbus surfboards are making me a sick quiver for the North Shore. Kenworthy is the man and helps me a lot too. Thanks everyone! Any shout outs or last words?Thanks to everybody whos anybody in my life. Whoever said life is short is lying because life is the longest thing anyone will ever do.

Growing up and learning to snowboard together, Erik Christensen and I had plenty of people to look up to, learning the ropes from distant observation at Brighton Resort. Fromthisobservationweguredoutwhatinourmindsmadeagoodsnowboarderandwe wanted in the club. EC and I knew little about all the jumps that were being built up at Brighton other than a few jumps that we built on the run. Together we knew that a lot of this behavior went down at Grizzly Gulch. Eriks older brother, Ash, knew about all the spots, and one day Erik got taken along for the ride.

A couple weekends later EC and I went up to Grizzle Gulch with little knowledge and no plans. Our intentions were perfect - just go shred. As we started our hike we quickly ran up onto some of the dudes we had seen ripping at Brighton. I remember seeing Timmy Ostler and Jason Murphy with a couple other dudes. With their jump built, they were already in full session. Timmy saw us two kids hiking up the mountain and instantly holleredatustocomehitthejumpwiththem.Bytheway,sincethenIveguredout

Photos: Bob Plumb

that Timmy is one of the best dudes Ive ever met, but thats a whole other story.ECandIhadneverhitabackcountrybooterbeforeandIwasdenitelyreluctant to take up the offer. Before I had a chance to think, EC was running up the hill to strap in. I dont remember hitting the jump, all I wanted was to hangoutandwatch.EriksurvivedhisrstfewjumpsandIdecidedtotryitformyself.IateshitmyrstcoupleofgoesbutafewjumpslaterImanagedto land one. In the time it took me to land, Erik was already spinning and shit. From then on that basically was how it went with EC. Erik would learn a new trickandIwouldgureitoutafterwatchinghim.AfterawhileIjustgaveupandguredthatitwasjustbettertowatchEC.HestillamazesmeeverytimeI see him ride. He is one of those kids that just got good by default, or should I say persistence. Every time he tries a trick he feels like he could do it better. More often than not that means hes going to unstrap and hike back up to do it again, no matter what it is. We will be riding around at Brighton and EC will do a grab on his trick that felt funny. He will unstrap in the middle of the run and hike up to get it just right. Its sweet but kind of annoying when its time to leave and you cant get him down to the car. This ambition is why Erik knows way more tricks than you do.

Over the years Erik has had more sponsors than a racecar driver. For one reason or another EC has tasted the bitter side of snowboarding, due to injuries and politics. Snowboarding has never given him a free ride. Every dollar that Erik has made in snowboarding, he has truly earned. My idea of what makes pro snowboarders career successful is different from what you might think. Its not about how much money you make or how many pro models you have. I feel like a successful pro snowboarder is someone that inspiresothersnowboarders,totrynewtricksandndapersonalstyle.Inmy mind, Eriks snowboard career has been a huge success. I can name to you a ton of people that have been personally affected by Eriks skills on a snowboard. To me, that means job well done, even if he is between board sponsors at the time.

When we were kids, if we meet somebody that had been snowboarding for more than a couple years, we thought they were old school and wanted to learn all we could from them. Now that we have been snowboarding for ten plus years, I wonder if there are any kids out there that are like us? Thirsty for knowledge from their snowboard predecessors. If so, Erik would be a good onetotalkto.YoucanndhimhikingupthemiddleoftheparkatBrightonmost likely. SFK for life homies - you all know who you are!

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By Derek Boucher

Words by Fawn LebovitzPhotosby:TobySharp-atsurf.com

ALEX PARDEES NIGHT OF THE TREEPLE

Words: Alex Pardee // // Night of the Treeple Centerpiece, painted by Alex Pardee // VIPs from Macys and Hurley join Pardee in the festivities // Photographer extraordinaire Jn Drag-onette gives his approval // Art by Skinner // Presenting Macys with some swag // The Night of the Treeple Hurley product was prominently displayed // The night brought out some beautiful treeple, including Dave Correia (right) // Club 6, the scene of the crime // Sculpture by Lucien Shapiro and Brad Isdrab // Art by comic legend Sam Keith // Chris Jehly and friends showed their support by threatening to eat people

I have always wanted to make horror movies. Additionally, I have always wanted to design streetwear. Well, both of my dreams came true this past October, when Hurley released Night of the Treeple a Cinematic Apparel Line that was co-branded and designed by me. The concept, though a little weird, was simple. I wantedtocreatealineofclothingthatwasbothanhomagetoagenreoflmthatIlove(70sand80shorror/exploitationlms),aswellasacatalysttointroducea new way of presenting apparel as a way of telling a story visually. In a way, the Treeple line is my own personal and original version of a 1970s exploitation horrorlm,astoldthroughmyartandHurleysapparel. Well, there was no better way for us to launch Night of the Treeple than have an actual Night full of beautiful people and treeple @ Club 6 in the creepy, foggy alleys of San Francisco, CA.

IndependenthiphoplegendsCage,Topr&DJQuestlledourearswithlivemusic, and along with some new Treeple-related artwork from myself, a handful of some of the best bay area artists and photographers contributed their own Treeple-inspired art to supply the environment while the entire Hurley and Macys teams debuted the Night of the Treeple line to hundreds of party-goers and fashionistas. The release party, as well as apparel line itself, was an amazing success and I cant thank Hurley enough for taking a chance and giving me the opportunity to design somethingunique,fun,andhorric! hurley.com/treeple

By Brad Dougherty

BURTON SNOWBOARDS FLAGSHIP STORE

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By Derek Boucher

Whether its women, gambling, or surf competitions, theres a quaint little saying that seems to ring true for all pastimes When it rains, it pours. And if thats the case, for 17-year-old Santa Cruz super shredder Nat Young, he is cruising amidst a glorious combination of a Tsunami, hurricane, cyclone, and Seattle torrential downpour. Just days after winning the 4-star WQS Cold Water Classic in his hometown of Santa Cruz, the smiley, snap-happy Nat made the pilgrimage down

to Salt Creek for the 2008 Rip Curl GromSearch National Final presented by Boost Mobile with one thing in mind:inictsomemorepainonanyunfortunate surf-stoked grom to dawn a jersey against him. Not really. Nats one of the nicest groms youll ever meet. But, that still didnt stop him from displaying one of the most legendary performances in the Rip Curl GormSearch 10-year legacy. In fact, a couple high 9s later, Nat Found himself $1000 richer with an all-expenses paid trip to Bells Beach for

the International Rip Curl GromSearch Final going down this Easter in the middle of the Rip Curl Pro WCT. Ive always seen the other kids win the trip every year, explained a still-dripping Nat Young on the awards stage, and Ive always wanted it to be my turn. Im so stoked It should be an awesome experience. With the way Natsbeensurng,dontbesurprisedif the forecast doesnt clear up by next April. Check out the video highlights on ripcurl.com/gromsearch.

Ofcialresultsofthe2008RipCurl Gromsearch National Final presented by Boost Mobile:


RIPCURL GROM SEARCH

Words: Dylan Slater :: Photos: Hilleman // Nat Young // Koa Smith // Kolohe Andino // Ian Crane // Luke Davis // Taylor Clark // Nat Young // Colin Moran // Nat Young // Ian Crane

BOYS 16/UNDER:Nat Young ($1000 USD)Fisher HeverlyConrad CarrKolohe Andino

BOYS 14/UNDER:Ian Crane ($500)Luke DavisKain DalyColin Moran BOYS 12/UNDER:

Koa Smith ($500)Andrew JacobsonKadin PanesiTaylor Clark

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By Derek Boucher


MOSTLY SQUARE

Words: Brad Dougherty :: Photos: Jack Morrissey // Bummy & His Crew // Horse Legs // On Lookers // V-Co Security // Party Peeps // Date Night // SBs Finest // Nate & Lena // Naughties//Connor&ParkerCofn

It was a nice Friday morning in Newport but we were ready to get out of town for the weekend. Mikey G, Jack Morrissey and I jumped in the Volcom team van and headed north. We were on our way to the Volcom Store in Santa Barbara for the opening reception for the Christian Bummy Koepenick art gallery. Bummy is a ripping local surferwhohasrecentlynishedphotographyschoolandhasakeeneyeforputtingimaginationontolm. Theeveningstartedowingandallthelocalscameouttosupport.Peoplewereimpressed by Bummys ability and were stoked to see his work showcased in the store. Big Tonys security guys Brent and Jimmy held down the fort as Wade spun thetunes.WewerejoinedbythelikesofKilianGarland,NateTyler,ParkerCofnandDave Shauber. We all had a great time catching up. It was awesome, we packed the place and everyone was grooving. Out of nowhere, some psycho kid came from State Street running from the cops.

He had a beer on the streets and decided to run into our store to take cover. His planmiserablyfailed,ashewaspinnedheadrsttothebaseofaclothingrack.Jack snapped some shots until the cop threatened to take him to jail for shooting pictures what a joke. The cop brought a few of his buddies into the store to lecture us about what we had done. They thought the kid got the beer from us so they shut it down and kicked everyone out. An art show broken up by cops is not something you see everyday. The party moved on to a local bar that was going off until Jack got us kicked out for lightingnapkinsonre!AbigthanksgoesouttoKyleforhandlingthedetailsandhooking us up hes the man. Like a hurricane, we came into town, had a raging art show and spun out of there in the am. Wade, its probably time to go to sleep. To check out the likes of all of Bummys photography skills go to christiankoepenick.com

By Brad Dougherty

NATHANIEL CURRAN

ALPINESTARS.COM

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By Derek Boucher


RVCA PRESENTS MAP OF THE INNER WAR BY ED TEMPLETON

Words & Photos: Liz Rice // Ed Templeton and Matt Leines // Map of the inner war, 2008 // Deanna Templeton, and Emericas Brand manager Timothy Nickloff and his lovely wife Jan-ice // Joseph Dugan and Greg Escalante // Ed art installation // Portrait of Mike Mills, 2008 // Ed Templetons Head Suffer The Joy Of Being Alive, 2008 // Todd Selby AKA The Selby, Mark Aka theCobrasnake, and Marsea Goldberg of New Image Art // Brendan Fowler AKA BARR, Isaac Ramos, and Dan Monick // Neil Patrick Harris AKA Dougie, Ed Templeton and David Burtka

In mid November, RVCA experienced one of its proudest moments to date the highly anticipated opening of ANP Art-ists, Ed Templetons show, Map Of The Inner War and Matt Leines The Great Gates Of Zenith at LAs Roberts & Tilton (newly relocated to Culver City). People from all walks of life came to wit-ness Templetons stream of images that decorated the gallery. Corner clusters that saturated in a rich cloud of well over 250 new works, including paint-ings, sculptures, photography and works

on paper. Eyes watched as the colossal, amazingly adorned heads (created in the RVCA ANP Gallery and Workshop) got circled in delight by guests. Temple-ton documented his life, and the lives of people around him the unexpected moments, the sad teenager, his beauti-ful wife.... So personal and intense that there was clearly a fond moment in ev-ery glance. The Great Gates Of Zenith in the gal-lerys project room, consisting of new works on paper by Matt Leines sug-

gested one to imagine a futuristic world in which his creatures dwell. Flags that loop the ceiling above played off the colors of his pieces which hung below, providing an extra luxury for the eye. Dancing as if it were telling the tales of mythological creatures in the turn of the twentieth century when things were simple and not so jaded. Coinciding with the release of Ed Temple-tons book, Deformer and Matt Leines You Are Forgiven opening evening wit-nessed two impressive exhibits by these

unique artists. Be sure to check it out before it ends on December 13th. ROBERTS & TILTON 5801 Washington Boulevard Culver City, California 90232 T 323.549.0223 F 323.549.0224 [email protected]

Hours Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 6pm or by appointment

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By Derek Boucher


ONEILL COLD WATER CLASSIC

Photos: Prefontaine (unless noted) // Nat Young // Seabass // Granger Larson // Micah Byrne // Mason Ho // Micah Byrne // Nat Young // Seabass // Go Nat // Arrrgghhh // The Lane

Competing at his home break, Nat Young stormed through the ONeill Cold Water Classic held in conjunction with the Oakley Pro Junior ASP North America Championships; stop three on the Macys California Trifecta Surf Series. Young represents the dawn of a new era for Santa Cruz surfers. This year, he won the Coldwater Classic, which brought the WQS events title back to Santa Cruz afterveyears.Additionally,heplacedsecond in the Macys CA Trifecta Series, andnishedsecondintheOakleyProJunior division. He also nished theseason in second place in the ASP North

America Junior ratings. At 17 years of age, Nat is the youngest competitor to ever win a Cold Water Classic title - a title that is going to be even harder to defend next year after the Cold Water is upgraded to a 6-star prime event. Youngs astounding hometown performance wasnt the only statement made in Santa Cruz this year, however. Mason Ho dominated the Lane throughout the Oakley Pro Junior, and in the nal dropped a near perfectscore of 19.10 out of 20, which left his fellow competitors in a brutal combo situation.

Micah Byrne nished his seasonwithagoodshowingaswell.Anequalfthplacenishat theColdWaterClassicput him in the history books as the 2008 Macys CA Trifecta WQS Division champ, and provided him with a check for $10,000.

In the Junior ranks, Sebastian Zietzs equal 25th place nish in Santa Cruzearned the young Hawaiian the title of Macys CA Trifecta Oakley Pro Junior Division champion, and a cash bonus of $7,000.

ONEILL COLD WATER CLASSIC 1st: Nat Young (USA) $10,000 2nd: Chris Waring (USA) 3rd: Granger Larsen (HAW) 4th: Sean Moody (HAW) OAKLEY PRO JUNIOR ASP NORTH AMERICA CHAMPIONSHIPS 1st: Mason Ho (HAW) $3,000 2nd: Jayke Sharp (AUS) 3rd: Bruno Rodrigues (USA) 4th: Matt Pagan (USA)

MACYS CA TRIFECTA: WQS DIVISION 1st: Micah Byrne (USA) $10,000 2nd: Nat Young (USA) $3,500 3rd: Asher Nolan (USA) $1,500 MACYS CA TRIFECTA: OAKLEY PRO JUNIOR DIVISION 1st: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) $7,000 2nd: Nat Young (USA) $2,000 3rd: Fisher Heverly (USA) $1,000

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In this age of instant information and access, people and things get blown up into epic proportions with a single click of a mouse. This propagates instant celebrity and notoriety for mostly ridiculous things that would have and should have gone unnoticed. Antics instead of talent are now the precursors to fame and the bandwagon keeps rolling. Unfortunately music artists are now one of the biggest culprits. What you say and do can hide the fact that you have no vision and more than likely no talent. Punk/Hardcore has been homogenized in exactly this same way with fashion core running the scene. Thankfully, north of the border there is one band that for all the notoriety is actually legit. All the misinformation and anarchy that follows Toronto band Fucked Up around is their own doing, and what they want is to bring hardcore back to what it was originally.

With major respect and praise being showered on the band in North America, Fucked Up is waging war again with their latest release The Chemistry of

Common Life and the band continues to stretch the limits of everything they do. The outrageousness of some of their artwork and live shows has now catapulted the band into tabloid fodder in the UK and has started a small circus around the band. According to singer Pink Eyes aka Damian Abraham, Its weird because of the hype stuff. Every night there are half a dozen freaks that show up who would not have been there before. Damian is referencing the fact that NME has championed the band, documenting all the wildness and slapping Damians shirtless 300lb body on the cover with blood running down his face. One of the shows I got clawed up by these cougar women. They wereliterallyscratchingmybackandslashingmeupwiththeirngernailsaswe were playing.

The bands live shows are a mix of nudity and slamming that borders on total chaos. They have infamously destroyed two different sets on MTV Canada and recently had the plug pulled on them at one show in England for what the club

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owner called indecent exposure. The basis of the music is hardcore but the band adds elements of noise that are as inspired by Sonic Youth and Minor Threat. Its six people trying to make their ideal band, says Damian. We all haveverydifferentideasonwhatmakesabandgood.Itsaweirdconuenceofconictswithintheband.MyidealbandisdifferentthanMikes(Haliechuk,guitar aka 10,000 Marbles) ideal band, which is completely different from Jonah (Falco, drums aka Guinea Beat) or Sandys (Miranda, bass aka Mustard Gas) ideal band and Josh (Zucker, guitar aka Concentration Camp) and Ben (Cook, guitar aka Young Governor) too. Its six really weird people trying to do what they would want to listen to.

Damians reference to six really weird people continues the theme of alleged inter band strife. If the bands dislike for each other is really true or if it is just another of the many seeds of disinformation the band sews it is left up to us to deci

BL!SSS Magazine | December 2008 | #16

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