Rookies USA

Shit we actually turned a year old this month. We’ve got big plans for our sophomore season online, which should reveal a slight redesign and a growing number of regular contributors followed shortly by a few clothing items and a full length video to boot. Not to mention the 4th Annual Hurricane Classic on the horizon as well. But before all that we’ve got an update to rid our weathered hands of.

Wonka sent us a few pics. Here is a recent message from him via Panama as well:

Hi everyone,
Corin and I are in David tonight. We departed the Caribbean side of Panama today and are excited to come back over to the Pacific. Tomorrow we will head up to Punta Burica, which is right on the border with Costa Rica and camp on the beach for a couple of nights. There are some really awesome beaches and really good uncrowded surf there. We are planning on staying at a place called Mono Feliz. We will keep you posted with photos and updates whenever we can. Three weeks of traveling then home on the 21st. Can’t wait to see you all!
Much Love
Willie and Corin

It’s definitely Spring time back in Central Cali. Wilbur sent us this anecdote from John Lindsay at Diablo:

Note: The seawater temperature recorder at station 19-10 in Patton Cove along the Diablo Canyon coastline was swapped-out on Friday. The average seawater temperature for the month of April was 49.52 degrees F which was the coldest monthly average temperature for any month since temperature records have been kept at The Diablo Canyon Ocean Lab (1976). On the 22nd of April the water temperature reached a low of 47.35 degrees which was the lowest single water temperature ever recorded at station 19-10.

Last but certainly not least we have the first of (hopefully) many Asthmatic Giant! tour diaries from no other than the fruit of thy lamb himself. We’re gonna go ahead and call this series Notes from the Rock and Roll Expressway. Here’s a little excerpt from the first entry that made us giddy for more:

Chanus and I had a band huddle after a riveting cover of “Dire Wolf” that electrified a random fat cell in accountant Pat Patten’s love handle and sent him flashing back to a kaleidoscope-colored 1984 Reggae on the River trip when the mane was naturally jet black and the ladies were mulleted and topless. They carried him out on a stretcher.

The Expressway made its second stop in Guadalupe (no joke) a few nights back at ugh THE LOFT. As an Asthmatic promotional partner, we’re ashamed for not throwing a plug for this event up on the site earlier. Worst case scenario they’d still draw in some train station transients, a hairnetted Romo’s employee or three, and a coupla drunk bikers from the Far Western. Here’s the flyer.

And now for the links…
- “Sports Chalet, we push it to the limit!” plus USBA Tour Flyer
- Simon Thornton with some well deserved Surfline love
- The IBA Australasia site is full of bbing gold of late: QLD Pro Vid, Newcastle Pro Vid, Flowrider Event Pics, QLD Pro Pics, and NSW Pro Pics
- Ben Decamp Surfer Portfolio
- Brian Pearson Classic Photos
- New NF Clothing Line out now
- NYBodyboarding Gone Supersized
- Cabo Freakfest ‘08
- Stallard unveils Uncle’s jam skills with this Pipe Pro Round 7 vid
- Claws and Teeth’s got mucho updatos
- Fatal Shark Attack in San Diego County. Theme Song.
- 48 Hours with Allen Photos
- Pezpix early season I and II
- Movement Issue 23 Trailor
- Botha Interview
- Novy Interview

Link of The Week: And you thought Google Earth was cool. Hunting down the heavies might get a little easier with Google Ocean.

A few local updates before we get into the links. Willie emailed us from Central America and has been hopping back and forth between Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, sampling local waves and local brews (Panama’s Atlas apparently gets two half thumbs up from Willie). He’s looking to score back in Nica over the next couple weeks before heading to Pavones to lay down some serious goofyfoot tracks. Also we have Adam Terpening and Mark Miller moving back to the homeland of the Central Coast after their respective NorCal stints. They will definitely be a welcoming addition to the Pismo crew. Papa Wilbur’s last night in San Francisco coincided with our webmaster Alex Statom’s 30th bday which was good times indeed. Camel will soon be taking his middle-aged self to France this summer and will be meeting up with Theo from Spongercity. Darren Delmore will be following the same program as above but only a few weeks prior. Murdock checked in with us from Hawaii and has officially made himself a North Shore fixture with the acquisition of a car and a new job at a local steakhouse. Look for his cross-interview with Jeremy Wright in the upcoming Crysis which will undoubtedly turn out soooo goood.

I almost feel bad putting up these animations and framegrabs cuz they reaaaally don’t do PLC justice. On what some call the best day of the North Shore season, Pierre put on a performance to remember. We recorded it and threw up a mini-interview and some framegrabs and gifs for your eye candy pleasure. The site will be on hiatus for the next 3 weeks, but we’ll be sure to post some real live footage from this day for all to see along with a North Shore wrap-up to be penned by Murder.

…some quick links:
- Our friend Stephanie Dluhos shot us this link with some some boogie stuff here
- Fluidzone is finally back with updates
- New West Oz blog is updated quite regularly
- Phil Hudson Wedge Gallery gives me a boner
- Tons of 5-south updates
- HI Surf Advisory got some new content
- AF errr…. VU clothing
- winny and marquina tackle shipsterns
- Shark attack equals boogie casualty in Ballina
- contrast mag 4 gots the goods
- vert mag 85
- new riptide 163
- plastic tour
- roach interview
- kira interview
- jay reale interview
- stickman getting fiesty at wedge

Link of the Week: Pismo homie Chris Burkard’s Surfline portfolio series

First off Willie checked in from Central America a while back with the copied anecdote pasted below. Check the attached pics: 1 2 3 4

Hi Everyone!

Well Corin and I are having a great time, even though we are very sun burned today after too much time on the beach yesterday. I think it is the most either of us have ever been burned, although our faces are not, which is good. Here are some pictures of our walk across the border, the docks in Bocas, the view from our new home, and the beach we visited yesterday. The beach is only a fifteen minute walk from our place. The walk is through forested hills, we are really excited about the walk and the beautiful beach. The waves are fun, a punchy beach break.

No diarrhea yet! Thank goodness, and we went shopping and cooked our first meals together last night and this morning.

We will hopefully send you a new update and photos very soon.

Lots of love!

Corin and Willie

Secondly we have Chris Allen of allen-photos.com checking in with our newest etcetera feature. This one’s a keeper for sure. We’ve been linking this Camarillo native’s site periodically for some time so we were stoked when he agreed to share a few choice gems from his vault. At only 19 years of age, he’s got a bright future ahead of him.

Thirdly we’ve got our friend Stephanie of Butt to Butt fame churning out some pics from her recent North Shore excursion via New York. Her trip coincided with the Pipeline competition, particularly the aforementioned Pipeline Pro afterparty. Here’s a small taste of what she captured: Post-Contest Hubb Pound, Dancefloor Moribe, Koa Vase Face, Say Uncle, Bunting and Bitzer: literal B to B, Skipp and Nelz, Brazos, Ross/Nelz/JACKSON/JJ, Benco, BLOP BLOP, Still in Complete Shock about Hubb’s Pounding Skills, Dirty Dog Darren, Ladies, awwww.

And now on to our usual collection of somewhat bodyboarding-related links:

- Tragedy at Pipe
- Jacob Romero Pics 1 2
- Uri Valaladada takes IBA Tour Stop #2 in Brazil
- Ross McBride Interview Parts 1 2 3
- Roach in Tavarua
- Congrats Burkey
- Soooo Bang
- Wayne’s Addiction Teaser

Link of the Week: Hate it or love it, it’s free: Youriding 2.0

I meeeeaaaaannn faaawwwwwkkkk it’s been like a month since your last post bro. When Jackson is calling you out you know it’s time to update. We’ve been busy upgrading our video department so keep tuning in for some future media with a Hawaii edit and Chris Allen etcetera feature simmering on the backburner. Speaking of media look for our latest ad and Ben Player edit in the new issue of A-Frame as well.

Last weekend Toobs’ 20th anniversary went down at their factory in Morro Bay. There were kegs, free food, a tribute movie, two live bands and a whole buncha creepy spongers on hand. Check our latest etcetera feature for pics of some of the shenanigans that took place. Congrats to Buzz and the rest of the Toobs crew. Can’t wait until the 30th party!

And now a spring cleaning of links:

- 5-South sent us some framegrabs from their new flick due out in May/June: Reuugh Grimace daBoss Hardballs McMullin the Badger Danek Hubb PLC Romero/Tamega

- Pez is at it again with a plethora of recent HI/CA eye candy

- Stallard posted some more vids from the Pipe comp: Day 1, Day 2 Mens, Day 2 Womens

- Some photos from the Zamora classic contest/fundrasier

- Movement 22 Trailor

- The Bodyboarding Expedition #2 (Ventura Spring Challenge) starts on March 27th

- Riptide peer poll results

Link of the Week: You knew it was coming: We’ve got interviews with world champ Ben Player, east coast schredder Chris Schlegel, underground Santa Cruz ripper Sammy Garcia, and a profile of the photographer formerly known as Lil’ Todd Glaser. Meanwhile on the travel side of things, we’ve got an epic trip to Central America, a big honkin’ Mexico fiesta, and a voyage to the bottom of the South Pacific. But once again, the main attraction are the 3 epic galleries filled with 200 pages of photographic love. Be there now.

The 2008 IBA Pipeline Pro wrapped up Thursday in less than ideal conditions. After last year’s comp, this year’s ending was fairly anti-climactic with deteriorating conditions and dying swell. That didn’t stop competitors from boosting and finding the odd barrel in attempting to keep their hopes alive though. 144 international contestants toughed it out for the belt, leaving no room for error throughout the three day event. The marginal conditions victimized some big names like Stewart, Hardy, Skipper, and McBride, while also denying all of the California contingent before the final day had even begun. Standouts included Andre Botha, Dallas Singer, Ben Player, Dave Crowley, Jeff Hubbard, Erisberto Abrantes, Hugo Pinheiro, and ex-Central Coast resident Darren Halse. In the end though, the Portuguese boy band trifecta of Uri/Hugo/Paulo would scrap it out into the finale to meet up with a red hot Hubbard, who was hoping for a repeat victory at da Banzai. He would be denied by Barcellos though, who unearthed a rare barrel in the wind-blown conditions to secure the victory and narrowly edge out Hubb’s bag of tricks as evidenced in Berenstein Stallard’s video here. Uri would end up 3rd and Hugo 4th to round out the final. Check this link for all the final placings, this link for all the heat scores throughout the event, and this link from Stallard for the Round 1 through 3 highlights.

Meanwhile the downward spiral of the Pismo clan had begun with the arrival of Kellen and Roy, matching losing heats with multiple 12′ers of Steinie in the Ehukai Beach Park. By Thursday things got ugly and a Town mission for the afterparty was conceived by BOB and his fellow contest organizers. Sooo Voooj was in fine form, pouring himself drinks behind the bar with a thick SA accent, Kellen & Roy weasled their way into the club to participate in the debauchery, I was in a Jimmy Bean daze puking all over myself, Skipper was pimping blonde Ozzie chicks, Grommy was mistaken for an AF, Hubb even pounded a beer, and Murder was arrested and thrown in the slammer for the night after knocking over some sacred Hawaiian vases in the club’s lobby. Since then James has been bailed out, the waves have been small but fun, and the rain has come and gone as we wait in anticipation for another big helping of Aleutian spirals for Tuesday before signing off on Hawaii 2008. We should have a little edit up eventually but until then here are a few FG’s for your viewing pleasure:
Andre Tweaking
Boy Band Member Pulling In
Debbie Does Dallas
Hubby Likes Beer
Stained Shirt
Big Island Willie
Underground Snap
5South Getting the Goods
PLC pre-injury
The Champ
The ex-Champ
Ross Sooo Bummed
Novy Likes Spandex
Hugo Likes Helmets
DHubb Boosting
Darren Not Backing Down
Player Hating

Link of the Week: Introducing SpongerCity Version 3.0.

Checking in from the North Shore with a mini-update. Here’s a little tidbit of Murdock from the last swell. More pics from this day to come. So far to report Pierre and Ben have been dominating, Bob has been breaking competitor’s hearts, and Steinlager has been her usual self. Allen Photos has an etcetera on the way for us, until then check his Hawaii Gallery. Here are a few sightings from yesterday’s check-in with big names popping up all over the place: Murdock busts on Grommie’s face, Bob picking his wedgie at the sign in trailor, RRRRROOOOBBBBIIINNNSSSOOOONNNN, Hubb/Stewy/Showell, The Hardlyfe, BOB’s daughter, surprised?, BUTT 2 BUTT 2 BUTT, Grimace and Amaury in love, the other BOB, Damien thinks BOB’s a liar. For more North Shore gossip, check out WonTon’s comical running diary on A-Frame News.

Link of the Week: Get your popcorn ready this week.

You know when you put something off thinking it will go away when all it does is keep piling up? Well this is that post. We’ve got a 5 course platter of links that are ripping at the seams below:

OK you’re 45, you’ve got a wife and kids, countless world titles, your own message board thread, and your own board company. What do you do? You go out and win one more title. Yup, Stewart’s still the man as documented here on VBS as well.

A couple new boogie mags have surfaced with plenty of Central Coast goods. Crysis Magazine threw down an All-Mormon Issue with Burkard and Roldan joining forces to tackle the cover. Props to Red Dog on his first cover! Also, Bodyboarder Magazine put together an in-depth article on the 805 that we helped pen with Goleta’s Josh Shelly. Pismo is well represented with pics and quotes from all the usual suspects and then some. Murdock, Roldan, Moore, the Statoms, Delmore, Keene, Chaney, and Richerson all have images in the issue. Thanks to Burky for unlocking his vault for this article. Also included in the issue is a Ben Player article, Oregon and Morocco write-ups, a Central Coast pillaging from the Huhoy Boys, and some quality pics from a recent swell in Maui.

Eric Schnitzler hails from the Big Island and enviously cycles his time between Tahiti, Hawaii, and Cali these days. After four years of nonstop travel and filming in Indo, the Canaries, Mexio, the Phillipines, Australia, Tahiti, and Hawaii, he recently produced The Drift. We liked this vid and so should you. You can pick a copy here.

And yet more links…
- 15 year old Pismo dirtball Ryan “Sweet Tooth” Hoover put together an experimental edit and a North Shore edit for all to see
- SpongeWars trying to step out from Spongercity’s shadow.
- Jacob Romero owns $#*t.
- DHubb victorious in Puerto Rico
- RIP Davis Miller, RIP Dane Williams
- Pipeline Pro Press Release
- Offshore Allen Candy
- Pezpix’s North Shore coverage got some added treats
- The Zamora Classic benefits a good cause
- ben player dot com

Link of the Week: 13 riders. 1 week travel. 3 video cameramen. Now you judge the results. No commentary needed, this is one of the freshest ideas to hit Cali bodyboarding in a while. Big props to Jacob and company for all their hard work put in. Looking forward to more trips in the future.

Yes that’s right, we’re locked and loaded with 3 new features this week. First off we’ve got a pair of travel recaps from Adam Terpening and James Murdock. Terps got a little cultural on his Spanish adventure and sent us all the goods. The thin mustache and unibrow is already starting to fill in as he prepares for an autumn return. Murdo got paid a visit on Oahu by some dirty Pismo kids with a host of nicknames too lengthy to mention here. Their story with accompanying framegrabs from Ryan Hoover is linked here.

Speaking of Hawaii, the best waves of the season went down last week as chronicled by Mr. McFly. Hopefully this is a sign for a promising late season as the Pipeline Pro has now gone official for February 17th-24th with entry forms now available from the IBA site. Rookies will be on hand for the duration of the event with daily updates of all the latest dirt so stay tuned right here for all the contest hoopla.

Can’t get enough Only Child? Our final feature is another guest edition of etcetera with some of Adam’s behind-the-lens pursuits. He’s been filling our inbox with a steady stream of photos since his move up to the Bay Area and, at only 19 years of age, the kids got some serious talent. Upon arrival back into the States from Euroland he was greeted with some goodies as well. Camel unleashed a mini NorCal vault of his own recently in the gallery with photos of the recent swell here, here, here, and here.

And yet some more Linkage…
Get your ASR on this weekend
Smokey to X, Lester to Morey
Stalk 2 Teaser
This site’s crawling with content

Link of the Week: 5-South remixes the BITW comp with some De La…

The results are in from the 2008 Best in the West competition and the Rookies have retained their spot on top of Cali’s dk food chain for yet another year. Thanks to sponsors Surfride, Custom-X, Morey, Toobs, Esteem and 5-South for making this event happen. Overall it was a great event with fun waves, quality riding, and a chill vibe. We’ve got some pictures and a write-up posted in our newest version of etcetera.

Here are some recent links worth mentioning:
The Pipe contest is slated for Feb. 17-24th. View past results here.
The tour is on hold, but the production keeps coming from Asthmatic
Grant Malony takes home the DKS world title
5-South kicks in with a groovy new site
Dr. Pezman invades Hawaii
Chargers are killing it brah

Link of the Week: Chad Stickney’s Wedge ‘07 edit has all the right angles. PS if you haven’t seen it yet, pick up the new Transworld and check out our boy Chad Jackson’s macking Central spread.

In an age of drones, clones, and overproduced prone, we can finally breathe a breath of fresh air. With all the attention down under and across the pond of late, something got lost along the way: the Hawaiian roots of our sport. Enter Timmy Hamilton, the man behind that shroud of BOOGIE NATION mystery. What exactly did he do? He picked up a camera and started filming his friends just like any other stoked grom would do. The difference is that his friends got good, really good. These are the same friends that are now pushing Hawaii back into the limelight again with a new underground twist. Timmy was kind enough to answer a few questions and to show off some of his framegrabs from his upcoming release Boogie Nation 9 in our newest brimming Etcetera feature.

Speaking of Hawaii, The Rock is heating up with the arrival of the Pismo groms. Murdock is claiming prime conditions and solid swell on the way. He is also claiming Sandy Sphinx’s peach ’stache. Keep checking his blog here as stories arise. Ross McBride is on his way back for Round 2 as well this coming weekend. Substituting a strict El Pollo Loco diet for plate lunches should be a stretch, but he’s obviously thinking of other things with recent NF posts like these.

The Best in the West contest is on for this Saturday! We called the troops and got the confirmation on the incoming from Brett, Willie, and Cale. I’m sure there will be plenty of open-faced sandwiches ready to be smacked in t-minus 3 days with a solid NW on the way and good conditions in the forecast. Rookies will be upping the purse with an ice cold 30 rack of Buddy Love to the winning team. Here’s Chanus’ outlook for the event:

The Pismo Rookies Crew has been assembled again and was seen training on the south side of the Pismo pier this past month. They have been on a maple syrup garlic detox that ended about 3 weeks ago and since have been on a strict regimen of 1 hr of yoga, 3 hour surf sessions, followed by a 30 min. warm-down stretch session, and 58 minute meditation, all organic meals of fresh vegetables, fruit, complex carbohydrates and only water and grape Pedialyte to drink. Brett had some especially shocking defensive tactics - his defense against the Tongan-foot-in-the-ass was flawless. They are in shape, getting shacked and throwing tail, they will win.

Big Bird strikes again. An email from the man himself:

Well, Mini Stoker #2 is here.
Mason Patrick Stokes
Born January 3, 2008
8 lbs 2 oz
21 in
8:22 AM

Link of the Week: Contrast Mag Issue 3. Speaking of cyber dot zines, we recently got a sneak peek of the upcoming A-Frame and GUHHHHH is all we gotta say.