Got Mine

Posted on by Bluebird Surf

I received my copy of ‘All for a Few Perfect Waves’ recently and am looking forward to diving into it.

Here is an entertaining clip by the author David Rensin.

Mike was like a stone; an attractive, magnetic, powerful stone. A stone that was vaguely translucent; that you could see into for a few inches and then it went milky and inscrutable. And around the stone all the little iron filings gathered, people who did not see anything in the stone, but could not resist it. When the stone moved, they rearranged themselves, shifted positions, made an intricate complex maneuver to get closer to the stone.

-Eugene Burdick, The Ninth Wave

Mo Walker

Posted on by Bluebird Surf

Mo Walker

Da Cat to Mo Walker. Above is a shot of Miki at a ripe old age charging J-Bay from the movie Litmus. I’m sure most of you have seen the film by Andrew Kidman and Jon Frank. It is one of my favorite surf films and features a great bit on Miki. I found a trailer for those of you who haven’t seen it. Buy the film, it’s a classic. Click here.

Here is another excerpt from ‘All for a Few Perfect Waves’ from Harper Collins.

Miki’s friend, Allan Carter, said, “I once took Miki to Lyford Cay, in the Bahamas, to a private club belonging to a Canadian tycoon, E.P. “Eddie” Taylor. Next door to us was Stavros Nicharos, a Greek shipping owner; on the other side, down the road, was Bill Paley, from CBS. Bill had the junkiest shack down there. The house where I used to stay was called Villa Capricorn. It had a half-mile of private beach. When the Queen and Prince Philip came, that’s where they stayed.

“Miki, David Frost, Lord Henry Montgomery – who was my best friend in England – and I were playing Monopoly and I got a phone call from Los Angeles. I was winning and Miki was losing; Henry and David watched, bemused. Miki didn’t like to lose. When I came back after my phone call, half my deeds were missing and all my money under the side of the board. If Miki had to cut the corners to win, he’d do it.

“Lord Henry Montgomery had brought David Frost over because David was doing his show in London and New York at the time, and British Airways was on strike. We had dinner and a couple really good bottles of Pouilly fuisse. Then David Frost and Miki and I sat around until about 2:30 in the morning, talking about jets.” “Later,” said Marcia McMartin, “Allan told me later that Miki had brought out his bag of jewels and showed them to David Frost. Afterward, when Miki was out of earshot, Frost said to Allan, ‘Is your friend a jewel thief?’”

Where is the Individual?

Posted on by Bluebird Surf

I came across this video that was sent to me and just thought it was brilliant. Miki Dora talking about his life and the state of surfing.

If you want to learn more…check out the new book by David Rensin ‘All for a Few Perfect Waves’ on sale April 8th.

Who Was Dora?

“Miki took to his grave many stories that no one will ever know, but this book will also tell many and give new insight into his life. In the end only a select group knew the real person. I’m not sure I did-but almost.” — Kelly Slater

“For fifty years, surfing in Southern California has been shrouded in a myth wrapped in an enigma by the name of Miki Dora. Now, we have the facts. A magnificent book.”
— Kevin Starr, California Librarian Emeritus and professor at University of Southern California

“In times like these it turns out not only is there an oral history of Miki Dora, there must be. Great reportage.”
— Stephen Gaghan, surfer, screenwriter/director
(Traffic, Syriana)

“The most renegade spirit the sport has yet to produce.”
— New York Times

Enjoy!!

A Seven Year Journey to Catch the Ultimate Wave

Posted on by Bluebird Surf

Quest for Fear

For those of you who missed the show at the Independant and then again in the Haight…The Quest for Fear is playing in Pacifica this Friday night to benefit the Pacifica Beach Coalition.

As detailed on MavericksSurf.com 

Grant Washburn’s “Quest For Fear” – A Benefit Screening for the Pacifica Beach Coalition

7:00pm, Friday, March 28, 2008
at Sanchez Concert Hall
1220 Linda Mar Blvd, Pacifica

Friday’s special “Quest for Fear” benefit evening that will raise funds to support Pacifica Beach Coalition’s upcoming Earth Day event in April.

The Wander-Ins, Pacifica’s rockabilly-influenced surf band, will kick the evening off. Come out early, grab a beer and enjoy live tunes by local surfers Jim Kahm, Simon-Govan Smith, Ty Kemp and Tom Gerkensmeyer.

At 8:30, enjoy “Quest for Fear,” a new surf movie by Mavericks’ surfer/filmmaker Grant Washburn that captures the story of a 7-year global pursuit for the ultimate wave. It features two of the world’s most challenging big-wave surf spots: Mavericks and South Africa’s shark-infested “Dungeons” near Cape Town.

Don’t miss Washburn’s intimate perspective of the big-wave scene, captivating camera angles, and a great story of the Dungeons saga. Washburn will be on hand to talk about the film after the credits roll.

Schedule:
7:00pm – Doors open, Light food; No host wine & beer
7:30pm – Live music by the Wander-Ins
8:15pm – Raffle drawing
8:30pm – Film screening + Director Q&A

Admission:
$15 advance tickets / $20 at door
$10 for kids & seniors

Purchase advance tickets at Sonlight Surfshop or Pacifica’s Parks, Beaches and Recreation office, 1810 Francisco Blvd. Tickets are selling fast, so best to get them in advance!

and on The Official Mermen Site 

The movie documents (in part) Grant’s discovery, journeys to and comparisons with a semi-legendary surf spot off the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to our own monster Maverick’s just down the coast. A recent reviewer from the San Francisco Bay Guardian, said “The pursuit of the mythically perfect wave, the dangers of big-wave riding, and the adrenaline rush that keeps all surfers so stoked are – as in most surfing films – the chief subjects of Grant Washburn’s Quest for Fear. The filmmaker-surfer and his Tall Tales Studios crew, determined to discover other spots in the world that compare to “the monster” at Mavericks, fly to South Africa, where a particularly radical wave is supposed to make an appearance off the Cape of Good Hope. Some partying and interesting dining take place while they wait for the surf, some gnarly-looking waves are ridden, some boards go flying, and some awe-striking angles are used to photograph an extremely powerful sea. ONE OF THE MOVIE’S REAL TREATS IS ITS AWESOME PSYCHEDELIC SOUNDTRACK, COMPOSED BY SAN FRANCISCO TRIO THE MERMEN TO DISCREETLY COMPLEMENT THE BEAUTIFUL VISUAL IMAGERY.” 

Bustin Down the Door

Posted on by Bluebird Surf

Bustin Down the Door

The story of the birth of modern pro surfing as told through the lives of legends like Shaun Tomson, Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew, and Mark Richards to name a few. As stated in the film, all those high paid little groms owe some serious respect to the boys who were bustin down the door.

Check out the trailer here.

Sleep through the Static

Posted on by Bluebird Surf

Sleep through the Static

I bought this album a couple weeks back in NY and listened to it on the way back from the airport. After traveling through the chaos of the Verrazzano, the mayhem of Times Square, the edginess of Harlem and the dated industry of Brooklyn it was nice to come home to green trees, rolling hills, and a nice head high swell running with the peaceful sounds of Sleep through the Static on the stereo. My initial reaction was that the album was too soft. One thing I can say about Jack’s music is that it seems the more I listen to his music the more I get to like it. I feel that he is so unique and original and true to what he is which is something lacking in today’s music scene.

After listening to it a few more times there are still a few songs that seem a bit sappy but they have such a positive and good natured vibe that you’ve gotta like them. Even when he is singing about sad truths there is some powerful sense of hope that seeps through.

I have a ton of respect for Jack Johnson, not only as a gifted musician, but also filmmaker, surfer, environmentalist, and all around humanitarian.

Some of the tracks I’m digging are Hope, Enemy, What You Thought You Need, and the byaow sound in Losing Keys. I’m appreciating them all though. His music helps you to slow down and appreciate life. Appreciate the moment! Appreciate the beauty and make you want to move like a jellyfish.

Check out his site here. Definitely pick up a copy for yourself. He is a great ambassador for simplicity and helps you to remain cognizant of what is really important.

Rippa