Behind the Scenes…

Chris Lundy - Beautiful ReaperYesterday I took the family up to Santa Monica’s James Gray Gallery at the Bergemot Station Art Center to see Chris Lundy’s latest masterpiece.  A surreal, blue wave painted over 5 canvases, about 9′ x 17′ – titled “Beautiful Reaper” – it was absolutely amazing.

I’ve always loved Chris Lundy’s work.  As a teenager, I would be in awe of seeing his artwork in magazines, on posters for Quiksilver, and other illustrations.

Then I moved to the North Shore of Hawaii, and  life was tough. (more…)

nfl_1Drew was stoked to paint at the NFL Owners Meeting at St. Regis Hotel in Laguna Beach, California, last night.  Owners, coaches, players and their families, wined and dined while Drew showed them a bit of California Surf Culture. Click to see finished board… (which is available for only $1,200 plus shipping – call 949-678-8133 to purchase this one of a kind painting on surfboard!) (more…)

wiggs-paddleboarding-long-beach-nzRemember the movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation” with Chevy Chase?  They drove days and days to get to the famed Wallyworld for their big yearly vacation.   They traveled through bad weather, survived car trouble and even Aunt Edna’s death, only to find that Wallyworld was closed – and a big disappointment.

Here is our NZ equivalent of Wallyworld:  Wiggs was so excited to go to the well advertised Hot Spring Pools and Waterslides.  The brochure pictures kids having fun on water bumper cars and big slides.

We drove hours in pitch blackness through country roads, all night long.  Drew wanted Wiggs to wake up to this wonderland of fun, so we free-camped in a turnout across the road with a plan that when the gates opened, we’d be ready.  And when the sun came up – well, we found (more…)

nz-elliotsbay-countryWe are up in the Northland now – in the Bay of Islands.

We’ve been on a relentless search for waves, and each time we think we are going to find waves just at the next surf spot, well, think again!

We arrived Sandy Bay on a beautiful afternoon, and we were stoked to find nice waves, not big, not perfect, but hey, they were waves.

We met a local there and told him about our wave woes – how we’ve been chasing something we aren’t finding.  He said “that’s what we call a (more…)

cc-paddlesurfGetting an internet connection here is nearly impossible at times.  It doesn’t help that my laptop screen has become cracked (I guess Sony Vaio’s don’t travel well).  This lap top was top of the line about a year and a half ago. I’ve had nothing but trouble with it from day one.  I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER PC – It’s Macs from here on out!  Drew has never had a problem with his macs… (more…)

mount-awesomeDrew’s curse continues – the waves have been either flat or extremely small.  I keep reminding him, when he gets depressed over it, that this a family vacation and that surf is only a bonus.  But nothing I say makes it any easier for him…
We’ve renamed Mount Manganui as MOUNT AWESOME, because it’s the most awesome town we’ve been to.  It’s a friendly little surf town nestled around the small mount.  Completely picturesque, and with loads of (more…)