In John We Trust……….

The latest design from the mouse and mind of Greg BlundellSoon to be available on a surf t-shirt from A Liquid Life. To register your interest please click here.

The Encyclopedia of Surfing

Encyclopedia of Surfing ties in with Kickstarter to keep project moving forward.
The Encyclopedia of Surfing online by Matt Warshaw is the greatest collection of surf matter on the planet. A gigantic aqua-blue-tinged mass of history, culture, and commentary. Imagine your local library packed floor to ceiling with surf-related books, magazines, newspapers, photos, movies, TV shows and documentaries. There’s a friendly reference librarian to help find anything you’re looking for. Now put that whole thing onto your laptop. That’s it!

Want some history on your local break? Check out Encyclopedia of Surfing online. Winners from yesterday’s big contest? Got it right here. Wondering if Gerry Lopez was really all that cool and suave at Pipeline back in the day? Check the footage. And yes he was.

Harcourt published the Encyclopedia of Surfing in 2003. Sixteen-hundred A-to-Z entries. Half-million words. It’s the biggest, best-reviewed, most-respected book ever written on the sport. Salon called it a “masterpiece.” Amazon named it the #2 sports book of the year. (Right behind Moneyball. Can’t beat the baseball-industrial complex.) EOS is now the industry standard reference work on surfing. It’s been cited not just in every surf magazine and website, but in Outside, Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal, and the New York Times.

All great. Except reference books are dead in the water.

GOING DIGITAL

The Encyclopedia of Surfing online is like the book, except reborn for the digital age. A zillion photos, video clips, and links. Fully searchable. Updated constantly. All the archive material, plus a rundown on what’s happening in surfing right now. The site is already designed, and it’s off-the-chart awesome. Clean as a whistle. Fast and functional. No exclamation points. No ads. All of the text from the book is now updated and loaded into the site. New entries are being written. Photos and video clips are right now being scanned, edited, logged, and tagged. (Prime stuff, too. Contributors include  Art Brewer, Taylor Steele, Bruce Brown, Ron Stoner, Jeff Divine, Alby Falzon, Flame, Chris Malloy, Ron Church, Doc Ball, Don James, Steve Sherman, Tom Servais, Warren Bolster, Dana Brown, Thomas Campbell, and the list goes on.)

WHERE DOES YOUR KICKSTARTER DOLLAR GO?

Right now, it’s just me hacking away at this unruly beast of a project, with help from talented surf media up-and-comer Justin Housman. Kickstarter money will keep us solvent for the next few months while we put all the pieces together. I also need to pay the site designer. That, and a hundred more little costs associated with getting a home business up and running. If we go over our Kickstarter target amount, fantastic, the money goes straight into some much-needed hardware upgrades, and hopefully toward bringing a third person onboard – probably a tech guy.

ONE LAST THING: The Encyclopedia of Surfing online is registered as a California Non-Profit Corporation. That’s how Matt Warshaw is getting all those gold star photogs and filmmakers to throw him stuff for free.

ONE LAST LAST THING: Predicted launch date: mid-2012.

© 2011 Matt Warshaw mattwarshaw.com www.kickstarter.com

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California Surf Museum Set To Open Newest Exhibit Featuring Hansen Surfboards, 50 Year Retrospective

The California Surf Museum in Oceanside, Calif., has announced its newest exhibit “Hansen Surfboards – A 50 Year Retrospective,” which will open September 18, and include a vivid display of the legendary surf company, its founder and family’s history throughout the past 50 years. The historical display chronicles Don Hansen’s move from South Dakota, where he was first introduced to surfing in the basement of the Beta Theta Pi frat house at the University of South Dakota. His college roommates, who were from Coronado, Calif., invited him to vacation with them during their summers and it didn’t take long before Hansen knew he belonged in California and he became a regular at San Diego’s best surf spots. “My dad has a very vibrant past and he’s taught all of us a lot about running a business by the way he lives,” said Josh Hansen. “From the beginning, he has kept this a family business and involved so many key people from the community. We have employees who have worked here for more than 30 years and they’ve become a part of the family. It’s neat to see his life and the people who have played a role in the business chronicled in this display. He’s always told us that there’s no way Hansen Surfboards would be where it is if it weren’t for all the great people involved.” Don Hansen got his start shaping surfboards for Jack O’Neill and then in 1961, moved to the North Shore of Hawaii where he went off on his own shaping and selling Hansen Surfboards from a small shack located at the end of a dirt road. While living in Hawaii, his love for the big waves became evident when he finished 2nd place in the Makaha Surfing World Championships in Hawaii, He was pictured on the cover of Surfing Magazine at Haleiwa, and was featured in the surf movie, “North Swell,” produced by Grant Rohloff. After establishing himself as a surfer and shaper, in 1962 he returned to Southern California and opened Hansen Surfboards where the surf shop became one of the largest producers and suppliers of surfboards in the world. The retrospective shows Don Hansen’s life from the start of Hansen Surfboards, to the days when he and his partners started the OP Clothing Company in the 1970s. It also chronicles his move to Montana where he learned to rope and ride and started downhill ski racing. At one time in the mid 70s, Don Hansen was a two-time national skydiving champion, breaking almost every record there was. © 2011 California Surf Museum

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The Inflateable SUP That Fits In A Bag

It had to be marketed. Naish has unveiled Mana Airs, the inflatable and super rigid Stand Up Paddleboards that can fit into a portable bag. Yes, it’s true, as you can confirm right here.

Naish Mana Airs are designed with extra thickness and width for unmatched firmness and stability. They are incredibly stable, durable and compactable for traveling paddlers riding in whitewater, rocky bottom flatwater or surf conditions.

The Mana Air 6” is hands down the most rigid, stable, performance-oriented inflatable SUP board on market. The Mana Air 4” is for lighter riders and for paddlers needing the transportability of an inflatable board while on a budget. Both the 6” and the 4” come complete with a high-pressure gauge pump and a durable canvas carry case.

In the near future, we will be carrying a surfboard in our pockets. Any doubts? www.aliquidlife.com

8th Annual Kona Surf Film Festival Set To Be Epic Weekend Of Film, Music, Art, Ono Grindz & Drinks

Get ready for Hawaii’s premiere international surf film showcase, the Kona Surf Film Festival from December 2 & 3, 2011. The eighth installment of this epic weekend of film, music, art, ono grindz and drinks is set to be the biggest festival yet with special guest Rob Machado, undeniably one of the world’s greatest surfers, on board to share in the stoke.

The Kona Surf Film Festival showcases independent short and feature films from established and emerging surf filmmakers from around the globe. The event is a benefit for the Seathos Foundation, which promotes education and awareness of the human impact on the world’s oceans.

This year festival organizers received a record number of film submissions and have attracted a line-up of big-name sponsors including Nike, Alaska Airlines, Hurley, the Kona Brewing Company, and more. The line-up of films is set to be announced next week but organizers have hinted to expect a mix of American, Australian, European and locally produced works.

Festival founder and program director, Chad Campbell, said that the “Kona Surf Film Festival is a chance for filmmakers to expose their work to a more mainstream audience that is psyched to share in the thrill of surfing outside of the water. These films are packed with beauty, creativity and awesome soundtracks.”

Campbell continued, “This year we are excited to introduce the inaugural Kona Surf Film Festival Awards presented by Alaska Airlines, which will recognize standout films.”

The 2011 Festival will also for the first time present “Sustainable Sunshine”, an art and eco cultural event hosted by sustainable design company, FIRN LIFE. Sustainable Sunshine will showcase planet-friendly local art, design, fashion, jewelry and surf equipment and accessories. Art installations, an alternative surf movie screen and DJ sets will also feature as part of the line-up. © 2004 Surfersvillage.com. See more at A Liquid Life