2010 Belongs to the Pro Surfer Blog

It seems that 2010 has seen pro surfers go digital.  Looking for ways to increase their marketability and appeal to new audiences surf blogging has taken over.  Blogging has appealed to the pro surfer so much for simple reasons.  They are able to show people what they are really like.  Sure magazines and surf movies show their natural surfing abilities, but in the blogs you can peer into their daily lives. Pros being normal human beings. Listening to music, eating at their favorite restaurants, and offering their opinions about non-surfing things. Let's check out a few famous pro surf blogs, so we can really get the inside scoop.

Dane Reynolds is one of the most talented surfers on planet Earth. He has come to define the progressive era surfing. With incredible aerial skills and domination of any type of wave, Dane is well on his way to being one of the greatest surfers of all time. With non-stop bombardment from the surf media and sponsors, his blog titled "Marine Layer Productions" seems to be a way for Dane to escape the media and instead vent about real issues in his life. You are really able to see how the mind of such an incredible surfer is working. Although not the greatest piece of English rhetoric, Dane is able to convey such a laid back coolness in his approach. The blog consists of many videos and raw content that makes it feel soulful, like it was created by Dane and no one else. The videos of Mr. Reynolds surfing speak for themselves. Check out Dane Reynold's Blog "Marine Layer Productions" by clicking Here

A personal favorite of many in the surfing community is the surf/lifestyle blog of the brothers Gugauskas. The three bros. made up of Patrick, Dane, and Tanner hail from beautiful San Clemente, CA. While Tanner and Patrick are busy on the World Pro Tour, Dane is a free surfing phenom. The Gudauskas brothers entered the blog world in high style with their blog, The 3 Tree.

More organization than "Marine Layer Productions" definitely sets this blog apart. Maybe because there are 3 working on it instead, who knows. The Gudauskas brothers have portrayed their lives so well in blog form. The 3 Tree is a perfect combination of surfing, music, comedy, and exudes a great sense of just enjoying life. The perfect amount of serious and hysterical. Check out The 3 Tree for yourself Here

Next up comes the surf blog titled "The three slobs." This blog differs entirely from the first two because it was created by three groms. (term for tiny little surfer dude) Andrew Doheny, Ford Archbold, and Kyle Kennelly all hailing from Orange County California have done what few in the surf blog world could even attempt. They have teamed up to create a super blogging force. Sure the G bros. have three, but they're brothers so they don't count.  The 3 slobs are just these surf rat kids trying to entertain their friends. The raw emotion felt in the blog is totally real.  With few actual posts, its more of a way for these guys to post videos about their favorite bands and cool shit they saw on YouTube. Their friends probably love them for it and it works. They are able to create their own lifestyles and influence the directions their friends are going. Check it out! Here

Without a doubt surfers are not known for their writing. But then again you don't have to be good at writing to be a surfer. Surfers know how to appeal to their audiences with Videos and pictures, so I think in lieu of this The Wet Dream will start to offer more original photography and videos.

Go get wet!

Holiday Season Must Have- Ugg Boots

Undoubtedly the hottest item of the year for surfers is a pair of Ugg Boots. Scratch that, the hottest item of the year for everyone in America is a pair of Ugg Boots. The past several years have seen these uber comfortable sheepskin boots  gain mainstream notoriety as one of fashions biggest sellers. 

With public endorsements from such celebrities as Kate Hudson, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Pamela Anderson, Ugg Boots have captured the feet of many, and 

Still with peak sales occurring during the month of December they have come to be one of Christmas times hottest gift ideas.

Pam on the Set of Baywatch in Uggs

Unfortunately, within the past decade as the corporatization tactics of the Deckers Outdoor Company has led to market dominance of their “Ugg” brand of these uggboots, the company has lost touch with many people who respect the ugg boot lifestyle. 

Ugg Inc. has grown their brand to become synonymous with American Teenage girls.  A far cry from the boots’ origins in Australia and New Zealand amongst outdoorsmen and surfers.

 The Ugg Corporatization has made if difficult for men to wear their wooly boots without being submitted to harsh ridicule and hateful comments.

Everyday surfers choose to freeze their little toes off by wearing sandals or shoes when their feet could instead be cozy in a pair of uggs. Surfers have been repping uggs since the 1960s when they would don them coming out of the water to keep their feet warm. Surfer Brian Smith popularized the boot in the United States by offering them in his surf shop stores.

Hopefully Christmas 2010 is the year that uggboots make their return to all those isolated admirers in the world. For too long have they been hated on, its time someone steps up and demands a return to normalcy. Hopefully the links to different providers below can help you decide what pair you yourself like and not what pair the market and fashion have told you to like.

Sites:
Emu Australia

Ugg Brand

Mukluks

Aussie Dogs

Unnamed girl surfer wearing uggs

Best Eastern Swells 2010

2010 was a beautiful year.  The east coast was barraged  with numerous swells that undoubtedly made a lot of right coasters very happy. East coast surfing has been provided with hundreds of pictures of flawless breaks.  The wet dream wants to revisit the memorable eastern swells, hurricanes, and storms and provide some beautiful pics for your viewing pleasure

We'll start off with Hurricane Earl

Satellite footage provided by National Geographic

Ear hitting the Outer Banks of North Carolina

Surf Legend Leslie Nielsen

The Wet Dream would like to honor Leslie Nielsen with the posthumous honor of Surf Legend. 

Surely we all know of Leslie’s Comedic genius from such films as Airplane, Wrongfully Accused, and the Naked Gun Series, but what will undeniably prove to be his biggest impact on modern-day cinema will be his role as Colonel Chi in 1993’s Surf Ninjas.

According to IMDB, Surf Ninjas is the classic tale of two Asian-American "surfer-dude" brothers discovering they are the long lost princes from a Chinese sea island. Part of their inheritances are magically-induced martial arts prowess. Using their new powers they act to overthrow the island's current dictator (Leslie), a despotic madman. 

For many of us growing up, Leslie became the face of the evil empire. A white-haired, 90’s version of Darth Vader.  Surf Ninjas combined the two coolest things in the universe. Drum roll please……. Surfing and Ninjas.

Mr. Nielsen born in Canada to Dutch and Welsh immigrant parents took the idea of acting very seriously. He was awarded an acting Scholarship to the “Neighborhood Playhouse” in New York City. A man with a sense of humor as well as a hardened work ethic Leslie has loved the idea of acting and showmanship for his entire career. 

From New York Leslie went on to star in over 90 movies. Serious movies earlier in his career, but he unlike many other actors was able to re-invent himself in the 1980’s as a serious comedic genius. His well timed and well delivered simple humor made him an instant classic.

Now that Leslie's life story is out of the way, let's get back to what really matters, Surf Ninjas. Playing the role of evil villain in a movie can be difficult. An actor must reciprocate the positive emotion that the hero is delivering, flip that, turn it completely evil, and then finally deliver it in a way that is appropriate for the story. Suddenly, playing the role of Colonel Chi, the main antagonist in a movie about surfing ninjas doesn't sound like easiest task in showbiz. Surfing by nature has always been light and fair-hearted. A sport of good. A sport with few evils save for the early morning trade winds or that overzealous kook in the lineup hogging all the waves. 

Surfers are not movie critics, well some probably are, but getting past that  it's safe to say that Leslie Nielsen nails his role in this surf comedy-thriller. Maybe surfing and comedy go well together? Point Break worked. Maybe it was because his comedic genius preceded him? Following the Naked Gun Series and Airplane could do a lot in terms of type casting, but past roles seem erroneous when discussing a man with true acting talent.  

Always the modest type, Mr. Nielsen was quoted once saying:

 “I couldn't refuse, but I must say when you come from the land of the snow goose, the moose and wool to New York, you’re bringing every ton of hayseed and country bumpkin that you packed. As long as I didn’t open my mouth, I felt a certain security. But I always thought I was going to be unmasked: ‘OK, pack your stuff.’ ‘Well, what’s the matter?’ ‘We’ve discovered you have no talent; we're shipping you back to Canada”

Sadly all good things have to come to an end. Leslie passed on November 28, 2010 in Ft. Lauderdale, he was 88.

Thankfully just as prior surf heroes such as Andy Irons live on through surf videos and movies, the memories of the diabolically evil yet slightly "stoked" Colonel Chi will live on forever in Surf Ninjas. Available for free in nine installments on YouTube.

Surf Ninjas could possibly be the best movie ever made. Just like real surfing, the movie makes you happy. It's light-hearted humor creates an almost magical feeling. It keeps the viewer constantly fulfilled and craving more. Friends and family enjoying the little things in life such as happiness and health, much the way that surfing takes nothing but gives everything.

The Wet Dream will end with the link to the first installment of the movie in the hopes that you love it and cherish the memory of Leslie Nielsen Surf Legend.


Link to Surf Ninjas Part I

Something Oprah Can't Do

Oprah doesn’t surf. Thank God. It really seems to be the only place that her world domination has yet to reach. 

Lack of surfing abilities aside, what Oprah has done in recent decades should be considered legendary. Against all odds she has overcome social prejudices to provide a voice for women and African Americans. She has bridged gaps and united brilliant minds. She has the power to create best selling authors overnight. And still, Oprah doesn’t surf.

Surfing almost seems to be one of the last areas of celebrity that “The Big O” has failed to infiltrate. Countless celebs: Matt McConaughey, Cameron Diaz, Barack Obama just to name a few have fallen in love with wave riding.

Cameron Diaz Gettin Wet

 Most surfers will attest that surfing is the closest way to interact with nature. The spirituality associated with surfing seems to be exactly what Oprah wants to convey both on her television show and in her O Magazine.  She’s constantly discussing ways to relieve stress and to balance daily tasks. She seems to appeal to the soul, just as waves appeal to the souls of surfers.

So why is Oprah holding off?

For one, she’s old. There are plenty of surfers out there that have decades on her age of 56, but keep in mind there’s a huge difference between

continuing to surf and learning. First timers know of the punishment.  Often times cold water, unforgiving currents, and a general lack of balance can turn a harmless day at the beach into a lifelong nightmare.

Oprah is not used to failure.
Surfing might be a blunder waiting to happen. Hypothetically speaking she hosts a "learn how to surf" special. She tries and she tries. She has all the right equipment and proper instruction, and yet, she doesn't stand up. Curious to wonder if pride could play a possible role. For a woman who has seemingly conquered the female world (from a guy's perspective: ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE) Oprah might be scared at not being able to do something. Everything she touches turns platinum, but where is this platinum surfboard?

Can you see Oprah becoming suddenly addicted to chasing swells or shaping surfboards? Maybe for publicity. Maybe to hang out with her "super cool" celeb friends, but Oprah just doesn't feel like a surfer.

Without a doubt before her television career comes to an end in May of next year, Oprah needs to assert her dominance over the silly  Wet Dream surfing blog by hosting a “Learn how to surf” special where she flies her entire audience to Hawaii to get private surf lessons from Kelly Slater and Laird Hamilton. If nothing else it would be pretty funny and some lucky audience member might get a platinum surfboard out of it.

P-Rock Answers Questions About Indonesia

Hello Everyone. I hope your week was as action packed as Kelly Slater’s. The 38 year old surfing legend won his 10th Association of Surfing Professionals world title at the Rip Curl Search Pro in Puerto Rico. Congrats Kelly. For more info click Here.

So the Wet Dream has conducted its first interview. Sorry I didn’t get Kelly Slater, or even someone famous. Instead I am pleased to announce that The Wet Dream’s first ever interviewee is none other than Paul Costenello from Long Island, New York. A real native. Paul recently traveled to the Far East to check out the insaneness of Indonesia. So I sat down with Paul to ask him a few questions, and he really opens up about his: travels, boards, life, but most importantly his love of naked Indonesian boys.

TWD: So Paul, you don’t mind if I call you P-Rock do you?

Paul: Well yes, I actually do mind, I prefer Paul.

TWD: You got it P-Rock. So let’s get down to it. You just Got back from a surfing adventure in Indonesia. Was it paradise? Or was it paradise?

Paul: Well, it was Paradise. And yes, I did just get back from Indo. Specifically several friends and I went through this company that does boat charters to rarely surfed little dream point breaks, it’s unreal.

TWD: So where exactly were you guys?

Paul: Specifically we were in the Mentawais Islands in Sumatra. The surf was incredible. Every morning we would taxi out into these deserted lineups with glassy overhead barrels. Rights and Lefts and fast sections and slow sections.

TWD: That’s not what I need to hear right now.

Paul: I know, sorry.

TWD: So what did you enjoy about the Indonesian Culture?

Paul: Well for one Indonesians are an extremely hospitable culture. A lot of the outer islands have been heavily damaged from recent hurricanes and tsunamis, but their happiness has not faded. For people with few possessions and simple lives they take joys in the smallest things in life. It was incredible when we’d go ashore and dozens of half naked Indonesian children would swarm us. They see a fair amount of surfers because of how the tours work, and they love em’. They scream at us asking us to “surf!” They love the water and they love surfing. That was a really beautiful part of the trip for me.

TWD: That’s really touching.

Paul: I guess I’m a teddy Bear.

TWD: So what was your board selection like for the trip?

Paul: You know, I actually felt under-prepared. I brought three boards with me, the longest being a 6’3” thruster. I would have been happier with something even bigger because the surf was that large. I also had a 5’8” fish and a 6’0” quad fin thing. Both are awesome boards, but for the $300 I spent to send them, it wasn’t worth it.

TWD: Paul, being this super experienced traveler that you now are, are you still going to be ripping up the east coast this winter? Or has the 80 degree water of the South Pacific softened you into a frail little birdie?

Paul: Of course I’ll still be surfing on the East Coast. Granted it will be much harder to put on my wetsuit and booties, but my love of surfing comes first, my body second.

Map of Mentawai Islands

So when is the Best time to go to Indonesia? According to The WaterWays Surf Adventure Website, “Like with so many questions the answer is: “It depends.”  It depends on your desires.  If you want big surf with favorable trades, May to September is probably best.  If you want to experience some glassy conditions and get a few more rights and less people (but possibly sacrifice some swell size) March/April or late Sept/Oct is probably best.  If you don’t mind rain but good surface conditions and smaller, clean surf with nobody else around: give the off season a try, from November to February.”

What you should expect.

 

 

 

 

My thanks to Paul for sharing his epic journey. I’ll definitely be dreaming of Indonesian surf tonight.

Andy Irons is Surfing Waves in the Sky

The sport of surfing has been in a state of mourning since last Tuesday.  Three-time ASP world champion Andy Irons tragically passed away in his Dallas hotel room. He was 32.
Sources close to the Hawaiian native report the cause of death to be Dengue Fever.

The Wet Dream would like to take this time to honor Andy, not only for his great surfing accomplishments, which included his 20 elite tour victories, four Triple Crown of Surfing Titles, and the aforementioned three consecutive ASP World Titles, but also for his role as an ambassador to the surfing community.

Countless interviews and surf movie segments demonstrate his truly remarkable character.  A man that was not afraid to go through life. A man whom lived every day to promote the sport of surfing and to live a lifestyle that reflected his caring personality and love for others. 

Andy Irons will forever be immortalized as a role Model to surfing’s youth.  His uncanny style and near perfect surfing abilities are exactly what every grom in the water is trying to emulate. 
What has always struck a personal chord, at least for me, were Andy’s sense of calmness and the way in which he carried himself.

I don’t know if it’s cliché to refer to a surfer as being chill and laid back, but the sole time that I had the honor and privilege of meeting with him, (at the former Boost Mobile Pro, Trestles, 2003) he took the time to engage me. I was just some random fan in the parking lot, but to him, I was one of those thousands of surf rats that looked up to him.  I remember him as being soft spoken but speaking with great purpose.  The entire time my eyes held his focus.  That kind of a man.  Pretty impressive for a then 20something year old with “pro surfing” as a career and probably close to several million dollars in the bank.

As the entire surfing world is reeling from the death of one of its biggest icons, us NYC surfers are still longing for that big swell, because with that swell comes that idea of stoke,  the very same stoke that Andy Irons epitomized.

90th street is 1-2 on Surfline, looks like we’ll have to keep waiting, not to mention bust out the 4mm.'s with hoods and maybe booties, its gotten cold.

A.I. paddle out