“My favourite time is when we’re all at the Point, because when they see me out on the water I don’t have to be cautious and I’m never ashamed. Out there I’m free. I don’t require management. They probably don’t understand this, but it’s important for me to show them that their father is a man who dances – who saves lives and carries the wounded, yes, but who also does something completely pointless and beautiful, and in this at least he should need no explanation.”

And it is for this reason – Tim Winton’s understanding and experience of the surfing psyche – that I would recommend a read of his novel ‘Breath’. For once, here is a surf book that isn’t just for surfers, but a love letter to the sea that can be read and understood by those far from it.

I came across this rad photo on the excellent Finisterre blog, with the photo being taken by Ian from Cornish Art Prints.

Although if an ad is clearly a work of art, then so be it.

After recently reliving the classic ‘Will you still be riding when it’s no longer cool?‘, here is another work of art from Burton snowboards that 15 years on still oozes timelessly cool style.

Make sure you check out the detail with both Ryan Williams and Dave Downing shredding all misty in this epic ice cube.

Whilst Chouinard variously refers to Zen philosophy, the most revealing passage for me comes near the end of the work:

“The Zen master would say if you want to change government, you have to aim at changing corporations, and if you want to change corporations, you first have to change the consumers. Whoa, wait a minute! The consumer? That’s me. You mean I’m the one who has to change?

The original definition of consumer is: “One who destroys, or expends by use; devours, spends wastefully.” It would take seven earths for the rest of the world to consume at the same rate we Americans do. Ninety percent of what we buy in a mall ends up in the dump within sixty to ninety days. It’s no wonder we are no longer called citizens but consumers. A consumer is a good name for us, and our politicians and corporate leaders are reflections of whom we have become.”

Indeed, it is very easy to lay the blame of environmental policy at the feet of politicians, but the simple fact is politicians follow what the people want. To borrow the line from Gandhi – and Chouinard: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world”.

One of Olu Olu’s favourite surfers and Patagonia ambassador Johnny Abegg

But who did the video? The guy is known as Paper Fortress and has other cool videos posted on Vimeo, including a nice one featuring himself riding his BMX in the snow – it’s well worth checking out!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Enjoy your day…

Empty, endless, beautiful waves.

 *Solomon, as defined by Kook surf magazine as a “jaded surfer with no apparent emotion, unlikely to hoot in any situation ever”

Good advice. If your Mickey Smith fix can’t wait that long, or you want to see some his work, then why not check out his equally cool short movie ‘Darkside of the Lens’?

Click here to view the embedded video.

There are also a variety of worthwhile lectures available to watch at the ‘Do Lecture‘ series which fall under the heading: Ideas + Energy = Change

It is utterly heart-warming for the alternative surf fan to read Dane’s ‘official’ statement on his website Marine Layer Productions, which is refreshing, honest and even poetic. I’m not going to copy parts out of it here, as it deserves to be read in its entirety.

Instead, here is one of my favourite Dane Reynolds videos, where he swaps some of his more alternative surfcraft with Patagonia ambassador Dan Malloy and together surf some mellow waves. If the chilled surfing doesn’t do it for you, there is a smoking track which starts at around 7 minutes by Little Wings.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I particularly like this image, which challenges the conception of drawing waves as an inferior art form – in a catchy way!

To see more pretty epic paintings,  visit Shane Blackbourn’s blog

Answer: A love story between two cartons of milk?

Well, perhaps ii wasn’t first on your list, but Friends of the Earth have done just that with the help of production company Catsnake. Check out their original way to push you towards more recycling and less rubbish now!

Click here to view the embedded video.

A man looking at reality brings his own limitations to the world. If he has the strength and energy of mind the tide pool stretches both ways, digs back to electrons and leaps space into the universe and fights out of the moment into non-conceptual time. Then ecology has a synonym which is ALL.

 Image from Wax Buddy where there are many more great photos to check out.