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Cyrus Sutton and Randomness

Cyrus Sutton.  I've been a fan for a while and didn't even know it.

I decided last minute after dinner to head over to La Paloma Theater in Encinitas to catch the free preimere of "Compassing" by Cyrus Sutton.  I guess I was late, because the theater was full and I was still in line.  Cyrus, the author of the film "Compassing" apologized to everyone still in line because he couldn't let us in.  He told the crowd he didn't expect this many people to show up and deeply apologized. As everyone was leaving, I decided to walk up to the door and just ask if there was one more seat in the isle for a lonely brown guy.  Cyrus was at the door, and I just asked.  Cyrus replied "I'm not going to stop you bro, just keep walking," and looked away, on purpose.  And I made it in, found a seat and enjoyed the show.  For reals though, it was really good.  Kepa Acero was also in the film (you know, the Basque surfer who surfed naked in Angola or something).  One thing I really enjoyed is that Cyrus let the surfing breath.  It wasn't all edited with quick cuts to airs and barrels, but he let the surfing flow from take off to end in most scenes.  And it was entertaining and lighthearted.  Anyways, I was pretty stoked that I made it, and appreciative of Cyrus for letting me pass.  

The Van

I had to leave pretty quick after the show because I was parked a block away at a resteraunt that said strictly "You will be towed if you are not a patron".  And I was driving La Jefa's car, and you know how that goes if you lose your partner's car.  I looked for some of Cyrus' movies when I got home and come to find out that besides korduroy.tv, he is also the regressing forward guy whom I posted a couple of vids on this blog.  Pretty rad.  I thought regressing forward was some random Malibu guy, but I guess not.  Here are some of my favorite regressing forward and korduroy.tv videos that you have probably seen on this blog, but in my way of saying thanks to Cyrus for letting me in, I'll plug them back in one more time.  And they are GREAT videos to boot.  Enjoy.

My favorite regressing forward video:  



Malibu- One Wave from Cyrus Sutton on Vimeo.

Cy's left from a blog back in May:


Cy's Sunrise Lefts from www.KORDUROY.tv on Vimeo.

And this one reminded me of Allan Weisbecker's epic trip down south:


Mexico Logging in December- Regressing Forward from Cyrus Sutton on Vimeo.

Oh and here is a trailer for "Compassing", which I think you can download for free on 9/3.  Hit this   link for more info.  And I think I posted this trailer a few weeks ago under "Two Months Off..." (well I did if there is a link.



COMPASSING Trailer from Cyrus Sutton on Vimeo.

Life can be so fucking random : ).  But good randoms. And randoms that sting.  And definitely, the videos above have had some influence on some of the shitty films I have made.

Update as of August 7, 2013!  Here is Cyrus Sutton's full length film "Compassing":

COMPASSING from www.KORDUROY.tv on Vimeo.

Sunset at Law Street

Nice Suprise

I was up to my normal windswell routine, walking down the steps to Scripps around seven this morning when I noticed all these tents, judges, hula dancers and a bunch of guys and gals with lei's around their necks.  I even helped one of the hula girls with her things as I walked to the beach (partly to help and partly for karma for some good waves).  As I walked passed the hut pictured above, I heard "3,2,1!  Let the Luau and Longboard Invitational begin!"  Then three guys with logs charged the lineup.

Being new to the area and an obvious kook, I didn't know what the heck was going on, so I paddled out to the southside of the pier and enjoyed at times head high rights and lefts over the course of two hours. One of the guys in the lineup said he was volunteering at the event and needed to catch one in.  As he explained, this is a yearly event that brings the "Legends of Surfing " together to raise money for cancer research.  According to the website "The Luau and Longboard Invitational" is "Now in its 20th year, we have become one of the most successful surfing fundraisers and has donated approaching $6 million for the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. "  For more information about the event, please click on this link.

Some of the participants included were (according to this link) "Robert August, star of the 1966 surf documentary “The Endless Summer”; Fernando Aguerre, founder of Reef and president of the International Surfing Association; Jericho Poppler, cancer survivor and pioneer of women’s professional surfing; Rusty Preisendorfer, UC San Diego alumnus, San Diego native and founder of Rusty Surfboards; and Kathy “Gidget” Zuckerman, the inspiration for the fictional character of the 1957 novel, “Gidget: The Little Girl with Big Ideas,” which was based on her experiences growing up and surfing in Malibu."

After my session, I got my point and shoot and took a bunch of pictures.  I had the pleasure of meeting a bunch of the "Legends" including Rob Machado (who is also a legend, but kind of too young to be a legend...).

Pretty sick log if you ask me.

Rob Machado = Style

Fernando Aguerre, Rob Machado, Shuan Tomson

Rob again.

One of the "Legends".

"The Legends"

Here is video I found from last year's event:


P.S. Please forgive me of my ignorance, I just stumbled upon this event as I surfed my everyday break.  I was learning about this event as I wrote about it.  Next year I plan to volunteer, get more informed, and learn the hula.  Sounds like something I could get behind.

California has became all religious over the last week...

Ryan's Bowl

Stung

Scripps Pier

The beach I most frequent is a five minute jot from my house.  This here beach is Scripps, it's a tourist/ surf/ swimmer/ research facility.  The pier is inaccessible by the public, or for the most part, all I've ever seen it accessed by is the researchers and scientest who either launch, dive or throw food from the end of it to attract who knows what.  A couple hundred yards south of the pier is what San Diegans call "The Shores":

La Jolla Shores

The Shores is more or less a family beach, full of stoked out tourist from all over the world.  It's also full of ten foot blue foam boards, wave runners, boogie boards, floating bikini tops and sun bathers.  It's also a spot where you can light up a fire in one of the several fire pits after dark just south of "house row".

Two types of soul poses at The Shores.

I frequent either the south or north side of Scripps Pier depending on the time of the day.  From 11am  to 6pm during the summer months, they close of the south side of the pier for about 200 yards with a checkered flag and a post that says "Swimmers (one way) / Surfers (the other way)".  The locals call this the "summertime blues" because when there are waves, there is a lonely right on the south side of the pier being frequented by nobody during the non surfing part of the day.  I try and get up early and surf the south side of the pier for the right, which can be really fun and hollow when there are waves and the tide is low enough.  The hollow section of this wave next to the pier tends to not close out like the rest of the beach on good days.  Twice have a made it out of little tubers at this spot.  If I'm having fun and decide to stay past the 11 am curfew, I paddle right under the pier and catch the lefts on the north side of the pier which are really fun and good practice for the somewhat hesitant backside surfer that I am.  I frequent this spot with the curfew breakers and some of the older goofers who have frequented the pier for decades.  We have good fun.

One Board, One Building.  North Side of the Pier. 

Well, a few days ago there wasn't suppose to be no swell at all.  It was suppose to be junk.  I went out at around 8 am and the smurfline "blues" kept all the believers at home asleep while me and two other non-believers with chest high and sometimes eye high waves busy. 

I surfed a good four hours frequenting the north and south side of the pier, just having a blast with a few others.  The left on the north side of the pier was just as fun.  Some sets were eye high and mellow that went from "23" to the beach.  I ended up going home around one in the afternoon, eat some lunch and worked on some of my boards.  But I just couldn't get over how fun the morning had been, so around five I headed back out for another session.

It wasn't as fun as it was, but there were still some fun waves in the water.  Around 6pm they pulled out the checkered flag and I decided to paddle under the pier to the north side.  It was just me and two groms having a a blast.  On my fourth wave, I took a left, trying to make it under the pier, but the wave mushed out.  I jumped off my board and felt this slithery thing jolt under my left foot.  And within a half second of that jolt I felt a stab under the bottom of my left foot.  Instantly I knew I was hit by a sting ray.  As you can remember from my previous blog "The Shuffle", some of the first advice I'd ever received was how to treat such wounds.

Not my bucket, but similar.

I bellied a wave in, ran over to the lifeguard tower and they instantly knew what was up.  The lifeguards filled a bucket full of hot water and as soon as I was in the tower I stuck my foot in.  The tower ran out of hot water due to a few other "stingings" that happened earlier.  They drove me over to the main tower at The Shores where I chilled out with Luke, another surfer that was in the lineup with me who got stung 20 minutes before.

The pain would have been unbearable if it wasn't for the lifeguards bringing out hot water constantly.  I kept my bucket half full, giving me enough room to keep the temperature up.  At times the water was scalding hot, but if added scalding hot water lightly to my half warm water that was already in the bucket, it kept the temperature just hot enough to stand and the pain from making me cry. 

Matty and the guys took good care of me.  San Diego's finest.

I had my foot in hot water for about two hours.  Lifeguards Matty, Walsh and "Sarge" took really good care of me, checking up on me every few minutes.  Matty ended up staying with me until almost nine, checking up on me, handing me hot buckets of water and telling me his surf stories that included his drive from Baja to Brava Salsa in Costa Rica.  He told me he actually met the real "Captain Zero" featured in my favorite surf book.

My Feet at the moment.  Right foot, reef cut.  Left foot, stingrayed.

As I was sitting there with my foot in a bucket, somewhat still in pain, alone, watching the sun fall, big blue settling in, the beach fires starting up and all the smiles around each fire, I realized something.  Life has a way of leading us to where we need to be, if we let it.  I'm not saying I did, but I'm what I like to call "good".  I'm not longing for the past or hoping for something in the future, I'm pretty much... present.  And that's all I can ask for.  Was I stung for a reason?  I can't answer that.  But I did meet some really cool people while I was sitting there, leg throbbing and all.  I'm just going with it.  And enjoying it.  And shuffling from now one, and never touching sand ; )

View of my side of La Jolla.

Beer Post

Had a couple I.P.A.'s this evening.  I'll probably regret this post in the morning...

Found my new ride after a session in South La Jolla.  She asked for $50, I went back at her for $25 (obvious low ball), she came back at me with $40.  "Look, I just moved here and I know what a hassle it is to get rid of things.  For $30, I will take this old thing out of your garage and into the hands of someone who will use it."  "It's yours," She replied.

Best dip your own candle.

The new logo for a sticker being created for the blog.  And their free!

Lots of this has been going down.

Reminded me of Santa Cruz.  And of Fort Point.  Miss you guys...

"If you are cooking then you ARE A KOOK!"  You have to have a Filipino mother to get that.

The second sticker/ logo for the blog.  Copyright!

Manav, Shaun Tomson, Swayze and B.D.  Shaun said he surfed ankle high Cardiff the morning of.

Charge Pipe.  Charge ankle high Cardiff.  That's boss.

All day, everyday.

And for the new movie...



The Ankle Sessions from Kookingitup on Vimeo.

The Shuffle

Week One from Kookingitup on Vimeo.

The first day I was in San Diego, Swayze and I decided to take drive along the beautiful coastline near my home.  We ended up in south La Jolla, checking out a couple breaks from a small culdesac that had a magnifcent view of big blue.  While checking out some of the reef breaks, we got to talking to this older guy who wore dark sunglasses, shorts, a t-shirt that read "Old Guys Rule" and a pair of Rainbow flip flops.  The first advice he gave us was when at beach breaks, shuffle our feet once in the water.  Apparently, San Diego sandy beaches are infested by sting rays of all sizes, and they love to wallow in the sand.  The old guy told us to disrupt the sand in front of us, which would cause the sting rays to swim off.  But if stepped on, one would recieve a sharp tail through their foot that included venom that could make a grown man cry.

They are taught young down here.  Her Dad was so stoked when she stood up that it got me stoked.

Of course I started the "San Diego Shuffle" once in the water, but once the water gets to waist high, I just jump on my board and start paddling to avoid any misfortune.  In addition, I learned that it's a good way to spot locals and seasoned surfers and those who have less experience.  Locals are "shufflers", while the beginners and out of towners are the "stompers".  But also, it tells me which peak to pick. If I surf at a peak full of stompers, I can get a buffet of peaks and corners to my choosing.  If I choose a peak with shufflers, there is a lot more sharing and my wave count diminishes, but not significantly.

Panama Red and I going North.

But what about San Diego reef breaks?  Reef breaks offer up their own obstacles.  When I was a kid living on the Big Island, walking on sharp reefs was just a way of life.  Big Island feet usually grow thick calluses after about a few years of walking on sharp lava rock inside and outside of the Ocean.  But my feet have grown accustomed to Main Land life, which includes pedicures, daily appliance of creamy moisturizing lotion and the daily use of shoes.  Since surfing the reef breaks here in San Diego, I have found that I no longer have my Hawaiian calluses but instead cuts on the bottom of my feet every time I paddle back in.  The old shufflers in the lineup have advised me to wear booties.  But I hate booties, especially in the warmer waters of Southern California.  But that is just the stubborn Filipino in me, which can only learn through experience and pain.  Presently, I'm dealing with a bandage which is secured with duct tape on the bottom of my right foot covering a huge gash.  But are reef breaks worth it, the cuts on my hands and on the bottom of my feet?  Oh yes.

Another recent ride North.  I keep trying to go back home.

My transition to San Diego life has been pretty smooth so far.  I've been surfing a lot with Cynthia.  She has been showing me the ropes of San Diego surf life.  It's been fun splitting peaks with her.  Also, I came to San Diego at the beginning of a handful of medium sized south swells, which have only stalled for about a day since I've been here.  The first day I was out at Scripps, which is a beach just north of La Jolla Shores, I caught eight straight open faces from the outside straight into the beach.  It was unbelievable.  I've also caught some really primo days at some of the reef breaks around my home.  I know that Mother Earth has to take a deep breath soon and with that, the swells will stall for a bit.  But when she starts going again, I can't wait to catch this place on a 8 feet @ 18 seconds type of swell.

Swayze looking for peaks and corners. 

The lineups here in San Diego have actually really been refreshingly humble.  The old shufflers have really been helpful, offering layers of advice that goes back in some cases, thirty years.  There is a lot more color in the lineup with different accents and backgrounds, which I can really appreciate being that I am a brother from a lighter shade of brown.  I've learned many new names and even more nicknames.  And it's great to see a middle age guy go from age fifty to age twelve once he's in the lineup with his buddies.  A far cry to the quiet, librarian atmosphere that goes down in some of the breaks in NorCal.

Manav is down for the week and enjoying some of the swell and warm water (NorCal warm that is).

One thing I learned early is that San Diego, for all it's gleaming sun, beaches, burnt out surfers and bikinis is a historically huge and proud military town.  Out in the lineup, I'm surfing with Navy Seals, Captains, fighter jet pilots, foot soldiers and so on.  Around 8 a.m. on the dot, the Navy fighter jets fly in formation and head out to sea over my head, probably from Miramar where the legendary "Top Gun" school is.

Corleone and I enjoying some time at his Home Break at Beacons.

But let me tell you, the biggest sweethearts are the Military guys and gals.  They are the most humblest, nicest, most sharing surfers in the lineup.  And everybody in the lineup loves them, giving them the most utter respect.  I met a handful of really cool military folks in the water who serve their country and are loving fathers and mothers. And these folks love the ocean just as much as the next surfer and can surf the hell out of a perfect peeling wave.  Hats off to our military folks and one big stoked out smile to beautiful San Diego County, my new home.

Knapps doing his thing.

P.S. Every time I see the highway signs say "I-5 North Los Angeles", it weirds me out.  






  

Two Months off...

Pretty cool little short.  Thought you might dig it.

COMPASSING Trailer from Cyrus Sutton on Vimeo.