(click to enlarge)

My good friend Maurice Van Tillard has released his new website to the public, and I think that you will be very pleased with the results.  Take a minute to browse through his new portfolio and feel free to send him some feedback; he’d love to hear from you.  In celebration of this fine occasion- I figured I would post an image (from several years back) that could relate to Maurice, vs. the regular consumers of my personal blog..

Corey Bohan – No Footed Can-Can // Corona, CA.

Chris Christenson – Captains Helm; Oceanside, CA.

Mitch & Indy – Costa Mesa, CA. | Mitch & Mandala – San Diego, CA.

Scotty Stopnik – Huntington Beach, CA.

Chris ‘Turkey‘ Stopnik – Santa Ana, CA.

Peter Stoddard & Wyatt – Captains Helm; Oceanside, CA.

This is from my first session back in nearly two plus months (thank you surgeries) for yours truly.  My good pal Cam Oden came along and documented a few waves of Me (one of which, pictured below) for a project David is currently working on; plus Tyler, JJ, and Cody Simpkins were out and murdering it- especially Cody- WOW.  Super fun waves, and really fun surfing with good friends (Greg & Worm).  Good to be back.

#1-KL @ Church for Hulls.
#2-TS & SS eye contactual.

Cam Oden came over with David to my place in Costa Mesa around a week before Christmas, to get a few shots of me sorting through a batch of new negatives I had picked up fifteen minutes prior- for a new project that David & the Almond crew are currently working on.  I really liked these two..

I also finally found Live/Dead at a more than reasonable price on vinyl a week or so ago.  It blew my brains out when I put it on; especially the St. Stephen > The Eleven transition- It just sounded sooo much better compared to CD or MP3…obviously.

Last but not least- here’s some “art” for you that I shot out my window last night…

(Jerry Garcia watchin’ over Scotty Stopniks new digs for the new year; New year, new beginnings)

I really do.  So so much.  I actually kicked two yesterday- live ones; two pigeons while I was on the phone with David- he laughed.  I hate pigeons and seagulls more than flies.  Yesterday at Blackies (YO was there)- some guy was driving his truck super slow in the parking lot, and somehow managed to run this little jerk-off over.  It popped, real loud.  I laughed, then took these photo.  Then, Turk thought it’d be epic to burnout on that little bastard (check video below)- and I totally agreed.  Sorry if you love birds- I hate them (Listen to Black Sabbath).
Oh- and happy birthday Nana.

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Oh yeah- we surfed too.  Turk getting barreled and Scotty testing the Riddler; while I got some work done.  Killing two birds with one stone- or in this case, killing one bird with two stones..

Ventured to El Segundo yesterday with Scott Stopnik Sr. & Jr. – lots of photos on the way, here’s six to start out…

I found a new place; Here are a couple pics.

“Steal your face right off your head”

The Wall (click to enlarge)

“Hi Beyoncé”

CT & Me takin’ in the goodness and sharin’ in the excitement during the first night/first set of Phish.  MAN!!!

Phish on Halloween ‘09 covering The Stones’ ‘Exile on Main St‘ from start to finish.

Phish – Loving Cup

Our admittance, camping pass, and bracelet.
Glow sticks in flight during ‘Loving Cup‘ (click to enlarge..)

Festival 8 during the day… (click to enlarge)

Festival 8 at night…

Scotty is stealing my job- because he doesn’t already have 50 of his own…  enter stopnik; water photographer.

Seahorse and I had a great trip to Punta Rosarito & Alejandros.  We left OC around 2p and got to Soccorro around 9p (due to border traffic, and the head on collision in the mountains around dusk [see below]), where we decided to sleep in the car until morning when we could drive the remainder in full sunlight.  We got stuck in some super soft dirt the second we pulled off the main highway (see below) until we jammed a series of rocks underneath each tire- and Seahorse successfully got out the Akoora (Acura in spanish).  The swell was a bit mixed up on the first two days at the wall (we surfed, and it was well over head- just a bit sloppy), so we drove the third morning up to Alejandros.  We scored head high, uncrowded, glassiness for a few hours until the tide killed it.  We then drove back to the wall (about an hour and a 1/2), packed up camp, and headed back to Alejandros before dark so we could set up camp and score in the morning.  The swell left faster than it had come.  It backed off to about waist to shoulder high, but there was still no one out.  Warm water, good times, safety, and some more perspective gained- a very successful trip all in all.

Reading, Hulu/YouTubing, and Accessorizing.  Go Griffin Go!

Thanks Scotty- I love you too.  Go BBM your brother while he’s standing 2 ft. away from you, ra-tard.

“DEVO”_devinbriggs

“BUSINESS MAN BEAU”_scottystopnik

TH3 TURK (& RAMBO)_chrisstopnik/scottystopnik

“THE RIGHT BALL”_brandonwong

“GRATEFUL GRIFF”_griffinNK

This series was shot with my digital point and shoot on ISO 1600- primarily for an idea I wanted to remind myself of.  Normally, I would be disgusted by the amount of noise in these photographs (as I feel it’s more than absurd), but for this I feel it kind of fits.  I noted all these around dusk in Oceanside during a ten minute walk I took through a couple of back alleys.  I’m planning to go back sometime next week to properly execute these photos, but felt like these were more of a visual notebook, and wanted to share my personal notes with you.