My Wave - A clay animation short flick

I found this out there on youtube, uploaded and probably also created by michaelbaran... It's very well done and has a creative twist at the end... I dig it. Check it out below:

Some More Liquid Motivation

LONGBOARD SURFING BIG WAVES.wmv

Here's some footage from Australias surfing reserve 2 hours from Sydney Australia....

Surf the Present. Great Longboard (Logging) Session

Alex Knost Kassia Meador Ian King CJ Nelson Devon Howard

Bear Longboard Invitational

Haleiwa 2006

C.J NELSON

Found this surf video out there on Youtube. Nice progressive surfing check it out:

C.J NELSON EDIT

Small but fun 2-3' O'fre 7-21-12

It was 1:36 at night and I could'nt sleep so I loaded up my Honda Element with my usual three boards 9'0" longboard, 7'10" noserider and my 6'10" mini log. I pack a lunch with extra water and snacks and got the coffee machine ready for I'd need it in another three and a half hours. I checked the surf forecast again and nothing had changed. It looked like a small south swell mixed with a smaller northwest. Malibu was probably going to be 1-3' and super crowded like any given saturday and it looked like O'fre was going to be a little bigger but not my much. I figured I'd roll the dice and head down to San Clemente and surf the point (off to the the right of Old Mans). At 5:00 am my alarm went off, I turn on the coffee machine and got dressed and triple checked that I had a few extra bucks in my wallet for parking at the lot before I left the house around 5:30 am.

I made my way to the 405 freeway and headed south. Traffic was light and there weren't that many knuckle heads out trying to cause accidents. The 405 changed into the 5 freeway and still it was easy going until the "Work Ahead" signs started to appear, then the "Lane Closed Ahead" signs. Suddenly the traffic merged from six lanes down to two and we all crawled at 10 miles an hour. Everyone was locked onto the car in front of them leaving no more than just a foot or two of space to insure no one else could possibly cut them off. I almost grabbed my phone to take a picture, but playing with your phone while driving is against the law and I didn't want to risk it because there were cops out on the other side of the orange cones watching no and then. A few miles down the road it opened back up and everyone was going eighty or faster again to make up for lost time.

I took the exit off the freeway that leads to the San On O'fre state beach and the big dirt parking lot that hasn't really changed since I was a kid. I felt lucky that there wasn't a line when I got to the toll booth where you either show an annual parking pass or pay to get in. I handed the old guy $20 bucks and he hand me a little ticket with tape for my window and $5. I headed down the road and easily found a spot between Old Mans and First Point. Low tide was around 5:30 am and it was just turning 6:30 am when I parked. It was small and only a few people were in the water so far.

Photo by Eric Cedeno
O'fre 7-21-12

I watched the small waves peak up and roll in to shore while others parked next to me for a few minutes and left, then someone would pull in, look and leave. I watched the sets and waited for tide to fill in a little before suiting up. Of course I grabbed my 7'10" noserider because it is heavy and has soft rails that work best in smaller rollie conditions like these.

Photo by Eric Cedeno
O'fre 7-21-12

I made the best of it and caught a bunch of waves. It never got that crowded for a saturday and a few hours later I was getting hot and thirsty so I went in to rest up and rehydrate. The tide was starting to kill it but every non and then a pretty big set would roll up and the guys in the water would scramble around and try and catch it. After watching for a bout an hour I was almost sold on leaving but I really wanted to get my $15 bucks worth of surf in so I figured I'd better paddle out one more time. I looked through my suits in my surf bin and pulled out my spring (short legs with long sleeves). Then I slapped on some more sun screen just in case and put on my hat and paddled out again.

It was small out but the there were only a hand full of people surfing the out front of my car. I'd catch the wave early run the nose and add a few cutbacks when needed. It was fun, small but fun. I lucked out and grabbed one of the larger sets and flew down the line hitting the lip and floating each section that popped up down the line before it finally closed out. That pretty much made the session worth it. I caught a few more small ones and got out, loaded up my car and headed north. The first hour was stop and go at about thirty miles an hour, all six freeway lanes where packed with people and every few miles on the right shoulder were a few cars with concerned people looking at their car bumpers while arguing with the owner of the car next to them. Eventually I made it home and I was still happy I went and with my car still in its original condition, well minus some gas.

The Turning Point ...1994-95-96

I really got hooked on longboarding back in 1993 during my first trip to Hawaii (Read all about it here). When I made it back home I went down to Dive N Surf and bought a used longboard for $250. It had Astro-Deck covering the whole deck of the board like something Herbie Fletcher used to use, actually I think Herbie invented the stuff, but after a few months it started peeling off. After about a year of solid surfing there was only two sections left on the board. I pretty much dedicated all my time to riding just my longboard and joined the RUHS (Redondo Union High School) Surf Team my junior year (winter 1994-95). 

Eric Cedeno Hermosa Pier December 1994
Cover of Easy Reader (January 1995) 

I competed on the RUHS surf team my junior and senior year and surfed an average of 4 days a week, sometimes two or three times in the same day. I don't have that many pictures from back then because that was before digital cameras were affordable and if anyone actually took pictures you wouldn't know if there were any good pictures until that roll of film came back from processing. 

My Senior year I got first place 7 out of 9 contest and probably would have considered trying to become a pro-longboarder if my parents hadn't planned on kicking me out when I was eighteen. No joking, for my eighteenth birthday I got a box of Hefty trash bags to help me pack my stuff and a six-month grace period to find a new place to live.

It wasn't easy working full time and going to school full time, but somehow I made it work. It was better for me to be on my own than it would have been to be stuck on the battlefield at my parents house. After I moved out they gave it one last try and that lasted less than a year until they separated. My parents turned into something more like ketchup and ice-cream, great separate, terrible together.

Eric Cedeno Topaz Winter 1994-95

Eric Cedeno Topaz Winter 1994-95

The two pictures above were taken at Topaz in the winter of 1994-95. In my ROTC class we walked down to the beach for our final and I was the only one that brought a surfboard. It was head high and real fast. I had a disposable water camera in my bag and one one of the guys swam out and took these pictures of me. I only got to surf for about a hour and then had to go back to school to take my english final.

Eric Cedeno Hermosa Pier 1994-95
Photo By Jared Dastrup

Eric Cedeno Hermosa Pier 1994-95
Photo By Jared Dastrup

Eric Cedeno 3rd place All Star Competition 26th Street Manhattan Beach1995

At the end of every surf season all the local schools with surf teams compete against each other in the 'All Stars' surfing event. Not only do the surfers compete against the other schools and their surfers, but they also compete against the surfers on their own team as well. My first year on the Redondo Surf Team and I took third place for longboarding in the All Star meet at 26th street Manhattan in big over surf. 

Eric Cedeno El Porto, Manhattan Beach 5-14-1996

Photo By Stephan Sleeis

Tuesday 5-14-1996 El Porto 1-3' and Fair:

I had a heart attack when Steph and I arrived at the parking lot and he decided to go out. He forgot his leash so we took turns with the longboard. I'd have it for two waves and Steph would take pictures. Then we'd trade off and he'd have it for two waves. We used up a whole camera and got some good shots. Steph hanging 5, me hanging ten with my hands behind my head

The Hustle and Flow of the South Bay

7-2-12 Tuesday surf check Torrance Beach 1-3’

I decided to head down the street and check out Torrance. I really lucked out and found a good parking spot that I managed to squeeze my Honda Element into. It was pure chaos in the parking lot and I was sure the beach would be black-balled (No surfing allowed). 

Torrance Parking Lot 7-2-12 by Eric Cedeno

I guess Junior Lifeguards just got out and all the parent came by at the exact same time to pick up their kids. Which meant that since it was so late in the day that soon the lifeguards might remove the back-ball flags and allow surfing again.

Torrance Beach 7-2-12 by Eric Cedeno

My first glance at the water verified my guess about the back-ball... No one out in the water over here. I'd have to make the walk south to get some waves.

Torrance Beach 7-2-12 by Eric Cedeno

There were only a few heads out and I figured that I might as well join the crowd and get a few waves before the tide totally kills it. I suited up and grabbed my 7'10" noserider and jogged down to the second lifeguard tower on the left. It was small and a little rolly, but it sure beats being at work so I paddled out in front of the "swim that way/surf this way" sign. I picked off a few quick noserides while some guy and friend took a few pictures of the action. I kept a close eye on the other lifeguard tower and as soon I I noticed that the back-ball flagged dropped I made my way a little north to the better peak. I had it all to myself for about an hour. It a funny thing surfing by myself on days that seem so crowded everywhere else, on the streets, parking lots and the strand. I guess I can still find a little peace and quiet in the middle of the hustle and flow of the South Bay.

The Best Surf Shots of Me This Summer...

6-30-12 Saturday Torrance Beach 1-3'+

My sister called me around 8:00 am and asked if I could watch my nephew X-Man for the day. "Sure-Sure no problem" I said. Then My friend Dust called me up and wanted to surf "Sure-Sure no problem, but have to pick up X-man first" I said. We were all a little hungry for breakfast so we picked up X-man and then we loaded up Dust's truck and headed for Eat at Joes in Redondo for Breakfast. I got my usual two eggs over medium, home fries and a side of biscuits and gravy. Back in high school I used to go to Eat at Joes for breakfast like four times a week, often enough that the waitresses would loan me money so I could get a bigger breakfast when I was short on cash.

After breakfast we cruised over to DiveNSurf so I could get X-man a spring suit, after all the water is still pretty chilly (even for a kid). I figured it would be easiest to go straight to Torrance and I'd pay for parking instead of waisting time trying to find on a spot on a weekend during summer, which everyone who lives around the beach knows is almost impossible at this time. I paid the $7 bucks for parking and we got a good spot next to the big ramp at the end of the lot. I brought a few cameras with me just in case I could talk Dust into taking some shot of me surfing (and he agreed to take a few shots). X-man and I suited up and we were ready to catch a few waves on the inside. X-man is still really new to surfing and has only been out a few times so we stayed on the inside where it was only about waist deep (chest deep if you are 10 years old). I pushed him into a few waves on my 7'10" noserider and we were both stoked. 

Eric Cedeno and X-Man Torrance Beach 6-30-12 by Dustin F. Meyer

Even with a spring suit on he was getting pretty cold so he decided to warm up on the sand and I went out to get a few waves. It was a little tricky out there but I made the best of it. Dust stayed on shore with my Canon EOS 20D on a tripod to take pictures and I was trying not to waste his time. Most of the waves just closed out, but every now and then a little wave would peak up and stay pretty clean. Dust got the best sequence shots of me that I have ever seen! Check it out-

Eric Cedeno Torrance Beach 6-30-12 by Dustin F. Meyer

Eric Cedeno Torrance Beach 6-30-12 by Dustin F. Meyer

Eric Cedeno Torrance Beach 6-30-12 by Dustin F. Meyer

I'm now hoping to get him to take pictures again when it's big out this winter. Stoked!

A few More Days of Surfing...

6-27-12 Wednesday Torrance Beach 1-3’

I decided to head down the street and check out Torrance. I lucked out and found a good parking spot that I managed to squeeze my car into. I know it’s cheesy to say this but I love that turning radius, it’s a million times better than my truck. I did another surf check from the parking lot and it was obviously better than other places. It wasn’t as good as yesterday but it was still doable so I figured I’d go out for a little while. 

Torrance Beach 6-27-12
Photo by Eric Cedeno

I suited up and grabbed my 9’0” longboard and headed down the ramp with my hat on. I figured a hat would cut down the glare a little and it turned out that it did help. There were only four or five others out and most of them had shortboards and had a hard time catching waves. I picked off a few good ones and made the best of the situation. It wasn’t great surf, but it was good practice. I’m looking forward to getting some bigger waves soon and if bigger waves are not around then I’ll be in search of a longer wave. I might have to make a field trip down south to O’fre or Cardiff to catch a longer wave. Maybe next week I’ll do a road trip….

6-26-12 Tuesday Torrance Beach 1-3’

I was hoping to get Sapphire all to myself again, but it just didn’t turn out that way. There was a flock of people out in the water and it was apparent that most of the people out were just learning.  I have to admit that the surf and weather was great for beginners. It just seemed a little too small and crowded for me to join in the chaos. So I headed down to Torrance in hopes of finding some less crowded conditions.  

Torrance Beach 6-26-12
Photo by Eric Cedeno

I guessed wrong. At the end of the Torrance Parking lot was a film crew and cops and a bunch of trailers. Must be shooting a movie or something, but I wasn’t interested in that. Actually I was hoping that all the action was in the parking lot which might leave the surf more open and empty. I guessed wrong again. It was more crowded than other spots.  I just didn’t want to deal with more people so I left and went home.  Maybe tomorrow will be better…