Eat Your Vegetables (#8), but Sketch them first... By Eric Cedeno

When I was a kid I didn't like to eat my vegetables. At the time I didn't see a need for them. I used to joke to my mom that I would catch up on eating all my vegetables at our next Thanksgiving dinner which of course was months away. I understand now that my mom wanted me to be healthy and vegetables are good for me. This segment is about eating your vegetables, well mentally. The vegetables that I'll be dishing out to you are for your own good. It's a dose of getting exposed to something that might be new to most of you, even outside of the usual surf culture. It's ok if you don't like it, but like my mom said,"at least give it a try before next Thanksgiving."

I found a neat way to get my art (and your art) add to the permanent collection at the Brooklyn Art Library, were it will tour in a multi-city exhibition around North America. It's not free but it is not expensive and it's up to you on how cool you want to be, price ranges from $25 to $60 (USD). All you have to do is be part of The Sketchbook Project. This is what they say on their site, check it out:

THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT

A traveling library of artists' sketchbooks.

The Sketchbook Project is a global, crowd-sourced art project and interactive, traveling exhibition of handmade books. Our community is made up of over 75,000 people, and our permanent collection at Brooklyn Art Library holds over 27,975 sketchbooks from 135 countries around the globe.

WELCOME TO THE SKETCHBOOK PROJECT

The Sketchbook Project is a global, crowd-sourced art project and interactive, traveling exhibition of handmade books. Our mission is to allow anyone to be able to participate in art and to create a collection of work that represents the current state of artists worldwide.

We travel the continent with sketchbooks from artists all over the world. The best part is, anyone can join!

Wanna participate? Anyone, from anywhere is welcome to participate in The Sketchbook Project. Sign up, get a book and send it back.

We offer educational discounts. We have had schools from Kansas to Sudan participate in the project. Get your class signed up today!

Track our adventure. Chances are we are going to be headed to a city near you sometime soon. Follow along with us!

Connect a new sketchbook! Just get your book in the mail? Buy a new sketchbook in person? Connect it to your account here.

We have 3 libraries. Find out more info about Brooklyn Art Library, Mobile Library, and The Digital Library.

We create projects, and communities. We create lots of different projects. We have something for everyone!

IT'S LIKE A CONCERT TOUR BUT WITH SKETCHBOOKS

AND DON'T EVEN SAY "BUT, I'M NOT AN ARTIST."

Because we have people from all kinds of backgrounds in our community. From writers, to poets, to photographers, we use the word 'sketchbook' as a loose term for experimentation in creativity. Join tens of thousands of people in this global, traveling art library. See ya'll on the road.

Learn more about how to add your artwork to The Sketchbook Project and get involved.

The World's Most Surprising Surf Spots By Mark Lebetkin

The World's Most Surprising Surf Spots

By Mark Lebetkin
The Active Times

Most people think of surfing as a sport for the sun-drenched shores of Southern California, Hawaii or Australia --- places where tanned surfer boys and girls can ride waves in paradise.

While there's a kernel of truth to that stereotype, surfing has come a long way since the days of the Beach Boys and Gidget. It’s truly a worldwide phenomenon, showing up in such diverse places as India and Morocco.

In addition, surfing is so simple in concept -- board, meet wave -- that there’s no reason for it to be exclusively a warm-weather, saltwater activity. Waves, not sunshine, are the currency of surfing; and if those waves are in the Great Lakes, on a river in Wyoming, or breaking on Iceland’s volcanic shores, so be it.

No matter the location, devoted surfers will find a way to shred. A tiny Alaskan fishing village can become the “Far North Shore” if the waves are right and word gets out, and an underwater seamount a hundred miles from land can be a place where the surfing elite flocks to ride waves the size of buildings.

A wave doesn't even need to exist in nature to be a draw. Despite being on the Persian Gulf, Dubai's state-of-the-art wave park is what puts this glitzy Middle Eastern city on surfers' radar. Munich's Eisbach, a man-made river, wasn’t even designed with surfing in mind, but surfers found it, nevertheless.

If surfers know about an amazing point break or a recurring tidal wave, chances are someone has ridden it—and someone else is checking the swell forecast at this very moment.

Iceland

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This fiery Arctic island may seem like the last place you'd want to catch some waves, but it has a couple major advantages. If you don’t mind donning some thick neoprene and braving near-freezing temperatures, you'll have your pick of uncrowded breaks along the rugged shore of Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, just southwest of Reykjavik. And, because the peninsula is so exposed to the North Atlantic, it gets swell from all directions all year long, according to Transworld Surf magazine. Still, you might want to wait for those endless summer days.

Dubai, U.A.E.

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While it's no stretch to imagine surfers paddling out into the Persian Gulf (and they do), this ritzy Arab Emirate also sports one of the world's most advanced wave pools -- and it's in the middle of the desert, to boot. Wadi Adventure, which also has a whitewater kayaking course, has adjustable waves that reach up to 10 feet high. They're good enough that pro surfer Sally Fitzgibbons (pictured) has used them to perfect her aerials.

Munich, Germany

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An artificial river flowing through southern Germany's biggest city, the Eisbach forms a meter-high standing wave that begat the sport of river surfing in 1975, according to RiverSurfing.ca. This dangerous wave isn't for beginners, but that doesn't stop people from lining up for their chance to rip hundreds of miles from the ocean.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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Jackson Hole is famous for a lot of things: access to two incredible national parks, world-class skiing, miles of mountain biking trails, whitewater rafting -- and surfing. The same class 3 rapids that send rafters barreling down the Snake River during spring runoff are also home to the "Lunch Counter," a standing wave that has attracted surfers since the 1970s. “This year the standing wave was at a great level for surfing for over a month,” says Eric Seymour, spokesman for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Surfers often line up, sans lifejackets, for turns on the wave.

Kovalam, India

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Although India has 4,700 miles of coastline, the country's fledgling surf culture is only now finding its legs. Kovalam Surf Club, India's first organized surfing group headquartered in the coastal region of Kerala, was founded in 2005 by an NGO as a way to entice poor children to stay in school. The club’s success, along with the construction of an artificial reef 150 meters off of Lighthouse Beach, has made this city India's surf central. The town hosted the country’s first ever surf competition, the Spice Coast Open, in May.

Mullaghmore Head, Ireland

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The countryside isn't all that's green in Ireland. Enormous emerald waves pound Mullaghmore Head during the winter, making this treacherous Atlantic break on Ireland's west coast a favorite for surfing daredevils. You don’t have to have a death wish to surf western Ireland, though: several breaks support nearby city of Sligo's multiple surf shops and surf schools.

New York City

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Where else can you take the subway to your favorite local break? New York's concrete jungle may seem inhospitable to surfers, but the city has miles of uninterrupted beach on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, as well as a fiercely loyal surf scene to go with it. Within weeks of Hurricane Sandy, some locals were even hitting the waves in sight of the their own gutted homes.

Southern Morocco

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South Africa doesn’t have a lock on the continent's surfing destinations. In Morocco, where the Atlas Mountains meet the North African coast, you can find miles of untouched beach along the wild North Atlantic. Surf tourism is picking up in the Berber fishing village of Taghazout, led by tour operators like Moroccan Surf Adventures, who offer "surf safaris" that head all the way to the Sahara.

Lake Tahoe

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The Sierra Nevadas aren’t just for skiing. A growing number of adventure junkies have recognized the potential for surfing Tahoe’s chilly, crystal clear waters when fall storms blow in. "To be able to surf and ski in the same day in Tahoe, as we've been able to do on a handful of days this fall, is something really special," one surfer told ESPN.

2013 New York Surf Film Festival posted by SURFING Magazine

2013 New York Surf Film Festival

posted by SURFING Magazine / News / October 15, 2013

There’s something about New York in the fall. The summer’s oppressive humidity ceases to exist and it’s replaced by cool, crisp autumn air. The sky shines its bluest blue and there’s always something going on. Take for example the New York Surf Film Festival. This Thursday, the NYSFF will bring life to the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn. High-quality surf films will be shown and low-quality (but very hip) beer will be served. Buy a ticket for your favorite show (we’ve heard good things about Innersection: Black) and the drinks are on Pabst. See you there.

Ride the Lighting...By Eric Cedeno

There's a Lightning Bolt shop that opened up a while back in Venice Beach (Southern California) and I had to check it out. It was full of eye candy and I'm looking forward to the day I can ride one of these boards...I want one...

Alaia Wine

I found this on alaiasurfing.blogspot.com the other day when I was searching for some new surf inspiration... Check it out:

I was looking around for pictures of alaias, and I came across a Spanish wine called "Alaia."  I have never had it, so don't know what it tastes like, but it's fairly inexpensive, so I imagine it is one of those earthy red table wines for which the Iberian peninsula is famous. 

Anyhow, check out the label below.  Obviously a slider doing the la-la.  And, if you drink enough of this stuff, I am sure you can la-la without a board.

[Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryansnyder/2507934278/]

Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau .... From liquidsaltmag.com

I just got back from Hawaii and I found this on liquidsaltmag.com... Check it out-

Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau

by GLENN SAKAMOTO on SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 · 0 COMMENTS

Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau, directed by Sam George (Riding Giants) and produced by Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys), will debut Tuesday, October 1, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. We spoke with Sam George to learn more about his new film about the remarkable life of Eddie Aikau, the legendary big wave surfer and spiritual inspiration to the Hawaiian people.

Why make a film about Eddie Aikau? Why was this important to you?
The life and times of Eddie Aikau has never been brought to life on the screen. In that sense it’s the greatest surf story never told. But it’s also a story that illustrates the extraordinary role that surfing has played in Hawaiian history, with a cultural impact unique in all of sport. Eddie Aikau personified that remarkable relationship.

How did you get the Aikau family to agree to letting a haole from the mainland
to grant you permission to create the film?
Producer Paul Taublieb and I flew to the Big Island at the request of Sol Aikau, and we met at the Pine Trees Café outside of Kona. He told us he just wanted to look us in the eye and see what sort of men we were. Sol must have seen something he liked. Either that or the fact that I ordered two scoop rice with my teri beef plate, plus macaroni salad, and established my bonafides.

What were some of the challenges in making “Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau”?
Shooting the re-enactment of the Hokule’a’s capsizing in the Kaiwi Channel proved to be a major challenge. Fortunately we had a great water unit, headed by Todd Bradley, one of the Island’s most experienced watermen, along with as Zane Aikau, Eddie’s nephew. With a crew like that I figured we could handle whatever the channel threw at us.

If you could pick one point you would want the audience to take away from the film,
what would that be?
It would be that just riding big waves doesn’t make you a hero. Big wave surfers do that for fun. What makes you a hero is putting yourself in harm’s way for the sake of others, and that’s something Eddie Aikau did throughout his life, from his first day as a lifeguard on duty at Waimea Bay, to his very last moment. He cared about others, even though he had a lot of reasons not to. That’s a real hero in my book.

What are your plans for getting as many people to see this important film?
Will it be available on DVD?
ESPN Films acquired the film and on October 1st it will be the premier episode of their acclaimed “30 for 30″ documentary series. Along with an extensive rotation schedule it will also be available as part of a “30 for 30″ DVD series package, all of which means that more people will seeHawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau than any other surf film since The Endless Summer.

What’s next for Sam George?
A number of projects are in development, including a film that tells the history of action sports cinematography.

From the press release:  “Eddie Would Go” is a phrase that has long carried deep meaning with countless Hawaiians and surfers worldwide.  Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau goes beyond those famous three words and chronicles the remarkable life and power of Eddie Aikau, the legendary Hawaiian big wave surfer, pioneering lifeguard and ultimately doomed crew member of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule’a.  With a rich combination of archival imagery, contemporary interviews and meticulously researched historical source material, this film is a compelling exploration of the tragic decline and extraordinary re-birth of the Hawaiian culture as personified by a native son whose dynamic life and heroic death served as inspiration to an entire spiritual movement.

Cocoa Beach Pier Super Surf Session 8-26-13... By Eric Cedeno

I picked up a longboard at Core Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach Florida at the end of August. I actually took a look at a few of other shops like Ron Jons and Cocoa Beach Surf company first, but didn't see anything that I couldn't live without. Plus I like the smaller surf shop vibe. I  asked the guy at Core Surf if he would buy the board back at the end of my trip and the said yes (minus $100 bucks or so). I still think it was meant to be, I mean it's not everyday that you can walk into a surf shop on the other side of the country and find the surfboard that you ride all time that's also about ten years old. I was really stoked to have the opportunity to ride the board that I know very well on the east coast.

About a week into my trip I ran into my friend Lisa who happens to be a great photographer and a pretty awesome ukulele jammer. I talked her into meeting me down by the Cocoa Beach pier for a quick afternoon photo shoot and was stoked to get some shots of me riding the pier. I think it was also the best surf of my entire trip so I lucked out there too. I keep telling people that Florida surf really isn't that bad all the time. It's like anything else, you just got to make the best of what's out there.