Thursday, December 25, 2008

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas Wishes from Levi


Levi wishes everyone a Merry Christmas

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

My Boy



Ok so I said a while back I'd try not to turn this into a photo album, but how can I not post something this cute!?

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Sense of Smell


My senior year in high school I had a job at Holiday Inn working in the banquet service. I'd be there from right after school until sometimes three to four in the morning, watching drunk people do the macarena at weddings, corporate Christmas parties etc. I remember when I first started I was excited at the prospect of free food (loved food, still do!) from the surprisingly good kitchen. I commented on it my first day, and I've never forgotten what my supervisor said. Apparently, when you've worked in food service for a while, you actually get to the point where just the smell will satisfy you. Of course you still have to eat, but the additional temptation to eat more than neededf just goes away after a short time. I found this to be true, and even there I didn't last long at that job, that always stuck with me for some reason.

Being a new father, moving, and working a sales job in the current economy, time to get out in the water has been more than scarce for the last several months. I was on the road to work early one morning this last week and decided to take the scenic route up PCH from Newport to Huntington Beach, for the sole purpose of seeing if the smell of the ocean would help me through this long dry spell. I have to preface this with the fact that I didn't spend much time actually looking at the surf, not so much because I was driving, but that when I'm out of the water for a long period of time I just get frustrated seeing waves I can't ride.

Back to the experiment. I drove, windows down, several miles up, PCH, breathing in the fresh ocean air. For a moment I thought it would actually help, and really in a way it did. Part of the meditative benefit of surfing I believe is the the smell and sense off the ocean, and I got that. The only problem is that it still made me want more. Some surfers want more than just their local break, which has driven surf travel and exploration for decades. Part of being a "surfer" was the search for the next great wave, almost a constant limbo of being satisfied yet still yearning for more, knowing there was something more out there to experience. That's how I felt only in a sad, almost pathetic lesser degree. I am actually at the point where just being able to see the ocean, sense it and breathe in its aroma, makes me feel like I've reached that much more of a connection. I'm far from content with being out of the water for so long, but that's the thing about surfing, no other past-time (I don't' like to call it a sport) is so holistic in its experience. Maybe I'll write on that later.

Photo by Ryan Tatar

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Grass is Greener Project

I'm sure most of you reading this have already seen, liked and bookmarked the Grass Is Greener Project. Not only does the project boast a veritable who's who in the roots surfing/art/music movement of contributors, GiG is different from all our other suf blogs in that there are multiple daily posts, all quality.

Instead of having just one blogger making post whenever he or she has something worth posting (not always worth posting in my case) GiG is garanteed to have something good to read each and every time you visit. No offense to all you original surf-bloggers out there (jp), but I check that as often as I'm on surfysurfy!

If there was one surf blog on the web that could be a legit, standalone web site or even published magazine or periodical, this is it.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

San-O' Sunday




Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!


Levi wishes everyone a  Happy Thanksgiving!

The only way to have true happiness is not getting what you want, its being thankful for what you already have.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Blue Stuff

Lots of Blueish photos by Dan Tedeschi. Not only does he have a sweet first name, he takes some darn good photographs! Check out his web site here. Originally discovered at GIG.



















Saturday, November 15, 2008

Not a Soul in Sight


Most surfers, especially those of us in climates where the elements are usually in our favor, take what we have for granted. I'm the first to admit it myself. We can just check the reports, toss our board and wetsuit (if needed) into our car and drive to a handy break, knowing what to expect. There's something extra needed to be a surfer in climates where we can't take advantage of all our modern conveniences to make the wave-hunt and easy one.

The day before, after a grievously cold boat trip through disordered winter seas, we'd arrived at our côte de Dieu: an uninhabited stretch of the Vancouver Island coast, with reef waves bombing all around us and not a soul in sight. The morning's sleet had eased, but cutting offshore winds were tearing at the swell as it stacked onto the reef, each wave trailing a banner of white against a grey sky. We'd motored out to surf a spot that Clay had discovered the year before, and we'd lucked into some of the heavier waves we'd seen all season: thick slabs of opaque ocean lunging onto the rocks, each one looking like some primordial and unfinished prototype of Oahu's Backdoor...

Rest of the story from Malcolm Johnson here

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Its been a while...

I've been absent from posting for a while (obviously!) due to work and family. I look forward to getting back up to speed soon.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Spirit of Surfing


A great read at wetsand


A dear friend of mine once told me, “Surfing begins the minute you put the key in the ignition.” And it has taken me many years to realize not only how true this statement is but how easy to forget.


My personal overachiever tendency is to define surfing in terms of how many waves I catch, particularly great waves, and how well I do. I find that when I mentally restrict surfing to those criteria, my opportunities for a sense of joy, freedom, and peace, all the reasons I surf, are narrowed down to a few moments and to a rigid set of circumstances that I cannot totally control. Circumstances such as what the waves are like that day, how many people are out competing for the same waves, the wind, the swell, the tide, my own fatigue or distractibility. My sense joy is held captive by the smallness of my definition of what it means to surf....
Read the rest here

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Quiver Envy and the Meaning of Life

The more I look around, I'm beginning to realize that I am Quiver-poor. I see all these shiny, finny boards floating around the blogosphere. Photos like the one above (poached from surfysurfy) taunting me while I "make do" with 4 boards. I am very lucky in one aspect. My boards were gifted to me by either thoughtful people who gave out of their excess and kindness, or my pride and joy, the Pavel Speeddialer that my wife won for me at the San O Hawaiian Surf Club luau raffle a couple years ago.

One is a beautiful 7'0" Harbor single-fin that's actually not even mine, it belongs to a good friend who is living in Las Vegas, and lets me use it in his absence. My other two boards, a Ukulele Drifter was given to me by a customer of mine, while my shortboard was a beat-up extra owned by an old co-worker who is a OC bro who gets more boards given to him than he know what to do with.


My daily blog checklist taunts me on a daily basis, hanging tantalizingly sweet morsels of awesomeness in front of me through my computer's window. Showing me what is available, but not to me. Sure there are reasons that this could be my fault. I have priorities that keep the desired Hess shortboard, Grain log, Joe Bark paddleboard, Bonzer Bumblebees, misc. thumbs and hulls out of my reach that I could attain should I reorganize my spending pattern at the expense of my credit rating (and quite possibly my marriage!). Luckily all I have to do is go home to my wonderful family to know my priorities are in the right place. Turn on the TV and see the various clips in videos of beaming children in third-world countries perfectly happy surfing on discarded bits of plywood, or proud as can be of the patched-up discard left by a traveling surfer. This gives me a perspective into not just my surfing, but my life as a whole.


Surfing is a driving force in my life, something that helps me stay centered and focused through the fast-paced consumer-driven life all around me in Southern California. As I think about it though, while surfing is a driving force towards a better and more full life, it is not my life. this may seem sacrilegious to many, but it is true of me and I'm sure many other "normal" wave sliders out there. I still live the surfing "lifestyle" in some way, no matter if I'm in the water 1 day in a month or the good times where I'm able to go out several times in a week, or if I own one board or thirty.


The surfing lifestyle is a looking-glass into life, the good and the bad sides. While all of us desire nothing more than to be in the water, partaking in a plethora of surf-craft, we often have to sacrifice for those things that are intrinsically more important. Sacrifice is a dirty word in our modern society, instant gratification of our desires is seen as one of our inalienable rights. The way we keep ourselves truly centered and focused on what is important is not by how much of what we want we're able to attain, but instead being content in realizing how much we truly have. That little kid on the scrap of plywood probably lives a more true "surfing lifestyle" than any of us.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Out from under my rock (and Happy Belated B-Day!)


Where have I been? I think I may be the last Surf-Blogger to find this great site. All surf blogs under one roof. Great idea and a new bookmark to check daily.

On another note, I just realized that Everyone Surfs just turned 1 year old three days ago! Thanks to everyone who visits! I hope that I'll be able to improve on my content over this next year, goal one though is to just surf more.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Levi

To explain my extended absence from posting.  Here is a picture of my beautiful wife and our firstborn son, Levi Tyrus Kimo Maynor!  8lb 4oz of fury and cuteness!  I will do my best not to turn this into a baby photo-album but there's no guarantees...

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Shaka!

This never gets old no matter how many times I see it.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Drydocked for Good Cause

I haven't been in the water since Sunday.  Not this last Sunday, the one before that.  I'm starting to go into withdrawal, I've got the shakes, the shivers, the heeby-jeebies.  Ok its not that bad but I do miss being ion the water.  I can't really complain, works been busy which is good for a salesman, plus I'm going to be a dad in a couple weeks so I have to prepare to take the time off then aka put in extra hours now.  There will always be waves, there won't always be a first newborn baby boy!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Oldest Wahine

Full Story on Wetsand

More intriguing than her lines of wisdom, which she wears beautifully, is the energy and might that this 81 year-old woman possesses.

It's not everyday you see a woman swinging a sledgehammer that equals more than half her body weight. In a stylish fashion, wearing a light blue bandana and pearl earrings, Eve Fletcher conquers the concrete slab that stands before her. Swinging her sledgehammer with flawless execution is the perfect metaphor to depict how Eve has approached life. With style and poise she achieved what we all strive for: the perfect balance of working hard and playing hard.

Next to the dismantled riprap that Eve loads into the trunk of her Subaru wagon lays her 9' single fin. Aside from her passion for gardening and landscaping she possesses another talent that very few participate in at her age. With five decades under her belt Fletcher maybe the world's most experienced female surfer. Staying true to her roots, just as she has for the last forty years, Eve makes the weekly journey from her eclectic yet modest Laguna Beach home to the line up at San Onofre where she is greeted with warm smiles and a well of respect....

I see her out at Sano Onofre a lot when I'm there and its hard to think of any other regulars who get the respect she does. I've never spoken with her except casual greetings in passing int he water. Always smiling and encouraging to all those around her in the water. I hope I'm able to continue surfing and being stoked into my 80s!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Shelter

Maybe its because its the first surf video I bought, or the just first one that really struck a chord with me, this has always been my #1 favorite surf movie. Lots of good videos since then, but Shelter more than any other really sums up my feelings for the surfing lifestyle.

I haven't watched in it quite a while (I have it on VHS, no VCR) but every time I hear Mason Jennings, White Buffalo, even old southern soul style music this pops into my head. It just seems to have a very original and different feel to it. It just fits me and who I am in surfing. It also makes me want to move to a ramshackle farm house somewhere, anywhere thats country and close to waves.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Inner Kook

I'm a kook. At least I'm starting to realize I have a significant amount of kook-ness in my person. It may not be a bad thing, but I've come to realize that after years of looking down on all the non-surf-brand companies that mooch off of our lifestyle, I'm jumping on the bandwagon. Who's to blame? My unborn son is the culprit here, I blame him.

Now don't get me wrong, I think Holister, American Eagle etc have been copying legitimate surf brands as the surfing lifestyle has become popular, they're not what I'm taking about. What I'm talking about is the Walmart, Target, and Big lots clothing emblazoned with "Surf Hawaii" and "Surf _______"(fill in the blank). Thankfully I've grown up and have gotten over the need to wear the "right" brand of clothing, but as I think about my son and prepare for his arrival, I can't help but buy things like the "Surfer Baby" sign in two posts previous and stickers like this for my cars.



I'm sure many of you are guilty of seeing stuff like this as kookish. I've always thought advertising "I surf" is a total Matthew McConaughyish thing to do. Having a kid on the way seems to have given me an outlet/excuse to buy all the cutesy surfer stuff with Hawaiian prints and surfboards on them.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Damian Fulton


Surfline's portfolio series showcases influential and talented surf artists every month or so. The latest is Damian Fulton. His artwork illustrates the life of surfers in Southern California and particularly the aspect of being torn between the over-stimulated fast pace we are almost forced to follow just to get by.

"In my paintings, surfers compete with the barriers and ballyhoo that under any other circumstance would pummel a man into eventual submission, stifling his zeal, swallowing him up whole into lifes daily grind. The urban surfers are powerful, stoic figures, battling the elements, intrusions and vicissitudes of city life-My surfers brave all for the privilege of a saltwater baptism."

See his artwork here.

There's a lot of Surf artists that either just merge surfing experience with their fine art, and some who romanticize the art of surfing. Damian's paintings are a narrative of the surfing lifestyle most of us live on a day-to-day basis.

A couple of his pieces that 100% sum up the way I feel daily, one when I'm in the water and one when I'm out of the water.


"Left Behind"



"Epiphany on 4th and Broadway"

Monday, August 4, 2008

Sun, Sand, and Shoulder-Hoppers

There are few better ways to spend a sunny Sunday morning than trunking it at San-O. Even better is that we got there at almost 10am expecting the normal 1-hour wait at the top and arrived to see only one car ahead of us! Fun waves, everyone in the water and out was smiling and having a good time. I think this is the one place where shoulder-hoppers are the norm, but there were small semi-clean waves for all so there were no worries and lots-o-fun.

On a side-note, does anyone out there have any experience going to a single-fin setup on tri-fin longboard? I want a more "Loggy" ride but can't see getting much of a log feel out of a 9'6" Ukelele Drifter. Baby on the way, no $$$ for a board so I need to make do with what I've got.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Monday, July 28, 2008

Surfer Baby

Due to being gone to North Carolina for 10 days this month, I haven't been in the water lately. When you work on 100% commission you have to put in the time and I have 10 days worth to make up! We did get to go to the Orange County Fair for a bit last night with the family.

"Get ready to spend your money!" my sister-in-law said when we got the the shop area. She walked me over to the Surfer Baby tent and I grabbed this sign before I was even all the way inside the tent! They have a ton of cool stuff, and I was lucky to leave with any cash still in my pocket.

All you parents check their store here, www.surferbaby.com

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Surfer Dude?


I Like YDD's take "I command you NOT to see this this film." Not just for the fact that it looks absolutely beyond stupid, but Matthew blantantly stole the name my wife and I picked out for our firstborn over 2 years ago! He personally financed this film and seems to be doing his best to destroy any positive reality associated with surfing. I think the surfers in Malibu went after the wrong people last month.

We (um, I) at everyonesurfs support the rights of all people to surf, but this is getting kind of ridiculous.

Is it just me or am I ranting a lot lately? I need to get in the water more and think happy thoughts.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Family Reunion

For both of the folks who read this blog, you've noticed I've been "out of the office" for a couple weeks. I was back home in North Carolina for a family reunion. Hot, humid and fun. It was nice to see family I haven't seen in years and see the old hometown.

I got reaquainted with the local wildlife

We went to Wrightsville and I got to give surf lessons to some of the cousins. 82 degree water felt like heaven in spite of the fact that there were no waves. The lack of surf made it a lot easier for me to not ditch the kids and surf myself, I'm not much for teaching surfing, snowboarding is a lot easier for me to give lessons for some reason, I taught almost all the kids in this picture to snowboard a few years back and that was much easier process.

The knee-high waves on the outside were a little scary for this guy so he hung out in the ankle-high whitewater and kneeboarded. For all the NC locals, don't worry about any extra people in the lineup because of this lesson, they're all from the midwest. We might get a couple extra great lakes surfers from this though!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Payday

Its amazing what you can find these days on the internet. I'm sure all you financially savy cats out there know public-owned companies report the buying and selling of stock, and apparently who's doing the buying and selling. This is a report I found for a former exec of Quiksilver. Not exaclty sure how it all works, but with my interpretation there's a $1.1 Million payday here. Not a bad days work!

The surf industry's come a looooong way from a bunch of beach bums just living life and having a good time.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Lightning-Bolt Purgatory

From my trip to Coronado a couple weeks ago. I saw this poor Lightning Bolt wasting away in the Tommy Bahamas store. It says Gerry Lopez on it though I didn't get in-depth enough to see if he shaped it. It could be worse, this board could be in a Hollister store!

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy Birthday USA!

Rasta showing his patriotism

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Baja Anyone?

I live right by Oakley's headquarters and saw this yesterday. Conspicuous consumption/Awesomeness! I'd love to take this on a long Baja run, but I doubt its much use as a daily driver...

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

More Flip-Flop Danger

Click here to learn more reasons the Big Flip-Flop industry is trying to kill us all.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Ashton Kutcher and ? (warning, really dumb rant)


I want to know who to blame. I have realized that I am a trendsetter in disguise getting ripped off by the flippin mainstream fashionistas!

First it was the trucker hat. I've been wearing trucker hats religiously since I was about 3. First it was real trucker hats (my dad was a truck driver) then it moved on to 49ers hats, then Snowboard and surf companies. I decided I wanted an original John Deere hat back around 1996 I finally got one and a couple days later guess what... flippin Ashton Kutcher is there wearing a flippin John flippin Deere hat on TV! I think I got to wear it once, don't even know where it is now, I think I still have it but I'm not sure.

Fast forward to today, I've been a flannel man for years as well. I love plaid flannel shirts. I'm perusing Transworld Business at today and I see an interview with my old boss at Jacks Surf Shop. They're talking business and upcoming trends and what do I see?


“Flannel is big this year! [We’ve seen] a lot of flannels, a lot of hooded flannels..."


So now when I'm out wearing my 15 year-old flannel shirt (Eddie Bauer, they last forever!), people are just going to be looking at me saying, "yup everyones jumping on the flannel bandwagon"

Even Nike's jumping in


I want royalties or something...

For all of you who take these thing seriously... please don't.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

New Green Transportation


Finally! We've been waiting for the new clean diesels for a while and they're finally coming. EPA rates them at 29 city, 40 freeway, but unlike gas cars (including hybrids) diesels tend to get better than the rating if you drive it right. I talked with people who are averaging 50+ freeway! I beat the snot out of another demo around town and still averaged 33mpg. Its good to see some cars coming in that are good for the environment and still practical and fun to drive.

Greener-than-us Europe sells about 60% diesel cars so this is the way things are going. Unfortunatly VW only warranties up to B5 biodiesel, though you can fit it for up to B100. Still greener than a Hybrid once you factor in battery production & replacement.

Available in wagon form also for all the people and boards you could possibly want to throw in. They're not letting employees get them yet since availability is so low but when they are I'm probably going to be signing up!

http://www.goodcleandieselfun.com/

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Surfers vs Papparazzi

Just one more issue to deal with when everyone (movie stars) surf. Nobody likes Papparazzi(sp?) I think they're close to eclipsing lawyers and car salesmen as the least-liked proffession.

Around 12 photographers were on the beach in Malibu this afternoon trying to get shots of Matty hitting the surf, when an all-out smackdown was laid on the pappers by turf-protecting surfers....

Link Here



Saturday, June 14, 2008

Flip-Flops Cause Cancer?


Most likely from the same genious minds that discovered that over-eating and lack of excersice leads to heart disease! DirtBag Dad Diaries has a report and interview on the subject.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Back in the OC

I finally got out in the water for a good surf. Its been a long break but I was still able to catch a few fun ones. Definitely rusty, but I didn't get tired like I thought I would. I guess Yoga For Surfers helps! Its my first time surfing in OC, not counting SanO since last summer when I moved jobs to Carlsbad for a while. Fun waves, warm water, good times!