Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing

The Scramble Gamble

Booker T. & The MG's - Time Is Tight (1969) HQ

Hawaiian Longboarding with China Uemura 2017

A PARADIGM SHIFT

A Week Up West

QUASIMOTO 2017 burrifornia(primera parte)-scopitikitones-

Daily Routine Part 2

Surfer Joe & His Boss Combo - Everybody Up in Rome

the east coast surfing contest va beach 1967 steel pier

Loose-Fit Surf Shop Promo

Longboard Wakesurfing with Devon Howard

The NEANDERTHALS - Surforama 2016

TYLER HATZKIAN JAPAN Glide Magazine Article

Glide Magazine Article

Check out this article that long time friend Mike Keller wrote for Glide Magazine in Japan:

It all began with a ratty 1973 Dodge Tradesman van the moment Tyler turned sixteen. You know, the van that your uncle had in the 70s with the carpeting, captain’s chairs, wood paneling, and the rear bench seat that turned into a bed. Only this one had already seen its prime long ago. It was an eyesore at best, but it was literally the vehicle that launched Tyler’s career as a surfer, shaper, and hot rod builder. The Dodge would soon be packed full of El Segundo kids and their shortboards for afternoon Topanga sessions where the prevailing wind would brush side-offshore; creating launch ramps for the Christian Fletcher-inspired generation. At sixteen years of age Tyler was bursting at the seams to explore the world and his wheels would enable him to do just that.

Fast forward to 2011 and Tyler is at the top of his game with building beautiful boards and hot rods. But today is like every day in the life of arguably the most under-spoken craftsman in the world of surfboards and hot rods. After playing with his adorable (and huge due to towering genetics) three-year-old daughter, Tyler hops in his stock white Ford van to get coffee at The Donut on Main Street in downtown El Segundo as he has done for countless years. So routine and welcome is the stop, The Donut cashier often refuses money as Tyler is seen as a family to them. A few quick laughs at The Donut and Tyler heads down to El Porto for the daily surf check. As forgettable as his daily-driver white Ford van is, Tyler’s arrival in the parking lot at El Porto is noticed by most due to his local legend in the water and in the garage.

Christian Tyler Hatzikian was born to Chris and Betty Hatzikian in January 1972. Chris Hatzikian, known as Zeke, quickly indoctrinated Tyler into his worth ethic and love of surfing. Chris was at the time a home builder and was accustomed to working hard by his Armenian heritage, working with his hands, and having an overwhelming attention to detail. Chris made Tyler his first surfboard which was a six-foot, diamond-tail, Lightening Bolt-style single fin. Chris soon began to teach Tyler the art and skill of shaping, glassing, sanding, and polishing. Chris was also well-versed in reading the conditions and knowing the California coastline long before the Surflines of the world. Chris would often load his work truck with boards and a sleepy Tyler in the pre-dawn hours for a surgical strike at Rincon. It was Chris’s experience that influenced Tyler knowing where to be when for the best waves on the right board back when .com was nothing more than a typo.

Interestingly enough, hot rods and cars have influenced Hatzikian’s surfing much more than his surfing has influenced his hot rods. Working on classic cars led Tyler to wonder what surfing was like at the time of the respective car. While still an aerial-punting shortboarder back in the early 90s, Tyler picked up a ‘56 Chevy four-door Bel Air, nine-passenger wagon. Hatzikian calls it “the ultimate surf wagon”, and it was this classic that shifted his future to the past. This path would lead Tyler into classic yet innovative board designs and an unmatched traditional surfing style in the water.

Tyler comes from a long line of hot rodders starting with his grandfather Art Hatzikian. Part of the close-nit Armenian community in Los Angles in the 1940s, Art was frankly known for raising hell on two wheels. Tyler has two pictures of the elder Hatzikian that are early indicators of the Hatzikian legacy in Southern California. In one 50s-era photo, Art races his Triumph prone down the Saugus drag strip with one hand on the fork for stability, tripping the traps at a then-crazy one-hundred-nine mile-per-hour pass. In the other, Art surfs his 40s-era Harley drag bike (standing goofyfoot with one foot on the tank and one on the seat) down Gage Avenue in Los Angeles in 1945. Tyler’s dad Chris carried on the legacy of speed during the muscle car era with projects such as a ‘59 Chevy El Camino, numerous ’57 Chevys, and a lightening-fast ’68 SS Chevy Camaro powered by a healthy 396 big-block. Tyler’s energetic grandmother, Mimi, recalls hearing Chris drag-racing his Camaro several miles away on summer nights then coasting down the street home with headlight doused to slip unnoticed to the police into the family garage. Chris later brought havoc to the family garage by almost burning it to the ground while welding traction bars to a ’57 Chevy. Today the Camaro and ‘57 might be long gone, but the garage is still standing and the Hatzikian passion for hot-rodding thrives.

Tyler’s first foray into the hot rod scene was during high school via a stock ’55 Chevy 4-door powered by a 265 cubic-inch V8 with a Powerglide transmission. The glass-packed growl emanating from the ’55 and the classic yellow-and-white color quickly became part of Tyler’s persona in the late 1980s in Los Angeles’ South Bay. His cars have included countless Chevy El Caminos, Nomads, and others before moving to his current 327-powered ’32 Ford Coupe cackling through classic zoomie headers and his ’41 Ford .

Tyler buying, restoring, and selling cars and hot rods elevated his home life and career. Tyler toiled endlessly sanding boards at a glassing shop and building boards under his own label to generate cash which he used to buy cars. You would never find Tyler at a new car dealership. You would find him checking out a car on the tip of a friend-of-a-friend, or combing through old neighborhoods looking for neglected project cars. Diamonds-in-the-rough as Hatzikian would call them.

One of Tyler’s highlight builds was a beautiful, black-and-yellow, ’56 Chevy Nomad with a 327 restored to showroom condition. His turned over this investment into to ’41 Ford woody where he slowly brought it back to its glory, wood and all. Not long after completion, Hatzikian parted ways with this beauty to help make a down payment on his first and current home in El Segundo. While others invested in stocks and bonds, Tyler invested in cars and used his own passion and hard work to build his nest egg. While trading up in value was nice, Tyler was driven purely by his passion, enjoyment, and respect for old cars and hot rods.

Hot rodding’s influence on Tyler’s surfing has continued long past his period-awareness epiphany triggered late in the 1980s with his nine-passenger ’56 Chevy wagon. Working recently on his now-traded 383 Chevy stroker-powered ’50 Mercury, the light bulb switched on with Hatzikian. He was working on the body with the time-honored technique called “metal bumping”. This method of body work eschews body filling and instead slowly works the metal by lifting lows and holding down highs using a hammer and dolly. It is not unlike using a trying to straighten a coat hanger with one’s hands. There are not a lot of shadows , visuals, and thus a lot of the work is done by feel. Patience and skill are requirements to say the least. After working on the Merc for several hours, Tyler walked over to his shaping bay to work on a board design. After working painstakingly on metal for hours, he immediately and saw new angles and areas of surfboard shapes in the well-lit shaping bay. “I thought, what a joke, you gotta be kidding me!” recalls Hatzikian. Hot rods and metal craft had again given back to Hatzikian’s bread-and-butter surfing.

His classic longboards are arguably the most coveted in world. Tyler’s quest for perfection in quality is relentless at the very least. He has committed himself to “advancing traditional design” by continually honing his single-fin beauties. In a nutshell, Hatzikian is seeking to continue what board evolution may have occurred had shortboards not exploded into the surfing world in 1967. Or had longboarding not imploded, based on perspective. Looking at where Hatzikian is with traditional longboards today, one need not wonder what 1970 or 1972 may have been without shortboards. How David Nuuhiwa was forced from his 1966 noseriding grace at Huntington Beach to his wrestling match with a shortboard four short years later.

Perhaps in an ode to his restoration of the ’41 Ford, today Hatzikian’s board of choice is a 1950s-design, solid balsa craft modeled after Malibu chips of that era. Though honed for trim and glide, Tyler places himself deep in beach break tubes and carves gouging cutbacks with his balsa beauty. He credits his love of this board to its unique characteristic and the fact that balsa “doesn’t lose its spring”. Unlike most modern balsa boards, this design has a strong period influence from the early 50s and is “made to be ridden”. To perhaps accentuate his disdain for wall-hangers, Hatzikian’s balsas have a non-buffed finish. To date twenty-three Tyler balsa boards have been made and are cherished around the world.

As easy as Tyler makes it look in the water, he asserts it is not always so easy. First, as a designer, Tyler is doing much more than blowing off steam and honing his already silk-smooth cross-stepping during a regular surf. Being the craftsman of his equipment means that every board under his feet is also a test bed, subject to constant scrutiny and analysis. A slightly off-tempo cutback to the layman might mean an errant sixteenth of an inch to Tyler. All the while, most eyes are on him when he paddles for a wave at El Porto or other Southern California surf spots. “I still need to perform even though testing, it is not a like dyno in the back room where you can test privately. With surfing you wear your stats on your sleeve”. There is an unquestionable expectation for Hatzikian to perform every time he rises to his feet, or for that matter, whenever a beautiful new board passes over the threshold of his factory. But Tyler takes it all in stride knowing it is he himself who continues to raise the bar and continually improve in surfing and craftsmanship.

What lies in the future for Hatzikian? Perhaps a new pintail balsa design. Maybe finishing his current ’41 hot rod powered by a 455 Oldsmobile. Definitely not following the latest trend. Only Tyler knows how much he can elevate surfing and hot rodding by looking to the past.  http://tylersurfboardsinc.blogspot.com.es/2011/10/glide-magazine-article.html

Interview with Tyler Hatzikian

To say that Tyler Hatzikian makes surfboards is to say that Ferrari makes cars. Okay so I am a fan and slightly biased. Tyler boards for me are the pinnacle of how boards should be made, they seem to follow the natural evolution of classic shapes while keeping the whole concept simple and elegant.

So imagine my surprise when the surfing and shaping icon said that he would answer a few burning questions that I had for Surf Bunker and you lucky readers. For those of you for who have maybe been on a desert island for the last decade or more and have never heard of Tyler Hatzikian, I will quickly fill you in.

Tyler started building boards in his mum's garage at the age of 12. Yes, 12 years old. He has been restoring classic American cars since he was 16 years old and resides in El Segundo, Southern California. He shapes from a different angle, almost as if the short board revolution didn't ever happen, and looks to create his own special path in board design starting from where the old masters left off in the late 60's. Today Tyler's boards are amongst the most sought after in the world, and after having a go on one myself I can see what all the fuss is about.

Enough from me, lets ask Tyler about his boards:

SB: Hi Tyler, thanks for sparing us the time at Surf Bunker, I know you are crazy busy at the moment after just coming back from Japan. Do you do a lot of business there?

Tyler: Yes, I actually do a lot business over in Japan. The interest really took off right after Longboard Magazine did a feature back in 1996.The article was on Tavarua featuring myself, Takuji Masuda and June Ikeda. 

Tyler, a quick 'neck shandy'

SB: Do you remember a point when you where growing up when you knew you wanted to make surfboards?

Tyler: Definitely, I remember I was 12 years old. I sold the second board I ever made for the cost of the materials. I was stoked, because at that time my parents wouldn't let me take a job as a paperboy. So I decided I was going make surfboards and make my own money.

SB: When did you first start surfing, can you remember your first board and have you still got it?

Tyler: I first started surfing when I was 7 years old. My first board was a hand me down from my dad, a 7’0 Pat Rawson garage board. It had a yellow tint and the rails were covered in grey duct tape. 

SB: I imagine you take inspiration from the old masters for your shapes, is there anyone else shaping boards at the moment that inspires you?

Tyler: Nearly all of my inspiration comes from the past, but as far as the present goes I like Wayne Rich.

SB: Apart from being awesome, what has made your boards so successful worldwide?

Tyler: I think the reason the Tyler brand is so successful worldwide is due to the direction I went in at the time I did. Heading up a movement rather than following one was a big part of it. I've been advancing traditional longboards and my designs now, for 20 years. Its been amazing really, I guess I made a solid foundation and just built it up from there. 

SB: How can I get hold of a Tyler board in Europe?

Tyler: All of our custom orders from Europe come in directly, either by phone, email and sometimes even via social media. But I would be willing to talk to distributors and brokers. Just as long as it felt like a good fit for the Tyler Brand. Yeah, we would definitely like to be over there.

Tyler Glassing.

SB: What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

Tyler: I really enjoy coming up with new designs, creating new graphics, shapes etc. I enjoy all aspects of my job, it's hard to pin point just one part. Speaking with customers and watching them light up when they pick up their boards is a great pay off also. I enjoy all of it!

SB: I loved the film Single Fin Yellow, did Bonga Perkins really break the board at Pipe?

Tyler: Hahahaha, No! He just put a ding in it. The boards now retired and rests here in the shop.

Tyler ten on the nose.

The best feeling?

SB: What are you working on at the moment, what's next for Tyler surfboards?

Tyler: Its actually a very exciting time for us, there’s a lot going on! We have two new series coming out, one being the signature series and the other being the Survivors series. I can’t tell you too much about it at present as we haven’t launched either line. But, what I will say is that we will be able to make the Tyler brand more available and affordable for the surfers who have loved our boards but was out of their price range. For the Survivor series we are bringing in long standing, experienced shapers underneath the Tyler House. 

SB: Again thanks a lot for sparing Surf Bunker and our readers the time for a rare glimpse into the mind of someone who is exceptional at what they do.

All photos thanks and credit to Brent Broza. 

https://surfbunker.com/blog/interview-with-tyler-hatzikian

SURFLAMINGO "Game of Surfers" (Juego de Tronos cover) 13-2-16

THE 2017 HOTDOGGER CHAMPIONSHIPS by LIQUID SALT

THE 2017 HOTDOGGER CHAMPIONSHIPS 

Presented by Subaru Pacific

An Interview with Eddie Solt by Glenn Sakamoto

Photo: Brad Jacobsen

Eddie Solt is the founder and organizer of the Hermosa Beach Hotdogger Championships presented by Subaru Pacific. A lifelong South Bay surfer, Eddie was inspired by past Dewey Weber Longboard Contests that started in the early '80s. Created in 2015, this year's Hotdogger will be held October 7th at the Hermosa Beach Pier. We spoke with him to learn more.

---

What is the Hermosa Beach Hotdogger Championships?

The Hotdogger Championships presented by Subaru Pacific is a celebration of surfing and of our surf culture. We strive to bring all generations and facets together together for a truly bitchin’ time. It’s a gathering of people who ride and cherish traditional-style equipment – heavy Volan, resin tints, six inch cut laps with a big obnoxious single fin. It’s a place to get together and celebrate the surfing we like and do everyday.  

When Dewey Weber first threw all of his 5-foot-whatever weight purposely manhandling a mediocre 22nd Street or on an inside First Point peeler – that was the start of something. For South Bay surfers like myself, Dewey reigns at the top of our list – not Phil Edwards or Miki Dora. Blend with the wave and let it dictate our maneuvers? No way. We want to crank the hardest turn, rollerskate to the nose, all in a blur before the s**t hits the fan, the curl closes out, and we have to go off the rails with a roller coaster avoiding disaster.

If we can stoke those who survived the 60s, 70s, 80s – as well as the young gremlin with a mind like a sponge – we are getting there. And if we can enlighten those who only get their facts from sites like The Inertia, I think we are doing something right. It’s about living it – that’s what the Hotdogger is.

Tell us about the rules.

Rules reward the “going for broke.” While most longboard contests say 50 tail and 50 nose as the criteria, the winner seems to be the surfer who rides from point A to point B twinkling toes and striking a pose. But what about taking a half second off the nose, backpedaling, and put some body English into a snappy cutback?

Photo by Brad Jacobsen

We’re looking for criticalness of noseriding positions. If you’re able stick a hang ten deep into pocket, backtracking before the lip slams you into the shorepound – that’s what we’re talking about. If you are taking off on an obvious closeout, on a set wave, with one purpose – to rollercoaster and ride away unscathed in the soup – more hotdoggin’ power to ya.

The way I look at surfing is simple. It’s like music. Nothing is wrong or right. Surfing in the Hotdogger is like playing lead guitar in a Jazz or more fittingly – a surf band. You’re not showing up with a full on metal axe shouting distortion expecting to sound like Wes Montgomery. You’re going to play a Gibson L-5 that gives you that Wes Montgomery tone or you’re turning up that reverb on that stratocaster.

How does Hermosa Beach and the South Bay fit into the history of surfing?

It’s the true surf city. We all know it. Brian Wilson didn’t sit isolated in his bedroom in Hawthorne to create tunes about bundling up in front of a pit of burning tires and surfing the frigid waters of Santa Cruz or dodging oil slicks in between sets in a town named after an oil baron. Nope, he was writing music about the surf scene in the South Bay.

Then there’s George Freeth, Palos Verdes Surf Club, Dale Velzy, Hap Jacobs, Greg Noll, Dewey Weber, Rick Stoner, Bing Copeland, and The Meistrell Brothers. Freddie Pfahler, Rick Irons, Donald Takayama, David Nuuhiwa, Henry Ford, Sparky Hudson, and of course Dru Harrison. The  Bel-Airs (with the first surf song “Mr. Moto” predating Dick Dale’s “Let’s go Trippin’”) Mike Stang, Jeff Hakman, Linda Benson, Sonny Vardeman, Phil Becker, Steve Mangiagli, Daryl Dickie, John Joseph, Chris Bredesen, John Teague, Bob Moore. Don Craig, Tiger Makin, and Mike Purpus. Eddie Talbot, Dennis Jarvis, Chris Barella, Terry Stevens, Mike Benevidez, Chris Frohoff, Ted Robinson, and Kelly Gibson.

---

"The way I look at surfing is simple. It’s like music. Nothing is wrong or right. Surfing in the Hotdogger is like playing lead guitar in a Jazz or more fittingly – a surf band. You’re not showing up with a full on metal axe shouting distortion expecting to sound like Wes Montgomery. "

---

The Dewey Classics in the early 80s that some say brought back the longboard and got some of the 60s surf stars back into water. Reese Patterson, Wayne Rich, Leroy Grannis, Steve Wilkins, Matt Warshaw, Rick Griffin, John Van Hamersveld, Jim Russi, and Tom and Jon Wegener. Tyler Hatzikian. Tyler in my mind is equally as important and influential as Joel Tudor in bringing it all back. To this day, no one can touch Tyler’s surfing and no one can touch his board building craftsmanship. Greg Browning. Alex Gray. Mike Siordia.  

You can’t forget Wayne Miyata – one of the last real renegades. Redman. Shoreline Glassing. Just Longboards. Pat “Gumby” Ryan. There’s also those with South Bay roots: Tommy Witt, Brian Bent, JJ Wessels, and I think the Marshall Brothers. And last but not least, Richard “Saf” Safady and Bobby Warchola.

Tommy Witt. Photo by Trent Stevens

Tell us a bit about the previous Hotdogger. Who participated and how did it turn out?

The first Hotdogger in 2015 went off way beyond I imagined. I thought I’d be throwing more of a South Bay community contest. Something to connect the longboard scene. We’re scattered all over South Bay, but when we come together it's a bitchin’ time.

Thank goodness Vince Felix came down, he really helped out with a couple of hiccups we had in the beginning. He won the first Superdogger. He’s just a killer guy and a great surfer. When word got out we had a cash purse, then the contest went up a couple notches. Tommy Witt – he could be World Champ if there was such a thing. Did you know his great uncle learned to surf from George Freeth? Also I think his dad won a couple Dewey Classics back in the day. At one point, Tommy jumped on the wrong kind of equipment – a light hard railed 9’0” and begin spinning his crazy 360s.

Our head judge, Shawn O’Brien, called Witt in and explained to him that the judges were not scoring his waves. Witt decided to jump on something worse – a 10’ Con Ugly, a one-trick pony trash can lid noserider, and proceeded to smoke the field. Sean Tully is another great surfer. Who does switchfoot nose rides in the pocket grabbing rail? His body English in these critical parts of the wave were mind blowing. As I tell the shortboard community, our talent level is equivalent to a WQS at the Hermosa Beach Pier. We also got blessed with waves and good weather. It was magical.

What are some of the challenges in putting on such an event?

There’s challenges. We just gotta put the work in to get through them. We’re not inventing anything new. Culturally, if we’re even in the ballpark of the Dewey Weber Classic or Aloha Days – we’re stoked. While our rules definitely have a South Bay spin, the Joel Tudor Duct Tape is a major inspiration and made it possible for this to happen.

There’s always a bit of anxiety behind throwing together an event. Wright Adaza from the South Bay Boardriders Club has been a big help. I’ve got to give the SBBC a major thank you as they’ve been super supportive. Wright's helped out with the logistics of the contest. Thank goodness for James and the crew at Subaru Pacific for being our title sponsor since day one. It’s an honor that they believe in want we are doing. They have helped us grow so much. For those in the open divisions, Subaru Pacific's responsible for the $2600 cash purse as well as contributing to extra stuff that make the Hotdogger such a unique contest. Besides, isn't a Subaru Outback a pretty darn good surf mobile? It’s about the people involved as well as the surfers in the water that make a contest. With that being said, we have 40 sponsors.

Sean Tully. Photo by Trent Stevens

Who are some of the people and organizations involved in the Hotdogger?

We’ve been able to connect with a lot of businesses who are a part of South Bay History. Kinecta Federal Credit Bank who’s been around since they were Howard Hughes Bank in the ‘30s and the famous Mickey’s Deli that’s been feeding starving waterlogged surfers since 1953.

Adam Davenport is a major part of the Hotdogger. The best traditional style surfboard maker of my generation, has done his homework, worked and took shit from the best, put his time in, and now you can notice a Davenport 6 inch cut lap from a mile away. For 2017, he’s sponsoring the Davenport Surfboards Superdogger Expression Session. The Superdogger is our old board heat--We pack as many as we can in one heat. You must ride a pre-1968, no wetsuit, and wear a Hawaiian Shirt for our celebrity surf judge to identify you. Best wave wins the money pot. He’s kicking down a sweet 9’6” noserider for us to raffle for charity. He’s also a family friend that came to visit the hospital with his wife, Mel, when my daughter was born.

Shane Jones of Jonesea Wetsuits has also been a major contributor since day one. Besides being an ultimate hotdogger, (dude can not only perch for days, but can crank the most radical rollercoasters on a heavy level) his wetsuits have changed the game. Jonesea adds a whole heaping of creativity. He’s more like a high-end tailor. He’s one of my best buds even though we only met a couple of years ago. He should really be from the South Bay – we love him up here.

If you’ve met me in the past, I’m sure you witnessed one of my best friends Mike Siordia and I running amuck. He’s been committed to his vision of Bandits Surfboards and of course I am going to support him. He’s also the grom division sponsor. The winner gets a Bandit Surfboard with all the bells and whistles. He’s been a big help on getting the word out and spreading the hotdogger gospel. A phenomenal surfer. You should see him on a set of rollerblades or a BMX.

Photo by Anthony Renna

It also stokes me out to hang with another one of my best friends, our head Judge Shawn O’Brien. We’ve been doing the same stuff since we were kids – driving old cars and riding old boards. He’s the dude with the white ‘59 wagon with green tuck-n-roll. He’s also a family man like myself. His son Cormac only surfs facing the wave and will most likely be the youngest competitor in the Hotdogger. Shawn and his wife are the Godparents to my daughter. At a Hotdogger meeting, I specifically stated “If you can hang ten better than Shawn O’Brien – go ahead and argue with his decisions.”

Other things that stoke me out: Working with emerging brands like Single Fin Life from the ground up. I think they’re really on to something and really capture a lifestyle. Bringing awareness to KSURF 1260 AM, LA’s Oldies Station. I only have AM radio in my Comet, so thank God for KSURF 1260 AM  (who will handle the morning shift of tunes). Sin-Min and their Horchata flavored products brought to you by my friend and amazing surfer, Tyler Critelli. Bodega Boarder Crew, you gotta check out his podcasts. He’s working the lunch music shift as well as interviewing the action on the beach. And my good bud Jeff and Dirty Hippie Radio, who provided the soundtrack for the first hotdogger.

I can’t leave out the Yellow Rat. Stoked to say Yellow Rat Clothing is a part of this year’s Hotodgger. If you don’t know Yellow Rat and his longboard – he’s another element of genuine surf culture. Geez.  Kio is 100% hotodgger and is the best surfer out of Mar Vista.

2017 Hotdogger Championship presented by Subaru Pacific poster by Patrick Parker, organizer Ed "Factor" Solt cranking a turn, Ed and head judge Shawn O'Brien at the 2015 Hotdogger.

Dave Paquin who’s another underground longboard hero of mine. You’ll notice Brittany and Mateo designed his law firm Ocean View Law Group logo. He’s been ripping on Gene Cooper’s shapes for over twenty years. For the 2015 SuperDogger, he rode a 10’ Miki Dora black Da’ Cat Model.

Surf Artist Patrick Parker, the 2016 Vans Triple Crown Feature Artist. He painted this year’s poster (thank you John Grannis for allowing us to use Leroy’s photo for inspiration). Pat’s work was seen frequently in Longboard Magazine a decade ago. We grew up together. I think he still has his Reese Patterson SRS longboard.  

What else can we expect from this year’s Hotdogger Championship?

The Vintage Surfboard Collectors Club will be setting up underneath the Hermosa Beach Pier. We will have a “suds-raiser” going on at Watermans Safehouse. King Harbor Harbor Brewing (last year’s Superdogger sponsor and a supporter since day one) will be pouring a $5 pint. There’s four kegs that need to be crushed as half the proceeds go to the SBBC. A $2600 Cash Purse is provided by Subaru Pacific. With 40 sponsors, you know those swag bags are going to be epic. Also a chance to win a Davenport Surfboard with all raffle money going to SBBC’s charities. The Hippy Tree guys will be bringing a teepee. There will be a lot of tents and booths going on.

Where can we learn more about the Hotdogger Championship?

If you show up to Esplanade and Knob Hill in Redondo Beach any given morning around 7 a.m., I’m sure you’ll run into Purpus checking the surf and he’ll tell you. Maybe I shouldn’t announce that. He’s still got some weird fanboys. But then again, he also has ladies who hit their prime in the ‘70s swooning over him. Grey hair or not, Purpus will never turn down a free steak date night.

Check out Hotdoggers.org and @hotdoggerchampionship. We’re accepting registration now. There’s limited space so sign up soon. If you’re not a contest person, come experience living surf culture at its finest. The Hermosa Beach Hotdogger Championships Presented by Subaru Pacific. Hope to see you all there on October 7th. Cowabunga!  

 http://www.liquidsaltmag.com/hotdogger-championships

Oh Darling - The Beatles (Subtitulada)

Mickey Lee Lane - Senior Class - Rockabilly 45

Revert to BERT! Larry Bertlemann