Stylin' On The Sand!

Cheers Mates!

When I learned that PG was building 4GFs again after a few years layoff, I was super-elated, because my last mat had gone the way of so many other good things in life that fade out over time. Soon after getting back into matting I decided to put up this blog to share the fascination. And now that all of you out there are making it happen on its own, I have to thank you for your participation and enthusiasm. This last flurry of posts and comments on the style question I posed is truly heartwarming, and validates my own feelings and experiences, which are as varied as your opinions. Anyway, three cheers for Paul Gross, who carries on providing us with such tremendous fun. Really, although this blog is absolutely open to all manner of mats and matters, Surfmatters was inspired by PG and his work. Thank you contributors for helping him and ourselves to keep up the stoke!

More on Style

Head as low as possible, right arm swept back (you can see my right hand just above my butt), and probably just a bit less than 50% inflated. Fast, slippery section connection even in the smallest of waves. Also the most fun you can have covered in rubber...

Noosa 2009

It's all Good :)

Stylish Matting?

Do you reckon this would be an example of stylish matting form?

Lately, I've been thinking about how to appear aesthetically correct while riding a mat. You've got to figure that heaps of discerning surfmatters out there in blogland would have some tips and opinions on what constitutes stylish matting. Stuff like arm placement, whether hanging on or casually appearing to just rest one's hands on the pontoons is more cool, elbows in or out, laying low or upright in the Sphinx position...?

Some folks say style is everything. Others claim that form follows function. Anyway, I thought that this vitally important and highly debatable subject might be fun to post about and comment on. Maybe we can work out what's what in the style department so we can all look really posh when we go matting...

(I tend to think the following looks pretty good: Forearms and hands resting on top of the outer pontoons, elbows in, no deathgrip [until the moment it's needed], lightly perched, head not too high or low, relaxed big smile. But that's just one matter's opinion, and you'll see me violating these self-imposed fashion rules quite often, however I really try to keep up the goofy smile!)

The evenings have been fun...

The daytime crowds have been pretty aggro, so I slip into a few waves at dusk, and with the recent moonlight, into the evening for a while. Here's one from yesterday. I put a bigger version of it here.

Thanksgiving leftovers

Apparently there was quite a bit of good surf in California today. I didn't get to the beach until sunset, and only had time to snag a few leftovers before dark. It was cold, mushy, and disconnected, but I was thankful to even get wet today. A local kid had his camcorder and he took a few shots for our pleasure. I put a larger version here.

Invisable Alien Pod Mat Riders!!!

Cleverly waiting until Thanksgiving dinner time, invisible alien pod mat riders descended on Santa Barbara this afternoon...and proceeded to clog the lineup at a local point break!

This video was captured by an unidentified documentary film maker, who was transformed into one of the aliens after shooting this remarkable footage.

"It's not so bad being an alien pod," he commented later at Thanksgiving dinner at the home of his horrified human parents. "My new gills allow me to duck dive for unlimited periods of time. And frankly, I like having organic flippers instead of feet. Greg Deets will just have to deal with the loss of this customer!"

Fastest mat delivery on record...

Mike C, hailing from parts-best-left-unknown, ordered a mat yesterday. Being Thanksgiving, his mat won't go out until tomorrow morning. I know Priority Shipping is fast, but since I had't sent his mat out yet, imagine my surprise when I got his first ride report today...

Hi Paul,

Rode waves on my new mat last night, I was ripping, heaps of down the line speed, high lines.

I WAS ASLEEP THO, ha ha.

Tired today, have a great holiday!

Mike C

Nor'Ida

The remnants of Ida merged with a coastal low to form a Nor'easter along the Cape Hatteras coast. Parts of Hwy 12 broke apart and washed away. Lost some houses, cars, and swimming pools. Just another day on the Outer Banks...

Pictures via BryanElkus.com & The Happy Barracuda

The Latest from Mat Max...

Hi Paul,

Was just thinking about how I chucked "hardboarding" well over a year ago, and have since been exclusively matting. Recently I've been surfing at least five days a week in boardshorts with no rash.

Something has clicked and I can now zoom all over the waves like a shortboarder. Vertical climbs and drops, whip cutbacks with big banks off the foam, stalling high and deep in the pit, huge roundhouses... Partly to do with carefully tuning inflation due to leaving the Standard and Fatty pumped up all the way and slowly arriving at ideal settings for large and small waves. Mostly just cumulative experience. Even the local kids on their bodyboards are noticing the level of performance.

I'm super-stoked and ultra-appreciative!

Cheers Mate,

Mat Max

P.S. I'm also using my mats for furniture since there's no couch or easy chair in my apartment!


From PG: More on Mat Max's inflatable lifestyle.

He frequents the local pub...

He gets in a round of golf almost everyday...

He often goes to the library and reads up on inflatable Greek history...

He enjoys the occasional movie about inflatable characters on his inflatable flat screen...

Calls to friends are a daily enjoyment...

As is listening to his killer record collection...

Motor racing still coarses through his veins...

And of course, the fairer sex is never far from his mind...