From Bob ...

Hi Paul,

Frankie Ford passed away.  He was a big influence on my musical taste.  In this video, he is appropriately riding a cousin of the surfmat.

 

Last Sunday, I walked in front of the judges at the Pismo Beach surf contest after some fun waves south of the pier.  They acknowledged the old school mat over the PA system, mentioned George Greenough, and suggested a mat division in next year's contest.  I gave them thumbs up to all three.

Bob (Mat Man)

Bretto's Paradox ...

 

Michelle caught Bretto in a small beach break tube the other day...but is it a tube ride if one of your fins is poking through the curl?

Scott Starr Fund ...

If you surf, skate or snowboard, then you no doubt know about Scott Starr and his efforts to preserve our culture's underground films and videos. Scott has done as much to preserve our photographic past as anyone.

Unbeknownst to just about everyone, Scott has been ill for the past fives years, and his sister Suzanne is now reaching out via 'Go Fund Me' for donations to ease his financial burden.

The Go Fund Me link is here...

Do what you can!

Thanks

Mitch's North Gets All Touchy-Feely ...

“You used to buy them with green stamps...”

More from the SLO Tribune on the local mat crew...

Details here...

...and no, we don't accept Green Stamps for mats!

From James, Co-Star Of Bravo's "The Real Mat Surfers Of Orange County" ...

Hi Paul,

That Omni you made for the Kneeboard USA meet has been sold back to the original owner, Chad Barba.

He was out at The Wedge over labor day and there are some sweet videos posted on YouTube...
 

Still album here on Imgur ...

Here's a video edit ...

From Tom ...

Hi Paul,

This year I've had quite a bit of water time, especially on the mats. Wear and tear is starting to show after five years of ab-use, though. Hissing corners and a two cuts from barnacles - but nothing an iron and a patch couldn't fix.

Just got back from two great sessions with Rob and the Tuskedbeast in SF. Here´s a clip of one of our sessions earlier this year:




I also managed to get into a river wave in a great city. Good vibes and mellow, courteous sliders there. (The other guy on the wave was standing on a Beater, smoking funky stuff and offered me a PBR at 9 in the morning.) I found getting onto the wave quite tricky and staying almost more so. Since the water is moving so fast the smallest movement, the slightest change of trim has an immediate profound effect.

The perspective is "different" - at a lower water-level the wave is cleaner, the bowl/drop deeper and on it, all you see is a wall of water coming at you.

(Sorry, the flic is lo-fi since parts where filmed with a phone):




Hope all is well.

Cheers
Tom

From Bob ...

It seems like everyone who shoots a mat riding vid hits the nail on the head. That probably has more to do with the people who are attracted to mat surfing, than mat surfing itself.

But sometimes they get the vibe so right, it's moving.

Nice job, SLO mat crew...

Mister Dirk ... Finally Gone 'Round The Bend ???

Our own Mister Dirk has had many adventures during his illustrious life...including multiple trips to the Antarctic!

His commitment to the waterborne craft of surfing, however, remains unsurpassed...especially when it comes to surf mats. Like most of us, he holds his favorite inflatables near and dear!

That said, his most recent behavior has sounded alarm bells amongst his closest friends and family. As he approaches "middle age," it seems Dirk's most cherished (and heretofore repressed) adolescent desires have begun to surface:

His reverence for the self-proclaimed "women's lib advocate" Hugh Hefner...

...combined with Playboy's well-documented association with beach inflatables...

...has triggered an overwhelming desire to cast aside his marriage vows and engage in...
                                                       

    "A Three-Way, Dirk's Way!!!"