Showing posts with label Girls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Girls. Show all posts
Meet Lou Porter. A California Native, who loves the beach, surfing and sharing her stories and experiences everyone she encounters. Lou has been coming to Topanga Beach, just north of Los Angeles for years. She takes photos and videos of people surfing and posts them to Instagram and Facebook. Although not a surfer herself she has become a staple in many people's daily routines greeting them as they go in and out to surf.
Lou is committed, she follows the surf charts and on days when there is surf, makes her way from Chatsworth to the beach, a 20 mile commute over the Santa Monica mountains but when the surf is up Lou is there.
A couple of us surfers want to support Lou to get her an upgrade. We are looking to get people from the community to pool together to get her a new camera with a zoom and tripod, to support her. Most of all we want to share our appreciation and enthusiasm for her dedication to the beaches we surf at most.
There have always been amazingly talented women skateboarders but there’s no denying that Vans Pro and Tony Hawk protégé, Santa Monica's Lizzie Armanto, is one of the most groundbreaking ladies in skateboard history. Pouring sweat, skill, and creativity into full parts for both Thrasher Magazine and Birdhouse in 2017, she also became the first female to be featured on the cover of Transworld Skateboarding in addition to Thrasher cover honors. Armanto is also one of the leaders of a new onslaught of fierce women skaters making names for themselves in the Vans Park Series circuit.
If that’s not enough, she’s also the first female skater to successfully complete Tony Hawk’s 360 Loop, in addition to being featured as a primary character in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 video game. With over 30 awards on her mantle, along with the first-ever Gold in X-Games Womens Park competition in 2013, Lizzie’s path is paved in milestones and setting the tone for generations of women in skateboarding.
A true embodiment of Vans’ DNA, Lizzie Armanto is an icon of originality and positivity. With her down-to-earth, fashion-forward, barrier-breaking approach, it’s no wonder Lizzie has become a role model to skateboarders around the world.
Never one to remain complacent in her style both on and off the board, Lizzie’s fun approach is reflected in her latest collection with Vans, featuring the Old Skool Pro Lizzie Armanto and a signature apparel pack infused with Lizzie’s signature beating-heart graphic and positive messaging. The design takes cues from natural tones and wild terrain, according to Lizzie:
“My latest collection was inspired from a photo I took of a spring time California landscape, covered in plants and wildflowers.”
The Old Skool Pro Lizzie packs bold style and serious performance into a shoe for those who aspire to Lizzie’s arresting abilities on a skateboard. The shoe’s full-suede, antique-white upper with debossed Checkerboard combines with a translucent Sidestripe and a contrasting black rubber sole, creating a graceful aesthetic with a bit of attitude. Lizzie’s initials are debossed on the heelcup as well as printed alongside her signature beating-heart graphic on an olive-gold sockliner.
The shoe features PopCush, Vans’ brand-new, Pro-Skate-exclusive technology. A meticulously tuned foam recipe offers impact protection, superior cushioning, and better energy return for every type of skating. As the brand’s most progressive sockliner to date, PopCush is Vans’ standard best-in-class upgrade for skating longer and harder.
Original gum rubber compound offers superior grip and support, while Pro Vulc Lite construction provides ultimate boardfeel, flex, and grip. DURACAP reinforced underlays in high-wear areas add unrivaled durability and prolong the life of the shoe.
Accompanying the Lizzie’s Old Skool Pro is a line of signature apparel, including the Heart Lizzie baby tee in blue surf, legging in black, coaches jacket in antique white, backpack in antique white, sock in white, and hat in black. Lizzie’s signature beating-heart graphic can be found across the collection, from prominent placement on the baby tee to a more subtle nod on the inside front lining of the coaches jacket. A reminder to “skate with heart” is emblazoned on the legging’s interior waist band and backpack’s strap.
The Vans Old Skool Pro Lizzie Armanto Pack is now available at Vans retailers and vans.com/skate.
Hamboards' team rider, Frankie Seely wrote about her experience surfing the wave ranch and the story of her video: “Experience the Dream".
When I first spoke to Donnie about the project, I was driving back to class from a surf session at Seaside Reef, San Diego. I distinctly remember talking about how crowded the spot was and how we could use that as a way to showcase the surf skate product “Hamboards” and maybe an idea for a women's film festival. We spoke about having a surf session at the ranch, we wanted to emphasize the idea of my own “private wave”.
The premise would be about a California girl frustrated with the overcrowded beaches of California, after a frustrating surf session she drifts off to sleep. In her “dream” the girl goes into a trance where she surfs the wave pool trying out different equipment, different crafts, and maneuvers. She is having the time of her life surfing perfect waves at Kelly Slater's Wave pool, smiling from ear to ear until she wakes up. After she realizes that her experience was “just a dream” she goes outside to skate with her friends creating her own “ private wave”.
I didn’t know the logistics if this project would happen because Kelly Slater's Wave Pool is a very coveted location and only a select group of either wealthy people or pro surfers have access to. We confirmed our schedule time at Kelly Slater's wave pool only a couple months down the line after our first conversation. I was ecstatic, I couldn’t believe that I was going to a place that seemed out of my reach at the time. I have watched endless videos about this wave since Kelly documented his first ride on the wave machine. I did not contain my excitement when I found out I was going to the pool.
A couple weeks down the line, I had heard there was a chance that we could not go on the ranch or we might need to go next time. I was somewhat disappointed but miraculously we were able to figure out a new time to go to the ranch. Again all of the excited emotions came rushing back. I bragged to my friends about it after of course, r I found out that the appointment to the wave ranch was one hundred percent confirmed. I felt like the most blessed human, I felt like I could dance all night when I received the confirmation from the ranch. I can say without hesitation that surfing is an addiction. The Trip
I remember that it was only a couple weeks after my birthday when we got to the ranch. It took my dad and I around three hours to get there from my house in Topanga, California. I could not sleep the night before, it didn't seem like it was real or it felt like I was going on a remote trip. We drove inland which seemed like to be in the middle of nowhere. I could see small towns, country towns, and ranches as I went from county to county. The air was dry and cold, it almost felt like I was heading to snowboard in Mammoth instead of going surfing .
I fell asleep for most of the car ride because of my restless night and before I knew it we were driving into the town of Lemoore. As we checked into the hotel, I noticed that the hotel was also a “native american themed” casino. The hotel was decorated as if we were in a history museum mixed with a dave and busters, those two styles of decor and architecture do not mix well together in my opinion. I remember the smell in the casino, a potent mixture of cigarettes and booze.
My dad thought that we should explore the casino since we got to the hotel earlier than expected. We walked around and noticed that the meals were fairly cheap, there were a lot of people of hispanic descent, and the tension was extremely high. This casino wasn’t glamorous like Las Vegas in the Bellagio, this place looked like a place of desperation. I saw people clinging onto the slots as if they blew their last bit of their savings away .
The casino didn’t feel like entertainment instead the slots seemed like a necessity. I couldn't watch it anymore , I had to go to sleep because we had to be at the ranch at 6 am sharp the next morning. Somehow I fell fast asleep.
I woke up to a foggy morning, I got out of bed as fast as I could and I shook my dad to get up. We rushed out of the hotel as fast as we could down to the lobby, into the car, and on the road in a matter of minutes. We didn’t realize how close the surf ranch was to the hotel, we waited for twenty minutes in the car before we started to see more cars showing up. It felt like a dream, everything was very hazy and fog was hovering over the ground. The Surf Ranch looked like a small modern cabin like a country club and it felt like it too.
As we walked through the doors all I could see were rows of firewire surfboards from one side of the room to the other in between the lockers with our names on each one. We walked through the first room and into the second room which had a T.V and a catering set up on the side table. The table had the most elegant looking avocado toast I have ever seen, beautifully executed with other snacks like hummus, coffee, and fruit. It was one of the best hospitality I have ever experienced, better than the four seasons, the hilton, the estancia hotel, and the ritz carlton.
This hospitality was at one hundred percent, the staff told us what to expect while surfing, showed us the jacuzzi, jam room for playing music, and they were always around to answer questions. The curation of design at the Ranch was amazing, it had country vibes with mid century modern elements in the architecture. Everything seemed perfectly placed and everyone's stoke level was off the charts.
The wave itself looked fake , it was something we would day dream about during class or when the waves are flat. I have never seen perfection in a wave like this, no ripples and completely glassy. During the first morning session the fog was starting to disappear which gave a luminous color from the sun peeking through the fog and glistening onto the water. It looked like we had just found paradise despite the extremely cold weather. I was grouped with three people on one side of the pool while the other three were located on the other side of the pool.
I was grouped with two frothy groms which wasn't ideal but fortunately I could keep up with them. We went back and forth for an hour, I switched off with as many boards as I could. I went from a shortboard, to a fish, to a longboard, to a fun board because I wanted to make the most out of this opportunity. I wanted to get the most footage and utilize my time at the ranch as best as I could hour to hour.
The way the wave is set up is that each person gets a chance to surf from one end of the pool starting at a colored flag to another colored flag then the next person goes or each person gets two waves per session all the way from one side to the other.Our group chose to split the waves so we all could have more time surfing and to have less risks of messing up a perfect wave at Kelly Slater's Wave Pool. I caught so many waves that day but my best session was my last when I got the wave more dialed in.
What people don’t understand when they first get on their first wave is that it is not like the ocean, every area is calculated like the tube section. Naturally, surfers are used to figuring out what type of section will be next in order to carry out a maneuver. When surfing the wave pool, each section is already there and there's no need to look for “the barrel section” or “ when to turn '' because it is the same every time just like a skate park.
After a long four hours of surfing the wave pool I felt one of the happiest I have felt in a long time with non stop waves for 4 hours to myself. I remember my smile going from ear to ear after I caught my last wave in during sunset hour. After the group left the pool, we had an amazing dinner to top off an amazing day. I played the guitar while eating some cookies with the group, we said our goodbyes, and we were off to a long three hour drive but this experience was something I’ll never forget.
Frankie has a new blog, check it out: the front half
Back in October, a young, blonde powerhouse began showing up in the Venice lineup. The adorable goofy-foot with a backhand smack began turning heads up and down the beach prompting people to ask “Who’s that?!?”
We chatted with 17 year-old Rubiana (Rubi) Brownell to find out.
By Nicole Lynch
Where are you from and what brings you to Venice?
I was born in Santa Monica, and then my family moved to Costa Rica when I was four. I basically grew up there, so I consider myself to be from Costa Rica. I moved to Venice in October of last year. My dad works here and I do a lot of competing in Southern California and I needed to get used to the waves, so I used this as an opportunity to come here and train.
When did you start competing? How long have you been competing on the QS?
When I was like 13 years old, so about four years ago. I started doing the QS like 2 years ago. When I first started on the national circuit in Costa Rica I was doing well, so moving on the QS was the next step. I got into it pretty smoothly and easily.
So you like competing?
Yeah, for sure! For me more than anything just being a good surfer is my main goal, I care about that more than results. But competing really motivates me. Getting to travel around, you make the closest friendships with people from completely different parts of the world you would never go to. So it’s really cool at such a young age to have that experience while trying to make a career out of it.
When did you learn to surf?
I learned when I was 12. I have a brother who is six years older than me (Indy Brownell), and when my dad had kids his goal was to make sure his kids surfed. But me and my brother, neither of us wanted to – hahah! So he had to get my brother into it first, and that took a while, and then it was my turn. I didn’t want to but after like two months of hardcore surfing I fell in love with it and now I’m more grateful for that than anything.
Haha, so dad had to drag you to the beach?
Yep! It was easier for me than my brother, there was a part of me that just wanted to please him and make him happy. But it was a struggle at first, a lot of frustrating sessions. I was scared of the ocean even on an one foot day! A perfect little beach break and I was terrified of it, so it took a while. But I’m so so grateful for that. I wouldn’t be the same person if I didn’t surf.
You didn’t start surfing until you were 12, at what point did you realize you’ve got talent?
My dad could tell right away. It really helped having him and my older brother around, just catching white water, they would tell me exactly what I needed to do differently and were able to shape my style. So it happened within the first few months for sure.
Your dad (Trey Brownell) rips too.
He grew up in Florida with no waves, and at 15 he moved here to LA. He didn’t start competing until he was an adult. He competed for a few years, won some national contests, some WSA events and was even on US Team for two years. Then he had to find a different career to support his family.
Who are your mentors/ heroes?
My older brother is definitely one of my mentors. He taught me as much as my dad and still pushes me every day. My favorite pros are Sally Fitzgibbons, her attitude towards everything and how motivated she is just being an athlete is super inspirational. Mick Fanning is my other favorite surfer. The bottom turn to front-side top-turn combos, it’s incredible. Even though they’re both regular foots I study their surfing more than anybody else.
I overheard one of the old timers saying you have one of the best backhands he has ever seen surfed at the pier.
Aww ☺
Do you prefer going front or backside?
Backside for sure! I mean, it depends on what kind of waves I’m surfing. I really struggle with barrels backside, but when it’s just turns then backside for sure! Caroline Marks is insane.
What does your quiver look like?
I’m riding a combination of Losts and boards from my local shaper in Costa Rica called Global Surfboards. 5’6” thrusters
What other kinds of training are you doing?
I have a personal trainer who sends me workouts online. I do that three or four times a week. Weight training and being overall more in shape is one of my goals.
What about an air game? Is that something you’ll be looking to incorporate into your regimen?
Yeah, it’s something I’ve had a hard time with. When I’m back home my brother really gives me a hard time about that. We argue about it, but we’ve decided that he’s better at airs and barrels and I’m better at everything else. We push each other. Now that I’ve got some time off from contests it’s definitely something I want to focus on.
What has it been like navigating sponsors?
It’s hard, especially being from Costa Rica, it’s a place where it’s really hard to get sponsors from the US. I’m super grateful for O’Neill and Monster. I’ve also had a ton of support from local sponsors in Costa Rica. Pimienta Verde Organic Market and Mermaids and Sailors in Tamarindo, I’m very grateful.
You were due to compete in a QS 3000 in Barbados before Coronavirus hit. What’s the plan now?
All the contests got cancelled through the end of May and potentially longer. The plan was to go home, but then the borders got closed so now we’re just chilling here. We’ll see.
Where are your favorite spots here in Cali?
That’s really tough. I honestly like the waves in Nor Cal, Pleasure Point and Morro Bay. In So Cal, I guess Lowers has to be my favorite wave. And the Venice Pier is definitely my favorite every day spot. Surfing here has helped me so much! Learning how to surf one peak with a crowd. I have to be more alert and position myself properly. Learning how to surf close-outs, surfing a wave where you have to make your own speed in a small section. It’s been a process, it’s been a frustrating five-months but feels really really good to finally be improving on it and I think it’s going to really help me when I travel. Yeah this place is special for sure!
Throwing it back to 2004 with this video of this women's nigh time surf contest at Malibu.
{{{Malibu}}}, Calif. – (October 16, 2004) – With 180,000 watts of light focused on the action, the Red Bull 5X made history as Malibu’s first-ever night surfing event was held in reeling, shoulder-high waves at the famous First Point. Five of the sport’s most talented female longboarders, includingDaize Shayne, Mary Osborne, Kassia Meador, Kim Hamrock and SchuylerMcFerran, battled it out in a {{{90}}}-minute expression session.
Instead of the normal surf competition in which each surfer’s performance is critiqued by judges on the beach, the RB5X allows the surfers to push the limits of performance without the constraints of typical contest formats. A full film crew recorded all the action in the water and the surfers themselves will determine the winner during a playback session.
“It was so rad with no judges. You’re your own judge and you’re everybody else’s judge,” says pro surfer Kassia Meador of Oceanside, Calif. “The RB5Xis a cool way to push each other and push our surfing to the next level.It’s more about earning the respect of your peers and seeing who threw down, who’s doing the craziest stuff and who was surfing the best.”
Despite the impossibly long nose rides and graceful footwork on display, it was the unique night surfing format that caught the attention of the surfers. “It was so beautiful on the water,” says veteran pro Kim Hamrock of Huntington Beach, Calif. “Actually it was kind of hard to surf at times because I was just mesmerized watching the bottom and the fish.”
New video from Hamboards:
After too many sessions of enduring the struggle to surf in over-crowded Malibu*, Frankie Seely gets a chance to ride Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch's dream waves. One long exhausting day at California's most crowded point break, full of cut-offs and drop-ins, an exhausted Malibu local dreams of surfing her own private wave-after-wave... till the day is done. Refreshed from her slumber, and the surf-line abandoned, she opts for a surf/skate session with friends to relive the dream.
*Editor's note: That's Topanga in the video, but they call Malibu so gets more views.
Tati's Signature Sharpeye Surfboard
Set from Tati Eco-Collection
$500 Bodyglove.com Gift Card
Stick Bumps Wax, Leash & Traction Pads
Case of Rockstar Energy Drinks
Youtheory Supplements
ENTER HERE
Waterwomen, circle up for World Water Day! Salted Spirit Podcast is holding a virtual workshop this Sunday morning.
JOIN ME as I temporarily shift my "Wellness for Waterwomen" workshop series to a virtual meeting room, so we can see each other's faces while navigating these next few weeks together with a heaping dose of positivity, inspiration and courage. The objective of these workshops is to come together as a community to encourage healthy habits for our emotional well being, our physical bodies and our salty spirits!
Requirement: Bring your favorite cozy beverage and be ready to share what’s in your cup!
Learn From My Guest Speaker, Artist & Surfer Kristina Young from Jersey!
“My art has been a release, a safe place, a sanctuary. A place of peace in my mind as well as my surroundings. It is moved by the ocean because the ocean forced me to grow, forced me to conquer my fears. And in the long run, the ocean forced me to be in the moment, because that’s what she asks of all of us, when we are consumed by her.”
Steep That Artist in You: We are all artists in some capacity. Maybe you feel insecure because you can only draw stick people (duh, me too!). But have you really given yourself the chance to embrace your creativity? If you’re jonesing to learn a new language like Portuguese, you’re not going to be fluent after one class, right? It takes patience, dedication and practice. Listen to Kristina’s journey, she wasn't an overnight success ladies, so let’s get inspired as waterwomen together and tap into that unknown creativity!
Engage In A Vibrant Female Community: Look, it’s a big world out there and we’re all in some sort of social isolation due to COVID-19, so most of us are trying to figure out a routine, combat some loneliness and just feel ‘normal.’ Join a community of like-minded driven women looking to navigate this new unfamiliar territory together.
What this isn’t: A cheesy or weird networking event, or any kind of sales pitch.
Details:
Wellness For Waterwomen Virtual (for now) Workshop Series
When: Sunday March 22nd, 9am - 10am PST
Where: Zoom link provided
Why: Cuz we’re all socially isolated and we need to hang and create goodness
Weather Report: Sending you sunny vibes from Los Angeles
Malibu's Frankie Harrer joins Nora Vasconcellos, Laura Enever,, Jaleesa Vincent, and Shanae Collins and fires up the ol’ 94 stretch limo and head west. With special guests Stephanie Gilmore, Nicole Hause and Jordyn Barratt, the crew drove across dusty roads from Texas to California. Skateboarding and surfing their way through small towns, snow capped mountains and desert plains. 1355 miles, 4 states and a shit load of memories made this trip one to remember. Doing fun stuff with your friends is what it’s all about!
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