Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Projeto Escola Guilherme Tâmega

Projeto Escola Guilherme Tâmega

The Guilherme Tâmega Bodyboard School Social Project

A Blog A Day 2017: Blog # 26

Tuesday, September 26th


  The Guilherme Tâmega School was founded by 6x World Champion Guilherme Tâmega in 2002.  This social project works with up to 40 kids from the favelas of Pavão-Pavãozinho, Cantagalo, Chapeu Mangueira in Leme, and Morro Azul in Flamengo.  Classes take place at the world famous Copacabana Beach.

EGT students being coached on proper hand and body positioning.

  The school has built a reputation for developing world class competitors, such as Socrates Santana and Matheus Bastos.  Socrates Santana began with the social project at 10 years old, and went on to become 2x Pro Junior World Champion.  Both Socrates and Matheus now compete on the APB Men's World Tour.

Former star EGT student and 2x Pro Junior World Champion Socrates Santana visiting the school along with Women's World Tour competitor Ayaka Suzuki (Japan).

  The Escola Guilherme Tâmega meets every Tuesday and Thursday morning, on the beach in Copacabana (across the street from the Rio Othon Palace Hotel), 8:30-10:30am.  Students go through a series of warm-up exercises and stretching at the start of each class, before embarking on a short 2km beach run.  They receive instruction about equipment maintenance, environmental awareness, water safety, and wave riding technique.

After the conclusion of the APB Itacoatiara Pro world tour event, bodyboarding legend Manny Vargas (California, USA) paid a visit to the EGT.

For more information about the EGT, please be sure to visit:

Escola Guilherme Tâmega on Facebook


Saturday, September 23, 2017

Baja Daydreaming

Baja Daydreaming

A Blog A Day 2017: Blog #23

Saturday, September 23rd

Enjoying a frosty margarita and grilled lobster tails in Puerto Nuevo!

  Okay, so it's late in the afternoon on a September Saturday.  I've been in my home office organizing paperwork, jotting down some random notes for a project I'm working on, filing bills, and prepping for a busy week to come.  This entire day, pretty much since my feet first hit the floor, I've had thoughts of Mexico running through my brain.  To be more specific, I've had thoughts of Northern Baja stuck in my head.  Fun waves. Uncrowded line-ups. Delicious food.  Cold Pacificos.  Good times!  Then, on a completely unrelated note, I thought to myself, "That should be today's blog!"  So, here it is...a little "Baja Daydreaming" to share with all of you!  All photos were taken by Manny Vargas on our Baja Weekender in 2011.  If you feel inspired to organize your own Baja Weekender, be sure to check out the official website below, and get in touch with Manny to make arrangements.  All the important details are listed on the website.  MV can help you dial in the rest of the details.

Mmmmm, lobster tails!

Gotta have chips n salsa!

You can't go wrong with this meal...a frosty margarita and grilled lobster tails with all-you-can-eat chips, salsa, guacamole, refried beans, Spanish rice, and warm flour tortillas.

Paying to have a mariachi play for us while we ate?  Totally worth it!

The Mariachi guitarist played a couple of songs for us.

Stoked to score some fun little waves and an empty line-up!

Scored a fun little solo session!





The only others I had to share the line-up with were a pod of dolphins and a flock of seagulls.

All smiles after that session!

A quick shower, throw on some clothes, and time to go eat!

PORK TACOS!!!  I love these!!!

Mmmmm, sooo gooood!!!

I could never go to Northern Baja and not dive face first into a Pork Carnitas Torta!!!

I love making new friends in Baja.  Hola, Señor Caballo!

Always stoked to cruise Northern Baja with Manny V!


For more information about Baja Weekender, and to book your trip with Manny Vargas, be sure to visit the official Baja Weekender website!


Friday, September 22, 2017

My First Contest Win

My First Contest Win

A Blog A Day 2017: Blog #22

Friday, September 22nd

  For the first few years as a bodyboarder, I really didn't concern myself too much with competition.  I was still learning how to control my board and trying to be more consistent with my maneuvers.  When I did start to focus more on competing, I was still only entering one or two local events per year.  I made my first amateur final in 1991 (see previous blog for that story). For the next several years it was the same story; a contest here and there, a finals appearance here and there.  Whenever I made a final, though, it was always "close, but no cigar."  It wasn't until 1996 that I committed to competing full-time as an amateur in the Central New Jersey district of the ESA (Eastern Surfing Association) Men's Bodyboarding division.  I managed to finish 5th overall in the year-end rankings, but still had yet to win a contest.  That was about to change.

Letting my wetsuit hang dry from the hatchback of my beat up old 1989 Ford Escort in the parking lot at Loch Arbor, NJ.

(Backstory: Saturday, April 19th, 1997)
  I drove to New Brunswick, New Jersey to see Ignite play at The Down Under.  The Down Under wasn't really a club.  It was, basically, a small lounge bar in the basement of a hotel that booked hardcore and punk rock shows.  I got to see a lot of great bands and incredible shows in that hotel basement.  This show was no different.  The place was packed and Ignite, literally, had people bouncing off the walls!  After the show, I caught up with the guitarist from Ignite, Joe Foster, and asked him if he could spare a few minutes to do an interview for my fanzine.  As it turned out, we ended up going with Tim (the lead singer for the band Mouthpiece) and my friend Scooter to go watch the Knicks vs. Bulls game back at Tim's house. While we were at Tim's place, Joe and I stepped outside to record the interview on my microcassette recorder.  Now, if the name "Joe Foster" sounds familiar to you, it should.  In the mid-to-late 80's Joe was a pro bodyboarder from Orange County, California and rode for Madrid Bodyboards.  Well, after asking him questions about both Ignite and bodyboarding for my fanzine, we got lost in conversation talking about bodyboarding for a while.  It was a lot of fun, and rather inspiring for me.  Before we wrapped up our conversation, I mentioned I had a contest the next morning.  "Good luck.  I hope you win."

Ignite at The Down Under in New Brunswick, NJ on April 19th, 1997.

(Excerpt from Interview with Joe Foster)

-Now, a little bit about your bodyboarding.  How often do you get out in the water these days?
Joe Foster:  I'm kind of a lazy, grumpy old man now.  So, if I'm not sick, and if I feel healthy.  See, it's weird, because if I stay away from the water for a while, after a tour I know the second I hop back in and have a good session, I'm going to want to do it every single day.  It just depends.  If we get back from tour, I catch up on my health, and I'm not tired anymore I'm out there every day.  If I'm home for a couple of weeks in between tours, I might not even see the water.

-How long have you been bodyboarding for?
Joe Foster:  Oh, man. 18 years.

-Yeah?  It was pretty cool when I realized that "Joe from Ignite" was Joe Foster, pro bodyboarder, who was top five in the world back in '87!
Joe Foster:  I didn't even think anybody even remembered.  That's pretty cool!  You know what?  Back when I was bodyboarding and doing my older bands, just having fun as a kid and just living it and loving it,  I found myself, around 1988, doing other things and getting away from the (music) scene because it was so violent,  I was never a part of that.  I was into the Youth Crew movement, 7 Seconds, and the sing-a-longs.  I started seeing gangs and violence, and I said, "Fuck, this isn't for me anymore.  This is stupid!"  So, I went overseas and did some other stuff.  I found myself in Japan, one day, like six years later going, "Man, I'm so unhappy.  When was the last time I was happy?"  I don't know.  I'm thinking about it.  It was when I was bodyboarding, and when I was playing hardcore!

The Ignite interview as it appeared in External732 Fanzine, Issue #6.

(CNJ/ESA Event #1 @ Loch Arbour. Sunday, April 20th, 1997)
  The morning after the Ignite show in New Brunswick, I was parked in the gravel lot at Loch Arbor, bright and early, for the first CNJ/ESA contest of the 1997 season.  At the end of the previous season, two of Central New Jersey's best competitors (and former district champions), Larry McGinn and Chuck Guarino, made the decision to start competing professionally.  Even without having to compete against them, I knew I had a lot of work to do this season.  I felt confident that I could improve on my ranking from last season, but I was anxious to get out in the water for the season opener.  I was surprised to see Chuck in the parking lot.  "Are you competing?"  "No, I agreed to judge the bodyboarding divisions."

The Custom X Matrix that I had purchased as a back-up board for my trip to Puerto Rico a month before had become my "Go-To" board.  I felt really dialed-in to this board, and it showed in my riding!  I loved this board, and wish I still had it!

  As eager as I was to get the new season started, the surf conditions weren't exactly inspiring.  The waves were horrendous, ankle-to-knee-high gutless slop.  Always the optimist, our district director Scott Goodwin, announced the classic ESA mantra, "It's contestable!"  With junk waves, and Chuck on the beach judging, I started to feel a little nervous.  I was really going to have to grovel it out to get a decent result.  Out in the water, I didn't pay attention to the other competitors.  I was so focused on what I needed to do, that I kind of zoned out.  Back on the beach, I had to wait for the results of the Men's Bodyboarding final to be announced.  I went out to the parking lot, changed out of my wetsuit, got dressed and waited at my car.  I started to think about it too much, and doubt my performance.  "Was it enough?  Could I have done better?"


  Finally, it was time to find out the results.  I had felt really confident coming into this event.  I had felt rather confident while I was out in the water, battling it out in the final, despite the weak conditions.  Having to wait for the results, I was driving myself crazy.  So, by the time the results were about to be read out I had convinced myself that it was going to be just another final for me.  Scott started reading, "Results for Men's Bodyboarding.  In 4th Place..."  Not me.  "In 3rd Place..."  Not me.  I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to myself, "Okay, 2nd Place is a pretty good way to start the season."  "In 2nd Place..." Not me.  WHAT?!?  "...and in 1st Place, Steve "Action" Jackson!"  I couldn't believe it!  I'd finally won a contest! Apparently, I was the only rider pulling off spin-roll combos during the final which put me out in front for the win.  SOOO STOKED!!!  On the drive home,  I had my trophy sitting in the passenger's seat of my car, Ignite blasting on the stereo, and a Cheshire Cat-like smile plastered on my face!



Thursday, September 21, 2017

Puerto Rico 1997: My First Surf Trip

#TBT Puerto Rico 1997: My First Surf Trip

A Blog A Day 2017: Blog #21

Thursday, September 21st

  The first surf trip I ever went on was to Puerto Rico. I flew down with my friend Spencer on Carnival Airways, and we stayed at the Rincon Surf & Board for a week.  I fell in love with "The Enchanted Island" on that trip...the people, the food, everything.  Even after 20 years, and a couple of return visits, I still look forward to my next trip there, and fantasize about living in Puerto Rico full time.  Who knows, maybe one day I WILL relocate and spend the rest of my days on the island.  Until then, here are my "Surf Journal" entries for that first trip (originally printed in External 732 Fanzine, issue #5).


(Thursday, March 20th- 4:10pm)
  I woke up early, psyched for today!  I went down to the Inlet (Manasquan) to check the surf.  It was small and really not worth a go-out.  I went by the surf shop to pick up a new pair of boardshorts, and headed back home to eat.  I was back at the surf shop, a short while later, where I met up with Spencer.  We rolled out to my house, to load up my gear, before taking off on a few assorted stops.  We checked in at the airport and, eventually, boarded.  After sitting on the plane and being delayed for almost two hours, we're taking off.  The trip begins!

(5:30pm)
  Oh, joy!  It's in-flight meal time.  Let's see...chicken.  I'll pass on that, thank you very much. I gave it to Spencer to eat.  The beans and rice, salad, and carrot cake were pretty good, though...and the flight attendant slipped us second servings!  It turns out that Adam (an acquaintance from back home) is on the same flight with us.  Cool!  Someone for us to talk to.  I heard TR (another acquaintence from Manasquan) and a few others are already down in Puerto Rico.  Before I left, I was told TR's been scoring head high surf the past two days; oughtta be a party when we get down there.  We're supposed to get a really killer swell, like really BIG!  Things look to be an interesting time for the next week.

(Later)
  As expected, our plane got in late and then we had to wait forever at luggage claim for Spencer's surfboards.  His friend, Chris, was waiting for us and, after we loaded everything into Chris' beat up little red Suzuki Samurai, we made it out of the airport around 9:40pm.  We stopped for something to eat before going to Rincon Surf & Board so we could unload.  We met up with some people Spence knew from previous trips to Puerto Rico, and went to the Calypso (bar) to hang out.  After about 20 minutes, Chris gave Spencer and I a ride back to the guest house.
  Riding around Puerto Rico, in the back of the Suzuki, at night was like something out of a movie or a dream. All the narrow winding roads surrounded by palm trees, the small little houses, traffic signs in Spanish, the occasional rooster or chicken or stray dog running out of the way.  The warm night air and humidity are a welcomed change from New Jersey's winter weather.  The wind in my face, the unfamiliar scenery; I felt like I was caught up in some sort of fantasy.  Right now, this all seems so surreal, like at any second I'm going to open my eyes and I'll be back in NJ.

(Friday, March 21st)
  With a little help from all the roosters crowing, I woke up at 5am.  I lounged around for a few hours with Spencer, before Chris came to pick us up.  A couple of guys from Southern California came in last night, and wound up hanging out with us today.  We went for breakfast at Punta's Bakery (an egg and cheese sandwich for $.75, a donut for $.10!) before driving into town to buy some groceries for the week.  We made a quick surf check, and went back to the guest house to put our groceries away.  Chris drove us all down to Domes, but it had gotten really crowded out in the line-up and wasn't worth the hassle.  We wound up paddling out in between Pool's and Sandy's and surfing for two and a half hours.  The waves were small (2ft.) but fun.  This is the first time I've ever ridden a reef break, and I had a good time of it.  That is, except for launching a rollo onto barely submerged reef and dinging my board.  That, and getting really bad sunburn on my back because my sunblock wore off, were the only downsides to my first day here.
  Since Chris had left to get his Suzuki worked on, the four of us (the two Cali guys, Spence, and me) walked the half-mile, uphill, back to the guest house.  We were hanging out in the Cali guys' place when TR got back.  I was surprised to see him, and stopped to talk with him for a bit.  It amazes me how small the world can be, sometimes.  I flew all the way to Puerto Rico to run into someone I surf with in Manasquan, let alone staying in the same guest house.  That is pretty cool!
  I lounged around and crashed out for most of the afternoon, since the surf had gone flat.  Later, we went to Kim's house and played Mortal Kombat.  We stopped at Punta's again, for something to eat, and went back to the guest house where I sat around eating Honey Combs, swilling Mountain Dew, and watching reruns of Beverly Hills 90210.  Spence crashed out around 7pm and, after watching The Princess Bride, I did likewise around 11:30pm.

(Saturday, March 22nd)
  I woke up, around 3am, to the sound of people laughing really loud.  TR's friend, Brian, was celebrating his 30th birthday.  From the back porch of his room, Brian was laughing and heckling Spencer.  "SPENCER!!! YOU DROPPED IN ON ME AT INLET!!!"  Spence woke up to hear him, looked at me, and the two of us fell out laughing.  We went up and hung out until around 4am, when we all decided to call it a night.  Right about sunrise, around 6am.  I woke up and ran over to TR's room.  TR, Brian, Spencer, and I loaded up our boards and set out on a 40-minute drive up north to Middles for a morning session.  Middles breaks almost every day at a decent size, or so I'd been told.  Today, it was microscopic.  What a buzzkill!
  Our stop at Burger King for breakfast was interesting, to say the least.  Between our sorry attempt at ordering in Spanish and the confusion of speaking in both Spanish and English, it's no wonder our order got messed up.  To top off this fumbled expedition, none of us had brought any tapes to listen to (sort of).  Almost all of the radio stations in PR are Spanish, and the few English-speaking stations play nothing but dance music.  So, the only music we had to listen to were two cassette singles that TR and Brian had come across at Aguadilla Mall.  For almost an hour and a half, we listened to U2's "Discotheque" and Dishwalla's "Counting Blue Cars" over and over and over and...
  When we got back, I hung out at TR's place and watched some Nickelodeon.  Then I hung out with the Cali guys, Brian and Collin, for a while before coming back to the guest house to check the Weather Channel and take my vitamins.  Brian stopped by, and we headed up to the other guest house.  I went up to Kogi's (the guy who takes care of the Surf & Board guest houses).  There, I found Spencer lounging around on the couch playing with Kogi's little dog Brutus.  Eventually, we came back to our place and Spence decide to take another little ciesta.  It's 11am, 80 degrees outside, there's no surf, and we have no car at the moment (neither Spencer nor I are old enough to rent a car).  Talk about getting skunked!
  We're supposed to get swell tomorrow, but I heard that yesterday.  Spencer's kinda hoping it'll come up later this afternoon.  I don't know.  I just want some rideable waves.  It's good, in a way, though.  With no rideable surf, I get a chance to take care of my sunburn today, and stay out of the sun a little.  I got burned like a piece of toast yesterday, and it hurts like hell today.
  The rest of the day was spent driving around with Chris, and hanging out on the beach at Sandy's.  We made further attempts at attaining a rental car with no luck.  We hung out with a few cute girls from Cape May (New Jersey), and went swimming with them to cool off for a bit.  Later in the afternoon, clouds rolled in over the beach, so we got a ride back to the Surf & Board.  Spence popped on the Weather Channel, and then we watched The Princess Bride again.
  Me and Spencer hung around at our place for a while before going to see what Brian and Collin were up to, and to go settle our bill with Kogi.  A little later, the Cali guys came over, along with this gorgeous girl from San Juan, who's staying up in one of the other guest rooms.  We all loaded up into her Ford Explorer, along with her two friends (another gorgeous female and her boyfriend), and drove into town for pizza.  When we came back, I watched Sixteen Candles, the Dennis Rodman Spring Break Tour, and I crashed out for the night.

The two boards I brought to Puerto Rico with me.  The blue Rheopaipo Thrasher developed a bad case of "banana rocker" in the warm waters of PR. I used it one more time, back home in New Jersey, and then sold it.  I bought the grey Custom X Basix as a back-up board for my Puerto Rico trip.  It became my "Go-To" board on this trip, as well as back home in NJ...but that's a whole other story...

(Sunday, March 23rd)
  I slept in this morning ('til 9am), ate breakfast, and when Chris came over me, Spencer, and Chris took off for the car rental place, stopping to pick up Kim on the way.  We got the rental car (well, Chris did anyway), and he gave us his Suzuki for the week.  Good deal, we have wheels and the swell is supposed to come up tonight.  The girls from San Juan left for home today. I picked up some post cards to mail out. The Cali guys, Spencer, and myself went for a quick surf in between Pool's and Sandy's where we went out Friday.  It was really small and really not worthwhile.  We hung out at the beach for a while, and met a bunch of girls from Bergen County (New Jersey).  They seemed pretty cool and said they'd meet up with us at The Landing tonight.  We did meet up with them, later on, but they brushed us off for a bunch of meat-necked jocks on spring break.  Anyway, Spencer and the Cali guys went into town and brought back pizza.  After we ate, we went to The Landing, then the Tamboo (tavern), and then to the Calypso.  We, eventually, went back to The Landing and played pool for an hour or so, and headed back to the guest houses.

(Monday, March 24th)
  Spencer drove down to check the surf around 6am. No luck.  It's flat.  Another day of getting skunked by the lack of waves here.  With nothing better to do, I slept until 9am...but then there was swell (a small swell anyway).  Me and Spence went down to check the beach at 11am, and there were chest high sets rolling through.  We came back to get Brian and Collin, loaded up our boards, and we were off.  We surfed Domes for almost two hours.  There was a nice bowl coming through that was fun to backdoor on the take-off.  Conditions were slightly disorganized from the onshore winds, and the crowded line-up (consisting mainly of bodyboarders, like myself) got a little hectic.  So, we went to Punta's for lunch and headed over to Sandy's for a go-out.  The Suzuki started freaking out on us and is out of commission for the rest of the trip.  The transmission broke, and now the Susuki only drives in reverse.  We had to leave it in the parking lot at Sandy's until the mechanic can come pick it up tomorrow.  Seeing as how we were already there, and stuck for a ride, we surfed Sandy's for a couple of hours before walking to Indicators and backtracking to Domes.  Spencer and Brian went back out at Domes for another hour and a half, and Collin hung out on the beach.  I was kinda beat, and opted for a little ciesta under the trees.  There was a nice, cool breeze on the beach and the sun would, occasionally, poke through the trees to shine down on me; propped up against my board which itself was propped up against the base of a palm tree.
  Chris, Kim, and David came to pick us up and crammed seven people into Chris' compact rental car.  He dropped us off and came back later to drive us down to Pool's, where there was a bonfire on the beach.  There was, I'd say, about 50 people sitting around the fire drinking beers, playing acoustic guitars, and banging on bongo drums.  It was kinda fun.  After an hour, the bonfire got sorta beat, so the four of us walked down to The Landing, and then back up the hill to the guest house.  Just a little ways up the hill, we hitched a ride with some guys from LBI (Long Beach Island, NJ) and a couple of girls from Long Island (New York).  Brian rode on the hood, Spencer and Collin sat in the trunk, and I rode on the roof of the car.  Back at the guest house, the four of us lounged at mine and Spencer's place for a while, and cooked up a ton of food to grind on while we watched Daria on MTV.  I did the dishes and crashed out for the night.

(Tuesday, March 25th)
  I slept in a bit, again.  Around 9am, I went with the new people, staying in one of the other two rooms of our guest house, who moved in last night.  Spencer and the Cali guys couldn't all fit so the three of them stayed in Rincon.  Moe, his girlfriend, and I headed up north in search of waves since Rincon's pretty much flat today.  I got the chance to check out Rincon Surf Shop; a small shop, but pretty cool.  We checked Jobos, Surfer's Beach, Wilderness, and Middles.  All small, but Surfer's Beach had the most potential and looked like fun.  We went back to Surfer's Beach around 11am and, by then, the onshore winds had kicked up.  It was 2ft. and totally windblown.  Me and Moe gave it a go for an hour, but really didn't have much fun in those sloppy conditions.  I'm just glad I didn't step on any sea urchins while I was out.  Trying to pull urchin spines out of your foot is not a fun task, from what I understand.
  We drove back to the guest house where I sat around watching way too much TV and eating, because I couldn't get into my room.  Spencer decided to take a little afternoon ciesta  and locked himself, and our only key, in our room.  When Spence came to, I grabbed my camera, CD player, and my notebook to do some writing in.  I took a few photos, did some writing, and listened to a bunch of music to pass the time.  I'd have gone crazy, by now, if I had not brought music to listen to.  I'd kill for some good size surf right about now.
  We have yet another roommate.  Kristen is staying in the third room of our guest house, the one me and Spencer originally mistook for a storage closet.  She's a short cutie, with short blond hair, from Hollywood (California).  Me and Spencer got to meet her when we came back from having dinner at The Lazy Parrot with Brian and Collin.  Later, the five of us walked down to The Landing.  I played some pool with Spencer, while the Cali guys chatted with the Jersey girls we'd met earlier in the trip.  By this time, I'd had enough of the bar crowd atmosphere.  I got the key from Spence, and walked back up the hill by myself.


(Wednesday, March 26th)
  UH!!!  UH!!!  OWWW, FUCK!!!  I got up at 6:30am to go check for waves, and made the mistake of trying to skate downhill to the beach.  It's a very steep, winding hill with lots of rocks and potholes.  Oh, God, did I ever eat it!  I was about a quarter of the way down when I ate pavement, and slid about 20 feet downhill on my chest.  My white t-shirt was now torn and as black as the asphalt.  The palms of my hands were shredded, with pebbles embedded in my skin.  I had some pretty nasty road rash and a wrenched ankle, but it coulda been worse.  I limped back up to the guest house and crashed on the couch.  Damn, that hurt!

(9am)
  The Cali guys just left.  Off to San Juan Airport.  Spencer headed up north towards Wilderness with a few guys from Long Island.  I wanted to go with them, but I was still feeling a little banged up from this morning.  Instead, I watched Sixteen Candles with Kristen.  She brought out the pillows and blanket from her room, curled up with me on the floor, and we chilled for a while.  Moe and his girlfriend came back from snorkeling and told me that, in the past two hours, the surf had gone from flat to solid head-high.  Kristen and I were on our way to the beach, anyway, so I ran back into my room and grabbed my board and fins.  Yes, finally something decent!
  We walked about halfway down, when the guys from LBI picked us up and gave us a ride over to Domes.  I surfed for an hour, while Kristen layed out on the beach reading a magazine.  The waves were solid head-high and a little disorganized, but with some really fun bowls to play with.  From Domes, we walked down a dirt road that comes out by Pool's.  Along the way, a couple of locals let us jump in the back of their pick-up and gave us a ride.  Once at Pool's we walked down to the Tamboo, and then to the guest house.
  Kristen drove me into town so I could mail out my postcards, dropped me back off at the guest house, and left to go take pictures of the sunset.  I grabbed my gear and started down the hill for the beach when Moe drove by.  He turned around, I threw my board in his car and, since I couldn't fit inside, I jumped onto the roof of the car for the ride down to the beach.  I went out at Parking Lots for an hour before sundown.  The waves were still solid head-high and slightly disorganized, but were still very rideable and looked to, slowly, be building.  I started to walk back, after the session, when "Negative Guy" (this short, stocky longboarder with a big mustache, from Long Island, who swore everyone and everything sucked; "This sucks!" is like his motto) gave me a ride up the hill.  I asked him where he surfed today.  I forget where he said.  I asked him how his session was.  "The wind was on it. It sucked."  I had to do my best not to laugh.  Spencer and the other guys didn't get back until after dark.  We all went to El Tapatio for dinner, and scored some killer grinds for cheap.  I had two bean burrito platters for $4.  After dinner, we got dropped off at Brisa's bar for the Wednesday night slide show.  Spencer and I hung out with Chris, Kim, Dave, three super cool guys from South Africa who are doing a worldwide surf trip from Indonesia to Hawaii and so on, as well as hanging out with a bunch of other people we've met in our time on the island.

(Thursday, March 27th)
  Just after 6am, I got up and got dressed.  Spencer got up to get ready to head up to Wilderness for the day.  I woke up Moe, loaded my things into his car, and we were off and on our way to Aguadilla Airport by 6:30am.  I checked in my luggage, went through Customs, and all that fun stuff.  I ran into yet another guy from LBI.  Puerto Rico is like a home away from home for New Jersey surfers and bodyboarders, apparently.
  Moe and I checked the waves at Parking Lots before going to the airport.  It was head-high to overhead and glassy.  Spencer should should score some killer surf at Wilderness today.  I wish I could stay a few extra days to ride out this swell, but my boss shot down the idea of me taking a few more days away from work.  Not cool.  Oh well, at least I got a few days in the water. Puerto Rico was a really fun trip, and I do plan on going back.  I just have to learn some Spanish for next time.

Monday, September 18, 2017

2017 APB Sintra Pro Recap

2017 APB Sintra Pro Recap

A Blog A Day 2017: Blog #18

Monday, September 18th



2017 APB Sintra Pro
Praia Grande
September 12th-17th

A 4-Star/ 4000pts Men's World Tour event
A 4-Star/ 4000pts Women's World Tour event
A 2-Star/ 2000pts Drop Knee World Tour event
A 2-Star/ 2000pts Pro Junior World Tour event


PRO JUNIOR:
1st- Bruno Martin (Spain)
2nd- Yon Aimar (France)
3rd- Cristobal Fernandez (Easter Island)
4th- Joaquim Soto (Chile)



DROP KNEE PRO:
1st- Sammy Morretino (Hawaii)
2nd- Dave Hubbard (Hawaii)



WOMEN'S PRO:
(Grand Final)
1st- Joana Schenker (Portugal)
2nd- Alexandra Rinder (Canary Islands)

(Podium Final)
3rd- Isabela Sousa (Brazil)
4th- Mayume Tone (Japan)



MEN's PRO:
(Grand Final)
1st- Iain Campbell (South Africa)
2nd- Uri Valadão (Brazil)

(Podium Final)
3rd- Alex Uranga (Basque)
4th- Pierre Louis Costes (France)


Official APB Press Release: A Final Day for the History Books

Final Day Highlights:


For more information, please be sure to visit: www.apbtour.com

Sunday, September 17, 2017

The Future of DK is Now!

The Future of DK is Now!

A Blog A Day 2017: Blog #17

Sunday, September 27th


Kauai grom Sammy Morretino with US East Coast DK legend Ryan Rhodes back in 2010.

  Back in 2010, a scrawny 13 year old from Kauai (Hawaii) started showing up at USBA (United States Bodyboarding Association) tour events and turning heads with both his prone and drop knee bodyboarding skills.  Sammy Morretino finished 2nd in the Drop Knee division at the 2010 Jenks Pro (New Jersey), behind East Coast legend Ryan Rhodes (North Carolina) who went on to refer to young Sammy as, "The Future of Drop Knee."


Over the next couple of years, Sammy continued to develop his skills on both the USBA national tour and Hawaii regional tour events.  In 2012, Sammy accomplished some major feats during the competition season.  At the Sandy Beach Pro, the 15 year old defeated both Jeff and Dave Hubbard...two of his bodyboarding idols from his home island of Kauai.  Also during the 2012 USBA season, Sammy made history at the US Open of Bodyboarding (Huntington Beach, CA) when he pulled off a three division sweep by winning the DK Pro, Open Amateur, and 14-18 divisions.  For more information on those events, please check out these press releases:

Sammy Morretino: US Open of Bodyboarding

Sammy Morretino: Sandy Beach Pro

  Known as "The Meerkat," Sammy Morretino has remained a constant threat on the Hawaii Bodyboarding Pro Tour over the past several years. Just in case there was any doubt, Sammy reminded everyone how versatile he is by winning 2015 season titles in three separate divisions on the Hawaiian regional tour...Men's Pro, Drop Knee, and Stand-up.

Sammy Morretino Takes Three Hawaiian Bodyboarding Titles



  Well, seven years after the Kauai "Supergrom" was declared to be "The Future of Drop Knee," Sammy Morretino claimed the 2017 APB Drop Knee word title at the Sintra Pro in Portugal today.  Now 20 years old, "The Meerkat" dominated his heats during competition and defeated his friend and hero, 8x DK World Champion Dave Hubbard, in the final to become the youngest Drop Knee World Champion in bodyboarding history!  Stay tuned to www.apbtour.com for the official press release, video highlights, and photos.


Congratulations, 2017 APB Drop Knee World Champion Sammy Morretino!!!

You did it, kid!!!

Friday, September 15, 2017

Random Travel Advice

Random Travel Advice

A Blog A Day 2017: Blog #15

Friday, September 15th



   If you ever find yourself cruising San Diego, California and decide you want to go bodyboarding at Blacks, do yourself a favor and DO NOT try to hike down the goat trail in flip flops!

Yeah, ummm, maybe this wasn't such a great idea.


Thursday, September 14, 2017

Paul Roach in NJ 2008

Paul Roach in NJ 2008

A Blog A Day 2017: Blog #14

Thursday, September 14th

#TBT Paul Roach at the 2008 USBA Jenks Pro

Paul Roach calling out waves from the each at Jenks!

  In May 2008, I flew from New Jersey (United States) to Los Cabos (Mexico) for Manny Vargas' Cabo Freak Fest. During my layover at Pheonix Sky Harbor International Airport, the airline I was flying on (US Airways) announced that they had overbooked the connecting flight and were offering a $500 USD flight voucher to anyone willing to give up their seat and take a later flight.  I went up to the counter and asked when the next flight was.  "The next flight to Los Cabos will be in three hours."  "I'll give up my seat."  A $500 voucher in exchange for a three hour wait?  Totally worth it!  I claimed my voucher, my new ticket for the next flight, and went to grab lunch.

Manny Vargas and Paul Roach crusin' the 2008 USBA Jenks Pro.

  Cabo Freak Fest in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico was, as promised, five days of non-stop bodyboarding and good times!  At one point, I found myself sitting at the pool bar of the hotel where we were all staying. Paul Roach and I were enjoying an easy-going conversation over a couple of cold beers. An idea popped into my head, and I pitched it.  I offered Roach the flight voucher and a place to stay in New Jersey.  All he had to do was agree to come to the 2008 USBA Jenks Pro in late August, make a couple of promotional appearances, sign some autographs, and take some photos with the groms.  He didn't need much convincing. We shook hands. "DEAL!"

(From Left to Right) Jason Bitzer, Ryan Rhodes, Dan Worley, Brian Stoehr, and David Phillips signing autographs at the 2008 USBA Jenks Pro.  Hey, wait a minute. Where's Roach?!?

  During the Jenks Pro, Manny Vargas and Paul Roach stayed with me.  I was stoked to have them both in New Jersey for the comp, but it was also a little stressful.  Trying to work as Event Coordinator, tend to my guests, arrange promotional appearances, and be ready to compete in the Men's Pro division I felt like I was flying around at Mach 10 with my hair on fire! One of the promotional events I lined up was a rider meet and greet at the surf shop I managed, 3rd Ave Surf Shop.  We were 30 minutes late for the promo. Manny's looking at me saying, " Don't stress. It's always good to be fashionably late. It gets the groms more anxious."  Meanwhile, I'm getting phone calls from the USBA Tour Director, "Where are you guys?  You were supposed to be here half an hour ago! The kids are freaking out!"  Manny was right, though. When we finally arrived, the kids went NUTS!!!  Even crazier still, when Roach gave away a free bodyboard he had kids literally jumping hurdles and the winner crammed himself into a plastic storage tote filled with ice water!!!

Roach and me at the 2008 USBA Jenks Pro.

  Later that night, when we got home, we had barely walked in the door when my friend Catalano called me on my cell phone.  "There's a beer pong tournament tonight.  You guys wanna go?" I turned to MV and Roach and asked if they were interested.  Their eyes lit up. Roach looked at Manny and said, "I've never played beer pong before.  I couldn't tell if he was joking or being serious, but I told Catalano, "I can't.  I have to be up at 5am.  Manny and Paul are down to go, though."  "I'll swing by and pick them up in about five minutes."  Just like that, Manny V and Roach were back out the door and off to a beer pong tournament. I went to sleep.  I don't know what time they got back to the house but, when my alarm went off at 5am and I went down stairs, Manny and Roach were out cold in the living room.  I had no choice but to wake up Manny. He was the beach announcer for the Jenks Pro.  We both, officially, had a job to do. Roach? I let him sleep.  As we slowly made our way through the summer traffic on Highway 71, on our way to the contest site, Manny gave me the good news.  "Roach won the beer pong tournament last night." "Really?!?" Then, I burst out laughing.  "HAHAHAHAHAAA!!! THAT'S FUCKING CLASSIC!!!"  After hearing that, I kind of wish I had gone with them to the beer pong tournament.  Even almost a decade later, I can't believe I missed that.  Still, I'm stoked I was able to get Roach to come over to the east coast and cruise NJ zones during the contest. Whether chasing waves in Cabo or running around for the Jenks Pro, hanging out with Manny Vargas and Paul Roach is never boring!!!


Wednesday, September 13, 2017

The Pat Caldwell/ PMA Collaboration

The Custom X Bodyboards Pat Caldwell/ PMA Collaboration

A Blog A Day 2017: Blog #13

Wednesday, September 13th


The first prototype Custom X Pat Caldwell model is ready for testing!

  On August 28th, 2017, CUSTOM X BODYBOARDS launched the Pat Caldwell new model page on Facebook.  The page officially announced the collaboration between bodyboarding pioneer PAT CALDWELL and legendary bodyboard shaper PMA, with the plan of documenting the board-making process from concept to finished product.  Pat was quoted on the page as saying, "This board will capture the vintage look while integrating the new technology of today."

Pat Caldwell at Sandy's, on the South Side of Oahu.

  In a little more than two weeks time, a prototype has been shaped by PMA and shipped out to Pat for testing in Hawaii.  Mock-ups for logos and designs are being worked on, and Custom X has announced that the first 50 boards produced will be individually numbered and will have posters personally autographed by Pat Caldwell himself.  Debbie Colwell at Custom X is already accepting  email reservations for the first 50 boards.

To follow along or learn more:

Custom X Bodyboards Official Website

Custom X Bodyboards on Facebook

Pat Caldwell new model

Custom X Bodyboards



STACT app

STACT app #STACTapp Dowload the STACT app today!   The STACT app, developed by Boardscore Inc., provides comprehensive information ...