You are here: Home / Archives for KL Pontz

KL Pontz

san francisco surfer

Naked Bodysurfing: San Francisco Defies Attempts to Kick Caricature

April 19, 2009 By KL Pontz 2 Comments
sf-baker-beach-driftwood

San Francisco is San Francisco because it is San Francisco. There are times when this fact is unavoidable. It is impossible to deny when you encounter a caricature of a caricature. Let me explain. Spring arrived with a cold wind in San Francisco at the beginning of March. With clear blue skies and a harsh whipping onshore wind, surfing Ocean Beach was comical. But, the wind abated the last couple of days and allowed the sun to warm the city to a pleasant 60 degrees. Me and my housemate peddled … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cool sh!t, Funny sh!t Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Deviations in California Surf Culture

April 16, 2009 By KL Pontz 24 Comments
spicoli-fast-times-ridgemont-high-surf-no-dice

Whether the blame lies on the inherent nature of stereotyping or on the media-washed portrayal of subcultures, a closer look at any sub-community reveals deviations within, so great sometimes, that it startles the senses. "How did I ever swallow such a blatantly obvious apocryphal story?" The surfing community with its own set of cultural signs and signals is no different. The surf community in Southern California has its own unique surf culture that lives and breathes its own unique signs. With … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cool sh!t, Ridiculous surfing consumerism, Surfing, Surfing History and Pop Culture Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“The Present” Premiere: Fated to Win an Alaia?

April 15, 2009 By KL Pontz Leave a Comment
dale_webster1

As tradition holds, swag must be raffled off at a surf movie premiere and Thomas Campbell is not one to balk at tradition. But this was not just any raffle at The Present premiere. For one, the ethereal Kassia Meador glided onto stage to assist with selecting tickets (making the event worth the price of entry). Kassia helped to balance the stutters and missteps of Campbell. Additionally, I felt pretty alright with walking away swagless because Kassia and I shared the same air for a short time. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Surfing, Surfing History and Pop Culture, Surfing Movies Tagged With: , , , ,

“The Present” in San Francisco–A Surf Movie Review

April 14, 2009 By KL Pontz 3 Comments
thepresent

March 27th was the first day of Spring in San Francisco. A hot sun angling toward the Pacific and the small tickle of wind on the brow demanded that everyone in the city leave their apartments and head for the nearest grassy park. These kinds of days are few and not to be wasted. With some tallboys in street cozies, a couple friends and I swaggered from the outer Richmond through Golden Gate Park to the Victoria Theater in the Mission to watch the premiere of Thomas Campbell's newest 16mm surf/art … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Movies, Reviews, Surf Vids & Media, Surfing Movies Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Man with Shark Makes Surf Related Art

April 13, 2009 By KL Pontz 1 Comment
luke-taaffe1

I can't think of a better reason to look at someone's art. The art is surf related, or ocean related, making it a little more compelling to look at. But, hands down, having a picture of the artist holding a shark on the About page of the website--Euphoria Graphics--is the best reason to look at someone's art. It tells you two things about the artist: 1. He is a little crazy, which means his art won't be some kind of regurgitated rip-off of aloha themed crap. 2. He would be a great companion … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cool sh!t, Surfing, Surfing History and Pop Culture Tagged With: , , ,

A Tale of the Surfboard — Part II

April 7, 2009 By KL Pontz Leave a Comment

A Tale of the Surfboard -- Part I Swell upon swell traversed the immense Pacific. The daily ebb and flow of water waxed and waned on the sandy beaches of the coast. The sun walked across the day to rest at night in the horizon, and the interwoven swell and tide would occasionally reach a moment of synthesis and release rolling breakers for the pleasure of surfers. The yellowed 5’8” swallow tail, although abandoned, did not remain unridden. Before leaving, the surfer cast off the board to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cool sh!t, Surfing, Surfing History and Pop Culture, Wipeouts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Ultimate Boarder 2009 Kicks Off – a feature interview with Tim Hoover

April 4, 2009 By KL Pontz 1 Comment
ultimate boarder

The 2009 Edition of the Ultimate Boarder kicks off today. We checked in with the founder, Tim Hoover to see what's in store. Check it. DailyStoke.com: Props to you – we love the idea of the Ultimate Boarder. As the founder of Ultimate Boarder, how did you come up with the idea and how long did it take after that to get the whole thing organized? We love the gory details – blood, sweat and tears. Tim Hoover: Thanks, yeah lots and lots of sweat, a few tears and luckily no blood yet. The concept … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Surfing

The Stormrider Guide North America–Surfing Book Review

March 29, 2009 By KL Pontz 1 Comment
the_stormrider_guide_north_america

I've been patiently saving the best for last. After reviewing The Stormrider Guide Europe, The World Stormrider Guide Volume I and Volume II, I now get to dive into the waters of North America. The other guides pry open the coastal waters of foreign destinations, but The Stormrider Guide North America brings me to the continent where I earned my fins: where I rode my first wave in sandy breachbreak laying on a boogie board; where duck diving once seemed absurdly difficult; where riding down the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Surfing, Surfing Books, Travel & Surf Spots Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Art of Surfing: Let’s Not Use Words

March 27, 2009 By KL Pontz 1 Comment
mr-tatar

When it comes to art, words just seem to be a little meaningless. I mean what can really be said?...That's right, nothing. For one, anytime anyone talks about art they sound pretty pretentious. Second, the words tend to devalue the original meaning of the art. Lastly, if what an artist was trying to express could be expressed in words, they would've used words to do it. But they don't use words, they use paints and inks and colors. In this case, Keiron "Seamouse" Lewis decided to use a little … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cool sh!t, Funny sh!t, Surfing Tagged With: , ,

Local Surfers You May Know

March 26, 2009 By KL Pontz Leave a Comment
local-surfers

This is probably nothing new for you. I am sure you have a good idea of how you fit into your local break. People know your name and you know people's names. Along with their basic CV of familial relations and work status, you have probably tried to put them in some category of surfer. If you've ever had trouble with this process, here is a great little guide from the Seamouse to keep it all straight. If you are constantly mixing up "The Soularcher" and "The Stylist," the guide neatly distinguishes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cool sh!t, Funny sh!t, Surfing, Surfing Rules Tagged With: , , ,