Stealth Mission Home for Grandma... Back to the US of A!

A few snaps from The Land of Oz... Farewell!

Weird how, at the drop of a dime, life can change in an instant. I'm back home on good ol' US soil now, just like that. Got off the plane from Australia a few hours ago (and couldn't wait to inhale a giant plate of good Mexican food served by actual Mexicans) What a treat!

Grandma's in the hospital and I decided to cut my OZ trip short by a month and grab a last minute flight from Brisbane to come spend some time with her while I still could. Glad I did. And apparently she's doing better than she was a few days ago. Woo hoo!

I'll be here for a month before heading out to Indo for a while. Hopefully the waves will continue to pump while I'm home... I've been jealous of all the epic swells the West coast has been getting this winter... but not too jealous, I spent the last 2 weeks in Byron Bay and that magical place had me by the balls, literally... it was hard to leave... the hot sun, the beautiful beaches, the fun waves, bath tub temp water, ice cold adult beverages and hoards of gorgeous, young, friendly, international women. Man Heaven? I'll be back to OZ soon enough... there's still so much to see!

But it is good to be home after 13 months on the road. Time to recharge the batteries, spend time with fam and friends, take a break from the booze, surf pumping Rincon and paint my ass off! Can't wait to set up the studio and go nuts! And my diet will pretty much consist of a constant rotation of In-N-Out Burger, Mexican food and cheap sushi... and of course Pizza Oasis when I go visit the crew in Portland... absolutely drooling for it!

Thanks to all the people in OZ who made my trip great!

Endemic Agenda: Shirt Graphics

The brand spankin' new company Endemic Agenda just launched their clothing line and website a short while ago. They invited me to become a member of their Artist's Vault and used my Washed Up Print graphic for a range of men's and women's Tees. You can buy the shirts on the Endemic website. And their products are made using renewable energy and earth friendly inks, sshweet.

I think they got some good things going on. Keep an eye out.... and go grab a shirt.

Roady Toady

Australia, February 2010

Life on the road
Hopping like a toad
Jumping across entire seas
Finding waves that only tease

Sunrise on a new East coast
New smells, new tastes, fresh buttered toast
Opposite sex crawling all around
Mouth is drooling like a hound

Warm water candyland
The sun, the heat, body’s tanned
Buckled board over the falls
Old trunks that rash the balls

Blue Bottles sting like hell
Onshores blowing them into the swell
Red wine all day into the night
These foreign girls are looking mighty tight

Inspired ideas fill my brain
Can’t wait to grab the brush and drain
The smell of paint and sweet sawdust
Vices and my life’s true lust

A few more Lilly pads to skip
Before the ending of this trip
Mind and body free to roam
To stoke my soul and ride the foam

365 Days... on the road

365 days ago I hopped on a flight with a one way ticket to New Zealand, some surfboards, a backpack and a plan to create a lifestyle that revolves purely around surfing the best waves I can find while still being able to make a living from my art and design. I'd say the plan was/is a success. It has since taken me to 2 additional countries, shown me the joys of sailing and living on boats, logging over 1000 miles on yachts in the South Pacific. The plan has brought me a dream setup on a tropical island, my discovery of the sport of spear fishing, a new favorite breakfast... Muslie(with milk, yogurt and a sliced banana on top!), the opportunities to swim with whales and sharks, lots of mindblowing scenery, amazing waves, many wonderful new friends from all corners of the globe, and much, much more.

But most importantly, this last year has given me a broader perspective on life and has opened my eyes to the infinite possiblities for alternative ways it can be lived. There are so many people living lifestyles that are so different from the typical scenario of: work 9-5, get married, buy house, have kids, live in one place. Several people on my travels have inspired me with their uncommon and exciting lifestyle choices. And now, I might be more lost than when I started on this voyage, because the more I see and learn, the more options seem to present themselves... it's beginning to get a bit overwhelming! There are so many roads in life but so little time to go run off and explore them all...

Words of Wisdom

"Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating."
- Michael Crichton

New Billabong Shirt

A new shirt I designed for Billabong is in stores... get you one. For some reason I'm not as happy about how this one came out, I like this one better.

OZ: Sydney

Gday mates! After just a day in Sydney, I'm convinced that this has got to be one of the most beautiful cites in the world... giant white Cockatoo's flying around, harbor coves, botanical gardens, parks, amazing buildings, and gorgeous women on every corner. And right now the weather is as good as it gets I think; sunny, hot, humid, leave the doors wide open all night and sleep with nothing but a sheet. Currently staying with a culturally eclectic mix of nice lady friends (2 Brazilians, 1 Argentinian, 1 Kiwi and 1 Brit) in a high rise condo overlooking downtown, Hyde Park, the Opera House and the harbor, what a view!!! (And of course, a hot tub and pool on the top of the place!) I must have been a good boy last year.

No plans, just gonna slowly make my way up the East coast until I find a place that has quality surf and a good vibe. Most signs have been pointing me to the Byron Bay area so we'll have to see what it's all about. Deciding not to buy a car this time... just a board bag and a backpack. Should make for good times!

10 Page Spread in TIDE Magazine

Check out this interview/article I did with German surf magazine TIDE (Yes, I said GERMAN surf magazine) for their Nov 2009 issue.

Sorry, I don't have the translation.... interesting questions though. And I thought they did a pretty good job laying it out...

>> DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE (690 KB) <<