Surf Stories
Patagonia surf ambassador Mary Osborne just sent word that she’s going to be helping surf legend Robert August and Free Wheelchair Mission distribute 10,000 wheelchairs in Costa Rica. The project will be documented in a series of short videos narrated by Mary, Robert and Robert’s son, Sam August. We’ll try and wrangle a firsthand report…
This past Monday evening surfing great Shaun Tomson gave a slideshow presentation to a packed house at our Ventura retail store, Great Pacific Iron Works. Brett from the GPIW staff sent over some pictures from the event and a short writeup (more photos after the jump). Patagonia once again outdoes itself by bringing in a…
A few months back we posted an update from Mary Osborne on her involvement with Robert August’s Free Wheelchair Mission down in Costa Rica. Mary put together a short video of her trip to Central America, including some sweet footage of her surfing and some pics from her time volunteering at the wheelchair event. [Music…
Global warming may be a mainstream issue now, but it’s far from being cut and dry. Some people think it’s a myth (read the comments), some think it’s the end of the world and the rest see it as something in between. The scope and complexity of the problem naturally raises more questions than answers.…
By Gerry Lopez Inspired by his good friend Don King – who is making a documentary about his son who has autism – Patagonia ambassador Gerry Lopez recently participated in the Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA) Paddle NYC White Water fundraiser to raise money and awareness for autism. The event consisted of the first-ever 28-mile surf…
The surf’s up in Ventura today and even though surface conditions were not perfect this morning, there’s definitely a buzz around the office. If you paddle out today, consider taking part in the following survey after your session. Thanks to Patagoniac Chad Nelsen for this submission: Researchers at UCLA are studying 22 surf spots in…
When Dan Malloy came back from Liberia surfers around the office were asking him how the trip was, anxiously hoping to hear about perfect waves. Dan, humble as ever, spoke well of the trip and the waves but you could hear in his voice and see in his eyes that it wasn’t a typical surf…
On November 10, 2007, Devon Howard and the Patagonia Cardiff staff hosted a very special event at the shop. Here’s Devon to tell you more: Storytelling in any form has always fascinated me. Whether penning a tale, shooting photos, helping make a surf film or just leafing through a good read, I always become completely…
They say it’s bad to surf after a rain. I disagree. I have empirical evidence that shows they are wrong. I don’t get sick. Never have. And I used to live in Venice Beach. They never reported the water quality at my local break better than a D+. I saw it as a challenge. It…
Be sure and check out Part 1 if you missed it and keep an eye on the men’s and women’s surf pages at Patagonia.com,or here at The Cleanest Line, for Part 3 coming soon. Also, stay tuned for details on Gerry’s newbook Surf is Where You Find It. If you like surfing and an intimate…
The Talkin’ Pipe series continues with Gerry & Jock reminiscing about the ’70s. They discuss a few of the breaks that prepared them for Pipeline, the board designs from that era and some of the masters who rode them so well. If you’re new to the series, take a gander at Part 1 and Part…
This story was sent to us by Ari Lurie from Tahiti. He is an avid outrigger paddler and surfer. ‘Haole go home.’ This glaring message was scrawled across a building in the center of town. I was visiting the port of Fare on the beautiful French Polynesian island of Huahine. I smiled at its bluntness…
The Talkin’ Pipe video series continues with Gerry and Jock reminiscing about the Expression Session of 1970. Definitely some classic stories in here. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 are available for those new to the series, and there’s more to come. Thanks again to Devon Howard and the crew at Patagonia’s Cardiff Surf…
by Gerry Lopez Surf heroes become recognized for accomplishments that set them apart. Kelly Slater and Andy Irons battled fiercely for world championship titles among a field of surfers of extraordinary ability. Laird Hamilton rode bigger and more dangerous waves than anyone had before, which paved the way for others to make their own big…
by Gerry Lopez Since it’s gone, I guess there’s no reason to keep the secret any longer. What we had was a pretty neat surf spot almost 200 miles from the ocean. For the last three years, it’s been double top secret. Even so, like everything else in the surfing world, the word got out.…
by Gerry Lopez Jock Sutherland was my first and foremost hero at the Pipeline. It somehow seemed destined that my first time out on a small empty day as a sophomore in high school, Jock would paddle out and give me a key tip on how to surf the difficult place. It would be the…
by Gerry Lopez The telephone rang on a lazy day, there wasn’t any surf so I was just relaxing on the couch doing nothing. “Gerry, this is Randall Kleiser calling, I met you once with John Milius, and he suggested I call you. I’m making a movie about surfing, and I’d like you to be…
by Gerry Lopez I have been asked many times what it’s like being inside a tube. My short answer is simple, “it’s great.” The long answer is quite a bit more involved. To get inside a tube long enough to have time to think about what it’s like requires a long list of factors. Luck…
by Gerry Lopez Except for his rather large collection of blues records, there were not, in a material sense, a lot of other things Buddy Dumphy considered important or worthy of much thought. Even his surfboards were considered transient – tools to be used and sometimes abused – only stepping-stones to the next board. We…
by Gerry Lopez Yesterday I scored big. It was one of those rare days which left me so pumped up when it was over I knew I was going to have trouble falling asleep last night. [Editor's note: This story was originally written in November 2007] I figured I better write it down before the…
The Talkin’ Pipe video series concludes with Gerry and Jock riffing on Kelly Slater and Backdoor. If you’re new to the series, visit the Talkin’ Pipe page at Patagonia.com to watch parts 1 – 5. And while you’re there, consider picking up a copy of Gerry’s new book Surf Is Where You Find It. Sadly,…
It’s never too soon to learn the tradition of story telling. Today we bring you the words of Santa Barbara super-grom, and FCD Surfboards team rider, 13-year-old Lakey Peterson. Right now I’m traveling through Australia, surfing with my mom and dad. We started in Noosa, where there was a worldwide surf festival going on. It…
DJ Dukesherer’s path to becoming an author was less direct than the one that led him to surfing. Paddling the deep blue waters off the coast of Playa Del Rey with his father were a defining element of his childhood. Mr. Dukesherer’s ocean roots sunk deep into the sands of Playa Del Rey. Through his…
The Patagoonies in Palo Alto are getting revved up for an extra-special event this weekend. We are proud to announce that directors, Stanford University students, and friends of Patagonia, Nicholai Lidow and Britt Caillouette, will be introducing the surf documentary Sliding Liberia at 7 pm on Saturday, June 7, in our shop on Alma Street.…
Our board shorts line has a new addition with a long history. The Patagonia Organic Cotton Canvas Boardshorts, or Palaka shorts as they were originally known, come with a special heritage in not only the surf world but old Hawaii as well. When I started surfing in the late 1950s, Palaka shorts were one of…
Patagonia ambassador Mary Osborne sends word about the premiere of Live: A Music and Surfing Experience, a new surf film by David Parsa. From Mary, "It’s a killer movie about surfing and music from the ’50s to the present." Surfing Magazine says of the film, "Live: A Music and Surfing Experience dances through each decade…
Surf stoke is such a positive feeling. It enriches our lives and makes us better people. Surf art has a way of rekindling the stoke when we’re not in the water — it transports us back to the ocean in our minds and hearts. The crew at Patagonia’s Cardiff surf shop have just such a…
On September 22, thousands of citizens attended yet another hearing on the proposed "Trestles" toll road. The hearing was held by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, who promised to make his decision between October 24, 2008 and January 7, 2009. As we begin the official waiting period for the verdict, let’s get a recap of…
Devon Howard, manager of Patagonia’s Cardiff Surf Shop, has put together another stellar event for his customers – and recorded it for all of us who couldn’t be there in person. Tune in each day, from now until Monday, as we bring you Tom Wegener’s talk at Patagonia Cardiff. The first video of the four-part…
YouTube version: Wood is Good Pt. 2 See Part One of the series for an introduction to Tom by Devon Howard and to watch the first chapter of the video. Visit Patagonia Cardiff or Tom Wegener Surfboards to see the boards.
YouTube version: Wood is Good Pt. 3 Previously: Part 1 and Part 2. We’ll conclude the series tomorrow. Visit Patagonia Cardiff or Tom Wegener Surfboards to see the boards. With thanks to Devon Howard.
YouTube version: Wood is Good Pt. 4 Here it is, the final installment of Tom Wegener’s "Wood is Good" talk at Patagonia Cardiff and what a treat this series has been (see parts 1, 2 & 3). The footage of Dave Rastovich in today’s chapter is mind blowing. Though far from mainstream, Alaias are here…
From the frosty summits of Rocky Mountain National Park, to the sultry sea of the eastern shore, our Backyard Adventurers are taking us on a grand tour of some of some true surprises. Grab a brew, pull up a chair, and enjoy as Mark Carter takes us along on his hunt for secret mid-Atlantic surf:…
As The Present prepares to head east, we'd like to share news about a different kind of surf film. Ben Keller of Dubious Honor Productions, and friend of Patagonia's El Pescador, is about to take his award-winning film BlueGreen on a 14-show west-coast tour starting this Friday, April 10, in Seattle, Washington. A new surfboard…
Hopefully you've all seen the surf movie Sliding Liberia by now. We covered it a while back with the help of featured surfers Dan Malloy and Crystal Thornburg. The film's director, Britton Caillouette, wrote us with an update on the situation in Liberia since the film was released. Nicholai returned to Liberia last year to…
