I think surfers are taking the world tour pretty same serious these days. This is a good thing both for the level of surfing, and for the fans of the sport. In the 80s, dudes would just get so f—ked up on tour and party their asses off. In the 90s, the tour became littered with goody-goodies and the extent of their party was a glass of wine after a nice game of golf. The 2000s had a mix of party freaks and militant trainers, and sometimes, they were the same people. In 2008, everybody got smoked by Kelly, this may have been a wake up call to more than a few dudes. Parko was said to be training so hard that he was throwing up after nearly every session. Mick Fanning is getting ripped and staying off the piss, CJ Hobgood is playing Hacky Sack and it’s helping him win heats! I went to the gym (I know, scary) and saw Damien Hobgood getting his ass kicked training with pro snowboarder Jussi Okansen—the trainer was thrashing them and Damien has getting radical!
So what does this mean for the world tour? Well, the more you train for a sport the better you are at it, right? We’ll see. All I know is the skinnier the pros get, the fatter I feel—so at the very least, the trimming and hardening of the bodies on the world will cause my fatness to be overwhelming, and hopefully I’ll do something about it—Thanks world tour!—Chris Cote

Someone please buy this van. If you do, I promise you a life time of friendship from me. I can’t even describe how amazing the paint job of this thing is. It’s paint job draws you into an uber-irie universe where toads play guitar and beautiful sunsets dip behind perfect peeling dream waves. From bumper to bumper, it’s pure irie love.

The phone number is 951-282-0829. I don’t know who the owner is, all I know, is I want this van, but like a full head of hair, I will never have it. If you buy it, e-mail, lets cruise …

I will not be naked like this, but close …

Kevin Pearce, Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis and music guest The Knux – Monday 11.10.08
It’s always snowing somewhere, but today guest host Keir Dillon will be hanging in studio with Burton team riders and pro snowboarders: Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis and Kevin Pearce. Plus, today’s musical guest The Knux brings their progressive beats to the studio. Also, Chris Cote practices his poker face for Jenny McCarthy and Ryan Sheckler. Kevin Pearce’s sponsors include: Oakley, Volcom, Burton, Sobe, Frends, Nixon and Embasi. Mason Aguirre’s sponsors include: Nike 6.0, Smith, Burton, Amp Energy, Nixon, Val Surf, and Mammoth Mtn. Danny Davis’ sponsors include:  Dragon, Analog, Burton, and Mountain Dew.

Mark Landvik and Dave Parsa – Wednesday 11.12.08
Today, taking time from his never ending quest for powder, pro snowboarder Mark Landvik drops in to talk about his part in the new film, “That’s it, That’s All”. Plus, director Dave Parsa is here to talk about his new documentary, “LIVE: A Music and Surfing Experience”. Also, we head over to Hollywood to check in with Chris Cote at the 2008 Life Rolls On event. Mark Landvik’s sponsors include: Vans, Lib Tech, Anon, Volcom, Estate Hats, and Drop Gloves.

This might not be the best costume I’ve ever put together, but I have to admit wearing black stretch pants and little wings is pretty damn awesome.

Happy Halloween, send me some of your costume photos, the sluttier the better.

Chris

I love you.

Anyway, I am an asshole. I ran into a friend of mine named Chris Bailey who is an ambassador for Life Rolls On. Chris was paralyzed at derby Skatepark in Santa Cruz in 2006. He’s an epic guy, always positive, always psyched and ready to go shred whenever he can. So the reason I am an asshole—I saw Chris and we started talking. He asked if I had been surfing and I said, “I can’t, I hurt my knee.” As soon as I said this, Chris laughed and kind of waved his hand down to his wheelchair. I felt like an idiot. Here I am complaining about a sure knee and saying “I can’t” when the guy sitting in front of me is so psyched to surf and get in the water that nothing, not even a broken neck could stop him from surfing. I said sorry and in his true spirit he just laughed and we went into the party.
I hurt my knee again surfing this weekend, and I felt a tinge of pity for myself, then I thought of Chris Bailey and Jesse Billauer, then I felt thankful and slapped the pity right off my own face.
Those guys are heroes.
And we should all be thankful for every wave we catch.

Check out Chris Bailey at http://www.myspace.com/santacruzsoulsurfer

In case you didn’t know, I dabble in the disc jockey arts. I do not call myself a DJ, cause I don’t really mix sings or play techno type shit. I like to play music that I like at parties and at bars. I studied my craft under the tutelage of the world’s best DJ, Darren “Dazza” Crawford. Darren was an early pioneer of the Yacht Rock movement, which is becoming more and more popular, and is staged to take over  the 80s dance trend that has been filling clubs and bars over the last five or so years. In the early days of Yacht Rock, these songs were beloved by only a few of us, and very near and dear to our hearts. the problem is, Yacht Rock is coming out of the proverbial closet, and the world is taking notice. It’s hard, cause when you play songs over and over, you play them out, just as I did with some of my 80s favorites like “Big Country” and “Promises Promises”.

All this being said, in the words of Dazza, “Let the world in”—so world, go ahead and get up into some Kenny Loggins “This Is It”, “Ride Like The Wind” with Christopher Cross, dust off your dad’s Toto album and listen to “Africa”. Put on a silk floral print button up shirt, grow a Michael McDonald beard, and drink some white wine—Yacht Rock Is here.

I don’t get hurt that often. I’m not a clumsy person, nor do I live on the edge of extreme action sports. I do not BASE jump or do killer twirls on my motorbike. I hate getting punched in the face and choked out, so I don’t do mixed martial arts. I do skate, and I so surf, but when I do these things, I am in control and rarely in a life or limb threatening situation—that’s why when I f—ked my knee up last week at a skatepark, I became angry and confused. All I did was dodge some shit kid at a skatepark, I jumped off my board and landed with my knee straight, pop, crack, cry—now I’m in pain, and now I hate you all. It doesn’t help that i have a ramp in my yard that stares at me all day wondering when I’m gonna come shred. It also doesn’t help that the most consistent and perfect week of surf is happening now. It really doesn’t help when my friends and co-workers rub  proverbial salt into my wounds by bragging to me about tube sections and epic sessions at every break from here to Huntington. I will not always be bitter, and after helping with an event for paralyzed and wounded surfers I feel lucky to have my health. But for now, I will be bitter, and I will drive by the beach and scowl at you from my car, while a singe tear runs down my face. I hate you all, but I will love you again soon enough.  Please send positive vibes to my knee, I will repay you with my happiness.

Love Chris

P.S. Anybody got some advice on how to heal a hyper-extension of the knee?

Anyway, this was not just a ploy to get free gear from them (that would be cool though), it’s just an announcement, A# is back again, and we’re all happy about that.

Check the cube out, and yes, that is the Winged Stallion Of Death in the background.

I shoot amazing product shots in my office.

Check out http://www.alphanumericbrand.com for more info.