…hoping for better conditions (and visibility) mañana, though it does look all eerie and cool in the fog.

“Now that’s what I call die-hard surfing!”  Ha.  Check oot The New Surf’s cool snow photo.

And just for good measure, here’s the Dark Fall trailer yet again…

]]> http://oceanophile.com/2010/02/21/exit-36/ Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:05:18 +0000 Casey Butler http://oceanophile.com/2010/02/21/exit-36/

Heading from shoobie to benny territory… off-season.

That skateboarding is rooted in surfing is a huge part of the exhibition, and they’ve even got a signed 33″ Larry Bertlemann – where else can you find one of those?

Go see it sometime before June 27, 2010.

Tacos de Pescado Frito (Baja)

¡VAMOS! (1^st Avenue between 20^th and 21^st Streets) has a massive array of both tacos and tequilas.  The Tacos de Pescado Frito Baja Style are over-stuffed with beer-battered, fried fish and chipotle mayo.  They are delicious.  The menu warns of some heat, but they’re really not that spicy, so drip a little bit of that unnaturally green hot sauce on ‘em for an extra kick.  Two tacos will run you about $8.

The Sunburnt Cow is a little Australian establishment in Alphabet City, which boasts some of the best specials in town: Choose any two hours, pay $20, drink as much as you can.  I swear.  For a breakfast person like myself, the Cow’s main appeal can be summed up in two words: Endless.  Brunch.  Yes, that’s right.  Endless brunch, I say.

On weekends from 11-5, $18 will get you Buttermilk Banana Pikelets (pretty much little pancakes) or Bush Benedict, PLUS (this is the best part) all-you-can-drink “Moomosas,” “Moo Marys,” Foster’s, etc.  In other words, sustenance and warmth- perhaps after an ice-cold Rockaway session and a long train ride home.

The awesomely accented service is outstanding, and let’s put it this way: the unlimited drink situation should probably just be called “bottomless.”  Moomosas, for example, are prepared in massive pitchers- all the better to just. keep. pouring.

For a $5 up-charge, the Barrier Reef Benedict (crab cakes, mmmm) and Queen Adelaide (with salmon and avocado) may be added to the unlimited category.  I highly recommend this.  Crab cakes and poached eggs may sounds like a weird combo, but trust me, it’s delicious.  Plus, eating seafood will make you feel more connected with the ocean.  Or something like that.

You can stay for, I think, an hour and a half before they boot you, but if you’re unsatisfied, they’ll buy you a couple of rounds at the bar.  They also serve you shots with your check.  I’ve never before been buzzed so early on a Saturday, but hey, when in Oz…

The Cow is located at 137 Ave. C (and 9th St.).  Just look for the pink bovine hanging over the entranceway, and hit up the ATM before you go because brunch is CASH ONLY.

Saturdays Surf NYC is a city-chic surf shop located at 31 Crosby Street (SoHo).  The selection of goods is smallish, but they do have beautiful JC and Lightning Bolt boards of all different colors, shapes, and sizes- along with cold water wax and leashes.  The back door opens onto a courtyard, which may or may not be occupied by a humongous brown dog.

Choosing to capitalize on surfers’ coffee dependence, Saturdays put a tiny café area in the front of the shop- okay, it’s really just a counter with fancy espresso machines.  The lattes are made with love by friendly, handsome guys- something that’ll cost you extra: $4 for a small, no special requests.  It’s good coffee, however, and walking away with your understated white cup will definitely make you feel “cool.”  Unless, that is, you’re fumbling to take covert photos of the place:

I first heard about Mollusk from someone in Portland, Maine, if you can believe it, so it’s kind of an institution.  When you walk around the corner from Metropolitan Avenue to River Street (BK), you’ll find a little, wooden deck, and a door that says “Push Hard.”  The interior of the store is much smaller than you’d expect, based on the massive, spray-painted exterior, but trust me, none of your surfing needs are neglected.

Wax, leashes, wetsuits, thousand-dollar boards… they’re all at your disposal in this cozy, if somewhat chilly, little shop.  Mollusk boasts an enormous selection of  books and movies, both mainstream- Hollywood, even- and obscure.

Maybe the best thing about Mollusk is that it feels intimate.  You and Mike, the guy who runs the place, will probably have at least three mutual friends- he even knows my Maine guy.  It definitely feels like the type of place where you could just stop in and talk surf for 20 minutes or so.

The entrance is in the back of 210 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg.

Oh wow.

“go ahead, rip away. San Diego, CA. Face it, NJ is the worst place in America to live. The show is what it is – true life on the Jersey shore. Your state is a joke to the rest of us, even people in places like Iowa.”

“Love it but spare us the ‘Jersey is misunderstood’ bs. I’ve seen the Jersey shore and my opinion is that show isn’t an exaggeration. If the real Jersey shore wasn’t like that the people from there wouldn’t be so defensive about it.”

You know what, spare me the “love it” bs… we all know it’s really tough to love sick waves when they’re found in a place as despicable as New Jersey, right? Why don’t you take a drive over here from your fabulous home state during the winter months and educate yourself on exactly how inaccurate Jersey Shore is.  Or don’t: more waves (and less baseless hostility) for us.

Check it out.

I saw A Pleasant Surprise back in September at the New York Surf Film Festival and fell completely in love with it.  Being from New Jersey, I know that our surf culture is unique, and it’s so nice to see that captured in this finely visualized tribute to the most scoffed-at state in the nation.

My favorite part is when the guys are talking about their high-tech winter gear.

The DVD is available today (Dec. 16th) – do yourself a favor and buy it.

Here’s what Surfer says about A Pleasant Surprise.

Watch it if you must.

On Saturday, I celebrated two of my friends’ birthdays with dinner and a party, which definitely made up for a lackluster Wednesday.  Just about everyone I missed on T.E. was there.  As I scanned the room full of good-looking guests, I realized that the couch looked like a scene from 1080 Snowboarding: 4 or 5 guys with scruffy facial hair and beanies lounged with beer cans resting on their Billabong-clad knees.  These guys have lived in Hawaii and Costa Rica and talk of returning, and oddly enough, dreaming of traveling to these paradises made me feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

The morning after:

Blown-over sand dunes = forced rule breaking (if you want to access the beach).

To see the rest of the album, click HERE.