Out of Step Industries

I don’t think I would have had the same reaction -

Crazy stuff

Wow, it looks like Joel Tudor was out at Rockaway last weekend. Sorry I wasn’t there, would have been great to see that guy surf in person.

This is a brilliant site about uses for your old surfboard.

1000 Surfboard Graveyard

from NY in the 1960’s.

Orcas -

Pretty interesting read
http://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-news/surf-and-jiu-jitsu

This will warm you up right now -

Insane

My name is Ryan Callis and I co-own Canvas Shop in Seal Beach CA with my wife Tammy. Tammy and I opened the shop in 2011 as a part of our larger ongoing art project (Look Up Gospel Choir) with a mission to sell quality goods made by small, non corperate companies. We grew up on punk rock, records by Dischord, SST, K records, etc. and DIY art and music shows so we wanted to translate that into a shop and be a venue for good folks and products. I also have spent my whole life making, studying, teaching, and showing my art, so teaching art classes in the back half of our shop made perfect sense. We also have a large outside yard and host all kinds of events at the shop. We are very lucky that Merideth and Cat have just joined us as co-conspirators, along with our o.g. pirate Lance, to try and ramp the whole enterprise up with their many talents. The shop reflects our lives, and we are unbelievably blessed to be able to have this space and to be making any money off of it.. Surf, make, read, and build community, that is our jam here at Canvas Shop.

An email from Long Beach Surfer’s Association

Dear LBSA Members:

The City of Long Beach experienced unprecedented damage to our beaches, homes and infrastructure as a result of Superstorm Sandy. The damage sustained to the Bay Park Sewage Treatment plant has resulted in the contamination of our waterways. This contamination threatens the biological, aesthetic, and recreational value of our community and poses a very real public health issue.

The LBSA believes that it is important to notify its members and all Long Beach residents that there are serious, legitimate concerns with the local water quality, including just off the coast and Reynolds Channel. We recognize that many of us are not in a position to prioritize surfing, however the longer these issues go without public notification and rectification, the longer and harder they will be to remedy. The LBSA believes that we have enough information so that you can make an informed decision before you decide to surf, fish, paddleboard, etc. We also hope that with this information you will feel compelled to act.

Scott Bochner, Long Beach resident, surfer, and founder of the Sludgestoppers is one of the most qualified individuals to make a judgment on the safety of our waters. He was intimately familiar with the issues facing local sewage treatment infrastructure long before Sandy. When asked for an opinion regarding whether or not it was advisable to surf, he believed it was not. We share his concern. In Scott’s words: “No I would not surf…There is bacteria that still lives and even spreads with dilution. Until the plants are online don’t surf.”

Local government (not surprisingly) and the local press (somewhat surprisingly) have provided little detail on what exactly happened and have issued no widely publicized warnings on the sewage or current state of our waters.

Here is a summary of what happened:

- The night of Sandy Bay Park had a 9 foot surge and the electric shut down. Sewage was not treated for 8 days.
- 56 million gallons of Raw untreated sewage was released into Reynolds Channel. Reynolds Channel breached all bulkheads along its banks and flooded Long Beach with all of the waste with it.
- The Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant was off line for 8 days and continued to dump into Reynolds Channel. This makes its way onto our beaches.
- It was not until the third week after the storm that partial treatment was restored, mostly with chlorine.

- Additional concern is the home heating oil that flowed from residential tanks into the plant.

- The plant now has some equipment to remove sludge and chlorine is still being used.

- All treatment plants have special permits which require cetain levels of Nitrogen, chlorine, and heavy metals to be met to operate.

- These levels are currently way above permitted levels and are not considered healthy.

- Under NY State law, facilities with these permits must alert the Board of Health, DEC and they are required to alert the public using one media source and a website posting if the facility discharges over the legal limit. The LBSA does not feel that the Nassau Coungy government and local media have met their responsibility in this regard.

- There is nothing in place from our officials to warn the public about water quality until May of 2013.

Bottom Line from Scott: “There is 56 million gallons a day that flows from all of Nassau County to Bay Park and into our waters. Think of a third world nation and sewage is not treated. This is a health hazard and the Board of Health does not even put out a warning. They don’t test because they don’t have to.”


The LBSA has also been in contact with The Surfrider Foundation’s National Office and it’s Blue Water Task Force’s administrator, Mara Dias. Ms. Dias referred us to a recent posting on the surfrider blog which incorporated a recent New York Times article on local sewage issues as well as an official warning statement from the Jersey Shore Chapter of Surfrider. Please see the following links for more information:

http://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/sewage-still-a-problem-post-sandy

http://jerseyshore.surfrider.org/

As long as these issues go unadressed, (the longer it takes for the Plant’s function to be fully restored) the greater the chance that any problems that exist now will compound. As surfers and water people, we do not want to be the canary in the coal mine.

It is important to get this information out. Please send this to as many people as you can - not to cause panic, but constructive alarm. The more people know about what has happened, the better response we will get from local government. The LBSA is in the process of planning a way to press the Nassau County government for more answers and a clear solution. We will keep you updated.

Thank you for reading.

—————————————

Also please read - Sewage Flows After Storm Expose Flaws in Systemfrom the NY Times

Hurricane Sandy Relief Street Axe Elephant Brand Skateboards - W&L 9.5”X32” WB 14

New Jersey is my home. It’s where I was born and raised and where I cut my teeth on a skateboard. The people and skaters of New Jersey have always had my back. The roots run deep and the appreciation I have for skaters from Jersey is huge.

I know the recent storm and it’s aftermath has been devastating to many Jersey communities statewide and that skaters and their families have been affected. I’ve felt strongly that I wanted to do something. — To help skaters and their families in some direct way.

Elephant Brand Skateboards is honored to partner with NJ Skateshop to produce a limited run of 100 collaboration Street Axe decks that feature a special screen printed Hurricane Sandy Relief top graphic. These boards will be hand signed and numbered by yours truly — Each board personalized to the person whom it is for, thanking them for their contribution to help skaters. These boards will sell for $100 each with 100% of the profits going directly to skaters and their families in need.

Please help us in our journey to raise $7500 going directly to NJ Skateshop to distribute to the affected skaters and their families.

Jersey Strong,

Order - here - 

I recently saw both of these at the Jonathan Levine Gallery. Amazing and inspiring work. I highly suggest you check it out.

Ashley Wood

Jeremy Geddes

On November Monday, November 26th, 2012 at Anthology Film Archives in lower Manhattan the NY surf community will come together to help raise funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief and Recovery. NY Surf Stories is an evening of locally produced surf films that focus on the New York surfing community. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the communities of Rockaway Beach, Long Beach and many others suffered catastrophic damage and tragedy. NY Surf Stories seeks to bring the surfing community together to show our resilience and solidarity in the face of adversity. The films selected cover a variety of genres and styles, all focusing on surfing in New York and what it means to be a surfer in this incredible community. All proceeds will go to Waves for Water, a non-profit where 100% of the fund go to those effected by Hurricane Sandy. Raffle prizes vary from a free hotel stay at Casa de Olas in Nicaragua to an R2 Wetsuit from Patagonia to many more…

The event will be co-hosted by local professional surfer Mikey DeTemple and Waves for Water’sJon Rose.

New York Surf Stories Film Selection:

Shadow’s of the Same Sunby Thomas Brookins

Stackedby EJ Mcleavey-Fisher & Patrick Cummings

Rockaway Picaresqueby Mikey DeTemple

Nine to Fiveby Justin Mackin

Rockaway Operaby Sean Greene & Zach Halberd

Hurricane Sandy Relief by Paul De Luna & Taylor Steele

Don’t Feed The Bear Crabs : Lo-Fi Meditations on Western Long Island

by Toddy Stewart

When:            7:30PM Monday, November 26th

Where:           Anthology Film Archives,

32 Second Avenue, New York, NY (On the corner of 2nd St & 2nd Ave)

Libations & Snacks provided by: Barefoot Wine, CAYRUM, VitaCoco & KIND Healthy Snacks.

Produced by: SMASH, WAX Magazine, Surfrider Foundation NYC & York Surf.

Supported by: Patagonia Surf Shop, Casa de Olas, & Vans

Tickets can be purchased at www.nysurfstories.eventbrite.com

For more information contact: smashsurf@gmail.com

Smash Surf