Modern Collective (see below) premiered on Tuesday at Le Deux(sh) in Hollywood.  It was a Hollywood meets ASR scene, with open bar, surf industry elite, and a few ed hardys wondering how so many bros in flannels got in the door.  Anyways, MC delivered against a lot of hype, and definitely showcased the world’s best surfers in a creative manner not often seen in surf films.  In a surf premier first, every person was handed a big pair of headphones and a radio receiver upon entrance to the club, for a “silent” screening.

It was a unique viewing experience in your own isolated headphone world; if you’ve ever been to a surf or skate screening you’ve no doubt hooted/screamed at clips and dropped a few “whaaa-nowayhemadethat, holy shit! how’d he pull that” to your buddies.  But in the end MC had taken a really ’09 road to get here.

The Fish and D.R. – surfing uniques in a cookie cutter sport

From the end of 2008 til now, MC chronicled the trips on their blog with glimpses and clips of the surfing, travel, and lifestyle, while asking for user submissions for the soundtrack.  Two major surf publications featured regular editorial coverage in the U.S. and Oz and their facebook page has almost 1,100 fans; a year of coverage through the MC marketing machine had set expectations high and the rumors were frothing.  I don’t keep up with the surf world like I used to, but it was definitely one of the best I’ve seen and will be purchased from itunes.  There is another major surf film premiering this month – the The Drifter, Rob Machado’s new film of getting lost via motorcycle, surfing, and solo missions through Indonesia documented with the 4k RED cam.  The Drifter promises beautiful cinematography focused on today’s “soul” surfer’s 6 month stint in paradise.  These films are bringing some refreshing creativity and art to surf movies .  Like it did in the early 90′s, Poor Specimen is redefining the surf movie; which, like it is for skating is the benchmark of the culture and sport.

This is also the first post with the “SURF” tag.

At Ampal, we all grew up surfing and still surf regularly, but since the beginning of the decade have slowly become more and more disinterested with being a “surfer” as the industry/fashion defines it.  In high school our surf crew had a distinct look that was our own blend of surfwear, persols, with dickies, flannels and chucks thrown in with a hint of prep stemming from our La Jolla origins.  In 2001 while attending USC my identity as a surfer ended as 3,000+ other freshmen wanted to look like they surfed.  This was around the industry boom of mail order, emerging online, and Pac Sun/Active mall stores pimping out the look to anyone with a credit card and making it accessible to all.  At the same time it made me/gave me the opportunity to pursue other passions such as art, music, design and food.  The once vibrant California surf culture has for the most part grown stale and P.C. with yuppies on stand up paddle boards as the newest fitness trend and, with a huge youth market to support it, a focus on 15 year old groms with six figure contracts.  With a few exceptions, the surfwear of today has become increasingly generic.  It’s a far cry from the Stussy tees I would get to pick out on my birthdays during elementary school.

However, the same DIY attitude that permeated through surfing’s late 60′s-70′s shortboard revolution, 70′s-80′s punk rock, and 90′s skate/streetwear, that inspired us to start Ampal, is once again starting to blossom in surfing.  There is a strong hands-on movement started in our hometown of La Jolla, far outside the industry bubble, really pushing surfboard design in ways the top pros (*slater excluded) could never imagine.  Up and down the coast handfuls of surfers are channeling surf history and carving finless alaia’s from solid hardwood.  They are not meant for airs, are not for everyone, and would definitely be a disaster if we found the line-ups crowded with them.  However it seems like the famed free spirits of surfing are once again thinking outside the box and bringing surfing back to its roots.  It seems that like everything, surf culture is cyclical, and I’m definitely stoked (finally said it) with the bubbles of creativity I have been seeing lately.  I realize surfing will never again see an empty Rincon lineup or Malibu with 5 guys out – now its 5 clueless kooks dropping in on each wave, and Hollywood’s “Blue Crush” vision of surfing has scarred us all. But 50+ years ago, Dora had to deal with a movie called “Gidget,” and the fads that followed faded and surfing survived a low point, as it does again.

If you’ve followed Ampal you’ll notice our team page isn’t up anymore.  My thoughts above explain wanting to distance Ampal from being thought of as a surf, skate or the all extreme “action sports” brand.  I didn’t want tAc to be a surf company, but surfing has been and is an influence on our aesthetic.  We’re going to try and share a little more about the things that have excited us recently in surfing, introduce you to a few of our friends that have been shredding, and reintroduce some inspiring characters within the culture.

Next time instead of answering “are you like a surfer” with “uhh I surf…” I think I’m going to just say yes.

Although its best shared with a few buddies, surfing is a solo act in the end.  I have been reading the enlightening Miki Dora biography and soaking in his LA surf hustle from back in the day.  Los Angeles is not a surf town, but in the past few months an amazing Mexico surf trip, some strategic missions up the coast, and some solo log sessions have me fiending for the next perfect wave.  If you surf, make sure to get in the water, even if it sucks just hop in and cleanse your soul, you won’t regret.  And if you don’t surf, don’t start.

Surf pics copyright DerekDunfee.com, Derek’s a long time friend who is travels the world charging big waves and documenting it with some great photography.

If you want to get a little more stoked yourself, check out SurfAmbassadorHendo.com .  Henry has been behind all of our recent videos and will be giving an inside look from “da Nort Chore” aka North Shore Hawaii, the annual epicenter of surfing, for the next 6 weeks.  Thanks to the SAH for the MC premier pics – sorry they’re small, he’s a film guy not a pics guy..