Busy Nico

O Nico tem estado muito ocupado na fábrica da Wavegliders. Mais 3 Longboards e uma 7'10 Mini Me estão na fase de lixa e polimento. E estão com muito bom aspecto. Desta vez algumas novidades como o uso de tecidos na laminação.

Nico has been very busy at the Wavegliders factory. 3 more longboards and a 7'10 Mini Me just need sanding and polish. They're looking really good. This time some new stuff, like fabric inlays!

Life is just swell

Quando pensamos numa surfshop a primeira imagem que nos vem á cabeça é a de uma loja cheia de roupa, com acessórios pendurados nas paredes e pranchas de surf a um canto. São assim a maioria das lojas. Mas felizmente há algumas que fogem ao estereótipo e me encantam. A Almond, em Newport Beach Califórnia, é uma dessas lojas.
A fachada com as suas enormes janelas e porta em madeira são um convite á visita ao qual é difícil resistir. Através dos seus vidros as pranchas de surf e fins dizem-nos que esta é uma verdadeira surfshop.
Passada a porta apaixonamo-nos pela simplicidade e beleza do espaço. Os móveis em madeira de design clássico, as vergas e os confortáveis sofás lembram-nos ambientes bem mais sofisticados. As roupas, fatos e acessórios discretamente expostos são o complemento perfeito ás belas pranchas que nascem das mãos do Dave.
As pranchas Almond têm linhas clássicas com belos acabamentos. È impossível não gostar das linhas da Kookumber ou da Pogie mas são os longboards como o Surf Thump ou o Lumberjack que me fazem sonhar.
E eu digo isto tudo apenas por ver fotos, imaginem se fosse lá… não iria querer sair!



When we think about a surfshop the first image that comes to our mind is a space full of clothing, with accessories all over the walls and a few surfboards in the corner. That’s how most of the shops look like. But fortunately there are a few that don’t follow the crowd. One of the shops that I love is Almond, in Newport Beach, California.
The big windows and door on the shop front are an invitation for a visit that you can’t refuse. Through their glass, the view of some surfboards and fins tell us that it’s a real surfshop.
Once inside we immediately fall in love for the simplicity and beauty of the space. The classic wood furniture and the comfortable couches remind us other spaces, more sophisticated. The clothing, wetsuits and accessories, discretely on display, are the perfect complement for the nice boards that come from the hands of Dave.
Almond Surfboards have that classic and beautiful aesthetics with really good glass jobs and tints. It’s impossible not to love the lines of the Kookumber or the Pogie but it’s the longboards, like the Surf Thump or the Lumberjack that make me smile and dream.
And I say all this just by seeing pictures; imagine if I go there… wouldn’t want to leave!




photos by Keith Novosel and Kyle Lightner (last one)

It's on!

É oficial, a Wavegliders está lançada!
Podem ver mais aqui: http://nicoc4.blogspot.com/ e http://wavegliders-showroom.blogspot.com/

It's Official, Wavegliders is launched!
Check it here: http://nicoc4.blogspot.com/ and http://wavegliders-showroom.blogspot.com/

Drift is back

A Drif foi restruturada e deixou o formato de revista para se assumir como um site de conteúdos.
O novo website está muito bom, carregado de conteúdos interessantes e um design cuidado e simples, tal como gostamos.

Angela Rivers - Editorial Consultant – talks about the new Drift:

“Drift changed from the magazine format to new features website.
The new website is really good, filled with great features and with that nice design and clean that we love.
Drift Surfing is the new incarnation of a once modest British magazine started about five years ago. Now exclusively online and with regionally focused Editions, the idea is to create an open venue for shared creative output, focusing on what’s happening both in and out of the water.
Drift is an amplifier. We broadcast the most progressive, stylish, creative and influential perspective(s) in surfing culture. Divergent and disruptive, but grounded in tradition and with a smart and inspired worldview, Drift embraces surfing not simply as a sport – but as an extension of an active, independent, socially and environmentally conscious contemporary lifestyle.
With progressive editorial and adaptive, collaborative content, Drift is equal parts journal, art ‘zine, culture/lifestyle rag and rich-format brain candy. We seek to advance surf publishing every day and in every way by featuring relevant pieces produced by, for and about the innovators thriving at the intersection of surfing, art, music and engaged social and environmental activism today.”

A não perder em http://www.driftsurfing.eu/ ou http://www.driftsurfing.com/ (versão norte americana)

Don’t miss it at http://www.driftsurfing.eu/ or http://www.driftsurfing.com/ (north american version)

Soon

The man behind Es-cent-ial

Carl is the man behind Es-cent-ial. It has been a pleasure to talk to him and share some of his stoke and passion for surfing. In this interview we can know a bit more about him and the Es-cent-ial vision.

- When did your relation with surfing started?
My love for the water has always been instilled. I started to surf when I was eighteen years old, and I was immediately addicted. My favourite thing about surfing is that you never know when the next best slide is coming. It can be knee high with a ride to the beach, or a head high barrel. Both give you that craving for more.

- What boards were you riding back then?
My first board was a used hand shaped 9’0” Robert August single fin, with a blue resin tint. I couldn’t have asked for a better board, until I purchased my second board, a 9’6” Takayama model T single fin.

- What do you ride now? What changed?
I have a couple of boards. I would say I predominately ride single fin longboards. I have a Mayo 9’6” pintail single fin for bigger days and a 9’7” Bing glassed on single fin “pig” for the smaller days.

- Why the wetsuits industry?
I have tested the waters in different surf related industries. I started with shaping boards in my garage and slowly moved to design my own wetsuit line. Wetsuits are more complex than some think. At escential, we are trying to fill the void. The void can be different, depending on the customer. Luckily, my uncle owns a manufacturing facility for wetsuits and lycra shirts. The company is called Ocean Tec and mainly focuses on private labelling products.

- What's behind the creation of Es-cent-ial?
My uncle and I got together and decided to offer a minimalistic wetsuit with all the strength. We wanted to offer very few logos and simple designs, but use all top of the line material. All of our suits are constructed with Yamamoto rubber and hollow yarn fleece for the chest panels. Escential should show customers and surfers that quality doesn’t always come with added cost.

- Do you think the market asks for companies like Es-cent-ial focused on quality and the costumer, not the profit?
Escential focuses on only on the customers’ needs and the quality of our products. Profits aren’t everything, product quality and consumer loyalty will drive the escential “train”. Companies these days give a lot of attention to different causes. Escential uses eco-friendly materials and we give back to the surfers. We want our customers to know that their loyalty and feedback will shape Escential as a company.

- Es-cent-ial started online and it's growing fast, reaching now Europe. The web and the blogging world are very important nowadays no?
The internet is a powerful marketing tool, especially within the blog world. Escential is very selective with their advertising. Our message has to be clear and it has to correspond with our overall message. The blog world has enabled us to give that vision to our followers. We are currently developing a new website which will keep our loyal customers in tune with new products, art, and surf adventures.

- Es-cent-ial started with just a few models and now it goes to accessories and even T'shirts. What's next?
At the moment, we are trying to nail down the men and ladies wetsuit line. That includes 5/4s, 4/3s, hoods, gloves, and booties. Once the wetsuit line is in full gear, we would like to get into offering surfing essentials, board shorts. Just like our wetsuits, the board shorts will be wrapped around function and minimalism. I have offered a couple preliminary designs on the blog; feel free to send me some comments (es-cent-ial.blogspot.com).

- Es-cent-ial has a good connection with Keith Novosel and Almond Surfboards. That also can make a difference?
When I created escential, Keith was the first and only photographer I contacted. He has been the driving force behind the creation of the escential “look”. His pictures make you want to surf and explore for the next best session. There is a certain connection with Keith’s pictures that surfer’s can relate to. Keith is one of the few that puts his heart and soul into bettering escential as a whole.

Dave at Almond is a current customer of escential wetsuits. Escential and Almond have a common bond; we both love surfing for the simplicity and the feeling of the slide. We have created a limited addition “Almond“ line of wetsuits for the sole fact that we believe in Almond and the message they portray. When you see photos of their shop, the boards he shapes, or the clothes they design, you know they “get it”.

- We see alternative surfboards grow very fast these days. What's your view on that? Just a trend?
I dig anything that let you feel the glide or the power of a wave. If it is a 5’6” fish or a handplane, both can give you the stoke. Me personally, I love the ride of a single fin log. There is nothing like trimming on a single fine, I love it.

11- What's the future for Es-cent-ial?
Escential future is open, and determined by the people who believe in its simplicity. We want to support surfers and their dreams in all aspects of the art. It started with a dependable wetsuit and who knows where we go from here. If you don’t surf, you should. But, if you do decide to open your mind to the great ride, it is escential to be open to all surfers, styles, boards and waves. And only then can you feel the fulfilment of surfing, and we hope you do.

All photos by Keith Novosel

Postcards from France

Some picures os Jeff Mccallum trip to France.

All photos by ELSA GIRAULT courtesy of UWL

Jeff with UWL Crew!

What's Es-cent-ial for you?

photo by Keith Novosel

"I am attracted to waves, swells, tides, winds, boards, and anything that is escential to me being able to surf the next "perfect" wave. everyone has their own "escential" list to surfing. Mine is a board, wax, board shorts, wetsuit, and wave. I fell like if you had these five things, at any given moment surfing could take place."

Carl makes great wetuits that you shuld try!
Why? Check it:




Need more options?



nice review by Ryan Tatar (shakasandsinglefins.blogspot.com) HERE

Estes serão os modelos que estarão disponiveis na Magic Quiver. Reserva o teu quanto antes.
These are the models that will be available at Magic Quiver. Get one before they go.

Es-cent-ial Wetsuits

Dentro de algumas semanas irei receber alguns dos fantásticos fatos da Es-cent-ial.

Os fatos da Es-cent-ial são feitos com os melhores materiais, incluindo neoprene Yamamoto, e excelentes acabamentos garantindo um elevado nível de conforto e um fato muito quente, leve e flexível.

In a few weeks I will get some wetsuits amazing wetsuits from Es-cent-ial.

Es-cent-ial wetsuits are made using the best materials, including Yamamoto neoprene, and with great attention on details to offer a very warm, flexible, light and highly comfortable wetsuit.

Os interessados podem encomendar desde já o seu fato pois o stock é muito limitado.

If you're interested in one please contact soon because there is only a limited number of them coming.

photos courtesy of Es-cent-ial and Keith Novosel