Sundown Surf

Sick waves all last week! This weekend was kine! Then the apocalypse showed up yesterday with huge dark clouds and crazy hail! Thought everyone would enjoy the aftermath of what was left.

A tree grows in brooklyn

Thomas Campbells “The Present” arrived at the shop yesterday!  A review will be coming soon.

Other titles in stock to check out: Ratings are on a scale of 1-5 bars of wax.

Musica Surfica: Winner of the NY Surf Film Festival Rating: 5 Bars of Wax

One Track Mind: Chris Malloy’s latest Surf Flick Rating: 4 bars of Wax

Believe: Aussie Hippy Surf Movie with a sick soundtrack from Andrew Kidman Rating: 3 Bars of Wax

Sliding Liberia: An incredible Documentary about surfing in Liberia and it’s turbulent history Rating: 5 Bars of Wax

Blazing Boards: The Late Great Chris Bystrom’s Breakout movie from the early 80’s. A must for every collection Rating: 4Bars of Wax

More titles in stock! Come in and check em out…

We just want to thank everyone who came out for the Surfboard Swap this past weekend! We were really stoked on the turnout, the weather held up, the burgers and dogs were cooking, Mr. Steve Walden stopped by and was stoked, and we even got some waves.  This was an extremely successful event and look forward more like this for the rest of the summer! Enjoy the photos!

Cheers,

China Ty

The Layout… We um, had a few boards…

The Meyerhoffer, the peeps waiting in qew, and Mr. Steve Walden showing off his latest design.

A bunch of tasy boards have been flowing in the last few days. Everyting from Longboards to shortbaords to fish’s.

We are even selling some of  our boards for below cost! Come in and check em out…

It’s Saturday morning. I woke up at 5am. The surf was pumping. I knew the AJW’s arrived at the Delta Cargo at JFK. We had 11 boards arrive.One of them was mine. A sweet 6′6 Thumbtail. Got to the Cargo, got the box of boards. Then checked each board carfully and stacked 8 boards into my Hobnda Fit. The remaining were strapped to the roof in packaging. I don’t know if this is an ad for Honda but that car is amazing. You can fit so  much crap in there.  Count em… 8 boards!!! Sick!!!

All the boards look insane!! AJW (Adam Warden) is perhaps the best performance surfboard shaper of his generation at this moment.  And I can tell you from the moment I got on my board, they go insane!!! Magic boards for sure!

Adam, a Virginia Native, moved out west years ago to learn to be a shaper. He was taken under the wing of Sharpe Eye’s Marcio Zouvi and started sweeping shaping bays and has worked his way up quikly into a top shaper who is constantly being plugged by the mags.  Well, Sundown, just got in a hot batch and they are sick! Come in and check em out…

“I remember training and hitting the bag and imagining it was Andy’s Face” -Kelly Slater

For all the hype and based around this movie and the larger than life rivalry played out and overblown in the media, I have to be honest, there is no way this movie could have delivered. It’s unfair to the filmmakers, Slater and Irons.  “A Fly in the Champagne” is a very well produced and very well edited surf movie but from what all the previews, articles and trailers about this movie were saying, there was no way this film could have lived up to the hype. The movie begins with a really nicely done and edited history/biography of both Slater and Irons, following both of their rises to fame and frames it all on a collision course with each other.  Matt Beauchesne, Director, does and excellent job of giving history and significance to certain moments in each of the surfer’s lives but I felt fell short  of really building up the drama of their clashes. Instead, it felt like they were racing past the key clashes in this rivalry so they could get to the resolution and bro-down surf trip towards the end. There could have been more build up and climax to the clashes. The 2003 Pipe Master’s showdown between Andy and Kelly could have been used with way more dramatic effect but instead, it seemed too soft and lacked any real punch. As a viewer I never felt the real pain Slater must have felt when losing to Irons in the final. Or the Joy and elation Irons must have felt to beat his idol. The film just seemed to keep moving without allowing the viewer to reflect. The drama was not there.  I found this to be the reoccurring problem throughout the film.

The best thing about this moving were the candid interviews with Slater and Irons. I don’t think anyone had heard AI so reflective and articulate.  Slater and always was well spoken but surprisingly candid about the anger he had for Andy.  To have Slater admitting to imagining punching Irons’ face on a punching bag was a side Slater rarely shows and it was refreshing to see. This is were Beauchesne really shines and brought in the really good juicy details of the interviews. The one annoying but limited part was Sal Maselkela’s voice as a narrator. He’s great on the “Daily 10″ but lacks the gravitas of a narrator and comes off a little too bro-ish for my taste.

The cinematography and film quality is really high quality and should get a Surfer Poll award for it. The surfing itself is well, it’s Slater and Irons. You can’t complain about that. I wouldn’t watch this film to get pumped up for a surf but it’s something you could sit down with your non-surfing friends or girlfriends and they could enjoy it as well. I believe this is  a very smart film and it’s thoroughly enjoyable. My problem with it is that the  hype around the film made the expectations beyond reality and it is unfair to judge the film accordingly but hey, I”m doing it right? As far as surf movie’s go, it’s downright entertaining and  I think it’s a must for the collector or anyone who is a big Slater or Irons fan.

I give it 4  bars of wax out of 5.

A Fly In The Champagne is now available at Sundown Surf Shop 516-796-1565

-China Ty

Arguably one of the most radical surfers in NY, Jeff Shaneson, former Sundown Team Rider and North Shore Hellman, dropped off some J. Kashiwai  6′3″s for the swap. These boards are in cherry condition and would make a sweet addition to anyone’s quiver.  Plus, Kool Keith, Ding Guru dropped off his HIC 6′5 Andy Iron’s model as well. This board is in mint condition and would be perfect for a slightly bigger bloke looking to slay some waves.  Come on down and check em out…

6′3 J. Kashiwai Squash $350

6′3 J. Kashiwai Round-pin: $350

HIC Andy Irons Model 6′5: $395