The Life of Brett Wildeman

2012-01-28T11:48:00.000-08:00

Moving

2010-06-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

The blog is moving to -> http://brettwildeman.tumblr.com/

Thanks for following, you can find me on Tumblr from here on out.

I am also on Face Book:

Cheers,

- Brett

Rad. as in Radium

2010-06-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

Life is good. Been a wet month, but things are looking up. Life in the kootenays is treating me well. Been doing tons of adventures in the bush, shooting lots of film, tracking some big horn sheep, eating chili, counting elk skat. Not much to complain about.

Next month is going to be a big one. Hoping to record some music towards the end of the month. Making a trip down to Montana to visit some long lost friends around the same time. I am in the process of purchasing some Nikon camera gear, transitioning from Olympus. Things are moving and on the rise. If anyone has a 80-200mm 2.8f they want to sell, drop me a line (email below).

If any body reads this whom lives in the Kootenays, and are interested in collaberating via photography or music, drop me a line: bwildema@uvic.ca. Would be stoked to meet some new people out here. Its hard to expand circles of friends when moving to a relatively small town.

This blog might get moved to another site, will see what happens there. I am hoping to mish-mash my music/writing/photography/environmenal passions together into something new and fresh. Will post something if that happens.

Should have some photos to upload later this week, finally tracked down a scanner so I can scan in some of my film prints. Some sick stuff to come (promise).......

2010-04-13T19:37:00.001-07:00

I have been rarely updating my blog lately as life has been crazy busy.

With work I have finally been able to escape the confines of the lab and have gotten out to a number of classes. I have been touring the Caribou for the last half dozen days. Currently staying a the Loon bay Resort, super friendly folks who run it. Spend the last couple nights in Williams Lake.
I am headed south tomorrow after presenting at a couple more schools, then off to Seattle for the weekend.

The lack of photo updates are a result of my camera being broken/in the shop. Hopefully will get it back soon. Have been shooting film on my travels, so I will uploaded some photos soon!

The week after next I am set to record a demo with the Half Broke Horse crew (see post below). Super stoked on that, been working on some new tunes on the road.

End of the month means I am off east to the Rockies for the summer. Moving to Radium as I landed a sweet biology job with Parks Canada.

One love...

Half.Broke.Horse. On Facebook

2010-03-19T09:28:00.001-07:00

Have you become a fan yet??!? If not, click HERE to become a fan of us on Facebook.

Busybusybusy

2010-03-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sub Zero Skim Jam went off. Big ups to SkimBC.com, Sitka, Tac, ForverSkimMag, Coastline, Zed skimboards and all the other sponsors!

Been playing lots of music lately. Played @ Big Fish Lodge over the weekend and yesterday at UVic's Green Drinks. I am just going to throw up a bunch of pictures from the past week! Enjoy.

Half.Broke.Horse. & St. Paddy's Day

2010-03-08T09:29:00.000-08:00

Come down and say hi. Have a drink or two and join us for some good celtic/irish tunes!

March

2010-03-06T23:20:00.000-08:00

March has been a pretty good month so far. Lots of coffee with friend...............................................

....bench sitting sessions by the sea side....................................................................................................
...............and sunset ferry rides. .................................................................................................................

Shoulder. Again

2010-02-25T23:43:00.001-08:00

Some dude ripped my shoulder out of its socket today at soccer. Good times sucking N02 while the Campus Police stand around like idiots and the Paramedics attempt to help me.

Half.Broke.Horse.

2010-02-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

I am in a band...much more music to come. Click on the image (above) to check out our myspace page.

Camping season has begun

2010-02-21T22:25:00.001-08:00

Spring has been more than lovely in Victoria. Although camping season never officially ends, it began early this year. Let the good times roll.

Mt. Doug Photos

2010-02-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

Went for a walk up Mount Doug with Jennifer Westmorland. Took a couple snaps.

Unsacred Place

2010-02-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

Poem I wrote while visiting Barcelona (April 2008)

Unsacred Place:
The commodification of a sacred place
Long years lived through creases on a woman's face
A place of worship, a place of faith
Sold out, distasteful taste
Wasted washed out, workers walk out
Foreign folks pay out, no prayer mats laid out
I payed out for a look
City landscape, panoramic pancake
God and man handshake
No 'Jesus Walks' song plays
Cathedral with a fan base
Priest with his hands raise
Something is wrong in this day and age
Chapters and books are owned in the name of fair play
Like fair trade, wages are earned
Pay is paid
But it seem odd when 'God' is not the reason for visiting church
Seems as though there is a new tool for measuring ones' worth,
Meaningfulness and worth on this Earth

SubZero

2010-02-01T09:23:00.001-08:00

Introduction:

SkimBC is proud to announce the Third Annual Sub Zero Skim Jam, building on two previous successful contests. The two-day event will take place on the 13^th and 14^th of March, in Port Renfrew, British Columbia. Port Renfrew is the pilgrimage made by skimboarders from all over British Columbia, as the location is within close proximity of Victoria (80 kilometer), British Columbia’s capital; while delivering sizable shorebreak. The event admission is $40 per person, which includes the skimboarding event, the after party, and accommodation at the Big Fish Lodge.

The Competition:

Day 1. Seeding: Rider’s will be assigned to heats randomly. The number of heats that each rider competes in will by dictated by the number of riders who compete and the wave conditions.

Day 2. Semi-finals/Finals: Riders will be seeded based on Day 1 results. Every rider will compete in at least one heat. A wildcard round may occur if there is not an even number of riders.

Conditions:

Mystic Beach, another local break, will act as a backup location if the conditions in Port Renfrew are not suitable for competition. The decision to change will be made by event directors.

Accommodation and After Party:

On Saturday, March 13^th Big Fish Lodge will host the ‘Boogie Down After Party’. Victoria’s own Sunhawk will be performing. The $40 entry fee covers accommodation and party admission, there will be beds for 36 people and lots of room for people on the floor… For those who are interested, camping is available on premise as well.

Purchasing Tickets:

Check out www.skimbc.com for details

Martlet Article

2010-01-28T10:49:00.001-08:00

Shot for the Martlet at a rally last week. Get the full story HERE!!!

Juan de Fuca

2010-01-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

Went for a hike. This is what I saw.

MacBook Pro. Taking its sweet time.

2010-01-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

MOUNT HOPE, ON, CA	12/01/2010	4:59	IMPORT SCAN
	12/01/2010	4:40	ARRIVAL SCAN
BUFFALO, NY, US	12/01/2010	2:44	DEPARTURE SCAN
	12/01/2010	2:18	ARRIVAL SCAN
LOUISVILLE, KY, US	11/01/2010	15:28	DEPARTURE SCAN
ANCHORAGE, AK, US	07/01/2010	17:21	DEPARTURE SCAN
	07/01/2010	10:59	ARRIVAL SCAN
NARITA, JP	07/01/2010	21:43	DEPARTURE SCAN
	07/01/2010	19:33	ARRIVAL SCAN
SHANGHAI, CN	07/01/2010	17:00	DEPARTURE SCAN
	07/01/2010	16:21	DEPARTURE SCAN
	07/01/2010	14:29	EXPORT SCAN
SHANGHAI, CN	06/01/2010	12:10	ORIGIN SCAN
CN	06/01/2010	22:18	BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

2010-01-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

Sue Buzzard flew up from New York to play a gig in Victoria called the 'String Revolution' at Herman's Jazz Club. The show was amazing. Have tons of photos to paw through, but here is one tease.

Happy Holidays & Night Session

2009-12-28T11:50:00.000-08:00

Last night myself, Copeland and Casselman went down for a nigh session. Check out all the pictures on the SkimBC Blog.

Here are two of my favs.

Random Analog & Blog

2009-12-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

Random Analog from Victoria Skimboards on Vimeo.

SkimBC Renfrew Blog Update -> CLICK HERE

Back. From a Frozen Renfrew

2009-12-15T10:56:00.002-08:00

We got snowed on. It was a mission to say the least. Here are a couple quick snaps. Big adventure blog will be posted on SkimBC later today.

.

2009-12-15T10:56:00.001-08:00

2papers

2009-12-01T10:18:00.001-08:00

Then exams. Then Renfrew. booya

Shrinking List

2009-11-27T18:50:00.001-08:00

I can almost smell exams....

Nov.26.1987

2009-11-26T11:36:00.000-08:00

Me= Nov.26.1987-Nov.26.2009= 22 Years Young

Job

2009-11-25T12:49:00.001-08:00

Starting in January I will be working for UVic's Earth and Ocean Science Department as a "Research & Community Education Coordinator"under the supervision of Dr. Eileen Vander Flier-Keller. Super stoked on the position!

This means a number of things:
1) I do not have to look for employment anymore
2) I get to stay in Victoria
3) I can properly organize the upcoming spring skim comp!

Brad Domke, man or machine? I am not sure

2009-11-21T23:36:00.001-08:00

Busy

2009-11-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

Been busy with school lately. A little music here and there, not much else. Oh ya, and lots of job applications/interviews, but no job offers.

Should have a couple photo shoots in the near future. Scoped out a wicked section of road in Victoria to bomb on a longboard. So my buddy Jarrod is going to skate and I will snap picture. Just need a couple days of dry weather, so the roads are dry. Secondly, I am coordinating with Lea and the Twisted String Chapter in Victoria to do some promo work.

This week my photo landed on thecover of the Martlet. Check out the article!!

Essays to write. Peace.

SkimBC

2009-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

I will be posting on the SkimBC blog/news update in addition to my personal blog. Watch for my guest posts there!

Issue 36

2009-11-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

Derek just wrapped up Issue 36 of ForeverSkim Mag. He was kind enough to host a few of my pictures. Click on the image below to check out the newest issue!
I have recently been granted blogging/admin from Brandon @ SkimBC... Keep it locked, mucho content to come!

Time for change.

2009-11-10T22:21:00.001-08:00

Climate change is acting as the tragedy of the commons of the world we live in. We are all part of the problem, and part of the solution. It is bitter sweet. Regardless whether we act collectively now, tomorrow or not at all, there is no doubt in my mind that the world will continue on without us. It would be extremely anthropocentric if one assumed the end of humans equated to the end of the world.

I have been doing lots of reading/research in regard to political dynamics surrounding climate change policy in British Columbia. It has been very interesting.

Came across this moving video. Check it out

New Lens

2009-11-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

I recently ordered a Nikon-4/3 adapter for my E-420, so I can shoot with Nikon lenses. I also ordered a OM-4/3 adapter, which should be here this week! I just picked up a Nikon Nikkor 50mm f1.8-16 from Kerrisdale Camera in Victoria. The new lens out performs any of my other, even with a fairly reasonable price tag of $109.00. Super crisp and compact. Lovin' it!

Photo with the Nikkor:

Been......

2009-11-05T22:57:00.001-08:00

Have been doing a lot of this lately....

Making music.

I can't skim. But my friends can.

2009-10-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

Scott Copeland hooked up with Bryce Casselman for a photog shoot at my old stomping ground: Whitakter Beach.

Photos can be found on both of their blogs:
Bryce
Scott

One of my fav photos from the session:

I should have some photos from the Bee Eaters Concert tomorrow. Will post soon. Me and Brandon @ SkimBC are planning a spring skim comp in Port Renfrew. Details will follow once we sort out sponsors/dates and what not! STAY TUNED

FSM

2009-10-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

Get on the band wagon

2009-10-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

Fuck the corporations...

Life Photos

2009-10-08T11:30:00.001-07:00

Few recent snaps from September

New Direction/Foreverskim

2009-09-10T16:40:00.001-07:00

Long time no post.

Long story short I am going to be skimless for a several months. I re-re-re-re dislocated my shoulder, for the fourth time. Means a whole lot of no skimboarding/ mountain biking for a while. I have decided to dedicate my non academic/school time to music and photography. Hopefully push both those lots this winter and get some coverage.

On the flip side, Derek @ Foreverskim decided to run an article I wrote. Super stoked about this. It should include some of Hattie Root's photos, which are amazing!!! Check out Foreverskim Mag site this week, it should be up very soon!

As a tease. here is the cover...

Thanks to Byron, Hattie, Stef and Brandon for helping me get to the medical clinic in Port Renfrew. You guys are the best. Peace and much love.

Whitaker Photo

2009-08-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

Just one photo....

State of Art

2009-08-15T17:42:00.001-07:00

Amazing album, Hilltop Hoods 'State of Art'

Check this track: Fifty in Five. Each line is a banger

Holla

Whitaker

2009-08-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

I had a great Whitaker session with Colin on Saturday night. The wind was blowing all day and calmed in the evening. We skimmed for a few hours till it was too dark to skim. I spent the weekend on the coast visiting family, ripping mountain bikes and of course.....skimboarding. I only have a few more weeks in Surrey, then back to the island! Yippee....!!!

I do not have any pictures of myself or Colin shredding at Whitaker, but I took a few snaps of the waves. I will throw them up soon, I promise.

Sounds like I will be getting a new Akwa City deck soon. I am stoked :) will post pics when it arrives.

VicCity and Article

2009-07-31T09:58:00.001-07:00

I am currently sleeping on Brandon Wrights couch while writing/shooting for an article that will hopefully be ran in Foreverskim Mag. Yesterday myself and Brandon hooked up with photographer Jacob Gilchrist at Gonzales beach for some knee high wave action. From the sounds of it he got some pretty killer shots. Saturday we are headed up to Port Renfrew for a swell session. So far myself, Bradon, Tron, Hattie, and Mike J are slotted to head north. There could be a few others who are joining us.

Here is one picture of Brandon I snapped while riding at Gonzo.

Until next time

Surrey Living

2009-07-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

The sun has been out way too much to blog on a regular basis. I have been riding my bike and skim tons lately. Life has been pretty good.

I have got a few co-workers on skimboarding. Through teaching them the basics I have been spreading the stoke.

Peace and love ya'll spread the skim stoke.

THIS WEEKEND!

2009-07-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Wish I could go, but I have to work. It is going to be a hoedown of a throwdown!

Whitaker Delivers (Again)

2009-06-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

An epic session with Scott. Thanks to Mo for coming out and snapping some photos. It was a super sketchy tide, as fist sized rocks were sticking out of the shore break. But the wind swell was up, so we could not resist.

Check Akwa Industries for more photos. They should be uploaded onto the blog tonight or sometime tomorrow. Here are two gems from today:

Copeland doing a Superman impression

Photos as promised

2009-06-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

White Rock

Train Tracks

Day off

2009-06-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. Long story short I got the day off work. Tide was low around 1 in the afternoon. I headed down to a spot suggested by Kyle Lynch (Tydle Mag) on SkimBC. It was definitely worth the drive! Free parking with little to no traffic, cannot ask for much else. Furthermore there were more tidal pools than you could hope for! I scoped a few pools and decided to set up my set my jibs. I brought down a little rail and a 3 foot piece of PVC pipe to session.

The session started poorly. It was one of those days when you wish you stayed at home, as frustration mounted as I could not keep my board below my own two feet. Bails were a frequent event.

After having a lunch break I decided to stick it out and keeping chugging along like the Little Engine The Could. Finally I started landing tricks. It felt so good to persevere through my initial frustrations. Ended up dialling-in my backside and front side tricks on my box.

Anyways, I unfortunately have to work tomorrow. Will post a few pictures tomorrow!
Nighty night.

Whitaker Super Post

2009-06-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

YO yo yiggidity yo

We had an epic session on the Sunshine Coast last week. I noticed the wind warnings mid-week, and boy did they deliver. Check out the Akwa Industries Team Blog for all the photos, but here are a few of my favs. Props to Casselman for coming out and shooting.

Recent

2009-05-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

Couple recent snaps:Last week @ the offce: Crescent Beach, Surrey
(Note: photo not of me but some random dude I jammed with)

Repairing my Akwa City

My Buddy: Frederico

2009-05-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

When I was traveling in Portugal I met this guy named Fredi. I was sleeping on the train headed to Lisbon, minding my own business, and one of my travel buddies ended up chatting him up. In turn, we ended up crashing at his place in Lisbon for a few nights. He was a fab guy to stay with, showing us the ins and outs of Portugal's capital. It was an amazing few days the say the least.

Myself Alan Fredi and Kevin in Lisbon

At the time Fredi was working on getting into a Swedish visual arts school. He showed his bits and pieces of his growing portfolio, it was super impressive. The quality and originality of his new work far exceeds any expectation. I suggest you checking out his website, it will not disappoint: http://blankvisual.com

Cheers

Where Have I Been?

2009-05-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a month since I last updated. Tons has happened since then. I packed up my life in Victoria at the end of April and moved to Surrey to live with family for the summer. My family lives in 'BirdLand' near the Guilford Mall. I would rather be on the Island for the summer, but I got a wicked job working with Dillon Consulting doing salmon habitat restoration. It turns out that Crescent Beach is only 15 minutes from where I work, so I intend on skimming lots after work. Below are some pictures from the skim spot at Crescent I took on Sunday. It has mad potenial! There is also a spot inland a bit further that may workout, will be checking it out soon!

I am headed back to the Coast this weekend for mothers day, so I hope to fit in a skim and mountain bike ride. Will post pics for sure!

Bunggee Sesh

2009-04-23T18:04:00.001-07:00

Last weekend a crew of us ventured up to Port Renfrew to try Brandon's new toy, the Bashee Bungee. We knew it was going to take us a while to get the hang of it. Bryce Casselman was nice enough to come along and snap some photos. I posted some of my favs below, but check out his blog for all the goodies. CLICK HERE

Tyde Mag

2009-04-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

Tydle Mag just wrapped up the 2009 Flatland Catalogue with boards and soft goods from all your favourite companies. It resembles that of a skateboard/snowboard product catalogue, covering all the products that are being put out by the industry for that given year.

Check it out!!!!

Simply Amazing

2009-04-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Easter Session

2009-04-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

Got out for a blustery Easter Skim session with Bryce Casselman. Super windy and choppy. We skimmed at 'Totem', which is a new spot to me. Not the cleanest of beaches by any means, but you gotta work with what you are given.

Check out all the photos out on the Akwa Industries Team Blog.

New stick

2009-04-09T22:30:00.001-07:00

Will have riding photos soon...going to shred my 'home' beach Roberts Creek tomorrow and maybe Whitaker if the winds work out. Holla

Coastal

2009-04-08T20:19:00.001-07:00

I am back on the Sunshine Coast for about a week. I have a nice two week lag between exams, so I came home to chill, skim and ride my bike. Will be padding up a new board and setting off on a few photo sessions very soon!

I should have some photos from Justin Del Bel Belluz in a day or so... he is in the final stages of editing them. He came and snapped some shots from a Gonzales Session earlier this week.

And last but not least, Akwa Industries has finally put out their 2009 product cat. Click on the image below to check it out.

Renfrew: The Three BBBs

2009-03-28T23:46:00.000-07:00

So Myself(Brett), Brandon 'B-Dub' Wright and Branden Wolfey headed to Renfrew for a afternoon session. The weather changed more than a dozen times while we drove out there, and at least another dozen while we were there. We got rain, sleet, hail, snow, wind, sun, overcast. Welcome to spring on Vancouver Island!! Some of the other beaches in the region had been destroyed over the course of the winter, so sand supply on many of them was few and far between.

The conditions were super variable and troughy when we finally rolled into Renfrew. This made it hard to get over the transition without loosing tons of speed. It meant you had to run SUPER fast if you had any hope of getting a decent ride. Wolfey pulled something in his leg late in the session, so got stuck on camera duty. All photos were taken by Wolfey.

B-dub slashing a super messy wave
Me: Hack/floater thingy on a super messy wave

SkimBC CEO: Brandon Wright at your service

Caddy Bay With Mike J

2009-03-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

Went and seshed Caddy Bay with Mike. Good times were had. Pretty epic scenery. I was working on 3-shuvs and some other techie flatland tricks. I am determined to master the tech this summer, and I hope that with the abundance of flat land spots in the mainland this will happen. Pics are of Mike shredding.

Scenery: Welcome to Van Isle

Shuv-in it

Photos

2009-03-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

I am still alive.

2009-03-26T00:13:00.001-07:00

It has been awhile. School has been getting the best of me lately. I did get a chance to take some photos last week. I will post them up later. Looks like skim sesh is going to go down tomorrow. Winds should be up, get some wind-swellage happening!

I went and saw Talib Kweli on Sunday, was more or less one of the best shows I have ever been too. Super legit dude, just doing his thang!
Will hopefully have some pictures from tomorrow session, as well as some spring time photos I took last week soon. Its term papers and exams for another couple weeks...please forgive my lack of posts!!

Adventure and Skim

2009-03-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

Myself, Byron, Brandon and Wolfey went to Island View Beach on Sunday afternoon. We had SE Gail Force winds, which led to the generation of wind swell. We missed the big swell, but caught the tail end of it in the afternoon. It was my first time back in the water since I dislocated my shoulder in January. It was nice to get salty again. Here are some photos from our skim session and my adventure around Gordon Head the day prior.

Americans would not skim in this. It was snowing and sleeting. Brandon did not seem to mind

Byron

Brandon

The guys and some scenery

Was rusty after not skimming for over two months. (Photo: BDub)

Algae

A bird

New FSM: Issue 32

2009-03-09T23:42:00.000-07:00

So there is a new Forever Skim Magazine out. It dropped sometime today. I wrote to Derek, the editor of FSM, questioning and commenting on the direction that the skimboard community seems to be taking in California. He threw together a two page articke, check it out on page 26 & 27.

New Board? Me thinks so.

2009-03-06T15:39:00.000-08:00

Just got an email from Scott Copeland at Akwa Industries. He is currently pressing customs for 2009, so email him and get em' while they are hot! His email is scott (at) akwaindustries.com

The pictures below are of a 53" X 18.5" custom kevlar with Akwa's new Snipper shape.

Please note some of the pictures appear backwards as they were taken with Scott's web cam.

I can totally relate

2009-03-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

A video of Cam Zink talking/venting about sport related industries. I can totally relate.

Blackbox Labs- Cameron Zink from Taylor Sage on Vimeo.

Or check it on the BlackBox Labs Blog...

57 Days

2009-03-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

I am coming up on my two month mark of being skim-less. It was January 5th when I re-dislocated my shoulder for the third time in three years. Since not being able to skim I have be meticulously breaking down every single skimboard video/picture I see, while constantly re-analyzing my style, drop-step, run, wave approach stance,… pretty much every aspect of the sport. Recently I have began working on my ‘new’ drop-step in my living room, and am stoked that I will be taking it to the saltwater and sand over the next couple weeks. Furthermore I have been doing considerable stability and balancing exercises at the gym to increase core and shoulder stability.

I am heading home (to the Sunshine Coast/Roberts Creek) for Easter weekend (April 9th-13th), where I will be hunting for Easter eggs, and hopefully (fingers crossed) will be riding a new 2009 Akwa Board. Till next time friends…. Thanks for stopping by!

Night Time

2009-02-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

Some photos from last night. Enjoy,

Coffee?

2009-02-25T00:07:00.001-08:00

I have been drinking too much of thus stuff lately...

Field Trippin'

2009-02-22T09:17:00.000-08:00

Last week was reading break at UVic. The majority of of students were off snowboarding, skiing, going to Mexico, or catching up on studies they have put off all semester. I had the opportunity to partake in a field study class where we went and measured/observed coastal geomorhphic processes at a number of sites all over Southern Vancouver Island. Here are some pictures from our adventures:

Waves near Botanical Beach

Imprint

Little waterfal

Profiling the beach

You can find more pics on my flickr site.

From the sounds of what my Physiotherapist says I have a few more weeks than I should be back in the water! Pretty stoked to be on this home stretch.

Scott+Cory+Bryce+Sunset=AMAZING

2009-02-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

They never fail to impress. Some amazing photos by Bryce Casselman of a sun set session that simply looks amazing! Check them all out: Akwa Industries

Ol'dates and Updates

2009-02-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been busy with school and job hunting. As everyone knows the economy has been not so hawt lately, making part time work hard to come by. Oh well, gives me more time to ride my bike, take photos and do school work. Physio is going well, shoulder feels strong, but not strong enough for the salt water yet (sigh). Soon enough and I shall be back!

Here are a couple unreleased pictures from the New Years Eve Sesh at Whitaker with Bryce, Scott and Steph.

Liner fun

Since I have been out from skimboarding I have been spending a lot of time taking photos. I found this wicked set up near my place: grass bank to wall. A couple days after scoping it, me and my buddy Chris Bate went to check it. Chris road while I snapped pictures. The lighting was not ideal, but we made do. Here is the end product.

I will be scoping some new spots to shoot in the near future. Will post back when there are results. Cheers,

It is Official...

2009-02-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

The deal is inked. For the 2009 season I will be representing Akwa Industries. In short, I am super stoked to represent and ride for a company that is from my hometown and operates in an environmentally sensible manner. All the boards are hand crafted in Roberts Creek by Scott Copeland. After talking to Scott, it sounds like 2009 is going to be another big year for them. There is a new wave board coming out whilesome modifications will be made their flat land product. I will post some 'spy' pics and details as soon as I get them.

Secondly, check out the next Forever Skimboard Mag. I have, and am planning on submitting a few photos. Photographers include myself, Steph Harrison and Hattie May Root. Lets see if we can get more pics of BC on the map.

Till next time friends...

Live and Direct

2009-01-30T23:47:00.000-08:00

Ever want to make it out to an American skim comp. or one on the other side of the country but could never make it for whatever reason. Now you can, from your home computer. Check out the link for THE VILANO THROW DOWN for more info!

Healing.healing.healing

2009-01-26T18:21:00.001-08:00

So I have been working the shoulder out quite a bit. Went for a little skate around the block to see how the shoulder felt, and so far so good. It is still week, and I have at least another few weeks go, but so far so good!

There is a newer skim site up and runningm Skimboard Culture. Myself and Scoco have been lucky enough have profiles posted on the site.

On another note, not being able to partake in lots of physical activity has left me time to shoot lots of photography. Here are some recent shots

Manualing outside Vic High

B-Dub, Waiting

Downtown Victoria

Chris airing the stairset

On The Mend

2009-01-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

Howdy Ya'll.....the shoulder is feeling stronger. Went to the gym for the first time since the New Year and just did some leg stuff without the sling on and my shoulder felt pretty good. I am doing a little bit of resistance work at home to get some strength back into it. I have physio tomorrow, and I am hoping I can speed up my recovery to get back into the water!! Hoping to get into a full on gym workout in a week or two.

Luckily for me, there has been a lack of wave action in Victoria as of late. Meaning that I am not missing out on too much.

Bloggin' and Health

2009-01-10T22:14:00.001-08:00

A good friend of mine just started his own blog. Check it out @ http://scottscococopeland.blogspot.com/

I have been in the sling about a week now. Shoulder is feeling ok, not great. The road to recovery has so far been going smoothly. Lets hope it continues that way. Cheers,

Broken: For Now

2009-01-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

Three times in three years, not so good for me. I have had a reoccurring issue with my shoulder over the past few years. The first time I dislocated it was in Mexico while skimboarding. When I was dropping onto my board my board stuck to the sand, due to the lack of moisture, and I piledrove my shoulder into the hard Mexican sand. I was forced to spend the rest of my Christmas vacation in a sling. The second time it popped out at the gym last October while I was at the gym in Wales. Did some rehab and phsyio for a month or so, and it seemed strong again.

Today I do not even know how it dislocated. I had a poor drop onto my board but did not fall on my shoulder awkwardly. It simply popped out.Luckily I was able to get it back in after a minute or so of attempting of swing my arm back into place, as it hung within my wet suit.

Looks like more rehab and physio is on the way. Will sort it all out tomorrow. Will hopefully be back on my board sooner rather than later, but will have to see how the good ol' shoulder heals up. I will leave you with a blurry backside spray from today (picture taken by Steph). The camera battery died just before I dislocated my shoulder.

Till next time...

Couple Randoms

2009-01-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

A few recent pics I snapped.

Another grey winter day in Victoria BC

My neighbourhood: Fernwood

Horshoe bay

New Years

2008-12-31T17:46:00.000-08:00

So myself Scott, Bryce, and Steph went out for a New Years Eve session at Whitaker. Due to exams and business I have not been out for a skim in a few weeks. My body has been going through salt water withdrawal! So today the winds were up, and we trekked down to good Ol' Whitaker Beach. And did she ever deliver. Photos taken by Steph.

Scott

Scott: Approaching

Yes that is snow on the ground. Welcome to Canada

Scott

For more photos check out Akwa's blog@ http://www.akwaindustries.com/akwa/category/team-blog/, or Bryce's @ http://brycecasselman.blogspot.com/. He snapped some gems,

Hope everyone has a safe New Year's Eve. I am excited to see what 09' holds. Peace,

Happy Holidays

2008-12-25T00:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to all! Since exams I have migrated back to the Sunshine Coast. We got dumped on with the white stuff over the past few weeks. I set up a box in my yard for some winter-snow time cold Canadian skimboarding, and having been taking lots of photos since returning home... here is a little bit of both.

Christmas Tree

My old man stirring pasta sauce
Waxing the rails up

Getting everything sorted

50-50 Grind

Some good looking buns

My cat: Cypress

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas

Snowy Exams

2008-12-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

So i have been bogged down with exams... done on THURS. Hoping to get a chance to skim over the winter break (if this snow ever goes away). The one day I could have hit the beach it snowed 10cm, making the trip to Port Renfrew a no go. I got a new camera too..fancy Olympus DLSR. Here are some photos of snow, school stuff, and some from my new camera. Will post back when something actually worth reading about occurs.

We got dumped on to say the least

Snow outside my house

Downtown in the snow... did not see this coming!

My guitar

School Stuffs

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Europe Pictures

2008-12-08T23:05:00.001-08:00

Here are some old pictures from my adventures around the UK and Europe, thought I might as well throw them up. Most of these are from my travels that occurred last December.

The top of the pass near Dingle Pen. (Ireland)

Beat box/free style action in Ireland

Treking to who the hell knows where with Tucker. Near Stirling, Scotland

Venice over Christmas break. Hence the Christmas lights.

Waiting for the train in Italy

Sunrise. Just outside of Rome Dec 2007

Looking over Florence (Tucker Ross Tyler Me)

Sunset on Crete (Greece)

Just another sunny January day on Crete

K'naan

2008-12-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

For those who do not know, I am a HUGE hip-hop head. I would like to shine the spot light on K'naan, a Canadian/Somali MC. The guy has mad skill and I am looking forward to his album that is supposed to drop in 2009. Check him out, http://knaanmusic.ning.com/

BIG POST: China, School, New Spot?

2008-12-03T13:51:00.000-08:00

China Beach (Stole this picture from the internet)

On Sunday ended up at China Beach, which is just past Jordon River enroute to Port Renfrew. Due to the size of the swell, we figured that the waves in Renfrew would be breaking too far out..making them unreachable. We decided to hike down the China Beach, a major surf spot.

It was my first time to China Beach and Brandon had not been there for a few years. It is a pretty cool spot. It was a wicked hike down to the beach (note to self: wear better footware next time). The waves were fairly small (chest height) and fairly mellow. They were not super consistant but fun none the less. A sider formed around this rock that was smack dab in the middle of the beach. It is the first time I have ever really ridden a sider! It was pretty sweet. The waves were not very clean, but often ended up barreling, yet they were not really big enough to wrap into. I got my head inside a couple of barrels. No pictures were taken while we were skimboarding as we could not drag a photographer out. Brandon will prob through the scenic pics up in the next photo set on SkimBC.

I have been lacking sleep over the last couple days. In a three day stint I had 2 term papers (totallying 8,000 words), and a group report (15 pager) and 10 min presentation. I am planning on having a afternoon nap after I finish this entry.

So I was skimming through some old class notes and I came across a spit feature that formed on the far side of Cordova Bay. I have never really explored the wave potenial of this part of Victoria.. it may have to be on the list for future adventures!New spot with wave potenial?

Headed Out

2008-11-30T08:12:00.000-08:00

Just about to leave...going wave hunting with Brandon. Swell coming in is 12 foot with a 14 sec period. Should be interesting whatever we find...will post back with what I find.

Wave Riding in BC: New Territory

2008-11-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

Recently UVic Marlet, the university's independent newspaper, published a story on the Sub Zero Skim Jam held just over a month ago!

Shout out to Jeff McAllister for putting the piece together, it is great for the wave scene in BC to get some press time!!!

You can read the article here:

http://martlet.ca/article/6190-skim-jam-rides-island-waves

SkimBC

2008-11-25T23:54:00.000-08:00

Just like to give a shout out to Bdub at SkimBC.... doing lots of work on his site. Keep checking on it, he has some goodies in store!

www.skimbc.com

Fall 2008

2008-11-23T23:10:00.000-08:00

Being back on VanIsle is great. The main reason is that I am SO much closer to Port Renfrew, the wave mecca of BC. If you have never heard of Port Renfrew it is time to listen up! Renfrew, as it is known, is located approxamtely 2 hours out of Victoria. There is not much in terms of the the 'township'. They have a general store, couple pubs, few B&Bs and a motel.

Regardless, it has some of the bes, largest and most consistant wave skimming that British Columbia has to offer. Click here to find out more about what Port Renfrew has to offer.

We have made a couple trips out there this year. Here are a few of the gems. A full album of the photos can be found a here

A little heavy on the brake pedal some may say

One of the joys of skimboarding in BC is that scenery follows you every where you go

Sitting Wishing Waiting

"Break on through to the other side"

Front size carve

B-Dub is happy with the wavesCarving the faceUntil next time...

Pictures Pictures Pictures

2008-11-22T13:27:00.000-08:00

Here are some old pictures from my skim adventures in the UK. Enjoy,

Knee height slash in Aberystwyth, Wales

Airtime in Aberystwyth, Wales

Carving in South Devon

Waiting for that next wave

First Post

2008-11-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday myself, Brandon, Wolfey and Jeff (owner of Zed Skimboards) went out to session a beach that I have never skimmed at before: Island View. It is found between Sidney and Victoria. After trecking up there it seemed like the driving paid off! We had chest heigh waves. There were even surfers out!!

The sand was super weird, as it went from nicely sorted sand to 'baby head' sized boulders. I had a couple good spills onto these rocks, but no major injuries (luckily).

We sessioned until it was too dark to see. The pictures were lacking, but this one showed the spots potential! Am going to keep my eye on this webcam from now on!

The web cam for the Island View beach can be found here:
http://www.bigwavedave.ca/webcams.php?cam=4&option=1&z=0