Element Skate Day!!!!!!

I got the call that they where closing off the parking lot to Grove West in Shrewsbury for a skate Jam.... So I had to go...
Skating by Small Paul, Pete Matulonis, Chris Anderson and others..

Music by: The Damned

On the road with Jacko. Farias surf shop review

Being a sales rep is not a easy job. Most would think that roadwork is an enjoyable stress free job with tons of free time and travel. Your a fucking idiot if you think that a sales rep has it that easy. Keep in mind we drive shitty cars have no health insurance and really enjoy a pint every chance we can. This is not a entry about being a sales rep but just a little praise to all that are in the game.

So anyway after not being on road as a rep I decided to go with Northeast Atwater sales rep Jack Laird. He had kept speaking to me about a shop in LBI called Farias Surf and Sport. I have not been in the area in about four years so I checked it out to see if Jacko was lonely or if it was worth a peak.

I found that Farias is insane.

They have everything.


Literally everything.














Located at 28th and Long Beach Blvd it is located off the main drag of Long Beach Island. If you live in New Jersey it is worth the trip to this shop. Especially if you are looking for a new board or wetsuit.



















I have no idea how many boards they carry but this is just the right wall of the board loft. Just to name a few they carry shortboards from Lost, JC , Channel Islands, T Patterson, and Rusty. Also just to do something fun I counted 33 Firewires in stock. From little quad fishes to 6'4 flex fires.




















I also saw some cool retro style shapes and really rad longboards by Hanson, Walden and Bing. I was actually surprised to see so many different styles of the retro and longboards because It took up about 45% of their stock. Which for me was really cool to see.

































They also carry Grain Surfboards kits which was really cool to see those in a big shop. I have found that it is more of a specialty item an you can only get them online. But Farias proved me wrong and I must say that I think it's rad to go to a surfshop and find a DIY kit for shaping. Good shit mates!!!




















Their wetsuit selection was insane. Not only do they carry everything for the local shop kid but also for the rich Eco surfer they had something for everyone. Wetsuits from Xcel, Patagonia, Rip Curl and Quik they have something for any size and any price.


















They carry tons of cloth as well for men and woman from Volcom, Rvca, Brixton and many others. The cool thing about their clothing selection is that not only is their shelves merchandised well but also their point of purchase is set up with huge art given by their distributers.













































Like every shop their accessories and shoe lines were good picks. From their ridiculous amounts of track pads and leashes with upstairs surf selection the down stairs was full of watches and sunglasses racks with all new styles for people to freak on.


























This photo does not do the justice but when a sales person from Farias comes up to a customer they should just say " Welcome to Farias. ... We got a shit load of shoes". Seriously..... Sanuk, Vans, Etnies and then their Reef sandal collection. Unreal





















Ow ya I forgot about the beach cruisers and Stand Up Paddle boards. P.S not to be used at the same time.







Om so in a nutshell if I had Farias as my local shop I would still living at me parents with more credit card debt then I already have and a lot of stuff. So in ways I appreciate it being a bit of a hike to get to. But it is a really great shop to check. I already gave you the address but hear is their website

http://www.fariassurf.com/

Thanks for checking it out and sorry mom but I curse a lot.






Stay tuned for a fun little thing me and a few friends are doing. 6 dudes 9 different types of Octoberfest beers and drinking games. Should be interesting. I can feel disownment already.
















This is fully random but that's my puppy...monster. Ya I have a little dog. No I am not gay. Me and my girlfriend bought him. Actually she bought him. But I don't need a pitbull to be a tough guy. Besides little dogs don't eat a lot and take small poops. So fuck you tough guy!!!!

Atwater sneak peak holiday 2010/ spring 2011

As west winds blow heavy after one of the best swells we have seen all summer it got a little chilly. So with winter clothes on my mind I decided to contact Jack Laird Atwater Northeast sales rep to check out what Atwater has coming our way.














Flannel: L.S Westside
Hat: OG Trucker











Jacket: Boost












Flannel: L.S Blackies
Beanie: Solid












Flannel: L.S Sterling
Hat: Face to Face CO\LAB












Button Down: S.S Martin












Flannel: L.S Joey
Hat: Speed Demon












Jacket: Locals Only
Beanie: Ahab






All of these items are all ready in shops at all of these locations and many others

Brave New World
Little Silver NJ

Stokaboka
Red Bank NJ

Spellbinders
Allenhurst NJ

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Go Skateboarding Day!!!!!

On June 21st we took a trip with the Instinct Skate Team to go to a few different parks and check out the local talent. Unfortunately this video does not have any type of music. I originally put Hurricane by Bob Dylan which went so rad with it. You Tube did not like that idea. Any way make your own soundtrack and enjoy!!!

Shana Skate contest

The Shana Foundation is a non-profit organization fighting against bacterial meningitis. They held this contest on the 19th of June at the Long Branch Skate park. Companies such as Instinct skateboards, Atwater collection and many others supported this cause and we had a great turnout. Check out the footy!!!!!!

Shop Review Stokaboka!!!!!

The city of Red Bank NJ is an interesting town. Multiple coffee shops and bars flood this small city with tons of people morning noon and night. Most would say that a surf a surf shop would never survive a season in this town due to the fact that it is twenty minutes from the beach and also that their are so many places to shop. Over the past five years Mike Boylan has proved that wrong.




















Mike a avid surfer, skateboarder, and musician decided to start a shop just due to the fact that it has been his dream for a long time. Stokaboka surf shop is located in the heart of Red Bank, close to plenty of great places to eat and to hang out. The shop has a super cool vibe which was influenced by a trip he took to California for research and development. Stopping into shops from LA all the way south to San Diego he got a lot of great ideas as to how to market and make his NJ shop a different style. Influenced by Thalia Street surf shop in California and also Mollusk in NY Mike knew how he was going to execute his ideas.














As you walk in a relaxing vibe overwhelms you with paintings of old sail boats and nautical theme artwork. He also has portraits of the people involved in his blog Anchors and Whales which is a small group of people that have created this blog to support StokaBoka and make it more then a surf shop crew, but a family. The shop itself has a lot of pride and heart in their products.



Carrying companies that corporate surf shops are denied accounts Stokaboka carries a lot of underground companies that for some are still in development themselves. Companies such as Rake, Insight, Ando and Friends, and Atwater flood his clothing with a certain merchandising technique that is rarely scene. Using a lot of random nicnacs to display his products you wonder to yourself how did he think of that.


















He also carries some more recognizable clothing brands such as Volcom, RVCA, and Obey. Asa far as surfboards go I personally would like one of each. Carrying surfboards by Kookbox, Rainbow, Rusty, and Chaize which is a local shaper in the area, he has a great collection for anyone who surfs.

























His skate collection has something for everyone as well. Carrying long-boards and also carrying Gremie Skateboards which is a California based company with some really cool artwork. He also carries Instinct Skateboards which is a company based out of Highlands and is making quite a name for themselves.























Another cool thing about his shop is the fact that he has made a little shaping room in the basement which still has the original working door from when the building was built in 1909.










As far as a team goes he only has one surfer as of right now. John Dykeman which is a local surfer which frequents in Loch Arbor. A great long-boarder which has turned so many heads he is nicknamed Praying Mantis. He has done this because when he cross steps his way up to the nose the way his arms are he looks like a Praying Mantis. His skate team is definitely a well developed crew of great guys in and out of New Jersey.













Photo: Pete Pontone

Just getting onboard Chris Anderson which is a powerhouse grom at the age of 14. He won last years best foot forward Zumies contest in Jersey and is supported by Instinct Skateboards.



Kyle O'Neil also skates for StokaBoka and is supported by the Atwater Collection and Ipath footwear. He is another young kid or at least old enough to by smokes but not beer. Also Pete Pontone, Sean Mahon, and Rob Schup. The interesting thing that Mike also does which not many due at all is he makes his own commercials. Having a back-round in film and editing he has been making commercials since day one. I had the chance to check out his latest commercial at his 5 year anniversary party last month and I must admit he has some skill.

That's all I gotta say about Stoka. If you get the chance to go into Red Bank check it out. It's on Monmouth St right next to the Dublin House Bar. By the way a great place to get a black and blue brew.

Here is a few more random shots I got


















I saw this behind the counter. Mike likes to play old surf rock on it. It's pretty rad including it's got a KISS 8 track in it.

















Really cool Captain Fin display.
















A bunch of old school decks hang from this wall. I would say it's a start to a collection.


















Always has a good stock of Raen Optics. The best glasses for sure

5'8 Canyon Quad

Surfed less then 6 times, less than 1 year old.
$ 300
Contact: Sam
parlormob@yahoo.com

HEY TOMMY!!!!!!! Finally

Photo: Ryan Struck

Living in New Jersey for all of my life I have dealt with a lot of different people in the Surf Industry. From awful customers coming into stores to kids coming in with there clip by clip videos trying to get sponsored. The thing about Jersey is that we are a big state but a very small one. As far as the surf industry goes it's the smallest. Go to the AC trade show and you will see what I mean. Everyone knows everybody's deal. It's kinda weird but at the same time it shows that we all have interest and all for the most part hope for the best. In this state I know of just about every guy and girl that can surf. Some are extremely cocky and think that they are insane, some do not even know that they exist. Some just don't give a shit about it. The best is the people that buy the big Dragon stickers at the shops and then a week later you hear from a friend that they are riding for them. Hahaha, Wow!!!! Anyway fortunately some people surf insane and don't think that they are anything different. They surf for the fun of it and manage to get free stuff as well. It's really an inspiration to meet someone that is so humble yet will blow you out of the water. I am speaking of Pt. Pleasant New Jersey's Tommy Petriken. In two words Tommy is a "good dude". I tried to interview him a few weeks ago but he just hates to talk about himself. I think I made him nervous. But I did learn a lot about him not only from taking to him about his life itself, but I learned more about him when we went out drinking later on with some friends.












Photo: Alex Rivera
www.ariveraphoto.smugmug.com

Growing up for Tommy sounded really rad. Influenced by his parents as surfers he was practically raised on the beach. Both of his parents were competitive amateur and professional surfers back in the day. He explains Pt. Pleasant as a very small town or as a gigantic bubble. Everyone knows everyone and it's definitely disguised as a surf town. With one of the biggest surf shops besides Ron Jon's in the same town and the waves are ridiculous it's hard not to surf. He loves his hometown but really loves to travel. During our interview which was really funny we spoke of if he was going to go on any trips. He said simply that he would like to go to Cali to get out of out 38 degree water and check out his home base of his new sponsorship Atwater Collection. He just started ridding for Atwater as a clothing line. He was super excited to be a part of the "White Tigers" due to the fact that he has a lot of friends involved in the company. From Jack Laird which is Atwaters North East sales rep to Luke Ditella also being a Atwater team rider, the company is definitely making a impact in Jersey. Tommy also surfs for Reef, Freestyle, OAM, Vert Effect, and Spellbinders surf shop. Besides surfing Tommy would like to do some online schooling so he can still get an education so he can maybe not pursue surfing as a career but def a full time hobby. He figures online schooling is the best way since he can still travel and have fun instead of actually going to school. In a nut shell I don't know much about Tommy still. All I know is that he surfs way better then me and looks like he just had his first wet dream haha. But seriously he is a super talented kid and also has got a really good head on his shoulders. I definitely see a lot of potential in any field that he strives for. I look forward to keep interacting with Tommy on this blog and will be having a beer with him soon.














Photo: Jeff Smith

Tom was brought to us through jack Laird who had spoken with Tom about the possibility of riding for us after his last sponsor. I talked to Jack a bit about Tom to get an idea of what Tom was about and Jack just mentioned that he is a super hyped grom that can buy beer and then after Tom sent over his resume and I saw what the kid could do it was a no brainer.

One of the real cool things about this is the fact that from day one I was telling Tom about the importance of telling his story (ie pics) from his neck of the woods and he got super stoked to take part in a little photo project with his polaroid. He has been sending over these dope little photo's of him doing yoga, the beach where he rides and all sorts of other interesting things. So now Tom has some new clothes we have a new team rider and we both get to express ourselves through Toms photos. Pretty good deal and he and Luke are good pals so they hang out all the time in NYC which is great.

- Mike Quilliam: Atwater Collection


P.S. Check out Tommy's Polaroid madness on Atwater's website

http://atwatercollection.com/entries/2010/04/19/thomas-petrikens-poloroid-madness/

New Jersey had some waves

With light west winds this morning this shot just shows you what Jersey gets before everyone shows up from the outskirts

Atwater Party at Myst

So Northeast sales rep Jack Laird threw an Atwater Party at Myst. While walking in I realized that I was 2 hours late for the Specials due to everyone looking like they had there fill. Had a good time as I checked out the new Atwater gear coming to the store fronts soon. Fun times and thanks Jeff Smith for the photos reminding me of taking my shirt off at a upscale club. I really do amaze myself at times.