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/

Surf Punks got a webstore?

Ew Fucky Ya we do. Go Check it out!!!!

"Need For Speed" An interview with northeast rep Jack Laird

This interview was done at long time friend and NJ industry veteran Jack Laird's apartment in Asbury Park, NJ. We were both sick as dogs and smoking cigs playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater2. The Images to your left are a sneak peak of Atwater clothing and Raen Optics summer 2010. Enjoy bitches


Davie: Ok so I am here interviewing Jack Laird.

Jack: Hey!!!!

Davie: This is the guy that runs the northeast for a few different companies over in New Jersey but also travels a lot in other places, why don't you start this off by telling us who you rep for.

Jack: I work for Atwater clothing it's a five year old company from Newport Beach California started by Dean Bradley and Scott Madison with a total of 20 years of industry experience, Billabong, Hurley and a bunch of other companies. Basically wanted to start their dream brand something a little more fashion- forward, something that could translate into the music and art lifestyle as well as surf skate and snow. Something that a lot of companies have been trying to cross market in that direction try to keep it a little more open to more humans. I also work with Raen Optics which is Jeremy Heits company, used to be a pro surfer for Ezekiel and he started Chemistry Surfboards. Raen also is a little bit more of a retro fashion-forward twist done modern eye-wear. We are collaborating with Thomas Cambell, Pat Graham and a bunch of other really cool photographers and MGMT Modest Mouse to push a product just a little bit different then your typical run of the mill surf-shop sunglasses. I am also working with Eskuche. Eskuche is a L.A based headphone company that sorta is a HiFi 1970's inspired style with new school design as far as it's functionality. It can work with Iphones, Blackberry but still is a steezy pair of headphones that you can rock.

Davie: You can also plug it into a guitar amp can't you.

Jack: Ya you can


Davie: So what else

Jack: I am also doing a company called AJW which is a surfboard company from Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Adam James Warden is the AJW in AJW and he was a apprentice for people like Rusty Preisendorfer he worked for Marcio ( Sharp Eye) for a long time, he is actually splitting the factory cost with Marcio out in California now. It's a little bit easier to get things shipped out from over there as we all know. It's a little further for us to get our product but he prides himself in being made in the United States. Blanks are coming from Brazil but the boards are shaped here, no pop-outs he does do some computer generated shapes but he finishes all the shapes himself. Then last but not least i just picked up a company well two companies actually called Big Swell which is a ding repair company that comes a little bit more neatly packaged then the ding repair companies used too. Also Board Suit which is a guy from around here that started this company it's got some pretty rad stuff. It's a neoprene board-bag so it's actually going to stretch to fit your board a little bit more snug and offers a little bit more protection then your normal board sock.

Davie: Sounds cool... So what about yourself what got you into reping?

Jack: I worked in the industry for a long time, I guess I got my first shop job when i was about 16. Selling surfboards, snowboards, skateboards I have always been into that kinda thing. I worked at a local retail establishment called Brave New World for some time, and our local Lost, Spy and FCS rep Ed Doyle took me under his wing as a sub rep for a while. When he picked up a couple more lucrative lines he passed on a couple to me.

Davie: Nice

Jack: Ya I just started making contacts, making friends and finding new lines that needed representation in the North East territory and just ran with it.

Davie: Shradical!!! So what's new with Atwater? I mean they have been around they just won a SIMI award.

Jack: Ya we won the Overall Image Breakthrough Brand of the Year Award. It was a long time coming, we have been nominated for a really long time because of the swine flu they kept pushing the SIMI awards back because no one could go to Mexico without coming back with H1N1.

Davie: haha

Jack: So um ya we just won that award you know we are just pushing forward we are looking forward to the economic situation to start turning around, we have a lot of people that are really interested in the product and we just wanna get it in the right stores. Start slow keep it kinda core but also can't make any money being absolutely core so we need to branch out to other angles, but like what i said before we need to go into style stores as well as surf-shops kinda broaden the horizons.

Davie: Cool, so any new news in team guys collaborations anything like that.

Jack: Ya we did a colab with a team guy named Sean Tully he's a super good long-boarder really good artist, he actually painted in our booth for surf expo and it came out pretty rad. He did a collaboration in our spring line, it's three shirts and its all his original artwork printed on the shirt. One of them holiday actually has 27 screens or something ridiculous like that, it has so many different colors on it. Then also we have been going on kinda the friend route with everybody. We have befriended Slightly Stoopid over the years and they are rocking the gear on the stage. Face To Face as well.

Davie: Nice and for those of you that don't know who Face To Face is.

Jack: You should find out.

Dave: Ya you should definitely find out, they are pretty much the reason why any punk band nowadays is anything, Blink-182 you can definitely hear a lot of Face to Face influences in their music. But whatever back to Atwater.

Jack: haha um so ya we have just been plugging along, opening some doors, picked up a whole bunch of new reps. My territory is from Jersey to Maine we got a guy underneath us John McDaniels which is doing a killer job and he has the mid- atlantic region. We are working with Greg Osthus which is our VP of sales and marketing. You might know him he is actually listed in that Gotcha book, he was basically a surf pioneer this guys been in the industry forever. If he doesn't know someone in the industry he's not worth knowing, it's kinda nice to work for a guy like that.

Davie: Ya sure

Jack: Ya you know just plugging along, and with Raen as I said before we have been sponsoring Modest Mouse, MGMT and collaborating with different photographers and trying to do different more art driven advertising campaign. So that's good stuff.

Davie: Ya absolutely what about collaborations with companies with Raen and riders any new guys on the bill?

Jack: Well we are working with Alex Knost right now it's probably our biggest guy that fits the bill of that retro steeze that we are looking to push and Kassia Meador which is our surf chick, she rips and is a Roxy Model, killer long-boarder and just working with a bunch of different artists just trying to get out there. The whole advertising campain is "through the eyes of". They go through different photographers that are famous for working that kind of lifestyle and they let them shoot the advertising campains threw their eyes, threw the eyes of Raen .

Davie: Thats super cool

Jack: Ya it's cool stuff.

Davie: Well is there anything else you want to add?

Jack: No man that is about it, just go buy all those products!!!!hahaha

Davie: Ya hahaha. Just for the record who is your favorite surfer and who is your favorite band of all time.

Jack: Wow that is a tough question. Well I would have to go with Social D as my favorite band.

Davie: OK

Jack: And I got the need for speed so Archy has always been my home-boy.

Davie: Rad so that's it Archy and Social D

Jack: Ya i guess I like guys with slicked hair and tattoos huh.

Davie: Hey man everyone's got a greaser in them somewhere haha

Jack: Hahahaha

Davie: Alright rad thanks a lot Jack

Jack: No worries dude


For more info on the products shown check out
http://www.ajwsurfboard.com/
http://atwatercollection.com/main/
http://www.eskucheme.com/
http://www.raenoptics.com/
http://boardsuit.com/BoardSuit.html