Yuka and Fumika rep their new Ichiban. MJ hand-jiving per usual.
A big Matuse triple-ichiban shout out to the peeps at the Yu Me Ya Sake House in Leucadia, CA. Run by a lovely fam straight outta Osaka, this joint never fail to deliver second-to-none treats and hospitality. Moreover, Yuka’s ability to select the finest Sake is par excellence! No reservations, but to check out the renowned Sake House:
1246 N Coast Highway 101
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760) 633-4288
When he’s diving deep and looking to score, Mr. Cote knows that sporting the ichiban is mandatory. Below is a recent email from JC.
Just wanted to drop you guys a line and thank you for hooking me up with my lucky wetsuit. Lucky you ask? That’s right! Nearly every time I wear this bad boy diving I get something to eat. Whether it be the lobsters caught just past the surf or a 15 lb. Yellowtail like this, I’m always nice and warm and won’t leave the shore without it!
Thanks again,
Justin Cote
Online Editor
TransWorld SURF
Information on Matuse and Geoprene’s functional superiority pops off the page.
Check out page 104 of the new Dwell Magazine (the September 2009 issue). Three quarters of the page is devoted to Matuse – including shots of our Premium (the ichiban) Game. They tapped the Company for our good design sensibilities in a section called “An Introduction to Product Design” by James Nestor. So Big Ups to Dwell Mag and James for having the good taste and design sensibilities of their own to showcase Matuse.
Kenny sliding in his Chapter 1 Jacket at Blacks (top); Kenny cradling a Maca root straight from the source in Peru (below).
Over the past several years Matuse and Sol Raiz Organics have collaborated on projects. We do this because they’re our friends and we respect their focus on quality. Just like Matuse’s Premium (the ichiban) Game, Sol Raiz Organics offers an equally high grade “superfood” called Maca, AKA, “the root of health.” Maca is a turnip-like root that grows exclusively over 14,000 ft. in the Peruvian Andes and is chock-full of micronutrients not often found in other foods.
Sol Raiz Organics founder/owner and Matuse aficionado, Ken Stittsworth, just returned from another two week long stay in Peru. As shown in the pics, Kenny was off the grid and smack-dab in the middle of an Andes winter no-less. Since he’s a surfer from Del Mar, CA (check the image above), Kenny will probably never get used to landing on the West Coast of South America’s wave laden coastline and having to immediately bee-line-it seven hours inland to altitudes over 14,000 ft. However, the man is dedicated to Sol Raiz the same way the peeps at Matuse are focused on creating the ichiban. Keep charging, Kenny! For more information on Sol Raiz Organics, visit: www.solraizorganics.com.
This recent pic of Oprah Winfrey’s Staff was taken at a Chicago Airport before the group jetted to a Spain vacation (Oprah chartered that ish). Front and center, one heady cat in the mix, Ikechi A. Ogbonna, reps his appreciation for Matuse’s Premium (the ichiban) Game. For more on this story, check this link from the Rockford Register Star. CLICK HERE. Big ups to Ikechi for looking out!
Shark preservation group joins Fuji Rock Festival NGO Village and No Fin, No Future
Tokyo, Japan (July, 09) – PangeaSeed, a Japan-based nonprofit organization, is ramping up its inaugural activities in Tokyo this summer with events tailored to spotlight the organization’s dedication to increasing awareness of the plight of sharks. Of the 400 shark species, more than 100 are endangered, with many species so overexploited it may be impossible for them to recover.
The events will showcase the issues surrounding shark finning in Asia and other parts of the world, where sharks are killed to satisfy culinary and medicinal demand. In finning it is common to cut the fin from a still-living shark, then discard the rest, as the fin is worth many times over the shark as a whole. PangeaSeed takes an inclusive approach to spreading its message by engaging its audience through music, art, photography and open discussion.
First, PangeaSeed has been selected to host a booth at the 2009 Fuji Rock Festival’s NGO Village on July 24 – 26, 2009. The booth will feature information and facts about the shark finning issue and aims to provide a venue for the organization to educate and discuss with its target audience such topics as the threat of shark extinction, and the need for shark protection and shark sustainability. At the event, PangeaSeed will collect signatures with the goal of securing an area of the coast of Miyagi prefecture as a sanctuary for sharks, while special guest artist and PangeaSeed member Yoh Nagao will perform “live paints” during the festival to raise awareness of the shark finning issue. During the festival, PangeaSeed also will feature a public service announcement on the festival’s Green Stage.
Later in July, PangeaSeed will host its first event, “No Fin, No Future.” The event will be held Thursday, July 30, 2009, at Super Deluxe in Nishi Azabu, and will feature never-before-seen art and photography from global artists such as Mr. Brainwash, Josh Keyes, Dave Kinsey and many more.
Guests will enjoy a screening of the international award-winning documentary, “Sharkwater” followed by a discussion with leading shark expert, Ms. Kim McCoy of Shark Angels. Ms. McCoy will discuss her experience in working with sharks including research and education. She will also share with the audience underwater footage of swimming and interacting with large sharks from around the world.
“We are very excited to showcase a not-for-profit fund raising art collection featuring works contributed from more than 30 internationally renowned artists, graphic designers and photographers never seen before in Japan,” said Tre’ L. Packard, managing director of PangeaSeed.
“We are thrilled with the opportunities we’ve been given both with Fuji Rock and our own No Fin, No Future event,” Packard said. “Through these events PangeaSeed aims to open the eyes, minds and hearts of our neighbors and bring to the forefront the ecological and environmental problems that continue to be overlooked both domestically and around the globe. We believe these events are an excellent place to introduce our message and gain the necessary momentum to make a difference.”
About PangeaSeed: PangeaSeed (www.pangeaseed.com) is a Tokyo-based grassroots effort to educate and raise awareness of the plight of sharks around the world. Through volunteer activism and the media of art, music and photography, PangeaSeed aims to create an open dialogue with the global community to develop an understanding of the need to preserve and protect sharks and their habitat.
Matuse, Inc. has joined with PangeaSeed to create a unique T-Shirt to help support the cause. Look for the new shirt in the near future here online. All purchases will go to help fund PangeaSeed. The shirt will be debuted at the July 30, “No Fin, No Future” event.
A recent update from Matuse Family Member Jamie Sterling. For more knowledge on Jamie Sterling and the rest of the Matuse Family, kindly CLICK HERE.
It’s been almost a month spent in Chile. We surfed various spots in the South from being fogged in at Matanza to carving it up at Buchipureo’s forgiving long left point. I had one day of giant surf or semi big surf. Punta De Lobos in Pichilemu got as big as 15 Ft one evening. Too bad the conditions were so haggard from a strong 30 knot north wind. We went out to Punta De Lobos for a gander. It was super bumpy and challenging. I caught some super scary rides and was going so fast over the choppy surf. Mark Visser flew over from Ausstralia to surf with me. Hats off to him for his effort. One of these days we will score together. It was another great Chinese fire drill and more training for the two of us.
At the moment I have that surf stoked/surf out feeling going. It will probably be 2 weeks before I surf any kind of real waves again. Right now we are staying at Mando’s apartment in Santiago. Before this we were at his cabin in Buchipureo for a week. It’s awesome hanging out with Mando! He’s a super mellow older guy who has a two daughters and two twin boys. He was recently divorced. His children are a bit older now, allowing Mando more time to surf again. He surfs with a goofy-foot smooth style. He has traveled all over Chile surfing and is probably one of the most knowledgeable surfers in the country. As well as the coolest!
This trip has been great in learning about all the different point breaks in the South. It was my first time traveling in the South. I have a better understanding of the waves in Chile as a whole. I have previously been to Northern Chile 3 times before this trip. I prefer southern Chile. Its much more beautiful and quiet. The South of Chile is old world to the fullest still! The local fishermen still use two huge Ox to pull their authentic Chilean boats up the beach. It’s their equivalent two a modern quad motorcycle. You can find a variety of waves south of Santiago. I often surfed with no more then 5 guys out and sometimes by myself. The waves I rode were the longest leg burning rides of my life.
Next on my plate is getting my 15 Ft. enclosed trailer packed and ready to ship to Puerto Escondido. I’ll be shipping my ski along with some of Balti’s things down to Puerto to permanently live there. I’ll be flying down to Puerto for a 2 month stay. Super excited! Plenty of warm water barrels await Ariel and I. Ariel will continue to document my surf sessions and create webisodes as well as collect footage to one day create a movie on my surf exploits.
July 18, ’09, 9 am mid flight from Dallas, Texas to LAX…Small change in plans since I last wrote the previous blog. Upon departing from Chile yesterday, Rusty Long and I were monitoring a serious 19 second interval swell to hit Puerto Escondio on Fri July 24. After closely reviewing all our reliable weather forecasting sites we both booked tickets to fly down to Puerto Escondido on Tues, July 21. It’s on!! Swell, period, and winds look perfect. For me it’s going to be a strike mission. I’ll fly down with Rusty and Ariel on Tues, July 21 and fly back Fri, afternoon July 24. Why so short? I have to be in Huntington Beach for the US open to sign Autographs for Invisalyn. It will all be worth it!! I forgot to mention as I write this I’m on my final flight segment from Chile via Texas to L.A.
Time to store the winter clothes, 4×3 wetsuits, booties,and bust out the board shorts. It’s going to feel awesome to warm up in Mexico after a month of chilly weather in Chile! Stay tuned for the Puerto Escondido update!
Aloha, Sterls
The August issue of Men’s Fitness shows Jeremy Piven on the cover — sporting the BC Vest. Inside the book, peep page 65 for another prime shot. Big ups to Jeremy and the people at Men’s Fitness for their support of Matuse’s Premium (the ichiban) Game. Stellar timing with the new season of Entourage…
Recent email from Matuse Family Member Chris Del Moro.
Been traveling with the Surfers for Cetaceans crew in Portugal for the annual ass backward IWC (international whaling commission) meetings. I flew into mainland Portugal area for a great surf/environment festival & surfing odyssey in the Peniche area. Super honored to have painted a 60 foot whale mural with fellow artist Howie Cooke overlooking one of the premier surf spots in the region. Such a great feeling to paint large outdoor murals and have the support of such an amazing group of local beach folk. On top of the painting and educating buzz, the waves were really fun as well.
After Leaving the mainland we hopped a flight into the island of Madeira. Located just off Morocco’s coast, it’s a Tahitian style collage of terraced architectural wonders sprawled to and fro. Our first day saw us surfing a slab right under a menacing cliff face that ended up dropping massive car sized chunks of stone, crushing a unoccupied home and crushing multiple cars.
Once the IWC meetings started, our crew of S4C members gathered from all angles of the sea. Dave Rastovich, Howie Cooke, Johnny Vasic, Justinn Krumb, Hilton Dawe and John Lawerson were hustling to keep up with a busy schedule. Our energy’s were focused on educational meetings with school groups, meetings with local fishermen, national parks service, gathering local surfers for protest, painting, and generally sharing our will to stop the killing/capture of whales and dolphins alike. With that said we have a lot of work ahead, Greenland has proposed to kill 10 humpbacks a year for the next 5 years for indigenous rights and crazy enough the US, Aus and NZ are backing it.
One of the high points of our efforts was working with the always radical Sea Shepherd Society to brainstorm our intentions for the next year of activism and conservation work.
After our time in Madeira the S4C team headed to the Azores island chain to highlight the positive economic effects whale tours have had on many ex-whaling communities. Our journeys within these secluded Atlantic playgrounds provided our group with the chance to swim with wild dolphins and be within boat’s length of 6 adult sperm whales protecting 1 playful calf. The power of experience was magical in so many ways and our time within the Baleia Atlantic tour was enjoyable.
If anyone wants to get involved or learn more make sure to watch Whale Wars on the Animal Planet, see the new film “The Cove” @ www.takepart.com/thecove or visit www.surfersforcetaceans.com
Big Thanks, Chris 111
For more info on S4C and to read up on Chris’s travels you can visit the S4C blog by CLICKING HERE. For more knowledge on Chris Del Moro and the rest of the Matuse Family, kindly CLICK HERE.
A recent email from Matuse Family Member Zach Plopper.
Oh my, what a great time it is to go to Mexico for a surf adventure. Surf season in the land of cheap beer, delicious seafood and endless waves falls in the slow season for tourism so airfares are always down as are accommodations and car rentals. Joke’s on them because the stifling summer months are not always too steamy for comfort and the waves pump and pump and pump. Tack on the swine flu scare and people’s convoluted perception that you will be beheaded and you’ll find the Mexican coastline is empty.
I just got back from a gorge on vacant warm perfect lineups and a romantic getaway with the squeeze in the state of Guerrero and couldn’t have asked for a better trip…other than somebody to share the 300 yard long left point breaks with. If you crave a similar adventure do so now and stop me in the lineup and I will let you in on a little secret spot that’ll stoke out you and the lady friend.
Z to the P
For more knowledge on Zach Plopper and the rest of the Matuse Family, kindly CLICK HERE.