Greetings everyone, Travis here.

First of all, I'd like to send out a special thanks to everyone who participatied in the Late Summer Classic. I mean EVERYONE: Sponsors, judges, participants, volunteers, the groms who helped clean up and all the other clubs that attended. If I may insert a cliche, I think "many hands make light work," fits here. Everyone who volunteered performed brilliantly. No stress, no worries. Nice job.

Now down to business... one of the last Coalition contests of the year is upon us: the 16th Annual Swami's Club Challenge. That's right, the Cardiff Classic will be held October 6-7 and yes, it's back at Cardiff Reef again this year. No more "D" Street. Otis Sistrunk and all the Swami's boys and girls have gone to great lengths, and considerable expense, to put this event back on at the Reef, so I want to send a full crew to support our North County neighbors.

This year will also include shortboard and new divisions, i.e., stand up paddle, noseriding and a specialty board event where one can borrow a sponsor board and compete with the winner keeping the board he/she is riding. Cool huh? Oh yes, and back by popular demand, karaoke at the Encinitas Elks Club Saturday night. And yes, it's for club points, so somebody step up, we need a ringer. O'side and Swami's are quite competitive in this event. I know this for a fact because I've spent many a drunken night with Otis in Queensland Australia's Noosa Surf Club. But I digress.

Anyways, anyone interested in competing contact me as ASAP as we must finalize our roster. Here is what we have so far:

We still need team riders for the following divisions: Jr. Women (15-19), Young Women (20-34), Noseriding (Open), Noseriding (Masters), Womens Shortboard and Super Legends (70 and Up).

Check it out, new email: tandemsurfer@gmail.com, or phone: 858-204-6417.

Shut up and surf!

Travis Long
Team Captain

THE NINTH EDITION OF THE CLUB'S ANNUAL CONTEST

By Kathy Austin
Contest Coordinator, 2007

Once again the gods of sun and surf smiled upon the PB Surf Club’s Summer Classic. Wrapped in Tourmaline’s easy spirit, our annual event went off without a hitch.

Thanks to Glenn Paculba’s judging team we had consistency and undisputed fairness all 36 heats. Joe Rigby and new member, Babette Esterly, kept these heats running on time from 7:30am to 5:30pm. Jim "Spinner" Cameron and Travis Long called the action in the water, the winners, the missing and thanked the sponsors with accuracy, humor and some very interesting asides. Jerome Hall and Don Wright marshaled us without the use of weapons, keeping track of contestants and sending out the heats with aloha and precision. Tabulators, Lilly Riley and Pete Robson, kept the results coming, breaking the ties and guarding the final results until the awards. Jane Mold and Mary Helen Ish answered all those questions (anyone who competes knows how we get) with kindness and authority all day long at registration. They really shined when, along with Torrey Brown, our president, these ladies built and organized the Cat and Dog heats complete with costumes.

The food arrived on time and in quantity thanks to Peter Fowler, Taco Surf and The French Gourmet. Membership was very attractive and very informed thanks to Sandi Pierz and Martin Murphy respectively. Mark Hines managed the merchandise and raffle ticket sales with the help of Karen and Erin Steadham. Pablo Smith kept the raffle moving with timely ticket calling and masterful suspense up until Jay Peters won the Masi board at the very end.

And none of this happens if the sponsors are not gathered. Huge thanks to Dave Washkowiak. And the contestants don’t come and show us Jr. Men’s and Men’s division power and speed, Sr. Men’s and Masters style and precision, Jr. Women’s and Women’s grace and skill and Menehune’s talent and enthusiasm. Special thanks to the dynamic young pack of Kneeboarders this year and the really fun to watch new division, Stand Up Paddle. I didn’t know you could do a three sixty on a paddle board.

Operations never let us down under Richard Steadham’s direction and plenty of brawn and good cheer from Omar Metwalli, Matt Dalton, Chris Rule, Rex McGrath, Bill Newton, John Esterly, Richard Carne, Daryle Coleman, Masi Saili, Dawn Moore, Celia Treamer, Matt Melin and Yasuo Naruse.

WildCoast for preservation of our ocean’s water quality was our beneficiary this year and we enjoyed having Serge Dedina, executive director and his son with us for contest day to spread the word about their organization. Visit WildCoast www.wildcoast.net to see how you can do your part to preserve our most precious resource.

If the test of a good event is whether the folks putting it on had a good time, then we really had a great event. Don’t miss it next year. Come have fun, get involved, support a good cause, and see some really good surfing.

RESULTS FOR THE LATE SUMMER LONGBOARD CLASSIC
Jr. Men: 1. Jimmy McCarthy 2. Blain Lewis	Men: 1. Micah Wood 2. Isaac Wood 3. Billy Harris 4. Jerry Swearinger 5. Antonio Roberti	Sr. Men: 1. Jim Cameron 2. Ferdie Morales 3. Masi Saili 4. Foster Thompson 5. Jay Peters	Masters: 1. Joe Rigby 2. Ron Greene 3. Jeff Sinott 4. Bill Snyder 5. Bobby Challenger 6. Robert Gutzler
Jr. Women: 1. Sarah Goldstein 2. Jackie Vinson 3. Erin Lewis 4. Mele Saili 5. Analise Dubois	Women: 1. Kathy Austin 2. Jane Mold 3. Celia Treamer 4. Coleen Cooney 5. Tracy Gulzolo 6. Dawn Moore	Menehune: 1. Lucas Dirkse 2. David Arganda 3. Mikele Saili 4. Rickey Cunningham 5. Dutch Drinko 6. Patrick O’Connor	Kneeboard: 1. Chris Lain 2. Nick O’Brian 3. Curtis Odham 4. Steve Tucker 5. Eric Osland 6. Taylor Cahppette 7. Zeke Snow
Stand Up Paddle: 1. Andre Niemeyer 2. David Arganda 3. Tim Mellows 4. Daryl Coleman 5. Pete Robson 6. Dan Duty	Cats: 1. Dawn Moore 2. Mele Saili 3. Celia Treamer 4. Analise Dubois 5. Alex Cunningham 6. Tiare Thompson	Dogs: 1. Ricky Cunningham 2. Lucas Dirkse 3. Richard Steadham 4. Patrick O’Connor 5. Cole Magro 6. Matt Melin

For a lot more photos of the contest, check out the Contest Photo Album. Also, Andre Niemeyer has a number of photos and videos of the day's events on his website: www.mylocallineup.com

LARRY GORDON: AKA GORDON AND SMITH SURFBOARDS, Part II
IS IT A SURFBOARD OR IS IT ART?

By Bobby Challenger Thomas

Gordon and Smith Gold Label Collection

In 1964, Gordon and Smith introduced the red and gold emblem series in a full-page advertisement in Surfer magazine. The ad introduced the Exhibition Team of distinguished surfers that exhibit the boards in the water with outstanding ability, qualified for their honorary surf team. Gordon and Smith wrote that they were proud to have the surfers in the ad as outstanding surfers displaying their special emblem on their club or personal jackets. I was very lucky to have been one of the surfers in the ad along side of Skip Frye.

About 20 years ago, Larry’s daughter Debbie discovered a classic gold label board. She displayed it at the Tourmaline contest that year seeking the history of the board. As soon as I saw it, I knew in a second its story and history. Now some 20 years since then I have the opportunity to tell the story and history. How’s that?

Well, at our annual Club contest at Tourmaline, Jane Schmauss from the California Surf Museum showed up to announce the honoring of Larry Gordon and Floyd Smith of Gordon and Smith Surfboards. In her announcement she asked if anyone had any '60s classic G&S surfboards, and if so, please bring them to the gathering on Sunday October 7 for display. Here I was with one in the back of my truck, but it belonged to Larry Gordon.

Shortly, here comes Jerome Hall and Jane looking for me in the parking lot. I showed the board to them and Jane asked if I would bring it to the museum for display and write the history of the board. I told her I would have to talk to Larry Gordon and I was not even sure I would be attending, due to the fact that it was on the same day or weekend of the Swamis surf club contest. So if you are not riding in the event, please show up and pay respect and honor to these two men. For without their foresight, courage and guts to go into the surfboard business, you may have never learned to SURF.

And now, here is the story and history of the board. You tell me, is it a surfboard or is it art?

So many memories. I have had this special board in my studio for restoration for three weeks now. The more I'd looked at it, the more its story and history started to unfold. I remember this surfboard like it was yesterday. When I designed and shaped this 9'8", I had one thing in mind: to ride it at the Huntington Beach Championships in big waves. I was not a noserider at the time. Then and now, I still prefer bigger waves. In the picture of me at the G&S shaping room, the board is in the background. Look closely. This tells me when I shaped the board. I remember spending a long time crafting this shape, the stringers and the lamenated wood tail block. Then I went to Larry and told him I wanted to route my fin into the center stringer and put my own speed fin into the routed slot. This is how I know it was a personal board of mine. Larry related to me when I told him of this story that it was not a standard G&S fin design. This was another conformation to my memory. I started looking at the 1965 Leroy Grannis photo of me surfing at the Huntington Beach Championships for that year and could see that I was riding that very same board.

I remember this board the first day I ordered the blank and shaped it into my own personal board with its unique fin design. And then, have photos to boot! I am so blessed to see and have memories of a surfboard I shaped about 43 years ago. I hope that someday, maybe you can continue the history of surfing in San Diego like Gordon and Smith Surfboards have.

By the way, I told Larry the board might bring $20,000.00 in a special auction. His reply: "Bobby, I will never sell it to you."

In closing, I believe it is the oldest surfboard I ever shaped at G&S and could one of the oldest boards in Larry’s personal family collection. I am proud to say, Larry and his family have a piece of ART. I can also say, they have lasted this long in time to become truly a legend of surfing and an icon in the industry.

Please come to the Gordon and Smith tribute on Sunday, October 7. Click here for a brochure of the event.the California Surf Museum, Oceanside.

The Swami's club contest at Cardiff Reef is a really good reef break this time of the year. Get some photos for your memory album. Trust me on this one. If you haven't signed up yet, contact Team Captain, Travis Long.

Tourmaline Tailgaters' Surfers Stomp: At our contest, Tom Davis said to me, "Challenger, get your dancing shoes on and defend your title." I said, "Sure Tom, I am ready." Last year's dance was my first and I really had a lot of fun. Kathy Austin was there dancing her little heart out and several of us from the club were cheering her on. Remember Kathy? Memories are forever. The chick can dance!

Tourmaline Surfer’s Memorial: Put the Thomas family down for $1000.00. Preserve, educate, honor and enshrine those who came before—and after—for this really cool idea. Good deeds, Tailgaters'.

Calendar of My Adventurers:
Oct 6/7: Swamis club contest. Could be really good. Get some photos.
Oct 7: California Surf Museum Honoring Larry Gordon and Floyd Smith of Gordon and Smith Surfboards Since 1959. See the classic gold label I shaped 44 years ago.
Oct 12: Mission Bay High School Alumni Gathering. More to come.
Oct 13: 2:00pm; One of the "Kahuna" panelists featured at the Sacred Craft Consumer Surfboard Expo at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
Oct 13: Tourmaline Tailgaters Association “SURFERS STOMP” at the Masonic Lodge, Point Loma. Get your dancing shoes on.
Oct 31: Baja surf adventure. Smitty’s break. Fish, surf and play with my dog, "Chief."
Nov: Windansea Club event. Do we believe we can win? I do.
Feb 2008: Australia, Noosa Contest. Shape new boards. Come and surf with me.

Photos from the Bobby Challenger Thomas Collection

WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY, THE TEACHER APPEARS

By Jerome Lynn Hall

As a university undergraduate many years ago, I enrolled in a course titled “Family Relations,” a popular semester-long study that dealt with the intricacies of family membership. “It’s not always the big issues that cause friction,” said the professor, “but the little things!”

And then, as he launched into the concept of the Ego, how it is so remarkably fragile and so often the source of struggle in relationships, our professor said something I have never forgotten: “When you know who you are, you can take out the trash!”

What he was saying, of course, was that when we are secure in ourselves, then the door to true humility is opened. Too often, however, our insecurities get the best of us: we become inflated with our own self-importance and soon, before we’re aware of it, our relationships with tasks, things, and people become distorted.

I was reminded of my professor’s teaching just a few weeks ago when several of us from the PB Surf Club met at La Paloma Theater in Encinitas to view the newly released One California Day, a spectacular surf film (co-directed by Mark Jeremias and Jason Baffa) featuring eight California surfers: Joe Curren, Jimmy Gamboa, Tyler Hatzikian, Alex Knost, Chris Malloy, Dane Perlee, Joel Tudor, and Tyler Warren.

What made that film really special, however, was the on-screen guest appearance of San Diego’s own Skip Frye. One after another, beginning with Cardiff’s Joel Tudor, the featured stars talked about the powerful influence that Skip had on them, not only as surfers, but as human beings.

Harry “Skip” Frye was born in 1941 in San Diego and started surfing at age 16.
He began shaping boards five years later and soon found himself working for G&S Surfboards, where, in 1966, they introduced the Skip Frye signature model. He later traveled to Australia as one of California’s top competitors. After witnessing first hand the Aussie “short-board revolution,” Skip returned to California to become the lead innovator of the short board and V-bottom designs.

In those opening scenes of One California Day, it wasn’t so much Skip’s classic board riding stance and recognizable trim that impressed me. It was his familiar silhouette moving quietly and deliberately across the beach as he picked up trash that others had left behind.

I recall a simple Zen proverb that goes something like this: “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

If you’re ready, you can learn a lot from Skip Frye: he’s that 1991 Surfing Hall of Fame inductee that you watch treating people kindly in the lineup just before he glides effortlessly down a green water wave at P.B. Point; he’s the Longboard Magazine Reader’s Poll Master’s Division Champion who never hesitated to extend his hand to your friends the first time you brought them down to Tourmaline Surfing Park; he’s that legendary wave rider, master board shaper, and international celebrity picking up the trash in front of Skeeter Malcolm’s memorial bench, making the beach a better and more beautiful place for you to enjoy.

When you know who you are, you don’t beat others over the head with your credentials. When you know who you are, you extend your hand to strangers and make them feel welcome. When you know who you are, you can take out—or pick up—the trash.

That, my friend, is aloha, pure and simple.

Oct 3: PB Surf Club monthly meeting; 6pm-7pm, PB Recreation Center, 1405 Diamond Street.
Oct 6-7: 16th Annual Swami's Club Challenge; Swami's Surfing Association; Cardiff Reef.
Oct 7: Larry Gordon and Floyd Smith Honored; California Surfing Museum; 1pm-4pm Oceanside.
Oct 13: Tourmaline Tailgater's Surf Stomp & Party; 7pm to Midnight; Sunset Cliffs Masonic Lodge.
Oct 13-14: Sacred Craft; 2007 Consumer Surfboard Expo; Del Mar Fairgrounds.