Hawaiian South Shore July Newsletter
THE VARYING CULTURES OF TOKYO AND OSAKA
David Kelly | Owner, Hawaiian South Shore
One of the convenient perks of being a surfer is that we are often inspired to travel. Although we may plan most of our trips around swells and specific waves, the travel that we do in pursuit of surf, exposes us to a wide diversity of cultures, which broadens us and makes us better informed and more tolerant. Plus, it’s exciting! While it is common to find different cultures in different countries, many people fail to realize the cultural diversity that is present in different regions of the same countries!
As you know, I have spent a lot of time in Japan over my lifetime. In the past few years, I have been visiting an area that I had previously missed, the historical capital of Osaka. While Tokyo and Osaka are both on the same island (Honshu), I have been amazed at the cultural diversity that the two cities exhibit. Tokyo is the quintessential Japanese metropolis, a melting pot where commerce and city living bring people together and things operate in a surprisingly orderly fashion. The people tend to be refined and up on the latest trends, but perhaps a bit cooler and more reserved, likely due to the business focus in the area, and the fact that the city has a huge influx of foreigners, which might cause the locals to feel a sense of protectionism.
Osaka, on the other hand, is a bit rougher around the edges. Rather than a sprawling metropolis, it has the feeling of a large village. While not as edgy as Tokyo, Osaka is known for its warmth and humor. The people are less reserved and prone to laughter. While the culture may be difficult for outsiders to understand, once they integrate, they find that relationships are deep, and trust is highly valued.
Interestingly, the differences extend beyond personal interactions. Food is different in the two regions, particularly when it comes to the popular Udon dish. The Udon in Tokyo is darker and stronger, while the Udon in Osaka is called Kansai-fu and is much lighter. Even the languages differ in these two regions, despite how close they are to each other. In Tokyo, people use the standard Japanese dialect. But in Osaka, they prefer the Kansai dialect known as Kan-sai-ben. When people come from Osaka to Tokyo, they often opt to maintain their home dialect rather than integrating into the common language used by Tokyo locals. This pride in their home culture is yet another characteristic of the people of Osaka that cause them to stand out from the Tokyo population, which despite being culturally diverse, is largely homogenized.
At the end of the day, any time we get exposed to new cultures, it is an opportunity for exploration and growth. Whether we are traveling to new countries, or simply new regions of the same country that have different traditions, this diversity is what makes travel worthwhile. So, the next time you pack for a surf trip, remember to pack an open mind as well. There’s no telling what you will find!
MEET AND GREET THE WORLD’S BEST Meet and Greet with Longboard Legends at Hawaiian South Shore
We have hosted a lot of fun events here at Hawaiian South Shore over the years, but the one we have scheduled for July 14th is going to be one for the books. After carrying a range of CJ Nelson Designs boards for the past few years, I am super excited to have CJ himself stopping by for a meet and greet. CJ is arguably one of the best traditional noseriders of the modern age, and an innovator when it comes to surf-board design. His video section in Sprout is still considered one of the best technical noseriding sections of all time, and his signature range of boards have brought CJ’s ideas to the masses.
Yu Sumitomo will also be stopping by, and available to talk about his revolutionary Thunderbolt
Technology, which CJ uses in his line of boards (producing what CJ calls the most cutting-edge
logs in existence). We will also have crew visiting from Carve Sports, the US distributor for CJ Nelson Designs.
World champion longboarder, Harley Ingleby also has an extensive line of board designs in the Thunderbolt quiver and will be stopping by on the 14th as well! One of Australia’s best longboarders and all-around surf talents, Harley won the longboarding world title in both 2009 and 2014 and is considered to be one of the best performance loggers in the game.
Along with CJ and Harley, British longboard phenom Ben “Skindog” Skinner will also be stopping by. Skinner hails from Cornwall and is not only one of the best longboarders in the UK, but also a shaper with his own line of boards—Skindog Surfboards. Rumor has it that Skinner will soon be joining the Thunderbolt team with a few signature models of his own. He will undoubtedly be an interesting character to sit and chat with on the 14th.
To top it all off, Rainbow Drive-In will be here as well, making sure we all have enough to eat while we sit and chat about all things surfing.
This is shaping up to be one of the biggest events of the summer, and I am so stoked that Hawaiian South Shore will be hosting it. I hope you can all make it down to the shop on July 14th for an afternoon of boards, design, and talking story. The event starts at 3:30 pm - I’ll see you there!
MEMBER OF THE MONTH Kyle Viloria
When and what got you into surfing?
My dad got me in to surfing when I was just a young kid. I recall watching my dad surf Magic Island as a young kid with my mom and remember him taking off on a bomb. That’s when I knew I wanted to surf.
Did you have a time period you weren’t surfing? If so when and why did you start back up?
Yes. Not sure when, but I missed the feeling of riding waves. There is nothing purer than that.
Where is your favorite place to eat after surf? What is your favorite item?
In High school after surf sessions our go to place would be Highway Inn. Some Na’au and lomi ahi would hit the spot. Nowadays it’s just some Jamba Juice.
What other hobbies do you have besides surfing?
I try to play golf LOL. I used to play softball as well.
What do you do for work?
I work for Servco Pacific Vehicle Processing Center in the Port Operations department.
What board did you get from us?
I’ve gotten several, but the latest and best is the RNF Retro.
Why did you decide on this model and size?
I read some reviews and it just felt like something I was looking for. It meets all of my expectations. I could have went a size down but the 5’6 works just fine. I won’t be riding anything else for a while.
How does it surf and what did you like about it?
It surfs amazing. It paddles awesome, flies down the line and turns just how I want it too.
Would you like to add anything else?
I would just like to say thank you to David, Brett and the team at HSS for always making me feel welcomed at the store with smiles and stoke. Always helpful with pure aloha!
FIN EDUCATION SINGLE FINS:
The single fin was the original rudder surfboard, invented by Tom Blake way back in the 1930’s. While many people think of the single fin as old fashioned, it is still relevant, especially for people who are looking for stability and trim.
When surfing a single fin, you are somewhat limited by its necessary size and slow changes in direction. Single fins are best surfed with drawn out bottom turns, carving top turns and cutbacks that work with the wave’s energy, rather than against it. If you try to get too radical and snappy, the board will either refuse to turn with you or spin out, depending how much power you put into your turn. Either way, it won’t feel good. Take a cue from Morning of the Earth and surf your single fin as it was intended to be ridden, with big, swooping turns that feel as classic as they look.
TWINNIES AND QUADS:
Twin fins and quads operate on the same principle, thrust and drive of water being channeled between opposing rails and fins, but without the control or drag of a middle rudder. This makes them fast and loose, but prone to spinning out if over surfed.
The key with twin fins and quads is to let the board surf itself. Rather than forcing the board to perform deep, abrupt bottom turns at the base of the trough and go vertical into the lip, surf it more laterally on the face, in the middle of the wave. Full rail carves and speed lines into airs are the meat and potatoes of the spaceships, so allow them to surf the way they were designed.
As you become more comfortable with them, especially quads, you will learn to draw your bottom turns out to fit the wave and board, which will eventually lend itself to a more vertical approach. Just try not to force the board to turn against its will, or it will leave you spun out and powerless.
THRUSTERS AND FIVE FINS:
The thruster (three fin) is the setup most people think of when they talk about high performance surfboards. Thrusters sacrifice some of the drive of a twin fin to add the control of a middle fin, thus enabling them to turn on a dime and be easily controlled by the surfer. In essence, they are a compromise between a twin fin and a single fin, combining speed and lateral flow with the ability to drive off the bottom, except more radically. If a single fin is a classic Cadillac and a twin fin is a drag racecar, a thruster is a Porsche: fast, maneuverable, and performance-driven. They are normally surfed top to bottom and are characterized by the vertical off-the-lip maneuver.
A five-fin board is a compromise between a quad and a thruster. It normally includes a standard quad setup and a small trailing fin where the normal third fin of a thruster would be. These take the speed and skatey feel of a quad and add a touch more control so that they can be surfed off the bottom and vertically, like a thruster.
MAKING ART WITH FREEDOM ARTISTS
When most people think about the surf industry, they think surfboards and accessories like leashes, wax, fins, and deck pads. But the surf industry also includes a subset of the beach fashion genre. This surf fashion has become a multi-billion-dollar, in-ternational phenomenon, from mainstream brands being sold in the Midwest to boutique artists releasing their own lines of designs.
As private boutique lines become more and more popular, many artists are looking for alternative printing options, ways to get their designs out there without breaking contracts or having to print warehouses full of apparel. Here at Hawaiian South Shore, we have been collaborating with a number of these artists for years, and Freedom Artists has been helping us make it happen.
Freedom Artists is a bespoke printing firm that helps artists and individuals bring their designs to life. For years, they have been helping produce the apparel that we carry right here at Hawaiian South Shore. These exclusive collaborative designs are printed on mineral washed t-shirts, providing a soft, com-fortable, worn-in feel and a groovy look.
Art is all about creativity and inspiration, and nothing is more inspirational than nature. As surfers, we are surrounded by the ocean on a daily basis, so it is no surprise that so many amongst our tribe are artists. How fun that we can wear our art to the very beaches that inspire us!
A DECADE OF DELICIOUS WITH RAINBOW DRIVE-IN
It’s funny to consider the factors and influences that bring people together. Back in 2008, the Chamber of Commerce in Chigasaki, Japan sponsored an event they called the Aloha Market. They wanted to have a real Hawaiian company at the event, and authentic Hawaiian food, and asked me if I could help. At the time, I didn’t know Jim and the rest of the Rainbow Drive-In crew, but I reached out to them to see if they would be interested, and they said yes. I ended up going with them and hosting a clothing booth at the event. By the end of the trip, we had developed what ended up being a life-long friendship and business relationship.
Over the years, Rainbow Drive-In has worked with us on doz-ens of projects and events, including the popular “Lost and Found” event. They always bring fun to the festivities, not to mention delicious food that is sure to please the crowd. Rainbow Drive-In is well-known throughout Hawaii for its top-notch barbecue dishes and local classics like Loco Moco. It has always been a popular stop with the local crowd, but what many people fail to realize is that the food is even better when it’s catered to your front door! Whenever Rainbow Drive-In shows up at our events, you know you are in for a heck of a day.
Our next event is the CJ Nelson and Harley Ingleby Meet and Greet on July 14th, and as usual, Rainbow Drive-In will be on hand to make sure that everyone has enough ono grinds to keep them chatting all afternoon. With such an iconic eatery keeping things fresh, the event promises to be another epic one.
I have always appreciated my relationship with the Rainbow Drive-In crew and am excited that they are still with us after all of these years. Stop by and
grab a bite of Hawaii!
WHAT’S NEW AND HAPPENING AT HAWAIIAN SOUTH SHORE
I am always super stoked when people like Colleen Wilcox stop by and get a board from us. She picked herself up a Cory Colapinto board. I personally like this board. I usually shortboard, but this is one of the few boards I make an effort to grab from the store and surf it on smaller days. Be sure to check out Collen’s work here is a link to her site: www.colleenwilcoxart.com
WOW, a Legend stopped by! It was my first time meeting Eric Arakawa and I was super stoked and honored to have an opportunity to meet him.
Our Good Friend, Santosha wanted a board that he could knee paddle. Man, I give him credit, I know I couldn’t bend my knees and paddle around on a board… I most likely wouldn’t be able to stand up. Haha!
MEET AND GREET THE WORLD’S BEST Meet and Greet with Longboard Legends at Hawaiian South Shore
We have hosted a lot of fun events here at Hawaiian South Shore over the years, but the one we have scheduled for July 14th is going to be one for the books. After carrying a range of CJ Nelson Designs boards for the past few years, I am super excited to have CJ himself stopping by for a meet and greet. CJ is arguably one of the best traditional noseriders of the modern age, and an innovator when it comes to surf-board design. His video section in Sprout is still considered one of the best technical noseriding sections of all time, and his signature range of boards have brought CJ’s ideas to the masses.
Yu Sumitomo will also be stopping by, and available to talk about his revolutionary Thunderbolt
Technology, which CJ uses in his line of boards (producing what CJ calls the most cutting-edge
logs in existence). We will also have crew visiting from Carve Sports, the US distributor for CJ Nelson Designs.
World champion longboarder, Harley Ingleby also has an extensive line of board designs in the Thunderbolt quiver and will be stopping by on the 14th as well! One of Australia’s best longboarders and all-around surf talents, Harley won the longboarding world title in both 2009 and 2014 and is considered to be one of the best performance loggers in the game.
Along with CJ and Harley, British longboard phenom Ben “Skindog” Skinner will also be stopping by. Skinner hails from Cornwall and is not only one of the best longboarders in the UK, but also a shaper with his own line of boards—Skindog Surfboards. Rumor has it that Skinner will soon be joining the Thunderbolt team with a few signature models of his own. He will undoubtedly be an interesting character to sit and chat with on the 14th.
To top it all off, Rainbow Drive-In will be here as well, making sure we all have enough to eat while we sit and chat about all things surfing.
This is shaping up to be one of the biggest events of the summer, and I am so stoked that Hawaiian South Shore will be hosting it. I hope you can all make it down to the shop on July 14th for an afternoon of boards, design, and talking story. The event starts at 3:30 pm - I’ll see you there!
MEMBER OF THE MONTH Kyle Viloria
When and what got you into surfing?
My dad got me in to surfing when I was just a young kid. I recall watching my dad surf Magic Island as a young kid with my mom and remember him taking off on a bomb. That’s when I knew I wanted to surf.
Did you have a time period you weren’t surfing? If so when and why did you start back up?
Yes. Not sure when, but I missed the feeling of riding waves. There is nothing purer than that.
Where is your favorite place to eat after surf? What is your favorite item?
In High school after surf sessions our go to place would be Highway Inn. Some Na’au and lomi ahi would hit the spot. Nowadays it’s just some Jamba Juice.
What other hobbies do you have besides surfing?
I try to play golf LOL. I used to play softball as well.
What do you do for work?
I work for Servco Pacific Vehicle Processing Center in the Port Operations department.
What board did you get from us?
I’ve gotten several, but the latest and best is the RNF Retro.
Why did you decide on this model and size?
I read some reviews and it just felt like something I was looking for. It meets all of my expectations. I could have went a size down but the 5’6 works just fine. I won’t be riding anything else for a while.
How does it surf and what did you like about it?
It surfs amazing. It paddles awesome, flies down the line and turns just how I want it too.
Would you like to add anything else?
I would just like to say thank you to David, Brett and the team at HSS for always making me feel welcomed at the store with smiles and stoke. Always helpful with pure aloha!
FIN EDUCATION SINGLE FINS:
The single fin was the original rudder surfboard, invented by Tom Blake way back in the 1930’s. While many people think of the single fin as old fashioned, it is still relevant, especially for people who are looking for stability and trim.
When surfing a single fin, you are somewhat limited by its necessary size and slow changes in direction. Single fins are best surfed with drawn out bottom turns, carving top turns and cutbacks that work with the wave’s energy, rather than against it. If you try to get too radical and snappy, the board will either refuse to turn with you or spin out, depending how much power you put into your turn. Either way, it won’t feel good. Take a cue from Morning of the Earth and surf your single fin as it was intended to be ridden, with big, swooping turns that feel as classic as they look.
TWINNIES AND QUADS:
Twin fins and quads operate on the same principle, thrust and drive of water being channeled between opposing rails and fins, but without the control or drag of a middle rudder. This makes them fast and loose, but prone to spinning out if over surfed.
The key with twin fins and quads is to let the board surf itself. Rather than forcing the board to perform deep, abrupt bottom turns at the base of the trough and go vertical into the lip, surf it more laterally on the face, in the middle of the wave. Full rail carves and speed lines into airs are the meat and potatoes of the spaceships, so allow them to surf the way they were designed.
As you become more comfortable with them, especially quads, you will learn to draw your bottom turns out to fit the wave and board, which will eventually lend itself to a more vertical approach. Just try not to force the board to turn against its will, or it will leave you spun out and powerless.
THRUSTERS AND FIVE FINS:
The thruster (three fin) is the setup most people think of when they talk about high performance surfboards. Thrusters sacrifice some of the drive of a twin fin to add the control of a middle fin, thus enabling them to turn on a dime and be easily controlled by the surfer. In essence, they are a compromise between a twin fin and a single fin, combining speed and lateral flow with the ability to drive off the bottom, except more radically. If a single fin is a classic Cadillac and a twin fin is a drag racecar, a thruster is a Porsche: fast, maneuverable, and performance-driven. They are normally surfed top to bottom and are characterized by the vertical off-the-lip maneuver.
A five-fin board is a compromise between a quad and a thruster. It normally includes a standard quad setup and a small trailing fin where the normal third fin of a thruster would be. These take the speed and skatey feel of a quad and add a touch more control so that they can be surfed off the bottom and vertically, like a thruster.
MAKING ART WITH FREEDOM ARTISTS
When most people think about the surf industry, they think surfboards and accessories like leashes, wax, fins, and deck pads. But the surf industry also includes a subset of the beach fashion genre. This surf fashion has become a multi-billion-dollar, in-ternational phenomenon, from mainstream brands being sold in the Midwest to boutique artists releasing their own lines of designs.
As private boutique lines become more and more popular, many artists are looking for alternative printing options, ways to get their designs out there without breaking contracts or having to print warehouses full of apparel. Here at Hawaiian South Shore, we have been collaborating with a number of these artists for years, and Freedom Artists has been helping us make it happen.
Freedom Artists is a bespoke printing firm that helps artists and individuals bring their designs to life. For years, they have been helping produce the apparel that we carry right here at Hawaiian South Shore. These exclusive collaborative designs are printed on mineral washed t-shirts, providing a soft, com-fortable, worn-in feel and a groovy look.
Art is all about creativity and inspiration, and nothing is more inspirational than nature. As surfers, we are surrounded by the ocean on a daily basis, so it is no surprise that so many amongst our tribe are artists. How fun that we can wear our art to the very beaches that inspire us!
A DECADE OF DELICIOUS WITH RAINBOW DRIVE-IN
It’s funny to consider the factors and influences that bring people together. Back in 2008, the Chamber of Commerce in Chigasaki, Japan sponsored an event they called the Aloha Market. They wanted to have a real Hawaiian company at the event, and authentic Hawaiian food, and asked me if I could help. At the time, I didn’t know Jim and the rest of the Rainbow Drive-In crew, but I reached out to them to see if they would be interested, and they said yes. I ended up going with them and hosting a clothing booth at the event. By the end of the trip, we had developed what ended up being a life-long friendship and business relationship.
Over the years, Rainbow Drive-In has worked with us on doz-ens of projects and events, including the popular “Lost and Found” event. They always bring fun to the festivities, not to mention delicious food that is sure to please the crowd. Rainbow Drive-In is well-known throughout Hawaii for its top-notch barbecue dishes and local classics like Loco Moco. It has always been a popular stop with the local crowd, but what many people fail to realize is that the food is even better when it’s catered to your front door! Whenever Rainbow Drive-In shows up at our events, you know you are in for a heck of a day.
Our next event is the CJ Nelson and Harley Ingleby Meet and Greet on July 14th, and as usual, Rainbow Drive-In will be on hand to make sure that everyone has enough ono grinds to keep them chatting all afternoon. With such an iconic eatery keeping things fresh, the event promises to be another epic one.
I have always appreciated my relationship with the Rainbow Drive-In crew and am excited that they are still with us after all of these years. Stop by and
grab a bite of Hawaii!
WHAT’S NEW AND HAPPENING AT HAWAIIAN SOUTH SHORE
I am always super stoked when people like Colleen Wilcox stop by and get a board from us. She picked herself up a Cory Colapinto board. I personally like this board. I usually shortboard, but this is one of the few boards I make an effort to grab from the store and surf it on smaller days. Be sure to check out Collen’s work here is a link to her site: www.colleenwilcoxart.com
WOW, a Legend stopped by! It was my first time meeting Eric Arakawa and I was super stoked and honored to have an opportunity to meet him.
Our Good Friend, Santosha wanted a board that he could knee paddle. Man, I give him credit, I know I couldn’t bend my knees and paddle around on a board… I most likely wouldn’t be able to stand up. Haha!