Kidman, Sutho and the channels.

Lifted straight from Kidman's site. He's been busy shaping it seems and Mark Sutherland has had his hand in there too. Fine looking stuff, especially that 6'5" widowmaker.

DCC Update: January 2011

Update: January 2011

Mixed weather over the summer has led to the occasional 'step' in the sand on Ocean Beach, but in general sand levels remain high overall. Late last year the Ocean Beach Project Team commissioned studies to determine the boundaries and types of material in the old Landfill site at Kettle Park. These studies found that there were some contaminants exposed on the seaward dune face at Kettle Park, and that might be a health risk to the public if there is prolonged exposure to the dunes in that area. Further studies to determine the extent and scope of the contamination are continuing. In the interim, warning signs and fencing has been erected to ensure the public are informed and guided away from the area in question.

The information gathering exercise will be drawing to an end shortly, and after the Project Team has completed a risk analysis process it will prepare its recommendations for future treatment of the Ocean Beach and report to Council.

Twentyfirst Century Asyms

Carl taking it to a new tech level. Prototype Hydroflex asymmetricals. The boards are built with a vac bag setup that sort of bonds the skins to foam fibres in the blank making it ultra strong, and the boards are literally inflated to the optimum pressure. I'm not sure how someone like me who barely changes his wax ever would do with having to check board pressure every session, but it's interesting stuff and hopefully Carl will be at the Santa Cruz Sacred Craft- a few of his boards will definitely make it. On the compsand thread, the Jeff Beck twin is getting surfed every session and it's a gem, light as can be but it feels solid and springy under foot. The swell here in Socal has been very nice indeed so that even those of us stuck surfing barely adequate beach breaks have had some good moments. Hope you're all getting a taste too.

Hammersley Inlet

Hammersley Inlet seems more like a big river than it does a remote arm of the Pacific Ocean. It is narrow and runs east-west, which together conspire against big waves. Most of the energy along here comes from passing tugs and tidal currents and there's not much sediment moving around on the beaches. Marsh grasses and Salicornia are able to establish themselves on the upper beach in some substrates (probably whatever is beneath the thin beach veneer, not the beach material itself).

Occasionally in South Puget Sound I run into one of these zigzag concrete Lincoln Log bulkheads. From old air photos, I suspect they date to the 1960s or early 1970s. They probably wouldn't last in a higher energy area where big logs could get tossed against the structure during storms.

This shoreline has a long history. Until a few decades ago, a road followed the top of the bank. And long before that, it looks like there must have been a corduroy road along the back of the beach itself. There are places here where you can still see the horizontal logs in the beach in front of newer bulkheads!

Allyn

Three months without a post! I need a bumper sticker that says "a bad day at the beach is still better than a good day of meetings". There have been far too many days of meetings although some have been good ones. And there have been far too few brief trips to the beach. In December, I checked out the recent renourishment at Lincoln Park. And one weekend I wandered out to Golden Gardens, the nearest beach to my house, simply since I hadn't been there in a long time. But somehow the pictures haven't made it to the blog.

Monday (now over two weeks ago) was a nice break in the office-bound routine. The roads of Mason County were empty and snowy and made for a pleasant trip to the site visit near Shelton.

I mentioned Allyn in a post earlier this fall from Manchester. They are both towns where boat ramps have been built to span the upper beach to minimize impacts on beach habitat and sediment transport. Because they are basically bridges, they require different engineering than conventional ramps. I'm not sure what happened here, but it is coming apart and has been closed for some time.

Ether Wheneverly- Occy!

Kidman's photo of Occy at Bell's Beach 1997 from 'Ether'. Sooooo good.

Caution Urged at Kettle Park Dunes

The DCC was advised by engineering consultants, Tonkin & Taylor, that industrial material buried under the Kettle Park playing fields may have been exposed on the seaward dune at Kettle Park.

Indications are that there is a possibility of a health risk to the public with any prolonged or on-going exposure to these dunes.

The Project Team has been gathering information on the extent of the old landfill site at Kettle Park. Recently, it commissioned studies by Tonkin & Taylor to determine the boundaries and types of material in the old landfill site. This involved boreholes and samples being taken below the playing fields and the surrounding area, including the adjacent dune face.

The studies indicate that there is construction material and industrial waste under the clay cap which covers the playing fields. This was suspected, and the studies confirm that the waste is safely covered and there are no health issues whatsoever with the playing fields.

The investigations have, however, identified that these buried materials have been exposed on the seaward dune, probably as a consequence of compression over time.

These are preliminary findings and further studies will be commissioned immediately.

However, indications are that there may be a possibility of health risk to the public with any prolonged exposure to the dunes adjacent to the playing fields at Kettle Park.

Any risk relates only to prolonged and on-going exposure, but there is nonetheless a need for caution. It should be emphasised that there is no risk to the users of the adjacent sports grounds at Kettle Park.

The engineers who carried out the investigations have recommended that the DCC:

"carry out further investigations immediately to confirm whether the samples taken are representative and that any significant human health risk exists. A statistically based investigation will provide a robust basis for decision making about the management of the landfill and the coastal dunes."

The evaluation made by Tonkin & Taylor has been on the basis of a limited sample data and therefore must be regarded as preliminary only. However, it indicates that:

• long term exposure on sections of the dunes at Kettle Park may present a human health risk; and that
• it appears unlikely that the exposed materials present an immediate risk.

Signage is being prepared and will be installed at the Kettle Park beach access points and at all other access points along Ocean Beach as a matter of urgency. It is anticipated the signage will include the information below:

Sign Number One (at the Kettle Park area)

Caution

Members of the public are urged to stay clear of this area of dunes.

Preliminary studies into the old landfill site in this area show some industrial contaminants on the seaward side of these dunes. Until further studies have been completed, the Dunedin City Council advises that there may be a health risk to members of the public from prolonged and on-going exposure to the dunes in this area.

Further information is available by phoning 477 4000.

Sign Number Two (at other beach access points)

Caution

You are advised to stay clear of and avoid all contact with the dunes adjacent to Moana Rua Road.

Preliminary studies into the old landfill site in that area show some industrial contaminants on the seaward side of those dunes. Until further studies have been completed, the Dunedin City Council advises that there may be a health risk to members of the public from prolonged and on-going exposure to the dunes in that area.

Further information is available by phoning 477 4000.

Some Moving Pictures For Your Pleasure

Jon Frank, who collaborated with Kidman on 'Litmus' has currently been working with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the result is this which I think is absolutely stunning. No idea what the completed project will be, but I look forward to it.



The kids are doing it too, scoff at their hipsterdom if you will, but they went to Maine and built some very tidy wooden boards with the good folks at Grain, and then surfed them well. Good stuff indeed.

On the subject of wood, the Jeff Beck modern twin in the post below is absolute magic, and I'm saying that after 2 sessions in closeout beachbreak. On a wave that stays up longer than 5 seconds it will be mindblower. One pocket of face allowed for a full on 'I Don't Have To Ride This Out So What The Hell' hack, pure fat Occy on the comeback action and the board was like butter- I swear I could have ridden that out. There's swell coming, I'll report back....

NInelights Field Trip

The only good thing about breaking a board is that I get to go down to Huntington and see Jeff Beck of Nine Lights. When he's not fixing boards I've ruined (he'll get at least one of those kids of his through college thanks to me, although maybe only a crappy local one as his prices are good) he builds some fantastic surf craft. Much of what he does is compsand construction which interests me greatly, and geeky as it is I love the education I get on each visit. He's doing some wildly hitech yet old school finless vehicles as well, and has a new website with some nice video here. Best of all, the modern twin I posted a little way back is currently in my house. Frothing like mad over it, and if it rides half as good as it feels under the arm I may negotiate an adoption plan.

Thank You Mr. Kidman

'Lost In The Ether' came yesterday. It is really, really good. Fucking amazing actually. A total salute to surfboard design and surfer/shapers that make it happen. There's a lot to process, the first 5 minutes or so involve a very clear and concise analysis of MP's 'Morning Of The Earth' board, and that's just the jumping off point, it gets really interesting from there. Mackie shredding the local Bommie is worth price of purchase alone. Fitzy and Simon Anderson are heroes. I could happily go on and on, but I'll simply say if you have any interest in why surfboards are so wonderful, you owe it to yourself to get this. The limited edition packaged in a quite stunning book is worth every penny, and I am beyond stoked.

Twentyfirst Century Mini Simmons For Sale.

Starting the year off with a few deals is a fine idea, so here we go. San Diego has stirred, and there's 3 very nice surfboards ready for homes. Two 3 fin Simsters- 6' and 5'10" and a quad 'Fourke' - 5'8". All are the real deal Hydrodynamica boards, built by Hank Warner (who's been doing some outrageously lovely work lately, his Caster family channel bottoms are the business, but more on that later) from EPS and with Gephardt keels. Purebred bloodline, straight from the original Bauguess/Elwell/Kenvin collaboration, none of that copied from an internet picture stuff here. Straight up $900 each, can be shipped anywhere you'll pay for them to be shipped to. If had some folding money to hand that quad would be mine. Something for the skaters too- a few slightly shopworn 'Dogtown- Legend Of The Z-Boys' have turned up post Xmas, so out the door they go at half price- $17.50 plus $5 shipping inside the US (overseas you pay actual shipping cost). Email info@foamandfunction.com and get the goods.

Ether Wheneverly- Joe & Pat Curren

A few posts back you saw Joe Curren's quite lovely handcrafted card set, which prompted this post. Joe's skills as a craftsmen have been hard earned, but there's a bit of a genetic imperative too given his dad is living legend Pat Curren. A few years back Pat decided to not only shape his first 'modern' surfboard but to make it for his son. The process is beautifully documented moving picture style in Kidman's 'Glass Love' as well as in 'Ether'. There's something fantastic about a father building his son something on any level, but when it's Pat Curren building a board that Joe & Tom ride there's an extra level of fantastic. You can buy your own copy of Ether by emailing info@foamandfunction.com and feel free to do so, you'll be helping fund a book of Joe's photography.