One of my favorite things about Trestles has always been the shit-talk surf-graffiti written in wax on the road down to Lowers. The first time I went to Trestles I was 13 and it felt like I was going on a big time surf trip. I love Trestles. The whole experience of walking down to the beach from the parking lot is like a meditation of sorts. Sometimes it literally takes me an hour to walk down to the road, simply because I have the need to stop and read every piece of radical surf graffiti (the comments that are spelled wrong are the best). So please, all you wax-taggers, keep writing these amazing social commentaries in surf wax, and please Save Trestles!

David Gonzalez might be the most exciting little fucker you’ve seen on a skateboard in many years. His vital stats are pretty epic as well. He was born in 1990, he’s from Medillin, Columbia (yes, that’s’ where Pablo Escobar was from), and now he represents the Volcom Stone. The kid is too rad. Is it weird to idolize a little kid? Oh yeah, the little fucker  also rides for Flip and Globe.

Happy Earth Day! Bob Burnquist is a bro. He invited a bunch of people to come check out his massive ramp playground (most of the ramps at his house will kill you if you touch them) and gave them free food and drinks—I told you he’s a bro. The massive vert ramp has a six foot mini ramp you can drop into and ease your way into the 12-foot real vert section, and the clamshell thing, so that’s cool and totally rippable for normal dudes like me. The metal full pipe is tight, fast, and kind of mind-bending, but shred-worthy all day. Those two massive objects might not kill you, but the corkscrew loop will, and if it doesn’t, the super-death-ski-jump-hell-ramp will turn you to a pile of Jello and make you shit your pants. I climbed to the top and was shaking, the thought of dropping in to this thing and launching off the ramp is one of the scariest things I’ve ever even thought of. In this photo, you can see tents next to the ramp,

they look like tents for ants! It honestly feels like you’re a 1000 feet in the air. on the edge of a cliff. Trust me, you wouldn’t jump this thing, you might as well go pick up trash to help Bob make the world a better place. One of the best things about going to Bob’s house was the ice cold Sambazon drinks that flowed all day, love that Acai. Also thanks to Tim at UNIV and iPath for inviting me, and for lacing me up with the new Fred Gall kicks, good ass skate shoes.

The long awaited new album by one of the world’s greatest rock bands is almost here, but of course, my post as editor in chief of Transworld SURF allows me a few wonderful privileges—one being pre-released music from great labels like Sub Pop. So I’ve been listening to the new Wolf Parade album and at first, I was a tad under whelmed. Of course my expectations were through the roof, and after the long wait, I was ready to be destroyed by the band’s genius, and right off the bat, I wasn’t. But wait, now that I’ve given the album a few goes, it’s growing on me, and usually albums that do that become embedded in my skull. I can say that the new album is more subdued than Apologies, but it has an intensity that comes from a different place. The band admittedly threw out a bunch of songs that they said “sounded too much like songs they’ve already done,” which is hard to swallow for fanatic fans who wanted another batch of songs in the vein of “Modern World” and “You Are A Runner”—but you can’t argue with a band trying to progress. So that being said, this album may not replace Apologies To The Queen Mary, but little by little, it might just stand next to it on your list of favorites. It just sucks that you have to wait another month to hear it. Release date is June 17, so it’s gonna be a while. In the meantime, get Foals Antidotes and No Age Nouns.

Weezer has a new album coming out, The Red Album. If they continue down the path they are currently on, this album might be the worst album ever made. Remember the good old days when Weezer was awesome? “The Sweater Song”, “Surf Wax USA”, “My Name Is Jonas”; some of the greatest songs ever. The Pinkerton album was fantastic—then we all got shit on and bitch-slapped by a string of horrible pop-ditties like “Beverly Hills” and “We Are All On Drugs”. Sorry, but Weezer has tainted themselves. Why Weezer? Why have you shat upon our memories of a power pop rock golden era?
On the bright side, check out the bands Shy Child, Risk Relay, and Jeremy Jay—these bands are wonderful, and hopefully they wont let you down in the near future.

April 19 (yes, the day before 4:20) was Record Store Day across the country, and if you didn’t go to your local record store and hang out, mingle, purchase, support, ask snobby questions, look at album covers, bother the people working, and act like you work there—then you missed out on a great day. Sure, every day should be Record Store Day, but sadly, a lot of people buy records at Walmart and Target—a depressing state of affairs. With so many amazing independent record stores on the verge of collapse, it’s sad to think that our kids may have to ask a clueless clerk at Target about a the latest Sonic Youth reissue on vinyl or when will Don Caballero be coming back into town and playing a show. Bottom line, we all need to support our local independent record stores, they are becoming endangered species’ and for the sake of our youth, we can not let that happen. If our kids don’t go through the ridicule and torment of becoming a record store local, how can they start to become music snobs and armchair critics? My local record store, Lou’s Records had Louis IX play in parking lot, DJs spinning in the store, and it was awesome! Lou’s Records has been feeding ears since 1980 and is still owned and operated by Lou, who’s vinyl collection is known to be of biblical proportions. On Record Store Day, I bought the following discs: Beehive And The Barracudas Featuring The Insects, Tones On Tail Everything, Rocket From The Crypt R.I.P., Power Pill Fist, The Best Of Love And Rockets, and Ali Farka Toure—I know, a bunch of random shit, some of which i won’t like, but all of which will help me to continue on living as a Lou’s Records local and self-proclaimed music snob.

UNIV presents the “Chris Cote For UNIV” surfboard project (A.K.A. The Winged Stallion Of Life And Death) The surfboard features the original artwork of surfing’s most illustrious character and Editor-In-Chief of Transworld Surf Magazine, Chris Cote.

The art and board is a colorful take on the weapons and contraband featured in popular streetwear prints of late. The surfboard (shaped by George Gall at Plus One Surfboards) is a progression in design and four-fin double-ender meant to be ridden both forward and backwards with ease! As the project rolls out over this summer, the “Chris Cote For UNIV” surfboard is going to be shared amongst the world’s top surfers and highlighted in an upcoming issue of Transworld Surf Magazine and on transworldsurf.com. Also to be released is a t-shirt commemorating the art and the project launch.

The UNIV concept shop featuring uniquely selected footwear, apparel and accessories is located in downtown Encinitas California at 1053 South Coast Highway 101. UNIV’s second location is located in South Beach Miami at 100 Collins Avenue #2, 3.