Surfing, Skateboarding, Music, Photography, Travel, Culture and general antics of the youth on the run.

Let’s be together When all goes numb, the numb need to get together

what youth scott chenoweth ny illustration

I spent the end of last week careening through the perfectly lit and temperate streets of early autumn New York. I ran around with beautiful Hawaiian princess Kelia Moniz and we drank rice wine margaritas, shopped for jewelry and watched golden hour illuminate over the bustling streets as we ate oysters and sipped Stellas. There was a stranger at the bar who we helped with the New York Times crossword puzzle. We rode the subway across town. We eavesdropped on conversations. A day of human interaction and dancing together that only NYC can provide. Then the following day we climbed through elevator shafts in Brooklyn with artist and friend Jason Woodside as he showed us his studio and then where the world’s best sandwich is (spoiler alert: it contains anchovies). I was high. High on people. On diverse, radical, creative, friendly people. Three days surrounded by every single odd walk of life there is: creative, beautiful and diverse people. Something was restored inside my oft-confused little heart.

I returned home on early Saturday and immediately surfed in front of my house, got juiced from the buzz that that provides, then loaded my car with the same suitcase and drove to Los Angeles to watch the band that I like to think re-routed my potentially generic (college, corporate career, house, 2.5 cars and kids etc) life and truly showed me that music was deeper than the few punk bands I was into. It could be thoughtful, morose, uplifting and dark and light all at once. The band was Interpol. A group of art students from NYU who created the post-9/11 soundtrack to a generation of New Yorkers and young people. It provided sentiment and tempo for living in this new world. I don’t think they even meant it. But they did it perfectly.

I left that concert Saturday night the same way I’d imagine everyone in Las Vegas would have left their show: euphoric and inspired and truly happy. I had picked apart songs and tapped emotions from them I’d never felt even after listening to them no less than 5,000 times. That’s what live music does. I had “the new” in me. A new everything: new outlook. New depth. New thoughts.

And then Sunday night and Monday morning came.

And I’m really having a hard time with this one. I just don’t have words. Music, writing, crying, not crying, anger, yelling, surfing, drinking, running, hiding, creating, sleeping, panicking…none of it is having the usual impact or therapeutic effects they do for me. All I have are people around me. And It was a person who did this to people. And I think it’s gonna be people who will make this feel OK eventually. And I’ll tell you right now I’m going to need a lot of you to get through this one. Probably all of you. So let’s be together. That’s all. Let’s just be together in this fucking berserk new place that’s been created. —Travis

PS: RIP Tom.

what youth san francisco road trip surfing

North on 101 in a big white van With Andrew Doheny, Yago Dora, Dillon Perillo and Brendon Gibbens

15 hours in a 15 seater van is a lot of things. It’s super fun, disgusting, hilarious, ridiculous, illegal, terrifying and exactly what we want to be doing. And so we are. We started the day in the beast vehicle at Denny’s on Century Blvd. by LAX. We walked in to pick up Yago Dora,…

what youth dane reynolds carves surfing

The Return to Thrash Have aerials and “clips” reached their ceiling?

I love airs. It’s why I’m here. It’s why I met Kai. It’s been my life’s work to highlight and get people amped on the latest in surfing. And airs have been the thing. Modern Collective was my project when I worked at another magazine and led me on the editorial path I’ve been on…

what youth dear youth dave rastovich

“Support the freaks as much as jocks.” From a conversation on the surf industry with Dave Rastovich in Europe

Sometimes all it takes is a few minutes with Rasta and all seems right again. From a recent hang in Europe while watching sets roll through at a French beach break: “Tell them how the groms don’t give as much of a fuck about contests as they used to. Heaps of surfers who groms look up…

Beach Goth remains freaky good The Growler’s music festival is the best Halloween party ever

I still have glitter in my hair and I’ve surfed and showered several times since the weekend. But I don’t mind, it’s a nice reminder of a really good time — and I think it’s why I like the Growler’s Beach Goth music festival so much. It’s ridiculous. Absolutely looney tunes. It’s a freak show…

what youth japan dear youth kai neville skateboarding

So Long Japan A wild seven days in the streets come to an end and the edit bay opens

We’re literally, somehow, rather deliriously checking in at the airport to leave Japan. 7 days, 3 major cities. DIY spots in the countryside. Robot cafes, underground bars, getting the boot out of numerous epic skate spots. Hotel lobby life, way too much time in a van, copious amounts of time at Lawson, family mart, 7-Eleven,…

I quit eating meat now I have no friends The repercussions of a healthier lifestyle

I didn’t mean to do it. I hadn’t even seen Cowspiracy or Food Inc. yet. Or read the recent study about how processed meat can cause cancer. I just decided I didn’t want to eat anything I wasn’t comfortable killing on my own. So that narrowed my options. I thought nothing should have to die to keep…

what youth dear youth arto saari in japan

And we’re in Japan With Arto Saari, Ishod Wair, Kevin Terpening, Raven Tershy and Peter Ramondetta

Somehow we’re here. In this wild, wild place and we are skateboarding. With some of the best dudes in the world. We’re once again following around legend Arto Saari and are joined by Japanese guru and photographer Rip Zinger. We’ve ridden bullet trains and skated ditches, ledges, seen the neon lights and the shows in Tokyo….

what youth bob hurley

Bob Hurley Retires as CEO of Hurley Congratulations on a career dedicated to making our lives radder

Bob Hurley is a surfboard shaper. I know this because I have a surfboard he shaped for me. I also read it somewhere a long time ago, that he was a shaper way before running one of our favorite brands (Billabong), and then starting another (Hurley). But he got his start shaping. And I’ve always loved…

mikey wright what youth surfing oregon

Postcard Oregon: Frame Grabs Short film starring Mikey Wright, Bryan Fox and Javier Mendizabal presented by Quiksilver

We’re not even really sure how this happened. But we’ve come to be thankful that it did. A random trip to Oregon with a surfer, skater and a snowboarder. And we sent our very own Michael Cukr to record what happens when the cultures collide. While we were there we hangout at Bryan Fox’s [pro…

what youth issue 12

A reason for radio silence What Youth Issue 12 is at the printer

Hi there. I want to begin by apologizing for the silent treatment. Between finishing our 12th issue and inserting ourselves in the sea on the hour, every hour (it’s been absolutely cooking around here), we’ve hardly had a chance to talk. You know, me and you. And that’s because all the planning and prep work in…

dear youth mick fanning shark attack what youth surfing

On the Unthinkable Mick Fanning and Julian Wilson brought us to tears

For whatever reason, I’ve been more emotional than usual the last week or two. I feel like I’ve been on the verge of tears at times. For no reason. Just highly volatile. A good inspirational Nike commercial will get me to well up and I’ll have to walk away. No chance at watching movies. People have…

music, bazooka, brixton broadcast barcelona

The Brixton Broadcast Barcelona All night rock and roll on the surreal sea

What do you do when a place has no respect for time or light or dark or anything outside of enjoying and capturing every fleeting moment presented? Well, you melt right in. Welcome to Barcelona. Last weekend in the beautiful city of Barcelona, we snuggled right up to the Mediterranean and tagged along with our friends…

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