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.

Noa Deane for cluster what youth

Dear Youth We back at it, again

After a pretty good sleep on the ferry (thanks NyQuil!), we drove through streets filled with cows and goats and made it to our destination. We were greeted with light winds and fun ramps on the end section. Noa Deane arrived a day late, but did not waste anytime catching up to the other guys….

Jack Freestone Mitch Coleborn Noa Deane Surfing Indonesia Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth Part 1: Thanks for the Cheeseburgers (Day 3 of a 10 day trip)

Back in Indo filming. It’s too productive not to come back and fry yourself. The team is Coleborn, Noa Deane, Jack Freestone with myself, Blake, Nate and Hamish on the tools. The basic Indo camp is empty which is unreal. Our own bar, pool table and dartboard. There is another camp with 10 dudes from…

Dayne Reynolds Marine Layer Surfing Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth Dane Reynolds gets nostalgic on Marine Layer

Dane Reynolds posted a little trip down memory lane on his website Marine Layer Productions today. He details our first trip to Japan for Dear Suburbia with Yadin Nicol, Kolohe Andino, Conner Coffin, Kai Neville and Courtney (AKA Napkin Apocalypse). And he even mentions “The Claim.” The trip didn’t make the final cut for the film, but has always…

Mitch Coleborn surfing cluster what youth

Dear Youth Nate Lawrence on photo breathing exercises at Macaronis

This is Mitch Coleborn photographed in the afternoon at Macaronis. This was as good as a trip gets (you can tell by the full feature and two days worth of galleries we’ve given it). Waves for 12 days straight. One of the best lefts in the world. And Mitch, Noa, Jack and Chippa would let…

Chippa Wilson what youth bali travel surfing

Dear Youth Nate Lawrence and the subtleties of a life on the move

Editor’s note: We spend a lot of time in transit. Kuala Lumpur. Taipei. Singapore. Jakarta. Padang. We go through some odd, waveless middle earth’s on your way to ride waves. And it’s not always beers in the Sky Miles lounge (although sometimes you luck out and it is). Mostly it’s a bed between a chicken…

Mega Semadhi what youth

Dear Youth Mega Semadhi, Bali

Nate Lawrence: “After a few months in California [Nate is originally from Santa Cruz and still spends about 5 months a year there], it’s so good to be back in Bali. The crowds aren’t too bad and there are waves all over the island. But it’s hot. Really hot. It’s the kind of heat you…

Reading dear youth what youth surfing

Dear Youth Buy books

I just got a new magazine in the mail yesterday. Forgot I even ordered it actually. That’s the best. Search the Internet for rad shit, put 16 numbers on a dotted line and forget all about it. Two weeks later, a book shows up at your doorstep. The joy that comes with tearing into a…

Mikala Jones nate lawrence what youth

Dear Youth Mikala Jones in sunglasses

No offense to Mikala Jones, but this is the worst photo I’ve ever taken in my life. Mikala is a great guy. And I probably should have listened to his the subtle complaints he made and shot this differently. First I had his sunglasses off, but the gold reflector was shining his eyes so bad…

Volcom Surfing what youth dear youth

Dear Youth Not a sponsored message

Since tending to the neoprene department at the local surf shop I worked at as a kid, a Volcom party has been the pinnacle of after hours culture and folklore around here. Rumors of Pennywise playing…or Bad Religion…or the fact that that hot girl in the other department was attending and this was your shot….

Illustration scuba woman scott chenoweth dear youth what youth

Dear Youth If a woman does not love the sea, then she is no woman for me

I have nothing to report. I sit behind a computer all day and get drinks with girls at night. Occasionally, I draw                         missing the water.

Nate Lawrence photography surf waves what youth

Dear Youth Nate Lawrence on photography

Editor’s Note: There just aren’t enough things in life like Nate Lawrence. Which is unfortunate, because he fucking rules..at everything. Especially photography. It’s a big reason he was our first choice when deciding who we were bringing into this mess of indie creation. He knew what was in store. And we needed his enthusiasm. There…

Kai Neville Dear Youth What Youth Surfing Traveling

Dear Youth A night in London with Kai Neville

Camden Town. Following our recent film trip to the Canary Islands, I stopped off in London for a night. For whatever reason I’ve always been drawn to London. I am a descendent from the U.K. I like the culture. I like drinking pints in foggy London Town. I like cities. I need to be in…

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