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

Media Model Subsidy Line Noise Ordinances and surf video making with Mitch Coleborn, Harry Bryant, Nate Tyler, Colin Moran and more

This morning we received a note on our front door reminding us that this town operates under a noise ordinance and that we may have been in violation during our first night here. And I may know why.

You see, we lucked into an AirBnb that’s equipped with a pool table in the sun room, and last night after some dinner we fired up a few games. And while I’m not going to specifically single anyone out for the noise ordinance, I will say that Mitch Coleborn is a passionate pool player. Very passionate.

So here we are: On the road, all thanks to YOU! An ongoing experiment in creative freedom for the sake of making something. At your service and doing what we do. And we’re doing it in a place where there are constant fluctuations in wind and swell and local vibe and mood and it turns out that moving 8 to 10 fully grown surf dudes around a town in a 15-seater van takes a lot of energy. And food. And time. And toilet paper. And music. And patience. And Taco Bell. And that’s just fine by me — that’s what makes these trips unique and fucking awesome: we’re a rolling pile of wet wetsuits and sand careening across the state set to a soundtrack accompanied by the clatter of rattling fins and boards. There are the endless wave checks. And re-checks. And coffee stops. And second guessing. And burrito stops. And piss breaks. And parking issues. And as Colin pointed out: the need for music to be playing in the car at all times. “Can you turn the music on,” he asked during a slow and silent morning start in the van today. “I’m way too in my own head when it’s silent.” So Mitch put Silverchair on.

This afternoon we all walked into a crowded Trader Joe’s after surfing fog wind straight-handers in Jaws infested water and filled two shopping baskets with the basics: Avocados, bananas, bread, coffee, frozen pizzas, hummus, chips, salsa, and various other Trader Joes hummus surprises before heading back into the wild to find waves. We found our groove today. And tonight, we did find some waves as well. And it evidently ignited the surf psych as everyone is in bed already dreaming of jumping sharks long before the noise ordinance even kicks in. We’re ready to surf. The coffee pot is on automatic mode for tomorrow and we’ll be up in the dark. Because we got a lot of ripping to do before we find our way into the front door of Vesuvio. —Travis 

what youth dear youth lost surfboards surf films

What’s Really Going Wrong… The not-so-forgotten films that shaped us

I woke up on a mattress, on a lawn. The house from the outside looks like something you’d have seen on the news. Trash thrown about, empty beer cans, mattress (and me) on the lawn, a girl looking for her purse in the garden. This is the …Lost house in San Clemente during the mid ’90s….

what youth bummer what youth recommends

What’s Bummer? The Internet is a cluttered mess, so we made the Bummer Tab

Ok, so out in Internet land, most websites that exist simply take what other people do, and they re-post it under the illusion that you think they made it. It’s the beauty and the curse of the Internet. At What Youth, we always said we wanted to create and we’d make only original stuff. Then…

what youth travis ferre andy irons content

I fucking hate the word “content” Picking my Friday night fight

I think I’ve written many emails ranting about this. But today we go public. I hate that word. Content. That dumb buzz word. That stupid, lethargic, lazy, sellout of a word is about as hot to trot in the surf industry as e-commerce (another yawn). There are entire teams dedicated to branding your entertainment, turning…

what youth top 34 surfing world tour

The What Youth Top 34 This is who’s coming on the very unprofessional What Youth World Tour 2016

So what’s the criteria? Well, it’s a perfectly inexact science that sees the surfers who represent themselves the most authentically through their surfing and living at the top. Their creativity rewarded. Their flaws embraced. Their zest and style counting exponentially. There are no numbers, it’s all feeling. Like music. Or poetry. Subjective. Like surfing should…

what youth dear youth ozzie wright

I just started saying yes to things Great advice from Ozzie Wright

“This year, I just started saying yes. Things I used to hide from or ignore I just started saying yes.” Ozzie Wright told us this as we drove by the Pass in Byron Bay, looking for the ever-elusive parking spot in the tiny lot. We’d surfed all morning, followed it with an afternoon paint and…

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John John won a very big contest today The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Invitational

About two weeks ago the Quiksilver Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational event at Waimea Bay was called to go. Only problem: the swell didn’t show up. Such is nature. But just to be sure, thousands of people flocked from all over the world only to wake up to rather small surf and no Eddie. But today,…

Tokyo to Bangkok to Sydney to Goldy We’re on the run again

We pulled up the driveway at Chippa Wilson’s house today to 3 brand new boards, ready to rip. Not beat up clunkers from deep in his garage. These were quiver staples of his. 3 completes, right there waiting for us. After a travel itinerary that lasted over 29 hours and 3 countries and 5 cities,…

Kanoa Igarashi Translated Tokyo with the newly qualified 18-year-old who’s got all of Asia behind him

Kanoa Igarashi has been talking non stop. Interviews and signings and Quiksilver and us. Then there are the people stopping him on the streets. It’s pretty exhausting to be Kanoa the last few days in Japan. But he sure doesn’t show it. Smiling, engaging and chatting with everyone. Kanoa Igarashi is having his moment. And…

what youth dear youth travis ferre

Japanese Customs Surreal arrival in Japan

We’re here looking for Kanoa Igarashi. Which is funny because he usually lives in Huntington Beach. And our HQ is in neighboring Newport. But Kanoa’s parents are from Japan and he spent a good portion of his life in Japan, actually starred in a reality show about his surfing when he was 11. Needless to…

what youth dion agius panama

Dion Agius threw his phone at a wall And you should too (or maybe just hide it)

I wish more people would do this. We all say it. Threaten it. But Dion Agius just did it. Destroyed his phone, right into a wall —and he isn’t getting a new one. Now remember, as you see below, Dion can still be reached. He’ll probably be more engaged. More productive. Texts and info will come…

what youth travis ferre dane renolds surfing

When the Webcast Doesn’t Go Are we just using them to be lazy?

Yesterday I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little jazzed driving in for work knowing the Eddie was on. That meant no dead moments today. I’d always be able to flip on the webcast and idle there until something spectacular happened, which at Waimea was sure to be the case right? For some the day…

what youth travis ferre

A new Morning, Changing Weather So I guess I’m going to start doing this every day

Yep. Since I can’t quite spread my wings enough on social media and still relay all the rad shit we’re doing AND get my point across, I’m gonna do it here. Every day. Who knows where I’ll be or what I’ll be thinking or writing or doing, but I’m gonna say it and we’re gonna do…

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