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 

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Thurston Moore made our ears bleed Live from the LA Art Book Fair

Thurston Moore continues his reign as the king of dissonance at the LAABF

I still haven’t seen Cluster either And it’s being made in the room next to me

I didn’t think I’d have to write that. But there it is. The morning of the premiere and I still haven’t seen the damn thing. After a week in the desert, followed by an even more dehydrated stint in the lizard den known as the What Youth editing bay, Kai and Blake are still the…

Seven missions, 16 sessions A dispatch from your guide to good waves

Hints from a good-wave magnet

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Dear Youth What Youth HQ during the making of Cluster

This is us on deadline.

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A rookie’s year on the run Dear Youth with Quinn Matthews

Quinn Matthews recaps his 2014 year on the road as a rookie.

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Dear Youth One more Aloha from Hawaii (with Quinn Matthews)

We just had to say aloha one more time. This time Quinn Matthews says farewell to the island. It’s been exactly a year now since Quinn Matthews caught our eye with his photos from Hawaii, and this year was a stellar sophomore campaign. Always fresh, and always rad angles.

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Dear Youth: See Ya Hawaii 12 Photos from the North Shore

Nate Lawrence photos from the North Shore.

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Dear Youth Swimming at Pipe: Quinn Matthews

Editor’s Note: Every time Quinn does something (anything), it’s probably his first time. And while I think he’d swam and shot at Pipe before, these were definitely the biggest waves he’d ever swam in. Which lends for good reading, especially when you line it up with the results you see below. Quinn wrote this and…

dear youth quinn matthews what youth surfing

Dear Youth 15 photos from North Shore: Quinn Matthews

Last year it was his fresh approach in Hawaii that caught our eye. And throughout the year he’s continued to amaze and baffle us simultaneously with his awe of the world around him and ability to get the wildest shots at the least likely of times. Quinn Matthews is a shy, unassuming, extremely green but…

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Dear Youth 15 Photos from Hawaii: Kenny Hurtado

Kenny Hurtado has always been one of our favorite photographers. Both for the purity of his photography and for his humble demeanor. He’s been over on the North Shore the past few weeks and took a very unique approach to his coverage of the most photographed place in the surf world.

dear youth hawii nate lawrence what youth

Dear Youth 15 Photos from the North Shore: Nate Lawrence

Photographing the North Shore is an interesting skill if you wanna do it right. Nate Lawrence has been on the North Shore for a few weeks now, and prior to that he’s logged well over a decade of pilgrimages each year. And somehow, each trip back he manages to surprise us with the unique and…

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Dear Youth Right Place, Right Time.

I just had the best month of my life.

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