Balaram carried a hat around for Killer Mike of Run the Jewels the entire time we were in New York. Killer Mike was responsible for getting us the tickets to the show, which followed a New York Rangers hockey game at Madison Square Garden, a day trip to Balaram’s hometown of Long Beach on Long Island, surf checks, hangovers, mushroom pizzas, classy clubs, new night club openings and a bunch of other destinations that are more foggy than clear. Long story short: New York and Balaram move pretty fast.

For those of you unaware: Balaram is from Long Island, about a 45 minute train from Penn Station in Manhattan. It wasn’t until a few months ago that he hunkered down in an apartment on the Lower East Side in Manhattan, where he spends time in between chasing massive swells all over the fucking world. Tahiti, Hawaii, Panama, Spain, Puerto Rico…even did a quick stop in Houston for a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue release party last month.  We jumped in and held on tight for a couple days during a short stint in the city (before he darted back to Spain) and this is that. It was a quick trip, but that’s how New York is: finish what’s in front of you and get ready for what’s next. —Travis