Archive for the ‘GEAR’ Category

August 25th, 2011 | By | 1,677 Comments

Dane Reynold’s Neck Beard now Availabe at SWELL!

Listen up folks! It’s time shed your turtlenecks and show off that growth below your chin and lower jaw. Thanks to Dane Reynolds and CI, Neck Beards are in, and now available at SWELL!

Dane Reynolds On His Neck Beard - Photo: Ellis - Borrowed from cisurfboards.com

As Dane’s new favorite free-surf board, this ugly little bugger took about a year of extensive field-testing and experimentation to perfect. It features a straight chop tail and a bit more girth through to the nose to give you better rail to rail surfing in all types of conditions.

The Mighty Neckbeard

The Neck Beard is similar to its cousin, the Dumpster Diver, but features a flatter and stubbier design with a shallower concave and a V though the back. The result is a super-fast, user-friendly board that will liven up most any session. Dane rides his N’eard in anything from 1 foot to overhead, which for many of us anchored here in Southern California is pretty much the extent of our wave scale.

Neck Beard by Mr. Dane Reynolds

The Neck Beard is a necessary addition to anyone’s quiver and if you’ve already seen it in Dane’s Lost Atlas seggy, then I don’t have to tell you that this board was made to blow minds.

What more can I say? I mean the board even has its own Twitter account

Still not convinced? Check out this vid and try not to drool on your keyboard.

You can almost feel the stubble forming beneath your filthy jowls can’t you?

Get your very own Neck Beard Here at SWELL

Click here to check out other Gear and Boards from Channel Islands. Also now available on SWELL is the equally impressive Machado colab the Motorboat. Check back soon for Conner Coffin’s Fred Rubble and Slater’s Semi-Pro!

Morgan's Neckbeard

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August 3rd, 2011 | By | 2,360 Comments

The Fall 2011 Swell Catalog Is Here!

Just In…the Special Edition SWELL X Surfing Heritage Catalog

catalog-mens

It’s here, the SWELL 2011 Fall Catalog! In with the old, and the new. In an effort to support surfing’s rich history, SWELL has collaborated with the Surfing Heritage Foundation to create this special edition catalog, featuring historical photos from pioneer waterman and surf photographer Tom Blake. Credited with helping to create the surf lifestyle we all embrace today, this collection of 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940′s photos from Tom Blake represent surfing’s transformation into the mainstream culture, as well as a resurrection of surfing’s past. From the hardwood boards of the 1920’s, to the first hollow board in 1932, to the first ‘production’ surfboard, and through the invention of the fin in 1935, the photos in this book chronicle a key period in the evolution of surfing. With a Graflex camera he bought from the ‘Father of Modern surfing,’ Duke Kahanamoku, and the creation of the first water housing, Tom was able to both capture and positively impact board riding and the lifestyle that surrounds it.

Help continue the understanding, representation, and enjoyment of the sport and its lifestyle by supporting the Surfing Heritage Foundation. The non-profit organization is dedicated to preserving, presenting and promoting surfing’s heritage for the appreciation and education of current and future generations. Join a community of people who share a common passion for the spirit, soul and culture of surfing. Support the Foundation (and get a bag of freebies, including a SWELL gift card)! For Surfing Heritage memberships visit: http://www.surfingheritage.org/

Leave a comment and let us know what you think about the collab edition catalog! Check out both the men’s and women’s edition Swell Catalogs.

June 30th, 2011 | By | 734 Comments

Body Surfing – POV Footage with the Contour GPS and GoPro HD

Here’s a short reel I put together from this past weekend. The water was warm, surf was pumping and the sun was out. Couldn’t ask for more really. My brother and I decided to mount the GoPro / Contour on wooden dowels and record some womping at a local reefbreak. Once the black ball went up we shed our boards, grabbed our stakes, and paddled out awkward as hell with our makeshift contraptions. Aside from nearly knocking out our teeth and shattering our cameras on the rocks, my brother and I were able to score some shaky, but one of a kind footage.

body surfing
Overall the Contour shots turned out much better and so 95% of the video is from the Contour GPS. However all the pics including the one above were taken from the GoPro HD Hero.
Contour Body Surfing Mount
Wooden dowel, zip ties, and a leash from my dive light.

underwater pov
Duck dive

Wanted to take our cameras to some of the more legendary local shore pound breaks, but didn’t want to impale some helpless tourist with a splintery dowel. Bottom line the beach was crowded and we were lazy. Next time well have to take em out early morning hopefully for some brian conley-esque footy minus any collisions. Stay tuned…

morgan-text

June 21st, 2011 | By | 2,509 Comments

How Tough is the GoPro?

This little clip seemed appropriate for today since it’s International Go Skateboarding day (and the first day of summer! Woo Hoo!)

Watch the video and listen carefully:

“I don’t want to hit you with the skateboard” -me
“I’ll move.. I’ll move” -my brother

He didn’t move. Luckily for us the GoPro is tough as nails. In the year or so I’ve had the little camera it’s been tossed around in the back of my car, drop kicked and even puked on. While there were a couple of minor scuffs on the outer case, the lens is still intact and the camera works as if I never lent it to my brother… So if you are tough on electronics this camera can handle the worst!

Check out the GoPro and the accessories here:
http://www.swell.com/GO-PRO

morgan-text