I got back yestrday from 5 days travel by boat up the west coast of Vancouver Island. We set out from Tofino, a town at the end of the road. We went 40 miles north, stopping at maybe 10 different places to visit people and/or to let me shoot photos (550 of them). We saw bears, got battered by the ocean, hung out with a bunch of wonderful, self-sufficient coastal people, caught fish, got drunk (well, one of us did), had whales spouting all around us one day, went swimming…it’s going to take me a while to process it all, but in the interim, while I’m regrouping here in Courtenay (truck lube, washing grubby clothes, checking email) here are some thoughts while I’m waiting to pick up my truck:
When I came into Tofino yesterday, I picked up a copy of Happy, a surf/skate/snowboard magazine (large format on newsprint) and it was stunning. Just talking layout, it’s a breakthrough, just like Thrasher Magazine was 20 years ago, and Andy Warhol’s original Interview magazine of 30 years ago. The photos are stunning and inspiring, and the art, ads, and layout take advantage of the large format. The newsprint is perfect (it’s a free mag). It really did make me happy. Look for it in surf or skate shops. Their website, https://www.happymag.com/, wasn’t working today, it just refers me to a snowboard contest.
Michael Kershnar
In this issue (May, 2006), there’s wonderful paintings of wild animals by skateboarder Michael Kershnar. His website, https://www.mikekershnar.com/, isn’t working as of today, but I recommend seeking out his work. Here are a couple of shots of his work from the mag. They really look good at full scale. Aren’t these wonderful? He’s tuned into wild animals on a cellular level, like the Australian Aborigines.
Surfers’ Tribe of the Pacific Coast
In the last 15 years I’ve found myself travelling the Pacific Coast, south (from home base near San Francisco)to the tip of Baja Californiato, and north halfway up Vancuver Island in British Columbia). I’ve noticed that a lot of people, many of them surfers, fisherman, farmers, etc., travel north/south along the Pacific Ocean. Many people get away from the rains up north and spend winter in Baja. I’ve noticed connections between Tofino/Hornby Island/The Lost Coast/Pt. Arena/San Juanico (Scorpion Bay)/Todos Santos/San José del Cabo — these are just some of the connected dots. It’s an undeclared coastal tribe, having in common a love of the blue and powerful Pacific Ocean.
I’ll try to get some stuff up here from my trip when time allows. The trip north by speedboat with Bruno and Godfrey has to be one of the best trips I’ve ever taken, and I’ve taken a lot of trips. Whew!
