NORTHEAST BLAHS

Joe Carter, with help from friends Mike Rosa and Jack Fleming, as well as 2Si's Jeff Ruel and Shane Smith, premiered their new release FADE in December. The new video captures insane footage of NH, and for $20 you can get your hands on it by calling Cinnamon Rainbows at 603-929-SHOP. -- The New England Surf Rider's Club (NESRC) is planning a luau for May 20th at Jenness Beach in Rye, NH. To join NESRC, e-mail the organization at apaulson2@nvi.com. -- Unsound Surf Shop took their team to Portugal in early February. Co-owner and ESM Senior Photographer Mike Nelson headed overseas with them, and we are looking forward to getting some prime shots from their adventures.

JEFF RUEL, JOE CARTER, SHANE SMITH, JACK FLEMING -- WINTERTON

In other shop news, Larry Herrick has been picked up by Gotcha, and Chris Harmon is now riding for Body Glove. This year's Unsound Pro will have a minimum $10,000 purse, and co-owners Dave Juan and Mike Nelson are trying like hell to make it a WQS-rated event. Look for more info on this key Right Coast contest in upcoming issues of ESM.

CHRIS HARMON -- NELSON

-- MA Surfrider chapter began gathering data for Beachscape to determine why 73% of MA's beaches are privately owned and include no public access to intertidal zones. The property laws pose a ludicrously unfair dilemma for those walking on or wanting access to the beach. -- Another ESM photog out and about this winter was Jeff Winterton who reported catching clean and classic, two-foot overhead Ollies with legendary longboarder Wingnut and an uncrowded lineup. -- In a case of mistaken identity, ESM apologizes to Steve Dillon for identifying him as Kevin Grondin in a full page photo snapped by Jeff Winterton and printed in our last edition. Sorry, Steve. -- LI's Brendan Mcgill relocated to the North Shore of Oahu just in time for the heavy winter season. Good luck B, and send us the pix! -- Dana Trumann left corporate world employer Bell Atlantic to devote his time exclusively to Moose County Music. He has two stores, one in Portland open year-round and the other in Old Orchard Beach enlisted for summer duty only. The year is off to a good start, and he has already picked up Sims snowboards for the shop. When business is slow and waves sporadic, Dana and girlfriend Michelle Boober head to Shawnee Peak in Bridgeton, ME, for snowboarding trips and guaranteed powder. Dana also told ESM that Alex Adrian joined the Moose team and is hooked with Forum and DC shoes. -- Time Bomb Surfboards is looking for experienced NE sales reps for the NH, MA, RI, and NY coastal regions. Anyone interested should contact Chenzo at 310-545-4736. Incidentally, Time Bomb has launched a website featuring tons of surf pix, news, and product pages. You can check the site at www.TimeBombSurf.com. -- Billabong Canada is under new ownership and has assigned licensing rights to its U.S. operation. Company prez Paul Naude said that this change should increase the presence of core boarding in Canada. Additionally, Rod Gilmour has been appointed Director of Canadian Operations. -- Mark Anastas of Liquid Dreams Surf Shop headed to Costa Rica in mid-February. Mark says it seems like half of ME is traveling. Among the travelers are newlyweds Billy Ryan and Rachel Henry, who took a two week R&R in Rincon, PR. The Ogunquit store has also picked up two new labels in the board department. Sticks from Channel Islands and Surfboards Hawaii can now be found in their racks. The shop's website has been revised and now includes cool links, tons of photos, a surf report, and a bulletin board. Visitors can post messages at www.LiquidDreamsSurf.com. -- Cory Wells at Hardcorps Surf Shop in MA is gearing up for the spring/ summer season and is pleased to welcome back Steve "Buddha" Bonifay and World Force wetsuits into the shop. Buddha shapes Pro Motion out of Daytona Beach, FL. -- The boys at Sunset Bay Surf Shop have been busy rounding up new lines and bulking up on the tried and true. Randy says he and brother Rick have added FCS, Hurley, and Billabong to their product arsenal. Sunset is going heavy with hard goods and boards, especially 2Si. They were happy to say that Sector 9 skates are rocking as well. In competition news, the guys are looking to reorganize their team and enter the amateur ranks of the ESA. Sunset hasn't been involved in contests since '96 when their shop burned down. -- After relocating from PR to NYC, ESM Senior Photographer Steve Fitzpatrick hopped a plane back to the island twice and scored both trips. Steve caught quality surf at Gas Chambers, Dogmans, and all the way up the coast at Margara. Steve said the only drawback to living in the Big Apple is that city folk think pushing a mouse constitutes being a surfer. -- Wheels & Waves, ME's oldest surf shop, is happy to announce its 25th anniversary. Under new ownership since '98, business has doubled each year. Wheels & Waves' Tom Noble reported the water is a chilly 34 degrees, but all the new suits in the shop are proving they're worth the money. -- SPC has furiously been assembling and designing East Coast skateparks. One of the first built was in Long Beach, NY, and next up will be parks in NH, CT, and MA. All have bowl, street, and ramp setups with a budget of $300,000 each, so you know they'll be sick. The company will also revamp Ratz park in Portsmouth. The 30,000 sq. ft. facility will include a concrete bowl, three different vert ramps, mini ramps, and 10,000 ft. of street courses. Incidentally, SPC wants your input, so send your thoughts, dreams, and ideas to Tom Noble, c/o SPC Skateparks, 579 Post Rd., Wells, ME 04090. Phone him at 207-646-5774 or online at tnoble@gwi.net. -- Congrats to Professor Rick Rhodes who was appointed Dean of the Animal Sciences Dept. at the University of Rhode Island. -- Peter and daughter Trisha Pan visited Attitash Mountain in NH for the Professional Ski Instructors Association meeting and received unbelievable snow conditions. The consensus in the hills was that this year had the best showing of the white stuff in four years. -- And lastly, our sincere condolences to the friends and family of RI surfer Ryan "Gazoo" Roberts who passed away after losing his battle with cancer in early January.

MID-ATLANTIC BLAHS

Surfrider Foundation's Delaware chapter is looking for volunteers to collect and analyze ocean samples for its Blue Water Task Force program. Environmentally concerned surfers should contact chairman Nick Carter, PO Box 266, Lewes, DE 19958. -- In other SF news, the OCMD chapter wasn't around more than two months before it faced off with Perdue Chicken in a literally shitty pollution battle. Chicken parts and fecal matter are being manufactured as fertilizer in astonishing amounts and have been linked to a pollution/ run-off epidemic known as Pfiesteria. The resulting oozy concoction has been blamed for massive fish kills and waterway closures including the Wicomico and Naticoke rivers. On a hopeful note, Perdue CEO Jim Perdue actually surfs and has approached the chapter with his concerns and hopes to find a viable solution. For more facts on this or other MD chapter events, drop Randy Meyer a line at PO Box 371, Royal Oak, MD 21662. The MD affiliate will also host a benefit featuring Dick Dale, "King of the Surf Guitar," on April 30th at Mellow Beach Sunset Bar. This gig will become an annual affair to raise funds for Surfrider conservation and education programs. -- Meanwhile, up in Jersey, surfers were pleased with a late January storm that blanketed the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast with snow, shutting down schools and area businesses for days while pumping in a frigid swell along with it. Joe Grottola, ESM contributing writer Jason Reagan, and a slew of others decided that while the roads were bad enough to bail on work, it wasn't quite dangerous enough to keep them from getting to prime Jersey surf spots. By the way, Reagan was picked up for the O'Neill team by East Coast team manager Paul Reinecke.

JOE GRATTOLA -- ROSELLI

-- Outer Banks shaper Chuck Clark has collaborated with Vah Beach tattoo artist C.W. Waddell to create Abstract Surfboards. The graphics are an extension of Waddell's existing t-shirt and sticker designs. To check out the Abstract line, contact Chuck at 252-475-1581 or on the web at abstractboards@yahoo.com. -- OCMD's K-Coast Surf Shop has been busy getting ready for the spring and summer with new goodies including McCrystal surfboards. Mark "Hairball" Harrell reported that shop transplants Kevin "Kev Roc" Cranfield and "Lifeguard" Joe Schneider are doing well in Cali. Justin "Zippy" Martin is still on the Jah train, and the whole crew bid farewell to Chris "Stelash" Stellaccio who was sold into slavery as one of ESM's new associate editors along with Florida's Chris "Mr. T." Towery. Other K-Coast crew members Chris "Spike" Shanahan, Allan Brown, and Scotty Laird headed to Vermont for some mid-winter snowboarding. The boys also met up with Jim Henesey, Brian Heritage, J.P. Bevin, Ricky Klinger, and Jevin Schneider from South Jersey's Heritage Surf Shop, and they scored over a foot of powder.

BRIAN HERITAGE -- GOTTHOLD

-- Additional Jersey news came from Ripzone Surf Shop who welcomed Sam Zuegner to their surf team and Stephanie Croff to the snowboard unit while Randy Washburn added Time Bomb Surfboards to his list of sponsors. -- Surf City Surf Shop's Mark Allison was host to this year's Toronto Surfing Association (TSA) trip to Buxton, NC. Chris Oates, Daniel Copeland, and Placido Cerce were sworn in as board of directors in front of perfect waist-to-chest high barrels at the Frisco Pier. The event was held Halloween weekend and included product clinics as well as decent waves. Additional TSA trips are in the works for this year. For more information about the TSA, contact Tim Balazas or Jeff Needbaum with Kritical Path Adventures, Ltd. (416-588-9848) or Mark Allison (843-626-5412) at Surf City in Myrtle Beach, SC. -- OCMD's Ricky Barretto added Duffs and Von Zipper to his already busy repping job with the Realm and took off to the Dominican Republic in early March.

XON ZANE -- GIBBER

-- Chip Ayeres, Jamie Delzell, and OC shaper Xon Zane split for Ecuador in January then headed south on the Pan American Highway to Peru. The guys caught consistent waves in the head-high plus range, but Xon snagged the set of the entire journey with his engagement to a lovely Peruvian named Jannet. -- OCMD's Malibu's Surf Shop is now stocking Rawson surfboards. The Local Motion shaper produces boards under his own name as well, and both labels can be found at the store. -- Gray Cheek of North Shore Surf Shop in Ocean Isle Beach, NC, is busy getting his store set up for its second season. Plans for the inaugural North Shore Surf Challenge are in the mix for an early spring or summer contest date. -- Dave Heverly, of Emerald Isle, NC, and the famous Heverly Family, is proud to announce the new Emerald Isle Surf Shop, a 2,000 square-foot store due to open in the beginning of April next to the old pier. They will be renting an array of equipment, from bikes to kayaks, and stocking boards such as Natural Art, Back Yard Boards, and Star, shaped by brother Carl, exclusively for the shop. For deets on EISS, call 252-354-8422. -- ESM sends its condolences to the Monmouth Co., NJ, crew and to the friends and family of Captain Dale A. Curtis who was the victim of a tragic hit and run in Rincon, PR. -- Outer Banks photog and cyberzine guru Mickey "2M" McCarthy headed off to Costa Rica this March courtesy of his sponsor Total Communications. The company picked up the bill for Mickey and said all he needed to bring was drinking money. Give his site, Surftown.com, a check for the photo goods from the trip. -- "On ya's!" to Ben Bourgeois for bagging 3rd place at the WQS season opener. The Reef Classic was held at Mar de Plata, Argentina, and Ben earned himself a healthy 1825 points at the six-star event. -- Pat Rafter, of Avalon, NJ, is making the best of his time at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL. Pat is keeping busy by staying in the water, trying to keep a band together, and getting WFIT back in proper working order. Pat is hoping to bring the college radio station back into the hands of students, but first he must get licensed to broadcast.

FISHER CULBRETH -- JOHNSON

-- NC's Carolina Beach native Fisher Culbreth is the new Split clothing East Coast team manager. He has also picked up Surf One long skates, a division of Powell Peralta, and Divine sunglasses, the girls' line from DSO eyewear. -- OCMD's Brian Stoehr was stoked when sponsor BZ finally released his pro model bodyboard at the January expo. The board has been a long time coming and is well deserved for one of our coast's finest spongers. -- Tony Giordano, owner of Ocean Hut Surf Shop, is entering his 25th year of business. To celebrate, they've planned an anniversery sale for Easter. Tony also has a number of promo events through the summer, including a visit from Robert August in (appropriately) August, and the O'Neill and Lost crews will stop by as well.

SOUTHEAST BLAHS

Melbourne Beach, FL, is seeking donations for their 17th Annual Pineapple Surf Contest. The Ocean Avenue competition will be held May 7th at Ocean Park. An entry fee of $5 is required, and interested parties can contact Curtis Byrd at 321-724-9916 or 321-724-5860 at the Town Hall. -- Ron Jon Surf Shop recently announced a partnership with Japanese licensee Yoshi Kikuchi of Avant Garde Spirit, Inc. Ron Jon VP Bill Bieberbach said that if the Japanese counterpart meets expectations, it would mean further expansion of the world's largest surf shop to include the Pacific Rim. -- North Shore Surf Shop's Ty Bellamy is back in South Carolina prepping the shop for another season after catching some decent Christmas surf in Hawaii. Bellamy says he's putting the finishing touches on the new shaping room at the Ocean Drive location in North Myrtle Beach. Shaper Wes Cross will be in house doing custom boards for both Liar and North Shore Longboards. -- The 17th Annual Wave Masters Society Surf Contest will be held May 6th and 7th at Jax Beach Sea Walk Pavilion. Sponsors and potential backers should contact director Mitch Kaufmann at 800-787-3437 or log onto mitch@radicalside.com.

MITCH KAUFMANN -- DUGAN

Contestants can obtain entry forms through Aqua East and Sunrise surf shops or at www.radicalside.com/wavemasters. Also, make sure to check this issue's video review of Spit 5, Mitch's latest flick. -- Congrats to Jamie Twigg of Indialantic, Florida, for getting a piece of the American dream/ nightmare known as home ownership. Not that you weren't busy enough at work, but now you have sprinklers to fix, trees to trim, pools to clean, and a lawn to mow... Enjoy! -- Surf NRG's Kevin Welsh hit the surf mag equivalent of a Daily Double. Kevin's photos of Peter Mendia and Kalani Robb at Rocky Point graced the January covers of ESM and Surfer respectively. -- Spectrum Surfboards welcomes back Kelly "Beezer" Branagh to their team. -- New Smyrna photog Heather Holjes broke through the proverbial glass ceiling with her continued efforts in the surf industry. Heather scored a trip to southwest Panama, courtesy of Surfing Girl Magazine, the sister publication of Surfing. Heather spent 12 days on Morro Negrito Island with Jodie Nelson, Holly Beck, Margo Montavani, and Koral McCarthy. The crew spent most of the trip searching the coast and offshore secret spots for waves. They almost got skunked but were finally greeted with an overhead day and some photo-friendly waves. Look for coverage on the trip in Surfing's summer travel issue.

HEATHER HOLJES -- MEZ

Heather already has another trip lined up to Bali in June with Outer Banks boys Justin Brown, Jeff Meyers, Billy Hume, and ESM staff writer Matt Pruett. -- Surf This in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL, opened its doors for business in November and filled the racks with boards from WRV, Action, Lost, Spectrum, Lightwave, and Cannibal. -- Brad "B-rad" Hoffman, founder of the M.A.S.S.S. tradeshow in Ocean City, MD, has expanded his event to Wrightsville, NC, and Melbourne, FL. For info on the shows or to make booth reservations, phone Brad at 877-RAD-SHOW or in cyberspace at www.radshow.com. -- An "established surf shop" in Jax Beach is for sale. After 26 years of running the show, the current owner is taking off for Australia. Investors/ buyers can call 904-246-4451 or fax 904-241-2148 for additional facts and figures.

SHEA LOPEZ -- MEZ

-- Bryan Hewitson, Shea Lopez, Dean Randazzo, the Hobgoods, and a host of Cali surfers participated in this year's Rusty "Anything But 3" Surfer/ Shaper Challenge. See this issue's Big News for details. -- Eric Taylor, Tommy O'Brien, and Jon Flick headed to the Dominican Republic February 23rd-28th for an international showdown. The guys were part of the U.S. Team who went up against the Dominicans. Tommy got a chance to warm up for the competition with a prior trip to Puerto Rico.

CRUSTYFELLOW (2nd from right) AND FRIENDS -- GIBBER

-- ESM photo intern Donald "Crustyfellow" Cresitello has been hard at work with a lupe and a stack of slides under the keen eye of fellow Garden Stater Dick "Mez" Meseroll. He seems to enjoy the experience despite the ritual intern whippings and Herr Gibber's daily gas attacks. Donald's new 600mm Canon autofocus lens definitely helps ease the pain, and the lad snapped this issue's Brave New World ad of Nick Romito. There's only $8,800 left to pay, Crusty! -- SC's Kelly Richards was amped about his recent jaunt to Puerto Rico. Kelly and the Village Surf Shop team scored waves their whole trip. Rob Hunt was among the crew that caught the thumping, backwashed pits of Gas Chambers. According to Kelly, Gas Chambers was firing with "barrels as big as buses." Rob was ripping and snapped his board on the 5th wave. Meanwhile, down the beach, Village groms Cole Richards, Adam Brown, and Andrew Work surfed rare and fun-sized Crashboats. Village has all the PR footage from the trip posted at www.villagesurf.com. -- Speaking of PR and Kelly Richards, Werner Vega will visit SC in may to shape for Perfection Surfboards. Werner has also expanded his PR shaping facilities to include a retail store called Hang Loose. The Puerto Rico Surfing Federation held a contest at Maria's on January 22 where Werner won the Master's division, and Vega teamrider Ricky Medina snagged 1st in Open Mens. -- Nichols Surf Shop teamrider Noah Beaman is now also riding for team Local Motion, and Elton Rivas was picked up by WRV. The groms are not only killing it in the surf but in contests and the classrooms as well. Nichols' Chuck Carter has an arsenal of film ready for Wednesday video nights, so stop in and pick up a schedule. -- The Clever Surfboards/ Clothing team dominated the NCFL ESA contest at Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach on January 12th. Quinn Thorne, Pete Jagocki, Tony Marino, and owner Jay Smith won the tag team event. Pete conquered the Men's and Open divisions. Quinn placed 1st in Masters, and Tony posted 2nd in Men's and Open. -- Lastly, Billabong has appointed Rob Willis as the National Sales Manager for their men's line and Angi Broberg for its women's. Rob joined the company in 1987 and is stoked about his promotion. The change will require him to move to southern Cali, and as a result, Scott Bouchard is now the company's FL rep.