Saturday night I treated myself to a visit to the opening of "EBB/FLOW' at the East/West Gallery in Santa Barbara, and what a treat it was.  The event was a benefit for the Santa Barbara Surfrider Foundation, and featured an amazing collection of unique photographs and surfboards as well as books and other surfing paraphernalia.  Great live music, drinks, and lots of pretty girls created a warm and inviting ambiance for those who attended.  Some of the work of the greatest names in surf photography were well represented, including selected images of LeRoy Grannis, Jeff Divine, Jeff Hornbaker, Art Brewer, and others.  Also included was the work of Santa Barbara local / Rincon surfer Branden Aroyan.  One of my personal favorites was a shot by Craig Stecyk of a beautiful peak breaking in front of the then-derelict P.O.P. Pier (before moving to Santa Barbara in 1975 at the age of 14, I first learned to surf at Bay St. / P.O.P.) which in a menacing way captures the essence of that break and that era.  In addition to the photographs there was some amazing surfboard art.  Unbelievable what a talented artist can transform a surfboard into... 

The EBB/FLOW collection will be on display through the end of July, so be sure to visit on one of these flat Summer days when there's not much else to do other than go mind surfing.  Below are some images taken at the opening in case you are interested in a sneak preview. Click on the small thumbnail images to view the larger full-sized versions...



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Spotlight on a local: Demi Boelsterli

Reading the most recent issue of Blue Edge Magazine the other day I noticed mention of Demi Boelsterli's capturing of a NSSA title, so I thought I'd add a little blurb here to honor her achievement.  I've known Demi since long before she began surfing, as she has been my neighbor since 1993, and I'm very proud of what she has accomplished in just a few short years of surfing.  Demi was always a cute kid, somewhat of a tomboy, but adorable nonetheless.  She used come knocking on my back door frequently asking if my son Erik was free to play (go skateboarding), and as I recall, she used to like to pinch his butt!  Anyway here's a pic of Demi at her 6th-grade graduation from Monte Vista School, probably close to the time that she first learned to surf.



Whereas last week I was writitng about the pioneering women of Rincon, Demi now represents the future.  Early in her surfing career she spent most of her time at UCSB's Campus Point, but nowadays Demi is becoming a fixture in the lineup at The Rivermouth at Rincon.  You can see by the pictures below that the cute little gromina has blossomed into a powerful and aggressive woman - capable of beating even the boys in their own division!  While not the greatest quality, I took these images of Demi at this year's Rincon Classic.  In my opinion, Demi could very well be the next World Champion surfer to come from our little paradise here in Santa Barbara.  Demi, I wish you luck and continued success as you pursue in your surfing career further!