inwards onwards

Oh blog, I give you my heart and soul as I try to relax a mind that is consumed with a thousand flickering thoughts. If I do this right, I walk away feeling like I've just spoken to my therapist and that everything is going to be OK. Things aren't bad, in fact they are very good, but being overwhelmed wasn't what I was hoping I'd be feeling these days. So where should we start?

Fish Out Of Water - New York City


I stayed in Brooklyn for a week, my neighbor being the black model guy from Zoolander who was blown up in that gas station explosion. WRSC had a booth at the Adventure Travel Show in Manhattan at the Javits Center. I stayed up there when everyone else came back to Tamarindo. It was the least I could do since so many people visit us from New York, I wanted to reciprocate. I figured I could tell the big apple about little tamarindo and our surf camp, and also hang out with some good friends and catch up on drinking some Sierra Nevadas and Blue Moons. I took the train everywhere, got lost in the big city, almost froze so I walked a lot to help stay warm, listening to Manu Chao and Gorillaz, the Black Keys and Iggy Pop. Contemplating life, headphones in New York just makes sense.

A publicist as well as a past guest of WRSC, Josiel Estrella decided to thank us by visiting us at the show and then going out and getting us a bunch of press for the surf camp. I found myself on the news show Open on Bronxnet last Wednesday morning. It wasn't until I showed up at the station that I realized I was going on live tv in New York City. Here's a pic of what the tv studio looked like. A few minutes later was the human interest piece on our little camp in Tamarindo, born when we drove an old school bus from San Diego to Costa Rica 9 years ago. Pot smokers represent.



Since I had only planned on being in NYC for the weekend, I didn't bring many clean clothes. My jeans were on day six, shirt day 3. I realized I was the only one wearing sandals and nobody else had long sun-bleached hair with salt water micro dreads. Fortunately my good friends Andrew and Georgia put me up for a night and loaned me warm clothes. I went to UCSD with Andrew, we surfed Blacks all of the time and took some Baja trips. He is now a doctor working a few blocks from where they live on 21st and 2nd Ave. He keeps a truck with an expandable camper shell three blocks away as well. I guess this is what surfers do, or at least what they should.  I'm looking forward to Andrew coming down to WRSC at the end of November, that's going to be good times.



I had to leave early, so Andrew went to Mollusk Surf Shop in Brooklyn on my behalf and hooked up with one of the owners, Eric. I had been meaning to say whats up to them for some time. People living in the area can cruise into Mollusk and get info about WRSC. They can help you book a trip to the camp or on one of our surf tours.  Soon you will find our passports there.

I had met with the Billabong Surf Shop in Times Square a couple of days earlier. A total Disneyland opposite to a place like Mollusk. They said they would place passports in every bag that they sell, and that they give out 5,000 bags/day. Wow, that's a lot of bags I start thinking... and paper... Then I start thinking about how loud it is and how you couldn't have a conversation about going on a surf trip in that store. I guess its a different type of marketing, not necessarily a bad one.

I do know that I like it when you can go into a surf shop and talk to them about surf. Surfing, and WRSC for that matter, exists through word-of-mouth and story telling so why not continue doing that when sharing the surf camp with people? I'm planning another trip to NY to surf and check out the smaller shops on Long Island, hopefully before the water gets into the 30s. I love being able to travel and surf and having it be called work, even if the water is cold.


I Want My House Back

What the hell was I thinking when I moved out of my house? I was staring at the ocean constantly and I had a bar only a few steps away. Oh wait, now I remember. I had snakes living in the floorboards big enough to eat my kids. I forgot about that.

Now I'm living across the street and down the road a little way. Yes, its close, but its not the same at all. At least my wife and kids are happy where we live. I'm happy too, but I can't wait to move back home and be staring at the rivermouth all day long again. I know this is only a temporary move until we fix up our house. It is the original house built 40 years ago, it definitely needs some love. Soon enough I keep saying.

I've decided to dress up as Santa Clause for Halloween this year.  That was easy enough.

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pandora.com and playlist.com are helping me through each and every day.  So are my boys...

Getting The New Surf Shop Open

The majority of any focus of mine lately has been on finishing the remodeling of the new surf shop. Building materials, lighting, audio, video, flat screens, slat wall, clothing racks, inventory systems, office furniture, new witch's rock t-shirts, Rusty, Rip Curl, Da Kine. Joey needy money. It always happens slower than you want, but since I've been bootstrapping this entire surf camp since day 1 it is no surprise I am bootstrapping the new shop as well. Otis and Happy, its your college fund and I'm sorry but I'm spending it. I'm the guy who in 2003 asked Jeeves how to build a hotel in costa rica and then paid for it with credit cards, selling old rental boards and cheap beer to make the cash to pay for it all.  I will find a way to shake my money maker and get this shop stocked before high season.  And if it takes a few months to get stocked up, well then thats fine too.  Nothing to stress over, nothing a good surf can't fix.  I still can't believe how long I've been talking about this project, to see it almost complete feels really good, and scary, if that makes sense.



I'm thinking we'll have moved into the new shop area no later than November 15th. I really hope I can stop thinking about this part of the surf camp, it creates a tunnel vision I'm getting sick of seeing however excited I might be. I'm going to have to shift gears soon because after this week we go from low season back to being almost completely booked at the hotel. I just want the high season to get here so I can go back to running the surf camp.  I'm getting ready for offshore winds and rivermouth tubes.

If I Had Sleeves These Would Be Up Them

Maverick Kickstart will be shooting an episode on-location at WRSC Tamarindo March 2-6, 2010.  This weekly reality show takes risk-adverse individuals on extreme adventures to "kick start" their lives.  We were hooked up with this TV show through past WRSC guest and Old Dudes Surf Club member Craig Neuhoff.  I didn't really think that surfing was considered risky, but then again this past summer when I was surfing off of the Osa Peninsula during that solid 15 ft. swell, under gunned and with a broken leash, well I guess that would have been a good scene to throw into this show.

The North Face is coming to Costa Rica.  The North Face is already the proud provider of camping equipment for WRSC Surf + Camp Expeditions.  Witch's Rock Surf Camp is taking this relationship further.  With the launch of the new surf shop we will be carrying a line of The North Face products in Tamarindo.  The North Face is also opening two retail stores in San Jose, CR this month.  Never stop exploring.

Greg Gordon, founder of CRsurf.com, named WRSC's first US sales rep (S. Florida).  What does that mean?  Pretty soon you can visit your local surf shop in south Florida and pick up your Witch's Rock Surf Camp passport.  Greg can help answer any questions you might have and book your trip for you.  You not only get excellent travel service from a local surfer that knows WRSC and Costa Rica like the back of his hand, but after your trip you'll also get discounts from your local shop back home.

Witch's Rock Surf Camp named as sponsor for Tamarindo CNS Surf Contest March 2010.  For the third year in a row, we are hosting this contest, the party, and the awards ceremony.  The date hasn't been set in stone yet, but everyone is expecting this season to be pretty huge.  This past July the CNS hosted the Billabong World Surfing Games.  We have some great surf talent in this country and it is exciting to watch the sport grow.

OK I think that's about it for now.  I promise to break radio silence and be more communicative if you promise to stop asking me why I haven't been blogging lately.  Deal?

moderate thought

yeah, I know I've been lagging on the blogging. The truth is, things are happening really fast. I feel like I can't just write a 5 minute explanation of whats going on. But I can. It can come out in spurts and it probably should.

I just moved offices. I rented some office space across the street from the surf camp, this is the new WRSC Admin Office. The Reservations Office is going where the Admin Office was, to be connected to the new surf shop we are currently building and that will be open by the end of the month I hope. We are finally opening the Zephyr Eco Store where the Reservations Office is currently, on the right hand side as you enter the camp. That's gonna be sweet. Lots of moving and building in other words. Planning is key, and I suck at planning. I have commitment issues all over. Its all working out though.

My left ear has water in it and it hurts. I've surfed every day except for today, the Rivermouth has been pretty fun. It hasn't been epic, but fun, every day something to surf. I do find myself sharing waves with tons of SUPs lately. When I'm on a 5'9 and they're on a 12'6 and they're paddling for every set wave that comes in, well... that just kindof sucks. Then there's the longboarders who get all of the waves but still find they need to drop in on you and take your wave too. Like a little kid that can't share. Then you have to get over it because you see those guys every day and thats just the way they are, and I just want to surf. They want waves. SUPs are wave hogs, face it. Thats why I don't carry them in the surf shop. The last thing I want is to be responsible for a herd of SUPs running over everyone else in the Tamarindo Rivermouth line-up and taking all of the waves. I don't care how popular they're becoming. Its ironic, seeing longboarders that used to complain about all of the crowds now themselves riding SUPs. I think its pretty selfish to sit on the main peak on one of those things. If I can catch waves on a 5'9 then your normal longboard should be good enough. You don't need a battleship SUP to get all of the waves. I hope I don't become a bitter old man surfer.

Our biodiesel reactor is built, WRSC is turning our used cooking oil from Eat @ Joe's into biodiesel and powering our vans, my truck, and the Zori. October means that most all of the restaurants are closing, so it might be a little difficult to collect a ton of used oil this month, but we're going to try. I just bought an old Toyota Landcruiser that will do the pickup route. If you have a restaurant in the Tamarindo area and want to donate your used oil, I will give you back biodiesel that will work in ANY diesel vehicle. I will also promote your company because you'll be promoting sustainability. You can also buy biodiesel for your diesel engined vehicle from Zephyr Eco, email me for details. The service will officially start in November. Oh, and by the way, Eat @ Joe's is offering Joe's to Go starting on October 15th. Call 2653-1238 and order your breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, sushi, whatever whenever, and we'll deliver it to your house or hotel room (in recycled to-go containers by the nacho-powered landcruiser). Check the WRSC website soon about it all.

Zephyr Eco is opening it's store to the public in November. What does this mean? Organic market will be open daily. You can buy fruits and veggies that haven't been soaked in pesticides, from local farmers here in Costa Rica. Locally sourced organic products mean less carbon footprint. Be healthier, or at least offset your beer consumption. Find green products for the home or workplace. Green construction services in Guanacaste will be available, with our network of architects, builders, and products making living/working sustainably in Costa Rica even easier. Our Alemania residential lots will be available to the public. I will be sending a ZEP newsletter out in the next couple of weeks, once the new website is launched.

All of this blogging and new website talk. My laptop broke in San Diego and I learned to do most things on my phone. Valerie's laptop got stolen and I gave her mine because I wasn't using it much. Lately my job has been more about building things in the real world, not in a virtual one.

I never got a chance to give a HUGE thank you to Amber Shaffer for hosting the WRSC crew in San Diego for the ASR show. We moved into her house in Rolando, busted out the inflatable beds, took over the DVR and soon had a constant stream of the Office, Robot Chicken, and Reno 911. I clogged the toilet in the garage really bad. Yana sported the sleep apnea mask thingie that sounds like Darth Vader. Valerie and I got totally barreled under this bush next to Amber's garage while practicing front-side cutbacks on the Shred Sled. Mark Tucker, I know you talk shit about those boards but man are they fun, especially while rocking some Pandora via the iPhone data plan via some ipod speakers in the driveway.

Getting back to Tamarindo from the family road trip and 2 trade shows was a relief. I love the condo that I'm renting for the family, though living above the surf camp bar with live music nightly and waves right out in front wasn't bad at all. But now we have more space, its twice as big. I have a huge bedroom with room for everything. We have 2 tvs with cable instead of just one, and the big screen is in the bedroom. No more Lazy Town marathons, I get my CSI Miami or whatever AXN is playing. Chargers are on the restaurant TV every Sunday, besides that I don't have much of a schedule. High tide vs. low tide. Time with the family vs. time at the surf camp. A never-ending list of things to do. I just hired a CFO so that's going to help. His name is Carlos Silva, his brother is Jose, a lawyer here in Tamarindo. We have another trade show next weekend in New York City so I guess that means I should buy a plane ticket sometime soon. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but my original ideas of staying for some time and getting some surf has been replaced with ones involving getting the new surf shop built and open in weeks, not months, organizing the business now that we finally have a full-time CPA working for WRSC. It was good timing too, because we got served with a late tax bill the first day he started the job!

It is very hard to believe that this is low season. It hasn't rained much at all. If this keeps up, next season is going to have water shortages and power outages. Today and tomorrow, most of our guests check out and we have only a few rooms booked. Only 4 weeks to do the construction projects, reorganization of everything that needs reorganizing. In 4 weeks the 2009/2010 surf season officially starts. Looking at the calendar, the hotel is going to be pretty booked up starting next month. Isn't this year going by fast?