Latest Cover

Here is this weeks Honolulu Weekly Cover I did.
I put my sunglasses that I bought on St. Marks St. NYC on Ba Rock.
We were supposed to run a painting from Honolulu Art Academy's Asian American Art show.
But I didn't think it would make people pick up the paper. It was a painting of Bush and some other Military people in a Persian style. So I said off the top of my head. "Why don't we put some shades on Barock... everyone will pick up the paper". And the editor and art director were down. I had fun doing it. The Cover almost feels like my sketchbook...
or better yet, I feel like I a visual dj to Honolulu. I get to choose what the island sees. Let the island see through my eyes.

Signing off.
Aloha
-Manny

Lukes Birthday last Tuesday

BBQ with Luke on a Boat tomorrow.
Here is photo of Luke BBQin' in his backyard.
Luke lent me surfboards when I didn't have one yet at Rockaway NYC.
Then he hooked me and girlfriend up with a place to live when we first moved to Hawaii.
Happy Birthday Homey.

Surfs Up.

Surfs up on the south side of Oahu and on the south side of all the Hawaiian Islands.
This last thursday I went to work and there was no editorial content for me to drop into the paper.
So they told me to go smoke a joint. I said well I don't smoke anymore... Maybe I should go surf instead.
And the editor was like yeah go surf. So I went to one of my favorite spots, Ala Moana Bowls.

I am reading a great book right now called Surf is Where You Find It, written by Gerry Lopez, Pipeline Style Master. These are some excerpts about Ala Moana Bowls. "Still the waves dearest to our hearts was always Ala Moana..." "the only place to be during the summertime south swell season was Ala Moana." "Ala Moana drew the best of Hawai‘i's small-wave surfers and made them better.

Ala Moana is two miles down the street from my home.
I go there often to show my face in the line up.
the wave has such good form.
And you get along better with the family if you spend time.
Its worth it.

During my surf break, pro surfer Makua Rothman was in the water, Sunset Beach Triple Crown winner.
Fun to surf with a pro, and see that he has to paddle hard too sometimes.
One thing I noticed about him was that he was a wave magnet.
There is a lot of people in the line up... about 14 people sitting close to each other... everyone advanced and able to catch any wave that comes their way, beautiful waves just seemed to roll right up to Makua... and had his and only his name on it.

Pretty interesting.

Anyway, caught some great waves and went to work.
Had to tame my stoke in fear of making people jealous of the joy that coursed through my veins and mind.

Will try to get some photos up of some south shore dakine.

Till then, time to draw some lines on wood and cut out some skateboard shapes.

Aloha Nui,
Manuel Dasurf Skateowitz

ON DA MIND

My niece Carolina

Talk Story dedicated to Boss Man (who introduced me to his paint brush Old Dirty Bastard aka ODB)

I won't drop names but I used to work in a wood shop in Brooklyn for a few years. The boss I had was my Mister Miaggi, the old man teacher from the Karate Kid. He taught me how to use a tape measurer to its fullest and the idea of being "hyper aware" to name a few.
Being hyper aware is essential when using power tools like "the table saw".

Now I don't really smoke weed too often these days, and I didn't then either. One puff every now and then and I'm a little kid in a huge world with a little bit of blurry eyesight.

Well one day after finishing a month long job, it was Friday and payday. We built so many art crates, the shop was a maze of crates all the way into the office where he gave us our checks. Boss man decides to pack a bowl with a smile.

He says common Manny one puff. I say no way boss... OK Boss. My best friend since 4 years old is my co-worker by the way and he is sitting next to me with a smile as well. One puff and boom the crates turn into big tall walls through a wide angle lense.

We're not gonna be in the shop til the next job so I gather an arm full of scrap wood for art project and whatever, and I hop on my bike to leave. As I leave the shop on my bike, one hand on the handle bars one arm wrapped around a plank or two of wood, Boss man says, "Aye Manny, don't forget your safety glasses". I have no free hands, so he puts them on my face and I start riding home.

Boss man I'm pretty sure was laughin' at me.
Riding' home was tough.
I couldn't stop laughing
I must of looked crazy and was I guess at the time.

I almost hit a few cars along the 10 block ride home.

Good memory.
Good times.
Aloha Boss Man.

YOU PLAY YOU PAY

Aloha,
droppin' words.
workin' hard these days.
Still finding time to surf and skate though and admire a plastic bag with red black and white graphics on it in a garbage can which gets me stoked to go home and paint. But before I pick up the paint brush I get stuck on the computer for an hour checkin' my e-mails and this facebook bullshit. Don't really like it, but I get to peep old friends that poke me or write on my wall. Yeah Yeah.

Trouble in Paradise.
but I'll survive.

the difference between skateing and surfing is that when you skate you sweat. and I like that factor.
it gets the toxins out of your body.

Surfing on the other hand is easier on the bones and skin. Except when you scrape the reef.
the smallest cut can sting or get infected. One connect to the reef can explode a knuckle and start pouring blood...
which intern brings the fear in you that you might be attracting some unwanted guests so you get so scared you feel like your gonna piss your board shorts but you don't because this only makes you stick out more. So you catch a wave in, in slight panic-mode wiping out so hard on your back as you drop in and you hear a snap only to find yourself underwater unsure if your paralyzed from the back/neck slap to the water. This happened to me once. I wiped out so hard I couldn't skate. and my arms were stinging even though I didn't hit my arms on the water. I think it was a nerve thing. For a moment underwater
I wasn't sure if I could move my limbs. The water was light blue and bubbly. And the waves were pretty big that day.

it was only me and a friend out.
last year at that same spot I saw a whale come out of the water within 100 yards. I was like wow, but at the same time a little freaked out. Deep water....Don't like to look down all the time... or even think what cruises beneath. Definitely plenty creatures for sure but anything over 10ft stay away please.

Aloha

YOU PLAY YOU PAY
THEY SAY.
Signing off.
MANZO