Just another saturday evening

Enjoying these two items together this fine evening after the girls have gone to sleep.  Good times. Getting over a drawn out cold too, but since we woke up to warm temps and strong ONshore wind...surfing remained a blessed undesirable this weekend.  Being a surfer who has the responsibility of work and family...when a snidge of free time heads my way surfing seems to ride at the forefront these days.  It is actually nice to get 'onshore' days when you would normally go surfing because then mentally you can really dig into family life and not feel like you want to be out surfing.  It probably sounds lame but surfing is pretty gnarly on the addictive side so those that surf can relate.  I really enjoy spending time with my girls..and feel that I do spend my quality time...but lately surfing has been so FUN, while parenting has been kinda hard. Surfing lends itself as a great break and needed relief for me.  If I can score just 2-3 hours in a weekends time...I zip for it.   Like I said...it's pretty addictive.  I am fortunate and appreciative of an AWESOME and understanding wife.  She likes the 'on-shores' too though to give her some extra added break.  Check out photos on Surfline to see the recent swell that came through our zone.  It was pumping!

I used to check out other surf mags but this year I've been following more of the main stream surf culture and found it suddenly to be more accepting of the 'alternative' surf culture I often find myself more in tune with.  Good to see that the main stream isn't so cookie cutter...and continuing to go down that road.  One such amazing surfer who has helped this along by shredding on whatever he rides is Dane Reynolds.  Click on his name and watch some footage.  Pretty amazing.

Folks....anyone out there dig raw denim, selvedge jeans?  Check out some fellas from a company called Gustin.  hurry...while they last you can get a pair of organic, 12.5 oz raw denim deep indigo straight leg jeans for 81$ bangers by chipping in to a pledge drive these guys are having to getting these quality jeans to the public market at cost.  Pretty cool idea and they look like rad stuff.  Much like that I have posted about with my friends at Tellason.  Another SF made (USA made/born/crafted) denim company that makes a killer product.  I've been wearing mine now for a year, having washed them one time (truly...by hand) as they suggest you do..and they are hands down the best piece of clothing I own.
that's it folks...peace and hair grease.  Surf on--skate hard---and shake what your momma gave you.

We here at 'groundArt' have been making some surfboard bags as of late.  I had a real desire to make these things go a few years back, but seems the timing may be better now.   Here are a couple of sneak peek photos of batch one...includes some flaw bags.  Hope Brad enjoys his.  pic not included.

Big swell in Northern California brought on the surf...bunch of folks down at Mavericks enjoying the contest in late January 65 degree coastal temps.  Warm and offshore.  A mentioned friend above and I scored on his hunch that a certain sand bar would be working and we made the most of it.  Saw him catch a head and a half beau that peeled for a hundred yards or so....hootin and hollering the whole nine.  Nice surfing with you Brad.  Peace out!!  Oh yeah....ultra stoked on this board that Danny Hess of Hess Surfboards built.  It is a 'snaggle paw' 5 foot 2 inches...rides like a dream.

The winter--

The seasons here in northern California have finally changed.  Nice relief from the hot weather actually.  The new above photo is a shot of a special place on the southern Mendocino coast that some friends and I had the pleasure of visiting this fall.  The surf can be all time but on this occasion, we found better waves on a beach break just a tick north that was more exposed to the meager wind swell in the water.  Good times though!!  Glassy head high waves into the evening and good times by the fire into the night.
I am really drawn to the more remote coast of northern California.  I guess like Montana (where I am from) it is a great place to visit but a challenging place to live, making the yearly pilgrimage an often rewarding but always sweet occasion.  I value the time to visit and thank my wife for the 2 day freedom to roam the coast and get away from the busy-ness of our daily life.
My dad recently moved to Kona, Hi on the big Island.  We were treated to a visit, all the girls and I and had a great time.  Among the many things we did were;  lots of beach time, swam with some dolphins, checked out the 80 year old turtles, more beach time, ate large cinnamon rolls with grandpa, visited the brewery, had shaved ice and ice cream, more beach time, surfed killer reef break 6-10 foot and glassy, more beach time, saw plenty of geckos, bbqd with grandpa, drove the lava highway, more beach time and more beach time (beach time means playing in the sand, jumping in the water,  and covering your hole body in sand with a 2 and 4 year old.  FUN!)
Not sure what the next few months have in store for us, but looking forward to my new Ranger made by Danny Hess.  He is making me a very sweet machine.  Also looking forward to going on nice winter day beach missions with the family.  Seems that between storms, the winter is THE time to be with the GroundArt clan and go to the beach...surfers know this but most lay folk don't...the winter is the nicest the California coast gets all year.
For those of any interest...my friends Pete and Tony of Tellason make some great high quality USA made denim jeans and are very worth supporting.  Both men are two of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met and they make a killer product.  The pair of jeans you buy from them is worth their weight....they will last for a really long time and turn into a favorite...guaranteed.

A few photos of me and my sweet beautiful extremely amazing........daughters(and wife, the love of my life).  Maybe one day I'll get a few shots of surfing on here.  Oh...check out www.surfcron.com and the clip at the opening of the web site is me surfing my purple single fin at Fort Cronkite, Ca sometime last winter.  short but sweet .  Peace folks.

I spent a little time thumbing thru the last 12 months of I-photo...and saw photo after photo of KIDS!  guess that sweet blessing is what life is all about at the moment.   Here on the Sveinson/Groundart front we are just growing like weeds.  We have recently re-located slightly further north and are enjoying the larger home immensely.  First and foremost is still the importance of family....then come all the additives to that....faith, art, exploration, urban farmlife, skateboarding, scootering, dogs, cats, swings, home decor, surfing, beach life etc...here are a few pics to showcase our last bit of time growing and loving! 

Here are a few more fotos of the past fall and early winter.  It has been super warm and nice...literally.... no rain for 2 months and even our visit to the Sierras was shockingly 'nice' and warm considering the lack of snow and mild winter temps.  We have played at the beach....gone up the coast....stayed indoors cultivating the art in all of us.....gone on bike rides....taken trips to the beach again...gone sledding and skiing....and visited the snowless Sierras.  What a wonderful place we live!!  Peace and hair grease.

I can only say that it has been a super first day of the year.  Woke up to 3 beautiful girls (playing, giggling, tired and cranky).... and banner surf!  Strong...offshore wind, head high plus -  to micro- (depending on the wave of choice) BARRELS!  Family fun day at the beach.

Look forward to a year of good sleep....good surf....continued good work...and watching my beautiful family flourish, love, and learn.

Peace and God bless from GroundArt.

My family is crushingly precious and I am very lucky.  Love these photos!!  We are having a banner fall and early winter.  Surf has been good too....but no photos to prove it!  Hah!