October 6th 2007

Jax crew is on fire! Peter Mendia and Shea Lopez have words with the Daytona blue. Wind swell kicks up waves to shootable heights.

David Holloway
Change of season, change of the guards.
With the lack of tropical storms producing anything worthy of coverage in the vid this year, I had one goal in mind as October approached, get this video done by any means necessary. Several mild set backs occurred within the ranks of the previous mission team. From injuries, schedule conflicts to theft of sponsored product, I realized it was time to shift my attention to other areas of Florida for talented surfers. Although I missed the session at Fort Pierce, from reasons previously mentioned, and the coverage of the ticket issue with Shea and Peter at Sunglow Pier, for the same reason above, I'm glad I bee lined it to Northern Florida to scout, organize several shoots and meet some new faces on Tuesday. I had no idea what was in store for the days ahead, I was just glad to be heading in a positive direction.
As I traveled to Jacksonville in the torrential rain and high winds, I contacted Resin8's Steve Moore and COS's Tiffany Layton and set up meeting places in their hometown of Atlantic Beach. As we conducted shoots, I quickly realized the pool of talent Jax showcases. The crew up here is solid! Some say the surfing regions of Florida go through cycles from year to year. One year, central Florida might command the attention, and other years it has been towns of south Florida that's been the focus, but if the last couple of days are any indication of the cycle of change, then I would have to say Northern Florida is setting up for the next stage of rippers.

Tiffany Layton

In addition to the surfing talent, there are a few standout photographers braving the elements and willing to rise and shoot at 5am, Jake Roth is that person. I have highlighted some of his shots, like the one at the top, and through out homepage slide show. I will be adding all the photos of the past Jax sessions and some of his other work in the Photographer's Gallery soon.

DON'T LIVE HERE, DON'T SURF HERE

Pete Mendia and Shea Lopez busted in the Sunshine State - for surfing

By: Marcus Sanders

All Photos: Jesse Wicker

October 4, 2007

After the worst summer and early fall in recent memory, when the surf finally started showing in Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday, local surfers were understandably frothing. None more than local pros Pete Mendia and Shea Lopez, who love scoring close to home, especially with such hectic travel schedules. MORE

Wind swell creates what the tropical season's storms didn't.
After a bleak tropical storm season in August and September, a 1200 mile long gradient set up just off the East Coast and whipped the seas into a frenzy. After it was said and done, we got two days to make it happen and we scored! From filming with the kite boarding crew of Extreme Kites to the rock-steady surf crew of Atlantic Beach and Jax, we've been getting the goods!

More to come...

Max