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The good thing about any kind of so-called retro-progressive
movement is the progressive part. Nostalgia for its own sake is a
dangerous thing -- especially in as young a sport as ours -- and can
render even the strongest surfer powerless, bitter and spewing from the
Lazy Boy rather than spit out of the tube. Fortunately, Surf Style -- a
collection of art, boards, artifacts and films that just opened in San
Francisco -- has just enough chaos to keep it fresh.
Opening night in July sees no less that three camera crews, a half
dozen photographers, a bunch of surf personalities including Matt
George, the Malloy brothers, Joe Curren, Andrew Kidman, Jim Banks,
Craig Peterson, Matt Warshaw, Bill Ogden, giggling half-drunk surf
groupies (a new species in San Francisco), city artsy types and local
Ocean Beach surfers all piled in together and drinking and smiling and
bubbling as they jostle for space in front of paintings and at the bar.
Local boy Tommy Guerrero lays down the music.
It's so crowded that moving from one end of the room to the other is
closer to paddling out at decent sized OB than some swanky and
sophisticated art show. Herbie Fletcher fairly runs the room and the TV
crews, too, leading them around popping off flashbulbs and trying to
grab one little ion of Herb's saltwatery charisma. "This is my quiver
from the '70s," he smiles, pointing out his boards as the tape runs,
completely unsentimental. Now's the time, man. Not then. Herbie shaped
and hand-painted a few longboards specifically for the show, and
they're proudly displayed facing super urban Second Street. And yeah,
just about everyone stares as they walk by, even this far from the
beach.
On the retro side of progressive, we've got classic prints from Art
Brewer, Drew Kampion, Alby Falzon, and Craig Peterson lining the walls.
Each image is a little window into the '70s, whether it's a Michael
Peterson cutback, a BK bottom turn at Sunset, or an empty wave spinning
off in Mainland Mexico. All naïve and hopeful and full of promise.
Contemporary photogs represented include JBrother, who's got some
stunning shots of Joel Tudor at Pipe; Patrick Trefz, whose golden
backlit wave photo caused every single dusk patroller to skip a beat;
Sean Davey, who's behind-the-tube underwater shots look stunning blown
up to print size, Andrew Kidman, whose moody wavescapes make you
realize how damn big the ocean really is, plus more.
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