OUT OF PLACE

Screening this Thursday in Coventry

Scott — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:34:06 +0000

We have a special outdoor screening at P.E.A.C.E. Park in Coventry, it’s right next to their library. Show starts around 8:15pm. There will be free stuff to give away and plenty of awesomeness to go around. Advanced ticket sales available at Phoenix Coffee locations. Only six dollars. And best of all….WE WILL HAVE SOME LIMITED COPIES OF THE DVD ON SALE. Woohoo. You gotta be there.

DVD Preview

Scott — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:39:30 +0000

Well fans, you can add DVD authoring to Kurt’s long list of mad skills. We’ve been keeping him pretty busy at his new place over in Brooklyn, New York. DIY is what he’s all about. While I’m fleeing the room in a tech-related panic, this is a kid who is constantly diving into a 1300 page Final Cut Pro manual and refuses to give up. Nice going Kurt. You’ll see the menu features pics by Jamie Yanak and Travis Roozee. Check the music, courtesy of Chris Sheehan and Scott Bennett.

Innovation in Miniature by The All Golden

Get ready.

Well the secret is kind of out…we are glad to report that we’ll be coming out on video in the next few weeks. You might wanna get that laserdisc player from off the curb. Dust off that vhs and ask Blockbuster and Hollywood Video not to close down just yet.

For us it’s another step toward the glitzy and glamorous world of self-distribution. So brace yourself for the upcoming torrent of shameless self promotion. If you know anyone of influence and acclaim, drop us an email at outofplacemovie@gmail.com and let us know, we can send out a media screener of the film.

And just a reminder, we are screening at the Third Coast Surfers Luau in New Buffalo, Michigan on Saturday. Clear blue water and white sand beaches. Great town, great surf shop and an amazing event year after year. Outdoor screening right at the shop, byob. You may recall a few years back, there were those Christian missionaries from SoCal who spent that one summer at an island in Northern Michigan….we gave them a beat down in the-most-grueling ultimate frisbee match ever.

Then next week you can catch us again with a special outdoor screening at P.E.A.C.E. Park right in the Coventry neighborhood of Cleveland Heights. The date is Thursday Aug. 26th and starts around 8:15pm. Pre sale tickets available at all Phoenix Coffee locations.

http://phoenixcoffee.com/node/161

Of course we want to thank Phoenix again for their support. It’s a great, pro-Cleveland company with a solid rep and an even brighter future. Stop in and ask about the Dawn Patrol blend. Try it iced.

Be well and stay tuned, we’ve got some exciting news coming up. I promise we’ll report back from Third Coast. Listen to some good new music and enjoy your summer.

They Get It. And They Dig It.

Kurt — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 01:10:29 +0000

The latest print issue of Eastern Surfing Magazine (available in EVERY SINGLE surf shop from Maine to the Miami) ran a review of the movie. It has yet to be found online, thus I would like to quote the last few lines of the review, written by Allison Artega, which in my mind, are some of the finest written words on the topic of lake surfing I have read.

“The surfers of Lake Erie are a family united by a love for the sport that is surpassed only by their love for each other. Some people call them crazy, but these surfers are just doing what makes them happy, and they have built an entire culture based on accepting and appreciating reality. So when you watch Out Of Place, you may not see the mind-blowing talent or beautiful waves of a typical surf movie, but you’ll get something better: a lifetime supply of positive energy.”

It’s a great treat to read a review like this, especially in a periodical like ESM, which I first discovered in 6th grade on a family camping trip to the Outer Banks. The same trip that I brought home a shark tooth necklace (I was improbably cool) and an obsession with surfing.

Let’s go surfing.

Friends doing good.

Kurt — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:08:41 +0000

I have noticed that many people associated with Out Of Place are creating incredible things. The following is a rundown of some of the awesomeness.

Gabe Schray is working on an album with his duo Qix (they played the CIFF OOP after party at Ben’s loft). I have listened to the song “Your Fate,” from the upcoming album, at least 200 times in the three weeks since it was posted online.
Your Fate by QIX by Actual Archives LLC

The Barn Owls sent me a folder full of unreleased demos that are crazy. A few tunes are on their Myspace and should be listened to. But in my view the most interesting of the new songs are the ones that Robby told me I can not leak in any way….As soon as I have the go ahead I will be posting links to the songs. Jason is taking his music to the limite and recording under the name Good Buddy. He does a cover of Chris Isaak that is spooky. And Robby is taking it to the limit EVERYDAY. I heard that he is on a rampage. Slamming the drums and shooting the best photographs of his life. BTW, I found out that his lawn crew set a new industry record by doing 45 lawns in one day (and lawns that were not close to one another).

Jamie Yanak has officially retired as a roofer and returned to his former profession. Look for his pictures on the front page of newspapers across the country. He is free and shooting like mad (rumor has it mostly on film) and has started publishing an excellent blog, The Sewer Pipe, documenting the Wagner Surf Club.

Our design man Trevor Marzella is spending his summer working for CIA. They were smart to get him on the staff this summer. Speaking of design. I learned more about who designed the Dawn Patrol Coffee artwork, Sean Higgins. He and a partner create some of the coolest posters I have ever seen under the name The Bubble Process. A great name. Reminds me of the bubble wands at the old COSI on Broad Street.

Further musing on independent surf film life:

Vince called me at 5:00 am EST a few weeks back to tell me that MARK CUNNINGHAM was at the screening in Honolulu and stuck around the Q & A to say that he liked the movie and that it beat the hell out of the surf flick he saw the night before. I first saw Mark body surfing in the T Moss Campbell flick Sprout. Mark Cunningham is a legend. Watch this awesome video with him on HI Shredability on VBS.TV. Pipeline sans board. Heavy. He really seems to radiate/embody aloha. Makes me miss the mosquito swarmed Yurt in the Maui jungle I lived in for a while.

Yesterday

I woke on the right side of the bed to this in my inbox:

“Just got to tell you guys, I saw the film tonight and have seen most of the other films shown so far during this years festival, and your film is the BEST one yet. Those guys really embody the true spirit of surfing without all the BS surf “culture” we experience here. Thought you would like to know also, most of the other films I’ve seen this year most people start leaving once the credits start rolling, and everyone in attendance stayed all the way through the credits for your film, and there was plenty applause at the end!! Great work, and give my props to all those guys if you get a chance for being TRUE surfers. It’s funny to say, but you never know where inspiration may come from, and a handful of surfers from Cleveland inspired us in Hawaii tonight!! - Jason”

That made me smile all day. Mahalo, Jason. Continuing with Hawaii related news, my girlfriend’s mother caught a matinee at the Doris Duke Theatre and she gave it two thumbs up. No small feat. She is a bit of a cinefile and gives no false praise. She said it was very funny, too. She liked Vince.

Scott received an email from Wingnut, yes Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, yes from Endless Summer II and every long boarding magazine ever printed. Scott thought it was a hoax perpetrated by one of the Wagners. It was classic. Forcing a follow up, “No, I am really Wingnut. I assure you.” He asked for a DVD. One was promptly sent.

I was pleasantly surprised to get a dvd request from a producer with Rough House Pictures, the incredible company founded by Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green that’s responsible for some of the best comedy anywhere. Kenny FUCKING Powers. The dude that requested the film is a surfer and said he has heard amazing things about the movie. WTF. Sweeeeeeeet streeeeet cred. Word spreads quick.

Remember to check out Whole Foods or Phoenix Coffee for DAWN PATROL. Please send photographic evidence if you spot it. And if you like it let us know.

That’s all for now.

-Kurt

P.S.

I seriously recommend the mango Mochi from Traders Joe, body surfing the shore break, snorkeling when the water is clear, watching season 1 of East Bound and Down, listening to Ariel Pink, grilling vegetables on the Weber, letting pizza dough rise over night for better texture and flavor, backing up your back up, wearing tech shorts, thinking about Tevas or maybe Chacos or maybe Birkenstocks, and lastly swimming at waterfalls.

Also, 3-D movies are hype, the colors are dim, and it is over priced. Toy Story 3 is good, but not as good as Up. I look forward to the Expendables. And the latest Black Keys album is excellent. Wonderfully produced. Lots to find in those songs.

Phoenix Coffee and Out Of Place present Dawn Patrol coffee

Kurt — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:09:55 +0000

Friday July 22, 2010 Dawn Patrol coffee will be available at Phoenix Coffee shops and Whole Foods.

Dawn Patrol is the coffee collaboration between Phoenix Coffee and Out Of Place.

During the Cleveland Film Festival I was reminded of how much coffee we drank at Bela Dubby while editing the movie. Bela Dubby was a short walk from Scott’s place and they served hot, freshly brewed coffee from Phoenix Coffee. On March 16, 2010, I posted a message on our Twitter:

“@west9thphoenix how about Phoenix be the official coffee bean sponsor of Out Of Place!? Tweet if interested….”

A few hours later I received a direct message from Lizzy Caston from Phoenix asking me what I had in mind. We began to throw ideas back and forth and the Dawn Patrol blend was created. Every surfer knows the routine. Waking at dawn, driving to the shore searching for waves. An integral part of that routine for me is brewing a pot of coffee and filling my thermos. There is something about drinking a cup of coffee at sunrise on the beach. I love the way everything looks. It is an incredible way to wake up, even if there are no waves.

I have had so much fun working with the people at Phoenix. Being a huge coffee nerd (my birthday present from my girlfriend was this) it has been an enlightening and exciting experience. Sarah Wilson-Jones, the owner of Phoenix, asked me and the OOP crew to come by the Phoenix roasting headquarters to talk coffee and figure out what Dawn Patrol was going to be. After partaking in a coffee cupping (sort of the equivalent of wine tasting) we nailed out the Dawn Patrol blend, a top secret mix of Costa Rican (home of amazing surf and coffee), Ethiopian, and New Guinea (also home of some of the worlds best coffee and mysto epic waves). The blend is incredible thanks to the highly developed palates of Sarah and Wes, the resident Phoenix Coffee-barista-wonder-boy-flavor-consultant (stay tuned for an interview with Wes about Dawn Patrol and Cleveland coffee).

We worked with Sean Higgins (www.thebubbleprocess.com), the Phoenix in-house designer on the label. The dude has chops. Check out the new Phoenix site he did graphics for. I couldn’t be happier with the label he designed.

Beginning tomorrow Dawn Patrol will be available in Phoenix coffee shops and Whole Foods. And on Saturday at our screening at Cedar Lee (@ noon) the coffee and OOP shirts and CD’s will be for sale.

Let me finish this up by saying that we are working with Trevor Marzella (I should saw we are “lucky to be working with Trevor Marzella“) on the DVD design. We are shooting for a mid-August release. Stay posted.

In the meantime, drink lots of coffee, surf naked, go see Out Of Place at the Cedar Lee!!! and watch the Mad Men premiere this Sunday July 25th. Thanks Lizzy, Jamie, Sarah, Wes, Chris, Nikki, Irene, and Sean for making Dawn Patrol awesome!

LIGHTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL RAP SHEET

Scott — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:43:16 +0000

Lighthouse International Film Festival Rap Sheet

That Piney has a heck of a nice truck

As all good stories are road stories, last weekend we found ourselves on the friendly confines of the barrier island just south of the place I used to call home. The beaches along this stretch are very beautiful. A nine hour drive with some of the best friends you could ask for made the trip well worth it.

If there’s one thing I miss about the Peoples Republic of New Jersey it is the people. This includes my great friends who managed to stay home and carve out some kind of meaningful life for themselves. One of these friends is Officer Christopher J. Ebert. While we sped around a veritable police state on Long Beach Island, Chris showed up just in time to buy the beers and generally encourage public indecency. He’s a good person to have around.

And of course there were new friends to share the experience. Like Honorary Festival juror and super director Julien Nitzberg. We met at the Friday “Sea of Darkness” screening (two thumbs up) and he quickly won me over with his knowledge of obscure Cleveland punk bands from the 1970’s. Julien tore up Tribeca with his critically acclaimed “Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.” You should definitely check it out. Unreal. I’ll always remember and appreciate his show of solidarity at the Awards by heckling the winning films on my behalf. Thanks Julien.

We got to meet ESPN surfing columnist and all around pro Jon Coen (Go Lacey Lions). He is one cool cat. Like me, his lovely wife is a Brick Township High School alum (Go Dragons). I just sent Jon a dvd screener so maybe we’ll get a nice review on ESPN in a few days. Or maybe we’ll get a really horrible review…who can tell. And really, is there any such thing as bad publicity?

Also spent some quality time with Long Beach Township’s own Don Myers. Don, a waterman in the truest sense of the word, has been the Lifesaving supervisor for over 40 years. When he talks surfing, you can close your eyes and picture it all in in vivid black and white. He had some very kind words for us, he said he was very moved by Out of Place. He definitely gets a star on our walk of fame (soon to be constructed, somewhere). Don’s first waves were at his family vacation house on the shores of Lake Ontario. Vince stopped by the lifeguard office where Don offered to give him free reign of the lifesaving boats and jet ski’s to check out. Suddenly, the Atlantic has become even more dangerous to swimmers.

It wouldn’t be a classic weekend without a MORGAN SIGHTING on Saturday. Morgan Rae Berk, please move to Ohio. We will set you up.

The screening itself went by fast. I sat in the front row near my Jersey buddy Jeff and that fourteen year old drunk named Chris From Huntington. There was a girl in the front row who seemed quite a bit enthralled. She was quickly scribbling notes almost the entire time. I didn’t get a chance to meet her. I was wondering if maybe she was a media guest or something.

And a very special thank you to the guy who bought the soundtrack.

Now I have to give some real props to the staff and volunteers at Lighthouse. These guys rule. To have a successful Festival you need selfless people behind you that believe in the cause. Check. This is a relatively young event at age two, but this thing is in good and capable hands. Thanks for making the 2010 Lighthouse International Film Festival one to remember.

No we didn’t see the Jersey Devil like I promised. And yeah, we were raided and half of us get tickets for public drinking at the campsite. Somehow fourteen year old Chris From Huntington gets off with a warning. By the way, Mike June of Philadelphia PA, your summons is in the mail. And yeah, I can still feel the moisture of Chris From Huntington’s horrible bird flu-like cough spraying me in the face while trying to sleep in the tent. Not easy to shake something like that. But the campsite was scenic and just about ideal. Stewarts Root Beer cures all.

The Piney’s next door were entertaining, and did indeed have a nice truck. Then Thomas Wilson shows up with Oysters and Mussels which quickly earns one idol status.

Before I ramble on and risk missing Action News at 11, I will echo Don Myers comments about Out of Place. “The best things to capture are the adventures you experience with your friends.” And this weekend was all about it. We revel in the shared experiences in life that are meaningful, fleeting or just plain ridiculous.

Of these I feel fortunate to find myself surrounded by the best.

*this batch of pics courtesy of jamie yanak

Love is (MADE IN THE 216) Weekend

Chris — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:54:09 +0000

A short note goes out to everyone within a day’s drive of Cleveland: We are taking over the 216 area code this weekend!

First over on the east side of town, Co-Directors Scott and Darrin will be helping open a month long gallery show. The show titled LAKE EFFECTS presents a collective body of work by regional photographers who have each reacted to Lake Erie in varying ways. Co-Director and WOSU videographer Darrin McDonald will show some of his work as well as creative trailer loops of Out of Place. The opening reception is tonight Friday, June 11th from 6-9pm.

If you miss this don’t fret, our movie will help close the show on Saturday, July, 24th by showing at the Cedar Lee Theater for a matinee viewing. Details at http://www.heightsarts.org.

AND TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT TONIGHT…URGENT NOTICE…ONE NIGHT ONLY…

Out of Place showing tonight with a special midnight viewing at the Capitol Theater on the corner of W. 65th and Detroit Ave on the Detroit Shoreway in Cleveland, Ohio. Our movie is included in the weekend long celebration of all things related to the 216 area code, Made In The 216 (WWW.madeinthe216.com).

Do you want to acquire OOP schwag? Here’s your chance. Tonight and tomorrow we will be selling soundtracks from the movie and t-shirts showing Cleveland love. We hope to see you there!

Looking back on Cleveland, ahead to NJ

Scott — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:06:57 +0000

Living in the past for just a moment longer, I want to mention how incredible it was to participate in this years Cleveland International Film Festival. I cannot begin to tell you what a rush it has been for us.

New opening night and overall attendance records.

Two invites for additional screenings.

Three sold out shows.

Really, the organizers and volunteers are absolutely dedicated to making this one of the preeminent festivals in North America. Thank you to all of our friends, new and old for making this event such a great and memorable experience. Even our post film Q & A is getting slightly less awkward. Special thanks to the girl who said our film was “like a love letter” to her home town.

Now onward.

This coming Saturday June 5th we are screening at the Lighthouse International Film Festival down in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Once again we will be fortunate to have so many friends and family in attendance. This is going to be a great trip back home to the Jersey Shore.

http://www.lighthousefilmfestival.org/guide/2010/06/surfing-out-of-place/

Cleveland International Film Festival

Scott — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:49:40 +0000

I’ll keep this short. I want to start by saying how excited we are to be showing Out of Place in front of the home crowd. Here are the dates and times:

All screenings at Tower City Cinemas

**Friday March 19 at 9:35 pm

**Sunday March 21 at 9:20 am

**Monday March 22 at 5:00 pm

You have to get your tickets plenty of time in advance, especially for the Friday showing. We are expecting sell out crowds. General public tickets ($12) go on sale 11:00 am on MARCH 5th.

PLEASE NOTE: If you get them in person at the Tower City Box Office you’ll avoid a $2 service charges on each ticket. If you buy at least ten tickets the price goes down to $8 each.

To buy tickets online visit www.clevelandfilm.org.

If the show is sold out, you can still have a shot at getting in. You’ll need to buy standby tickets, lineup an hour early and see if there is still space available come movie time. If you don’t get in your tickets will be refunded…then you’ll be forced to wait until we put the movie out on LaserDisc.

We’ll have the film soundtrack, shirts and posters for sale. They will be very cool, and as usual, a very small percentage of the proceeds will go to the Vince Labbe Foundation for Misguided Teens.

We welcome you, your family and friends to come out and experience Out of Place. We love having the opportunity to present our surfing culture at the Cleveland International Film Festival. For us the surfers and the pursuit of life on the water has been a tremendous source of inspiration. We hope you enjoy the movie.

Santa Barbara Report

Scott — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:47:06 +0000

Okay, so we got back from California a week ago. I was supposed to be blogging from Santa Barbara. Sorry. What can I say, we are slackers. But to tell you the truth, the trip was one of those experiences that required a few days to really figure out.

First of all Santa Barbara is absolutely beautiful. More than beautiful, it’s stunning. Plus everyone we met was absolutely great. It was a rush to be in a place where everyone has so much passion and dedication for their film festival.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget walking through the crowded streets and feeling a part of something special. That’s just the way it is there. I can totally see why the place is a magnet for the privileged and the elite, the artists and drifters. And the Hollywood crowd resides. There was Jeff Bridges, James Cameron, Sandra Bullock and Julia Roberts among others. It was a long way from Cleveland.

We were very lucky to have our good friend Kim there. She had been doing marketing at the festival for years. Thanks to her we got all kinds of inside information and were able to meet just about everyone in town. And according to those people all of the excitement was surrounding one film, 180 South. This is the Patagonia sponsored doc by the Malloy Brothers. The fact that a surfing film was getting so much attention really peaks volumes about the character of Santa Barbara.

After 180 South premiered Kurt managed to sneak into the afterparty. His covertness and stealth allowed the opportunity to talk up Out of Place with some of the biggest names in the surfing industry. Kurt got to hang with the Malloys, Jeff Johnson and even Yvon Chouinard from Patagonia. Everyone seemed really interested in our film, which to be honest was a good feeling.

Finally it was time for us to screen. We played to some good crowds and had some interesting Q & A after. Darrin spoke of Hypothermia and Tom was down right eloquent. It was nice to see Wendy, one of the volunteers I met earlier that day. She only had time to see one film, and she chose to hang with us. I also met an older woman who had screened in the festival 25 years before. You could tell that was an accomplishment that even today filled her with love and nostalgia.

There were more than a couple people from Ohio too. I love how people from Cleveland have been finding their way to our film. It’s so nice to hear from those who still have their heart in the city.

We made some good contacts with the media, and we gave in depth interviews to the best in town. The Santa Barbara Teen Press. It was so amazing hearing Todd getting all existential with a reporter who may have been twelve. At least he didn’t advocate illicit drug use for minors (Vince) or ramble like an idiot (me).

I have to really thank the sports category Director, Russ Spencer. This guy is incredible. Russ was premiering his own film, Hana Surf Girls, so it was a great week for him. Remember that title. Believe me, that is one movie that people everywhere are just going to love. Like everyone else, Russ was so cool to us. I’ll always remember him for his friendship and support.

There were many aspects of Santa Barbara that had me thinking about our premier at the New York Surf Film Festival. Now you can’t imagine two totally different places. Yet both amazing in their own right. Both experience were highlighted by being around friends, family and getting the chance to meet all kinds of nice people. As far as I’m concerned, both festivals were mind blowing in their own right. And speaking on New York, we had another fortunate meeting with the beautiful and talented Director of Women and the Waves, our friend Heather Hudson. She gave me a free dvd this time, so stay tuned for movie night at my house.

In all, we still have a lot to learn as artists if we want to make it in the film world. But we are absolutely lucky to have the continued support of our good friends. I vividly remember the sound of Todd’s voice (You were supposed to be in Alabama!) waking me up on Friday. It was classic. Getting to spend time with Tom, Darrin and Darrin’s sister DJ who provided some hilarious commentary to our failures…..watching my friends Matt and KevDog and my family playing Sorry in the living room….hearing the serious tone of Kurt’s voice as he talked about how hot Julia Roberts actually is in person….seeing Kim and Jalama and Roondog again….knowing that Vince and Todd got to surf some of the most scenic breaks in all of California….it all makes for an incredible experience that I’ll try and hold on to.

Anyway, I was glad to be able to spend a few days in the sun, searching out over the blue pacific. Just trying to live in the present, but all the while wondering what the future holds.

Scott

p.s. See evidence of Kurt and his clandestine sneaking here!

http://blogs.surfingmagazine.com/news/when-nature-calls/

Incredible new artwork

Kurt — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:59:35 +0000

We were approached by graphic artist Lizzy Lee wanting to use Out Of Place as the subject for a design assignment for a class she teaches at Cleveland Institute of Art . The results are great. I want to thank all the artists for their hard work and creativity. They were all great and a few really touch on the essence of the movie. Here is a sample of some of the posters.

We incorporated the blue and red poster into a postcard that is being printed in Santa Barbara as we speak. Thanks Lizzy. I definitely want to collaborate on the soundtrack and dvd design. Not to mention we need an official movie poster….I have some ideas. We need it to be iconic. Think of the DayGlo Endless Summer. Can we capture the spirit of our times, Cleveland, and surfing in a poster? Hell yes. Stay tuned for that…..In the meantime check out Lizz Lee’s design firm here (www.riniuvalee.com)

Official Selection: Santa Barbara

Scott — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:45:50 +0000

Outside there is melting ice out on Lake Erie. Just two weeks ago everyone in my neighborhood was shoveling snow and still reveling in Christmas. Today it’s the sounds of wind and rain. Maybe you live some place with better weather. From here you can travel north, south, east and west and you’ll eventually find it. On a personal note, I just realized the dried fruit mix I just ate had expired in 2007. I’ll keep you updated on what happens with that!

Anyhow, I must interrupt this malaise to bring on some really good news. You’ve read the heading so you know that we’re bringing the Lake Show to the welcoming shores of Santa Barbara. And I cannot think of a better town for our California premier. Gotta give some major props to former Cleveland surfer and current Santa Barbara resident Jalama Jim, his wife Kim and festival programmer Russ Spencer for all of their guidance on what is certain to be a great experience. We will keep you updated.

Oh yeah, check out this new article featuring Santa Barbara in Drift Magazine. There are some revealing insights on artistry and shaping, along with the beautiful iconic imagery which is characteristic of Drift.

http://driftsurfing.com/features/2009/concept_crafts/p1.html

More news on Santa Barbara to follow soon I promise…

An Interview with Marcos

Scott — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:16:43 +0000

Like a good number of surfers here in Cleveland, Marcos is from someplace else. He’s got some skills, one of those people with that in born familiarity with the water; the ability to always be in the best part of the wave. Recently I had the opportunity to talk with Marcos and get his perspective on his side of the surfing life.

SD: Hi Marcos. I just drove by Edgewater, the waves looked like J-Bay or Pipeline, but shrunk down to 4 inches. Okay, first question’s the toughest, What’s your full name?

Marcos: Marcos A. Vega Soto

SD: What was it like growing up in Puerto Rico

Marcos: Since I was a little boy I was interested by the sea. My first time when I tried to surf I was 12 years old. I only had a body board, it was really old. Just like everyone I started in a local beach, one short break located southeast of the island called the “Groomers Beach.”

SD: Was there a lot of competition for waves?

Marcos: Yes. But by the time I was 15 years old I earned a place among the best surfers, called “The Lords of The Beach.” It wasn`t easy, because I got troubles, fights, and discussions to win the respect of every surfer. I never went to a contest because I didn`t care about that stuff. I just wanted to surf and be the best. While time passed you could hear my name around the south and the southeast of the island. My nickname was ”The Dropknee Man” because that was my best maneuver.

SD: Awesome, The Dropknee Man, that’s so perfect. I’ve seen you in the curl more than anyone else! And now you’re here in Ohio. Were you surprised to find waves?

Marcos: Well I remembered that always my parents told me that there were waves here because they got here before me to Cleveland. But I never believed them. I said it had to be just in their imagination. But I remember it was in March 08`, when I went to jog in the Edgewater Park was my first time when I saw the whole lake. There were whitecaps and I said WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!

SD: Did you just go running into the water?

Marcos: I stopped breathing and my legs were trembling and my first thought was why didn`t I brought my surfing equipment wih me. After that I went running to K Mart to buy one bodyboard and a pair of fins. But I had a huge problem, I still needed a F#@king WETSUIT. So I had it to wait into May so I could go inside the water. Watching from the beach was something really depressing and frustrating. But in that time I started getting to know you guys and I started to learn about the insider stuff that I need so I can surf in Cleveland.

SD: What do you like most about surfing in Ohio?

Marcos: Definitely uncrowded beaches, sociable people, fresh water, and of course no sharks, jellyfishes, and stingrays.

SD: Speaking of sociable people, Vince thinks that since he can speak Italian he can just change some Italian words around and that you’ll be able to understand him. Can you?

Marcos: Well he is a very nice guy but really sometimes is so hard to understand him. My opinion is that he is a really good surfer, but no, I don’t know what he is saying.

SD: What do your friends back in PR think about the Great Lakes?

Marcos: The waves? Seriously they couldn`t believe it. But I sent them mail, photos, and some websites and they like it a lot but they think that`s something weird and not common.

SD: Yes. Weird and not common, a good title for a movie. So do you like it here in Cleveland?

Marcos: I have a year and nine months living here, but I got used to it. At the beginning it was depressing, I miss a lot of the tropical climate of Puerto Rico, my island. I HATE THE COLD.

SD: I almost forgot, how did you wind up here?

Marcos: I lost everything in Puerto Rico. I couldn’t find a job. Even my wife who has a good college degree couldn’t get work. I came to Cleveland to look for job and finish college, and my whole family moved here already. It was hard to leave a whole life and my friends in PR, but here I found a second opportunity and a lot of good people and friends. Like you guys, I appreciate a lot of your help and friendship. I hope that this is for a long time.

SD: Me too Marcos, it’s been really great seeing you in the lineup, and the waves have been the best I can remember.

Marcos: Thanks a lot for everything, you’re a good friend Scott.

Surf Naked: Ben Haehn

Kurt — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:47:49 +0000

There are certain people that are never the same after they surf for the first time. It is difficult to understand the magnitude of this statement unless you know someone or you yourself are one of those people forever altered by surfing. When Ben Haehn caught his first wave a switch was thrown in his brain. From that moment on water and the act of riding waves permeated his life. Waves started showing up in his paintings. He moved closer to his local break - about as close to Edgewater Beach as possible. He began accumulating surfboards and frequent flyer miles from surf trips. Ben is in Costa Rica right now. As I type, Ben is likely tired from a day of surfing warm waves, an Imperial in his hand and sand in his hair.

A previous trip to Costa Rica inspired Ben’s recent “Surf Naked” t-shirt design. Ben told me it was a dare. The shirts are custom dyed and silk screened. We sold quite a few at the fundraiser and will definitely carry them in our forthcoming online store. Shoot me an email or leave a comment if you want to get your hands on one. Arrangements will be made. In the meantime, more of Ben’s shirts can be seen/ordered at http://www.superelectric.cc/

Robby Took Some Beautiful Photographs

Kurt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:54:18 +0000

Our close friend and collaborator Robby Staebler visited Cleveland last month and brought along a few of his favorite cameras. The following photographs are the result of that trip. Here is a short interview I did with Robby about his work.

Me: Robby, what are you trying to achieve with your photography?

Robby: I want people to look at my photos and get the same weird feelings I do when I see them. If that happens then I am somehow connected to the viewers through my own past and become a bit of a time travel guide to my previous experiences for the audience. I don’t really stage my photos in the sense that most think of when they hear that word. I don’t have grand ideas of complex photographs, I simply choose to photograph people in situations where there are no extra distractions in the frame. Basically I avoid time signatures. I want people to not know when I took the photos. Timelessness is part of what I aim for.

Me: Why do you get “weird” feelings from looking at your photographs? Or I should ask, what are these weird feelings you get?

Robby: I wont say because the people who read this will think about what I defined instead of feeling it out. It would contaminate the specimen.

Me: Who/what are your influences, photographers and otherwise?

Robby: Consciousness is my main influence. Absorbing everything around me. I listen to a lot of Brian Eno when I’m working in the dark, sometimes it’s too heavy when it’s pitch black, it really puts me in a strange place. I think that physical and audible contact effects end results in a big way. I’ve had a lot of photographic influences, but over the years I have come to respect Sally Mann’s work the most. It makes me feel close to what’s important. I sound like a fucking robot.

Me: How has your approach to shooting evolved since we were roommates two years ago?

Robby: My approach is the same. I just shoot other formats now which slows me down . I’ve been shooting 4×5 and 8×10. The pace difference is pretty significant from using my Hasselblad. It’s good this way. I have been feeling like everything in my life is going warp speed, so using big cameras is helping to balance out my mental wildness.

Me: Thanks for the words and the wonderful pictures.

Go to Robby’s website designed by my bro (graystatic.com): www.robbystaebler.com

Sunday: what went down

Scott — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:54:43 +0000

Sunday was a day to remember. It all started with the Memorial Service for Magilla Schaus. There was no sadness in celebrating the life of a friend who gave so much to the surfing community. Then there was our night at the Beachland where we found ourselves surrounded by so many friends and family.

We at Out of Place cannot possibly say thanks enought to everyone for their contributions with the Fundraiser party. We couldn’t have done this without you. No way, no how. And it was so much fun. We got to hang out, meet some new friends and hear some excellent music by The Barn Owls and The All Golden. Once again we are so fortunate. Really, to have your support means so much to us!

Oh yeah, as karma would dictate, Andre LaCroix (Ohio State Waterproofing) who donated the amazing Cavs floor seats won the brand new board by No Na Nalu Surfboard Designs.

And special thanks to Vicky and everyone at the Beachland Ballroom…a first class venue all the way.

Finally, please check out our sponsors:

bela dubby beer/art/coffee, Voodoo Monkey Tattoo, Johnny’s, Superelctric Clothing, Rays Indoor Mountain Biking, Souper Market, Melt, The Happy Dog, West Side Market Cafe, Daystar Boutique, The Dreadful yawns, The Banyan Tree Gallery, Kimberly Monaco Designs, Green Smart Gifts, Shoparooni, Waterloo 7, Stone Mad, The Beach House Surf Shop NJ, Anthony Bourdain, Kevin “Snake” Stoeveken, Eye Candy Gallery, Johnny Mango, Ohio City Pasta, Side Show, West Side Skate, A Piece of Clevleand, Exit Stencil Records, Glenn Petranek, The Cleveland Cupcake Company, Fat Cats Restaurant, Jakprints, The Greenhouse Tavern, Zocalo, The Corner Alley, Sculptures by Rich Stack, Ladies of the Lake Calendar All Stars, The Collinwood Observer, The Lakewood Observer, Suey Surf Christmas Gifts, Ohio State Waterproofing and No Na Nalu Surfboard Designs.

Neal wearing the lei at Magilla's Memorial in ClevelandambianceTim Moran with Todd WilliamsThe Barn OwlsThe Beachland Ballroom

Cleveland SCENE article/my thoughts on this weekend

Kurt — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:36:56 +0000

The Cleveland Scene has written a great piece on the movie and this Sunday’s fundraiser at the Beachland Ballroom.

Check it HERE

It is especially cool to see our names and the movie written about in the Scene. I read it every week when I lived in Cleveland and I know Scott and Chris never miss an issue. It is our weekly update on Cleveland’s culture and I’m excited for the movie to become a part of the very culture they write about.

I have a strong feeling this weekend’s concert at the Beachland is going to be a special moment for us all. After all the hard work and support from the community it is time to celebrate and help take the movie as far as it can go. This Sunday will see just about everyone involved with the movie- the bands on the soundtrack, the surfers, the cinematographers, the friends that brought over beer when we were in the thick of it - coming together. Lots of catching up and good times to be had. The Barn Owls are playing!! and the All Golden. Not to mention, it will help get the movie onto screens across the country. The money we raise will help pay off the production costs and fund submissions for film festivals that will help get the movie seen by thousands of people. The festival circuit is an exciting way to share the movie with audiences all over and can lead to further distribution.

We submitted to Cleveland International Film Festival and have our fingers crossed. The entire time making the movie we had a premiere at the Cleveland fest in our minds. My experience at the festival last year - watching movies, meeting filmmakers that I look up to, and for the first time getting a taste of the filmmaker community was unforgettable. This year I want to be there as filmmaker showing a movie. If you know anyone at the festival be sure to mention the film. Anything can help!

I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday.

-Kurt

Photos of Chris McIntosh, Glenn Ditzenberger, and Edgewater surfers Courtesy of Robby Staebler (1/2 The Barn Owls)

In Memory of Magilla Schaus

Scott — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:27:28 +0000

Magilla Schaus, an incredible character and THE supporter of all things Great Lakes lost his battle with cancer yesterday. His hard work and dedication to the surfing life touched all who knew him. There is no one word to describe the guy, he could be funny, serious, confounding, determined, zany, loyal, optimistic and brave.

When Edgewater Park in Cleveland was in danger of a misguided, wave killing breakwall plan it was Magilla who drove all the way from his home in Buffalo to stand with us.

That’s was him. For me, the one word that best describes him is “giving.”

Here is the last email I ever got from him:

From: magschaus@aol.com
Subject: Re: Scott Ditzenberger’s Out of Place movie news
To: scottditzen@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, August 20, 2009, 7:46 AM

Scott,

Sorry to hear you’re still looking for work. What is your address in the big apple? I will send you a few bucks to tide you over.

Magilla Schaus

OUT OF PLACE Benefit party

Kurt — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:18:43 +0000

This is going to be a great time. Good people, beer, food, music, prizes, and clips from the movie! All to support Out Of Place.
Where: The Beachland Ballroom
When: Sunday, November 15th. 5-10 PM
Featuring live music by THE BARN OWLS and THE ALL GOLDEN

Neal Luoma talks about iconic photograph of Neal Luoma

Kurt — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:48:54 +0000

When we were interviewing Neal Luoma for the movie he shared his collection of surf related artifacts with us. He has collected some incredible things. He has an original Tom Blake life saving board (!), letters from legendary board shapers, issues of old surf club newsletters, classic posters from Surfer Magazine, letterhead from his original board label Oscar Harris, super-8 footage of his surfing exploits. He also has photo albums thick with pictures documenting life on Lake Erie. Quite a few of them standout, further testament that Neal is a talented artist, whether the medium be photography, sculpture, painting, or whatever he directs his effort toward.

I asked Neal to tell me about this black and white shot, which is one of my favorites.

This is what he had to say:

The photo was taken by my surfing buddy Gene Nieminen. If I get this right I think it was in early November of 1970, or maybe 1971. I went in with a shorty wetsuit and a bathing cap to try to keep my head warm. Lack of wetsuits around back then. I got the shorty wetsuit from a Top Value catalog. What you did back then was save up all your Top Value stamps and paste or lick them and stick them in a savings books . Then save up several books of them and cash them in at a rewards store. Those stamps you would receive after making a purchase of gasoline or groceries at different stores that gave out Top Value Stamps. The wetsuit was a design for more like scuba diving as it had metal twist pins that hold up the beavertail to the front side of your hips. It was a flap that you pulled up between your legs and snapped on. But it was all we had back then here in the Great Lakes area.

Back then the beach was pretty rocky and and you had to walk carefully over it as we didn’t have watershoes available to us then. It was a session of not too big surf probably around occasional choppy 3 footers, but we did have excellent sandbars back then to make the waves break nice off shore. This was at the campground’s beach , what we now call Surfer’s Point. After freezing my ass off in these cold conditions I headed up to the sauna for a hot 180 degree steam-bath to counteract the cold hypothermia I was feeling.

The surfboard was a Bahane, 7 foot 6 inch round tail with one fin , which was removable. So that’s about all I can remember hope you can use that info somehow.

Out Of Place interview with Drift Surfing Magazine

Kurt — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:37:59 +0000

I had the pleasure of doing an interview with the boys from Drift Surfing, a thoughtful magazine headquartered in Portland, Maine. Scott and I met the editor Joe Conway at the film festival last month and had a great time hanging with him. Drift Surfing has some of the best web design I’ve ever seen. I recommend checking it out. Great stories and photography. RSS that feed in your Google Reader. By the way, you should follow our RSS too.

Click Here for the Interview

Photos: Vince Labbe in frozen wetsuit and Ben Haehn freezing on the beach post surf

An Out Of Place review

Kurt — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:42:31 +0000

Morgan from the NYSFF sent me an email linking to this review of the movie. Reading it made my day. I am still not over the fact that people like the movie and are even driven to share it with others, to write about it. I can’t wait to share it with others.

An interview I did with Drift Surfing will be published shortly.

We have secured the date for the fundraiser in Cleveland: November 15th, 5:00 pm, at The Beachland Ballroom.
Mark your calendars. I am putting together the soundtrack. We have 28 songs. Do I see a double disc in the future?

CLICK HERE TO READ NYSFF OUT OF PLACE REVIEW AT WB SURF

Jason Staebler of the Barn Owls: Slide Guitar

Kurt — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:26:26 +0000

“J bones on slide”
Uploaded by PiersonVincent.

This is a video of Jason I threw together last year.

Scott is working hard on the fundraiser for the film. We have bills to pay and are always coming up with new ones (film festival submission fees add up). Please contact us if you have any ideas of raising money, goods to donate for prizes or for sale. We are getting a lot of great items - photographs, shirts, artwork, maybe a No Na Nalu board! - and The Barn Owl’s are confirmed for the fundraiser. We still haven’t nailed the location or date, but will have it soon. Stay tuned. And Enjoy Jason’s guitar.

Fall mentality

Scott — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:01:44 +0000

While I’m watching my Chargers lose to the Super Bowl bound Denver Broncos I’ll take a moment to catch you clones up to what’s going on here in the CLE.

WAVES. That’s what’s going on.

The north east winds have made for some classic conditions on our great lake these past few days. The usual spots offered up just about everything from manic overhead to long rights and quick, punchy lefts that came in ocean like super clean sets of three.  It was cool to see Devin visiting from Arizona and back in the lineup. And I’ve been loaning an extra board to my guy Andre from Jersey. In return Andre’s been showing up at my place with some quality beers…it’s a good arrangement.

On the movie front we are pitching a feature article to our good friends at The Surfers Journal. Retro styling photo-genius Robby Staebler met us at the beach and at Ben’s Superelectric gallery for some portraits. Then on Saturday I took the opportunity to ransack Jamie Yanak’s amazing film slide archives. Needless to say TSJ is going to get some epic pics. Look for these sultry glamour shots of Todd, Mikey, Neal and more of your favorites very soon.

Kurt has entered us into all kinds of cool film festivals all over the world, and we are looking forward to taking our underdog project (and out killer soundtrack) to the viewing public.

Also, we are waiting for the final green light on a fundraising party at the legendary Beachland Ballroom on Sunday evening, November 15th. The Barn Owls will be there playing live. We are chasing sponsors and donations for the occasion. More on that to come….stay tuned.

Finally, once again thanks to everyone for your well wishes on our success in New York. Your kind words mean the world to us. Check this link http://www.vimeo.com/7034110 and you’ll see why we’ll be hitting up the NY Surf Film Festival next year as well. Feel free to pay particular attention at 3:51 where Kurt rushes the stage.

The Barn Owls

Kurt — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:05:24 +0000

The Barn Owls are from Columbus, Ohio. They are brothers Robby Staebler on drums/good vibrations and Jason Staebler on guitar, bass, and loops. They wrote the majority of the film’s score. I honestly don’t know what Out Of Place would be like without the Barn Owl’s. It would definitely be drastically different and I am pretty sure not nearly as good. We owe them big time. Robby and Jason are two of the best people around. They exude good energy and their presence is always appreciated.
I was lucky enough to share a house on the north side of Ohio State campus with Robby while editing Out Of Place. It was a great time. The Barn Owl’s used to have practice every week and Jason often slept over. I remember once when Jason and Robby had a sleep over with both of them in sleeping bags on the floor laying side by side. They kept each other up for hours making faces and strange noises. Making each other laugh in a way only brothers can. Their music is the same way. In sync and connected. The music can move in seemingly random directions, but always together.

The Barn Owl’s Myspace

The Barn Owls - Gizzard Wizard:

Download audio file (gizzard-wizard.mp3)

New York Surf Film Festival: We are the Viewers Choice for Best Movie of 2009

Kurt — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:04:55 +0000

It was two weeks ago when we premiered Out Of Place at the New York Surf Film Festival and pulled off the honor of winning the Viewers Choice for Best Movie. I am still settling down from the entire experience.   It was pure bonkers. Here goes my attempt to adequately cover the weekend.

Vince Labbe, the star of OOP, arrived at my apartment on Thursday with Chris Mcintosh, PR guru, his girl Nikki, and Kev Dog, our good dude. It was great seeing some of the Cleveland crew that I befriended during the film’s production in NYC for its premiere. We spent Thursday plastering posters all over town. It was a lot of fun and great to see the poster in the wild. It began to set in that we were about to show the movie for the first time. That night Vince, Irene, and I went to the rooftop BBQ for filmmakers in Brooklyn where we enjoyed the view of Manhattan, mingled with lots of cool people, and ran into Ted Endo, a writer covering the festival for the New York Times. Ted happened to grow up a block away from me in Columbus, Ohio. I hadn’t seen him since high school. Pretty far out. We met Tyler Breur, a co-founder of the festival. He’s one of those rare people that make you feel good just by being around them. This dude is pure aloha. As I understand it, Tyler and Morgan Burke were the ones who first started talking about putting on a surf film festival. Once they got Michael Machemer and Adam R in the mix, the New York Surf Film Festival was born.

Friday was the first day of the festival. Vince and I showed up at the Tribeca Cinemas ready to glad hand and talk story at the press meet and greet. The cinema is beautiful and has a serious bar with a loft where various DJ’s spun music all weekend.   Vince and I ate way too many Kind Bars and drank too much Vita Coco water (both official sponsors and in moderation, healthy and delicious). We were a bit shy in the beginning, but got over that pretty quickly and met just about everyone in attendance. I met Joe from Drift Magazine. Turns out I have been following Joe’s blog, the Pine Cone Haven, for a while and talked about it without knowing it was his. I love when stuff like that happens. Needless to say we are going to be doing an Out Of Place screening in Portland. Very good people. We checked out the excellent Last Hope, directed by Aussie Andrew Kidman who played with his band adding a live soundtrack. Richard Kenvin’s section of the film about the conversion of Wind an Sea’s parking lot, a nexus of california surfing history, into a yuppie dog park was my favorite.

Saturday was spent hanging out at the cinemas meeting more people and checking out movies. We watched Whitewash and had a great time with the filmmakers Ted and Arrion. The film is about the history of blacks in surfing. It is an interesting look into the reasons why you do not come across many black surfers in the lineup. Arrion, the producer is a Cleveland native. At the bar I overheard a woman saying she especially enjoyed previewing Out Of Place. I introduced myself and she turned out to be none other than Cynthia Rowley, an incredible fashion designer and Michigan native. Saturday was great because Scott arrived in NYC with his wife Jen, father Glenn, Tom Heinrich, and Darrin Mcdonald. Open bar. Enough said.

Sunday was the big day. Scott and I were full of nervous energy. I don’t think he ate a thing all day. This was the moment we had been working for years to get to. Now what? We couldn’t do anything. The film was finished and loaded to project. The movie played to a crowded theatre. And it worked. It actually played without a hitch and it was great. People laughed. People hooted. It was a dream come true to be sharing my work with family, friends, and strangers. I think I held Irene’s hand the entire movie, tightly. Tense until the movie’s credits finished scrolling across the screen. It was perfect. That night at the awards ceremony/party we won the award. The room went crazy. We have fans! I moved to NYC this past summer and to win the award here means a lot. It is a great welcome to my new home and to the local scene. The viewer’s choice. Every time I think about it I smile. People enjoyed the movie!

The New York Surf Film Festival is the product of hard work by passionate people. It was the perfect place to show Out Of Place for the first time. We are lucky to have been a part of it.

What’s next? We are trying to figure that out. We want as many people to see the movie as possible. We are currently submitting to festivals all over and setting up screenings. Also, beginning early talks with distributors. Let us know if you want to help.

Photos from Morgan Rae Berk’s Facebook courtesy of Jake McBride

Looking ahead to Sunday

Scott — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:55:16 +0000

I can’t believe it, we’re just a few days from the premier and I wanted to take a second to reflect on how this film has been such a collaboration among so many. And I guess the first thing that comes to mind is how fortunate I’ve been. I’ve been fortunate to meet Tom and Darrin and their passion for kicking off this project. Fortunate for Jen and her support, Chris and his insight, my dad, Roger, Korey, Elephant Post, and such great friends, family and so many others for all their help. You are all so generous and amazing.

I want to say thanks again to Vince and the others for being such good sports about filming. They let us follow them around for years and years with the supreme annoyance of our schedules, cameras and microphones.

Next I have to acknowledge the incredible series of fortunate coincidences like, for example, how Kurt got back from Hawaii exactly when we needed an editor to sort through our 170 hours of footage. You will see that Kurt put his own creative vision into Out of Place and an incredible amount of dedication as well. I am extremely proud of how he seamlessly brought together the spirit of the culture within the unique imagery of the city. We simply would not be here right now without him.

Finally, I have to mention Chris Sheehan (Celebrity Pilots/The All Golden), Colin Wilson, Gabe Shray, Neil Turk, Ben Gmetro (Dreadful Yawns), This Moment in Black History, Exit Stencil Records, Phil Klygo of weewerk, Tony Dekker (Great Lake Swimmers), and last but not least, Robby and Jason Staebler of our “house band” The Barn Owls. The soundtrack for Out of Place has been getting amazing reviews. It has been a real honor to work with these artists, the music has been a great source of inspiration from the beginning.

Thanks to everyone, we are so excited for the premier at The New York Surf Film Festival,  Tribeca Cinemas on Sunday. And this is just the beginning.

WORLD PREMIERE AT NEW YORK SURF FILM FESTIVAL

Kurt — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:38:25 +0000

We are honored to be premiering Out Of Place at the New York Surf Film Festival at the Tribeca Cinemas on September 27 at 4:25 PM. We are so excited. Get your tickets at www.nysurffilm.com or www.NewYorkSurf.com.

New York on 74 cents a day

Scott — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:06:55 +0000

Scott here. On a personal note I am out in New Jersey, looking for some temporary legal work. It’s easy to work out of state when you can impose on your friends. Right now I’m on a bus where the driver is ecstatic about taking us into the city via the Lincoln

Tunnel. This guy loves his job. Right now he’s actually going on about the sociological reasons of why credit card debt adds up so easily. Later I am meeting up with Kurt to go over some last minute film details. More on that coming soon. Right now I’ve got to pay attention to what the driver is saying.

Clip

Out Of Place — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:26:24 +0000

Short clip from the movie. Music by Gabe Schray.

Clip

Kurt — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:15:59 +0000

Here is a short clip from the movie. Music by Gabe Schray. We are in San Diego for the week. Catchin’ some rays.

The Dreadful Yawns

Kurt — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:43:16 +0000

The Dreadful Yawns are awesome. They come from Cleveland, Ohio.

On ExitStencil Records

On Myspace

The Dreadful Yawns - You’ve Been Recorded

Download audio file (01-youve-been-recorded.mp3)

The Dreadful Yawns - End Of Summer

Download audio file (09-end-of-summer.mp3)

Music Courtesy of ExitStencil Records

Gabe Schray

Kurt — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:07:12 +0000

Gabe Schray is from Akron, Ohio. He plays many instruments. His musical creations range from dub, smart pop, ambient, indie, nintendo.

Gabe’s Site: Actual Archives

Gabe’s Myspace

Gabe Schray - Submerged Dub With Trouble Books

Download audio file (06-submerged-dub-with-trouble-books.mp3)

bird town

Scott — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:25:10 +0000

As much as I would love to pretend that our lives completely revolve around surfing (see Kurt’s frozen lake pics) I cannot ignore the reality that life is, for the most part, simply made up of small, mundane everyday experiences. Hopefully in the end, when they’re all strung together, you might be left with something meaningful. Yesterday, cold and mundane, was one day I’ll remember.

Jen sent me to the store which, personally, is never easy for me. My mission, to buy instant pancake mix, a required ingredient for a science project for her students. Also, find original green Gatorade, a required ingredient for hydration. I was busy with work so I hit up the closest place, the local neighborhood supermarket. If you live in a city, or even a small town, you know this place. The type of place that sure, it has groceries, but it hasn’t been renovated since 1967. Kind of a weird smell going on, faded, dull accent colors under old fluorescent lights. Half are broken. It’s shab-tastic.

Admittedly, I usually go to the high end market in the next town over. So it was a reality check waiting in a line behind four people, three of which were holding food stamps. That is just the nature of my neighborhood. But the cool thing about this place is that it’s a holdover to when this district, Birdtown, was a thriving factory town full of immigrants from Eastern Europe. They still sell 9 different varieties of Hungarian beer, but not original Gatorade. I struck out there. And no, Jen will not have the zany new Gatorade flavors like Vortex Blue, Phantom Orange or Velocity Red. She’s old school.

On line I immediately recognized the check out girl. It was Claire, my next door neighbor, and she gave a quick smile. A single mom, she had just moved back from a year in San Diego. She and her son were staying with friends, living by the beach. Then she ran out of money. The guy at checkout was giving her a hard time, but not to be mean. More of a friendly, persistent pain in the ass kind of way that for some guys passes for flirting. He looked like a rough character. The back of his shirt said he was a mover, but he probably got it at Goodwill.

This was the slowest line ever. The other cashier, a nice Indian girl who helped me find the pancake mix was nowhere to be found. For the record, you’ll find it in baking, not in the breakfast aisle. Then I watched a tall, skinny guy with a sad, broken down expression slink through the front door that stayed open too long. In came the wind. This sent an arctic shock right through the store. For a moment Claire just froze at the register, she stopped typing, closed her eyes and cursed under her breath. I laughed and told her you’re a long way from San Diego.

Turns out the tall guy was setting up a display to sell Cleveland’s seminal newspaper, The Plain Dealer. Believe me, the death of the print media was written all over this skinny guys face. But now I was paying attention to the old woman in front of me. She was no younger than 70, wearing a gypsy? looking headwrap. She turned with a kind smile while making a prominent display of grabbing and slapping down the, whatever you call it, the plastic bar that separates your items from someone elses. There would be no mistake of her paying for my pancake mix.

The gypsy also needed a money order but Claire was having trouble getting through the heavy accent. This brought about the sudden reappearance of the Indian girl, who was teaming up with Claire to decipher the actual price of the money order. Thuh Tee Foh Wunn, over and over, she said while using her hands to accent each syllable. I helped out too, and soon enough we had it. Same page. Money order for $13.41. The old woman smiled at us and scurried off. I told Claire no plastic bag, please.

I was headed over to the beer store down the street. I know for a fact they have original Gatorade, but only in small plastic! bottles. The trendy multipierced clerk there was always talking up San Diego. I typically go in wearing my #21 Chargers jersey on Sundays and he can’t stop talking about how much he knows about the place, the beaches, the clubs, everything. No bag, please. I said hey, I’ve gotta ask, if you are from San Diego, what are you doing here? He answered, suprisingly, that he’s never lived outside of Cleveland. But he has always loved the idea of heading out west to San Diego, especially now, as business here has not been too great. Someday, he said, he’s going to leave here for good.

It’s already March. Soon it will get warmer and the ice will melt. On those days when a good spring wind comes across the lake it will be easy to tune out lost jobs, politics and the economy. For a short time there won’t be anything on our minds but the waves. And once again, Cleveland, Ohio, it will be like water in the desert.

Scott

Brain Freeze: Edgewater Park at Sunset

Kurt — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:40:52 +0000

“Sometimes all I have to look forward to is a cold day at the beach.” - Vince Labbe

I took Ichabod to Edgewater Park yesterday at sunset. Cleveland sat below a line of hanging clouds. There were a few kids playing on the ice mounds. And there was me and my dog. I lasted about 20 minutes before I got angry and ran back to the car. The cold was actually painful. Check Flickr for more.

Big bags of free bagels: an update on the film

Chris — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:09:49 +0000

The finish line, we can see it, but we’re not quite there yet. It’s been a long time coming, more than seven years in fact. We would have never made it this far without the help and support of so many talented friends and family. We have been fortunate to say the least, but there is much work ahead.

Most days Scott, the producer/director, is uploading footage, tweaking scripts, coordinating interviews and getting everything to flow towards the end product. This is all in addition to working his 9-5 legal job and showering twice a week.

Most days Kurt, the editor, is manipulating scenes, placing queues in Final Cut Pro, walking his dog, corresponding with the webmaster and getting the film to flow like a babbling brook towards the river mouth.

In other words, they are working hard at working hard. The end is nigh, the light is viewable, the fat lady FAT (Jim Rome reference) is warming up.

So our spirits were lifted when not one, but two very powerful tv media outlets and a renowned photojournalist (not named Jamie) contacted us with interest in this project that we have been calling our life recently. More on all of that media excitement coming soon.

For now, we want to thank our unofficial, unnamed sponsor for their second massive contribution of bagels (take that, dumpster). We also want to thank Lake Erie Monsters Hockey, Graystatic.com, the Manitoba Moose, LOST, Carlos Jones, brita filters, Google Reader, Rvin, Tony Rizzo and of course, Roger Vincent for the amazing Cavs tickets.

Winter musings.

Kurt — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:39:46 +0000

Gazing at an endless field of snow and ice is strangely calming. When Lake Erie freezes over a stillness spreads over Cleveland. The silence is haunting. Walking on the ice to where you were surfing just a few weeks ago is otherworldly. Robby Staebler shot these pictures this winter.

The Out of Place Beer Blog Part III.

Chris — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:43:27 +0000

The “holidays.” The term conjures up good tidings and conversely, stress, depending on your perspective. We here at the OOP headquarters view the term as a pause in our seasonal regiment of surfing, drinking, bowling, movie nights and other “indoor” activities. This time of year allows for surfers to reflect on the season past, looking forward to the springtime and reconnecting with friends and family.

A pause was taken this season to catch up with local surfer, skater, and brewer Gennaro Barilaro at his place of employment. We wanted to wish him “Good Tidings” and collect his thoughts on the local scene and naturally, his place in it. Oh yeah, his job, is brewer at Great Lakes Brewing Company. Yep, that’s right, home to the infamous Christmas Ale.

Kurt Vincent, editor and resident Reds fan and I hooked up with Gennaro and his co-worker Jason to discuss the finer points of local brews, local breaks and sustainability this past holiday time.

The following video and snapshots will give you, esteemed reader, an inside scoop into the inner workings of the best brewery in the region as told by Gennaro Barilaro on December 17th, 2008.

Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Trailer #1

Kurt — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:36:14 +0000

Trailer #2

Out Of Place — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:36:22 +0000

Great Lake Swimmers

Scott — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:17:55 +0000

Out of Place features tunes from the band Great Lake Swimmers.

Sound clips coming soon.

by Robby Staebler

Out Of Place — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:55:57 +0000

Our friend Robby Staebler has photographed a bunch of us. He has great skill.

You can see more of Robby’s

work at his flickr page.

This Moment In Black History

Kurt — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:36:22 +0000

This Moment In Black History plays punk rock. Very well.

Myspace

This Moment In Black History - About Last Night

Download audio file (13-about-last-night.mp3)
Courtesy ExitStencil Records

Finishing Out Of Place

Kurt — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 03:04:54 +0000

My first weekend living at Scott’s place was a good one. I am officially in Cleveland to finish the film. Travis Roozee, a photographer who has done all sorts of cool stuff (check his work for Swindle magazine) came in town to meet some people and snap some shots. Great dude to hang out with. We were at Ben Haehn’s gigantic loft last night. He lives in a former American Greetings factory a short walk from Edgewater Beach.

Meet How B

Kurt — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:48:55 +0000

How B. headed off to Arizona for work. Contrary to the advice of the locals, he drove out to the desert at night, alone. Depending on where you are, Wikipedia says the number of stars visible to the naked eye tops out around five thousand. Lying there on the hood of his car and contemplating the vast spectacle of stars and satellites, How said the night sky was a revelation. He was able to regain his perspective just by taking some time to look up.

When How returned to Cleveland we killed a few hours in my living room with Vince, catching him up on the waves he missed. How talked about the duality of life, and that he was trying hard to keep things positive when things in his world were constantly changing. In many ways, surfing is about taking refuge in the water, and the sense of renewal it gives. It really helps to slow things down a bit. For How, the water gives him the chance to surround himself with the spirit of those he loves. His dedication to family is inspiring.

For us, he is someone worth listening to, a person who knows something about the true spirit of surfing. A native Hawaiian who grew up on North Shore, he was taught by the legend Rabbit Kekai. He grew into our small culture and rediscovered his love for the water here in the waves of shallow Lake Erie. He said, “There’s a welcoming surfing community here, it’s a family in a wider sense with a deep dedication. It always reminds me of Hawaii.” How is a guy who proudly wears his heart on his sleeve, a great friend that you always want to see out in the lineup. I Hope to see How again soon.

The Out of Place (Seasonal) Beer Blog, Part II.

Scott — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:06:36 +0000

The air of change covers everything today. “To everything, turn…turn…turn…there is a season, turn…turn…turn…”

Falltime in Ohio has been pretty amazing. There is a forecasted high of 70 degrees for today! October has come and gone with some surf, some vivid colors and some excellent beers. Our country has elected a new president in an historic election several hours ago. And above all, Great Lakes Brewing Company has released its Christmas Ale

Before we explore the wonders of Xmas Ale, we thought a proper wrap up of the fall time and Octoberfest beers was in order.

The Great Lakes Brewing Company brews a perfect Oktoberfest every year starting in early fall. Their website provides a little history for you:

“Oktoberfest is Vienna’s stronger brother. Gabriel Sedlmayr adapted the Vienna style for brewing in Munich. Because refrigeration had not yet been invented, March was traditionally the last month in which lagers were brewed. Sedlmayr’s beer was made in March to last until September and was served in autumn amidst traditional celebrations.”

Just as the glow of summer has ended and the colors of fall rise up, so does this beer. The deep, amber hue makes you think of fall and turning leaves. The first sip is crisp, yet creamy, just like a brisk, yet sunny September afternoon. Alcohol content is fairly low, around 6.5%, yet just enough to make you want another bite of that Kielbasa sandwich. As with many GLBC or microbrews, a draught pint is immensely more tasty than a bottle. Draft Oktoberfest comes off smooth, creamy, rich even. A friend told me “The flavor never ends, man. This lager has no end to it. I could drink it all night long.” I think he did too.

Other microbreweries seem to make their Oktoberfests more bitey and crisp. I prefer the smoother style. There were not as many surf sessions in which to share this lager this fall due to a broken foot healing up. Guess we will have late fall and the holidays to make up for it.
If you can still find an Oktoberfest in your local beer aisle this week, get it. The weather and this beer will be perfect compliments, just as a cult leader and his “wives” are perfect compliments to each other. Share one of these lagers with a friend. Tell them I command it!

Johnny Versus the Lake

Scott — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:43:39 +0000

Last week I was drinking some beers with my dad. It was a great day to be alive in Lakewood, Ohio. He had just gotten back from a medical center in Westlake and I am assuming his physician told him to get drunk immediately. So I’m sipping a very nice local ale when the phone rings. It’s Johnny Santosuossa. And I figure he’s calling because Kurt and I just filmed a segment where he works, and he wants to make sure we make him look alright. After all, dozens of people will be seeing this movie.

Or, he could just be calling because he puts in way too many hours a week at his restaurant and he is just plain sick. He probably wants to vent or something. Actually filming him at the restaurant was a point of contention at first. He was not down with the idea of being seen at work while he was feeling so negative about it. He’s been missing out on a lot of waves this past year and he didn’t want to be remembered at the place that was stealing his life from him. But he assured me that this was going to change.

Johnny was amped. Over excited. Aggro. He called to put me on notice that he was back. He said “Ya know Scotty there’s this photo contest in TransWorld Mag. F- this stupid lake…I’m going to pull off some kind of sick maneuver on a wave that’s amazing…it’s gonna put your movie on the map. People will see that pic and when they find out it’s in Ohio they’ll be floored!”
He really said that.
Oh kay….

Now I can assure you, if this was anyone else saying this I’d be cracking up. But this is Johnny Santosuossa, and I didn’t mention that he is by far the best surfer I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I mean it, he’s a freak of nature. A Florida native who can do ridiculous things in the water, even on our smallish waves he can just rip things up. And now he is coming after the lake with a vengeance.

I mean it, he was actually sounding pissed off. He was going to take on the lake.

I promised him somebody would be there to capture whatever it was he was talking about. Either me, Kurt, Jamie, the Coast Guard or whoever would follow him and help win this contest that I’d never heard of. Sure it’s crazy, but lets look at this closely.

The lake is 10,000 years old. Johnny is in his 30’s. The lake is known to be cold, abusive, moody and prone to sudden violence. Johnny is a nice guy who sometimes hates his restaurant. Lake Erie has thousands of shipwrecks on the record. Johnny sometimes listens to records. The lake is 1.277 x 10^24 gallons. Johnny is a maybe 165 soak and wet. Erie is a Native American word. Santosuossa is Native Italian and difficult to spell. But i digress.

Here’s the main thing, Johnny has earned some major league street cred living in Hawaii and surfing some real big waves. In fact, I’ll bet that he’s surfed waves far bigger than anything our shallow Lake Erie is even mathematically capable of dishing out.

Now you won’t catch me bad mouthing the lake. The lake can, has and will again slap me around pretty hard. I’m afraid of it, and I don’t want any part of its cold and choppy revenge. Stay tuned. Johnny is aiming to take on the lake this winter, and I don’t know about you, but my money is on Johnny.

The Out of Place Beer Blog, Part I.

Scott — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:15:23 +0000

The Out of Place Movie crew spends many hours peering over countless hours of raw footage for the movie. Their eyes get tired and their throats are easily parched. Another setting where quality hydration calls is the post-sesh parking lot or driveway or living room or local music venue. Each of these settings call for a quality adult beverage, preferably with a little kick and above all great taste.

So we thought, “Hey, let’s actually let people know what we are drinking. Maybe a local brewer not to be named (GLBC) will catch on and be THE BREWER to Out of Place.” Anyways, what follows is the first installment in a series about the drinks we enjoy with the hope that you will search them out and enjoy them too! I will be posting reviews of the the beers I am enjoying every week.

This is the first time I have tried the high-quality IPA coming from the Chico, CA brewer. As with any IPA, the dry, hoppy taste is primary. It has a fairly high alcohol content of 8.6%, but is so subtle in strength you may not notice until it’s too late. The beer has a nice orange to amber color and is incredibly creamy for an IPA.

In two words, LOVE IT. BUY IT. DRINK IT.

I suggest you crack it open then let it sit for five minutes. This beer tastes so different and much better after warming up a bit. Drinking it chilled will mask lots of the good caramel and hoppiness. Above all, this IPA is so creamy and rich, you’d swear it was brewed to be an anniversary-type ale. Search one out today, yet do be careful. The alcohol content can sneak up on you. However, you may like this quality ale even more for that fact.

ENJOY!

chris from huntington

Scott — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:58:00 +0000

That’s the Huntington Beach in California. A spot any one of us would dream of living. A mythical place really. Even I have a framed photo of Huntington Pier in my bedroom, a perfect barreling wave in the foreground. And now this poor kid is stuck living here with his mom in Akron, aka Crackron or the A-K Rowdy. Life is over Chris, welcome to surfing hell (TM by Mikey Miller). This guy has a legit excuse to some serious depression, or so I thought. That’s why I was floored hearing Chris tell me why he was so amped about surfing here in Cleveland Ohio.

I’ll explain. It was getting dark fast. I ended up staying late at work and literally sprinted back to the rapid station. Damn, I still had to get home to retrieve my board and wetsuit. By the time I got to Edgewater the northeast winds were dying, the sun had already set, and Jamie and Luke were just staring at the dying swell from the beach. There was only one guy left out, so I paddled out like a maniac and soon it was just he and I at the break sharing some glassy three footers.

When you’re a surfer here everyone knows everyone, except I had never seen this kid before. But nobody is a stranger here for long, however, and before you knew it we were talking it up, trading some nice small waves. Hearing that he grew up surfing Huntington, I joked that he had to be suffering some major withdrawal, missing out on much better waves and the real surf culture in California. Instead he told me about how lucky he felt being able to catch waves in a place where surfing was still very much an underground thing. He said that now he knows what it must have been to be Robert August back in the 50’s and 60’s, with longboards, a friendly uncrowded lineup and some nice little waves coming through.

Wait a minute, you’re what, 17 or 18 and talking about Robert August?

Hell yeah Chris. Hell yeah. Welcome to the lineup my friend.

I just looked back toward the city, all lit up with the skyline reflecting back at us in the water. I went from being down about missing a day of surfing, to realizing just how lucky I was to be out of work and able to catch just a few waves in the near dark. This is such a different place when we can just get a little something from the lake. Even some three footers on a calm evening can make a real difference. Chris from Huntington is definitely on to something here.

Note: we were able to interview Chris for the Out of Place last Thursday. He was up at the lake and living in his car so he wouldn’t miss out on the storms that were coming through. Well, we did get some waves, but they never actually got any good. I’m guessing Chris didn’t care all that much.

Photos taken by Jamie Yanak.

Photos on Flickr

Kurt — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:22:00 +0000

I just uploaded some new photos on our flickr.

This is Neal Louma in the 1970’s. It is a still frame from the film.