SF on Water

Burn vs. The Dailey Method vs. Mighty Pilates: A Toning Trifecta

sffirestarter — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:39:40 PDT

Three of SF's toning workouts duke it out on 7x7.com...

Rapha Pop-Up Shop: For Serious Cyclists, Mostly

sffirestarter — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:00:15 PDT

When I caught wind of Rapha Racing's pop-up shop in Cow Hollow I pinged a bike buddy and we were off. Not so fast. We stopped at Swan's Oyster Depot on Polk for some clam chowder and oysters. Mmm. 6.5 minutes, and some wind beneath our wings later, we arrived. The Fillmore x Filbert corner-space had inside bike parking and a cafe to rev our engines back up. A community table contained cycle reading material and we faced two large screens playing races, while sipping on Four Barrel coffee. A couple library sections, vintage paraphernalia, and an upstairs photography gallery provided more bike musings. And then there were the gloves; white, leather, fingerless. $160. Onward. The gear was high-end, primarily in black, white and pink. For the cycling novice (me), I recommend the classic striped racing caps at $30. For the serious cyclist, check out the May Club Races. The mood serious, the staff friendly. Breeze, bike, or buy, by July 31st.

End of Season Push: Kirkwood Win

sfwaterider — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:48:22 PDT

Every day it looms: The snow is melting. Even though it's been one of the best ski seasons since I can remember, and I got in a personal record number of days, the season is (traditionally) almost over. I have an Alpine Meadows pass, but know a few friends who are Kirkwood devotees. And now, we can compromise - but only if the backside is open. Kirkwood has a flighting deal where you can ride the mountain for a day, for free, using any other Lake Tahoe season pass. Kirkwood got over 700 inches this season, and, um, it's flurrying right now, go!

Photo courtesy of Shred Betties

Machado Brings His Melali Surf Sessions to Slim's (4/12)

sffirestarter — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:10:21 PDT

I missed him the last time he was in town, and I'm not missing him again. Tomorrow night (4/12) at Slim's, wave rider Rob Machado and his band, the Melali Sessions Band, are kicking off a spring tour of his film Melali: The Drifter Sessions. Produced by Machado and director Taylor Steele (the godfather of modern surf film), the film includes some of today's primos scaling waves in Indonesia. The film will be intensified by a live performance of the score. This is an extension of his first tour, “When we premiered The Drifter across the country, the best part of the night was the live improvisation with the band to the surf bonus footage,” Machado says. “That inspired us to make another movie with the unreleased surf footage and record some music as the score.” Tickets are $16, and if you can't make it, you can always buy the DVD ($25) for some guaranteed surf thrills.

Source

It's Sunny, Go Surf! And Pick Up Some Garbage

sffirestarter — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:25:21 PDT

A heat wave is upon us - you'll find me in the water. Whether it's my pool, or the Pacific, I'm hot tailing it to surf as soon as possible. Something I've been meaning to do is participate in the Surfrider Foundation's Ocean Beach clean-ups every other Sunday. Knowing I'm helping to keep the ocean plastic free, while basking in post-surf satisfaction, is the best way to spend a Sunday morning. I'm thinking of getting a crew together - who's game? Here's the events calendar for the Sunday beach clean-ups (there's one this Sunday, 4/3) and more water-conscious events hosted by the organization. While you're visiting, sign this Rise Above Plastics petition, and vow to do your part in preventing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch from growing (I'm #19,527!).

Photo courtesy of Stoke Report

Gear Geek Out: Giantnerd Socializes Outdoor Shopping

zenliveshere — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:54:42 PDT

Everyone likes a steal, and there's nothing more satisfying than grabbing that outdoor gear you covet for a fraction of the price from places like REI, Patagonia, and so on. When a friend turned me on to Giantnerd - a new website that crowdsources your shopping - I was intrigued at the prospect of finding some deals on biking and camping equipment for the upcoming summer. Not that I really need another bike frame, but I'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal on this Tommaso track bike at 70% off (from $1,170 to $350):

Also, since I just reserved a camping spot to attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June, plus a trip up a few Colorado 14ers and a climb up Shasta in August, I've already got my eye on some very cool Mountain Hardwear equipment (you can never have too much, right?) that will help me brave the elements - or at the least keep me looking like I know what I'm doing on the mountain. The crowdsourcing comes in when Giantnerd gear junkies herd up to give reviews of the stuff you want versus the stuff you may not want.

They are also in the process of creating their own wiki on-site called Wikinerdia, where users can contribute technical knowledge to newbies about the sport they're interested in. Not sure about the difference between a Presta and a Schrader valve? Confused on what really makes a multitool and multitool? Consult the Wikinerdia, or contribute and you'll have the chance to win gear via Giantnerd.

Negatives? Not an extremely wide selection of brands yet (forgiven, they're in beta) and no ski and surf stuff whatsoever (hoping to change that fast) but all in all a great shopping resource to bookmark.

SF on Earth!

sfwaterider — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:16:32 PDT

Has launched! Check it out, and stay tuned for more SF-obsessed stuff...

Monday Muse: Jil Sander's Nautical Pop Spring '11 Campaign

sfwaterider — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:23:20 PDT

Makes me never want to wear black again, and steal someones boat, photographed by Willy Vanderperre.

Zoltan Torkos Masters The Surf Kickflip

sfwaterider — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:33:57 PST

Midday surf break: a first, in Santa Cruz, $10,000 in the boardshorts?

Liberty's Jinx Skis Had Me at Hell Yeah

sffirestarter — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:51:05 PST

I'm on the hunt for new all-mountain skis - Northstar I'm looking at you (thieves). Long story...and as much as I loved my last pair of K2's, I like the idea of trying out, and supporting, an indie brand. Colorado-based Liberty has many bamboo options, but the tripped out design of these women's Jinx is so, well, me. This ski promises to be wide enough to float on powder, and bouncy enough to carve on hardpack. There are three other vibrant color choices (is the pink too much?) and these aren't too bad at $529. I'm lusting for a demo, ski gods are you listening?