BRENDAN WHITE / Team Rider, 30, Solana Beach, California

 

Brendan White has been surfing for the past 25 years, a long time given the fact he is just 30 years old. Brendan is an accomplished but modest surfer; he doesn’t boast about contest wins or titles. He has been in hundreds of contests and is always one of the top finishers.

 

Steve Walden and Brendan have a unique working relationship. Steve says it’s a love/hate relationship. “Nobody pushes me harder for design perfection than Brendan, but that push enables better design and performance. I have shaped over 100 boards for Brendan, and his input is valuable to me because of his level of surfing. Brendan’s style is smooth and powerful and very much in control at all times; in my opinion one of the best nose rider’s in the world,” says Walden.

 

1st place - 3 X NSSA National champion 2001 Pro Surfing tour of America

1st place - 2004 US open

 

I started surfing when I was five, because my family was always at the beach.

 

I have two: Old Mans at San O and North Jetty in Oceanside, both at fun logging waves.

 

Winning the US Open in 2004.

 

Another US Open, I guess.

 

The independent and relaxing atmosphere.

 

Lakers

 

I met Steve when I was probably about 9 or 10 and started riding for him, as my dad rode his boards and they went to high school together. Steve is a really good guy, has always been there for me and always supported me for most of my life. Steve is like family to me; when I look back on the relationship I have had with him, he is the one constant in my life, besides my family, that is the same today as it was 20 years ago. Over the years, I have ridden for other shapers and tried a lot of boards, but there are no better performance longboards out there. Steve has found a way to create a board that combines looseness, drive, and glide. Usually those are mutually exclusive characteristics, but his bottom design and rocker allows for the looseness with the V he puts in the board; the glide is achieved by the concave that runs from nose to tail, allowing the water to flow through, and the drive is created by the single concave going to a double concave in the tail, breaking up the V. There is a lot of thought and design that goes into the bottom of his boards.

 

9’0 Walden EVF (Epoxy Vacuum Fusion). My favorite boards are the regular Magic Models, with changes to the dimensions. I get mine 9’0 x 22 × 13 1/4 × 2 1/2. The EVF’s are a newer, super light but super strong board. They are glassed using a vacuum bag to suck out all the excess resin, and thereby lightening the board up A LOT; you are also able to put more glass on them, since weight isn’t an issue, thereby strengthening the board. It is also stronger because resin is brittle, so by leaving behind only what is needed to bond the glasses the board is much stronger and less brittle. I am able to get boards that are 9 pounds with 3 layers of 4-oz on the deck and 2 layers of 4-oz on the bottom. These boards are made custom only; they are more expensive but worth every penny.

CRAIG SCHUMACHER / Team Rider, 55, Encinitas, California

 

I began board surfing in earnest in 1967; before that I mostly body surfed or rode a canvas surf mat. My father was a waterman and wouldn’t allow me to board surf until I was proficient in the water on my own. I can recall body surfing in Mazatlan in 1965 with my Dad at night in total darkness. His reason was in teaching me to “feel” the ocean and learn to ride by feel versus by sight. He also said that “board” surfers were P%#y’s!

 

My favorite local surf spot will remain anonymous. However, I would have to say my favorite surf spot would be Telescopes in the Mentawai’s.

 

It’s the simplicity and singularity that surfing brings. Sure it’s crowded, it’s always been crowded, however we all have those moments we can recall when it’s just ourselves or a few friends, and that’s what makes surfing so unique. Few people really understand what it means to be a part of something larger that yourself, to participate in something so much more powerful than yourself, and to do so honorably and with grace. I can recall a comment by Ernie Tanaka, “Surfing is the sport of kings and should be practiced as such”. One such moment I can recall was an afternoon that Steve and I surfed Rights and Lefts by ourselves - it was one of the best experiences in my life.

 

Surfing renews my spirit. I can leave my sh*t on the beach. Surfing requires you to be present in the moment, regardless of the conditions. If you’re not, you can pay some heavy dues. Baba Ram Dass said, “SURFING - either you do it like it’s a BIG WEIGHT on you, or you do it as part of the dance.” Surfing is church for me; I can leave my cares at the high tide mark, and I have the choice of picking them up later, or not.

 

Oh yeah I competed! In fact, Steve nicknamed me the “Perpetual Semi-Finalist.” I had more equal 7th and 8th finishes than anybody else. One favorite competition story worth mentioning is the “WORLD LONGBOARD TEAM CHALLENGE” back in 1985 or so. Steve put together a team consisting of: Steve Walden, Stu Kenson, Denny Martin, and myself. The four of us showed up to compete against teams from Hawaii, East Coast, Australia, Northern California, and Southern California. Some of the teams were fully sponsored by the corporate likes of American Express and Chart House Restaurants, complete with matching boards and sweat outfits (remember it was the 80’s) and we just had a collection of boards and no expectations. In fact, Stu’s board was called “Purple Haze” because the glass job was so botched. As I remember it, some of the teams consisted of many 1970’s era surfing legends, such as Herbie Fletcher, Jay Riddle, P.T. Mike Purpus, etc. The judging criteria consisted of required moves in each heat, such as Cross Step, Drop Knee Cutbacks, and Nose Rides. Without completing these required maneuvers you would not advance out of the heat. Well, as the heats wore on it became very apparent that silk sweat outfits and sponsored teams were no match to d*mn good surfing. Not only was Team Walden executing the required moves, but we were surfing like no one had seen before; solid lip smacks, carving turns and helicopter 360s. Our surfing was on another level. When we made it to the finals, it was one questionable DQ call on one of our teammates that put Team Walden in second place and Team Chart House in first. Seems a coincidence that Chart House was the main sponsor of the event…

 

Without question, my favorite surf destination is Indonesia. I’ve been a couple of times, and my most memorable trip was with my brother John Schumacher. He almost didn’t get out of the country, but that is another story. We surfed off-season and got spectacular surf with just our mates; truly a memorable trip.

 

“Soul Surfing” can mean a multitude of things; from no leash, to black wetsuits, to the pure stoke of riding waves. “Soul Surfing” to me represents the rhythm of the ocean. It can be as simple as body surfing, and experiencing the raw energy of swell, to teaching beginners about a lost etiquette and respect in the lineup. Waves and the sea demand our respect and attention. Surfing soulfully is mastering the art of being present in the moment and exhibiting grace under pressure. In my opinion, the greatest surfers are those whose wave riding complements the sea, versus thrashing wildly about.

 

I first met Steve in 1976 through a mutual friend. Steve was on the Mainland buying some silk screen equipment in Orange County. He was living on the North Shore at the time. That began a friendship that has outlasted our first two wives and multiple churches, and way too many stories to share…

 

That’s a great story! It was called the “Popsicle.”  It was a yellow to orange fade, like the big stick popsicles I used to eat as a kid. The board was so good I recall telling Steve, “this thing is MAGIC,” and the Magic Model was born…

 

9-0 Magic Mode, 9-6 Widow Maker Blue Water Gun, 7-6 WMM Model

 

Yes. Cori Schumacher is a 2x Womens Longboard Champion, and Chelsea Schumacher is a Soul Surfer extraordinaire.

VANINA WALSH /  Team Rider, 13, Oahu, Hawaii

Vanina Walsh is an amazing 13 year old. Yes, her surfing is incredible, but she is also an all-around neat person with enormous natural talent both in the water and out. Vanina lives on Oahu; she goes to school online, which allows her to go surfing everyday if she wants. Vanina is remarkable in that she can surf anything: shortboards, longboards, SUP’s, as well as tandem surfing. She is a tiny 70lbs. yet surfs waves most men would think twice about. Besides being fearless, her style is graceful and youthful, and just a pleasure to watch. As if being a surf phenom wasn’t enough, Vanina is an exceptional artist, too. We even used one of her designs on a Walden t-shirt. Vanina is a Roxy girl. She is featured in the Roxy girl campaigns in Hawaii. Vanina is as bright and fun as her signature “Heart” surfboards. “Vanina is going to go as far in surfing as she wants to. Her talent and drive are remarkable, and I think we will be seeing a lot more of Vanina in the years to come,” says Walden.

 

I started surfing when I was about 8 years old. My dad used to push me into waves, and I fell in love with it. I got really into surfing when I moved to Hawaii.

 

I like to surf Queens at Waikiki and Kewalos in town. The waves are super fun to surf on South Shore in the summer. In the winter, I like to surf on the North Shore at Pupukea and Makaha. These breaks are great on my shortboard and SUP.

 

My favorite contest is the “China’s Surf Event” in Waikiki. I’ve been surfing in this event for four years now, and last year I won it! Another fun contest is the “North Shore Menehune.” I got 1st place in longboard last year. This year I got 1st place in SUP, and 1st place in longboard at the “Surfing the Nation” event.

 

I would like to surf the the World SUP Tour, and win it.

 

I love being in the water; I feel completely at peace when I surf. My life revolves around the waves and the tides.

 

When I’m not surfing, I like to paint surf art. I’m inspired by Heather Brown; she is a surfer and an artist here at the North Shore.

 

I’ve been sponsored by Steve for over a year now. I got to meet him for the first time this year, in January at the North Shore. He heard of me from Bobby Friedman (my tandem partner). He has been surfing Walden Surfboards for years now. Steve saw some videos of Bobby and me tandem surfing. Now he is shaping my longboard, shortboard, and SUP, and all of them are great boards.

 

I don’t have a favorite one. I like them all; they are so fun to surf and they have fun designs.

 

Aloha, Vanina