etnies

Mary Osborne's Girlie Surf Camp Journal

etnies Girl surf team rider Mary Osborne kept this journal and took the photos below when she was in Biarritz, France, for the last Girlie Surf Camps of the year.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 18, 2004

I am currently on a 10 hour flight to Paris. Ahead of me is a two hour layover in the airport before I finally catch another flight to Biarritz, France, for the Girlie Surf Camps. I have been dreaming of going to Biarritz to surf for years. I remember being 16 years old looking on the Internet for surf camps in France—I was hoping that I could teach surfing, which would mean I could get a free room and board, and surf all over France. It's funny how things work out in the end. Six years later, etnies has invited me to help out with the Girlie Surf Camps in Biarritz. I am thrilled to be a part of this camp and very excited to see Biarritz.

I finally arrive at the camp, where about eight trailers with surf-related posters and signs (like etnies) posted all over them sit. I am definitely in the right spot. I put my stuff away in one of the cozy trailers, which will be my home for the week, and I'm off to explore the coast of France for my first time ever. The campgrounds were ideal, far from anything I have seen here in California. They sit on a beautiful, lush green bluff and overlook a perfect right hander. I grabbed my surf gear and headed out for a surf to wash off all the plane yuck and try to keep myself awake before jet lag gets me.

Dinner: a tomato and cheese sandwich...yummy!

SUNDAY, SEPT. 19, 2004

The weather reminds me of home, since there's a bit of warm rain this morning. I haven't seen rain in a while in my travels but it definitely is a sign of wintertime approaching.

A lovely camp sunset

Every morning, a group of campers goes either at 9:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. to surf. I jumped in the later crew because I slept in till 11:00 a.m. We headed to the south of France, Hendaye, to a beginners beach because the waves everywhere else were too large. The water was very warm but the air had a winter chill to it.

The girls are from all over Europe: Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Russia—you name it, they are here. It's so exciting for me to learn about each girl's country. One by one, I begin asking my questions. I have so many for each of them. Once they found out I was professional surfer they had so many questions for me. It was so enjoyable. Every girl here at the camp is trying surfing for the first time ever. They love it and they are doing so well.

In the evening we headed into Biarritz for a Mexican meal. It was a blast hanging out with the girls. It is so different being around a group of very intellectual and strong women. Each girl brings a different attribute to the table. The Mexican food in France is definitely not like in California—lots of garlic.

MONDAY, SEPT. 20, 2004

We went surfing again in the same spot, Hendaye. I got to help a few of the girls stand up on their first wave with whitewater takeoffs. They are all doing great. This evening we'll be doing yoga on the bluff overlooking the water. I got to go with a few of the camp directors to see Hossegor for my first time. What an amazing beach break. Now I see why every magazine runs shots of it and every surfer talks about it.

Dinner: The girls BBQ together at the camp. They found some random boys to join them, which spiced up the evening. Everyone seems a bit tired from surfing but still overly excited to be here. I know I am.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 21, 2004

Back to Hendaye again....the waves are still too big everywhere else. The girls don't seem to mind, considering this is a nice mellow beach break. The further south you go, the smaller the waves become. Girls are still catching whitewater but everyone has stood up and rode a wave to shore.
Dinner: The BBQ was going, and I had salad, bread and wine myself. Everyone throws in and shares their food with the others. It's so fun seeing the different meals the girls come up with.

Girlie Campers Gone Wild!

We headed to St. Sebastian for a night out on the town. It was every man's dream to see two carloads of women singing and laughing out loud as we drove into the historic town. Light rainfall filled the small streets and old buildings in St. Sebastian, but that didn't stop any of us from having a good time. I am so glad I can finally say I saw St. Sebastian.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 22, 2004

We're back in Hendaye again due to large surf still. Many of the girls paddled to the outside today to catch their first non-whitewater wave. I pushed a few girls to the outside then helped them as they paddled for the waves. Easky Britton from Ireland arrived today. She is so nice and enjoyable to be around. I took notes from her on her shortboard as I tried shortboarding. It's so fun!
Everyday the girls improve. It's fun to see older women pushing their abilities. The girls seem to be bonding more. Every day more and more questions are being asked, and I can tell they understand surfing more.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2004

Tonight Easky and I had an open question and answer discussion about surfing. We discussed topics like surfboards, different wave breaks, shortboards versus longboards and weather. I think this really helped the girls understand surfing a lot more. You could tell just by the looks on their faces they were putting all pieces together and things were making sense.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 24, 2004

Mary (far right) and the girls getting ready to head out in the VZ limo

It's the "BIG" night out: Maurica organized for all of the Girlie Camp instructors and a few other helpers to take the Von Zipper limo to Hossegor to Jimmy Paige's bar for food and entertainment. There was a surf video premiere and, since the WCT was in town, several other pro surfers there. The girls were in awe as good looking surfer boys quickly filled the bar. The night didn't end there. We packed up the vans once more for dancing at the Rockfood bar located just a few steps from the beach break in Hossegor.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 25, 2004

I'm very tired, having gotten only one hour of sleep due to the enormous amount of fun I had last night with the girls from Girlie Camp. I am on my flight home back to California. I'm excited to get home, but I will miss each girl I met. Each one had a different influence and impact on me. Not only did they get to learn about surfing, but I learned something from each of them. Hopefully they will come visit me in California.

Mary Osborne

Surf Team Report

Jodie Nelson has been one busy lady since she finished covering the X Games for ESPN in August. Twice in August and twice in September she flew down to Baja, Mexico, with Sean Collins from Surfline and various other pro surfers—including Taj Burrow and Che Stang (trip 1), Danny Nichols and Ryan Turner (trip 2), and Layne Beachley and Holly Monkman (trip 3)—to chase swell, and to shoot and film for the magazines. In early September, she went to the ASR tradeshow in San Diego, Calif., and on Sept. 14 she co-hosted the Surfer Poll Awards, which will be airing on FUEL on Sunday, Oct. 24 at 10:09 p.m. ET/PT as part of "Stacked Sundays," and Thursday, Oct. 28 at 10:02 p.m. ET/PT. (Check your local listings for additional airdates and times.) Jodie will be heading up to Santa Cruz, Calif., later this week to defend her title at The O'Neill Cold Water Classic taking place Oct. 19 to 24 (the women will be competing Oct. 22 to 24). She won the Women's event at the Cold Water Classic—a WQS 4 Star contest boasting a $20,000 prize purse—previously and is ready to do it again. Good luck, Jodie! After the contest, she will spend a week at home before heading up to Malibu, Calif., to film for The WB's Summerland. Then she'll go on a Hurley photo trip to Puerto Rico and will head to Hawaii for most of November, where she'll do some tow-in surfing, as well as shooting and filming. Jodie also has a new surf movie called "FASHION" coming out this fall or winter, and is going to start recording a CD in January or February of 2005.

Mary Osborne is no slouch herself. She also went to ASR before taking part in the etnies Girl photo shoot last month. More recently, she tied for second with Schuyler McFerran at the Red Bull 5X, which took place in Malibu on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The session—making history as Malibu's first-ever night surfing event—was held in reeling, shoulder-high waves at the famous First Point, which was lit up for the occasion with 180,000 watts of electricity. Mary, who was joined in the water by Daize Shayne, Kassia Meador, Kim Hamrock and Schuyler McFerran, showed off her incredible moves—including lots of noseriding—that were even more impressive considering she's practically night blind. The session was captured by a full film crew, and the surfers gathered the next morning to watch the playback and cast secret ballots to choose a winner. Kassia Meador received that nod, netting her the $25 pot (each girl contributed $5 to the kitty). Mary said about the event afterwards: "It was so fun seeing friends from up and down the coast that made it to support the event. It was probably the most exhilarating and fun event I have ever been in!" The complete Red Bull 5X session will air on the FUEL network later this year. (Check your local listings for airdates and times.) On Oct. 22, Mary will speak at an elementary school in Huntington Beach, Calif., for a friend's show and tell, and on October 29 and 30 she'll head back to Huntington Beach for the Women's Longboard Championships.

The Red Bull 5X: What 180,000 watts of electricity will do for you
Photo by Christian Pondella

Mary shows off her night moves at the Red Bull 5X
Photo by Christian Pondella

Mary (middle) and the girls judging the session the next day
Photo by Jorge Salas

B4BC Announces Board-A-Thons for '05

Boarding For Breast Cancer Foundation (B4BC), the leading nonprofit, youth-focused breast cancer awareness group, today announced a record number of Board-A-Thon events for 2005. The foundation will receive support from top mountain resorts throughout the United States that have donated their facilities and community resources to assist in B4BC's fundraising and education efforts.

Founded by professional snowboarders Tina Basich and Shannon Dunn in 1996, Boarding For Breast Cancer utilizes a mobile educational facility to teach young women the importance of early breast cancer detection and the value of a healthy lifestyle. In addition to organizing the annual winter Board-A-Thons, B4BC organizers and volunteers can also be found at top action sports competitions and youth-oriented music festivals throughout the year, such as the Winter X Games, US Open of Snowboarding and the Sundance Film Festival.

The 2005 Board-A-Thons will include a diverse list of activities that are unique to each resort, and each event will include a B4BC educational area, snowboarding competitions, Op Girls Learn To Ride clinics, autograph signings with top pro athletes, a sponsor village, nighttime festivities and musical acts at select locations. In addition to the on-site activities, this year's Board-A-Thons will also promote an online fundraising drive through B4BC sponsor Active.com, where participants can raise money for the Foundation and win incredible prizes donated by event sponsors.

The 2005 event schedule, which includes both new and returning host resorts, is as follows:

February 5-6 – Copper Mountain, Colo.
February 12 – Liberty Mountain Resort, Pa.
February 19 – Mountain Creek, N.J.
February 26 – Crystal Mountain, Mich.
March 4-6 – Bristol Mountain, N.Y.
March 5 – Mountain High Resort, Calif.
March 10-13 – Killington, Vt.
March 19-20 – Northstar-at-Tahoe, Calif.
March 26 – Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort, Ore.

"Getting Nowhere Faster" Premiering Oct. 16 in Vancouver

While skateboarding has recently become a mainstream attraction, niches of highly talented skaters still remain largely unknown. Villa Villa Cola, an all female skateboard crew, is about to expose its intriguing story with the release of "Getting Nowhere Faster."

On Saturday, Oct. 16, "Getting Nowhere Faster," a new video produced by the notorious Villa Villa Cola (VVC) squadron, will premiere from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Emily Carr Theatre (1399 Johnston St.) on Granville Island in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

"Getting Nowhere Faster" brings to light the elusive and mysterious underworld of female skateboarders. The project features skateboarding from the most talented group of females ever assembled, including professional street skaters, vert pioneers and X Games champions such as Vanessa Torres, Amy Caron, Cara Beth Burnside, Elizabeth Nitu, Faye Jaime, Alex White, Patiane Freitas, "Nugget," Lauren Mollica, Van Nguyen, etnies Girl's Lauren Perkins and Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins, among others.

Beyond their skateboarding talents, VVC also represents a wildly creative and passionate crew of filmmakers including Lisa Whitaker, Lori Damiano, Tiffany Morgan and Nicole Morgan. "Getting Nowhere Faster" transitions scenes from the everyday to the surreal to showcase an authentic portrayal of the skaters and their talents, and utilizes fantastic situations that could only be created by VVC. Unlike traditional skateboarding videos, "Getting Nowhere Faster" combines women's skateboarding at an explosive skill level never seen before, and is a scripted production featuring multiple female skate crews who find themselves in mysterious and fascinating circumstances.

AntiSocial Skate Shop & Art Gallery (2425 Main Street) in Vancouver will present a collection of art by Villa Villa Cola in conjunction with the release of "Getting Nowhere Faster" on Friday, Oct. 15 at 8 p.m.

Visit Villa Villa Cola or The Side Project for more information and to preview video footage.

Catch Mary Osborne at the Redbull 5x Malibu

Red Bull 5X takes its revolutionary format to Malibu for a night surf session with the world's best women longboarders.

On Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004, from 7 to 9 p.m., five of the world's best women longboarders will light up First Point at Malibu's Surfrider Beach in the latest Red Bull 5X surf event. Instead of a normal daytime surf contest, however, this event is taking place at night. But how will the girls see, you might ask? Not a problem: The break will be lit up with 180,000 watts of power making it look like a bright summer day on a July weekend. Think full-moon-surf-session experience with a flashy twist.

Malibu is reputable for its long, right peeling waves, its influence on surf culture and, of course, its notorious crowds. By lighting the break at night, the Red Bull 5X will retain Malibu's good qualities, but drop the bad one: the congested lineup. The five female longboarders who will be competing—etnies Girl's Mary Osborne, Kassia Meador, Kim Hamrock, Daize Shayne and Schuyler McFerran—will have First Point all to themselves as they utilize the Red Bull 5X format to express the beauty and grace inherent to women's surfing.

Here's how the Red Bull 5X works: Round up five surfers and head to your favorite break. Throw in $5 each, paddle out, and surf for 90 minutes straight. Then, judge each other on these five criteria: torque, boost, push, mojo and combo. The winner gets the cash. But more importantly, the winner gets the respect.

Red Bull 5X Judging Criteria

Torque: Best turn. Complete the most impressive maneuver performed on a wave.
Boost: Think "boost" your toes to the nose.
Push: Most creative. Demonstrate the most innovative or imaginative maneuver performed on a wave or in the air. Attempts count.
Mojo: Most connected. Demonstrate masterful wave judgment and utilization for example, the deepest tube).
Combo: Smooth linkage. Complete the most impressive combination of two or more of the above on a single wave with a clean transition.

The girls will be empowered to adapt the Red Bull 5X criteria the way the see fit. The key is the five girls judge each other and deem the winner themselves with a format that rewards creativity and innovation.

Visit RB5X for more information.

Skateover, Not a Makeover

The RDS Skatepark in Vancouver, British Columbia, is holding "Skateover, not a Makeover," its first ever girls-only skateboard clinic, from noon to 3:00 p.m on Saturday, Oct. 16. The three-hour lesson costs $25 and is open to all levels of skaters ages six and up. Helmets, pads and skateboards will be available upon request.

Visit RDS Skatepark or call (604) 271-7275 for more info or to register.

Your Style: Customize Your Sneaks

The weather is starting to get a little cooler these days, but don’t fret: The perfect way to spend a chilly or rainy weekend is by customizing your sneaks. We have a fun D.I.Y. project for you in Your Style that will show you how to incorporate one of the season’s hottest trends—skull and crossbones—into your wardrobe. Oh, and did we mention that you’ll get to play with glitter?

So what are you waiting for? Get crafting, and make sure to email us the results at etniesGirl@soltechnology.com.

Meet Angel, the etnies Girl of the Month

Angel Clouthier, the third etnies Girl of the Month, calls herself a jack-of-all-trades. "Force of nature" would be an equally apt description. The 25-year-old model, stylist and jewelry designer was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, lived in the UK, and currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles—that is, when she's not jetting off to Toronto, London or Paris. We met up with Angel at the recent etnies Girl photo shoot, for which she was officially modeling and unofficially styling and creating a whirlwind of energy. Make sure to look for her in the spring 2005 etnies Girl ad campaign.

etnies Girl: So, Angel, what are your interests?
Angel: Music, human rights, relaxation, happiness, adrenaline, fashion, spirituality—but not necessarily in that order.

etnies Girl: What are your talents?
Angel: I am left-handed and a Libra.

etnies Girl: How did you get involved in board sports (skate, snow, surf)?
Angel: I started skating when I was fourteen. Didn't last too long, boys got in the way. I was afraid of people making fun of me. I felt awkward with puberty and all. I had the braces, and was very naïve and in search of acceptance. Now I couldn't care less. Then, I was a bit of a quiet one. I was very observant and studied skateboarding. I had built up a shell around me. I remember I couldn't look people in the eye and mumbled incessantly.

etnies Girl: What do you like about etnies?
Angel: I love the New York crew—the Mini Fashion Mafia. Today I showed up at the office at 9:30 a.m. and no one was there, so I left them messages. They showed up at 11 a.m. and contacted me, and then I came back at noon. Then we skated and BMX'd our way to the West Village for lunch. Craig got this ol' Vision reissue that he let me borrow. That behemoth is so much fun to ride. This city is amazing. The traffic is terrible.

etnies Girl: Why are you an etnies Girl?
Angel: Oh, I do whatever makes me happy. I listen to my heart. I experience all I can. I learn from my mistakes, and I make peace with the things I cannot change.

etnies Girl: What do you do for fun?
Angel: I am either roaming around by myself collecting things, or out with friends beating each other with those Hulk Hands. Those things are genius.

etnies Girl: Where do you find inspiration?
Angel: Exploring different cultures, love, films, history books, nature watching and everything around me. I can look at a piece of rubbish and get inspired.

etnies Girl: You're quite the "It Girl," Angel! What's it like to be a model, stylist, and jewelry designer? What are your favorite and least favorite parts about what you do?
Angel: The creative factor is what drives me; I won't last a minute at job that doesn't drive me or educate me. I suppose what I do, and my attitude while I am doing it, is garnering some attention—mainly positive. I do hear the occasional "Oh, I've heard of you" in a snide tone...but they don't know me. Never judge a book by its cover. That's very true.

etnies Girl: You've lived in Canada, the UK and the U.S., and you're constantly traveling. What's it like essentially living out of your suitcase?
Angel: I realize you cannot take all these things to heaven with you. Living out of a suitcase is fine by me. I have always moved around. I have never known stability. Some things make it easier, like candles, my housecoat, my favorite mukluks, photos and my laptop. I do obtain lots of possessions, yet they are all over the place.

etnies Girl: What's the best piece of advice you've gotten?
Angel: I cannot remember the best piece, but my friend Tony told me there are three sides to every story: my side, your side and the truth. It's made relationships with people easier and makes me more diplomatic. Recently, my friend James told me that "When you know you are right, keep silent." I agree to a point. I find a lot of people aren't in tune with their beliefs themselves, and so often times that leads to ignorance and close-mindedness. I have problems with communicating with people that are blocked like that.

etnies Girl: What's really important to you?
Angel: Having a voice, being able to speak out for justice. I stand up for what I believe in. I want to help abused children out there and let them know there are places to turn to and not to give up. Follow your heart and your intuition and you can never fail. Women are so much stronger than men; we are smarter, we can bear children. We shouldn't ever feel less than men for doing things that have been predominantly male, such as skateboarding. I was lame and listened to boys who told me not to. I quit doing something that I have always loved. No more of that. I do what makes me happy and I am not compromising anymore.

etnies Girl: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
Angel: I kick ass.
etnies Girl: We'd have to agree.

Angel's Favorite Things

Place: "R.E.M. [sleep] in dreamland, the Taj Mahal, Emerald Caves in Thailand. Any forests or beaches. I want to go to Oaxaca, Mexico, and Egypt before the year is out."
Animal: "I love elephants, octopi, parrots, and my black cats, Chat and Mogwai."
Color: Ultraviolet purple
Hangout: Santa Monica and Venice Beach in L.A.
City: "I love exploring places I've never been. I like to go everywhere, especially coastline villages and desert communities."
Song: "'Four to the Floor' by Starsailor remix. It's really euphoric and housey."
Album: "Currently, The Police's 'Zenyatta Mondatta' and David Bowie's 'Low.'"
Band: "Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Air, Zoot Woman, Sly & Robbie, Massive Attack, Scissor Sisters and Queen!!"
Book: "I like rather disturbing novels. I love a lot of Shakespeare, especially 'Titus Andronicus.'"
Movie: "I love 'Shaun of the Dead.' I just saw that for my birthday. My favorite film, though, is 'Blade Runner.'"
TV show: "I don't really watch television. The news is propaganda bollocks. I did love 'Twin Peaks' repeats and the Canadian programs 'Trailer Park Boys' and 'Kids in the Hall.' I can watch them over and over again. They're brilliant."
Sport: "Volleyball and football, which you call soccer in the U.S."
Game: "Pool, Solitaire, Bubble Bobble, Stratego, Guess Who? The Mystery Face Game, Air Hockey and Hockey. Spin the Bottle frightens me."
Food: "Spicy and exotic flavors, a mean gnocchi, curry, lots of seafood, Jamaican patties."
Candy: McVities Jaffa Cakes and Mexican spicy hot chocolate
Holiday: "Christmas, which is the only time I get to see my grandparents. I miss them so much."
Smell: Pears, chocolate, honeysuckle, lavender, coffee, bacon, fresh bread
Hobby: Making people laugh, photography, dancing, reading about philosophies
Guilty pleasure: "Sourcing out new and old music, bathing in Epsom salts and oils, using my credit card and giving hugs."
Athlete: "Michael Owen and Becks [David Beckham]...Cheesy, I know, but he's gorgeous..."
Hero: "Jesus H. Christ, Homer J. Simpson, Dalai Lama, Joan of Arc, Princess Di, Frida Kahlo, Dali, Nina Simone, Edith Piaf, Steve Biko, Mother Teresa. Anyone who does what they truly love."
etnies shoe: "Sal Barbier's pro model. It was the first skate shoe I ever had when I was a kid."

Be an etnies Girl of the Month

Would you like to be the next etnies Girl of the Month? E-mail a paragraph describing why you should be our next etnies Girl along with a photo of yourself to etniesgirl [at] soletechnology.com, or send it to:

etnies Girl of the Month
c/o Sole Technology, Inc.
25422 Trabuco Rd., Suite 105 #235
Lake Forest, CA 92609

Don't forget to include your name, age, address and phone number.

Skate Team Report: Triple Crown Finals Wrap Up

Elissa Steamer just keeps on rollin'...she won her fifth contest of the year on Friday, September 24, at the Triple Crown Finals in Huntington Beach, Calif. Congratulations, Elissa! She basically destroyed the course, which is nothing out of the ordinary for her. Her runs consisted of kickflips here, kickflips there, backside flips, crooked grinds on the jersey barrier, frontside ollies on the quarter pipe and, to top it off, a massive kickflip from the deck to a bank ramp. We're not going to name any names, but some of the dudes at the contest couldn't even kickflip the same gap. For her efforts, Elissa won $1,500, as well as a weeklong trip for two to Hawaii for winning the Triple Crown series: second at the Slam City Jam in Vancouver, British Columbia, first at the Triple Crown in Cleveland, Ohio, and first this past weekend in Huntington Beach. Mark, Elissa's etnies team manager, would like to suggest that she take him with her on her trip to Hawaii...

Lauren Perkins competed in the Triple Crown Finals as well, placing fourth. The second, third and fourth place finishers were all extremely close—she could have easily placed second or third, but the judges scored it and that's how it turned out. Regardless, Lauren was ripping the course.

Lauren and Elissa are both currently in Barcelona, Spain, for the Girlie Skate Camps, which you've probably read about on etniesGirl.com. They left last Tuesday, and will be there for a week. Keep checking the site to see photos and read Lauren's team journal from the Camp.