Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the fearless leader of Kookbox; the world renowned, world travelled, acclaimed surfer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, the one and only Joel Tudor.  There has been a lot of talk about competitive long boarding and what Joel had to say in a recent (July 20, 2009) Surfline interview regarding the future of the sport so check him out.  The man is a legend.

Joel’s House of Kookbox from Left to Right: Tube Bullet, Twin Pin, Mini Pig, The "88", Son of Sam, Mini Noserider, Uncle Bill, Golden Seven "0", Twin Fin Egg, and the Fish.

Also some of my friends in Japan have been inquiring as to where they can get Kookbox in Japan.  Search no further: http://www.kookbox.jp 

That is all.

Kookbox Official

It’s going down. This is one case where I don’t have to generate the buzz –I’m just riding the wave, but in case you haven’t heard already, Kookbox is officially upon us.

Finally there is going to be surf company that focuses on the demographic and lifestyle where we do the majority of our living: namely cities. Surfing as an urban pursuit hasn’t really ever been explored by Big Corporate Board Conglomerates because they would rather sell you the fantasy that you have to own a beach house to be officially in the sport. Never mind that I grew up in a beach house because Kookbox knows you better than that. Kookbox is set out to change the elitism of accessibility of surfing starting with affordable, ride-able, works of art.

Just by sticking to the statistics, we know that today more people live in cities and urban communities than in the suburban counterparts. If the sport of surfing is going to grow, then it is going to have to drastically change the old paradigm of the market share. Fancy words aside, urban exposure is the key to success for the sport of surfing. Joel Tudor probably came to that realization many years ago which is why he decided to actually do something about it: enter the reality of Kookbox. Taking inspiration from the ever popular ancient martial arts scene, Kookbox is determined to introduce the beach culture to the mainstream in kick-ass fashion. This unique niche goes to great lengths to promote a healthier, more active, and environmentally conscious lifestyle starting with versatile individuals.

Let us not forget that Kookbox surfboards are the official brand of Joel Tudor, so the highest quality along with proven performance is the standard. (If you haven’t already read A Soul Surfer Savior for Jiu-Jitsu then you probably don’t have a clue about the disciplines our friend has  mastered in order to bring you the absolute freshest gear.) Being multitalented requires energy, efficiency, grace, and a whole lot of focus in today’s world and fortunately, Kookbox has the attitude of a legend. The style wears equally well at Cardiff beach, and at Santos’ in New York City. The unofficial theme of Kookbox might as well be “have good vibes and will travel,” because with official locations in New York City and San Diego, one gets a flair for the surf voyage. It’s probably only a matter of time until there is revelry in the Gas Light District and someone is overheard recounting a recent session in Montauk. Kookbox is for the people!

Maybe your ambitions are not made of stuff as stern as a world-traveled, tri-coastal*, surf magnate and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt? Please believe me when I tell you that you can still join the party. Surfboard toting gangsters on the subway headed out to Far Rockaway, this one is for you! As a matter of fact, anyone that has a taste for the best of both worlds and recognizes that living in the city and going to the beach are not mutually exclusive probably already gets the point. (The diversity of experiences will eventually lead to an amplified conflux that can never be impeded or stopped when the right balance is achieved.) It is a good thing that the new generation is a little more inclusive when it comes to surf culture because Kookbox is already ahead of the curve –and I just made the next section.

If you want to get with the program stop paddling for a second and shoot an email to the official crew:

Kookbox US & International: Andrew Blauschild – kookboxsurfboards@gmail.com

Kookbox Japan: Shige Koike – Shige@kookboxx.com

Marketing and PR contact: Lou Niles (760) 579-3826

Check out the wares on the website. Order your Kookbox surfboard, today. I’m going to be blogging all about Kookbox, and the Kookbox crews, so keep checking back for updates on the internet’s world wide webbing. That’s right kids. You heard it hear first. The okey-doke was the old Kookbox blog spot. This blog is the only one that is Kookbox Official. Stick with me and I promise you blogs, pictures, articles, and video of one of the greatest surfers of all time spreading the vibe that is Kookbox love to a city near you…

Catch it!

*Don’t try this at home kids, but a tri-coastal official holds it down on the East coast, West coast, and Hawaii too!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching the first six innings of the Major League Baseball All Star Game held in St. Louis before I had to retire due to my early work schedule. (I went to bed when after the score was tied 3-3, but I was told that the American League added to their string of All Star Game wins they have been piling on since 1996.) The highlight of the game came in those early innings despite not seeing the outcome of the Midsummer Night Classic. President Barack Obama was on hand during the festivities honoring the best that MLB had to offer, and there were several things that stood out to me, although I admit that they were also completely superficial.

The first thing that I noticed was that President Obama seemed to have genuine knowledge of the baseball players when he was filmed in the locker room meeting the players before the game. The President knew popular players by name and jested that New York Yankees all star Derek Jeter was always a favorite player of his, implying that the second baseman must now be considered an old timer in the clubhouse. Barack’s remarkable wit extended far beyond just flattery when Seattle Mariners center fielder Ichiro Suzuki appeared in awe when asking for a Presidential autograph when he departed with the comment, “here you go, Hall of Famer” before handing him the signed baseball. It is one thing to know the players in the big time markets in baseball (i.e. Jeter in NY) and another thing completely to have enough of an understanding of the history of the game to discern a big time player in smaller market.

For your information, the President is completely correct in his premature assessment and Ichiro will likely have the numbers to get elected when he finally retires. Students of MLB know that Suzuki’s stolen bases, batting average, and total number of hits has probably already put him on a path towards Cooperstown, but it is shocking to realize that President Obama knows that. I’ll put it to you another way, former president George W. Bush probably didn’t even know that and at one point he was the owner of a MLB team. I won’t even mention the fact that The W has had a lot of time of his hands recently –even if he was curious enough to figure it out. Baseball knowledge isn’t something that you can fake in America. Try it, if you dare. Americans invented the game and have become diligent stewards of entrenching the history into Americana.

Baseball is a seemingly benign subject until you realize that some Americans follow the sport feverishly, to the point of being completely maniacal and obsessed with accuracy. (I only count myself as someone who is mildly interested and I go to no less than 50 live MLB games every season.) The fact that a person should speak comprehensibly, without being prompted, on domestic and foreign policy can be reasonably expected when your job is being the President of the United States of America. What President Obama did was above and beyond the call because he was able to speak intelligibly, off-the-cuff, about baseball and once more, he managed to hold his own. During the ceremonial first pitch, Obama didn’t take the pansy way out and cheat the fans out of amazement, or a good laugh, by shortening his throw by tossing from that nether region between home plate and the front of the pitchers mound. There would be no Little League grass lob from the left-hander hailing from Hawaii despite the fact that he didn’t even play baseball growing up.

President Barack Obama isn’t afraid of a little dirt, and he didn’t appear to be overly concerned with failure or the grumbling din of boos when he charged out to the mound in St. Louis donning a Chicago White Sox warm-up. (Okay, maybe he trotted a little, rather than charged, and he might have waved to the crowd instead of acting like a relief pitcher.) Our President represented America’s favorite pastime well, while at the same time resisting the temptation to conform his apparel in some half-hearted attempt to hide his individuality or love for his personal favorite team. When President Barack Obama started his pitch motion wind-up it was a little awkward at first seeing him struggle with proper baseball mechanics, but the ball still made it to Albert Pujols’ glove for a strike. It is easier written than done, folks. Somehow, the man is able to make a way. I don’t know about you all but President Barack Obama sure made an impression on me at the game and it intimates at his knack for grander successes. I mean the man even spent time in the booth commentating the game and gave an interview with Bob Costas, afterwards –just like a true All Star. What can I say? Winners have a habit of winning.