Big Old Beach Day

Just a big old beach day with Cameron "I Own A Van Now" Oden

Mikel Ugalde | Duct Tape Salinas

Mikel Ugalde, riding his 9'6 Lumberjack in the Joel Tudor x Vans x Duct Tape Invitiational, last week in Salinas, Spain.

Yeah Mikel!

Congrats to Tyler Warren for his victory in the contest!

Lumberjack for Mikel

9'6 Lumberjack for our friend Mikel Ugalde in Spain.

Just in time for Mikel to surf it in the next installment of the Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational later this month in Salinas, Spain.

If you're in Spain, stop by Muskaria Surf Shop in Zarautz.

Nathan Adams via Shawn Parkin

Naters doing his thing at Steamer Lane, during the Duct Tape.

Photos: Shawn Parkin

*This is Nate riding the 10' Nathan Adams model currently available at the shop.

Nathan Adams | Santa Cruz

Some photos of Nathan Adams from the Joel Tudor Santa Cruz Event, courtesy of Greg Benoit.

Andy x Vans

See you tonight at Thalia.

Duct Tape Highlights

Vans Derby Skate Park

Knost via Lightner

Love this photo of Al, that Kyle took at Steamer last weekend.

Santa Cruz

Contest within the Contest

Al may have won the surf contest, but Christian won the arm wrestling contest at the awards dinner.














Because this is what CWach eats for dessert:

Joel Tudor Invitational | Santa Cruz

Had a blast at the Vans Invitational this weekend. The waves were pumping, the weather was beautiful and everyone was surfing like bonkers.

Everyone was surfing so insane. Honestly, any single one of those guys could have won the contest. But Alex was surfing like a man possessed. One of the most impressive surfing performances I've ever seen. In the final, he was a little dot on the horizon scrapping into overhead waves and then doing what Al does best... all the way to the inside.

Burch surprised a few people by making it to the final. Although it really shouldn't surprise anyone. The guy can just flat out surf on anything. (As he has proven again and again)

Such an honor to get to be there this weekend and experience the whole thing.

Thanks so much to Joel and Vans for everything. They did an incredible job, and pulled on one for the ages.

(Photos nicked from vanssurf.com)

Aloha Santa Cruz

KyleLightner.com and I are heading out pre-dawn tomorrow for Santa Cruz so we can watch Nathan and the rest of the crew participate in the Joel Tudor Invitational this weekend.

Kyle will probably take a few photos along the way.

I've never been to Santa Cruz, so I'm looking forward to it.

With all those talented loggers in one lineup, it's going to be one for the ages.

Joel Tudor x Vans Event #3 | Jan 14-15

The third event in the Joel Tudor x Duct Tape x Vans series will be held next weekend in Santa Cruz, CA.

Nathan got "the call" yesterday informing him that he's in!

Other participants include: Harrison Roach, Jared Mell, Chris del Moro, Al Knost, Justin Quintal, Christian Wach, Dane Peterson, Tyler Warren, Mikey DeTemple, JJ Wessels, Troy Elmore, and a few others.

Should be an incredible weekend of surfing at the Lane, probably going to make the trek up there to witness it.

Congrats Nate, stoked you're in the contest.

Vans by Thalia Surf

Vans and Thalia have collaborated on a new space to expand Thalia Surf Shop. (In the old Surf Gallery location, next door)

It's insane, you have to drop by and check it out.

Here's a little clip from their opening party.

Kyle Lightner for VANS II

The KL for Vans billboards have started appearing all over the place.

Here are some photos from the side of a couple buildings in LA and NY, plus a NY subway.

Stoked for you Kyle! Still laughing that Griffin and I are somehow on the side of a building.

Top 2 photos/paintings via Colossal Media.

Nathan Adams by Kyle Lightner

A photo Kyle shot of Nate while they were in Montauk for the Vans contest.

Kyle Lightner for VANS

Kyle Lightner for Vans t-shirt available at Thalia.

These 2 photos are shots Kyle took of Dave and Griffin back when we first started hanging out and working together. The top one is me holding the 'cordless' board pre-glass job. The second one is Griffin crouching down inspecting a 1964 Hobie board that we were talking about, as inspiration for some of the first longboards we did together.

It was complete coincidence that Vans happened to put photos of Griffin and I on the same shirt.

Even more of a longshot that they would use those photos for a KL X VANS Billboard in NYC and SF. (pictured below) Stoked for you Kyle.

Kyle Lightner x Vans x Thalia Surf

New Kyle Lightner T-shirt for Vans.

Available at Thalia Surf.