Surf Shop Six

Monkey Cove/ Surf Shop 6 Board Design Contest

2011-07-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

Its that time again, Surf Shop 6 is holding its 3rd annual Surfboard Design competition. This contest is for amateurs only. If your interested the contest has a L$7500 first prize! Please contact Syx Toshi for a contest pack. All entries should be given to Syx by July 20th. Contact Syx for additional info.

This year the boards will be judged at Surf Fest III 2011

Thanks

2011-07-07T11:38:00.001-07:00

Thanks all for the comments on the Drama post. Some got it some didn't but it was all good. Great to hear people's perspective on the subject. I'm changing my profile to "Yes Drama" ;) not really

Surf Drama

2011-07-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Surf Drama

Surfing and Drama we all know that this is a big myth! We never have any drama in our tight-knit, supportive, got your back community we’ve built. Ok that was total bullshit just like your profile that says “No Drama” really?? You’re really delusional or your clock is permanently stuck on 4:20. If you don’t get the 4:20 reference your delusional.

Come on embrace your drama, own it, you know you want to. Think about it; anyone that is partnered here in SL has drama. There is good drama! The moment your significant other proposes, winning a competition, waiting after you’ve voted 43 times in the same director election, whatever. (Insert SLSA drama here at the mention of the election)

Anyway we shouldn’t all be saying we don’t get involved in drama. The other day when I was reading a few profiles, because that’s what I like to do, it seemed that everyone’s profile has the standard “No Drama”. Most of these people are drama wizards (I can’t think of a better name) they stir a dramatic pot rivaled by no others! Here’s the thing though it would be really boring without them. Now I’m not talking about hurt that may have been inflicted, that’s just wrong, but the general gossip that’s created by the inter workings of the SLSA alone is fascinating. Additionally some of these same people are major contributors to the SL surfing experience.

The flip side to the negative drama experience is a short conversation I recently had with, lets just call her Bobbi, it was about nothing in particular and we’re not close buddies. In the course of the conversation she said something that was incredibly sweet and dramatic. Not about me or necessarily because it was me but it was what she was feeling for someone right at that time. That’s Drama! Its good! Its real!

Without drama life would be void of passion, spice, flavor! You don’t have to let it consume you be your own drama master. Drama is the cayenne pepper of life. Just as in life add to taste and you’ll be fine. Remember you’re the chef

If you enjoy this little blog post awesome if not let me know by IM in world we can create our own DRAMA! I look forward to hearing from you.

SURF FESTIVAL III UPDATE July 23-31

2011-06-30T03:08:00.001-07:00

From Mick Lunasea:

Contact Syx Toshi, Sponsor Manager for sponsor info. Sunshine Zhangsun is Exhibition Manager. Colleen Brennan and Lissa Sands (Lissa Pinion) are Co Publicity Managers.

Mick

GO SURFING :)

SURF FEST III 2011

2011-06-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Mick and Rev are hard at work preparing for Surf Fest. While they're busy with that I've volunteered to work on sponsorships and general money stuff. So here is a call for sponsorships. As you all know the point behind Surf Fest is first and foremost the stoke and good time we all have there, but there is a financial aspect to it too. My goal is to have a minimum of L$1500 for a sponsorship. What you will get is you Logo and ability to give objects and landmarks in the sponsor areas. Second I will post all sponsors at Monkey Cove for a year until next Surf Fest Rolls around. Finally you'll be a part of keeping Surf Fest going for next year!

Please remember this is a minimum if you'd like to donate more please do! I'm matching all sponsorship donations up to L$100,000.00

COMING JULY SURF FEST III

2011-06-28T07:49:00.001-07:00

Second Life 8th Birthday Celebration

2011-06-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

As you may know Second Life turns 8 years old in June. This month SL will be opening up its Exhibit Sims to the public. There you can see the best Second Life has to offer. I am lucky enough to have and exhibit there located at "Electrify 25" Heres a sneak peek at what I'm working on.

Tough Call

2011-06-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

This is a companion to the Business of surfing series I'm doing here. Just to give you some perspective on the types of issues that come up when you rent parcels to the great people here in SL. At Monkey Cove I use the Rent/Buy model, which allows the tenant to have almost as much control over their parcel as I do. This is a great way to go because you don't have to do a lot of maintenance on the parcel once its rented/bought.

I have a small waiting list at Monkey of people that want a spot when one comes available, well to make a long story short a very nice parcel became available and the out going tenant wanted to hand it off to a friend, against my better judgment I did this. Not a great decision by me.

Well the new tenant did and awesome build, beautiful in fact, but there were a few problems; ie fencing off access across the sim boundary and building a physical barrier in the water. The second is strictly prohibited in the covenant. Well needless to say the neighboring parcel owner was not happy. This I could handle, just one person. Unfortunately more complaints came in and I was forced to make a decision.

My choice was to revoke the new tenants lease and satisfy my long term residents or just tell everyone that what's done on an owner's parcel is their business.

I revoked his lease and paid him all the money he put into the rent even the used portion.

I was very unhappy in making this decision, but this is why I did it; The residents that complained had been some of my very first residents, they had gone through the ups, downs and changes in the way I do business. I felt a loyalty to them that was more important then being totally fair and objective. The new tenant was really angry, and I don't blame him, but ultimately I had to do what was right for the existing residents and my business.

Business of Surf Part 4.5

2011-05-25T05:13:00.000-07:00

I overlooked one group not to piss off! Vibes, Lissa may seem nice and sweet, but I heard that her enemies are buried under the deck.........I'm just say'n

THE BUSINESS OF SURFING

2011-05-24T05:08:00.001-07:00

Part #4 Life is Hard

So I’ve given you a few things to think about now here comes Syx’s 6 cold hard facts.

Fact#1

If you’re renting a HS sim, running waves and hope to break even or make money its not going to happen! Sorry its life here in SL running more then one or two shops will kill your waves and people will not come.

Fact#2

If you’re renting a Full sim, running waves and hope to break even or make money its probably not going to happen! You’re going to have a ton of prims to work with, but just not enough space to make it work.

Fact#3

Man/Woman cannot live on donations and events alone! The SLSA has a Board of directors, Team of Sim managers, Event Planers and a large membership and only in the last 4-6 months have been successfully running their sim on Donations and Events. You don’t have those types of resources!

Fact#4

If you want to be a popular well-known beach you are at some point going to have to host a surf comp. Now you say “YES!” this is something I can finally do. Sorry no you can’t, you can if your HS sim is connected to your Full Sim, but its likely you don’t have that either. Remember an HS sim holds about 20 people, where is everyone going to watch the competition from????

Fact#5

It takes a lot of effort; probably more then one person can handle. I would highly recommend you have the help of one or two trusted SL friends.

Fact#6

Don’t piss off the; SLSA, SSI, ASSSBL, ASA, HP, SLSA HOF, Surfwatch, other surf sim owners, CIA, FBI, MI-6, The Mossad, KGB, NAACP, …. Well you get the picture. (I live my own rules) DON’T PISS PEOPLE OFF!

Next I'll tell you how I've managed to make it all work!

SLSA Returns to Monkey Cove

2011-04-14T07:48:00.001-07:00

The SLSA Surfing Tour makes its annual stop at Monkey Cove for an Open and Pro event. May 7, 2011 @ 11:00am SLT and the following Saturday May 14, 2011 @ 11:00am. Remember the open event is "open" to anyone that wants to sign up.

Hope to see you there!

The Business of Surfing Part 3

2011-04-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Business of SL Surfing

Part #3 Rules to live by

So you’ve decided to jump feet first into Surf Simdom! There are a few rules that you may want to follow. Now if you’re doing this just for you and your friends, make your own Damn Rules! If you would like to attract more then you, your alt and that girl you met at the strip club that’s really a dude here are a few things to think about;

It seems simple, but be nice! Be nice to the people that come to your beach have free activities for them. Example; have free rental surfboards. This is great for new surfers and board is a big investment for someone new to SL or surfing. Make it an environment you would like to visit.

Design a beautiful environment. This isn’t hard to do; with the advent of complex sculpties there are lots of low cost/low prim objects out there to make your beach a paradise.

Start a Group for your beach. You’d be surprised how this can help spread the word about your beach and at the very least it will build camaraderie with your regulars and people that love your beach.

Invest in a nice wave. A lot of us that have been here a while can appreciate a nice set of SSI pipes or fluffies, but most will not. Give them a newer wave to surf. Understand a wave investment is going to be between L$8,000-L$25,000.

Buy a few Surf Board vendors. Not only is this a nice convenience for people that may want to buy a board, but it also may provide you a little spending money. Don’t get too excited no one ever made their fortune on surfboard vendors.

Be attentive to your guest's needs. Be a helpful person, engage the people make them feel comfortable, answer questions, listen to suggestions. Don’t be an ass! Again seems simple but I see this rule broken all the time. Remember there are a lot of new people that have no idea of the customs, rules or even how to properly work their AV. If someone does something wrong talk to him or her and explain it. Your first reaction shouldn’t be to ban them for life!

Banning: Banning should be a last resort and you should be willing to listen to someone that wants to be permitted access again to your sim. If they're a well known griefer, copybot, or generally bad person then by all means don’t allow access, but if its someone that just didn’t know the rules give’m another chance.

Get involved with Surfing groups and organizations.

SLSA is Second Life’s premier surfing organization. They hold surf competitions, have classes to teach surfing and are a well-organized group.

ASBBL is the Brazilian surf group that also holds surf events and is a very friendly and welcoming group.

ASA is the Australian Surfing Association. They are an extremely fun and welcoming group. This group’s mission is to be fun first and foremost.

All of these groups look for sponsorship every season. SLSA and ASA also look for beaches to hold their competitions. The quickest way to get your beach exposure is to host one of these competitions. There are requirements to hosting an event so be sure to check with each group

Part#4 Next Week

Surfing Like You've Never Seen Before

2011-04-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.grindtv.com/surf/blog/25938/a+dreamlike+wave+found+in+an+indonesian+river+is+stunning+surf+world/

Surf Shop 6 Reopens

2011-04-09T03:27:00.001-07:00

Surf shop 6 Reopened on April 1st, no joke, I've really tried to open the store up so its easier to see all the great boards.

There are also some new fun elements like the crashed Sea Plane in honor of my friend Dee and Huey the Surf God, Be sure to visit Huey before your comps for luck ;)

I've also added the Hot new LSD boards and Waves by Luscious Starship. These Boards will give you a different feel while surfing.

Also added are brand new tanker designs by FAKT, Pray for Surf and "Real" Fish Designs by SSI. The SSI Fish boards debuted at Surf Festival last year but have not be widely available until now.

I really have a love for the store and it wouldn't be possible without the support of creators and designer. These people put a lot of hard work in to provide entertainment for all of us, so enjoy the new shop I had a blast building it.

News Flash

2011-03-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note for all you SSI fans. I'm getting reports that SSI has been hard at work and delivered a few new vendors to designers like FAKT and DW Surf. Be on the look out for these new designs they are AWESOME!

Be sure to Visit FAKT and DW Surf Co. Main stores to see and buy the new boards!

Surfing as a Business Part 2

2011-03-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Part #2 I want my own surf sim!

Ok, you love surfing and decided that you want to own your very own surfing destination there are a few decisions you need to make upfront.

The most important question: Do I want to;

a- Have the place of my dreams knowing full well that I’ll have to pay for the sim myself.

b- Have the place of my dreams and hopefully break even.

c- Make tons of money, and retire from my vast Sim Empire.

If you answered “C” stop reading now, you need counseling. If you answered “a” or “b” I can help you. Now that you’ve decided you really want to run your own surf sim there’s another very important question.

Rent or Buy?

This seems a relevant question in SL and RL these days. Here are a few pros and cons;

Rent:

If you rent its more then likely that you will be renting a Homestead sim. Currently the price your landlord will be paying for a HS sim is $125 USD/Month roughly 32,500 Lindens so you can bet your price will be higher. For this you will have 3750 prims at your disposal and can accommodate 20 people at one time without crashing the sim.

Pros-

Renting is easy; you don’t have to invest the large chuck of cash buying the sim. Even if someone gives you a sim, which is more common then you would think, there is still a $100 USD transfer charge and you can’t own a HS sim without owning a Full sim.

You have 99% of the rights that the owner does, so you can terra-form, select the media, subdivide your sim, ect.

When you get bored with your grand experiment, just give your landlord some notice and you’re done! No ties, customer service or trying to find a buyer to deal with.

I would recommend this to anyone that just wants to have a surf area to enjoy with friends.

Cons-

The biggest drawback is you’re at the mercy of your landlord. You never know when the landlords business (sim rentals) will go belly up. If you find someone you know or like it should be less of a gamble. If its someone that directs you in their profile to send all questions to another AV, think twice.

Another potential disadvantage is not being located adjacent to a Full Sim. We’ll discus later how this could potentially make or break your dream of having a successful sim.

Buy:

If you have the money buying gives you ultimate control, they don’t call them God powers for nothing! Anyone that purchases a Private Region (sim) must buy at least one full sim. So if your intention is to buy just one Homestead sim, it doesn’t work that way.

Pro:

Buying gives you total control of your sim. You and only you will be responsible for the success or failure of your venture.

Con:

The number one problem for someone wanting a little sim to call his or her own is that you can’t own a HS sim without having a Full Sim. The price to enter the world of sim ownership is a steep one! Full Sims from linden are $1,000 USD, Homestead Sims are $375 USD. If you can buy one from another resident you will have to pay whatever they are willing to sell it for and the $100 transfer fee.

Another point to remember is that Linden automatically deducts the amount from your credit card or bank account monthly; you can’t just forget to pay.

Ok so I’ve given you a sampling of the pros and cons. Now one of you will stand up and say, “I’m going to rent a Full Sim!” 100 people can be on the sim, I’ll have prims to burn and I can run my waves and have a few shops on there too, everyone wins!!

Again sorry to burst your bubble but at $295 USD/month or 76,700 Lindens you’ll need to sell a lot of bathing suits and boards to make that nut! I’m not saying it’s impossible, but something will suffer. When you have shops, rental houses and waves all one sim LAG becomes your business partner.

Lots of rentals usually mean getting 30 IMs a day about waves not running right, lost boards, music, finding people screwing in your rental house bed, some strange naked guy hovering over the beach. Whatever you can think of I’ve already dealt with it. This isn’t all bad just keep that in mind for later.

Don’t give up hope yet! Look for Part 3.

Surf Sims a Business?

2011-03-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

Hi whom ever still reads this! Sorry its been so long. I have thought long and hard about SL and surfing and decided to pass on a little of what I know. As most of you know Surf Sims have been dying off recently and the following is my thoughts on how to make a surf sim work.

I'll post it in 6 parts so follow along if your interested and give me your feedback.

The Business of SL Surfing

Part #1 A little history

If you’re reading this you probably have more then a passing interesting in Surfing in Second Life. If you are a Surf Sim owner your probably a little more interested. Surfing in SL has evolved from out of the primordial Linden oceans like that first animal to craw up on land and take its first look around.

Thanks to the work of few very talented people waves rose from the serine ocean and changed the way we look at the sea forever. From the early days waves, boards and surfing has evolved at a breakneck pace, but there is one thing that really hasn’t evolved. Where do we go to surf?

From the beginning there have been kind souls that provide beautiful beaches to surf, but only problem is that like so much in our real lives the whole idea of a surf sim is unsustainable. To provide the best environment for surfing and performance the sim has to be barren of all other objects and scripts. So how does that sim owner pay for the sim??

Well before one of you shout out from the back “donations!” Please let me stop you from embarrassing yourself. Anyone that has surfed more then 6 months has witnessed beloved, popular surf destinations sink back into the sea. Ahh you might then say “events!!” Sorry to disappoint you again but no, again I point to not only popular surf sims but many other entertainment sims could not sustain their existence with events.

There are ways to make surf sims work! I have been trying to figure this out for almost 3 years and this is what works for me. Its not easy and it isn’t just going to happen on its own. The mantra “Build it and they will come” is Bull Sh#t!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2010-12-13T09:10:00.001-08:00

2010 Season 2 Champion

2010-12-13T08:53:00.000-08:00

Congratulations

MarkFoo Waverider Second Life

Surfing Association's

2010 Season 2 Champion.

DW Surf Design Studio

2010-12-04T05:05:00.001-08:00

Dee Waverider has just opened her first full scale design studio at Monkey Cove. Monkey Cove holds a lot of history for DW Surf being the place where Dee got her start in the board design world by winning the first annual Monkey Cove Surfboard design contest over 2 years ago. If you love DW Surf surfboards, and I know you do, you have to come and see the new studio. Everyone is welcome and the studio is open to the public 24/7.

December 4th, 11:00am SLT

2010-11-30T19:42:00.001-08:00

Back to Posting

2010-11-20T01:43:00.000-08:00

Now that my term as SLSA Director is coming to an end I will resume regular posting. I have some great ideas for future posts.

Mori Fades Into The Sunset

2010-09-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know me and some not, but I’m normally pretty quiet. I like to let my actions speak for me. Recent news of the retiring of the Mori Pwani surf area really saddened me and pissed me off that these great people work day and night to provide a fantastic place for us to go and there isn’t enough support to keep them going.

For one, I know how hard it is to own a surf sim. You have to dedicate valuable resources to the water, beach and waves with no financial return. As VW Sands/Lissa Pinion said in their note letting us know the said news, you can’t just chop up the sim into nice square residential and commercial areas. What you end up with is a short surfing run next to, basically, a city! No one wants to surf or live in an area like that.

Saving all of our surf areas is near and dear to my heart. The plain truth is owning a surf sim will never turn a profit and will always require the owner kicking in his/her own money at some level. There is another truth out there and it's people love to utilize surf sims but rarely donate. Now I know there are people out there, good people, that do donate and give significant amounts when a sim needs it, but to be honest, the majority of people visiting our surf sims just are not donating. The sim owners I know hate sending the end of month “please help” notice.

I’m not asking for donations for myself and never would, but for the people that don’t donate, surf sims will be gone in short order if you don’t support them!! It’s a fact we’ve all seen it happen!! Instead of buying the next bathing suit, surfboard or whatever, throw some money into your favorite beach’s donation box.

I apologize in advance if anyone is offended, but I don’t want to see my favorite surf beaches go into our surfing history!! In the end, we surf sim owners do what we do to make people happy. None of us turn a profit. It's for the love of Second Life (SL) surfing and SL’s surfers that we do this. So please support your favorite surf sim, until it hurts, or it will be a memory

Up Coming Surf Event at Monkey Cove

2010-08-13T06:42:00.001-07:00

Capped! (hopefully)

2010-07-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/16/bp-oil-cap-spill-control

84 days: 91,628,000 gallons

2010-07-14T05:58:00.001-07:00

83 days: 90,536,000 gallons

2010-07-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

80 days: 87,260,000 gallons

2010-07-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/09/AR2010070902882.html

77 days: 83,984,000 gallons

2010-07-07T05:29:00.001-07:00

76 days: 82,892,000 gallons

2010-07-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
Benjamin Franklin

It’s Inconceivable to me, being an Engineer and Scientist, that we would perform an experiment, create a machine or drill one of the deepest wells in the history of our planet with out a contingency plan!

Sebastian's New Surf Shop at Dive World SouthWest

2010-06-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Sebastian's cool new surf shop is the only place in SL to purchase his new line of Fish boards, and I do mean "Fish". Go check it out you'll be glad you did. Surfing is just steps from the shop.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dive%20World%20SouthWest/43/60/51/

SOMETHING's FISHY AT SSI

2010-06-27T13:06:00.001-07:00

MONKEY COVE SURFBOARD DESIGN WINNERS

2010-06-21T19:08:00.001-07:00

I’m happy to announce the winners of the 2nd annual Monkey Cove Surfboard Design Contest.

This was the closest contest yet with only a few point deciding the winner and a tie for 4th!

4th Place -Paige Akiri & Belack Zenovka

3rd Place - Rayzza Rubble

2nd Place - Rayzza Rubble

AND THE WINNER: TAKA COEUR

Please congratulate the winners and everyone that participate in the contest, every entry was a work of art. And special thanks to the judges; Dee Waverider, Doxx Drykee, Mick Lunasea, VW Sands, Leogarto Burt, Sebastian Saramago and Analog Jun.

Public Service Message From SS6

2010-06-14T04:13:00.001-07:00

HP launches new Blog Site

2010-06-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

Leogarto Burt has just launched his new Blog Site! Go and check out up to date info about all your favorite High Performance products and Events

http://hpsurfsystems.blogspot.com/

SURF FESTIVAL II

2010-06-11T03:55:00.000-07:00

Surf Festival II is right around the corner! This years festival promises to be even bigger and better then last years. Just about every company, designer and organization have already committed to this years show. There will also be special speakers and live musical performances. If your remotely interested in Surfing here in Second Life you won't want to miss out on the fun. There are still a few exhibit spots left, so if your interested in exhibiting contact Mick Lunasea for information.

What the Latest News From Linden Labs

2010-06-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Some Big Changes are happening at LL and its something we all should keep up to date on.

Check out this article from DailyFinance

Also visit Linden Labs Website to read the full press release:

http://lindenlab.com/pressroom/releases/06_09_10

Monkey Cove Surfboard Design Contest

2010-06-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Monkey Cove will be hosting it's second Surfboard Design Contest From June 1-20th. As some of you may remember last years winner, Dee Waverider of DW Surf, went on to have one of the largest SSI board lines in history and is seen as one of the premier Designers on the SSI platform. The contest is for amateurs only and will be judged by most of the top board designers in all of Second Life.

The Top Prize will be L$7,000, Second L$2,000 and Third L$1000. The real prize will be getting your work seen by all of the top designers and creators in SL. See one of our posters in-world or IM me for information and your designers package.

Wave of the Future

2010-05-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Coming up in June I will be presenting a detailed look into the main surfing waves here in SL.

I will also rank the waves in my patented, perfected and totally subjective system to give you all you need to pick the right wave for you. I will also be giving you the locations, which I think utilize these waves in a realistic and fun way.

If you have any input or suggestions you would like to make, contact me in-world or e-mail me at Surfmonkey.6@gmail.com

New Boards In Town

2010-05-22T20:42:00.001-07:00

New Boards in Town

Mick Lunasea known for his Surf Crazy designs has just launched his new line of SSI boards. These are 10 really cool surfboards including both short and long boards.

Mick’s new boards are designed on the SSI v5.2 Surfboard platform, and include a few new shapes and sizes. A standout in the new line is the Redwood “Duke” board, which is a tribute to the famous father of surfing Duke Kahanamoku who is singularly credited with popularizing surfing world-wide during the 1920s.

The collection consists of the following:

Noserider Longboard

Fade Longboard

Purple Haze Longboard

Pro Series Longboard

Mick Beater Longboard (First one I bought!)

Duke Longboard

Alia Shortboard (smaller version of the “Duke”)

Wildfire Model

Tri-Fin (Shortboard)

Pro Series Shortboard

This is Mick’s first release and I’m sure we’ll see many more additions to his line in the future. Take a trip to Mick’s main location and support SSI’s newest designer.

Surf Crazy Main Location:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/JJ%20Lanes%20II/161/228/22

Height Ginder HP PRO (asa delta)

2010-05-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Rarely do I review anything other then Surfboards or Waves, but I had so much fun with the Height Ginder HP PRO (asa delta) that I had to just throw a few lines about the product out there.

The Glider comes in one color "Black" and is easy to fly; the "page up" and "page Down" keys control your climb and decent. The up arrow and down arrow control forward and stall. Other then these simple controls there are a great set of controls when you set your view to "mouse look" that give height and speed.

Check this out at Leogarto Burt's main High Performance Store:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/crab%20island/174/99/22/

It's tons of fun for L$800

"CORTES" NOW RUNNING on TAI !!

2010-05-09T18:33:00.001-07:00

Sebastian and Heather Bust out their new wave at Tai, Surfside Hideaway just in time for Mother's Day. The wave is a beautiful 80m sculpted wave with animated textures and the most realistic spray in all of SL. The talk at the beach is that this baby runs perfect on Home Stead Sims with at least 12 peeps surfing the way. All I can say is AWESOME!!!! SSI has hit this one out of the PARK!!!

HP5 Now on Sale at Surf Shop 6

2010-04-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a special arrangement with Leogarto Burt all of the new HP5 Surfboards can now be found at the Main Surf Shop 6 store at Monkey Cove. Come by and see these boards in person you'll love them.

Thanks,

Syx Toshi

HP5

2010-04-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

High Performance has just announced that its new HP5 Surfboard is now available for sale at their main store on Crab Island. Go check this baby out you wont be sorry you did.

SLSA Surf 6 Event at Monkey Cove

2010-04-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

April 10, 2010 11am SLT @ Monkey Cove

Surf Shop 6 SURFBOARDS

2010-03-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

We have also just opened a store at the newly redesigned TSUNAMI BEACH

FAKT

2010-03-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

Quick Note: Doxx at FaKT has released 4 free surfboard textures called the Armada of Love. These are really cool textures so if you into modifying your board be sure to grab your free copy.

These textures are available anywhere you buy FaKT Surfboards and are located in a nice box so look around. Remember to "buy" these textures for L$0 you need to Right Mouse Click the Box and choose "More" from the Pie Menu and you will see the "Buy" option.

URGENT MESSAGE

2010-03-22T03:56:00.001-07:00

If you haven't already experienced it there is a problem with some animation used in a few SSI surfboards. This is not an SSI surfboard issue, it has to do with some broader issues within Second Life.

Rest assured that Seb and Heather are working on the issue and it will be resolved quickly.

ABSSL April 4 2010

2010-03-17T17:30:00.001-07:00

I'm Happy to Announce Surf Shop 6 first sponsorship of an ABSSL Event.

FAKT UPDATE

2010-03-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Just heard from Doxx that all FAKT Vendors should be operational.

FAKT 2010

2010-03-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

They are finally here! FAKT Surfboards have launch the long awaited line of new boards. The new boards are designed using the standard SSI sculpty and are in a word AWESOME. The line features both long and short boards so there's something for everyone's preference.

These are brand spank'n new so make sure you get to your favorite spot and take a look first hand you'll be blown away.

I am aware of the new boards being available at Mori Pwani and SS6, but if more location become available I will post with a SLURL

Make sure you give these boards lots of love, Doxx is not only one of my favorite people in SL but is incredibly talented in his designs.

Mori Pwani, This is one of my favorite places and they have many boards to choose from;

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Mori%20Pwani/143/205/21

High Performance's New Surfboard

2010-03-03T03:53:00.000-08:00

Just yesterday Leogarto Burt came to visit me at Monkey Cove while working on a wave he broke out his new HP5 Surfboard. Right away I noticed how cool looking this board is. It has a great thick feel too without a bulky feel and shape that looks fast just sitting there in the water.

The performance of this board is in a word Awesome! The feel and ability to make razor sharp cutbacks is amazing. As far as animation goes he’s nailed it! The animation changes when cutting back into and up the waves with your AV maintaining balance just like you would in RL surfing.

Although the board has some modifications to be completed I really enjoyed the experience it’s definitely a really fun ride. I didn’t have an opportunity to explore the features of the board but there are a few key elements I noticed within seconds.

First there's is virtually no belly time while interacting with the wave you spring to your feet almost immediately. The second observation is that the board has better control then the HP4 boards. Some new riders have had expressed difficulty in the “touchy” nature of the HP4, I can assure you there is a great balance between the old and new here.

New and experienced surfers alike will love this board.

The HP5 board will be tested at the next Associacao Brasileira de Surf no SL event and then go on sale later in April.

SURF WATCH 2nd ANNIVERSARY

2010-02-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

SUPER SUNDAY

2010-02-07T15:23:00.001-08:00

GO SAINTS!!!!!

DW Surf 2010

2010-01-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

I just got my hands on the latest DW Surf Surfboards and let me say this is Dee’s finest work to date. The new collection breaks the mold of the SSI board! New Designs include Swallow Tail and Pin Tail board configurations. Dee also created great old school art to go with these new boards.

The boards are scripted utilizing SSI’s latest v5.2 script with avatar positioning. These are the great v5.2 boards you know and love but with the additional option of being able to custom position your stance on the board.

The collection is available in two options:

no copy/no mod/trans and copy/no mod/no trans.

After trying the board out on Epic, Sunsets and Mavericks I don’t know if its my imagination or if they really seem to handle better then previous boards. You should get down to Dee’s main shop and get your hands on one of these babies! So you can be the Judge.

You can find all of Dee Waverider's Surfboards at her shop DW Surf

http://slurl.com/secondlife/west%20of%20ireland/23/227/24/

SS6 Surfboards

2010-01-18T19:47:00.000-08:00

I'm Happy to announce the availability of 6 Limited Edition Surfboards. I've tried to design a small cross section of boards that reflect the old and new. Additionally the boards are not the traditional SSI Long Board Shape. So come in and take a look.

Action Surfboards

2010-01-11T14:24:00.001-08:00

In an effort to have a comprehensive guide to surfboards in SL I am publishing the Action Surf section for open comment and correction. please comment, e-mail surfmonkey.6@gmail.com or IM me in-world Syx Toshi.

ACTION SURF and SK8T

Action is made up of a group of talented graphic designers, 3D artist and Code junkies that have come together to bring exciting products to Second Life. The team at Action is lead by Bobn4uyes Winkler and consist of Marilunmonroe Munro, Scholes Devin and Savant Hax. This group has consistently developed new Waves and Surfboards for the community here in Second Life.

The Action line of surfboards is one of the biggest and most varied in SL. From their original Toad board, traditional Long Boards, Thrusters and Pro Slammers they cover most of the surfboard universe. These boards work with most SL waves and some are also available with a unique HUD, (Heads Up Display), which allows total control of your surfing experience.

In addition to the diversity in their product line they also have a unique “skin” approach to board graphics. When you purchase a board you can also purchase alternate skins, which are different graphic designs for your board. applying these skins is as easy as rez’ing an object. The boards are constructed from sculpted prims and look sleek and stylish.

Although Action tightly controls all designs they have allowed a few third part designers to have small lines. The Action boards are updated when new versions are available and also have a lost board return program.

The following surfboards are readily available throughout Second Life. Currently action boards are used in “open” competitions only.

Toad Surfboards

The Toad boards would be considered a short board version of a “Fun board” small and beefy in appearance and are available in 18 different designs.

Ownership options: Group, Owner, Share

AV sit positioner

Animated surfing movements

Long Board Surfboards

Action’s long boards are the closest representation to a RL long board. These traditional styled boards look just like the real thing in shale, size an styling. The line consist of 30 board designs and feature old school wood designs and more modern long board looks.

Ownership options: Group, Owner, Share

AV sit positioner Animated surfing movements Wipe Out Mode

3 Camera Angles Glow, location beacon, Boost 4 Animated tricks

Automatic Updates Hud Controlled Adjustments

Thruster Quad Fin Surfboards

This is Action’s surfboard for intermediate surfers. The thruster features two distinct sculpted designs; a square/squash tail design and swallow tail design. There are 30 swallow tail boards and 24 square tail designs to choose from in this collection.

Ownership options: Group, Owner, Share

AV sit positioner Animated surfing movements Wipe Out Mode

3 Camera Angles Glow, location beacon, Boost 4 Animated tricks

Automatic Updates Hud Controlled Adjustments

Pro Slammer Surfboards

The Pro Slammer is the most advanced Action Surfboard. A sculpted design with a square tail this board has the Action hallmark design, sleek and stylish with a variety of graphics options. This design also features a full hot key driven ride.

Ownership options: Group, Owner, Share

Hot Key chat control settings

AV sit positioner Animated surfing movements Wipe Out Mode

3 Camera Angles Glow, location beacon, Boost 8 Animated tricks

Automatic Updates Hud Controlled Adjustments

Third Party Designers:

To dat there are only a few third party designers working with Action Surfboards. These designers are striving to bring a new individual style to the Action line of surfboards. The following are the dedicated artist;

Surf Crazy

Surf Crazy is the the child of Mick Lunasea. Mick is a real life surfer and business owner that brings his real life experience to Second Life to product products that mimic what is available in real life. Surf Crazy has produce a line of 6 Thruster Quad Fin Surfboards. These boards display Mick’s creativity and eye for the realistic. These boards have the same options as Action’s standard Thrusters.

Jaks Surf

Aurora Jacks is the creative force behind these boards. Jaks features both Thrusters (10) and Pro Slammers (10) in her collection. These boards are beautifully designed and come with the standard features that the Action line includes.

Tauri Tigerpaw

2009-12-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Tauri Tigerpaw for her induction into the SLSA Hall of Fame. Although not a competitor I have seen the countless hours she dedicates to Surfing in SL and is very worthy of the honor.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!

Make sure to stop in the shop to pick up your free gifts under the tree.

SURFCRAZY with Mick Lunasea

2009-12-17T03:14:00.000-08:00

Recently I stumbled across Mick Lunasea laying face down on the beach at PCH. I was checking his pocket for loose change and then I realized he was indeed alive. I had to come up with a quick story why I had a hand full of change and his straw hat on. That’s when it came to me! I told him that I really wanted to interview him for my blog ;)

Mick is the owner and designer of SURFCRAZY and has been a fixture in the SL surfing universe for quite sometime; he is involved with just about every surf organization here in SL and also served as an SLSA director.

SS6-
Mick, how did you come to be in Second Life, and how long was it until you discovered the Surf Scene?

Mick-
I recevied an email from a buddy, the subject line was "Second Life, for those who have NO LIFE" lmao. After stumbling through orientation I arrive at a snowy welcome area, I trudge through snow and immediately observed a Vampire fly in and seduce some girl. After a few excursions *winks I do a search for SURF. I landed at Robin Mapps "Surf City".

SS6-
Since arriving in SL what's been your best experience?

Mick-
Definately meeting people from all over the USA and worldwide.

SS6-
Mick, what was your motivation in starting Surfcrazy?

Mick-
My original intent was to promote my RL surf business http://www.surfcrazy.com home of "Stanley's World Famous Surfboard Logo Library". I've been involved in the surfboard industry for decades now.

SS6-
Like some other surfboard designers you also have a full line of men’s and women’s surf and beach clothes, are you the main designer or do you have help? What is your inspiration for your clothes and accessories?

Mick-
I design and create all that I sell in my shops. Being iinvolved in the rl rag business, I wanted to create authentic surf wear fresh off the beaches of southern california.

SS6-
Mick you’ve also done some great design work on your surfboards, why did you choose to go with the Action platform over some of the other options out there?

Mick-
Action provided the most economical way to feature my artwork. I like the interesting approach to sl surfing the Action surfboards provide especially the wipe out enabled mode. After creating textures for ssi mod boards i offer design services for ssi boards as well. I wish i would have entered the Monkey Cove Surfboard Art contest, i was drooling at the thought of a SSI line of surfboards. I Id love to do an SSI line being they're the most popular boards in SL.

All my surfboard artwork is created from scratch no googled images. I draw inspiration from rl surfboards. I personally shaped, deorated and glassed around 30 rl surfboards. There are reasons why rl surfboards look a certain way due to the manufacturing techniques involved.

SS6-
It seems like everyone has a favorite creator of surfboards, which when you think about it is natural, all RL surfers have favorites so why would SL be different. Do you think that in order for all boards to be acceptable in competitions there should be a Competition specification?

Mick-
For an even playing field comp spec boards are necessary in organiztions that stipulate one manufacturer board be ridden. The main invisible prim length should be the exact size of the visible deck size for both short and long boards in my opinion. Prim weight should be standardized as well as density

There is room for specialized open surfing events "run what you brung". Judging criteria could be the most critical maneuvers in the most crititical part of the wave.

SS6-
Knowing all the players do you think a competition spec would ever be possible?

Mick-
Best way is to issue comp boards to riders via rezzers or other means. This was done in the past a board was given to each comp rider. Another way would be dealers sell certified comp approved board where only artwork can be changed like Actions Pro Slammer.

SS6-
Recently you and Revlon Benoir hosted Surf Fest, which was terrific, do you see next year being bigger, and do you have any thoughts you might share regarding the next Surf Fest?

Mick-
The Surf Festival was a lot of fun, the next one is in the planning stages. We're considering many options and want to involve more of the surf community.

SS6-
What are 3 things that you would like people to know about you or your work here in SL?

Mick-
1 Authentic, 2 Surf, 3 Gear. Laughs

SS6-
Finally I’ll ask you what I ask every creator; what’s next in the pipeline for Surfcrazy?

Mick-
More cool clothes and products for people to enjoy : )

Mick, I really appreciate your time and don’t worry I bought my own hat!

Here’s where you can find SURFCRAZY products:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pacific%20Coast%20Hwy/236/31/30

http://slurl.com/secondlife/JJ%20Lanes%20II/161/230/22

Here’s Mick’s Home Break:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pacific%20Coast%20Hwy/206/73/29

2010

2009-12-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, well at least the 3 or 4 people that read my blog J I thought I would list a few things that I would like to see happen in SL Surfing in 2010. These are random thoughts in no certain order:

-The Release of the New EPIC Wave.

-Better monthly pricing on Full Sims. If more sim owners could justify the cost of full sims for surfing it would really benefit the surfing experience.

-More creative people enter into the surfing scene. We’re blessed by having some of the most creative, hard working people within the surf community but in this instance more is always better.

-Surfers and Surf organizations push for a spec surfboard to be used in competitions. This would allow boards from any creator to be used on a level play field, or water as the case may be.

-For all Surf organizations to come together and hold a “World Championship of Surf” The top 10 finishers compete on 3 different sites to determine a champ. Would be really exciting!!

-For Reaction to start designing product again. Come on Dude I love that stuff!!!

-Elimination of the bulls%$t that goes on in the competitions to inhibit other competitors. We’re all here to get away from Real Life A-holes.

-For the SLSA website to actually be update once a millennium. (small poke)

-For SL to add a feature that tells you the person you IM’d didn’t get your message.

-For your feet to not stick through the surfboard.

-Make all surfboards Copy. Lots of sad new surfers when their surfboard goes to the great SL beyond.

So there are a few things I thought of while I was wondering how to update the blog! E-mail me at surfmonkey.6@gmail.com, in-world syx toshi or leave a comment to add your own thoughts. You can rant, rave or actually add something constructive, everything can get on!

Hang-10 Surf HUD

2009-11-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

HANG-10 Surf HUD

A cooperative effort by Locksley Blitzstein(HUD designer and programer) and Rayzer Haggwood(animator)

Just a note before we proceed, maybe your like me and have heard all of the initials that are used in SL. Well I’m going to use a few and for those that don’t know what they mean heres a quick definition;

HUD: This stands for Heads Up Display. HUD displays normally are a graphic interface or Icons that indicates that the HUD is attached to your Avatar and provide you control over animations included AO’s.

AO: Animation Override. If you've been in SL for more then an hour you probably have used these while dancing. An AO does exactly what it says it will override the normal SL animation. Just about everyone uses these to change there avatar’s normal everyday walk, stand and sit. In the surfing world these are utilized to provide different animations while your surfing.

For everyone out that that enjoys surfing and is looking to enhance their experience the Hang-10 Surf HUD may be for you. The creators wanted to replace the static default animations with one that would look more realistic and bring more of a real life feel to the experience.

The Hang-10 HUD has a nice little rectangle graphic with 7 interactive buttons that allow you to override the normal animation of your surfboard to perform selected moves and tricks.

Now the Hang-10 HUD is not new by any means I’ve had mine for about a year, but I run into new surfers everyday that are looking to purchase the HUD. For beginners it will get you up and surfing like a pro with less belly time. Experienced surfers will love it for all the great photo opportunities it gives you, and who doesn’t want a life size picture of themselves doing a flying eagle hanging on the wall of their 6x6 hut ;)

There are 5 moves and 7 buttons that come with the Hang-10

Curl: The Curl is a cool move that gives you sort of that realistic wobbly feel while reaching done and touching your board.

Glide: A nice replacement for the standard surfing stance. This to gives you that “keeping your balance” look.

Note: These first two animations can be triggered to replace the default animations that come with your boards.

Flying Eagle: This is a cool move it allows you to jump off your board do a spread eagle move and then come back to your board. This is a seamless animation that gives you a nice trick.

Hang-10: For a RL Longboarder like myself I love this move. The animation allows you to walk to the end of your board hang 10 and return to your original position. This again is a great seamless transition.

Back Flip: This triggers the default back flip standard with your board.

Stop Animation: Pretty self explanatory. If you don’t click on this button you will not return to the belly position.

?: The question mark button will give you a notecard that explains the product and features.

I have used the HUD with SSI, Action and HP4 and it works fine with these boards. I usually recommend Try it before you buy it, but this won't work with the Hang-10 Surf hud there are no Demo versions available. My suggestion is to ask around before you buy. I recommend this for anyone who really loves to surf and has L$600 to spend on surf gear.

Remember you can find the HUD at Surf Shop 6, but most stores that sell boards will have the Hang-10.

TEAHUPOO WAVE

2009-11-14T17:23:00.000-08:00

Recently I dropped by HP Surf Point to see how Leogarto Burt was coming along with his new wave the Teahupoo. Fresh off his lecture at Surf Fest, Leo was eager to talk about his latest creation.

As always, I believe in full disclosure; as many of you may know I use HP4 products throughout my regions. I’m a big fan of HP4 Board designs and sell them in my shop.

Q-

Leo, for all those people out there that really enjoy your waves and surfboards but don’t know much about you the creator could you tell me how you first came to Second Life and how you became involved in the great surf community?

I knew of Second Life through an article in a magazine, but my first experience was frustrating because my computer at the time did not meet the requirements. After purchasing other equipment, I could get into SL - this was in mid-2007.

After about two days with a pounding headache, I found search and what was the first word I entered?!? "SURF", of course. I found that I could visit several islands with surf and chose the now defunct Kahuna Beach as my favorite and where I began my activities.

Q-

What inspired you to start creating your own waves and boards?

At this point I think the main reason is the love of surfing in RL. An activity that I have enjoyed for more than 20 years and reflects my lifestyle, so it was surfing that I brought voluntarily to SL.

With the theme in mind and being endlessly curious, I had the support of my wife (also a surfer), a great patriotism and willingness to innovate. I've always had a keen creative spirit and thus was inspired to just get out there and start creating in SL.

Q-

Leo, what was the progression of wave development for you that has ultimately culminated in your latest creation the Teahupoo Waves?

The Wave, Teahupoo, is the result of our work where we have joined all the best practices gained in previous models, in which can be highlighted:

- Use of sculpted prims, giving a much more harmonious than the objects made directly in SL;

- Use of megaprims, eliminating the seams and the problems of timing;

- Use of several sculpted prims in sequence, giving a sense of movement never before developed;

- Use of textures, sounds and particles, such as increased quality and reality.

Q-

What do you see as the major advancements that your latest wave has over your Jaws Waves?

The design of Teahupoo brings two important events - the first refers to its shape, where sculpted prims were built to give the impression of a wave breaking over the side and not centralized as Jaws and Sunset. The second is to change the script so that the wave will move to the front, as usual, but also moves to the side indicated by the formation, continuing the wave. Thus, a fast and extensive wave arises providing more than 200 meters of fun!

Q-

I have surfed the Teahupoo and it is stunningly beautiful and behaves closer to a real wave than anything I’ve seen in SL to date. How did you achieve this sculpted marvel?

After watching several videos of surfing at RL Teahupoo, along with the experience from other projects designed in 2D, I created a whole sequence of the wave, which served as template for the 3D rendering. This required much work to create the look which I felt to be extremely critical to the success of this wave.

Q-

One thing that I’m very curious about is the technical specifications of the wave. What will the waves dimensions and features that people will have to choose from? Additionally what will the performance requirements be? As you know all waves in SL can be run on HS sims, but waves like your Jaws and SSI EPICS run best on full sims.

Teahupoo -The Waves is a wave with 100 meters in width and variable height of approximately 10 meters. It has a series of 20 stages and constant speed back and left with a life expectancy of more than 40 seconds. The installation requires a specific area of ocean with the ocean floor terraformed to slope similar to a backslash "\" or the left leg of a letter "V". Then with a rectangle of 220 x 180 meters, one can take alternate corners, one bottom and one above, for sand and buildings.

Due to the complexity of managing all these innovations presented and the need for performance, there is unfortunately no possibility for the owner to change the variables of the script at this time, however this is something that might perhaps be available in the future. However, by buying such a product, all can be assured that it has been rigorously tested and its variables determined to present the best possible performance. Regarding the performance on a HS, I can say that one can halve the time of the script compared to Jaws Waves, which after the last upgrade, already had the same conditions in a HS not overloaded with other scripts as did in a full.

Q-

Once you've perfected the wave, whats going to be your pricing strategy? Will you be pricing this for a select few that can afford the best, or going after the mass market?

Recently, I have significantly reduced the prices of Sunsets and Jaws, to encourage new purchases. Now available with Teahupoo, Jaws should see further price reduction or new upgrade for better functioning.

Waves like Jaws and Teahupoo, because of their size, require large areas which prevents the use by the masses and this, together with its benefits should be maintained at a slightly higher price, but always in tune with the market.

Once I have more free time, I will make smaller, more simple waves to supply the market of new residential and commercial property that do not have large areas of ocean. These waves will be priced much more affordably.

Q-

Considering the size and dynamic traits of this wave, do you see this as the main competition waves for your organization?

Surely this wave is my best creation, I myself was surprised with its performance and how close it is to my initial idealization. Now, it is better to let Second Life surfers respond.

Q-

Leo, in your opinion where do you see surfing and wave development going in Second Life?

After all this contact with the SL, its internal resources and external tools, I have the feeling that there is no ceiling where everything is even and no limit to the imagination and creativity. So I can say nothing to what the future promises.

Q-

Leo, finally I’ll ask you the same question I asked of Sebastian; Now that you are ready to release the new wave what is next for HP4 in the way of Surfboard and wave advancement?

Bahhh, I see I will have to keep all these promises, lol. Initially HP4 Jaws, had an excellent interaction with Waves Teahupoo, but certainly there are some changes and new developments that should be taken in making better use of the new wave. Perhaps soon we will post the version HP4 Teahupoo, to the public. And in 2010, you can look for version HP5, with more significant changes.

Leogarto, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk about the amazing Teahupoo wave.

Syx, I am grateful for the opportunity provided by Surf Monkey to present my work, I received the invitation with great honor. Finally, I want to say that the new Teahupoo Waves, can already be purchased directly from me, until the vendor is available in stores HP. The good that can come out of contacting me directly - a discount or premium trading, which I personally enjoy. The more I am able to answer any questions and assist in whatever is needed for optimal functioning of the New Teahupoo, the more all will enjoy as well. A big hug to everyone.

I will be providing a full review of this wave once it has been released but having surfed this baby I think the world of SL surfing is on the verge of a major advancement. With the Teahupoo and New EPIC being released shortly the face of virtual surfing is in for a treat not seen since the first wave rose from the SL oceans!

If you want to see Teahupoo Waves in all its glory, go to:

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Crab%20Island/99/98/23

As always these are my opinions ☺ If you want to contact me put a message in a bottle and send it to surfmonkey.6@gmail.com

Conversation with Dee Waverider

2009-11-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

I had an opportunity to catch up with SL Surfing’s newest board designer

Dee Waverider. I wanted to get a little insight into Dee and discuss her inaugural collection of Surfboards.

In the way of full disclosure I have known Dee for a while now and she also makes her home at Monkey Cove.

Dee first of all congratulations on your new boards they look great and it seems like you’ve really infused some new original designs into your work.

Q-

Dee how did you get involved with Second Life, and how long was it until you discovered the thriving surf scene here in SL?

A-

I joined Second Life on the advice of a friend already here. I had checked it out a few years earlier but wasn't very impressed. It has come a long way since then. I think it took me all of 5 minutes to find the surf community on here. I typed "surfing" into the search option straight after signing up. It was all the cool surf sims that I found that made me want to continue to hang out on SL.

Q-

Dee I know that you have been surfing in real life for quite a long time, can you draw any parallels to virtual surfing?

A-

I've been surfing in real since I was kid, and I followed in my dads footsteps to become a lifeguard. Surfing changes you, as I'm sure all the real surfers out there will agree. There's no better way to put the world into perspective than to catch a wave. Surfing on SL is fun, but it could never come close to the real thing :) However, I can draw a parallel when it comes to the sense of community on here. There is a good bunch of people involved in the surfing groups here that loves what they do and look out for each other. And that is very real. I have met some great people within the surfing community here and I hold close the friendships I have made.

Q-

Besides the surfing what do you like most about Second Life?

A-

I just love chilling with friends and hanging out on my island. I've really enjoyed putting the place together. it's kinda messy with a retro look, but hey, that's what I like. The weird thing about Second Life is that's it possible to be yourself here more than in real. You can live in your ideal surroundings, with no real limits on what you can own. I don't have that luxury in real life lol.

Q-

There are quite a few surf completions that seem to be happening just about every weekend in SL have you ever competed in any of the competitions? And if not do you have any desire to?

A-

I've not yet competed in any competitions here though I would like to. I'm on UK time so a lot of the competitions take place in the small hours of the morning for me, I'm out cold by then lol. Those that know me know that time is a very real issue for me. There is no pattern as to when or for how long I can be on. Sometimes I log on only to have to log out again after only a few minutes. Real life always comes first.

Q-

Now if everyone hasn’t gotten a chance to see your new collection their really missing something, what was your motivation to start designing your own boards?

A-

Curiosity mainly, I saw the SSI 'modify' boards at Surf Camp and just couldn't resist buying one. It was a case of trial and error until things started to fall into place for me. I love creating things and I also love working things out for myself. I just tried stuff out with the boards and learnt in the process. I have some pretty whacky 'rejects' in my inventory.

Q-

How did you make the jump from designing your own boards to teaming up with Heather and Sebastian?

A-

Well of all the great places I discovered on Second Life there was one that I just kept coming back to. I guess I was drawn to it because if I was going to design a surf sim, that's the look and feel I would go for too. Monkey Cove has a real nice vibe to it and of course when I came to set up home on SL, that's where I settled. It was the landlord of MC (think you know the guy) and the local surfers there who egged me on in a local surfboard design contest. I got my break through that. It was great working with Heather and Sebastion, they are really cool people.

Q-

If you could give advice to any other artist designing boards out there what would it be?

A-

Crikey, I would say don't just copy and paste images from the internet. I must confess I did it, and it is handy when you are learning about applying textures to the board for the first time. But after that try and create your own artwork. I currently use a program called "Gimp", it's free to download and easy to use.

Q-

Finally I know you just launched your first collection of designs, but is there anything in the pipeline? What’s next for DW Surf?

A-

When I have the time to sit down I do enjoy designing stuff, It is fun to do at the end of the day. So yes there is stuff in the pipeline :)

Dee continues to design and enter contest to display her latest work. She recently had one of her designs in competition at the recent Surf Fest.

If you would like to see Dee’s work visit her new shop:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pacific%20Coast%20Hwy/202/33/30/

Las Islas Naima Waves-Ocean Huge

2009-10-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Las Islas Naima Waves-Ocean Huge

By: Naima Broome

Cost: L$6000

Permissions: No Mod/Copy/No Transfer

Specifications:

One very large prim, does not change shape, animated texture, prim does not move

Two prim sizes 120 x 120m and 256 x 256m.

What’s in the Package:

There are 5 different types and 21 different configurations of these large Ocean Waves.

What You Need To Know:

- A basic understanding of Second Life.

- A basic understanding of Edit Mode.

- A basic understanding of Terraforming.

This review is a little different from my previous examinations of your favorite waves, this wave cannot be surfed, but will add a realistic touch to your surfing area. Lets face it not every wave in the ocean is going to give you that once in a lifetime ride, there are many that we all watch roll on through; this is that type of wave.

Naima’s creation is a huge prim with an ultra-realistic wave animation running from one end of the prim to the other. The animation is just spectacular and finishes off you ocean in a very realistic manner. The creator recommends this product for “off shore” and I would agree these waves are better seen from a distance.

Set up of this wave is a snap! It’s placed right on the ocean surface and starts animation with no input needed. I would always suggest placing any object in edit mode so you can adjust it immediately without picking it again. Once you have placed the wave you can move it into the optimum location. Another suggestion would be to move it as far to your ocean’s horizon as it will go. This will allow you to have part of the prim “off-sim” which will create a fantastic look of infinity on your ocean.

When occupying the same space as your surfable waves the Naima Ocean Wave will not interfere with your ride or the performance of the wave. I have my Naima waves running in tandem with a large Sunset wave and there has been no affect on ride or the performance of the wave. Additionally I’ve seen no real degradation of sim performance.

As far as compatibility I have tested the Naima waves with; Sunset, Pipeline, Foam and Maverick waves and had no problems. This product can be paired with any of the shoreline waves out there to create a finished look to your beach. A great look is having the Naima Ocean Waves end about 10-15m from your beach with a shoreline wave running in the rest of the way.

In scoring this wave on my patented and totally subjective scale I would give this wave a 9 out of 10. The beauty, simplicity and cost make this a must have for any sim owner that has an ocean.

If you would like to see this product go to:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Las%20Lagunas/216/224/21/

If you would like to purchase this product:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Las%20Lagunas/216/224/21/

As always this is only my opinion, always try it before you buy it!

Waves in Review: Sunset

2009-10-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

Sunset Waves (Ondas Olas Waves)

By: Leogarto Burt

Cost:

40m L$ 3,000

60m L$ 4,000

100m L$ 6,000

200m L$ 8,000

Specifications:

Sculpty Wave, One Shape Start to Finish, Animated Texture and Particle Break

Length: 10m

Width: 40m, 60m, 100m, 200m

Height: 10m

What You Get:

01 - Sunset Waves Control Panel;

01 - Sunset Waves Generator (40m or 60m or 100m or 200m);

01 - Sunset Waves Install Instructions Notecard;

01 - Metric Ruler;

01 - Surf Point HP Landmark.

What you need to know:

- How to use Edit Mode

- How to use Terraforming Tools

- Know your lot size

- Have a basic understanding of the SL system

Another great sculpty wave in Second Life is the Sunset Wave. The wave has nice rise and good breaking. The animation is very nice, but the wave is fairly transparent so looks best with your graphics turned up as high as you can go without crashing.

Now riding this wave is fun, wait let me stop here! Just so everyone reading knows I love surfing every wave. Ok back to the wave, I recommend the 100m or 120m wave due to the nice long ride you can get out of it. The wave is pretty forgiving to cut backs and has nice height for spinning and other tricks. I myself like long rides that allow you to move up and down the face of the wave, which the Sunset is well suited for. My only objection to the wave is its acute face angle, this is purely a personal preference and I know many people that love that aspect of it.

The wave is very easy on the sim and runs well on a HS sim. I have my Sunsets running on an HS with lots of other action going on and it never lags! The Sunset is in the mid price range of waves out there and is at a price point that most sim owners can handle even if they are not building a surf themed sim.

The wave is very easy to set up and comes with multilingual text. One nice feature of this wave is its remote wave controller. The on/off is packaged nicely into a beach sign that will blend into any setting. As with most waves beach design is key to having a natural looking wave, so experiment with terraforming and get your wave to break and fall nicely into the water. This wave is a simple setup and has no menu. The wave run duration is totally dependent on terraforming. The best feature of this wave is that Leogarto is always willing to come and help you if your not sure what your doing.

Considering all of the pros and cons I would give this wave a 7 out of 10. I would honestly recommend this wave to any surfer or sim owner thats looking for a nice simple to set up Sculpty Wave!

If you want to see the Sunset Wave in all its glory try Tsunami Beach, its my favorite Sunset Wave spot they have giant sunsets running one after the other in rapid progression. Additionally you'll love the black sand beach.

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/tsunami%20beach/233/127/21/

If you want to purchase this wave check out HP4’s headquarters at Crab Island. This place is very cool and check out Leo’s other creations you will really love the HP4 Surfboards!

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/crab%20Island/196/76/30/

As always this is only my opinion, always try before you buy!

Waves in Preview NEW EPIC

2009-10-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

The New EPIC Wave by SSI

I had an opportunity to pose a few questions to Sebastian Saramago about the new EPIC wave under development by SSI. I had been hearing a lot of rumors regarding the wave and its possible features so I thought I’d go right to the source.

Q-

Sebastian; being the Co-Creative force behind SSI what has been the progression of wave development that lead to the creation of your new EPIC Wave?

We always had the desire to make surfing more dynamic. The new wave is an attempt to bring some innovative design characteristics in to play. We always wanted to develop a way that looks great, and rode even better. Working within the confines of Second Life has been a challenge.

Q-

It seems like sculpt is the “wave” of the future, no pun intended, what advantages does the sculpted wave have over the standard linked PRIM wave?

There are many advantages to the linked prim wave actually. The cool thing about the sculpted wave is that you don't get the seams and synchronization issues. We started developing the one prim sculpted was back when sculpted prims were first available. Of course, and many know speed to market has not been our strong suit do to the real life schedules Heather and I have. Our competitors will always wait for new innovative ideas from us, then try to imitate the look and feel thru reverse engineering. Its a great compliment to us. Just as in the real world, people always look to the best then try to follow the style. Same as in SL. People will continue to look to us for the innovation. We really change and shape the market in this way. Bottom line, if SSi has it under development, you can be sure the competitors are working to keep up and follow suit. That's the way it should be in a free market.

Q-

I have surfed and also own just about every wave available in SL; what will be the biggest difference between the “New” Epic and the existing “EPIC” that everyone knows and loves so well?

There was a lot of thought and planing into the way the wave is shaped. The goal was to have a wave that looks great, yet also lets you do more then just surf on a half pipe. The new shape will offer swells in sections that allow for jumps and tricks when timed just right. Also, one side of the wave has a low lip, and a graduating edge that leads to the mostly enclosed curl of the wave. When ridden by a skilled rider, this will allow for some amazing combos on the wave.

Q-

Was there any features that you really wanted to add to the wave, but decided against due to performance of complexity?

Sure, always. There were some effects for looks that I wanted to add, but its always a balance between lag... which equals suitability, and performance and constancy. I have not given up on some feature that Heather and I are working on. I cant say at the moment for obvious reasons, but we have some great plans.

Q-

As you know there are a few Sculpted waves out there right now ranging from very expensive to very affordable where will you position the “New” EPIC wave?

My intent is to make the new wave available to most of the public. That means competitive pricing. Truly, that's the only thing that gave our fellow wave makers a slight edge in the past.

Q-

Finally; I know your getting ready to launch the “New” EPIC wave shortly, but is there anything brewing in the way of advanced surfboard development you may want to share?

Yes, the board have been in development for some time. I know people get disappointed in us for not being faster to market with things. However, we do love what we do, and are still working at it. We decided that the new boards must be complete before we roll out a major update. Many people have seen some of the improvements in the 6.4 design. I would say this design is about 55% of what the final board will be. We listen to our surfers and have taken note of the features they would like to see. Such as competition mode, that will make each board preform to the same standards for far competition, with registered scripts that let Judges know if board is not in comp mode. Also, duel riders, more animations, and more customizations options right out of the box.

If you would like to see the wave in second life got to

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dive%20World%20SouthWest/78/53/51/

Thanks to Sebastian one half of the creative team at SSI for letting us get a preview of what's in the pipeline at SSI

Waves in Review Maverick

2009-10-02T22:08:00.001-07:00

Maverick Wave

By: bobn4uyes Winkler

Specifications:

Sculpty Wave, one shape start to finish. Animated texture with particle curl.

Sizes:

30m - L$2,500

60m - L$3,000

100m - L$4,500

Group/owner menu system, Compatible with most boards,

Menu driven visual appearance.

Realistic sounds, particulate effects. Total control menu system.

What You Get:

The Wave of your Choice (with Decoration and without)

Controller

Setup Instructions

What you need to know:

- How to use Edit Mode

- How to use Terraforming Tools

- Know your lot size

- Understand Physical & Phantom objects

Have a basic understanding of the SL system

First let me say this wave is very easy to setup, but be sure to read the instructions. The Controller is great, you can control just about every aspect of the wave; speed, height, duration and frequency just to name a few.

Like all waves beach terraforming is key to have the wave finish realistically. Experiment with the end of the run to make it as smooth as possible, also make sure that there are no obstacles in the way so it finishes off nice and natural. The “through” of the wave is fairly shallow which helps when designing your beach.

The “decoration” version of these waves is cool too. Just be sure you have the room to run them this option adds a bit of area to the wave and it only comes in the 30m and 60m versions.

Riding these waves is all the fun you could ask of a virtual surfing experience. The wave has a large face and is very forgiving on cutbacks. You’ll spend more time surfing and less on your belly. The face of the wave provides ample space for pro and amateurs to perfect their style.

If you really want to see what these waves can do check out the YouTube link, courtesy of Kekoa Arbizu, under my website links. All in all I give this wave a 9 out of 10, its fun to surf, easy to setup, very affordable and best of all runs great on HS sims!

Heres where you can buy the Maverick:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Action%20surf%20sk8te/176/155/22/

Heres where you can surf the Maverick

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tortola/110/39/21

Welcome

2009-10-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

This is the first posting of what I hope are many. Many of you may know me, but I'm sure a lot of you don't. I own the Monkey Cove Region which is dedicated to Surfing and living the surfing ideal. I also have Surf Shop 6 where I try to make available every surfboard produced in SL.

So far we have a really good cross section of what's out there, not everything but probably the best selection in SL. This site won't be a commercial for Monkey Cove or my shop, I would really like to provide objective commentary on the technical part of SL surfing; the waves, boards and locations that make us all love surfing in SL.

Being a Real Life surfer and engineer I'm fascinated by the working and interactions of surfing in SL. So I hope to provide useful information to the surfing community in SL and attract new people to the fun of Surfing in SL.

Thanks,

SYX