COVID Blues? We Gotchyu

By Mara Pyzel Photos Brian Bielmann

With lockdowns in place we’ve had to find something else to do… Here’s a highlight reel of some positivity coming out of the pandemic:

Some #Challenges and lighting up some DMs…

With nothing else to do but scroll, guys like Seth Moniz, Kelly Slater, Timmy Reyes, Zeke Lau, Parker Coffin, Brodi Sale, Nathaniel Curran, and tons more are hashtagging away, participating in social media challenges including the #barrel challenge, #layback challenge, #air challenge, #wipeout challenge, and – of course – the #pushup challenge.
In compliance with the California lockdown, Santa Barbara-based Channel Islands Surfboards sent their shapers home but invited their fans to slide into their DMs where they were invited to chat with the crew to help create their dream board which could become a reality as soon as the shapers are able to return to the factory.
Jordy Smith, John John Florence and others have hosted Q&As with questions ranging the gamut from serious life ponderings to boardies preferences.

We’ve been digging up some serious storage-room throwbacks…

With little new footage to emerge in the wake of beach bans and social isolation, legit VHS vids are being given new life as guys like Tanner Gudauskas (who is one of the few persons remaining to still own a VCR) screened old favorites like “Tim Curran: Here and Now” and 1995’s “What Now?” featuring the youthful surfing of Slater and Machado. Popcorn anyone?
Meanwhile, another unnamed surf mag distributed select past issues…and we’re pretty sure you were re-reading ours too…

We’re seeing the good in people…

Alan Blanchard donated a Pyzel Surfboard to athletesrelief.org to raise money for the nonprofit’s COVID-19 fund.

We’ve discovered new hobbies…

Conner Coffin does it all! The 805-grown pro not only pumps down the line with precision, plays a mean guitar riff, but can also cook up a chef special! Mouths were watering over his gluten-free gnocchi and white wine sauce (tres pinkies-out).
Just a man and his guitar….Troubadour Kelly Slater hit all the right notes as he strummed the day away in isolation at his home in Hawaiʻi.

We’re scoring some killer online shopping deals…