ISSUE IN HIS HONOR

06/24/1978 – 11/2/ 2010

MADE IN THE U.S $5.75US $6.90CAN

VOL.07 ISSUE14 NOVEMBER 2010
contents
RIP
ANDY
iroNS
20
5 rebel within
Infiltrate the system! Then turn it on itself.
SKATOPIA
Eghty-eight acres of anarchy.
10

18 Olliver Lang
Leaves team Dynasty and moves to team Ironmen.
Sara blake 24 Friends of Leon Exhibition.

26 radical bikes A Surf Elegy 31

Frozen stills from Scotland's icy shores. Where have all the waveriding rebels gone?

36 tahiti h20
An underwater odyssey
Lizard King 38 Heir to the rebel’s throne.

18 24 31
3
 Recently named International
Paintball Player of the Year, Oliver,
age 22, has quickly risen up the
ranks of his chosen profession,
traversing the globe with his squad,
team Dynasty, winning tournaments
and leaving vanquished, paint-
spattered opponents in his wake.
“Ollie has set the bar in this sport,”
says Dan Mitchell, a retailer of paintball
gear and avid amateur player who has
closely followed Lang’s rapid ascent.
Paintball, for the uninitiated, is
essentially a slightly altered version
of Capture the Flag played on a
field that looks like an obstacle
course. But what at first appears
to be a very simple game actually
requires a great deal of strategy
and tactical maneuvering, contrary
to popular perception, it’s not
just a bunch of guys in goggles
chasing each other with air guns.
“It’s similar to a game of chess,”
Lang says. “We spend a day before
every event mapping and walking
the fields to find the key spots
and placing out players. Just like
anything, there is a deep realm
behind paintball, and the only people
who really understand it are the
people who are best at what they do.”
Oliver’s first foray into professional
paintball came with the SC Ironmen.
Playing as a backup in his first pro
tournament, Oliver stunned the
crowd -and his opposition, team
Image, at that time regarded as
one of the world’s premier squads-
by mowing down all five opposing
players in one fell swoop. From
there, his star rose rapidly. In 2000,
he helped the Ironmen win both the
World Cup and Series title, the first
time any team had swept both of
paintball’s top honors in one year.
In 2002, Lang, along with a
collection of childhood friends,
GNARLY 18
formed team Dynasty. The squad,
which has made history by winning
paintball’s Triple Crown three years
in a row, is now widely regarded as
the best in the business. As of this
writing, the National Professional
Paintball League (NPPL) had team
Dynasty at the top of the rankings
for its Super 7 Paintball World
Series. Some have even gone so
far as to call them the greatest
collection of players in the evolving
history of professional paintball.
But being part of a pro paintball
team isn’t all about accolades and
glory. Dynasty is a collective effort,
with each player owning a share
of the team. That means all profits
garnered from tournament wins
and outside promotions are divided
up equally. It also means that lining
up sponsors, licensing products
and other business-related tasks
must be attended to by the players
themselves. Lang says they’ve
hired an agent -one who also
represents a handful of Olympic
athletes-to help expand Dynasty’s
notoriety and land bigger sponsors.
“Being a pro team is very
expensive,” he laments. In addition
to his involvement in the on-field
and business aspects of team
Dyansty, Lang has taken on the
role of teacher. He leads paintball
clinics all over the world and made
an instructional DVD revealing
some of his strategic secrets.
“I want to continue to grow this
sport, to travel the world teaching
paintball,” says the young innovator,
his enthusiasm apparent. “The
sport is getting bigger every year
and I want to be there when it’s on
everyone’s TV and you’re watching
me play in front of millions of people.”
That may seem like a fantasy
to some, but Oliver Lang has
never been afraid to dream big.
19
 A TRIBUTE
TO THE
COMPETITIVE
CAREER
OF THE
FORMIDABLE
HAWAIIAN
SURFER. Text: Shelley Lee Jones

IN HIS HONOR 06/24/1978 – 11/2/ 2010

GNARLY 20 21
 "IT’S ALL ABOUT
THE FEELING I GET
FROM RIDING WAVES…
THAT FIRST WAVE IS
THE REASON I THINK
EVERYONE KEEPS
GOING BACK.”

A
years Kelly’s junior, Andy Irons
was the epitome of everything I
loved about surfing: youth, talent,
attitude and fun. He had it all. And
the style and power with which he
surfed stoked Slater’s competitive
verve to the point of combustion.
The next year he rejoined the tour.
But despite Slater’s much-
hyped comeback, the unthinkable
happened. He did not win.
And atop the podium everyone
bout the first time I picked up a thought he would stand supreme,
surfboard in 2001, professional was the bad-ass autodidact from
surfing was in the throes of a new Kauai. Slater vs. Irons was a rivalry
school revolution. Kelly Slater had that would define competitive
dominated the ASP World Tour for surfing for many years to come.
five years before retiring in 1998 Irons would win the world title
but in the three years leading up again in 2004 but by 2005 Slater
to my waveriding initiation, Occy, had done enough to oust him
Sunny and Ceej had all laid claim from the top spot for good –
to surfing’s most coveted title. The albeit by a meagre 45 points.
World Tour was anyone’s game
and anything seemed possible. But Irons didn’t do a Machado and
opt out of the tour a defeated man.
Then in 2002, the first year of He came back in 2006 and thwarted
Backdoor in the closing minutes of empathised best in Stab Magazine. I knew I’d won, I really wanted to be
the heat and tucked into a barrel that
left the surf world reeling. “[He] shot
“I hope he comes back with flying
colours,” Parko said. “But, fuck,
alone for a little while so I paddled
outside the lineup to have a minute
“When I was young
out at light speed,” reported Surfer he’s been doing it for 13 years. It’s by myself and I got all teary-eyed… I surfed because
Magazine. “And with the judges a fucking gruelling tour. He should I haven’t really had time to enjoy it Kelly Slater did it.
holding up scorecards of perfect do what Kelly did. Kelly took three yet… It’s time to put the jersey back
10s, Irons pumped his fists hard years off, came backed and smoked on and get back out there… Hopefully I surfed because it
as the crowd leapt to their feet and ’em. Andy with two years off, he I’ll be able to keep the momentum…” was hyped. I surfed
shrilled a glass-shattering cheer.” could come back if he wanted and…
it’s not like his surfing talent is going But it was not to be and a mere
because it got chicks.
It was a high point. But every anywhere. It’s only the planes, two months later Andy Irons, I surfed because it
crest must fall and the next couple
of years were dark for Irons, who fell
trains and automobiles killing him
on the road. Thirteen years of it.”
conqueror of fierce waves and fierce
competitors, the firebrand hell bent
was the party… And
from competitive grace almost as on winning the moon, died in a hotel I got all those cool
spectacularly as the way in which he And true to the prophecy, Irons room in Dallas, Texas – halfway things and they all
had risen. Many commented that he returned to the World Tour this home to Hawaii and his wife Lindy,
had “lost his fire” and after a terrible year, albeit as wildcard, with a new who is seven months pregnant. just became ‘stuff’.
performance in the Quiksilver Pro positive outlook, eager to show the It’s all about the
France 2008, he failed to show world his fire was still burning bright. In a fast and furious life, Irons
up for the following Mundaka The hush around Irons grew to a achieved more than most and
feeling I get from
event and announced shortly Teahupoo-worthy roar this summer, his death follows a remarkable riding waves…
after that he would not compete
on the 2009 World Tour at all.
culminating at the Billabong Tahiti
Pro, which he won with turns that
comeback that implied a wiser,
calmer and more content man had
That first wave is
recalled the golden days of yore. emerged. In a video uploaded 20 days the reason I think
Everyone had an opinion about In a twist of symmetry, Tahiti was ago by Billabong, Irons reflected on everyone keeps
Irons’ disappointing departure. ‘Too also where he won his first ever the ups and downs of his tumultuous
much partying,’ sceptics speculated. WQS event in 1997, aged just career and his reasons for surfing. going back.”
Photography: c/o Billabong

the ‘Dream Tour’, a 25-year-old
surfer from Kauai, Hawaii, soared
to victory and roused Slater out
of his competitive slumber. Six
GNARLY 22
Slater at Pipeline in one of the most
incredible finals in the history of the
ASP World Tour. Despite Slater’s
comfortable lead, Irons dropped into
‘Family commitments,’ came softer 18. He told Transworld Surf in an
suggestions. But perhaps Joel interview in September: “Five These last words should be his:
Arkinson, a man familiar with events in and I got a win — I still
slogging his boardriding guts out, can’t believe it! It was radical, once
23
 Friends of Leon Gallery in Australia is proud to
present a vibrant and exciting exhibition by leading
New York artist, Sara Blake, also known as ZSO.

Named one of the Top 100 female graphic

designers and illustrators in the world by Curvy
magazine, art director, designer and illustrator, Sara
Blake brings her latest works to Sydney, for her very
first Australia show.

sara blake
Her latest show, CONSTELLATIONS, reflects the
vibrancy and excitement of the New York landscape
with its colour, movement and texture.

friends
“While the subject of much of my art is women,
the art itself is really more about the world at large Sara Blake will be in Sydney for the opening
seen through these women. Just as there are of her brand new show and will be painting the
dualities in our experience of life, and there are windows of the gallery in the week leading up to

ofleonexhibition
dualities in my personality, my work inadvertently the opening night.
has adopted some of these qualities visually.”
For more of her work go to www.hellozso.com.
GNARLY 24 25