Tuesday, April 27, 2004
We lost a friend today.
A friend with freakish talents and endless comebacks.
A friend that laughed and a friend that got mad.
A friend with a crooked grin and an infectious laugh.
A friend that never finished his soda but always finished his candy.
A friend that inspired everyone around him to surf better and skate better.
A friend that wrestled with my kids and play with my dog.
A friend who idolized his father, envied his brothers and thought the world of his mother.
A friend that never took his friends for granted.
A friend that will always be with us…
Brandon Yates was just 23 when he lost his battle with cancer on April 20th, 2004. His friends and family paid tribute to Brandon with a paddle out at Butterfly Beach. It was one of those beautiful warm and sunny Santa Barbara days with dolphins cruising the surf and even a whale surfacing on the outside. This silhouette is of Brandon. If you see it on someone’s board, or on the back of a car, you know we are thinking of him, surfing with him and laughing with him. -Darryl
My apologies for not getting the word out in time on the paddle out, and for condolences for those who knew Brandon.
Pope's News and Views:
With temperatures in the 80's and a solid south swell running anywhere but here, this seems like one of those days to see how your boss reacts to your own little version of "flex time."
Gaviota resident Henry Schulte, who sold Wetsand Magazine (now Blue Edge Magazine), has started a new surf photo site www.santabarbarasurfphotos.com which has local surf photos you can buy.
Unfortunately I also forgot to promote the latest meeting about the IV Parking Plan. They cleverly decided to hold it on April 14th, clearly knowing I would be cranking on my taxes. According to Scotty Bull the county is proceeding with full force and we only have one more time to express our dissent, which is Tuesday, May 18. Gary, just a normal non-activist guy, was so disturbed he wrote this great letter to the Goleta Valley Voice (it's the 2nd letter). In the meantime Scotty has drug up some local articles which you can browse here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Also, my rant on the Yakima Strap Thang has caused me to do even more research. My latest theory is that it works great for dawn patrol when the air is cool and the rubber straps have contracted, but after a long hot day on the car, they thermally expand and thus make my board fly in the air. If I re-adjust for this warm condition they will be too tight for dawn patrol. The search for the perfect strapping system continues...
link to this
Santa Barbara Surfing. Created by Tim Maddux. Continued by Pope.
