Patagonia Event: Kidman and Kenvin

On the stormy night of January 26, Patagonia of Cardiff hosted Australian renaissance man, Andrew Kidman, and Windansea local, Richard Kenvin, for a unique evening of surf stories told through the media of film and photography.

Before either of the presenters took the floor, Patagonia presented a generous donation to Friends of Rose Canyon, a local environmental group dedicated to protect Rose Canyon as a wildlife preserve and recreation site. The canyon is just north of the 52 freeway, near Mira Mar, and serves as a haven for local wildlife. To find out more visit www.rosecanyon.org.

Next up was surfer and independent film-maker Richard Kenvin. In recent years, he has been working on an exciting project which promises to be an insightful commentary on surfing history and culture. It is called Hydrodynamica. The attendees enjoyed a special treat as Kevin presented a short, never before seen, glimpse of the film. The footage focused mainly on the legendary Bob Simmons and his extremely advanced and off-the-beaten-track approach to board design. Kenvin brought in a replica of a stumpy, twin fin, fish-ish design that Simmons once experimentally shaped out of Styrofoam. A board smashed into a thousand bits was the result for Simmons, but Kenvin wanted to give it another try by making his replica more sturdy. The board, affectionately named “Casper”, appeared almost alien, resembling a giant white tongue. But the video proved that it could fly . . . and spin! The audience gasped and cheered as they watched Kenvin, surfing the replica, gliding with incredible speed and spinning 360s like nobody’s business. Andrew Kidman also was featured surfing Casper, and as he took Kenvin’s spot on stage, he commented that it was the fastest board he had ever ridden. (Check out an epic clip from Hydrodynamica at www.hydrodynamica.com.)

Thus emerged photographer, film-maker, writer, surfer, and musician Andrew Kidman. Kidman presented a slide-show of stunning photos from his new, limited edition book, Ether. Clicking through the photos, he related many fascinating stories, ranging from the comical to the downright heroic. And throughout the presentation, the audience was treated to a friendly back and forth between Kidman and Skip Frye. Skip showed up more than once in the show, first off the coast of Scotland and another time surfing with his female, Japanese team riders at Rincon. Also featured was four-time world title champion, Mark Richards. According to Kidman, Richards shaped a mere two boards for himself each of the four years that he dominated the competition. Look for Ether and other works by Kidman at www.litmus.com.au.

In short, it was a night at Patagonia not to be missed. Thanks to two cutting-edge and historically savvy artists, all in attendance were provided an unusually deep look at the multi-faceted world of surfing and shaping. Keep an eye out for Casper!