The Wave Sliders journal
ENTRY # 025
Written By: Adam Mar
Intro By: Jack Ventura
Last month, we featured friend and photographer Thomas LaGrega. Interestingly, this month's Wave Sliders Journal features many of Thomas's photos!
Thomas also introduced me to the author of this month's Wave Sliders Journal, and in this issue we’re lucky enough to link up with underground contributor to East Coast surf culture, Adam Mar.
Adam has a little shop located in a quaint drinking village with a fishing problem. However, his shop has a not-so-small collection of quality boards lining the walls, and his words pack a punch similar to the cocktails you might be served at The Dock, depending on who your bartender is and what your attitude is like that day…
So, enjoy this Wave Sliders Journal written by Adam Mar.
As I approach my 8th year as a store owner, I reflect on how long it’s been and how fast it’s gone. This year marks the 10th year in which I have made my namesake clothing brand my livelihood and in many ways, I feel like I'm just getting started. My wife and I had a discussion last year: “what does the future look like for Adam Mar as a business?", and as we spoke about the deliberate and methodical process I took in building this business, we both decided that the time was appropriate to take the next steps.
In my youth I was drawn to the wonderful surf magazines
and movies I grew up reading and watching- Surfer Mag,
Surfer Journal, Step Into Liquid, The Endless Summer,
Shelter, Young Guns….the list goes on. I was influenced
by pros, local shops and their team riders. The synergy
between all of them shaped my view on surfing and I have
a yearning to get back to these roots. This spring, I will
release the next step in Adam Mar, our first ever mag,
titled. ‘AM Surf’.
‘AM Surf’ will be constructed with stories of shapers,
surfers, artists, musicians, biologists and ecologists, etc.
The process of building the magazine has taken months of
arduous brainstorming to put together but I have been
fortunate enough to have some wonderful contributors
who are making this all happen.
What I am sharing below is an excerpt from a story in our
first issue, which will be released later this spring. I hope you
enjoy it as much as have enjoyed creating it.
"Both surfers and snowy owls thrive in environments shaped by nature’s whims. The owl, a silent sentinel, navigates the icy vastness with an elegance mirrored by surfers conquering tumultuous waves with finesse. Each adapts to the elements, embodying resilience in their distinct realms. The owl wintry habitat, akin to a surfer’s playground, showcases the symbiosis of adaptation and mastery. Both seek harmony amidst contrasting landscapes, fostering a shared respect for the interconnectedness of environments.
Snowy owls, majestic creatures with their pristine white plumage speckled with black, often migrate from their Arctic habitats to more southerly regions during the winter months. Long Island, with its varied landscapes, serves as an ideal stopover for these birds, providing ample food sources and open areas reminiscent of their native tundra. Their return to Long Island signifies not only a natural phenomenon but also a delicate balance within the environment.
What’s intriguing is the parallel between the movements of these elegant birds and the ebb and flow of the ocean. Surfing, a beloved activity on Long Island’s shores, heavily depends on the patterns of waves. Surfers keenly observe and anticipate these patterns, waiting for the perfect moment to catch a wave and experience the thrill of riding it. This synchronization between surfers and the ocean echoes the migratory patterns of the snowy owl, both relying on nature’s rhythms.
Snowy owls, or Snowies as bird watchers affectionately call them, have captured the attention of the surfing community. Surfers, early risers themselves, are a highly observant community watching weather patterns and ocean swells per chance to catch the reliable morning waves, have found themselves sharing the coastline with these magnificent creatures. As a side effect of their vigilance for waves, they have become scouts of the Snowies. The sight of a Snowie perched atop a dune or gliding gracefully over the shoreline has become an awe-inspiring addition to the surfing experience. These avian visitors become silent spectators, observing surfers riding waves reflecting their winter dance.
The connection between the return of the snowy owl and the existing surfing culture on Long Island isn’t just about coexistence, it’s about a shared appreciation for nature’s wonders. Surfers, attuned to the nuances of the ocean, have developed a newfound respect for these birds and their migratory journey. The presence of the owls serves as a reminder of the delicate balance within ecosystems, prompting surfers and beachgoers alike to become more conscious of their environmental impact. It is often surfers who spot migratory birds following a storm, disoriented and separated from their peers, a fallout. It is surfers who report a fish kill, a die-off of fish that impacts and entire ecosystem. Surfers and Snowies are allies in the balance of the Long Island shores ecosystem. In essence, the return of the snowy owl to Long Island intertwines with the lives of surfers in a beautiful tapestry of nature.”
My hope is that this mag will bring me back to what
originally shaped my surf lens: good literature, good
movie parts and good team riders to go along with it.
-Adam
What Adam's Stoked ON!
In The Surf Community:
Been having a fun time surfing a recent batch of Thomas Surfboards that came through the shop. Been riding a Keeper 2.0 this fall and winter.
In Thoughts And Quotes:
"It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest.”
-Sir David Attenborough
In The Faro Workshop:
I love small businesses that make cool things, and FARO is making really beautiful and functional gear. Keep supporting small businesses :) Keep supporting your community!
Find Adam on IG at - @adam.mar or visit his website.
Thanks for reading, ya'll! Look out for the next WAVE SLIDERS JOURNAL coming soon.
- Jack
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