No. 5 Kyosuke Karube Hair California ~ Proposing a new beach style
Kyosuke Karube has a hair salon called ``Hair California'' near the Shonan coastline, and advocates an urbane style that brings you closer to the beach and surf every day. He is well versed in California surf culture and has styled the hairstyles of many icons including Joel Tudor and Alex Knost.
He himself has been devoted to single fin longboarding for many years and has refined his style, and his stylish riding has attracted calls from various brands. As a charismatic hairdresser who also possesses surfing skills that have never been seen before, there is no doubt that she is unrivaled. This time, we took a close-up look at the California surf style that influenced him, and also talked about his connection to snow surfing, which he has been hooked on in recent years.
I remember seeing a JJ Wessels log displayed on the ceiling of Hair California's Hiratsuka store about 10 years ago. How did you get that board?
When I went to California, I wanted to buy a board, so I went to a surf shop in San Clemente. Then I found it on sale second hand, so I bought it. After that, I had a chance to meet JJ and he also let me go to his house.
Was that during the filming of Cutback California?
I think it was about a year ago, when I was hanging out with my friends over there, JJ was there and we talked about going surfing at Church. So, after surfing together at Church, I bought a burrito or something for lunch and went to his house. We hadn't planned to meet at all, but when I was talking to him and saying, ``Actually, I bought a board yesterday,'' he said, ``Okay, I'll give you a fin, and you can use it,'' and he gave me a CAPTAIN FIN (lol).
The BD AQUATIC DIV. THE COMMONER that I recently got also has JJ's shape design, but is it different from the design back then?
I just got it and have only ridden it twice so I haven't been able to try it out on good waves so I don't know much about it, but the shape is similar. This is a soft top with an EPS core, so it doesn't feel like the glide of a classic log, but I think it's great for casual use. It's wide, but it's easy to turn, and it's stable for walking and nose riding. You can enjoy it even if you are a beginner who has just started surfing, or if you let your children or wife ride it.
Did you have a chance to cut JJ's hair after that?
Yes, we met and got a haircut during the filming of CUTBACK TO CALIFORNIA .
Tell us about the CUTBACK TO CALIFORNIA tour. How did it start and how many times have you done it?
The original idea for the cutback was something I had originally thought of, and the movie that inspired me when I first encountered surfing was ``Endless Summer.'' That movie is about traveling in search of an endless summer, right?
After all, I think everyone who saw it admired it, and I admired it a lot and was influenced by it too. When I was thinking about surfing in various places around the world and wanting to travel, I thought that if it were me, I would like to travel with scissors instead of just a surfboard.
Do you remember the first time you went to California?
Yes, I was 22 or 23 when I first went there, so it was about 20 years ago. In addition to surfing, I also had the opportunity to visit a shaping factory and a glassing factory, which was really inspiring. I went to the HOBIE factory and Moonlight Glassing. Also, Hank Beizak's factory, where he shapes Joel Tudor's boards.
Why back to Surfboard Factory?
After graduating from beauty school, I worked at a surf shop in Fujisawa for about a year before becoming a hairdresser. I've heard that if you get a job at a beauty salon, you won't be able to surf at all, so I thought I'd like to immerse myself in surfing at least once. I went to the local HOBIE factory through a shop connection and found the late head shaper Terry Martin there. I also met Tyler Warren, who was in high school at the time.
He also designed the store's logo, right?
Yes, Tyler is of course good at surfing, but isn't his talent for drawing amazing? I liked the feel of the painting and the graphics, so I asked him to do something like a sign for the store.
So, this is another opportunity, but I was allowed to go to Tyler's house. He had just bought a house, and his shape room, garage, and studio were all on the same property, and I was influenced by seeing that everything he wanted to do could be done there.
That's probably where I combined my current home and salon. Then, except when surfing, you can do everything you want to do at home.
How old is Hair California?
It started in 2011, so it's been 12 years.
The current store, Fujisawa HAIR CALIFORNIA -studio-, is near the Kugenuma coast, but how many years has it been in this location?
This place has been around for 2 years. I first started in Hiratsuka, then I stayed on Oahu for about two years, and then I stayed at the Eight Hotel in Fujisawa for five years.
What is the current location of the so-called Shonan?
As expected, it's good. I work from my home salon, so it's easy to make time for it. I also have more time to do what I love. I can go surfing before work or go to the beach for a short while.
Shonan is a place where the city and the sea are fused, and it's interesting because there are a lot of interesting people and people who are doing great things. I feel like I'm blessed with new opportunities. I think Shonan feels a little like California, and I feel like the people there are similar to California.
What made you focus on California?
The first person I admired was Joel Tudor. I saw the ``LONGER'' video and that's when I started longboarding. So I thought it was really cool.
What is the origin of the store's name, Hair California?
I've always admired California's surf culture and atmosphere, so I thought that if I opened my own shop, I'd want to get haircuts in a place that gave me a California feel. California has a laid-back, cheerful feel to it, which is cool. I think it would be great if we could offer that kind of California surfer style in Japan.
Are the hairstyles you offer also influenced by Californian surfers?
yes, I have. However, if you were to do a hairstyle with a California vibe exactly as it is in Japan, it might not be socially appropriate, so we don't just do the same thing. The lightness and weight of the hair, and the delicate balance of length. Also, when I use bleach to create mesh, I try to achieve a slightly sea-like dye. When I get a perm, I purposely wrap it in different sizes to recreate the natural feel of a natural perm.
Lately, it seems like you've been going to snowy mountains in the winter, but how long has it been since you started snow surfing?
It's been three seasons since I started snow surfing in earnest, but since the pandemic started, I felt like the number of surfers had increased tremendously in the ocean, which is why I started snow surfing in the first place. I felt kind of frustrated surfing in a crowded sea. It's not like I can't skate freely, or rather than riding the waves, it's like I'm just trying to avoid people.
So I thought I'd give snowboarding a try, and when I tried it, I really fell in love with it. From the second year onwards, almost every week in winter. After work, I head to the slopes at night, sleep in the car, ski in the morning, stay another night, and come back at night.
What is the appeal of snow surfing?
First of all, if you go to the ski slopes in winter, there will definitely be snow, right? I think that aspect is also very attractive. When it comes to waves, things may or may not be present. On the other hand, the thing about snow is that if you go in the winter, you can definitely ski, and you can ski for a long time and for a long distance.
Recently, some places have built 3D banks on the slopes. It feels more like surfing on snow than snowboarding.
I wonder if carving is attractive.
I like powder and wave banks. When it comes to banks, it's like surfing on a mit-length bike. The terrain is maintained, so there's no such thing as a damper in surfing. The shoulders and face have a certain angle, like surfing in Rincon or Malibu, and it makes you feel like you're riding a nice California wave. I also think what's fun about wave banks is that you can practice repeating the bottom turn and then the top turn.
Also, powder snow gives you the feeling of riding a longboard. People often say it feels like it's floating, but it's more like a pivot turn that puts weight on the tail fin.
I see. There are similarities between surf and snow.
They are both made from water, so they are similar. Also, snow has some similarities, as there are classic turns.
Also, backcountry climbing is all about climbing on your own without using a lift. When you do that, it feels like you're wading out to the outer reef in surfing.
I think skating on natural terrain is like a crossover, that mountains and the ocean are the same thing. Especially in Japan, where the mountains and the sea are very close, and because the mountains and the sea are so close, there are many opportunities for beautiful powder to accumulate. So if you like surfing, you'll definitely like snow. Summer is fun right now, but winter is also fun. I think it's nice that it's so exquisitely reminiscent of Japanese life. I've never snowboarded before, so I thought that if you were a surfer, you'd be at the beach in the winter, but when I heard that Japan has the best snow and that people from all over the world come to see it, I was surprised. , I feel like it's a waste.
What are your future plans?
I would like to make videos again. It's a project similar to the Japanese version of Cutback, and I'm thinking of setting the scene in the ocean and mountains. Of course, I'd like to include haircuts, and create something that conveys the wonders of Japan by showing surfers cutting their hair at the beach and snowboarders cutting their hair in the mountains!
Interview/Mio Kawazoe ● Born and residing in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from California State University, San Diego, surfing club. The son of a 1st generation Japanese surfer, he encountered foreign culture from an early age. For 10 years starting in the early 1990s, he lived between San Diego and Malibu, California, experiencing the longboard revival. After returning to Japan, he became the editor-in-chief of ON THE BOARD and worked on GLIDE and other magazine media. Until now, we have introduced real California logs and alternative surf scenes to Japan through our own network.