No. 8 Devon Howard California Soul ~ Inheritance of Traditional Style
From the 90s to the present, Devon Howard has been riding longboards and mid-lengths with more style than anyone else. His roots are in San Diego, the same hometown as Joel Tudor and Mitch Abshire, and he is undoubtedly one of the inheritors of the authentic California style.
In recent years, he has also demonstrated his skills as director of the WSL Longboard Tour. In 2018, he became the marketing director for Channel Islands Surfboards, where he was involved in the development of the CI Mid, which became a best-selling mid-length model. This past October, Devon visited Japan for the second time in a row, bringing with him the CI Log, a new concept longboard he developed with Wayne Rich. We spoke to him about it.
I think a lot of Japanese surfers first discovered you through Thomas Campbell's film The Seedling (1999). How did you first come into contact with him?
I was first introduced to him by Joel Tudor when he was making a film with Donald Takayama ( DT ) with the late Michio Ishida. Later, the project ran out of funding, so they expanded it to include other surfers and it became " The Seedling ," and I was lucky enough to end up being cast in it.
How has Thomas, who is also an artist, influenced you ?
As a photographer and filmmaker, Thomas had a huge influence on my creativity. He always said that anything is possible, that no matter the situation, with creativity you can make even a bad wave look interesting. I've always been heavily influenced by the surfers and shapers around me, and by what artists like Thomas do.
(The Seedling tour w/ Jimmy G and T. Guerrero)
There was a longboard revival in the 90s, and the global longboard scene has undergone a major transformation since The Seedling.
I think Thomas helped realize Joel's vision for longboard surfing at the time. Joel, Donald and the two of them were everything, and without them the longboard scene wouldn't be what it is today.
Also, the other surfers who appeared in the film, like Matt Howard and Brittany Leonard, were great, and Tyler Hazzikian had also done great things individually, but I think by Joel reaching out to them together with Thomas, the film was able to reach a wider audience.
Joel is the king of modern longboard surfing. No one can deny that. We grew up together and he's had a huge influence on me, so I'll always be grateful.
You rode Donald Takayama's boards for a long time until he passed away.
I first met Donald ( DT ) when DT sponsored Joel, so Joel was about 12 and I was 14. I was still riding shortboards at the time, but I broke my hip that summer and was away from the ocean for six months. When I got back into surfing, I borrowed one of Joel's longboards and started surfing. He eventually sold it to me, but then I broke it at Windansea, so I decided to order a new board directly from DT . I eventually started being sponsored by him when I was around 19 or 20 , but we had a long and deep relationship before that, so I couldn't believe it when he suddenly passed away.
(with DT at old HPD shop. Oceanside, CA)
Why have you followed the longboard scene and loved this culture since you were young? Many young people may not know that you previously worked as an editor for Longboard Magazine, traveling to contests around the world, taking photos and writing articles as a surf journalist.
When I was a kid, longboarding wasn't cool at all. That's why I loved it so much (laughs). Now it's really cool, and I want to get better. I wasn't that good in my 20s and 30s , but I surfed my best in my 40s and I'm almost 50. I want to keep doing it. Now I have a great surfboard, so surfing is fun again.
Being a surf journalist, writing about surfing and taking photos was definitely the best job for a young surfer. I was full of energy, so I could just work hard, surf, and think about having fun. But as I got older, it became harder to maintain the same lifestyle. I started to feel physically exhausted and financially strained, so I switched to a marketing job (laughs).
You're here to announce your special collection at RHC Sendagaya and promote Channel Islands Surfboards (CI), and this is your second time in Japan, following your visit last year. What is your work like at CI in your home country?
CI is a small company, and I work in the marketing department, planning campaign strategies and running content for exhibitions, tours, and more, including social media . Last year, I was with shaper Britt Merrick and shortboard makers Tanner Gudauskas and Parker Coffin, and I was promoting the CI Mid, but this year I'm here alone, in order to introduce the CI Log to the Japanese public.
About CI mids and CI logs, which he also supervises.
CI has always provided the best boards to the world's best surfers. Now, that legacy has been passed on from founder Al Merrick to Britt Merrick, who has expanded the brand to make the best boards for all surfers in every category. The CI Mid has been one of the most successful designs on the market in recent years. While mid-length boards might seem like they're for the average surfer, we design with the goal of empowering people to surf the best they can. Of course, we also have top-tier riders like Mikey February riding them.
The CI Mid, CI Twin, and Triplane hulls are so great that I don't think I need any more mid-lengths (laughs). But in California, especially where I live, there are many days when the waves are small, so the reality is that even if I want to ride a mid-length board every day, I can't. I think it's the same in Japan as in California.
(CI Mid Twin. Leo Carillo, CA. 2023)
After the CI Mid was released, customers would ask me when I would build their own log model. At first, I wasn't sure if there was a place for it at CI . Because CI is a performance-focused brand, though, I realized that the single-fin log represents the highest level of performance in longboards today. So, I brought in my old mutual friend, Wayne Rich of Santa Barbara, and we completed the CI Log. After Donald passed away, I was at a loss for what to do, but after that, I rode Wayne's boards with Tyler and Thomas Bexson. He's a skilled craftsman and surfer. He's a shaper we trust deeply, so we can offer it to CI customers with confidence.
(CI Log. Ventura, CA. 2023)
This model is a single fin log that offers performance without sacrificing traditional elements.
As I said earlier, the best longboarders, whether they're in the WSL or duct tape, ride single-fin traditional logs. While high-performance longboards (with side fins) are still very popular in Brazil, Hawaii, and parts of Japan, the global trend is toward single-fin log performance. Wayne and I tested a total of 13 prototypes before finalizing the final design. It's not like someone looks at this board and thinks, "Oh, this is a copy of someone else's board" or "There's nothing special about it." From the outline to the rails, bottom, and fins, it's something special and we're absolutely confident in it. It's a log that combines speed, drive, and control, not to mention noseriding. Mikey February also has a CI log, and he's already mastered high-level longboarding. We can't reveal it yet, but you might see footage of him in the near future once he's satisfied with it. We're also currently testing a new log model, the CI Noserider, so we might be able to unveil it next year.
Before your job at CI, you were the Director of WSL Longboarding.
The story goes like this: Wingnut first approached me about how the WSL wanted to take longboarding from high-performance to more traditional, and asked if I'd be interested in helping. I thought it was a good direction, but I said, "No thanks" (laughs). I didn't think it was the right thing for me to do. It would be like telling a group of breakdancers, "Starting tomorrow, you can do the tango. We don't need breakdancing anymore." But after talking with Wingnut a few times, I changed my mind and thought it would be interesting if we could bring traditional longboarding to the tour.
How many years were you involved with the WSL as a result?
It took three years, three seasons in total. The reforms were a huge challenge, but the surfers, judges, and the organization behind them all worked hard together. I think the results speak for themselves. It was a completely different world champion than the previous ones. It would have been unthinkable for surfers like Justin Quintal, Harrison Roach, and Honolua Bloomfield to win titles in the women's category. It was also unimaginable that Joel Tudor would become world champion again. The world wanted to see surfing that wasn't just about trying to replicate shortboard moves on a longboard, and I think it was appreciated. Surfing is a very personal sport, and surfers should be able to express themselves however they like, but the WSL's move was wise. The positive momentum has continued.
During the talk story held during your visit to Japan, you spoke on the theme of "style."
Style is paramount in surfing because, throughout history, people have always valued beauty. Style is still important, and it always will be. And it's been that way in art history for thousands of years. That's why it's always been relevant. Scott Hewlett wrote a very insightful piece about this in TSJ: "The bottom line is that surfing to me isn't a sport; it's an art, and style is the expression of that."
(Grom Days. San Diego, CA)
What is the meaning of the surf scene and culture in your former home of San Diego, California? What has growing up in San Diego meant to your life?
"San Diego has a long history of surfing and surf design, and I'm very proud of that. My big goal growing up was to become a respected surfer at Windansea (in La Jolla). After surfing for many years as a member of the Windansea Surf Club, I think I achieved that goal."
Although I now live up north in Ventura with my family, San Diego will always have a place in my heart. It has shaped me as a person and it's a special place with amazing waves and a deep surfing history.
What does surfing and beach life mean to you?
Surfing and beach life are what we call a "privilege." I don't think many people around the world will ever experience or know the power and beauty of surfing and the beach. We should be grateful for the blessings we have, that we have health and the ability to enjoy the ocean every day. I visited Japan last year and this year, and it was great to see and experience firsthand how many people are passionate about surfing. The most important thing in my life is my family, but surfing and beach life will always be a close second. We are expecting our third child, a girl, in January of next year, and I can't wait to continue living a beach-centered lifestyle with my family.
(The Howards at Ventura, CA. 2023 Photo courtesy of RHC)
Devon Howard: Born in 1974 in San Diego, California, and currently living in Ventura. He is a California icon, along with Joel Tudor, who rides everything from single-fin logs to mid-lengths with style. He has appeared in classic surf films such as "The Seedling," "Single Fin: Yellow," and "One California Day." In recent years, he has also demonstrated his skills as director of the WSL longboard tour, contributing to the revival of traditional styles. In 2018, he became the marketing manager for Channel Islands, where he is involved in the development of the CI Mid CI Log.
Interview: Kawazoe Mio: Born and currently living in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from the University of California, San Diego, surfing club. With a father who was a first-generation Japanese surfer, Kawazoe encountered overseas culture from an early age. From the early 1990s, she lived in San Diego and Malibu, California, for 10 years, experiencing the longboard revival. After returning to Japan, she became editor-in-chief of ON THE BOARD and worked on GLIDE and other magazines. Using her unique network, she has introduced real California logs and the alternative surf scene to Japan.