Thursday, July 2, 2009

ROCK N' ROLL WINDANSEA

from 1976 through 1981 Jim Weaver shot 16mm film
of the Windansea / Marine Street scene...
an unforgettable time for those of
us old enough to have lived through it.
i made this little edit a few years ago using some of Jim's
footage, using a live 1980 recording of the
legendary band Jonny Kat,
founded by the late Mark McCoy around 1979.
Jeff Bloom did the recording.
Other Jonny Kat members where Peter Kenvin,
Tommy Andrews, and Mike Parma.
Most of us were kids from broken homes...
16 years old and all sharing a 3 bedroom rental
on Draper street...
cliche'? not really...we did whatever we could
to get by and keep surfing the reefs. Schools out...
completely. Washing dishes
at the Chart House, where a dual finned Simmons
hung up on the wall... way beyond our comprehension.
At this time Rex Huffman's kneeboarding at Big Rock
on Lis fishes was some of the most advanced surfing going on
anywhere...he rode them at Pipe too.
The musical legacy of this area is another story,
almost as rich as the surf lore. surfers in this clip
are: Joe Roper, Chris O'Rourke, Peter Kenvin,
RK...at the tail end of the Caster singlefin era.

10 comments:

unidentified said...

great piece o' history.
Huffman was awesome.

Clams said...

Thats back before cops were introduced to pork. I've seen this footage a couple times and its better every time I see it. Peter is shredding soo hard on that guitar !!

RB said...

I was there!!!!!

TeePee said...

Classic! Thanks for posting it up.

Anonymous said...

yeah your lucky to have been 16 then.
now you cant get a job as a surf bum anymore anywhere and rent is thru the roof even on the oldest most roots house on draper.
its impossible. that is some mental guitar playing tho and you gotta love the joints,boobs, and brews
awesome video and edit guys

pushingtide said...

The Best.

Dead Man said...

Dead Man's!!!

SURF AMBASSADOR HENDO said...

This has to be the most epic video I've ever seen! I envy those who lived during such a rad time! Keep up the good work!

Unknown said...

What an F***in' brilliant time and place to grow up! Everytime I've seen that footage, I'm scanning the crowd looking for myself and friends. I'm sure I was at the party the soundtrack song was recorded at...whoever missed a Johnny Cat gig in those days?
I feel sorry for kids nowadays, and I wanna go back. ;-)

George Sanchez
Pumphouse Gang Class of '82

DB said...

Great memory. I was a pre-pubescent pip squeak at those Pumphouse July 4th parties.

You caught me off guard. "The late Mark McCoy" ?? I guess I'll find out somehow.