Stab’s last print issue featured this double-page spread of Julian Wilson using an Astrodeck front-foot traction pad. Julian tells the Stab readers about how Christian (Fletcher) gave him the pad and why he loves the grip so much. In Julian’s own words: “It felt like the best grip I’ve ever felt, like my foot couldn’t come off. I was hooked. So, now, I’ve just been using it on all my boards. It’s just really light and really sticky. I haven’t looked back since.”

Thanks to Elliot Struck and the guys over at Stab for shooting this over to us!

Julian Wilson on Astrodeck

Just uploaded. The D-Side Interview with Kolohe Andino.

Oh, girls can you just imagine??? SQUEAL!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3VL5Ph1mUg

The D-Side with Kolohe Andino: Part I

We’d like to give a huge shout-out of congratulations to one of our own, John John Florence.

If you haven’t heard by now, John John just snagged his first WCT contest win at the Billabong Rio Pro in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil with an impressive 16.37 tally over Joel Parkinson’s score of 11.44. To get to the victor’s podium, John John also went through a series of heats against Josh Kerr (in the semi-finals) and another one of Astrodeck’s favorites, Julian Wilson (in the quarter-finals).

This puts John John as #6 in the current ASP rankings while Parko is on top as Numero Uno.

The guys will be heading to Fiji next. And we can’t wait to see some more of the John John Florence Show. World Title this year? There’s a good chance. Future World Champ? That’s a definite.

Here are some frame grabs from the Billabong Rio Pro. Congrats again, John John!

Check out this vid clip of Greyson on Thrasher Mag’s home page. Greyson qualified yesterday and will be in the Pro-Tec Pool Party contest this weekend at the Vans Skatepark. The kid’s got style for miles.

Go out and support him!

http://www.thrashermagazine.com/component/option,com_hwdvideoshare/Itemid,90/lang,en/task,viewvideo/video_id,1607/

Well, by now you’ve all heard that Nathan killed it during the Billabong XXL Awards. The event took place at the Grove in Anaheim this past May 4th, and all eyes were on shy, unassuming Nathan.

Nathan was nominated for three categories: “Ride of the Year”,  ”Men’s Performance” and “Monster Tube Champion”, and true to Nathan’s fashion, when Dave Grohl and his fellow bandmates (of Chevy Metal fame) announced the “Monster Tube Champion” as none other than Nathan Fletcher, homeboy was nowhere to be found.

Heads were turning, eyes straining, the attending spectators both hooting and whispering in hushed tones; everyone wondering where the (unofficial) Surfer of the Year was. For a second there, we at Astrodeck even thought that maybe Nathan ducked out of the whole scene and just decided to go back home to hang with his dogs Mr. Buzz and Boopers. Sometimes it seems like surfing death-defying beastly waves comes easier for Nate rather than being publically acknowledged by his friends, peers and fans.

As Chevy Metal heckled Nathan for missing out on receiving the award - funny and awkward - and Herbie got up on stage as a last-ditch effort to buy some time (”Where are you, Nathan?”), the audience erupted into cheers as Nathan finally made his way through the congratulatory crowd and all their pats on the back.

Up on deck, in front of the masses, as he hugged his proud pops, Nathan was at a loss for words, but still in his typical humble mode as he rattled off his genuine gratefulness to those who mattered.

And thus kicked-off the Billabong XXL Awards…

A big round of applause to everyone who was nominated and to everyone who won. And, of course, we’re especially proud of Nathan. Way to go, Nate!!!

SONY XPERIA “RIDE OF THE YEAR”

WINNER: NATHAN FLETCHER/$50,000 (San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA) at Teahupoo, Tahiti on August 27, 2011. Video by Simon Saffigna/$5,000)

SECOND PLACE: RYAN HIPWOOD/$5,000 (Gold Coast, Australia) at Cloudbreak, Fiji on July 12, 2011.

THIRD PLACE: GREG LONG/$1,500 (San Clemente, CA, USA) at Puerto Escondido, Mexico on May 19, 2011.

FOURTH PLACE: JEFF ROWLEY/$1,500 (Torquay, Victoria, Australia) at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on January 30, 2012.

FIFTH PLACE: GARRETT MCNAMARA/$1,500 (Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA) at Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal on November 1, 2011.

Billabong XXL 2012: The start of the night.

Sunny Garcia

Makua Rothman and Mickey Nielsen

Nathan on the big screen.

Chevy Metal (or Foo Fighters. Kinda.)

Greg "Da Bull" Noll and a couple of Playboy Playmates.

The always charming Greg Long.

Not sure who the lady is. But that's Tony Hawk... as if you didn't know.

Bruce Irons, Keala Kennelly, and Christian Fletcher

And the winner is...

All these guys had a spectacular year!

Father and son: A proud moment.

We’ve just received our new inventory of Astrodeck t-shirts, and for this go-around, we thought we’d bring back some of our old school graphics - like the original Astrodeck logo, and the first shirt Herbie ever produced, the Carvin’ Marvin.

How’s this for classic? The Carvin’ Marvin features the late, great Marvin Foster. No one had a backside pig-dog the way Marvin did. Just a week in it’s first run and this shirt is nearly sold-out. Already!

(Above: The Astrodeck Carvin' Marvin T-Shirt)

We also just got in the original Astrodeck logo shirt in both black and heather gray with camo lettering. Sure, go ahead and buy those other brand shirts at Tilly’s or PacSun. Be like everyone else, you hipster donkey. Or you can strut your stuff around in this OG tee from one of the last standing (and still) family-owned businesses who actually surf.

(Abovie: Original Astrodeck T-Shirt in Camo Lettering)

By now you guys have heard that Herbie is working on a new Wave Warriors film. So on the premise of that, we’ve decided to get some Wave Warriors themed t-shirts rolling. Probably get a monthly WW shirt series in the making, too. Of course this shot of Nathan’s was a no-brainer and was our first choice.

(Above: Wave Warriors - Back and Bad! Featuring Nathan Fletcher)

Check out our complete inventory of other shirts and order by clicking on the link below:

http://www.astrodeck.com/store/category/tshirts/155.oa?osCsid=82fli8t7nt8f6sji84ko1e24c3

Timing is everything, and If you happen to be in the Encinitas area of San Diego, you just might come across this new Nixon billboard featuring our very own Nathan Fletcher.

Nathan Fletcher for Nixon Watches (Photo Courtesy of Nixon_Now Instagram)

Nathan Fletcher keeps going and going and...

Doesn’t look like the Nathan spotlight is going to fade any time soon. From international to national to local coverage, and even buzz around the water cooler, Nathan’s been the talk out of everyone’s mouth.

So why should Men’s Health be excluded?

The following is a link to a recent interview Nathan did with the mag. Read and enjoy.

http://news.menshealth.com/reach-new-heights/2012/01/04/?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-MensHealth-_-Content-MHNews-_-BiggestWaveEver

So if you haven’t heard about it by now, you will be soon enough. Yesterday Herbie gathered together some of surfing’s brightest surfers to start production on his new and upcoming Wave Warriors film that will be released in late 2012.

This happened once before with the original Wave Warriors photo shoot back in the mid-80s, but since then nowhere in the history of surfing will you ever see these cast of characters together for a group pic. Everyone from Rob Machado, Danny Fuller, John John Florence, Bruce Irons, Christian Fletcher, Nathan Fletcher, Julian Wilson, Kolohe Andino, Buttons, Rory Russell, Makua Rothman, Alex Knoxt, the Gudauskas Brothers, and a slew of others got in on the act. Oh, yeah, and some guy named Kelly Slater - whoever he is, he was there, too, as was reknowned artist Julian Schnabel.

If you couldn’t tell by the elite list, this was an invite-only shoot of the best surfers on the planet, with loving acknowledgement and memory going out to Marvin Foster, Andy Irons, and Sion Milosky as well.

Past, present, future… we are the Wave Warriors!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se-kjVywe4I

December 12, 2011: Off-The-Wall, Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Jim Russi