We’ll be posting up a little Summer update on Nathan next week. But, for now, here’s a little somethin’ somethin’ that should tide you over:

Nathan Fletcher getting a nice one at Pipe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klW56C2FHtc

(If you can’t directly click on the link to view the video, just copy and paste. Simple as that.)

How to apply Astrodeck Traction Pads:

The surface of the board needs to be clean in order for the tape to grip properly. Many new boards have mold release or showroom wax residue that can cause unwanted oil based surface. Or used boards that had wax applied will also have an oil residue as well. To make sure that you have a clean surface, apply acetone or denatured alcohol, which will get rid of any leftover residue.

To apply the pad, rip the tape off and use the paper to push down between the grid patterns. The adhesive is a pressure sensitive tape, which means it needs to be applied with pressure. By pressing along each gridline, you will create a bond that will withstand almost any conditions.

Astrodeck prides itself on its top of the line tape that solidly adheres the pad to the board. The pad should outlast the life of the board if applied correctly.

Now get out there and surf!

Sincerely,
Herbie Fletcher

Happy Father's Day from the Astrodeck Family

Astrodeck has been family owned and operated since 1976. So we know a little bit about longevity, loyalty and the drive to keep it all together.

And through all the years of spectacular highs and dismal lows, the one thing that we’ve always been consistent and proud of is that Astrodeck has always kept it Fletcher. We’ve always held that bond; from Herbie to his own sons Christian and Nathan, to Christian’s boy Greyson, there’s a strong patriarchal influence and kinship that’s thicker than water.

This Father’s Day, we just want to give a shout-out to all of our friends, riders, fans, supporters and even the occasional passerby… because we know there’s a father in that mix somewhere. And whether your own childhood was memorable (or scarred) because you had the kind of dad who yelled at you about forgetting to turn the light off, or you had the kind of dad who got on your nerves and embarrassed you in front of your friends, or you had the kind of dad who gave you a break even after you messed up the umpteenth time, we just want to take this time to acknowledge all the dads out there. We know that they’re not perfect men but we hope that they at least tried.

And one last thing… if you were lucky enough to be that kid who hung out with your family at the beach, especially with your dad, make sure you let him know how grateful you are because of it. And if he was the kind of dad who pushed you into your first wave, give the guy a hug. Come on, don’t you think he deserves at least that?

Happy Father’s Day!

Here at Astrodeck headquarters, we’ve all pretty much come to the same conclusion; Herbie definitely takes top honors in the “Coolest Surf Dad” category.

And while your own dad may still be walking around in those Bermuda shorts and white knee-socks - so much so that you just wanna hide and shrivel up from embarrassment - come on, cut the guy some slack. Or better yet, help him up his cool factor by ordering him a pair of killer Astrodeck sandals.

After all, he is your dad.

Happy Father’s Day!

(Photo by John Salanoa)

Astrodeck team rider and resident surf grom, Ian Crane, killed the competition during Volcom’s “Totally Twisted Crustaceans of Metal” event that took place earlier this week in Newport Beach.

He swooped up the junior’s division and was a force to be reckoned as soon as the singlets were put on. And when all was said and done, Ian got a big chunky $7,000 payday. Not bad for a kid still in high school, huh?

Congrats, Ian! Yewww!

Straight from his win in Newps, Ian stops by Astrodeck for some pads.

You never know who’ll stop by our headquarters to pick up some Astrodeck traction pads. One week, it’ll be a group of traveling Chilean surfers. Another week, if the circus is in town, it could be a handful of the pros. And just yesterday San Clemente local and 1/3 of the tow-headed Guduaskas brothers, Dane, stopped by with his new housemate Masatoshi “Mar” Ohno, who just also happens to be the first Japanese surfer to ever crack the grueling WQS Top 40.

Both Dane and Mar have decided to have a go at trying out our front foot pads, and, in return, we’ve only guaranteed them a better success rate at going off and sticking it!

Here’s a photo of the boys posing with the CF 409 Front Foot pads. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! And it wasn’t even Christmas morning! (And you’ll also happen to notice Greyson in the background. He’s snarling because everyone’s ordering a ton of the 409’s and he can’t keep up with the demands. Either that, or he just has really bad indigestion from lunch.)

Mar and Dane got their CF 409's. What about the rest of ya?

Nathan Fletcher recently contributed to a pictorial featured on Surfline about his trip to Micronesia with brothers Nathan and Ivan Florence. Check out the link, and read the captions that Nathan wrote himself. And the pics are pretty killer, too.

Nathan Florence getting shacked. And, hmmm, is that Astrodeck we see on his board? (Photo by Daniel Russo)

(If you can’t click onto the link directly, just copy and paste.)

http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/micronesia-barrelfest_55030/

In the Mentawai Islands: Nathan going off and Bruce cheering on!

Nathan just got back from a surf trip to Costa Rica with Ivan Florence. (The pic above doesn’t have anything to do with the Costa Rica trip but we just felt like posting it anyways and, so, what you see is what you get.) Typical of Nathan, of course, he had a great time and made the best of it. Now he’s back in California for a spell; surfing local breaks and catching up with the family and being good ole eclectic Nathan.

So there’s your little Nathan Fletcher update as of now.

A rare Nathan Fletcher sighting.

We’re really stoked here at Astrodeck that we actually have a relationship and rapport with all of our team riders. In fact, we consider them friends first and foremost. How many companies can claim that their riders come to their offices to just hang out and get caught up and shoot the breeze? Not a whole lot.

As is often the case, we’ll get weekly visitors. You’ll never know who will pop up. We’ll have Reef Macintosh come over and get some sandals for his size 13 feet. Or Nathan will drop by with best buddies Mr. Buzz and Bruce Irons, or maybe Shane Beschen might bring his little groms and chat skate with Greyson. It’s like a constant who’s who of popular surf culture at Astrodeck.

In fact, Danny Fuller just swung by yesterday. He picked up some of our sandals; his favorites are the MG1 and the ML3, as well as some of his traction pads, the 405 Danny Fuller pads, both in black and white and black and green. He talked some art with Herbie and also told the A-deck crew about SUP guys doing tow-ins at Puerto Escondido. Haha, what a trip that is!

Danny likes the MG1 Sandal.

He also picked up some ML3s.

The 405 Danny Fuller Pad in Black & White

The 405 Danny Fuller Pad in Green & Black

Anyway, it was great seeing Danny - one of the nicest guys ever, and one of our favorite surfers of all time.

Danny Fuller gettin' some.

Christian and Nathan went down to Mexico with fellow surfer Brian Conley to film a commercial for the new 2011 Ford Explorer.

This is Part 3 of the commercial where the boys show us just why the 2011 Ford Explorer is the way to go for your surf road travels.

If you can’t click the link, just copy and paste it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRlOAMU_3yg&feature=related

Christian ready to surf.

Christian and Brian Conley showing us why the 2011 Ford Explorer is capable of nearly everything.

Nathan Fletcher; plugged in and strumming.