Now, we wouldn’t take ALL the credit, but it’s pretty cool that a week before the US Open, Kolohe Andino stopped by the Astrodeck Office to pick up some of our traction pads for the contest. Heat after heat, he became the giant killer, and found himself in the semi-finals where he was eventually taken down by overall 2nd place finisher, Yadin Nicol.

Kolohe Andino with some sweet Adeck on his board.

Kolohe again. All grip, no slip. That's Astrodeck for ya!

And speaking of Yadin, check out the pic below as he prepares to leave the competitor’s area and hit the water. Looks like the Aussie contender jumped on the Astrodeck bandwagon. Yeah, you like that, just as much as we do, dontcha? That board looks really solid with the Adeck.

Congrats on placing 2nd, Yadin! And a bigger congrats for using the best surf traction in the world!

In fact, we’re stoked that a lot of guys who were riding Astrodeck did pretty well overall: Ian Crane, Shane Beschen, Timmy Reyes, the Gudauskas trio, etc.

Pretty good representing Astrodeck, guys. Pretty damn good.

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?

So anyone who knows a lick of surf history knows that before it became the notorious Volcom Pipe House, it was Gerry Lopez’s and Herbie Fletcher’s pad first. And it’s safe to say that all throughout the 80s, anyone who was anyone in the surf world walked through the doors of that house. People from Johnny Boy-Gomes to Dane Kealoha, Martin Potter and Kelly Slater. So many notable, talented riders and characters. Much of the Wave Warriors grew into infamy from the sands in front of Pipeline and Backdoor; it was the best of times with debauchery run amok on land and sheer, unfiltered bravado in the water.

Fast forward a couple of decades. Time flies but good times never die down. Some faces have faded but as is always the case, that only means new ones emerge. Many of Astrodeck’s team riders haunt the Pipe House compound and still dominate with their presence. And no one has forgotten that Herbie and the Pipe House go hand-in-hand, rich in a timeline of history.

Volcom’s own Bruce Irons recently went on a trip to the Mentawaii’s with Herbie. And after coming back home from that epic journey, Bruce called Herbie up and personally invited him to join the Volcom Pipeline Pro that’s taking place now. Because, come on…how can you do an event like that and not involve Herbie Fletcher? That’s just wrong.

So this five-star WQS event started today and the conditions are…eh. The winds aren’t a big factor today, they’re kinda light. And the waves are looking choppy, junky with sand on the reef and double-ups. Not ideal. Guys who are regulars out there are getting scored 1.6 and 2.3’s. Anyway, been getting all this coverage by watching the live webcast (www.volcompipelinepro.com). Herb was invited to do some commentary, an opportunity to give a rich detailed history of having been one of the first people to surf Pipeline back in the day, and also talk about the good ole Pipe House during its heyday of yesteryear. Herb’s also going to be surfing the event right before the finals. That’s always cool. And, you know, he’s still the only guy his age who’s not afraid to charge Pipe…on a longboard!

Yeah, Herbie! Can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back.

Below is a piece that was writen by Volcom about the Pipeline House:

On Thursday February 8, 2007 Volcom purchased one of the most famous houses in surfing history. The three-story home is situated directly in front of Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore. It was once home to legendary surfers Gerry Lopez and Herbie Fletcher and has been an icon in the surfing world for close to three decades. It will now serve as Volcom’s second residence in front of the world renowned surf break.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our team riders, coaches, product developers, and the entire marketing program,” said Richard Woolcott, Volcom’s president and chief executive officer. “It’s also a great honor to carry on the legacy of the house that Gerry Lopez and Herbie Fletcher made so famous.”

The new home will be headquarters for Volcom team rider Bruce Irons and other top Volcom surfing professionals during the winter months while they train for the Triple Crown of Surfing and maximize their exposure during the north shore season. In addition, the house will be used as an R&D center for product design, testing and retailer roundtables. The original Volcom House will continue to accommodate the majority of Volcom’s domestic and international up-and-coming team riders.

“I can’t believe that we even had the opportunity to purchase this historic house,” said Volcom’s vice president of marketing, Troy Eckert. “Just thinking about the legends that used to call The Pipe House home is amazing. I can’t wait for our team, and especially Bruce, to enjoy the house. It’s a dream come true.”

“We are all so lucky to have both places and ensure our presence at Pipeline. We wanted to give Bruce and the team the best place to live in the winter,” said Volcom’s surf brand manager Brad Dougherty. “This is a very exciting step for our surfing program.”

Volcom team rider Bruce Irons said, “Growing up as a kid we saw this place in all the videos and we could only dream about what it was like. That dream has become reality and we now get to live it for the rest of our lives!”

Volcom Hawaii sales rep, Clint Moncata said, “From the ghettos of V-land to the beachfront at Pipe, never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted we would be part of one of the most famous houses in the surfing world. The new Volcom Pipe House is a reward to our Volcom Hawaii surf team for always believing in the brand!”

“The community up-roared when we bought the first house and we proved that we fit in. We all hung out at this house when we were kids and this was the only place we knew. Now we are back and in full effect. Check mate… bring it on!” said Volcom Hawaii ambassador Kai Garcia.

“This place and this house are full of Hawaiian surfing history. I’m proud and humbled to be a part of it. Volcom will continue the history from this incredible site,” said Volcom Hawaii team coach Dave Riddle.