I am back in Cali after an epic trip to Europe, volcanoes erupting and red wine flowing. I was stoked to spend a lot of quality time with our Euro Team, Jean and Johanna. What a wonderful expression of partnership and friendship; this is what we all strive for "yes" - to do business with beautiful people and form bonds that run much deeper than the business itself?

We got some great surf, too, and I had my very first SUP session; I broke the paddle after about 30 minutes. I think it was a sign from God. Jean looked at me perplexed and said, "I didn't think those carbonate paddles could break?"

My life is filled with the seemingly impossible. We decided to test one of our bags and I zipped Jean up and tossed him off a cliff, check it out on youtube; viewer discretion is advised.

We drove into Spain and I got to see an old friend that I grew up with (last I saw him was 23 years ago), long live! I never even spoke with him instead, I sent him an email and he said fly here and I will pick you up. I got to the airport and nobody was there and I was like, 'what now?' He showed up; then we caught some fun waves in Northern Spain and we surfed our brains out. Nice little reefs. I am going back this winter and we are going to do some tow-in (yea baby).

I dropped in on the Kuntiqi boys at their shop (check out that Balsa B-board, haha). If you are in the area, please, go check them out (just outside Santander in Northern Spain), really cool cats that are doing the right thing all the way. They got some balsa boards that are DYNAMITE. I almost took one home with me. They shape them in Ecuador and finish them with bio resin (I think you could spread the bio resign on toast, eat it and NOT die). They are some of the most beautiful boards I have come across; we'll be offering them to the European market through the Wave Tribe Europe Online Store soon.

Back in Southern France, we met up with the Slide Tribe from Italy (the Italians got style) at our Straw Bale Wave Tribe Headquarters. The Slide Tribe will be representing Wave Tribe to Italy's 300+ shops and also featuring our eco surf products in their own shop in Venice, Italy (how cool is that). Oh yea, thanks for that bottle of red, guys, I really enjoyed it!

I am very honored to be connected to people with an eco vision and excited about what we are seeing happen at the grass roots level. We all have to work together to make this a better planet and life . . . oh that reminds me, I came across this video of Will Smith on youtube talking about life and I REALLY love it; this guy is so cool. You should watch it, really, no, really. I wonder if he surfs?

For more information about our ECO products, email me at: Derek Dodds info@wavretibe.com

Peace,

D-Style

Today everybody is certainly aware of the high cost of living, not regally, but just a simple life supplying a roof over our heads and food on the table. I recently came across a Prospectus from the G. S. Johnson Company of San Francisco California dated Sept. 22, 1909 just a little over 100 years ago. They were at the time selling stock in the Pyramid Oil Co. - a company that held oil rights in and around Ventura County. Much of the property was between Ojai and Santa Paula including the Sulphur Mountain area.

In the prospectus to potential clients, they made mention of the fact that at that time oil in California was already selling for a bit over 60 cents a barrel. They mentioned that practically none was sold below that price. The higher gravity refining oils often commanded prices ranging from 75 cents a barrel to $1.50.

The "Oil Industry" published in Los Angeles California had taken a poll of over 100 of the most prominent oil operators of the State of California, asking for an expression of opinion as to the probable market price of crude oil in five years. More than 90 percent, expressed the firm, believed that the average price within five years would be materially above the present quotation of 60 cents per barrel, and many declare that within that time it will not be less than $1.00 per barrel, and continue that high for all time to come.

Well it seems that those stalwart gentlemen were just a bit off with their predictions - all time certainly hasn't come as of yet and oil today is going for well over $100.00 per barrel. How do you suppose those gentlemen would feel if they knew that oil would go that far?

The stock in the Pyramid Oil Company at that time was selling for 25 cents a share. Just think, if our grandparents and great-grandparents had bought a few hundred shares back then, WOW! We'd not being scraping the bottom of the barrel to make ends meat.

Rellis Smith
rellis39@sbcglobal.net
www.californiachile.com

Posted: 07-01-10