The other day, I watched from the beach as Steve took my daughter out to Waiohai for a surf session. The swell was coming in heavy, the chop was relentless, and most folks out there were fighting for their lives. Not Steve. He’d spring up on his self-shaped board, plant his feet closer together than any surf coach would recommend, and lean back like he was rolling a lowrider down Whittier Boulevard without a care in the world. When the wave closed out, he’d step off clean… no leash, no drama, just style.
Steve’s my closest friend on the island and the kind of renaissance man you can’t pin down. He’s a hot rodder, an artist, a surfer, a surfboard shaper, a story teller, and the host of one of the most wonderfully chaotic rock ’n’ roll shows I’ve ever heard on public radio. The man’s just good at everything and just like his surfing, he makes it all look effortless and more stylish than it should be.
We had dinner at his place the other night, and after the plates were cleared, he gave my daughter a crash course in surfboard shaping. While they worked, I wandered into his shop and started snapping photos on my phone.
I’ve always loved checking out other people’s workspaces, but Steve’s is something else entirely. Space is tight on an island, and when you work in a dozen different mediums across all kinds of projects, you’d expect chaos. But in Steve’s hands, it’s organized chaos. It’s artful piles of tools and supplies, all of it exactly where he needs it.
At the end of the day, it’s just a two-car garage in paradise. But standing there, surrounded by the salt air and the clutter that somehow isn’t clutter, I could’ve stayed for hours and just studied. Anyway, enjoy the photos:
