Amanda drawing a speedy line somewhere in the Central Cal mountains. Photo: Marano.
WORDS & PHOTOS David Marano
Being a photographer first, writing is one of my least favorite things to do in the world. This column is my fourth installment and every time I sit down to write I find it difficult to conjure the ideas in my head and put that down on paper. . . Thusly, Mr. Editor & Chief at Wheelbase Magazine is probably not the happiest with me and my tardiness with deadlines right about now. Ha ha! Anyway, when I asked Amanda Powell to give me her opinion on fluidity—how flow and lines are extremely important in both skating and surfing and how this all connects with the subtlety of longboard surfing and it’s cousin longboard skateboarding—her response had me like, Hell yes! Need I say more? Nope! Well, maybe I’ll write a bit more about Amanda in order to set up a small backdrop and some perspective.
Waxing the nasal for some ripple-ripping. Photo: Marano.
Negotiating trim and drawing a line somewhere in the waters off of PCH. Photo: Marano.
Amanda, enjoying the foundational footwork of the cross-step in it’s original habitat. Photo: Marano.
I met Amanda years ago and was fully hyped on her style and grace on a skateboard. She’s also a pretty epic human being all around. Not too many women, or men for that matter, have a style that emulates such flow and fluid movement on a board. Being able to see her first get into surfing, and now seeing her progression within that realm, has been totally radical to say the least. Not too many people can pick up a surfboard and progress the way she has in such small amount of time, so her opinion on the connection between riding boards on both land and sea is much admired in my book. Thanks Amanda for staying true to riding any which way you can.
Land or sea, walking the plank is pretty darn fun! Photo: Marano.
Amanda, about to drop into a steep pavement-peeler somewhere in Big Sur. Photo: Marano.
Full frother somewhere in Big Sur. Photo: Marano.
In my opinion, there is not much that can compare to riding waves—negotiating my movements with mother nature’s ever changing elements, it is flow in it’s purest form. With finesse and tact, I have been learning to swiftly adapt to every dip, slip, and slide, because the natural energy I am gliding on is ever changing. I chase waves down to the smallest slider. I would ride my own ripple just to be salty and submersed in the sea. However, I never forget that the pavement is always firing, and there are endless mountain roads and city streets to be surfed. Just as I prefer my surfboards to be long, it translates to my love of big skateboards. Bigger platforms provide more room to boardwalk, longer wheelbases make my movements slow and subtle. Whether I’m bombing a hill on my skate or simply cruising a parking lot, I find the same euphoria in connecting my mind and my feet without analyzing it much at all. Whatever step I make, slide I throw, or trick I pop, it just simply transpires itself and flows out of my being. I suppose because of that, surfing and skating are both my escape from the world, and the moments in between riding are my place for reflection and creativity. - Amanda Powell
Golden hour paddle-out while on the Coastal Rangers trip. Photo: Marano.
“One more. Just one more!” Wheels or waves, those who know, know. Photo: Marano.
Amanda. The Pacific Ocean. That’s all folks. Photo: Marano.
