Blake Neka's Playlist
The Deflow ambassador playlist serie is on ! This time we sat with our Australian favorite surfer Blake Neka to ask about his music taste and to make an exclusive playlist for us. Play it now below!
Follow Blake Neka on Instagram.
- Hey there Blake ! How are you doing?
All is good over my ways dude! Hope same goes for you.
- We wanted to know the different music taste from our family members. How would you describe yours?
Haha I feel like not everyone can back my music taste but most days I listening to Drill, Aussie drill/rap, Grime, R&B and some classic Micheal Jackson. I got influenced by this type of music from the area & boys I grew up with/in and I ain’t complaining !
- What do you listen to before surfing?
Most days I like amping myself up w/ some aussie/UK drill lol, I can imagine people reading this and thinking “tosser” haha. It all kinda depends what type of surf I’m wanting to have really, if I were wanting to cruise down some lines instead of trying to hack myself at an end section the music selection pre surf would definitely be a bit illchay.
- Do you play an instrument?
I definitely go in & out of phases where I wanna learn a instrument but then come to realise I can’t be bothered learning. At first it was a saxophone in school lol, then guitar that’s been sitting in my room collecting dust for about 4/5 years. Massive fan of the piano tho.
- Name your favorite artist no one knows about.
Huskii.
- What song do you have on repeat?
I’m always choppin’ and changing through songs but it would definitely have to be something from Skepta or Huskii.
- If you had to choose to listen one album forever, which one would it be?
Thriller by Micheal Jackson or Skepta Konnichiwa.
- About the playlist you have prepared, how would you describe it?
Mix of emotions throughout the playlist. Could be listening to some pretty violent stuff then switch into to some MJ or chill R&B haha. Not really a surfers playlist but hey I don’t care haha…
BRAIDEN’S FAVORITES
Oscar Valencia Q & As
Oscar Valencia is a self made photographer & filmmaker with a unique background. He enjoys capturing the waves from the sand but doesn’t doubt on entering into the break in a good surf session. Black and white pictures and barrels are his weaknesses and probably the majority of his pictures.
As we have just introduced a new creative collaboration with Oscar, we took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his roots and inspirations.
Follow Oscar Valencia on Instagram.
- Hello Oscar! First of all, how are you doing? We are so excited to finally launch the collab together?
Hello, how are you? I am feeling very well, I am living a very nice time, especially now with the launch of our collaboration. I am very happy!
- Could you explain us a bit more where you come from and which has being your path?
I come from Irun, a city next to the French border, where I started surfing on the beach of Hendaye. It was a time when we didn’t know what waves there were, but where we got hooked on surfing. Then I changed the sea for the mountains where I spent a long time, enjoying and competing but I wanted to continue my life linked to the sea.
- Snowboarding and surfing from early age, how has this inspired your career?
Yes, I got into surfing when I was 13 but until I was 18 I could hardly go because I was playing football, until I decided that what I wanted to do was surfing. Then when I was 21 I did my first winter season and that’s where I got hooked and decided to enjoy the mountains for a few good years. Until I decided that that time was over and I wanted to feel the surfboard on my feet again!
- If you could travel to any place in the world to film, where would it be?
I haven’t travelled for a long time, but I would love to go to Hawaii or Mentawais. Ireland is also a destination I’m really looking forward to.
- We assume you must have incredible stories while filming with surfer. Could you tell us one of the best moments you remember?
Yes there are always good moments but also some not so good…ahahaha an incredible memory was in Teahupoo, while the biggest wave of the day was coming in, the ball of my leg went up, and I could hardly swim, there were tense moments but seeing the biggest and most beautiful wave I’ve ever seen in my life and being able to take a picture of it in front of my face, was a special moment.
- Do you have some new projects coming soon? Talk us about them!
I have some good projects to come, but right now I’m finishing a very special project about the erosion and textures of the mountain where I live. All shot in 16mm. I think it’s going to be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever done…but we’re also starting a nice project with Deflow and Clovis, where I’m sure we’ll do something very special.
- Could you explain us your filming and editing style?
Well, I consider myself to have a slightly different style of filming and editing, I come from the world of snowboarding, where every video transmits something to you, something that sometimes doesn’t happen with surfing, I try to go a bit further…. It’s very important to know what you want to film in order to know how you want to edit. I think that editing is where you can really make magic…
- Thank you so much Oscar for been part of Deflow Family! If you want to add something more…
I would like to thank you for counting on me and it is a pleasure to be part of this family.
Oscar Valendcia x Deflow // Signature Model
A twin fin model has been designed for easier and more vertical turns than on the classic keel twin.
Braiden Maither's Playist & New Video
Here’s some news from our favorite Hawaiian surfer and Deflow family member, Braiden Maither. After a bad injury, our mate is back ! He dropped a few weeks ago a solid part after spending winter in Hawaii and two weeks in Indonesia. Deep barrels, powerful turns and high aerials, here’s what Brandon is skilled at and this edit is so good to watch.
We also took the opportunity to ask Braiden about his favorites tunes. Get his vibes with his Spotify playlist & take some time to watch his amazing edit. You’ll definitively get some strong motivation to go surfing!
Follow Braiden Maither on Instagram.
- Hey there Braiden ! How are you doing?
Good! Just waking up getting ready for the day!
- We wanted to know the different music taste from our family members. How would you describe yours?
I love hip hop music. Massive fan study everything about the genre. So that’s the majority of music I listen to. There’s a huge underground movement of great artists in the last 5 years and I am highly invested in it. But don’t get me wrong I love some good house music, reggae, and punk on its day too.
- What do you listen to before surfing?
I’m going either hip hop or reggae if I’m on a roots mellow surf!
- Do you play an instrument?
I mess round with making beats and flipping samples. Pretty mediocre at it but I have a lot of fun.
- Name your favorite artist no one knows about.
Mach-mommy or Mike probably, although Idk if no one knows about them haha…
- What song do you have on repeat?
Wiley From Atlanta (Pink Skies Demo)
- If you had to choose to listen one album forever, which one would it be?
Either Isaiah Rashad-Cilvia Demo or Damian Marley-Mr. Marley.
- About the playlist you have prepared, how would you describe it?
Mostly upbeat fun music to listen to or some low key jams. A lot of pockets to go about your day with.
BRAIDEN’S FAVORITES
Welcome Ambre-Victoire
This feels very special. Ambre is a really special person, a free & creative mind that has a beautiful singularity on both surfing and in her daily life. There’s not doubt about it, she is probably one of the most talented surfer of the new log generation and her victory at the The 2022 Vans Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational in South Africa has confirmed it.
Soulful, elegant and powerful. Ambre mixes surfing with ballet, dancing in the water and expressing herself while surfing, as she is saying it herself:
“Ballet fully relates to longboarding. It’s dancing on the water. It’s more of an expression than a sport. It’s just like dancing.”
Thanks for joining the family and welcome Ambre ! More to come soon.
Follow Ambre-Victoire on Instagram.
Filmed and edited by our amigo Oscar Valencia.
AMBRE’S FAVORITES
Juan Díaz Faes Q&As
Born in Oviedo (Spain) Juan Díaz-Faes grew up drawing before studying Fine Arts at the University of Salamanca and, later, developing his career in graphic design, illustration, and muralism. Since 2017, cities such as Paris, Miami, Austin, Guangzhou (China), Punta del Este, Hamburg, Seoul, Madrid and Santander have had large-scale murals signed by this artist.
Juan Díaz-Faes has exhibited solo at the Point Éphémére center in Paris and at the Conde Duque Cultural Center in Madrid. His last group exhibition was at the Hyundai Museum (Seoul) and previously he has visited cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Taipei.
The stories contained in Díaz-Faes’ bustling patterns are born in Le Cluf, the artist’s studio and creation space located in Castanedo, a small town in the province of Cantabria (Spain)
Follow Juan Díaz-Faes on Instagram
- Hello Juan! First of all, how are you doing? We are so excited to finally launch the collab together!
I am also very happy that the collaboration is coming out. I already have the fin in my possession and it looks beautiful.
- Could you explain us a bit more where you come from and which has being your path?
I am from Asturias (northern Spain) since I was little I always liked surfing and art. Although I was better at drawing than surfing haha. I studied Fine Arts in Salamanca, and since 2005 I have dedicated myself to drawing. I can’t even believe it. A few years ago, I moved away from the world of illustration a bit to focus more on personal projects and do more artistic work. Since 2017 or so, I have only done personal projects and I hardly take orders anymore.
- Could you explain us your art style?
My artistic style comes from the world of comics, illustration, and advertising. I work with flat, not very pictorial colors. I am figurative by default, I always like to make characters. I am very interested in chromatic contrast, light/dark, and I always try to work with a single ink (not more).
- How did you came up with the : | ?
For the fin, I used a fish pattern. Based on the mathematical patterns of M.C. Escher, I made my own one of white fish, which transform into black fish without the viewer realising it. In this case, since the pattern is marine, I thought it suited the fin very well.
- How does surfing help you on your artistic process?
Surfing greatly influences my work; If there are waves, I don’t work haha. But regardless of what conditions my schedule (which luckily I don’t have) it also affects being patient, waiting for the good idea (wave), daring little by little to do something you haven’t done (surfing other places or bigger waves)… adding to the fact that surfing, as a general rule, has a young and risky tone that I think art also has to have, regardless of your actual age.
- Taipei, Seoul, Paris,… how did you ended up showing your work in so many places?
YLuckily my work was liked a lot, and little by little people got to know it. Among them is the SOLO Collection, which has supported my work for years and helped me in many of the international projects that arise. Thanks to them, without a doubt, I reached all those crazy destinations. It’s incredible to see Spanish talent in some of the most iconic cities in the world. Could you tell us the next place you are going to be featured? Well, I’ve been exhibiting in Japan for a couple of months, I just landed (2 days ago) from Mexico, this week I open another Expo in Tokyo… the truth is that the pace is going crazy. Actually, couple of the fins from our collab will be present in Tokyo. If you are around Shibuya, you need to pass by 🙂.
- Thank you so much for your time Juan! Looking forward to see you soon and make a small expo with our collab somewhere in the world. I’m sure we’ll see you soon. At the moment, the fin is already in Japan hehe !
Díaz Faes x Deflow // Cream 9,75
The collaboration between Juan Diaz Faes and Deflow brings you a unique design on one of our best longboard fins, the Cream 9,75.
Flex: Little
Welcome Kanaiya Webb
We are really excited about this one ! Kanaiya Webb is this kind of young gun who is catching your eye in the water after seeing him surfing just one wave.
Clearly inspired by the surfing modern era (Dane Reynolds, Dion Agius, Kai Neville movies, etc.), his surfing is both powerful and aerial. From Gold Coast area in Australia, it’s definitively an honor to welcome this young talent to the Deflow family.
Watch his welcome video edit below and learn more about him by reading his interview.
Follow Kanaiya Webb on Instagram.
- Hello Kanaiya, how are you doing? First of all, Welcome to our family! Could you introduce yourself? For those who doesn’t know you, who is Kanaiya, where you come from, etc.
Hey, I’m good thanks. Really stoked to be part of the Deflow team. Thanks for inviting me on board.
My names Manu Kanaiya Webb. I’m from Northern NSW on the Tweed Coast of Australia.
I grew up about 20 minutes from the beach on my grandparents property. Had a pretty sweet up bringing. Surfing was always a huge part of our family. Dad would take us surfing, while mum was on the beach filming. We were homeschooled so a huge part of our day was surfing, watching our clips and making little edits, haha !
I never did comps or anything like that. I just had fun surfing with my mates and wanted to surf the best I could to impress my uncle Rangi.
- This is sick! As we can see in your videos, waves are super fun where you live! Where do you normally surf?
Yeah there is a good selection of waves around where we live. I mostly surf on the Tweed Coast wherever there is a good bank and you can usually get fun uncrowded waves. I try stay away from Snapper and D’bah cause it’s so crowed, but when there’s nowhere else to surf I’ll surf there.
- We’ve seen that normally mum, dad or your sisters film most of the clips you launch on YT. Could you explain us the process of filming for a clip? Are you editing most of the edits?
Yeah I do all the editing myself. My Parents both love to film so that’s been so skiitzz. My sisters also like to film when the waves get too big for them, so I’ve been pretty lucky with having the family keen on filming.
About a year ago I decided to start my own Youtube channel and started dropping a little clip every 3 months. I feel like it’s a bit more substantial than just posting on insta and its gone in like a minute or so. So yeah just surf heaps and film regularly and have a good time.
- Could you tell us how you started editing and stuff? Where does all this creativity come from?Could you tell us how you started editing and stuff? Where does all this creativity come from?
From a pretty young age I loved coming home after a surf and making up little edits to show my uncles. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing. I feel like it has pushed my surfing and helped me to improve. I guess my inspiration comes from the Fun Boys, Kai Neville and Dane Reynolds Marine Layer and Chapter 11.tv.
- Style is key for most of the surfers. How would you describe a stylish surfer? Which are your inspirations regarding this?
Yeah I reckon style is definitely important. Someone that has good flow, power, speed and freakishness is how I would describe good style. Dane Reynolds, Taj Borrow and all the Rage boys and my uncle Rangi Ormond are where I draw inspiration from.
- We’ve seen you use kind of “retro” shortboards. Could you tell us a bit more about your shapers?
I would like to give a big thanks to BK shapes ( Bruce Kay ). So grateful to be working with him. BK is a local shaper in tweed and has been shaping 29 years for the big brands but has been doing his own thing for a while now and shaping out of a converted horse stable. He reached out to me a few years ago and we have been working together ever since. He is super humble and extremely talented shaper. I’ve been loving riding his boards and working with him.
- You turned 18 recently, right? Which are your plans for this year? Any surf trip around?
Yeah just turnd 18 end of January. I’m in New Zealand at the moment, then heading to Hawaii for a month through February and possibly a Quiksliver trip to the States while I’m up there. I am pretty keen to do an Indo trip this year as well. So yeah a few things to look forward to and hopefully drop a couple clips and just have a good time.
- Now talking about your relationship with Deflow, could you tell us a bit more about which are your favorite fins and equipment?
Yeah was stoked when you guys reached out to me. I really like the look of the company, quality of your products and the style of your brand. All the products I have tried are working like a charm! I have been using the Pulse Large fin, which go really well and the leggies feel really good and like the feel and look of the grip pads stoked!!
- Thank you so much Kanaiya! It’s an absolute pleasure to have you onboard.
Thank you guys so much! Stoked to be on the team and looking forward for the next few years to come with you guys!
KANAIYA’S FAVORITES
Community of Surf Enthusiasts: Vero
Collaborations don’t always begin in our offices. This time it was a surprising message from one of our non-official ambassadors. “Hey I love this picture, would you mind sharing the original file so I can make some prints on riso paper?”
Vero is a graphic designer and artist based in San Sebastian. Enthusiast about the creative processes, the ocean and skate, Vero brought us this amazing print from the collab with Dead Kooks.
It’s amazing to look back and see the community we are building together, from our love to the sea, design and simple life. This is why we wanted to introduce you to Vero, and open this new chapter of the “Community of surf enthusiasts” serie where we will be sharing different profiles of people from our small community !
Watch the video to learn more about Vero and see the story behind her connection with the Deflow community below .
“My name is Vero, originally from Germany. Since a kid my sister and me liked to draw or to create things together out of different material, to explore no matter the outcome. So after school I travelled because I had no clue what to study or which field to work in. I decided to study graphic design and in my semester breaks I was working as a surf instructor. This is how I ended up in Donostia (San Sebastian).
Most people I collaborate with I met through surfing or skating. I fully appreciate when people surf or skate in their own way. It’s a form of art, expressing yourself in your own unique style. I like to create with others and explore new fields & mostly enthusiastic people are my main inspiration, when you start talking, creating an idea in your head, sketching it out and frothing about it to try to make it a reality, as well the struggle of learning new materials, techniques, asking other people for help. Sometimes you fail and sometimes it works it’s all part of the process. Like here in this Garage we have shared space to screenprint, develop pictures, tufting, shape and learn from each other. Where my friends started showing me how to build my own boards.
Deflow always had some good imagery and I liked how they value artists. I especially loved their incredible shots of the fins, when they collaborated with Dead Kooks.
One day in Zarautz I met Joseba (part of Deflow) in the water and through a friend we got together to print one of pictures in A3. At the same time I joined the Riso summer school in Bilbao of “another press printing studio” and as a result fell fully in love with this technique. I knew immediately that this image just needed to be printed with riso. So Begoña from Another Press helped me realise that vision. (In Tabakalera, there was another riso group founded to investigate and experiment. It’s generally an amazing place where people can connect, meet, learn, create & investigate together.)”
This is the result, a beautiful A3 with one of our highlight collaborations.
We didn’t expect someone from the community reaching us and making this amazing present. This is why we want to share it with all of you.
The next 15 orders will have a print as a gift. Be fast 🙂 !!
VERO’S FAVORITES
Twin Fin Lovers
Manu Mosteiro and his girlfriend June Erostarbe have been in Costa Rica for some months already enjoying playful waves and warm waters.
In this edit both riding twin fins and drawing amazing lines with the Mid template, perfect as an intermediate option between the classic Keel and the Duette models.
MANU’S FAVORITES
Laura Coviella in HT video
Here’s the last Laura Coviella video project. HT that stands for “Hopefully Tomorrow” but that is also a reference to Hollow Tree, famous surf spot in the Mentawai Islands.
It’s where Laura spent some intense surfing times along the past months. And well, let’s be honest, after struggling with variable forecast and some solid wipe outs, the full edit is just mind blowing.
Laura’s surfing keeps being more and more powerful along the years. She’s always looking to improve her skills in solid conditions and we can definitively see the result !
LAURA’S FAVORITES
Welcome Ruben Vitoria
We are happy to introduce Ruben Vitoria in the Deflow Family, a pure talent focused on finding the best surfing. We love Ruben’s spirit, always with a smile on his face, while he searches for the best waves. Doesn’t matter if waves are knee high or gnarliest barrels, he likes to spend his time in the ocean.
Watch his welcome video edit below filmed by our friend Oscar Valencia and learn more about the talented surfer by reading his interview.
Follow Ruben Vitoria on Instagram.
- Hello Ruben! How are you doing? Seems like you had a few intense weeks in the Canary Islands. What you have been up to?
I am great guys! How are you doing? Right now I am competing in the Canary Islands. It’s being 3 weeks competing around here. I like to call it the Spanish triple crow. The first contest was in Punta Blanca, a wave that is like a skatepark. Great for doing airs and big manoeuvres and when there is a swell there are some good barrels. We have had incredible waves in the first champ. I was surfing great and got a 5th place. The next contest was on the left of Las Americas, a perfect left for turns. Super easy to surf. I got a 3rd place and many high scores. The last contest and the one in which it is decided who will be the champion of the league will be held this weekend on La Cicer beach in Gran Canaria. A fun beach break. The forecast is good for the championship, I hope I can get it home 🙂.
- Ok, for those who don’t know you, tell us a bit more about yourself. Where do you come from?
I describe myself as a pure passionate for surfing. I like to surf, I don’t care if I surf 0.5m or surf 5m waves. As long as there are waves I am happy. I am from Zarautz, Basque Country and I am 24 years old. My goal is to be one of the best surfers in Europe.
- That’s sick. We’ve seen you have been super active on competitions and with good results. Which is your plan for the following year?
I want to be at the top of the challenger rankings. I have decided to move to Portugal this next year so I can focus on good waves and training, let’s see if it works!
- Trainning for all this comps must be hard and you must be very sharp when choosing your surfboards, fins and other accessories. Can you explain us which fins you’ve been using recently and why?
The level is very high and the difference between one surfer and another is very small. In order to be at the top of the rankings you need the best possible material. Now I am lucky to be able to work with Deflow and try different shapes of fins. I am very happy because it allows me to improve my performance. The fins that I like the most are the Supra L. They are 4×4 fins that allow me to surf small and big waves.
- We’ve seen one of the barrels you got in Safi on this sick edit by Oscar Valencia. When was this? Was it a planned trip or a last call adventure?
This was 3 weeks ago, at home the forecast was bad, stormy and cold. But at the same time, that same swell in Morocco looked extremely good. I had never been to Safi and it was a good opportunity to debut in this magical wave. The swell wasn’t amazing at the end but we were able to catch some good barrels. The first day it was too big and big sets didn’t have proper barrel. The second day of swell, it was smaller and there were better waves. I was lucky enough to catch one of the best waves of the day.
- Men, Morocco is an amazing country. Do you have any surf trip planned for next year?
I don’t have anything planned yet but I’m going to go for the next swell for Safi for sure.
- We’ve also seen you have been experimenting with some different shapes. It all began in Mexico last year, right? How was that? Can you explain which different boards you are surfing currently?
Last year in Barra de la Cruz I was lucky enough to be able to surf an asymmetric twin fin from Ryan Burch and I was blown away with the speed of it. This is why I spoke with Jon Garmendia, a shaper from Zarautz, and told him about my experience with that board and that I wanted one just like it. We have made a board and I am testing it. Surfing with an asymmetric board allows you to do things that are much more difficult with a normal board. The tail outs are much easier and the feeling it gives you is like you are flying.
RUBEN’S FAVORITES