Read more...]]> Shred Stixx Wakesurf Co has teamed up with the leading wakesurf stomp and traction pad developer in the US to bring a new custom pad and deck traction to wakesurfing in 2012 that will fit any surf style board on the market.  The Hydro Turf set is the most full featured Wakesurf specific traction pad and deck traction on the market today. The set is sold separately and features a spreadable traction components, HT diamond grooved pattern and a 30mm kicktail with quality 3-M self-adhesive for easy installation and a strong bond. Available in black, red, blue, white, yellow, and lime green.

Shred Stixx stomp pads and traction sets are currently available and in stock at the slayshTank online store and will fit any surf style board on the market.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR STOMP PAD AND TRACTION SET.

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Rider Raliegh Hager Photo JB Hager

Let the wakesurf season begin!  Check out the first two submissions for the 2012 slayshTank Wakesurf Photo Contest from Raleigh Hagerand Brian Baker. We will be running a year long photo contest covering the year in wakesurfing and the progression of the fastest growing water sport in the world. Send us your best shred shots for the chance to win over $500 in cash in prizes. Be sure to include name of rider, name of photographer, board, and location. We will be posting the submissions on a weekly basis this year and look forward to checking out the fresh shots.

Email your best shred shots to: info@slayshTank.com

Rider Brian Baker Board Inland Surfer Flyboy

Rider Brian Baker Board Inland Surfer Flyboy

Read more...]]> The West Coast Wake Surf Open is host to one of the biggest wakesurf competitions of the 2012 and this weekend officially kicks off the competition season. Pro riders will prove themselves on Saturday May 19^th in order to make it to the five man final round for each division. On Sunday the 20^th the pros will battle it out in the finals for their piece of the huge cash prize plus the first win of the season year. This year we’ve upped the ante by putting close to $12,000 in cash on the line. Within that is an added bonus because for 2012 we are offering a $500 to the rider in each division who has the most ground breaking, jaw-dropping maneuver within their finals run.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, Amateur competitions will be taking place show casing the up and coming talent within the wakesurfing community.  All riders must register in advance, space is limited so click HERE to register and compete for the cash and check back at the Tank for updates from the contest a daily updates from the world of wakesurfing.

Read more...]]> Josh Kerr, Taj Burrow and Kieren Perrow, with no waves to surf during last days of the Billabong Pro in Rio, sourced a boat and got their kicks on with a little wakesurfing session.  Maybe they should watch this instructional from Shred Stixx on airs?  Check back at the Tank for more from the world of wakesurfing.

Read more...]]> slayshTank is stoked to kick off the new season with the addition of Soulcraft Wakesurfers to 0ur Online Store. Heading intthe 2012 season we are dedicating ourselves to covering all aspects of wakesurfing including all brands, all product categories, all riders and all the people who help bring the sport to life with great videos and photos.  The 2012 Soulcraft Wakesurf Board line up is now available for purchase in the slayshTank Online Store and here is a great interview with SoulCraft Shaper Jeff Wahlers.  Get to know your shaper and get to know SoulCraft Boarding.  Check back at the Tank for anything that moves in the wakesurf industry.

The Jetty from Soulcraft

Name: Jeff Wahlers
Company: Soulcraft Boarding
Years Shaping: 12 years

TANK: What was your surfing experience like growing up?
JW: I started surfing in junior high, and it completely took over my life. All I wanted to do when I was younger was surf, skate, and snowboard, but surfing was definitely my first love.

TANK: Favorite surf trip?
JW: I’ve been blessed to have been able to travel and surf different areas of the world. I’ve hit all of the Hawaiian Islands, and down the coast of Mexico, but my favorite trip was to a remote spot in Costa Rica called Pavones. It’s located in the middle of the jungle, and you can walk the entiret own in 20 minutes, but it has a long left point break that is amazing. Being goofy foot, this wave is what I called perfection. The people were also amazing and welcoming.

TANK: What got you into shaping and how many years have you been shaping?
JW: My love of surfing got me into the industry. All I wanted to do was surf, but had to make some money too, and what better way then to work with surfboards. The first board I shaped was in 2000, but I began in the surf industry in 1997. I first started working in a ding repair shop,and from there, moved up in the world and became a production sander. I’ve worked for top companies in California like Rusty, Channel Islands, Gary Linden, and Donald Takayama. During that time, I continued to shape boards for myself and my friends.

Soulcraft Rider Jimmi Sparling on the Jetty

TANK: First impression of wakesurfing?
JW: I was super stoked to find out about wakesurfing when I moved to Idaho. I was feeling pretty bummed being so far from the ocean when we first moved. It’s allowed me to be able to stay in the water after moving from Carlsbad, and it was another way to be able to continue my love of surfing. The wakesurfing community is amazing and I’ve been able to meet great friends because of it.

TANK: What makes shaping boards for wakesurfing different than shaping boards for ocean surfing?
JW: The process is the same, but the boards are different in the way of rail design, rockers, and fin placement. The same materials are used as ocean boards.

TANK: Where to you think wakesurf shaping technology is headed?
JW: I think its heading in the direction of more custom boards or foam core epoxy boards. There is such a big difference in custom boards, and people will begin to understand that they can have more control over their board, which will allow them to progress in their own surfing abilities. There is also the option to customize their boards, for a more personal relationship and experience.

TANK: Where is the sport of wakesurfing headed in your opinion?
JW: I think it’s only going to take off from here. It’s a great family sport that everyone can do. I feel it’s going to be as big as, or maybe even bigger than wakeboarding. Everybody in the boat will be able to do it. The waves are only getting better with the increased technology of surf boats. It’s a dream sport being able to surf an endless wave until your legs give out or you fall. I’d be lost in Idaho without it.

TANK:Whats is new or in the works for Soul Craft in 2012?

JW: Our goal for 2012 is to help progress the sport of wakesurfing and have as much fun possible doing it. We’re just going to continue making the best boards we can. We are teaming up with Hydro Turf wake traction sets to make the best product available for 2012.

Check back at slayshTank for more updates from Jeff and Soulcraft in 2012.

Read more...]]> It is officially starting to feel like summertime in Austin, Texas, and that means it’s time to gear up for the 2012 Austin City Limits Music Festival!

Early Bird Passes were released last fall to loyal email subscribers and quickly sold-out. The next round of Regular 3-Day Passes go on sale Tuesday, May 22nd to the ACL E-list. They will once again get first shot at the on-sale! Not on the E-list? Maybe you should join already.

To be part of this exclusive 2012 E-list Pre-Sale, you must have first verify your email address by 11:59PM (CT) on May 13, 2012 via an e-mail we spent specifically to our entire e-mail list (as of May 8, 2012).

Even if your info hasn’t changed, it’ll just take one click of the orange button in the e-mail that reads, “Verify Your E-mail” to make sure you’re part of the in-crowd. Speaking of which, this Pre-Sale is only for those registered on the E-list, so do not forward or share your email.

What To Expect Next?

If you verify your email address by the deadline – May 13th at 11:59PM CT, here’s what you can expect:

- Monday, May 21: You’ll receive an email with instructions, your unique 2012 Pre-Sale password, and a Pre-Sale ticket purchase link.

- Tuesday, May 22: Pre-Sale tickets will be available to you from 10 AM (CT) on May 22nd to 9:59 AM (CT) on May 23rd, or while supplies last. Limit of four tickets per person. Only ACL E-List subscribers who successfully verified their email address before May 13th at 11:59PM CT will have access to this E-List Pre-Sale.

- The 2012 Lineup: We’ll tell you who’s playing the 11th edition of the Festival on Tuesday, May 22. Just one more reason to verify your email address and keep an eye on your Inbox!

Read more...]]> May 13, 2012: Part III of our Who Owns the Biggest Wave in Wakesurfing Series features the swell of the Malibu Wakesetter VLX.  These shots were submitted by Lewis Vaughanf from Surf Kelowna out of Kelowna BC, Canada. This boat is a 2008 Wakesetter VLX, with all custom plumbed ballast, only bag showing is the 750 in the front of the boat that we move to either side. Everything else is on a switch. 1100s on top of 500 stock on either side in the rear and 2 250′s running under the seats on the regular side under the seats to the front that are hooked up as overflow from the 1100. Also on top of that is all the stock ballast center/front etc. Throwing a pretty hefty swell for a 21 foot ‘Setter. Shoot us an email of your wave and boat set up to help us crown the title for the biggest wave in wakesurfing. Check back at the Tank for more news and info from the world of wakesurfing and check out the slayshTank Online Store for the largest selection of wakesurf boards and accessories on the web. Email us your shots of the biggest wave in wakesurfing: info@slayshTank.com

The Wave Behind the Malibu Wakesetter VLX

The Malibu Wakesetter VLX

March 15, 2012: Part II of our Who Owns the Biggest Wave in Wakesurfing Series featuring these shots of the Tige RZ 2 from Stephen Thomas on Lake Austin. Long and clean with nice view of the 360 bridge in the background. Submit your shots to claim the title for the biggest wave in wakesurfing and check out the slayshTank Online Store for the largest selection of wakesurf boards and accessories on the web. Email us your wave: info@slayshTank.com and we will send some fresh swag.

The Wave of the Tige RZ 2

Tige RZ 2 Wave with 360 Bridge on Lake Austin

February 15, 2012: Part I of of the our Who Owns the Biggest Wave in Wakesurfing Series. The topic has long been debated in the developing industry of wakesurfing, and here at the Tank, we think the time has come to finally decide, who owns the biggest wave in wakesurfing? With boat companies like Centurion supporting the big wave cause from the beginning, other companies such as Tige and Malibu are making big strides this year to promote a surf model. We feel like this is the only beginning for big waves behind the boat but want to go ahead and determine who owns the biggest wakesurf wave heading into the 2012 season. Our first contender is Pro Wakesurfer DJ Jamesz and the wave of the Centurion Avalanche. Check out these recent shots of the what could be the biggest wave in wakesurfing and send us some shots or a link to a video of your wave for a chance at the title. Email: info@slayshTank.com

Check back at the Tank and we will see if we can get DJ Jamesz to let us know the secret behind the set up.

Rider DJ Jamesz Board Stretch Pro Model Wave Centurion Avalanche

Getting Barreled Behind the Avalanche

Rider DJ Jamesz Board Stretch Pro Model Wave Centurion Avalanche

The Wall of Wave

One More Barrel Shot

Who's Wave is Bigger?

Read more...]]> An interview with Bear in Heaven’s Drummer Joe Stickney by Ryan Cox.

32 floors above the West Highway, I am standing with a view in all directions. To the west, I look over the Hudson and see New Jersey and the reflection of envy. The wind maintains its pace and curls around me as I spin to view all of The City. I can faintly make out the bridges to the east and south, as all of the buildings rise without conscience or apology. This is New York City. It is 5:30 on a Friday afternoon and I am waiting to interview Bear In Heaven’s drummer, Joe Stickney at 6pm, while Brooklyn breathes behind me.

I spent the afternoon taking turns listening to the Talking Heads Remain in the Light and Bear In Heaven’s I Love You, It’s Cool. Pacing around my apartment, I try to make connections between Brian Eno-inspired synth and the current era of electronics. In particular, I’m considering Bear in Heaven’s return to the scene with a thoughtful dose of electronic swagger in their latest release, I Love You, It’s Cool. The lead single “The Reflection of You” twists out of my speakers, hypnotically paced and with a dizzying effect like the soundtrack to every spindle top, floor drop ride across North America. With flashing beats and digital drama, “The Reflection of You” pulls the curtain back on the strobe light scenes of 1980s fantasies. The reality of the record is buried deep in Joe Stickney’s machine-like drumming in “Cool Light” and even more simply displayed in the peaceful haunt of “Sweetness & Sickness.” Jon Philpot’s airy vocals on “Space Remains” provide psychedelic dreams for Williamsburg’s tightly-stitched denim seams.  The staggered layers of “Sinful Nature” punctuate the record with the detachment and wah-wah hysteria of a nitrous balloon’s last breath and the ensuing disoriented wonder of coming to. I scribbled intently on white sheets of printer paper asking myself questions that I would ultimately ask Joe. The hands on the clock form a straight line, standing at attention, and the clock rings six times.

I had spent the better part of the day thinking about Bear In Heaven and their new album, yet was still no closer to answering the question I had been asking myself all day: How do I describe this band without the beaten-to-death descriptions of; pop (“The Reflections of You”), synth, ambient (“Sweetness & Sickness”), indie, rock (“Cool Light”), or electro (“Space Remains”)? Mother Jones credits Bear in Heaven with “techno-inflected indie,” Pitchfork can’t make up his mind and finally settles on “some combination of “indie, rock, synth, dance, and electro should work”, and Slant Magazine is just plain accusatory, citing Bear in Heaven for “chasing after the synth-fueled sweet spot.”

On cue, the phone rings from the west side of Manhattan across the red and blue states to the west side of Los Angeles. “Modern tropicalia mixed with some industrial music and throw in a spritz of crabcore,” says Stickney. What a response! Was it premeditated / rehearsed? Who cares? Either way, he immediately follows up his characterization of the band’s sound, cautioning that his summation is, “wildly inaccurate and it’s the music writer’s job to describe the music.”

Joe describes their Hometapes show at at Papi Tino’s and their Dead Oceans session at Mohawk during SXSW as  highlights “in between all of the walking and lugging equipment around.” After their stop in Austin for South By, Bear in Heaven has tracked towards the west coast. Loaded down in a van “making weird sounds and needing cables,” they drove through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona accompanied by country music mix tapes of George Jones, Ray Price and Townes Van Zandt and the AM band overnight radio broadcast of Coast to Coast.

The diversity of their musical interests and entertainment choices hints at the soundscape of their recently released album. There’s is an expansive sound, full of wide open spaces like dark Texas highways and their unexplained phenomena. But a band does not exist in solitary spaces, and Joe notes that inspiration for the album was found “in response to the shows from the last record and reacting to what we were going to be doing for the next 200 shows.”

Amidst freeways, friends, and hot tubs in Los Angeles, Joe finds himself in a pretty chill position as he readies for round two at The Echo and a drive up the California coast (to the next episode). Is anything else that I should know? Smiling through the phone he quips, “Come out to the show, buy tickets, we have cool lights, and recycle.” Coast to coast you unlock this door with a key of imagination, beyond it, another dimension, a diverse dimension of sound…. and cool lights.

Bear in Heaven’s tour has headed back east and can be found around the Eastern Seabord before heading across the Pond for a full slate of shows.

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The Blanton Brothers got out for an early Spring wakesurf session with GoPro.  Dry suits and all, it looks like another exciting season from Corbin and Shane up North.

Check out the full selection of Phase 5 Wakesurfers in the slayshTank Online Store and check back at the Tank for full wakesurfing coverage this season.

Read more...]]> Mike Walker and the Walker Project launched a new website over the weekend with the new 2012 wakesurf line up.  Check out the new site and visit the slayshTank Online Store for the largest selection of wakesurf boards and accessories on the web.

About Mike Walker:

Mike Walker began shaping surfboards in a 9′x9′ garage in Northern Baja (Mexico), while finishing his last two years of high school in home study, during which time he would crank out two to three days of school work a day when it was flat so that he could surf all day when the waves picked up. All that water time meant he was going through a lot of boards, so he started shaping his own. Learning by trial and error through every part of the process until after several boards his shapes began to work as well as the boards that he had purchased up in San Diego. Friends quickly started ordering their boards and word got out about Mike’s shapes. By the time he finished his last month of high school, Mike already had a loyal crew of people asking for his custom shapes.In 2004 The Walker project  begins producing Walker Wake Surfboards and quickly gains a reputation as a leading producer of high performance wake surf boards.

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Shred Stixx Team Shaper Nick Wiersema

slayshTank caught up with Shred Stixx Team Shaper and Austin local Nick Wiersema for a little wakesurf shaping insight.

sTank: What was your surfing experience growing up?

I grew up in Houston, Texas so surfing was a bit of an unusual past time when I was young (Surfing was not nearly as popular as it is right now; its mainstream popularity is very cyclical).  My friends and I were just skate/bmx punks riding every ditch, ramp and vacant pool we could find.  When I was about twelve, I came home with a twin-finned surfboard from a garage sale down the street and told my parents I was going to start surfing.  My oldest sister was in high school and was starting to hang out with some of the surfer crowd at school, so I had a ride to the beach.  Next thing I was hook and surfing local competitions, then on to nationals, and a short, less than productive stint as a professional.

A Custom Pro Model on the racks at the Choas Surf Shack in Austin, TX USA

sTank: 
Favorite surf trip?
I get this question a lot.  I have pretty much traveled the world surfing and working, except South Africa. I have never stepped foot on the African continent (it’s on the list).  My quick answer used to be any trip with my friends.  And, this is still largely true.  My most memorable surf trips have been those with my friends, sometimes surfing was the focus, other times we were just having fun, with a little surfing on the side.

A Custom Stixx for Team Rider Chris Kinsey

sTank: 

How long been have you been shaping?  I suppose I started my shaping career at the age of 15.  Like many I started by tearing apart 70’s single finned board and reshaping them into thrusters in my parents backyard/garage.  My mom was always ‘freaking’ out about the chemicals and mess.  That was over 20 years ago.  I actually shaped my first wakesurfer around the same time, but back then wakesurfers resembled modern tow boards more than anything.

The Shred Stixx Custom Series

sTank: First impression of wakesurfing?
The reality is my first exposure to wakesurfing was watching Endless Summer, and seeing Mike trying to ride these absolutely tiny wakes on a longboard in Australia.  My next experience came shortly after, when I went over to my shaper’s house to pick up my new board.  He was totally stoked on riding waves/wakes behind the boat, and showed me this board he just made special for doing this.  Well this board was just a very short, trimmed down performance thruster around 5 feet long (looked like a modern tow board).  He was so proud of the fact that it had 4 layers of 4oz glass on the deck and 3 on the bottom for strength.  He said I had to go out and try this.  Aside from tanker surfing, a tropical storm, or riding other displacement wakes at port entrances, it was pretty much the only way to surf in Texas during the summer.  This was either 1988 or 1989.

sTank: What makes shaping for wakesurfing different than ocean? Conceptually they are very similar, but the finer details make all the difference.  You can ride your average off the shelf surfboard, or skim board for that matter, behind a boat but there are some limitations.  These limits are where good wakesurfers excel.   Unfortunately, virtually all wake surfboard manufactures don’t seem to understand these limits or how to design for the much different forces at play behind the boat versus an ocean born wave.  Aside from the difference in surf-style, skim-style and the over abundance of hybrids (or really skim boards with bigger fins to look like a surfboard), boards really borrow from two schools of technology.  The ski/wake boarding world and the surfing world; this is not only true of the overall design but flows right into the manufacturing process.   From a surfing perspective, boat wakes are laughing small.  However, the energy behind these small waves is moving faster and is more powerful than a similar sized ocean wave (ATCE).

A Custom Skim Board aka Skim Stixx

sTank: Where is wakesurfer shape technology going?
 Right now, we seem to be sitting at a crest in design (certainly not the pinnacle), where there are numerous boards that are extremely similar in their overall design.  You can even argue that some of these similarities were independently derived (although, this is a tenuous argument).     These generally design schemes serve a purpose and in some cases are fitted to rider’s individual styles.  A board that allows a rider to sit comfortably in the pocket and spin is likely not going to be the board of choice for progressive carving and aerial maneuvers.  Currently, the greatest limitation is boat design and the size/length of the wakes they produce.  Progression in aerial surfing will cease as hang time is already limited as a result of the short face of wakes and the inability of riders to recover and continue riding on these short, but fast moving waves.  I use to get pissed when I saw people copying our designs and concepts, but now I really don’t care.  In a way it is a form of flattery, and in the bigger picture, while they try to emulate last year’s design we are already moving ahead with the next step forward.  Additionally, the truth is there is nothing new in this world; it has all already been done, just maybe not very well documented.

Tow Custom Stixx in the Bow with Carbon Fiber

sTank: Where is the sport going in your opinion? 
Barring any additionally encumbrances, growth in popularity and all things that come with that growth is the future.  The sport already carries a significant financial burden.  Additionally, access issues both good and bad will continue to raise their head.  For the sake of the competition riders and their sponsors, I hope that someday soon, there can be a unified group of riders and organizers, not necessarily a traditional governing body, which will meet the challenge of developing appropriate rider categories and scoring criteria.

Nick created the Nano as the first Stixx for kids and light wieght riders

What is in the works for Stixx in 2012?
It is pretty exciting, we’ve been working really closely with our team riders  over the past two years continually refining of our Pro Model board.  New for 2012 we will be offering it as a Carbon Flex Pro™, using various arrays of carbon fiber and foam providing the lightest, most lively wake surfboard on the market, with all the performance attributes people have come to expect from the Pro model.  We have also been working with some of our up-and-coming young riders refining the Nano lineup.  Additionally, we will be introducing a few new models as part of the Chaos Professional Series that will be available in limited production toward the end of 2012.

We are continuing to work with Futures to develop a fin line-up that not only enhances the ride of our boards, but will be able to take advantage of the different forces at play behind a boat.  The technology Future brings to the table is second to none.  We are continually stoked when a package arrives from the factory.

The Custom Stixx Gallery at www.shredstixx.com

Check out the Shred Stixx Custom Series at www.shredstixx.com and call or email today to order your Custom Stixx. info@shredstixx.com phone: 512 669 1124

Read more...]]> Pretty safe to say that Keenan Flegel is officially leading the progression of wakesurfing from the riders perspective.  With this video from Focus Productions we get a preview of what he can do on a surf style board and some of the most impressive skim style riding we have ever seen.  2012 may produce the first ever world wakesurf champion for both surf and skim divisions, should be an interesting year at the competitions. Stay tuned to the Tank as we bring you all the latest information from the forefront of the wakesurf movement.

Read more...]]> Feeling like summer down here in Austin!  Check out this fresh wakesurf edit from Austin Wells featuring some shredding from Russ Allen and slayshTank Photographer Brad King.  More wakesurfing videos coming soon from the Tank.

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The Danielo Diamond from Phase 5

With the start of the wakesurf season upon us here in Austin and the warm weather creeping North, we are excited about the announcement of the Danielo Diamond from Phase 5 to our Online Store. With the addition of this model, we offer the largest selection of both skim and surf style wakesurf boards (non wakeboard brands that is) on the web.

Phase 5 worked with World Wakesurfing Skim Style Champion Drew Danielo to bring you a dynamic new shape, available exclusively in carbon fiber, the Diamond. The tail is a mix of a diamond and a box/square tail. This makes a wide fast tail design, with some added stability to the ride. The points of the box tail design dig into the water for more pivotal turns.

Drew says, “this board has a lot of bite when riding down the wave and pumping, but will break free with little effort for the big spinning tricks.” Whether you are cruising with some big carves and floaters, or out there doing backside bigspins, this board has you covered.

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The Shred Stixx Custom Carbon Pro Flex Package

Shred Stixx Wakesurf Co has been in the game from the beginning and helped develop the sport as much as any board company in the industry.  With ocean roots dating back to the days of Dogtown and Venice Beach (watch the documentary here), their line of surf style wakesurfers caters to those riders looking for the closest simulation to ocean surfing.  With their Custom Series, they offer serious surfers the opportunity to work directly with shapers to build the perfect Stixx.

Each board from the Custom Series is the product of over 40 years of surf board development and is hand shaped and glassed right here in the USA using Stixx’s own ePtech board technology.  For the 2012 season they have brought back two models from the Shred Stixx early years with the Mako and Stixxtreme. With these two boards back in the line up, they truly have a surf style wakesurf board for every rider, skill level, and weight class.

Also new for the 2012 season is the Carbon Flex Pro Package developed by Shred Stixx Team Shaper Nick Wiersema. This ultra light, stringerless, carbon fiber package creates the most technologically advanced wakesurf boards on the market. The CFP integrates various arrays of carbon fiber and other reinforcements, specialized core materials and epoxy formulations to develop a more resilient customizable wake surfboard package with an improved flex pattern that translates to a more rapid ‘spring-back’ effect. Lighter, faster, more responsive, and bigger airs.  They are also offering 3 other carbon fiber packages on our custom series for 2012.

At Shred Stixx, they understand that building custom wakesurf boards is a form of art and encourage their customers to call or email with any specific questions or requests.  They have created a 5 step process for helping customers build their Stixx and start the building process. Click HERE to go straight to the Shred Stixx board builder and check out a few of the Custom Wakesurfers that have come out the shaping bays this year and give them a call or email to discuss your next board.  info@shredstixx.com  phone: 512 669 1124

Shred Stixx Custom # 0518. This Stixx was shaped at their shaping facility in Austin, TX by Team Shaper Nick Wiersema. The Pro Model Custom was built for our local Quicksilver rep and is a 4’11″ quad fin with custom logo graphics.

Read more...]]> We have been following the work of Ryan Cox and A Circus Mind for over a year now and with the second edition of the book coming out this Summer, Ryan is generating some buzz with his rock and roll narrative. Check out the interview from Ty Clark at Hypervocal.com and check back at the Tank for information on how to pick your copy of this coffee table requirement.

Interview taken from Hypervocal.com.

About a year ago I was introduced to a book of poetry based around the majority of my personal music history.  I was sitting on a friends couch here in Austin and thumbing through “A Circus Mind” when my friend tells me, “My good buddy Ryan wrote that.” As I read on I continued to mentally play and recall tunes that formed my cultural outlook on art and life, I was hooked, the book read like a personal play list!

A Circus Mind is a compilation of rock ‘n’ roll inspired poems by Ryan Cox, an Austin resident who grew up listening to his parent’s records and reading Shel Silverstein books — no surprise that he ended up writing rock ‘n’ roll inspired poetry. One of the stand out features of the book is that each piece of prose is accompanied by artwork from some of the worlds greatest illustrators. (Former Abbey Road Studios lead designer and London based illustrator, Andy Potts, 2012 Applied Arts Photography & Illustration Award winner, Dushan Milic, has taken the lead of the design and layout of A Circus Mind, as well as a contributing illustrator, past Applied Arts Photography & illustration winner, Julia Minamata and multiple other internationally recognized illustrators and artists.)

“A Circus Mind” is a perfect companion to a shelf lined with Kurt Vonnegut, Nick Hornby, Dave Eggers, and Chuck Klosterman books. I will let this canvas of prose from one of my favorite poems in the book “The Velvet Underground” lead you into my interview with Ryan Cox.

Abstract thought put into plan
By a Dracula and Cinderella man
Changing faces, changing sexuality
Recording the journey, mixing Bowie
New York City, New York City
The dregs story, so heartbreaking, so pretty
Honey sweet sax blow over
Fade in, Fade out, oh twisted lover

Who is Ryan Cox?

RC: Wow! Easy question. I am a really socially minded and imaginative person. I am usually intuitive about ideas and people. I love to write about and listen to rock and roll and share both of those experiences with family and friends.

What led you to start writing A Circus Mind?

RC: A few years ago, I found myself at my desk reading about the Talking Heads and was struck with the inspiration to write about the band. What I completed over the course of the next four hours blew me away. It inspired me to write about all of the bands and music that I love.

Did you always want to be a writer growing up, or did you come to it as an adult?

RC: I really came to it as an adult. I never aspired to be a writer growing up. As a kid I was always reading Dr. Seuss books like The Cat in the Hat or Go Dog Go. I loved all the crazy creatures and silly rhymes of Dr. Seuss’ world. When I got to be about age ten I discovered Shel Silverstein and was struck by his quirky, laid back style and conversational approach. From that point, I was always writing to waste away a summer day or when bored in class, but never envisioned myself pursuing any serious writing.

Did you have a lot of support when you began writing, or did you suffer the same questions/doubts most writers do? In other words, what kept you motivated when you began to write?

RC: Yeah I had a ton of fear about my writing, still do. I was always motivated by what I have called that “tuning fork” feeling. You know when time disappears and you just seem to be in tune with what the universe intended you to be doing. I would look up at what I had written and be really excited. So I figured if I was turned on by it, someone else would be too.

Tell us about your writing process. Do you actively look for story ideas, or do they just come to you?

RC: I begin with a topic but I never limit myself to where a story or idea can go. The most important thing for me is to start writing. If I sit down and write, I can usually find a topic, a sentence, or a phrase that really grabs my attention and moves me to write about it.

Along with music, art plays a large part in the book as well. Why did you decide to have illustrations accompany the prose?

RC: I think about the role that art has played in music over the past 50 years and I thought that it would be a natural fit. Gives the book multiple dimensions, like Sgt. Peppers.

How did you come up with the illustrators?

RC: I was searching the web for illustrators and I came across a book that is published every year called the 200 Best Illustrators or something like that. I started emailing illustrators from the book and telling them about “A Circus Mind” and my vision for the illustrations. I found an illustrator named Julia Minamata and she introduced me to some other illustrators and we set out on this mission.

Who are your favorite authors?

RC: Well I have already name checked Seuss and Silverstein, those two are favorites for sure. I love Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, Tom Wolfe, Mark Twain, and John Steinbeck.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in getting your book published?

RC: I think that the biggest challenge was overcoming the fear that comes with putting yourself out there when you do something creative and having no clue with what to do with the creative output. Wrapping my head around the idea that I was going to try and have it picked up by a publisher made me feel really exposed. Now I am just trusting in the process. People keep appearing in my life that are working to help me publish the book. So right now, I am putting complete trust the process.

What is your dream goal for A Circus Mind?

RC: My dream goal is for A Circus Mind to be in the stockings of 1,000,000 rock and roll fans this Christmas!

A Circus Mind Website: CLICK HERE

Follow A Circus Mind on Facebook: CLICK HERE

Ty Clark is the CEO of Veritas Fashion. He likes to think that he is an Artist, Fashion Designer, Writer, Social Entrepreneur, Activist, non-media mogul and vagabond traveler. Read more here.

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slayshTank is STOKED to announce the addition of the Inland Surfer wakesurf line up to the online store for the 2012 season. With this addition we are solidifying the Tank as the number 1 website on the internet for wakesurf board & accessory sales and industry coverage.  No other website on the web brings you the complete line of wakesurf only brands, from Phase 5, Shred Stixx, Soulcraft and Inland Surfer and we are hereby claiming our space as the center of the virtual wakesurf movement.  2012 marks and exciting year for us as we gear up to launch a new version of the Tank where we are turning over our Rider and Coalition Profile pages over to the users for complete control of managing and content updates.  With this round of updates, we want to encourage user generated content and the lifestyle of wakesurfing that we have grown to love over the past 5 seasons and most importantly offer a place for wakesurfing enthusiasts to watch and post photos and videos, engage with the Pro Riders and industry brands, and share the passion of surfing behind the boat.  With that said, we introduce the 2012 Inland Surfer line up starting with Part I of our Wakesurf Board Review and the Red Rocket Quad Fin. Check back for Part II and a look at the Flyboy Walker Pro Model, Keenen Pro Model, and Sweet Spot.

Just because you are a “big guy” it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have to ride a sluggish board. Built from the Red Woody platform, the Red Rocket includes key design upgrades for improved performance. Inland Surfer has added a second pair of fin boxes to make it an A-Frame quad fin option and threw in the new Drop V tail just to make sure our big guy board can still rip the lip off the wake. This is the most technologically advanced large board in the Inland Surfer quiver.

Ability Level:

The ability level recommendation for this board is Beginner to Advanced.

Tech Specs:

5’6”x 22”x 1.75” 9 lbs.

Weight Range:

The weight range recommendation for this board is 100lbs. to 300+lbs. depending on wake size.


No other board delivers this level of performance for such a wide of range of weight and ability levels. We took the classic Blue Lake and added the new Drop V Tail for improved acceleration, tracking and tail release. The other guys may try to knock us off but there’s no other board made like or rides like the Inland Surfer’s Quad Fin Blue Lake !

Ability Level:

The ability level recommendation for this board is Beginner to Advanced.

Tech Specs:

5’3”x 21”x 1.75” 8 lbs.

Weight Range:

The weight range recommendation for this board is 100lbs. to 250+lbs. depending on wake size.



With this board, Inland Surfer has taken the Swallow and added a new Drop V Tail and STEPtech for even more speed. The Swallow is faster and more responsive than ever. If your looking to take your surf style riding to a new level or a step up from the Blue Lake this board is a must.

Ability Level:
The ability level recommendation for this board is Intermediate to Pro.

Tech Specs:
5’3”x 20.5”x 1.75” 8 lbs.

Weight Range:
The weight range recommendation for this board is 100lbs. to 200+lbs. depending on wake size.

Read more...]]> The annual slayshTank wakesurf photo contest is back this year and we have our first couple shots sent in from Brent Dorey from the California Delta.  We will be running the photo contest for the entire year and announce winners in January.  Send us your best shred shots with names and location for a chance to win over $500 in cash and prizes.  Email us your photos to info@slayshTank.com and stay fresh!

Rider Taylor Dorey Board Keenan Pro Model Photo Brent Dorey

Rider Big E Board Inland Surfer Sweet Spot Photo Brent Dorey