Monday quote, being a fully responsible woman!

This Monday I decided to use a very strong image for illustrate a very strong thought about being a responsible woman.
Some of us we are just trying to go through this life avoiding as much problems as we can. Is not bad, though! But as I always say, all the extremes are bad, and sometimes you just have to go to war.

I think as an occidental woman you have the freedom and all the opportunities to be who you want to be even if others don't like it. It is important to appreciate this fact, coz even though it is given to us by default, there's other women in the world that don't have this same privilege.

So I don't think we should'nt waste it with a lazy attitude. I think is our "duty" to enjoy our privileges, respect ourselves and don't let others do our thinking.

After all, like Audre Lord said: "When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak."

Have a good week you all beautiful women!

About the pic:
Dani, this strong 21 y.o "Swiss" in this picture, was one of many inspiring women I met in Maderas beach.
When I  met her, and her friends I instantly thought "wow, I wish I'd be this rad at my 20's" So full of energy, confidence and wisdom. She already traveled half of the world and started with her sisters a rad clothing line named "Hey Mr. Jellyfish". I'm a fan of these kids!!

Week suggest: Bigott concert!

A couple of weekends ago I went to Bigott's Concert.

I was positively surprised by this bearded man's music being so good and sticky! His psychedelic-folk gets you to the bones and once you start dancing you can't stop.

This man from Zaragoza has it all, and even more; he has a great band behind him. His bass lady really got my attention rocking it so bad ass style on stage. Ah! I love so much these talented women!

Here's some of the pics I took and  one video. Check out one of his concert if you can, you will have so much fun guaranteed!

SUPping pic of the day: Rainbow sunset

I took this photo in one of the most wonderful sunsets I remember witnessed in Maderas beach. The colors were simply amazing with a rainbow pantone. The surf wasn't very big, but big enough to catch some bombs with the SUP.
This guy was having the time of his life, and I took amazing pics ;)

Rainbow SUP

Throwback Thursday: NY underground skaters

Last year, before heading to California I spent one week in NY. It was my very first time in the big apple, and I have to say it didn't disappoint me. All kind of different characters moving around in a great city like NY, really captivated my senses.

I was really surprised to see all sort of skaters around the city, even though I noticed the streets were not very suitable for skating.

Anyway, here you have the image I took.

Underground skaters

Surfing pic of the day: Felipe owning the rail

This is one of the uncountable pics I took of Felipe Avendaño during my stay in Maderas.
Are you wondering if he actually made it, took the rail and went down that wall? I'm pretty sure he did!. He's that rad ;)

Dale Felipe!

Felipe shredding the sunset

Inspirational Wednesdays: Interview with Jason Baffa// International Film festival of San Sebastian

Last year I had the chance to interview Jason Baffa in San Sebastian for Surfer Rule magazine.

I asked him  a few quick questions about his career, his past work, and how the Basque Country welcomed him presenting his last film “Bella Vita”, a movie following Chris del Moro exploring his italian roots, with his family and good surfing friends around.

Bella Vita’s premiere was part of newest sports film section “Savage” at the San Sebastian International Film Festival 2013.

Here's the interview, hope you'll like it:

"People of the “surfing world” say Jason Baffa is building a new genre of “classics” with his work. Since Single Fin: Yellow, a movie centered in a yellow single fin board travelling all around the world and rode by different surfers, he let the world know he’s over standard surf flicks doing what he knows best: to combine beautiful images, with nice stories and insane music.

- What's the perfect Californian Day for you?
Umm, a really good espresso and paddling out on a warm day with trunks, glassy slight offshore wind, fun longboarding waves, and then going home for a nice meal with my wife and baby. Oh, and maybe a good glass of wine or something like that. That'd be a pretty good day If I could squeeze a movie in... hahahaa

- How you started to surf and what's your favorite style?
I started bodysurfing with my father and he really inspired the love for the ocean and it was my brother in law Richard Coffin who first took me to surf in an old balsa, and he's actually the father of Conner and Parker now, so he's an interesting part in all of this, and for whatever reason I love, you know from that first balsea, an older sixties style of surfing, I think I’m nostalgic and I love the energy and the freedom of that time and surfing, so I loved riding that style of board, that gives me that same feeling

Jason enjoying a fabulous drink at Hotel María Cristina

- How you started in to films
It was my cousin Christopher Baffa, who is a cinematographer. He was 15, I was 7, and he was making a little movie, and I saw it, and I said that's what I wanna do. And my grandmother bought me a camera, and my parents supported the dream, and I took classes very young, and so its just.. am.. that's all I know too. I can't do anything else. haha

- What's your favorite self- work or piece so far?
Of mine?.. wow.. that's tough! hahaha You know, I guess I live in the moment but, Bella Vita for me is a great combination of my other work,  I feel that the work is advancing. Technically is beautiful, story is more merged with the moments, and I'm just very proud of it.

-Your soundtracks are becoming very well appreciated and they have a big part of your movies; How you get the inspiration, what are your influences?
I need to have music that I feel, its visceral for me, you know, and I think it needs to be an emotional reaction. umm, and Iso I tried to choose songs everytime I go back to, they give me that, you know.
So I listen to a lot of music. On Bella Vita we worked with the music supervisor Brian Ray Turcotte he was a huge part of it, and the original score is by Lee Ferris who also worked in One California Day. So it’s fun now that we developed this relationships where it becomes a team effort. And this soundtrack is pretty insane, including one song by Mumford and Sons which is kinda big.

Chris and Jason speaking about their movie. They seem to have very nice energy between them!

- How the basque people treated you presenting Bella Vita?
Fenomenal!.I was concerned about a movie so focus on Italy how other countries, but I think the story connects to people on another level, you know. Its about family, friends and things any culture can relate to it and the basque, italians, they have similar communities you know. So it's really been the perfect place.

To learn more about Bella Vita visit: www.bellavitafilm.com 

Eat, surf, and live the slow life in Maderas // Korduroy.tv

Have you ever wondered how is to live a slow life in a tiny community surrounded by surf and papayas?

A few months ago I wrote about this for the blog of Korduroy.tv and it's just being published on their platform. Take a look on how I spent three months of my life down there:

"Life here at Maderas beach is certainly slow; it cant be another way, you can't force nature to be different, so the natural thing is to adapt and go with the flow.

Maderas beach is a very small beach close, but far away from San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. In terms of distance, the beach is no more than 10km away, so it's very accessible. So, why do I say is far away then? Simply, because it's such a mission to get there. The dirt roads are in such bad shape, that every time you go to San Juan, it takes the entire day. Maderas beach is small; there're no groceries store or anything similar around, so you're obligated to go to town every time you need something.

Despite being small, this beach is a very proud community. If you look around, you have no more than five places to stay, but most of them are named after Maderas beach. Most of the businesses here belong to expats, so it's really interesting to see all the different personas and how each one of them has a different vibe and approach, and how they come together through a very basic principle: enjoy the simple and slow life on your own terms.

Maderas beach view

Locals just enjoying the afternoon

I originally came here to collaborate in a creative project for The Maderas Village community, and ended up staying a month more. I discovered that even though you have all the time in the world to do all the stuff you want to do, it's really funny to realize that days are very short and you end up not doing much of what you had planned. Time has passed so fast, it's really hard to believe that I've been here for almost three months documenting the slow life.

We have very few things to be worried about here in paradise. One of those things for us surfers is "the tide". Here, the surf works better with high tide, otherwise the waves are very steep and shallow. The beach break is very powerful and the wave is very fast, so for some it's very important to have enough water to fall on. Other people really enjoy the rush of adrenaline – they only go on low tide in order to get barreled and have "break-neck" waves..."

Please read the full article here, and don't forget to follow Korduroy platform with great news about art, surf, video, etc.

Surftrip with friends of the Maderas Village

Floater in a very green afternoon

Coolest Swiss chicks I met in my stay

Machete pumping some lefts in the dry season