missing so much..

Last day in HB before my trip back to MN. Being apart from the ocean these last few days has been hard. I have learned to love the water, and surfing and all else that comes with it. I'll be back shortly.. until then, I'll keep dreaming.

nate.

Kass Van Patten

I worked with Kass at starbucks ( ha! ) a few years ago in Forest Lake, MN. She has been able to keep track of me via facebook. She flew me out from California so that I might shoot her wedding this weekend. I was honored to do just that! These are a few pics from the prep. Girls took me to a solon so that I could shoot them getting ready for the day. Here are a few shots, and a look at this outcome.

Finished with the hair and makeup. Time for wedding photos and then the ceremony. Kass was shining brilliantly.

John, you a lucky man! Congratulations to these two! I will be putting more photos up soon.

enjoy,

nate.

Brandon Phillips, Etnies TF

Skatin hard.

yooooo!!!

Brandon is quite the kid. He skates, surfs, and shreds hard. A night of skating and hopes of waves in the morning.

HB the morning after above skate sesh. Not many can keep up to this.

Live well.

enjoy,

nate.

Aaron at the TF, again..

Another from the night at the TF.

nights at the TF.

Aaron Gomes in the Etnies TF.

nate.

these doods..

I can't wait to see my little brothers! mark, jonah, gideon, and isaac. I love these guys! I'll be riding home with them in hours.. so stoked.

I bet that they are frothing and I'm gunna get some good hugs!

Christian Williams.

Aggressive cutbacks. Christain Willimas, Soul.

Chris Williams heat shots from the WSA. Some impressive power turning.

enjoy,

nate

In from Sole Tech.

Good morning Sole Tech!

I wanted to let you know that the construction contract for the expansion of the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest was awarded this week. The 13,000 square-foot expansion will be done by California Skateparks. This expansion project was made possible by public funds.

Below is an article that ran in the Orange County Register with all the details:

'Now or never' for Etnies Skatepark expansion

LAKE FOREST – Calling it "now or never," Mayor Peter Herzog and the Lake Forest City Council on Tuesday night gave the go-ahead to award the construction contract for the 13,000-square-foot expansion of Etnies Skatepark.

The council voted 4-0 (Councilman Richard Dixon was on an excused absence) to pay an extra $133, 460 for the street run, an area that replicates skating on city streets. City staff had recommended removing this feature from the original design because of added cost. With the street run, the total cost is $912,640.

"It's kind of like the icing on the cake," Herzog said of the street feature. "It rounds it out and completes it. It's fortunate we are in a fiscal position where we can move forward with this project."

Construction is expected to begin in November and is scheduled for completion in spring 2011. The expansion will make the skate park about 60,000 square feet – one of the largest in the world, according to city officials.

The park, dubbed the county's best by OC Parent magazine for the fourth consecutive year, will include features found at famous skating places throughout the world.

Among the expansion highlights:

•Recreate the famous China Banks from San Francisco's China Town using a similar brick-stamped bank.

•Build a mini-bowl – 3-1/2 feet deep – ideal for beginning riders to practice.

•Erect a street run with a six-stair pier that ends with a rooftop hit, a feature similar to that found at the first Maloof Money Cup.

•Build a backyard-style, blue-colored pool with shallow end stairs and two death boxes (aka the overflow drain at the edge of a pool) and stone coping.

•Construct a cradle, where riders can go inside, over the backside and carve the opening, which, according to skate park staff, might be the park's most outstanding feature.

Money for the skate park expansion comes from the city's five-year strategic plan. A $200,000 state park grant is also being used for the project.

The expansion design came together with input from more than 200 community members who attended expansion workshops in February and April 2009. The public also was able to post and discuss ideas on the website for SITE Design Group of Solana Beach, selected in January 2009 to design the expansion.

Here is a link to the article: http://www.ocregister.com/news/expansion-272006-park-city.html

Thanks,

Ashton

... wow. this is going to be sick! I don't know what else to say...

nate.

TF.

Brandon Phillips killin it earlier today. Game of skate and a few wall rides later, we called it a good night.

A few more from the evening.

enjoy,

nate.

Hogan Brothers at the DW memorial comp.

I was pretty amped for willy this weekend! He took 6th in the comp over all. He made it through 3 heats in hard wave conditions to do it to. I'm stoked that he made it that far! Good surfing willy!

DW board.

Porter shredded hard! I think he was more into free surfing than the comp.. i dunno.. porter killed it out side the flags on Saturday.

enjoy,

nate

Adam at his best.

Sometimes Adam gets so stoked on surfing that it blows my mind away.. He knows Laguna waves, and he shreds them!

From a few nights ago right here in town.. adam and scott killed it out there for a bit. Check their work!

Huge slash, moving his weight in water.

Landing air reverses going down the line! yeee boi! I'm stoked to see this progress happen! adz is stepping up some game!

If you can, try to watch this slide in sequence.. Adz killin waves.

Cool. good evening on the beach.

enjoy,

nate.

dragonfly

Last night we had a dragonfly drop in on the studio. It was the loudest bug I have ever heard! We kinda freaked out on it at first but then we decided to check it out a lil more. It was actually a pretty sick dragonfly!

Brandon and I freaked out a lil and took the guitar as a first class weapon! haha. He ended up jammin out some bluesy riff's instead of jammin to hard on the bug.

It was fair sized and fair lookin.

I caught it up in my hat to bring it back outside. Put it under a table into a safe place for the night. It wasn't there today so I'm guessing I'll see it around or never again.

enjoy,

nate.

Some laguna..

Here is Willy! laybacks all day..

Hoping for another great day of surf!

Willy Hogan getting into the water.

Were all looking forward to another good day of surf. Crossing our fingers that the swell continues to pick up as this week goes by. We have a surf comp during the weekend, its supposed to be macking!

hope!

nate.

Three Photos with Porter this morning.

Porter and I went down to Oceanside Pier today on our hunt for waves. We found a couple. Porter always throwing it as hard as he can!

We later surfed Cross St. It was fun but swampy.. still, exciting day!

Back 3?! yes please.

Boardslide.

cool, another good day with Porter! Now to continue finding waves this swell. It shouldn't be hard considering they have been good in the backyard.

enjoy,

nate.

The better of the day.

Willy Hogan. Porters little brother surfing like he means it today. Sick frontside hit.

We have a good swell coming in now... :)

Chris Williams. Backside hits over this bro all day.

Eli was out destroying it this evening.

Pop shuv? i think so. I don't know who this is though... my bad, but super sick!

enjoy,

nate.

hmm... more to come from this week! so stoked right now.

Rainy dayz.

I've been told that my photos do a good job of telling stories. Well, here's a story of today.

Walking into the studio and not getting soaked wasn't an option.

Relaxing, wet jacket.... Rain out, dry in. Some people don't have that. I'm grateful.

Cozy. Home is where my heart lays.

my wetty is cleaner now.

thats the day. awesome weather for laguna. more like.. seattle.

nate.