spongeSOUTH FLORIDA BEACH CULTURE

SURF | ART | MUSIC | WATER SPORTS | EVERYDAY LIFESTYLE INSPIRED BY THE OCEAN

THE WELCOME

ISSUE

FREE

MUSIC SPOTLIGHT:

b-liminal

PHOTO FEATURE:usla lifeguard nationals

TIKI BASH:tropically impaired party

tour heads to the Keys

Need a Color Fix? See more from the artist

on page 10.

OCTOBER 2010

CONTENTS

MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: b-liminal

TIKI BASH: tropically impaired party tour heads to the Keys

PHOTO FEATURE:usla lifeguard nationals

SPONGEWORTHY ombu lifestyle

PADDLEtom jones interview

SPONGEWORTHY ombu lifestyle

FOOD: sheila’s famous conch

BEACH V-BALLlocals rising

ARTtom frezza

This magazine comes with a mission: to bring readers a piece of South Florida beach culture in, on, and off the water; to combine and celebrate art, music, water sports and an everyday lifestyle influenced by the ocean.

The ocean continues to inspire and influence lives in great ways. At Sponge Magazine, they’re featured with the recognition they deserve, bringing a glossy style feel to the local level.

The Welcome Issue does just that, capturing life as a competitive lifeguard, a hungry beach volleyball player, and those compelled to bring good vibes to the world through music, art, tree seeds, a secret recipe, or a killer party.

It’s creation has left us with sand in the bed and a permanent sunglass tan, not to mention the IRS might think we started a brew tasting magazine with all the comp beers we’ve shared. But we did it for you and will do it again next month because our need to ‘soak it up’ is too powerful to push to the side.

This one’s for you.

lloydAllison Lloyd

Founder | Editor

EDITOR’S NOTE

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Photo: Morgan | CMJPhotography.net

SPONGE MAGAZINE | 5

MUSICSPOTLIGHT:

MUSIC

b-liminal

We first saw B-Liminal at DubFest last year, where they rocked the same stage as SOJA, Authority Zero, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, and Bunny Whailer. Since then, we’ve followed their trail around South Florida and beyond, until I finally sat down with the boys from the Jupiter-based band to talk rock reggae vibes, spirituality, and shore culture.

Sponge Magazine: Tell me about your name. How did B-Liminal evolve?

Bryce Rutkowski: I had some songs before all our bands broke up and came together. I had a vision, but realized I was no solo artist. It definitely suggests a vision. Our music is very conscious: reggae rock vibes, oneness, togetherness. The whole vibe of the music is the vision, and that’s what B-Liminal means. It’s our vision.

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[Photo: Kim Bach]Bryce Rutkowski, Vocals, Mike Lyons, Guitar,Max Fraser, Bass,Ryan Weidenfeld, Drums

SM: Any relation to subliminal?

BR: Yes, of course. It’s not exactly head on; it’s out the sides, it’s through the cracks. There are some really neat meanings for it. In the spiritual dictionary, there’s some really cool stuff that says its being between two worlds, where the water meets the land. That’s neat for us because we like to surf and skate. That’s kind of how we come together with our people, beach people. That’s how the whole thing started.

SM: You’ve traveled much of Florida and beyond. Is there a different vibe playing close to home?

Mike Lyons: Absolutely. We just did a run into Georgia and it’s a whole different scene five hours from the beach. It’s interesting to see how people respond to stuff a little differently. They’re familiar with the bands that are on the radio like Pepper and Sublime. It’s definitely a different vibe when you go somewhere that’s not familiar with what you do.

BR: But it’s cool because that formula has been laid out. We are an integration of rock ‘n roll and reggae that’s different than Sublime, that’s different than Pepper. I love and respect it all, but I think our formula is a little bit different. We’ve been able to reach some people and get the message out so were stoked on that.

Mike Lyons Max Fraser Photo: Kim Bach

WEB EXCLUSIVE: GET THE WHOLE

INTERVIEW ONLINE.WEB

EXCLUSIVE:

SM: Your music makes people happy. What do you think the magic ingredient is?

BR: Alcohol? [Laughs] I have a feeling that happens when people feel like their part of something. When people know they are part of something bigger, like we all are, that eases it up. Not to mention were not out there starting pits. I think the music brings the mellow people together.

SM: Your lyrics are pretty consistent with strong messages of living life and overcoming obstacles. Where did the inspiration for these messages come from?

BR: It’s life. Life has been a crazy road for me and it started by just loving music. Then, music became a tool for me, like a diary would for anyone else. I started singing and playing the guitar and that wasn’t quite it. Then, getting it out on

stage was amazing; actually connecting with people with a message, anything conscious, anything worldly. I started getting addicted to that. So, it became like a song wasn’t fun unless it was laying your feelings out there.

ML: Generally, you write for yourself; what you know, what you’ve been through because you can’t put yourself in anyone else’s shoes. And it’s great that other people can relate to that. Everyone kind of interprets things a little differently, but you write as your own therapy. And when a lot of people can connect with it, it’s a really cool thing.

BR: The way I manage success is by how many people we can reach with a message, as opposed to ‘hey that’s a popular, cool band’. I would love for us to stay off the vibes and that would send us through. That would be nice.

Want more from the band? You got it. Read

the entire b-liminal interview online.

SPONGE MAGAZINE | 9

COLOR WAVE

It was after the tour of colorful and vibrant canvases inside, after the tour of projects outside, and sometime under the handmade tiki hut that I decided that there’s something fresh to how Tom Frezza, lifeguard and artist, approaches art. Maybe it’s his thought process of making basic things pop with color or how he refuses to not rush things, which is surprising considering he uses paint markers because they dry fast. I guess

surprises are another one of his tricks, evidenced in found art on everything from light switches to shoes, and someday soon, trees. Why trees? Tom explains “if you came out and saw this cool looking painting on a tree right in the back of my yard, you might say ‘wow, I’ve never really seen that’. It’s so random. I think the random act of it is fun.”

ART

by allison lloyd

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SPONGE MAGAZINE | 11

But ultimately, Tom does it for himself. While he can take a laid-back approach to most topics, he’s firm on doing art because it feels good. If people portray him as fun and vibrant, it’s a bonus. And most people do, confirmed by a long to-do list for friends, friends of friends, and their friends’ second cousin. To Tom, it’s all good practice that he gladly accepts. Just don’t give him a deadline; he’s a marinator. “Marinate. That’s the best thing to do with artwork. If you don’t feel like doing it, don’t do it. It has to come naturally,” says Tom. But more often than not, he’s psyched to exceed expectations. If he’s not working on it, he’s thinking about it. “I think about it [art projects] all the time. That’s why I like lifeguarding. You can think. You can let your mind go in circles around topics.”

It’s also a source of inspiration, with plenty of beach scenes, waves and tropical silhouettes created, conquered, and multiplied. Tom explains that his beach theme is not being close minded but something he’s driven to release. “I put a lot of emotion into it because that’s what I feel. Think of a wave when you’re on one and when you look at them; it’s totally different. It’s all about the feeling;” a feeling he could package and deliver to locals and tourists alike. “I sit in a bright tower that’s on someone’s postcard on their refrigerator, and I paint that.”

PARTY

What do you get when you cross an island vacation of a lifetime and a group of ambitious college students? Only something like the biggest tropically inspired party ever hosted.

Event creator, Travis Suit explains how “Tiki Bash began to capture the essence of the islands... born out the inspiration of the islands and fed by the energy of music, Tiki Bash is the Ultimate Island Party.”

And, there’s no doubt of the donned ‘ultimate’ status, If you were lucky enough to catch the island fever at one the tour stops in Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach, you might have hit the dance floor with a moustached banana, fell in love with a Basher Girl, or bought one too many rounds of rum.

Now, the tropically impaired party is taking over Holiday Isle in Islamorada October 9 for the grand finale. Bashers can expect a day to night party, complete with games and activities, tiki drink specials, and live music from the Supervillians and plenty of local bands like Artofficial, Horizen, Union Made, and The Crazy Carls.

With over 1,000 party-goers expected to flood the scene, the team has ramped up this year’s event by adding an Extreme Rail event, starring pro wake boarders, and Playboy’s Miss July 2010 as the official spokesmodel.

Needless to say, there’s a hurricane about to hit the Keys and it’s named Tiki Bash. Check out www.tikibash.com for ticket information.

COUNTDOWN TO TIKI BASH

COUNTDOWN TO TIKI BASH

Photos: S

tephanie Ferraro

SPONGE MAGAZINE | 15

LIFEGUARD

USLA L I F E G UA R D N AT I O N A L S

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA

All Photos & Copyright Skip Prosser 2010. All Rights Reserved. Used here with permission. Do not reproduce without consent. prosserphotos.com

USLA L I F E G UA R D N AT I O N A L S

SPONGE MAGAZINE | 17

PHOTO FEATURE on South Florida lifeguards taking on the best in the country.

PROSSER

PRO

SSER

PROSSER

SPONGE MAGAZINE | 19

PROSSER

PRO

SSER

PROSSER

sideshow

SPONGE MAGAZINE |21

LIFESAVING CRAFTS tearing up waves a half mile

away from pro surfers in the U.S. Open of Surfing.

PADDLE

Sponge Magazine: You’ve tackled all kinds of social issues. What attracted you to the ocean as something you wanted to support?

Tom Jones: When I found out the affects of plastic on the environment and what it does to human beings, in particular our sexual reproduction system, I thought something extraordinary needed to be done to raise awareness of the issue.

SM: What exactly is a garbage patch?

TJ: A garbage patch is a floating type of soup that is gathered by currents and centralize in major bodies of oceans. Every

The fact that it exists is one thing. The fact that it breaks down to be invisible and gets into the food chain is another. Plastic dust can be found in human blood. Believe me, I wouldn’t be out swimming with the sharks for the fun of it. It could easily be argued the greatest threat to human existence today. It could also be argued that this threat could be 100% remedied if we really put our minds to it.

We want to work together with scientists so they can tell us whether its dangerous to go fetch this stuff up and try to recycle it or if its better left alone and go tackle the way we do business instead. We’ve talked to several groups, one of which was MIT, who showed us plans of a barge that can literally go out to the plastic patch, harvest it, and use the plastic as fuel to go harvest more. We thought that was a great idea, as long as scientists tell us that it is safe.

Interview with the man that paddled 2,800 miles. Beyond breaking a long-distance record, Tom Jones set off to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean.

major body of water has an area where the current centralizes, like a sink that swirls from the outside towards the inside. It’s full of garbage.

Not enough people know about it. That seems to be the bigger thing. >

SPONGE MAGAZINE | 23

“When I found out the affects of plastic on the environment and what it does to human beings, I thought something extraordinary needed to be done to raise awareness to this issue. Believe me, I wouldn’t be out swimming with the sharks for the fun of it.”

SM: Physical training seems obvious, but how do you train to mentally focus for long distance events?

TJ: Simply enough, it comes from a lifetime of having to do it. I’ve had to overcome and endure to survive my entire life. I did it as a professional Pride Fighter, which is a very tough sport that takes a lot of mental stamina.

SM: What’s it like being out on the water for extended periods of time?

People can’t seem to get their arms around what it’s like. Today, I paddled in 30 mph winds that were knocking me face down on the board. Honestly, I have all I can handle

out there; looking for predators, wildlife, checking the weather. Today I got rained on twice. There’s a lot to do out there; a lot more than taking a Sunday morning cruise on a paddleboard.

When I jump into the ring, I am aware of the things that could and could not happen. When I’m out on the ocean, I have no idea. From one nanosecond to the next, I have no idea what can happen, and something always does.

Aside from inspiring social change, what’s your favorite part about being on the water?It’s the most wonderful feeling. It’s like being free.

Visit PlasticFreeOcean.org to learn more about plastic pollution and how you can help the cause. Its 100% man-caused and 100% man-curable.

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Photo: Morgan | CMJPhotography.net

SPONGEWORTHY

Originally from Argentina, the Alemann sisters founded Ombu Lifestyle, a Miami-based eco-friendly shoe company, as a means to promote a new generation of conscious consumers. The brand’s logo, an Ombu tree, holds special meaning to the founder’s past and future. Marie Alemann explains, “the Ombu tree represents part of our culture and gives us the image of strength and nature. It’s a simple representation of our thoughts, the material side of our dreams.”

The shoes are constructed with simplicity, soul and environmentally-friendly principals, but the front-and-center theme goes back to trees. For every pair of shoes sold, they plant a tree with the Trees for a Future project. Furthermore, every pair comes with it’s own tree seed. Marie explains it involves people to create action, awareness and responsibility. The opportunity is put in consumers’ hands, quite literally with a seed of a native tree.

Get the eco-kicks online at www.ombulifestyle.com, and join Ombu Lifestyle beachside for Leave No Waste, a cleanup series along South Florida.

OMBU LIFESTYLE is one company taking social change into their own hands. feet

FOOD

Sheila’s Famous BBQ, Conch and More serves up cracked conch for the soul.

In a unsuspecting building off J Street in Lake Worth, third- generation ‘Sheila’ is working her magic with a secret family recipe.

Originally from the Bahamas, Sheila (legal name: Dana) dishes out more made-to-order conch than she can measure.

So what makes it famous? Beyond the herds of people coming in and out of the shack-style restaurant, the conch speaks for itself. You’ll get a carton of fresh conch from the island of Abaco dressed perfectly in a fine layer of light and crispy batter, a splash of lime, and a corsage of special sauce.

Get There: 1132 S. J St.Lake Worth, FL 33460 561-951-2723

SPONGE MAGAZINE | 29

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

The AVP might have Cut the Tour Short, but our Local Team is Hungry for More.

I met up with Mike DiPierro and Steve Grotowski at Lauderdale by the Sea as they were wrapping up a practice set on the same beach where Mike won his first game as a 16-year-old. The local boys have come a long way since their youth, ending a short AVP Tour just inches out of the top-ten bracket. The team opened the tour on home sand in Fort Lauderdale, where well over 200 people packed the stands and cheered them through to a 13th place finish, before heading to a career best finish in Santa Barbara (7th), followed by more high rankings in Virginia Beach (7th) and Belmar (9th).

Standing at 6’5’’ and 6’6’’, Steve explains that they are a different look for a lot of teams, being able to fall over and touch balls that some people would have to take a step to get to. But not only are they long, they’re quick, proven with Steve’s 45.8% hitting percentage, scoring on nearly half of all hits; that’s third best on the tour. Mike agrees that people like to watch them because they’re “not a normal team. Two tall guys don’t usually work out well. We’re trying to make that theory wrong.”

Falsifying theories aside, team DiPierro/ Grotowski were real contenders for a crossover into the finalists bracket. “We’re pushing really hard to get there, jumping around to different beaches and playing in different types of sand,” says the pair, who trains year-round in the brutal South Florida environment. “It’s hot, humid and windy. I think it makes you a much better volleyball player,” says Steve. Add in chemistry, a collection of serves, and a varied offense and they can move around the court with rhythm.

Although the AVP Tour cut the season short in the beginning of August for financial reasons, the team is looking forward to action next year with smaller regional tours. Steve adds that “many are pushing hard to fill the void the AVP may leave. I’m very confident that there will be a pro tour in the U.S. next year; there may even be 2, 3 or 4.”

Follow their action on East End Volleyball’s facebook page, where they make regular updates during tournaments.

SPONGE MAGAZINE | 31

by allison lloyd

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