Category: Surfing

Living in the Paddle Battle Capital

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ABOVE: AN EXAMPLE OF PADDLE BATTLING AT IT’S APEX (AT LEAST IT IS FOR A LICK OF WORLD CLASS WAVES).

Southern California is a tropical paradise. Ok, tropical paradise might be a little bit of a stretch. But in my short life and sheltered viewpoints as far as travel and locations, California really has it all. Nice weather most of the time, fun surf, nice beaches, cute girls. I could go on and on, but I won’t. I have longed to live in California since I was a child. Sure, I might like the beaches back home in NJ more. And the pizza is not as good out here. Back home, Summer time was crowded and congested. Where I live, it is even worse. Southern California definitely has a crowd problem, both in and out of the water. Nothing grinds my gears more than trying to navigate an uber-crowded lineup or waiting 45 minutes to get into a bar just to order 2 drinks before it’s time to go home. Fun stuff. All this bitching and moaning aside, California for now has my heart, and it’s not too hard to see why. 

But let’s hone in real quick. If I had to have ONE major qualm with the golden state, it involves surfing. California single handedly has to be the paddle battle capital of America. I’m sure you make the argument that peak season on the north shore might give it a run for its money, but California 365 days out of the year has to have the most wave hungry surfers. In some instances I get it. I know that if I am going to surf a battlefield like Lowers or pumping 56th street, it would be cute to think I wouldn’t have to get in peoples space and take waves. I think that’s maybe where it starts: having to actually take waves in order to catch them when it’s crowded. I like to think I give people a decent amount of waves. And I don’t get many given back to me. On a rare occasion someone that isn’t my friend will chest pass me a wave. I always make it a point to thank that person afterwards, much like if someone gave you a free coffee or something like that. It’s just basic etiquette. When I am not catching waves and no one is giving any waves away, this is when it gets eggy. I think this sometimes brings out the absolute worst surfer in me and others. While I always am respectful and never burn or heavy back paddle people, sometimes I give out absolutely zero handouts and sweep up every wave that comes where I am the deepest (unless a friend is on the shoulder). 

Now I can recognize this and slow it down, but for the most part if I am being respectful I don’t see too much trouble in it. No one bitches at other people when they are catching a ton of waves, but for some reason I tend to cop it on the head pretty often. Certain places require this cutthroat mindset, as much as you dislike having to throw it on. The problem arises when people resort to shit etiquette to catch waves. Getting super close to someone while paddling for a wave, telling them to fuck off, or just blatantly burning someone is when it tends to cross the line. The best part: the people who resort to this definitely are in the bottom of the talent pool when it comes to ability. They can only catch waves by doing these strange actions. Or their uber-macho localism shines through and they just feel they have the right to deliver fades left and right. Luckily, it is not like every session we have to deal with this. But if the waves are good, the chances of a lineup altercation or getting torched increase exponentially. 

Even on the smallest and most dismal of surfs, I can find myself getting paddle battled to catch a two foot closeout. In these instances, we just need to lighten up and laugh a little. Nothing is better than really wanting to catch a wave (a shit one at that), making sure the person trying to shoulder hop sees you, and then that person lets out a sarcastic statement or still decides to go because maybe you’ve been getting a bunch of waves or they haven’t gotten one in 20 minutes. Often people like to say shit just for no reason or fade you just because fuck it. There are a lot of bad eggs in the California lineups. No matter how shit of a session I am having or how crowded it may be, I can proudly say I rarely fade people. 

Lowers is in a whole different universe in itself, like we touched upon earlier. People will do anything to get a wave out there. And I have been on the receiving end of a lot of these strange exchanges. In my mind, if I can’t get a wave the right way, without back paddling anyone or doing anything that would label me as cheap, then I might as well just not catch that wave. I have caught plenty of sets there without any foul play. It’s not the hardest thing to do. Unfortunately, a lot of other people do not feel this way. There are so many tactics and ways to appear like you are in the right, but at this point I just kick out. People really can get offended if you call them on their bullshit, even if they are blatantly in the wrong. Some people really just don’t get it. Or really think their ability or some other defining factor about them makes it ok to act up in the lineup. 

However, I think this passage might be painting the wrong picture. As my years of living in California lengthen, I tend to know the nooks and crannies to enjoy a peaceful, quiet session as long as it’s under head high. And there are plenty of times everyone is smiling and sharing waves. We just came off a pretty fun run of swell, and it seems like everyone has had their fair share of waves. With a long flat swell incoming and summer crowds still looming their ugly head, I am positive the next solid swell we will have plenty of  people that are going to be going mad to subdue the wave-stricken appetite of not surfing a head high wave for a while. If you find yourself tangled up in one of these strange altercations next time you are in the water, just shrug it off and keep surfing. Like I said in my last post, surfing is so fun. Don’t make it not so fun for the others around you. 

A NEW OUTLET

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I’ve been sitting on this post for almost a month now. For some reason I haven’t hit publish. And the reason is unknown to me.

Even with all the free time I’ve had on my hands, I still find myself having to choose what to do. You’d surely think I’d have time to do everything I wanted to with this new quarantine lifestyle. But maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew? See here’s the thing: they say splitting your focus into too many different lanes is counterproductive. But I would disagree. I think things that are new and fresh are going to require more focus until you hone them to the level of expertise similar to other activities. So since trying new things, I’ve devoted more time to these activities I am far less familiar with. As usual, every morning consists of a surf. Just to get it out of the way. Not that it is a chore, but getting up early and striking before winds and crowds has definitely been my wavelength as of late. Even though it might be one of the things I am most an expert in (don’t take that the wrong way), I still love to give it the time and attention it deserves. Sure, I’ve woken up at 6 for the past xxx mornings, but I’ve fully gotten used to it and even when I don’t surf I still rise fairly early. If it’s a work day, I am preoccupied until around 5 or 6. Those days are a little more boring. I can pick 1 of the things I like to do after work. I have that 2 hour window to do whatever. Then it’s eat around 8 and watch a TV show with my roommates. In bed at 10. The TV show might be looked at as wasted time, but it’s time all of us sit on the couch and shoot the shit. Sometimes we pass on it but most of the time it’s our bonding (aside from our daily sunset bike cruise). So maybe I’ll fish. Or maybe I’ll read.  Maybe I’ll cook up a beat. Maybe I’ll go on a run. Maybe I’ll work out. Maybe I’ll surf. Maybe I’ll write. Do you see where I am going with this?

It seems like I keep writing these posts saying the same thing: writing has taken the backseat. But no longer! I had mentioned in an earlier piece about a side project I have quietly been working on, and I think it’s about time to let it rip. They say you have to fail a ton of times to succeed. And this might be a shot in the dark that amounts to nothing. But the cool aspect of it is that things are cemented on the internet, and I’ll always be able to look back on it and smile. And maybe learn from the mistakes. If you don’t put yourself out there, you’ll never know what the outcome could be. So here’s a quick synopsis on my new site.

Yes, it’s another website. Why? Because why not! I love this site, and it seems like (very few) others do too! Love is a strong word, but just work with me. It’s a snapshot of my professional career and me flexing my writing chops (if I even have any to flex). If you know me, you know I really don’t like things to be about me. If it doesn’t pertain to any but me, I usually don’t talk about it. I try not to gloat or boast. I (typically) am humble and quiet. As it should be. So it only made sense to make something that wasn’t all about me. Enter: Welcome Progress. I grew up glued to some surf media outlets. What Youth, Stab, SURFING (RIP), etc. Things have surely changed as far as paper magazines and how these sites are ran, but I loved reading interviews and pieces penned about things in the surf world I was enamored by. I still read articles off sites like GQ, Pitchfork, Stab, Inherent Bummer, etc. The shift from pure surf media started happening as I grew older and also more found of writing and styles. I am definitely a surf turkey by nature, but at this point in life I like to think I am a lot more. I think just being labeled a surfer got so stale. So let’s spin from that into what Welcome Progress will be about. It’s going to have some elements of surf. That’d go under the realm of “Activity”. There is also Mindset and Everyday. It’ll just be cheeky little pieces that fit into each one of those bins (or the trash bin if it sucks). Opinionated or fabricated pieces, made easily digestible. 

But it’ll be more than just my writing. I will reach out to others and post their shit. I want to talk to some of my friends and get their opinion, because I like to think I have a pretty diverse group of friends. With varying degrees of notoriety, hustle, and intellect. Some I talk to way more than others. Some tell me a lot more than others. But that’s not the point. I only know so much. Other people know a lot more. It would be strange to let other people in on a website that was named after me, so peer work will live here. Just a whole bunch of random shit! I also tried decently hard to make it look good. I think the layout is cool and a more complete site in comparison to my current site. The homepage is a mood board, linked to @welcomeprogress. It will be embedded with art, design, surf, and anything I think is cool or fits the brand. It’s still me at the helm, so you could probably guess the vibe (if you know me). Well, that’s it. Let’s see what happens!! If you are keen to give it a look, click HERE. If you want in on it, text me or reach out on the contact page. Come one come all! There’s not much currently, but if you want give the Instagram a follow and check out the little pieces I wrote under each category. 

 

Quarantine Listens Pt.1

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We have a lot of time on our hands. Whether we like it or not, we are going to be stuck in the same routine for a while. Working from home, not really leaving the house, and seeing whoever you live with all day long are going to be very real circumstances for the time being (and most likely quite some time after). If you dwell on it too much, you are going to bum yourself out. Remember: it is for the greater good. The quicker we oblige to social distancing and quarantine practices, the quicker we can get out of the very funky time (hopefully). With all this free time on our hands and about a quarter of the social interactions we are used to on the daily, you need some noise to fill the gaps. Music is obviously a great choice (and that, we will be saving for pt. 2), but sometimes we need to switch it up. Ever listen to a podcast? Well, now’s the time to start. Here are some recommendations per the writers interests and biases (with duration included, as some are into short-form and others into long-form):

MUSIC

The Joe Budden Podcast (Long)

This podcast got me through transitioning from working in places that required interaction with customers to working in an office space. While I have loved all my previous and current coworkers, there are certainly times where I just need to plug in and focus to get things done. I felt often that music I was familiar with I would sing along or get easily sidetracked. Locking into a podcast of just banter was one of the best ways I could effectively get work done (at the time, this was mainly copywriting so it wouldn’t side track my word flow on docs). The Joe Budden Podcast is predominantly a music podcast, starting with roots in hip-hop but now covering most everything music related (from releases to the business to specific artists, even to Joe’s music career). The more you listen, the more you start to know about each of the characters and get the jokes that often fly under the table. In it’s evolution, they also cover current events and just about anything that makes headlines. The JBP is for sure the podcast I listen to most, and haven’t missed an episode since 217 (they are now on 334). 

Dissect (Medium)

https://open.spotify.com/show/2b025hq3gJ17tQdxS3aV43?si=jmpKwZkRTjW_MF8Wgz0sYA

This music podcast differs starkly from the JBP. It’s main contributor is Cole Cuchna, a music nerd much like myself, but he is on a completely different level. Dissect takes iconic albums and breaks them down song by song, really taking a deep dive on underlying themes and even the construction of modern music. His selection is for sure Hip-Hop based, but covers some of the most critically acclaimed albums, from KDots TPAB and DAMN to Kanye’s MBDTF. I started with the Kanye album, and by the time I was finished I would argue that MBDTF is probably the best album of the 2000s. While some of it might be a little too in depth on musical notes and history, it does feel awesome to finish a season and have a whole new understanding of an album you already loved.   

SURF

Lipped the Surfers Podcast (Short-Medium)

https://open.spotify.com/show/6QZX2yvefx8sUdIWEeDa94

The first surf podcast I really took a liking to and since I’ve I listened and enjoyed every episode. The two hosts carry the show quite well, one a more average surfer and one an ex-QS surfer turned coach. They both typically tend to have varying perspectives, but always are crushing salt lagers (beers) in unison. Whether it’s contest wrap-ups, contest previews, fantasy surf picks, or the odd guests, they have classic surf banter you and your mates have. They definitely are tapped in to surfing, and especially that coming from their homeland (Australia). It is always nice to hear from the ex-QS surfer (Cahill Bell-Warren) as he has had a wildcard spot on the CT and has grinded the QS for quite some time. Now a surf coach, it’s funny to hear him talk either ultra technical as far as surfing or aussie-slang heavy about surfs or nights out on the piss. 

L8 Night with Choccy

https://open.spotify.com/show/6zEvoIxlqCO3UUrzoz9Yfh

Guilty bias since my dad was a guest on this one (you even can here me chime in on occasion), I actually had listened to the podcast before the invite was extended. The surf world is massive, and there is a lot going on in between the CT surfers, huge corporate brands, and just the culture itself. L8 Night and Choccy do a great job highlighting the more low key but integral parts of surfing’s upbringing. Whether it’s lifelong shop owners, people who steered some of the biggest brands before buyouts, or small groups of surf-minded individuals (companies or boardrider clubs), they cover it all. Both lifelong rippers and both currently working in the industry, it doesn’t get much more core. Whether it’s surf talk, brand talk, or just about anything surrounding the sport or the industry, these guys have the inside scoop.

BONUS: The Lineup and Forerunners 

https://www.worldsurfleague.com/watch/431187/the-lineup-with-dave-prodan?playlistId=431187&s1=watch

https://www.surfline.com/series/forerunners

I really like The Lineup. For me, I am guilty of listening to them all but really only love the ones based on the guest. One thing I love about every single episode though is the lightning round: 10 questions for the guest. My favorite to hear people’s response to is best & worst person to share a session with.

Forerunners is a Surfline-powered podcast that explains wave forecasts to their perspective zones. I couldn’t put it as a favorite since it covers everywhere, and I don’t need to listen to the east coast forecast if I ain’t gonna be over there. But I do love to get the most in-depth breakdown on surf if there is a forecast that looks promising.

Perspective

YNK (Medium)

Mike Stud has always been an artist I’ve been fond of since I found him. While I do like a ton of his songs, his personality at first is what sold me. I was tipped off by a friend to check him out around sophomore/junior year of college, and then fell into the vortex of his Tourings Boring series. One of the earliest vlogs for musicians (salute Wiz Khalifa with DayToday), it follows Stud and his childhood friends in all sorts of debauchery and trouble a couple of lower to mid-20 year olds could get into. Super loose, he was a party guy. When I listened to the first episode of the pod, I realized he had definitely made a lifestyle switch. Post break-up, Mike took his time to slow down and find himself, and in the process became very spiritual. He has taken the podcast platform to interview his friend circle and beyond: fellow musicians, top-level athletes, and entrepreneurs. You can cherry pick the people who you are familiar with, watch ’em all, or listen to their friendly banter when they are sans guests and just with the Steves. 

Airplane Mode (Short) 

https://open.spotify.com/show/14Lz5tpJshLyqUV4bDSdE7

Most of the pods spotlit during this post are in the middle or on the longer side. For me, I typically like to save podcasts for longer periods of time. However, there are some bite-sized podcasts out there that really give you a bang for your buck as far as quality content in a smaller package. While one that comes to mind is the NYTimes podcast The Daily, it recently got a little too corona crazy for me to want to listen to. The GQ podcast Airplane Mode gives you easy to digest tidbits of information, coming from all sorts of different people. From trainers to artists to writers, they all cover topics that they can transfer valuable info based on experience. From 30 minutes to an hour, with the odd long form podcast in there, Airplane mode is good to just get a quick fix. And I always gotta stay true to the GQ brand. 

2 Random 1s

The Nintendads (Short-Medium)

https://open.spotify.com/show/2L0Q8ut4bEk988B7y55H9t?si=2UR80Nb_TVO8Xll7GbGa1g

Here’s some shameless self(brother)-promotion. My brother recently beat me into getting into the podcast space (more on that potential later) by starting a pod with two of his closest friends. One thing brought them together when they were younger and it’s something they all still do currently, and that one thing is their love for classic nintendo games. Enter the Nintendads, as these 3 fathers chop it up about game news, express their biases, and overall just goof around. I gotta put some respect on the brozay, as they are only getting more and more quality. While I can’t always follow the subject matter, we all grew up on nintendo games, so the nostalgia just hits home. My one beef with theirs is that there is no video to go along with (while it is understandable since they do not live near each other). Knowing how all of them are, it would be pretty good to see their facial reactions to certain topics. 

The Medium Rare Podcast (Short-Medium)

This one is my newest discovery on the podcast front. It is for sure my guilty pleasure podcast. It is no way embarrassing, but sometimes I just think to myself “why am I watching this”. It pretty much details the late-night antics and clout-driven activities between 3 close friends with money. While I am sure if me and my buddies somehow attained a nice amount of loot and a social following, we would be doing the same shit. In a nutshell, it covers girls, going out, fashion, and food. The food part is definitely what first drew me in, as it is interesting to hear their opinions about different food scenes (although it is all very high-end dining, which I won’t be partaking in anytime soon). But like I said, I got sucked in and now am playing catch up. It will act as an inspiration for when we are off quarantine and back to sending it (that’s some shit they would say). This is one I’d say is essential to watch, just because you can see how close of friends they are based on the body language and jargon between them. 

5 Current Clips to Froth On

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Can you believe it? Being quarantined? It seems like there are varying circumstances all over the United States, but this eerie cloud of isolation and just a weird feeling in the air is ever prevalent. We could be hanging inside for a while, so time might start to move in slow motion. A lot of us are in the same realm that getting exercise and being active every day is a day well spent. While being cooped up, we can use this spare time we find ourselves with finding new love for things we do daily and get new drive that you might not have had. One of the things that people could lose sometime soon is surfing, and while this sounds trivial to some others hold it in high regard. Obviously it is a tad bit selfish to tote an activity so highly, but a lot of people find solace in the sea. A ton of us long for our time spent in the ocean, and with building stress and lack of other things to do this is something we look forward to doing. 

Nothing gets you excited about surfing like a good surf clip. The crux of this though: most surf films can get us chomping at the bit to enter the oceans vortex, try and get as low to the water as possible, or as high above the lip as we can. A proper surf clip is something you typically don’t want to watch if you can’t surf. However, why not just build up all this froth and excitement, so when you get back to surfing you are absolutely tweaking to get back into the water. It could be tomorrow (watch any SoCal cam and it looks like business as usual) or a month away. Start getting excited, sooner or later we will be able to get back the thing that brings a smile to our face even on our darkest days.

So here they are, 5 relatively short clips that will surely get you licking your lips for some water time. While most are hi-fi performance hammers (guilty, as that is always what gets me the most psyched), it touches all facets of surfing, from tubes to turns to tail-high punts. 

2019. from Ryan Callinan on Vimeo.

Ryan Callinan is one of the most fun surfers to watch on the CT currently, and is madly underrated. From a polished and powerful backhand to the things he’s done on the forehand that are hard to comprehend, this clip showcases Ryan does have the complete package. Filmed over a year and in all different locations, this should get you excited to just surf. Sure, we all won’t look like Ryan, but we all can try. 

For What It’s Worth from Layne Stratton on Vimeo.

Cam Richards grew up in South Carolina and has quickly became a household name. With a crazy WOTW entry on a board shaped by his pops (that was well over 7’ tall), Cam has been touted as a pipe specialist. What some may not have known, is that Cam also has a crazy air game, from stylish straight airs to oops to backside spinny things. It’s always nice to watch someone that might have grown up surfing conditions you may have. Anything is possible with determination. Getting that wave that Cam got last winter and making every section, however, might take longer than you’d like (it’d most likely never happen). 

Everyone needs a little spice here and there to reignite the fire. While most will not be able to surf a 4’10” as fluidly as Asher, it may trigger some curiosity as to riding alternative shapes. Watch enough Asher, Ryan Burch, or Bryce Young, and you might just pull the trigger on a fish or an asymmetrical or something even weirder. New boards make you draw new lines, and while we all don’t live by fabled point breaks and all don’t get consistently fun peaky waves, there’s no harm in trying something new. You never know, maybe you were born to ride a 4’10” twin fin. 

Parker Coffin has a great Instagram if you want micro-doses of form and high flying airs to live in your feed. From a tack sharp backside that found it’s stride from surfing the Queen of the Coast to huge laybacks, Parker surfs fast. If you are a goofy foot, nothing is more fun than watching Parker tee off on a roping Rincon right, carefully cutting back and placing powerful punches. Parker gathered the clips  and deemed it as a “surf bender”, something which just about everyone wishes they could be on the path to. Nothing is better than consistently surfing, because on one hand it keeps you happy, and on the other hand you get to sharpen your craft. 

No matter what boards you like to surf, or who your favorite surfer is, you’d most likely be labeled as a kook if you had beef with JJFs rail game (or any aspect of his surfing). Rewind back to his Margies performance or watch some clips of him at rock piles and Haleiwa and you’ll understand. John draws unique lines and holds his turns much longer than most, giving pleasurable viewing and often (attempted) replicas of his surfing. You’ll need a big canvas if you want to draw the lines anything remotely similar to johns, so you might need to keep this one on ice until the waves get bigger than you are tall. 

East Meets West: Weather

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In the world we live in, the year is broken into 4 quadrants of weather patterns. Named seasons, there is winter, spring, summer, and fall. Depending on where you are in the world, these seasons can come at all different times. Depending on where you are in the world, these seasons could be starkly different or pretty similar. In the USA, we start and end the year in winter (which now that I am thinking about it is kind of wack, imagine christmas and NYE in the summer? That would be pretty tight.).Out of winter it feels like we crawl into spring, sprint through summer, breeze through fall, and just like that it is winter again. Having grown up on the east coast and lived on the west coast for a little while now, I have experienced both types of seasonal years. While starkly different, I have my likings and dislikings to both. Read below, as I break the two coasts into a single con and single pro for the year:

 

EAST

Like: Layers and a Functional Wardrobe. 

I love outerwear. If you opened up my current closet in California, you would first scratch your head at the sheer number of T-shirts I own. But once you looked past that, you would realize how many heavy jackets and thick coats that line the right side. In California, realistically, there are about 3 months in which you might need a heavy jacket. Most of the time this is only necessary at night, in which I am either firmly planted on my couch or going out for the night and do not want to carry around a bulky jacket or sweat bullets all night. So I can wear these nice pieces to work. But I am guilty of just throwing on a sweatshirt and heading out the door in comfort. To make matters worse, I own a ton of rainwear that gets little action unless we stumble upon a wet week. While I can wear them when it is dry, it just defeats the tech I so proudly love to sport. I also love to layer, which almost never happens since it rarely drops below 50. Being home lets me go from boardies and a T-shirt to pants and a long sleeve to bundled up for winter. And back around the spectrum again. 

Dislike: The Ice-cold Wind Vortex

One thing in which I will NEVER miss from my hometown of NJ is something that is so unbelievably brutal that I truly do nothing when it comes around. When we reach the three months of January, February, and March, the weather dips to an extreme low. Both April and December can be quite cold, although more often than not it is around the 50-60s and sunny, occasionally dipping to the 40s and hopefully not the 30s. But you really never know. But for those three months, there are often week long stints of sub 30 degree weather with over 20 MPH winds. When it is cold, sometimes I can tough it out and try and do something outside. But when it is cold AND windy, it is just terrible. The wind chill drops the weather about 10 degrees, and also can really chap your lips and give you the runniest of noses. The only time in which this is not the worst thing ever is if the wind is offshore and there is waves, but even then I am not enthused to tug on 5 millimeters of rubber and bob up and down in the icebath. 

 

WEST

Like: The Endless Summer

California truly can experience an endless summer. Although south swells, warm water, and summer crowds leave with the seasonal change, the warm weather tends to stay. Sure, every once in a while the temperature takes a dip and the winter and you can’t wear flip flops or not wear a jacket. But for the most part, if the sun is up, you can get away with being pretty warm with minimal clothing on. Although I like seasonal variety and being able to tap into a full wardrobe, I think I like being warm most of the time and never really having to shiver from the weather alone. In the Summer it’s hot. In the Fall it’s hot. In the Winter it can be hot. And in the Spring it’s hot. I truly loved the warm weather when I was at university, as pool parties were a plenty. I truly despised the warm weather when I broke a sweat walking to class or just breathing inside our house since AC costed an arm and a leg. But in the end, 365 warmth triumphs all faults and favoritism. 

Dislike: The Occasional Wet Season

I have always disliked rain. I have come to not dislike it as much, as sometimes a day off just vegging out on the couch is necessary. But growing up as a hyper teen, I disliked it strongly. An avid skateboarder and BMXer, these were my vessels to roam the streets. When it was raining and I didn’t have a license, this meant I was house locked. I would ruin my skateboard in the rain and potentially rust my bike in the rain. The one thing I could do is surf, and always enjoy the tranquil conditions rain would bring. The waves are flat most of the time at home, so sparingly would I score this session. In California, rain brings dirty water. Dirty water means no surf. And no surfing means I get grumpy. Sure, I tempt fate more than most and take on the bacterial water every now and then. But even I know when it has rained a bunch and it’s a no go. I also just get bored not being able to go outside. And when it never rains even 3 days of rain feels long.