VQS Surf Tour hits SF for the first time ever!

Burger Records x Volcom present Cyber Singles Club, features music from the newest breed of Burger Records stars in the making, recorded exclusively at Volcom Studio, and will be released for free download & streaming every Monday for 20 weeks beginning April 17th. Week 6: Hammered Satin - "Upward Spiral" Grab the free download Sometimes things you’ve done in the past lead to another entirely different thing years later. Such is the case with Noah Wallace, lead singer of Hammered Satin. Formed in 2010 with Noah, Dan Sandvick (bassist), and Conor Berle (guitarist), Hammered Satin released their first cassette with Burger Records in 2012. "Sean and Lee from Burger Records had a band called Thee Makeout Party and my old band S'cool Girls played with them once in like 2005," remembers Noah. Sean adds, "We've been idolizing Hammered Satin for years in their many incarnations as the forever-young bubblegum glam pop gods of LA. First we knew them as Teachers Pet out of San Diego, and a few years later Noah blew minds with his amazing band S'Cool Girls. Now, they've evolved to their most perfect form, Hammered Satin! Signing Hammered Satin was kind of a no-brainer. We didn’t have to pitch ourselves. We were already buddies and good friends, and playing music with each other from back in the day created that natural affinity that we like to associate ourselves with." An interest in obscure records was always a common bond. Noa notes, "They’re like record collector guys. We’re all record collectors. There is a weird understanding among the record collector community if you know what I mean, so you know where the influences are coming from whereas most people don't." So where did the influence for "Upward Spiral" come from? "It's a motivational song," says Noah, "meant to inspire the listener into believing in themselves. Artists these days seem to be quite negative and down on themselves. It's like some sort of epidemic. I think of this song as an antidote to negative thinking. I first heard the phrase 'upward spiral' said by the character Jack Donaghy on the TV show 30 Rock. Thought it was funny, so I used it. And in the spirit of glam rock, it's slightly braggadocious proclaiming that you are on an 'upward spiral' rather than a downward one!" You can also own the 7" vinyl record for Upward Spiral which also includes the song Lavender Lightning Lady. Catch up on previous week's releases: Week 1: The Side Eyes "Cat Call" Week 2: The High Curbs "Empty Bottles" Week 3: VAJJ "Honey Pie" Week 4: Wyatt Blair "Pop Your Heart Out" Week 5: The Flytraps "Female of the Species"

Burger Records x Volcom present Cyber Singles Club, features music from the newest breed of Burger Records stars in the making, recorded exclusively at Volcom Studio, and will be released for free download & streaming every Monday for 20 weeks beginning April 17th. Week 5: The Flytraps - "Female of the Species"   Grab the free download The Flytraps have been an Orange County act to reckon with since early 2012, existing in a feral state unlike many bands that play it nice. Members have come and gone since their debut album She-Freak, but a core duo of bassist Kristin Cooper and guitarist Beth Boyd are keeping this train roaring down the tracks. The Flytraps' relationship with Burger Records has some deep roots. "It was a loooong time ago," says Kristin. "We were courting each other all coy and shit. It kinda fell into place." At one particular Burger show Kristin was a little rowdy, and as she put it, "I got trashed, there was some broken glass." Beth continued the story for our pleasure, and said "She went into a breaking frenzy. She just started throwing everything." Fortunately for the band, and much to Kristin's redemption, whatever she did worked wonders. "Well, then they signed us, so I did something right," recalled Kristin. The Flytraps may be wild at heart, but they aren't evil. "I'm just trying to cause mischief. I'm not trying to cause bodily harm." Sean from Burger describes their new song "Female of the Species" as "Turned up to 11, radioactive rock 'n' roll fire! Leather, high heels, and fist-pumping action have made this band one of our favorites for years and they are finally making their Burger Records debut! Turn it up!" Though the details are a bit foggy, Kristin adds, "We've got a bitchin' record coming out on Burger!" Catch up on previous week's releases: Week 1: The Side Eyes "Cat Call" Week 2: The High Curbs "Empty Bottles" Week 3: VAJJ "Honey Pie" Week 4: Wyatt Blair "Pop Your Heart Out"

Words and photos by Volcom staff photographer, Tom Carey. Check out additional Euro Thrash coverage from our friends Wasted Talent and Surfline who joined us on the trip. France seemed like a good break from the fast-paced lifestyle we were living in Portugal. However, we put the well-oiled machine into overdrive and kicked up the whole program a notch. It was Friday night and we couldn't bare the thought of not going out in Hossegor. Half the crew live there throughout the year so they were happy to be home, see some friends and have a few pints at their local watering hole. That was night #1. Night #2 meant heading to Spain. San Sebastian to be exact. For anyone that doesn't know, San Seb is one of the most amazing towns you could ever visit with its narrow streets, killer bars and amazing tapas. The food alone is worth venturing over for. We visited a few shops, mainly Pukas, which is the biggest surf shop in Spain and then tore the city up. It was hard keeping everybody together when you’re rolling so deep. We had two rooms at separate hostels, but still somehow we managed to only sleep six people in beds. Others slept in their cars, a few on the ground and then others didn't sleep at all. It was quite the site when we all reconvened the next morning. We didn't let a little hangover stop us from enjoying some breakfast tapas and some delightful cider. The party continued on night #3 back over the border to Hossegor once again. By then we were feeling it. Giraffes (giant tubes of beer) were going down too quickly and I knew there couldn't be a happy ending to this weekend. The next day was going to be full of fear. And we weren't far off. The Volcom house looked like a bomb went off. We had been going strong for over a week now and a day off was much needed. So we rested, packed our bags and got ready for our journey the following day to Paris where we would end the trip. It was Semana Santa (Easter) and flights were full and expensive so we decided to jump on the train instead. There's not a better way to experience and view the French countryside than by rail. Beautiful, vibrant hills were covered in the brightest yellow wildflowers and sprinkled with giant windmills. It was beautiful. Paris greeted us with open arms. We didn't arrive until 8pm, but the night was young. Restaurants cook until 11pm, which is great. Bars stay open until the wee hours (which is also great). We saved the best meal for last and sampled all the exquisite cuisine Paris had to offer. We woke up a little fuzzy, but had enough in the tank for one last night. After visiting a few shops and then putting a few pints back, we went to check out a concert nearby put on by one of the presidential candidates. It was raging. The cops were in full force and dressed like RoboCop riot gear. Feeling a little uneasy, we didn't stay long as the large crowds were a bit overwhelming. So we stumbled upon a Korean BBQ joint that looked like it could accommodate the 10 of us. We ate like kings trying to forget that we were leaving the next morning. We had all became great friends by the end of the trip. And as the clock ticked, we knew this memorable trip had to come to an end. We finished out the night at a heavy metal bar. There are always good people at metal bars. They are the salt of the earth. We said our goodbyes that night, shed a few tears and made promises to come back and see each other soon. Farewell for now... Euro Thrash "Super Bocks in EriceiraEuro Thrash "Scoring in Coxos"   We had uber small waves in France, but the bank was amazing. 200 yard lefts, but waist high. Burch made it look so fun on his twinny. We opted to take the train into Paris from Bordeaux. What a good call that was. The French countryside is so beautiful and teeming with colors. The yellow wild flowers are poisonous for the horses, but delicious on the eyes. Nothing like a massive windmill to frame your photo with. Join the crowd. Noa picked up a lot of French on the trip and would surprise everyone when they met him with a line or two. So classic. Burch put on a yoyo display in San Sebastian for the tourists. Don’t ask about the hats. Burch loves logging in and out of the water. The forests around Hossegor are so lush. We went to check out this old Russian campground. It was straight out of a horror movie. But gorgeous. The tapas in San Sebastian are next level. Service in Europe can be slow at times, so the tapas are a nice change of pace. Burch, Noa and Charly were always up for a good time. Alex hadn’t been to San Sebastian (I don't believe), which I thought was weird. He’s a pretty well-traveled man. You could stare at the architecture in Europe for days on end. Men who shower together surf together. Or is it the other way around? We had the meanest barbecue at the Volcom house in Hossegor. It was a sausage fest of sorts with some duck thrown in. Willy was not impressed with Charly's. The ride from Portugal to France was amazing. So much open space with these little towns centered around an old church. Snapped this shot of the French RoboCops. They almost took my camera away. I got patted down and told to be on my way. It was worth it. The presidential elections led to some large crowds and lots of cops. I wasn't too comfortable and sure enough the day we left a few cops got shot near our hotel. Pretty heave stuff. France isn't France without a good old fashioned shot of the Metro.

Words and photos by Volcom staff photographer, Tom Carey. Check out additional Euro Thrash coverage from our friends Wasted Talent and Surfline who joined us on the trip. The second day of the trip was one of the best days of surf we've ever seen. We scored firing Coxos, The Cave and Crazy Left. The wind cooperated, the swell pumped and we took advantage of what Portugal was delivering. Coxos was going loony as our cavalry pulled up to the carpark. Charly Quivront, Alex Botelho and Willy Alioti wasted no time trading off eight foot tubes out the back while Noa Deane jumped in shortly after. Everyone seemed to get spit out of a barrel. It was crazy. But in the distance, we could see The Cave trying to do its thing. The tide just needed to drop. Gony Zubizaretta and myself were getting antsy to give it a whirl, so we waited. And we're glad we did. Gony put on an absolute amazing display of surfing at The Cave when it started to turn on. Gony is somewhat of a new residenta of Ericeira, but he surfed the wave like he grew up there. For anyone that doesn't know the place, it's as heavy as it gets. Boils pop up out of nowhere, rocks are visible just feet from the lip and a nasty shelf sits just feet away from a wipeout. Tiago Pires once broke his back out there. It's usually empty as no one wants a piece of it. But Gony lit the place up. He got three of the best waves we've ever seen out there. His first wave was a standup barrel wide enough for him to comfortably stretch his arms out in. Noa was also frothing to surf The Cave more than anyone and it showed as he got a few insane slabs to himself along with Gony. Ryan Burch was also amongst the crew and surfed six-to-eight-foot crazy left by himself for a few hours, carving the wave to hell on his handshaped asymmetrical masterpiece. It's seriously a sight to see him on those boards and it's safe to say he's carved out a nice little niche for himself. Even after a terribly long day of surfing, we still managed to find the strength to put a few beers back. The days are quite long in Europe. We didn’t even eat dinner until 10:30pm that night. The Americans were getting hangry and all the Euros were having a good laugh at it. The following day was back to the beach break. And again, we were greeted with playful three-foot surf rolling off this amazing sand bar. It was icing on the cake after the extravaganza we had the day before. We could die happy. The forecast looked pretty grim after that run of swell, so we decided to pack up our gear and hightail it 10 hours to Hossegor. We went like 90mph and made it in seven hours. Not an easy task with three cars. We strolled into the Volcom France House around 10pm and called it a day. Euro Thrash "Super Bocks in Ericeira"Euro Thrash "Riot In The Streets"   Alex at the castle that sits on the point at Nazare. I think he feels comfy there. Willy thought Noa never listens to him. He got the point. Burch and his quiver. Those boards right there can surf anything. Burch getting stylish at Crazy Left. Alex at Coxos. He got spit out of that one. Burch surfed Crazy Left by himself for a few hours. Lucky dog. Gony's performance at The Cave was downright amazing. I didn't know he had it in him. Burch soaking it all in. Noa with the Wasted Talent 16mm camera. Always the connoisseur. I wonder what Burch was thinking right here in the board dungeon? Burch again at Crazy Left. I'd imagine the Portuguese version of the name sounds better. Charly Quivront absolutely ripped the bag out of Coxos that day. Willy banking at Coxos. Charly midway through an alley oop at Coxos. I think Charly caught like 10 waves in 30 minutes that night. That's a photographer's dream. Charly was the only guy not to wear boots out there at Coxos. The rocks are psycho out there especially at high tide. People get tweaked coming in over the reef. Charly again. See what I mean?! Charly again at Coxos. There's two parts to the wave and if you can connect them it makes for one amazing ride. Charly post-tube gouge. Noa was absolutely freaking out at the idea of us getting to surf The Cave. The wind cooperated for an hour or so and we lucked into some absolute gems. Gony on his first wave. I've never seen someone come out of a barrel more happy than Gony did. Dude gave me a hug after. Noa stalling for the last section. The boils are so sketchy there. Gony on his second wave out there. I've shot that wave like five different times, and this was by far the best, but most inconsistent. Noa again trying to give Gony a run for his money. Noa at Coxos. He absolutely annihilated this wave. Would have been a 10 on tour! Willy gave it a go on his backhand. Probably the worst wave ever to surf backside. He ate shit on a few, but came out unscathed. The biggest, meanest set came in right when we were paddling out. It was insane. If we had just gotten out there an hour earlier. Damn! Noa packs light at the beach. Traveling with 12-15 people can be tough at times, but somehow we pulled it off with laser-like precision. The vibes were amazing on that trip.

Words and photos by Volcom staff photographer, Tom Carey. Check out additional Euro Thrash coverage from our friends Wasted Talent and Surfline who joined us on the trip. It's great to go on a trip that lives up to its name. Euro Thrash. And that’s exactly what we did, thrashed our way through Portugal, Spain, and France. We rolled deep. At one point there might have been 15 of us in four cars. But we made it work. Our key players were Noa Deane, Ryan Burch, Gony Zubizarreta, Willy Alioti, Alex Botelho, Charly Quivront and a cameo by Leon Glatzer. On top of that, we had three filmers and three Volcom Corpo studs. That's what you call rolling deep. Our trip started out in Ericeira, Portugal, a wave-rich surf town just 30 minutes outside of Lisbon. The trip was planned in advance, not a strike mission, which lowers your odds of scoring any good surf by a sever amount. So a few of the guys sacrificed themselves the night before getting on the flight. It worked. We stumbled onto a beauty of a sandbar the first day. The water was an electric shade of blue. The sun was out. A few babes lined the beach and the beers were already flowing during and quickly post-surf. It was a good start to the trip. After surfing our brains out, we checked some other spots, flew a kite, drank some more Super Bock (Portugal's home brew) and had our first team dinner. We totally overwhelmed the restaurant, mesmerized the locals and sang happy birthday to me, much to my dismay. We went to bed as happy campers. Euro Thrash "Scoring in Coxos"Euro Thrash "Riot In The Streets"   Noa brought his guitar and battery operated amp to the beach one day. We ended up surfing a left that was quite the mission to get to. He was so bummed having to carry it that far. But in the end he had his own personal amphitheater. Volcom Europe's team manager missed an exit leaving the airport and we ended up going over the longest suspension bridge in Europe. It was a beautiful view though. Richie Olivares (Surf Marketing). always brings kites on trips. Here Noa helps it take flight. Alex Botelho can shred the small stuff when he’s not paddling 50 foot Nazare. Our first day was beautiful with 80 degree weather, three foot wedges and a cliff side café that sold 1 Euro beers. Life is good. Willy Alioti, Alex Botelho, Ryan Burch and Noa Deane use the natural frame for a portrait in Portugal. Noa did a pretty sweet no-hander on his last wave. I asked him to go back out and do another so I could get a better angle on it. He did. All you gotta do sometimes is ask. Willy Aliota halfway throught a full rotator. Charly Quivront was like the grom of the trip. But he's a feisty one. Leon Glatzer wasn’t able to hang with us too much because of his contest schedule, but he lit up for the one session he did. Willy always having a good time. Noa is a creature. Alex is the gnarliest charger in his parts. But you wouldn't know it from talking to him. Gony had the best week of his life. He won back-to-back QS events, got three of the best tubes of his life at The Cave, and hung out with us, which is a feat in itself. We roll deep. Ryan Burch and his infectious laugh. Style for days. Burch floating on his twinny. Burch again throwing it up for the crowd. Afternoon beers were the norm. Willy rocks. And he likes rocks. Put them together and you have... Burch, always the gentleman and scholar.