That’s More Like It
24 hours in the life of an indie media newsletter mogul.
The last 48 hours have been busy and I’ve been running around like the man about town I like to think I am. I’ve been in various rooms of importance in a short amount of time with key players in things that are coming together. Walk with me.
Last night, after talking with Ivy Miller (interview next week) and a tax appointment, my day teetered on the border of glory and disaster. So I hitched a ride up to Hollywood to catch the LA world premiere of the new Red Bull surf film Now Days starring Caity Simmers, Molly Picklum, Caroline Marks, Erin Brooks, Sierra Kerr and Sky Brown.
I pulled up and ran into Gian Bernini of Lost Surfboards. We looked up at our surroundings: a beautifully restored theater that’s hosted Academy Awards and shows by Nirvana (interesting enough pairing).
“Kind of nice to be at a surf premiere that’s not in a parking lot,” he said. And while I actually throw surf premieres in parking lots professionally, he’s not wrong. It was nice to wear my Astorflex loafers and rest assured no one would throw a beer at me and ruin my Marni jacket. At least for the night.
I made a great move and sat next to Matt Biolos. The film started and The Circle Jerks “Wild in the Streets” blasted as a montage of hi-fi surf action of the world’s best surfers plays.
“Hey, that’s my song,” laughed Biolos as I tugged his shirt sleeve realizing the same thing. I nearly got whiplash thinking about Randal’s opening soliloquy to Lost Across America Volume II: The Decline of Surfing Civilization. I believe it goes something like:
“Lost is gonna come out with a new video, and it aint made up to look like some put together production…saying ‘these guys are hot and they hang out and they play guitar’….we aint got none of that.’” before The Circle Jerks song comes on.
“Kinda cool though” we agreed.
I’d love to show you the trailer to Now Days right now but it’s on “media embargo” (is that still a thing in 2026?) so I will not be able to. Maybe later. I did hear it comes out May 1 and it’s a pretty great surf vid.
I woke this morning at 6 a.m. for a dawn patrol breakfast meeting with the crew from Free Fly. Newsletters never sleep.
The Joan Didion Santa Ana winds blew outside while I sat in The Sugar Shack in Huntington Beach waiting for them and looking at the photos on the walls, in awe at the whole Turner family and feeling warm about how iconic they are.
Ryan Turner himself poured me a cup of coffee and told me about how his daughter Bailey Turner just qualified for the 2026 Challenger Series. Wholesome and amazing.
From there, I ran to pick up my daughter’s new surfboard. Hot pink and shaped by Doc Lausch of Surf Prescriptions. A soon to be 3-year-old with a custom surfboard. Thanks grandpa.
By then the wind had turned onshore but according to “Archy in the parking lot,” that’s exactly what it needed.
“Looks better right now than it has all day,” he said as I dashed down the cliff. I rode a board Doc made me that has wings, channels, a 2+1 and a flat deck — every gimmick you can throw at a small wave board. I whipped around my local spot like a kid doing burnouts in the parking lot. So. Much. Fun. 2pm and no one out.
I’m now banging these letter keys as fast as I can because I have an absolutely red hot reservation at Funke, maybe the hottest restaurant in all the land of Los Angeles. If the three girls in my life want to eat at the hottest restaurant in LA to kick off Agnes’ birthday festival weekend, then I will flex all my media mogul newsletter powers and it will be done. Happy Birthday weekend Agnes. Daddy’s on his way! Tell mommy to order dad a martini.—Travis Ferré