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ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED FISH -- WHO'S FISH?
Surfrider's Art for the Oceans raises over $300,000 in NYC
Is it me, or are boards getting expensive these days? Remember used singlefins for $50? How about when "expensive" new epoxy boards were $385? Try picking a new 6'2 off the rack these days. $475? What kinda bro deal is that?
Well, break it down. The shop makes $100. Fair enough. There's the $100 blank, $30 for shipping, and $20 for that dope paint job. Figure the shaper has to pay his rent, and make a few bucks an hour. That leaves him about $100, and he still has to pay a guy to come up with reasons why your board's not done.
Sounds like a steal when you hear Joel Tudor refer to a board and say, "$75,000? Are you f@#$%n' kidding me?"
Let me put that in context. On Saturday night, at an upscale Chelsea, New York City art gallery, 38 surfboards were sold to the highest bidders at the Art for the Oceans Auction.
Al Merrick shaped a whole school of 6'2" fishes, then gave them to artists who had their way with them. Some of the work was done by artists who surf, and others done by surfers who art, with a few Hawaiian guns thrown in. Among the contributors were Thomas Campbell, Tony Caramonico, David Carson, Drew Brophy, and Kelly Slater. The much-heralded artist Julian Schnabel's Blind Girl Surf Club went for a cool $75,000.
That was, by far, the highest price fetched for any of the boards. Schnabel is basically the Slates of the art world. You may not have heard of Schnable, but most art collectors have never heard of Herbie Fletcher. However, their work hung side by side in this auction. And, at $200 a ticket just to get in the door, there was plenty of coin at this show.
Most of you are wondering who has $75,000 for a surfboard. Hey, if he's got that kind of money to throw around, buy us some boards. At least by us some shots!
Relax. You'll see a cut of that $75,000. In fact, all the proceeds went to the Surfrider Foundation, so the money goes into protecting the ocean (and there was an open bar.)
Tudor was actually an honorary co-chair. He explained his expletives about the prices.
"It's cool. This just shows where surfing is at. In New York, ten years ago, you weren't going to get this crowd. Surfing is huge right now."
Auctioneer Simon de Pury turned the gala event into a show. He bounded through the crowd and whacked his gavel in dramatic fashion. He was able to move Ian Bloch's board, reassembled into a creative wooden frame and canvas for $11,000 and Beautiful Loser, Raymond Pettibon's fish for $15,000.
Long Island's Tony Caramonico was one of the artists in attendance. His work consisted of laminated pages of his personal journals from the 1980's, and accompanying photography.
"I've been doing art for 27 years. But, up until four years ago, I never showed it," said Caramonico.
"I'm honored, and extremely excited that it went for such a high price," he added.
James Fullbright, of Galveston, Texas (the enthusiastic loon who discovered the Gulf oil tanker waves, and is featured riding them in Step Into Liquid was in NYC to premiere his new film Miles to Surf, and couldn't help but pick up a fish by L.A. street artist Gomez Bueno.
"I held up my ping pong paddle for $3,000. Before I knew it, it was $5,000," said Fullbright, "I guess I didn't take it down in time, but it's all good. It's for a great cause and I'm super stoked."
"This is our first event in New York City," said Surfrider's Executive Director, Jim Moriarity, "our goal was to break even. We just wanted to build our presence in New York and bring people together."
They did better than break even. Can you throw in a traction pad?
Pre event photo gallery
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Jon Coen
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