AWOKE

AWOKE was shot over a 4 month period of time (summer 2018) documenting a few of my first experiences with long hull riding. I originally ordered them due to an injury. I thought, “if I can’t surf good, at least I’ll feel good trying”. Little did I know the rabbit hole I was about to enter.

It’s been done for over a year but I’ve been using it to study the functionality of our Long Hulls. It’s been a great reference point moving our designs forward and ultimately sponging the Parallax, Outlier and Neo Classic.

Now, a couple years later, I can honestly say that riding these boards has been the most important and rewarding part of my life as a surfer...period. It has simply changed everything.

Big love to everyone who shot the clips and or donated time and music. Thank you so much to my long time brother Steve Cleveland and surf craft media for putting it all together.
-Cj

Soundtrack by Spindrift.

[gordonquigg]

CJ, I've seen your name around for decades in the professional long board arena and the surf mags and stuff, and then I watched a couple of pod casts on you, without ever having watched you surf, or not specifically where it was a focus on you, so that I knew it was you that I was watching. So I just finished watching one of these short movies on you, and now I'm half way through this one, awoke. But I was so excited to tell you before I went on any longer, that I had no idea you were so good. I wish I'd have payed more attention to your surfing decades ago, but we didn't have good cool short videos like these back then, and I was also caught up in dealing with taking care of my parents as they got older and eventually past away. Now I'm just catching up to things in the after math of that. But here you are. I'm a surfer shaper designer, born in early '57, and I've seen many generations of classic surfers come and go, but it is very interesting to watch you surf, with your soul surfer approach and off the cuff manuevers. And these movies nowadays are so cool with soulful photography and really neat music. It's a whole profession of its own, these short videos, with soul surfing and soul music. Thank you for all of this. And don't worry, I'm not gay, I just care about good boards, good surfing style, good music, and good women.

[richiez]

Idk why everyone thinks watching people ride displacement hulls isn’t cool…that was epic

[andrewwilson]

True style master. Great film CJ. Thanks for the motivation to get back on a longboard.

[robertchiarizia]

Saw CJ once at Loveland Pass in Colorado building a kicker. We were both probably in our twenties then. Always was a solid Braddah.

[graememcsherry]

COOL VIDEO, COOL MUSIC, LAST SONG SHOULD BE A LONGBOARD CLASSIC.

[marvinsmall]

So cool... But what is the board you would have a n the island with you? 😀🤙

[altizzy]

I can’t find the last song “High Noon” it’s so good! Thanks!

[elliotdowdle]

CJ Nelson…the world’s coolest cat. Fer sure…

[jakeatherly]

I wanna see you on that thing at barreling shore break