People Who Surf

With a full head of dreads, he's arguably the most recognizable character in the South Florida surf scene. He's Lance-O, creator of Kulchashok Muzic.  We caught up with him at "Artoberfest", a gathering of local surf artists and a concert by Miami based reggae band "Made of Hemp".  All put together by Locals Surf Shop in Jupiter.  He sat down with us for a quick Q and A during a break from spinning his trademark island beats.

L.E.

"Made of Hemp" is about to put on a show here at Locals Surf Shop in Jupiter, Tell us a little about the band, and how you're involved here tonight?

Lance-O

Well, Jimmy, who owns Locals and I have been doing stuff together for a while now, and he called me up and was like "Can you come up and do a show at the shop, we're putting on our Artoberfest, are you available?  You see I manage "Made of Hemp" and we're about to sign them to my label and put an album together, that will hopefully get released next year.  It's going to be called "Made of Hemp" so look for that.  I got involved with these guys...Actually Trent, one of the kids from the band, I met him surfing...He dropped in on me and I was like "Hey man you can't be doing that" but we got to talking and I was seeing him around a lot...he was skipping school(laughs).  We became friends and that's how it all began.  He knew I was doing a lot of promotion and thats what he wanted for the band so...These guys are perfect for everything I do...my surf, my reggae, they fit both elements,  they do reggae real well, they've got that surf vibe...that Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Pepper...all that stuff.

"Made of Hemp" performs at Locals.

L.E.

Talk a little bit about Kulchashok Muzic, and how you got started and what your up to these days?

Lance-O

Kulchashok Muzic started in '96 and... I guess you could say has evolved over the years.  Initially we started out as kind of a "Sound System" which is popular in Jamaican music, which is basically a crew of DJ's getting together and putting on a show. We started doing some production, we created the label and now we're actually trying to sell the Sound System.  Our focus has changed a bit. We're still keepin it Island style, Carrribean style, so I decided about 5 years ago I wanted to focus on the surf industry.  When I was growing up we listened to Reggae and we listend to Rock, and I just wanted to bring that Reggae element back to surfing.  That's what my goal has been, and I definately have had some success with it.

L.E.

How has music played a role in your life how does it tie into your surfing?

Lance-O

In 1991 I wrote an article for Reggae Report Magazine, and the editor thought it would be a good idea to do something on reggae and surfing...I realized there are a lot of similarities between reggae and surfing...it's very soul, very you know spiritual, comes from within and I get that both from surfing and from reggae and that's what I love 'em so much, and they are the two dearest things in my world. Surfing and reggae...I don't really need anything else. If I didn't need to eat, I could live off that(laughs) that's what it would be. If I didn't need a roof over my head, it would just be surfing and reggae even more than it is now, and in that way I just sort of brought the two together with Kulchashok.

L.E

So now you've got a new tv show called "Island Hoppers" what's it about.

Lance-O

Well, it's kind of an extension of both loves.  I had the idea one day for a program, so I approached Rob Lyon, who is now my partner, who is basically the person who shoots it, chops it, kind of gives it its feel.  I was like," look, you know, we should travel the islands, doing music, doing surfing, doing some culture"... because I love that culture so much, and I'm finding out that a lot of people are really into the Carribean culture. More than I anticipated.  So that was the whole idea, and we've been doing it each month... we've been to Jamaica, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, we just got back from Nevis.  We're going to Abaco, Dominican Republic and talking about some others.  I've always been a reggae person, that's how I really got into it.  I guess that was my way into the music. I didn't ever really formally play, I didn't really ever feel like I was a great player of music, or instrument.  So I used radio as the next best influential way to get into the industry.  So I went to school, I majored in communications and got a background in radio and tv, but I never really had an interest in tv until now, because tv just broadened those same elements together, the reggae, the surfing the music, and now its another one with the culture of the islands, and traveling which I love to do.  If I had two other things it would be traveling and Carribean culture and this show brings 'em all together.

L.E.

Is "Island Hoppers" your first experience in production, and what are some the challenges bringing a tv show to life?

Lance-O

As far as the actual tv production. Yes.  I've done music video production.  I've produced a couple music videos for my label with my brother.  That's all he does, is film tv, movies, commercials and stuff like that.  The production part wasn't that big of a challenge because I didn't have that much to do with it other than presenting the story which, for me was ok because it was like writing script for radio, it was very similar there.  The production part is my partner Rob Lyon, whose work speaks for itself. He's got 7 Emmy's.  People have had all good things to say about him.  The real challenge has been in finding sponsors to keep the program going.  That's been the biggest challenge all along, and that's what we're facing even now.

L.E.

So how many episodes did you produce?  Did you score waves?

Lance-O

Like I said, we did Jamaica,  St. Maarten, St. Kitts, in that order.  We just finished Nevis.  We're working on Abaco, Bahamas. We'll probably have a couple episodes on that, since there are so many islands.  We haven't been totally skunked, but we haven't always caught the best of waves.  We're working on several others as well.

We're looking at Barbados and Curacao at the moment. 

L.E.

When can we watch it?

Lance-O

In the month of October it's on every Monday at 9 pm and every Friday at 5 pm.  This is the first month we've actually had a set time. Up to now it's been shown at random times.  Its on Sunsports, it's on channel 38 on comcast 31 in some areas, 632 Direct TV, and 422 Dish Network National.  So if you get any of those you can watch it there.

L.E.

Are you still running the Dirty South Contest?  How's that going?

Lance-O

That's been a big challenge.  Last year it never actually happened.  The hardest thing with that contest is the waves, and knowing when there's going to be waves.  One day I didn't think there was going to be waves, and there was.  It caught me off guard so...  but what can you do?  I can only forecast so well, and Miami is probably the most fickle place in the U.S.  Then during Surf Expo there was waves, and I was up there.  Then there was May, 8th.  I was just like, in all honesty it was going to be too frickin' good to do a contest, not to mention there was the most people I'd ever seen, there was no way I was going to pull off a contest.   After that it made me realize that I may not have it this year.  So I decided to call my main sponsor, Viking Surfboards and I said "Look I don't know if it's gonna happen this year or not, if you guys still wanna do it, I'll do it.  If you don't, I'll give you all your money back".  Part of the problem is the other aspects of the business are taking off, so If I could set a date there would be no problem, I'd just mark that day out.  So, Christian (Viking) said look, "You've worked really hard on this and you deserve to be paid for what you've done.  Just give me half back", and that was more than I could ask for.  It covered my expenses, and I didn't lose any money, maybe some sleep and some time, but I'm used to that.   So the Dirty South is in limbo right now in all honesty.  I'm still contemplating on what to do.  It's a lot of pressure, it's a lot of stress, it's a lot of work.  If I could just set a date, it would be no problem, no problem at all, and the funny thing...I just got the copyright in the mail today.  For the name.  It says "Congratulations".   So it almost makes me want to give it one more shot. It's really, really tough.  Especially when my word is invloved.  I don't know how else to say it, except it's really, really tough.  The first two years, I don't know how I did it.  I got lucky.  There weren't the greatest waves...but.  My apologies to anyone I've dissapointed. 

L.E.

At L.E. we're all about getting out of the daily grind and getting into your element.  In our case the Ocean. Tell us what Surfing and the Ocean mean to you?

Lance-O

Surfing and the Ocean, I guess you could say...Is almost like my balance in life.  I need it. I have to have it.  I don't think it's ironic, the worst year of my life I lived away from the Ocean. I remember coming back...whether it's rough or it's flat as a lake, the Ocean gives me a sense of serenity.  A sense of comfort.  A sense of, even, home.  it brings an essence of peace.  I remember when my dad died.  What did I do?  I went to the Ocean.  I remember going to the Ocean on his birthday, and I could feel him there, and it felt good. Being in the Ocean is a time for me to be free, it's time for me to be away, it's time for me to me to think, to let loose, to let go.  It gives me life, it gives me strength.  If it weren't blood it would be the Ocean water running through my veins. If it isn't already.

L.E.

Thanks alot for taking the time to talk to us.

Lance-O

Thank You. I appreciate what you're doing.  Thanks for thinking of me, and for giving some more people the opportunity to know a little more about me.