300 Surfboards And Counting

“We’re just the vehicle, it’s everybody else that brings the dream to life,” says Dane Gudauskas.

Fresh off a surfboard round-up in Northern California for the Positive Vibe Warriors’ South Africa board drive, per usual, Dane’s stoke level is riding high.

“We don’t have an exact count yet, but we think it’s somewhere close to 300 boards,” he says. 

Their first surfboard drive for Jamaica raised 215 boards. The momentum’s clearly grown.

“The Jamaicans were actually in town while we were doing a lot of this, so it was really cool for them to get to see it from this side.”

The sheer number of boards is impressive enough, but like most things, it’s the backstories that are the most telling.  

“Super pumped to donate Barneys boards to the Positive Vibe Warrior to send to Africa to teach kids without how to surf…Barney got a lot of his inspiration in his art from his trips to Africa. Glad he’s going back!!” – Flea

“We’d gotten a message from Flea and he was psyched on the board drive idea. He said South Africa had always been a special place in Barney’s life, so he invited us over to come pick up some of Barney’s old boards,” tells Dane. “How sick is it to think that Barney’s spirit and stoke and love of surfing now has the opportunity to live on in a South African kid that otherwise might not ever get to surf? That’s magic.”

It’s life-changing stuff, for sure. The PVW surfboard drive, dubbed the “Can’t Steal Our Vibe” drive by their friend and collaborator Michael February, benefits Surfers Not Street Children and Waves of Change in South Africa.

“The boards will be distributed to communities in need up and down the coast,” says Dane.

Another one to take a keen interest in what Dane and the boys were doing was shaper Donald Brink. Based in Dana Point by way of South Africa, Donnie out did himself. Shaping a quiver of five unique boards tailer-made for South African waters, he’s going to bring a lot of joy to his native land.

“They’re beautiful. They’re works of art,” revels Dane. “Donnie really stepped up. I think the project touched a little piece of his heart. He put a lot of soul into building these boards. And he chipped in another 20 boards he had on top of the quiver he made. How do you say thank you for something like that?”

Visiting his girlfriend in Tofino earlier this week, Dane flew into San Francisco to make his pick-ups. 

Dane with the haul from the NorCal leg of the Positive Vibe Warrior’s surfboard drive for South Africa.

“We saw Flea in Santa Cruz, then went up to Marin to the Proof Lab and that was epic. So many people turned out to bring boards. We had some pizza, drank some coldies, cranked the tunes and loaded up the van.”

Bee-lining it down Interstate 5 with Waylon Jennings cranked, he blitzed by Lemoore, eventually pulling into the WSL headquarters in Santa Monica to grab more boards.

“They hit us up and were psyched on what we were doing. They did a little thing on the webcast about it during the Hurley Pro, then told us they wanted to be a drop-off center for boards in L.A. They were just psyched to help and open their doors to us, it was a really kind gesture.”

Like pirates with their loot: Nate Yeomans, Tanner, Pat, Dan and compadre.

On the eve of the PVW’s Stoke-O-Rama contest at T Street this weekend, Dane, Pat, Tanner and friends are busy stripping wax, fixing dings and prepping boards to be shipped.

“We’re going to load them up in a container and then take it to the Long Beach Harbor and ship all the boards to South Africa on Saturday,” says Dane. “Then we’re planning a trip there the end of January to distribute the boards. I can’t say thanks enough to every single person that helped and supported the cause. It’s so inspiring. The story just keeps going…you can’t steal these vibes!”

From one goofy to another, Yeomans sizing up one of Occy’s old boards that made it into the donation pile.