EXPERT ADVICE: HOW TO SURF

Hans Hagen, a professional surfer turned adventure travelerfrom Laguna Beach, California, has been part of the firstsurfing expeditions to far-flung locales like the Outer Hebrides and the Shetland Islands in Scotland, Nova Scotia, India, Africa and the Philippines. Who better to give a surfing lessonto Quixtar EDC Dean Kosage and his 8-year-old daughter,Teagan? Dean, an adventure junkie who was raised on boats in the Florida Keys, is an accomplished windsurfer but had nevertried surfing. He and Teagan were more than ready for the challenge. In Dean’s words, “I’m the opposite of a nine-to-five guy. I built my own business so I could have new experiences like hunting alligators in Guatemala, daring to learn a standing back tuck dive…and learning how to surf!”

“Chasing an eight-year-old in the surf takes its toll. With a Rhodi Blast, I can keep charging all day long.”

Understanding the Ocean

A surfing instructor can help you learn about tides,
weather patterns, channels, rip currents, intervals
(how often and how many waves come in a set) and
other factors that will affect your surfing experience.
This will help you know the best place to paddle.

To Position Yourself On the Board, Start On the Sand

First, figure out your stance: lie down on the board on your stomach, push up with your arms, and
jump to your feet in a sideways, board-riding position. Which foot is in the back? If your right foot is
in back, you’re “regular foot.” If your left foot is in back, you’re “goofy foot.” Now you can practice
popping up on the board from a paddling position.

TIPS FROM HANS:

How To Paddle

Position yourself on your stomach on the board so you feel in balance. You want to be far enough back on the board so the nose doesn’t pearl (go under water). To get to the line-up, or the place where surfers are catching waves, point your board straight out, perpendicular to the breaking waves, and paddle out using a long smooth freestyle stroke. Don’t drag your feet in the water. To make it through a breaking wave that’s not too big, paddle decisively toward it and push down on the sides of your board, allowing the whitewater to pass between you and the board. In slightly bigger waves, you’ll need to learn to “turn turtle”: grab the rails, or sides, of the board and flip it over, letting the foam roll over you.

How to Catch a Wave

A surf instructor can help you get the timing down; it’s the trickiest part. Paddle into a wave that’s beginning to break with your back slightly arched and your chest up. When you feel the wave pick you up, pop up and spring to your feet in the stance you practiced on the sand. Find your balance, back foot towards the tail of the board, centered. Keep your ankles and knees flexible; it’s always easier to keep your balance from a slightly crouched position.

In 2004 Grass Roots Network™ boast 9 growing divisions and more international entertainment connections then ever before. Which is a far cry from their humble “garage band” beginnings in Washington State.

Grass Roots creatively combines the “coolness” of extreme sports and live music with the “importance” of inspiring and empowering youth with positive messages delivered through a series of live, broadcast and new media channels.

Grass Roots launched in 1993 with all-age concert promotion. It started as a way to get the word out about local bands and help them build a following. Company founder Bryan Gallinger a “natural networker” expanded the reach of his promotions throughout Washington State. In 1996 Gallinger extended his entertainment connections worldwide in modeling and acting. Then Grass Roots stepped into Production in 1998 and in September 2001 launched Grass Roots Network™ with new-media endeavors that have solidified the vision for the entire company with 9 different divisions. Today Grass Roots currently produces film, music, extreme sports, acting & modeling, Health & Fitness, Promotions, Artist Development, education and television (Xtreem TV™) throughout the Pacific Northwest and sparking in new locations around the US and Canada.

Bryan always studied business while in pursuit of his entertainment dreams, which has apparently paid off in recent years, as he has become a major impact player in northwest business circles. Gallinger owns and operates several enterprises outside of Grass Roots and is personally coached by several individuals and couples that have retried in their twenties and are willing to show Bryan how to dominate in business.

Bryan points to Kosage’s “grace and ability to lead” as key elements that allow him to mentor people personally and professionally. Dean, whose business endeavors semi-retired him in his early twenties, was unavailable for comment. But according to Gallinger, he is ranked highly in his industry and still able to sleep in and spend time with his 7 year-old daughter.

Kosage and Gallinger have done a substantial amount of networking in the entertainment world as Dean has formed alliance with some of the top players in Hollywood and played a part in film and music from a behind the scenes angle. Through Dean, Bryan has met key producers and agents, Grammy award winners, entertainment lawyers, radio personalities, and TV/film stars like Tyler Hoechlin of “7th Heaven.”

Gallinger is no stranger to the entertainment world. He started playing the drums in high school at the age of 18 with his own band, which turned into a decade of national performances with groups such as Relic, Toy Soldier, Sammarium, Negative 7 and Idlemine. At age 20 he put his band on hold to purse modeling. In March of 2000 he moved to Italy to do commercial print work and went on to host as an American guest VJ for the Italian version of MTV. His focused changed when he returned to the states and poured a significant amount of time in recent years into scouting out drug free and business minded entertainers.

Today, Bryan’s credits include working with over 100 bands (local & national) and assisting athletes, models, actors, and many more on and off-screen in developing their careers. Bryan is the sole owner, producer and host of Xtreem TV™, which profiles extreme sports, live music, music videos and extreme lifestyles thru a magazine-style show. One artist he is developing is a young filmmaker Nick Giersdorf from Bellevue, WA. “Nick has that rare combination of brains, drive, drug-free, Christian, talent, vision and humbleness that Grass Roots looks for,” says Bryan. Together they co-produced and wrote an independent film titled ‘Small Change’. Bryan even plays a feature part in this cause & effect indy film scheduled to debut late ‘04/early ‘05. By combining entertainment connections, this initial “small” effort turned into a high quality independent film staring local and national talent and received significant media coverage. In July of ’03, Bryan left the rock & roll world by retiring as Negative 7’s drummer to pursue a larger vision. According to Joe Gingerella, Negative 7’s manager, “Bryan is always the backbone of his group both personally and business.” Currently, Joe (owner of Squeeze Media Group) and Bryan are business associates on many projects. “My vision is so much larger than performing alone today. I am seeking mentorship from someone who has obtained that rare combination of true success, in my opinion, which is a balance of financial freedom, a good relationship with the Lord, family values, humble character, giving back to the community and world and having fun!”

“Thanks to Dean, I can finally fulfill my personal dreams and give back what I need and have always dreamed of by developing other dreamers.”

“To promote personalities that are substance-free and whose ‘make-a-difference’ dreams are inclusive of others.” -From the GRNetworks.NET “Purpose” section

Gallinger seems determined to take entertainment further then the hype of Hollywood and to craft a more meaningful message. He also has plans to mentor youth using his industry connections and launching educational and out reach programs internationally using technology, entertainment and sports as the basis.

Bryan who appears to be very level headed and grounded for someone involved in entertainment, contributes his success to a great family environment growing up. “I was given a foundation of values and morals that allowed me to keep my head on straight even in the midst of the exciting world of entertainment,” says Gallinger.