Holy Sh...

Last Friday has to go down as one of the toughest labor intense days I've had in a long time. I know I may sound like a wimp to some of you that do this kind of sh!t everyday but... man.

As you know, I've been working at Creed SUP for almost two months now and since the first day, we've been waiting for a container of 150 sup boards to show up. Little did I know, that day would come sooner than later.

Last Friday a diesel truck rolled up and it was go time. We had only two hours to unload 150 30-40 pound boxes. I have to give the owner of Creed SUP, Randy, huge props. He has done this before and man-handled the boxes like no other. He got up inside the container and unloaded every single box while three of use picked up the boxes and stacked them in the warehouse. My arms are just getting back to normal three days later.

After the unloading that we did in record time, we had to ship out as many as we could for the Friday cut off. So we had to move and load on top of that. Hectic.

Dreading the next container to arrive in the next couple weeks? Nah, I know what to expect now. But I know I'll be hurting aftwards.

Time for some waves. Peace out.

Less than two hours later, that container was on it's way back to Long Beach.

Say, Then Do.

Funny thing happened this morning. I went to a local news stand in search of the new Stand Up Journal magazine. I was ready to fork over about $15 for the latest issue. I got the cover shot of Sean Poynter. Yes, I'm pumped. But when I showed up, the mag was nowhere to be seen.

What I did see it was Riptide magazine front and center. I did a double take on the price tag of 15 dollars and realized I had no problem dropping that for an SUP mag. I picked up the Riptide magazine and headed straight for the check out counter.

Sure, the editors would hook me up if I email them for a free issue but the way I see it, and have said it in the past... support those that support you.

Here's to bodyboarding. You've got my full support.

Going Full Time Full Bore

Today was the start of a new chapter in my life. I started my new 40 hour a week job at Creed SUP. The last time that has happened was back in 2000-2002. That's when I worked for a salary of $30,000 as the editor of BodyBoarding Magazine. It was a bit of a shock after doing the whole pro bodyboarder dealio for 10 years prior. But today, I wasn't shocked but stoked. Stoked to be a part of something that I enjoy... SUP.

I spent the day going through the in's and out's of what makes Creed SUP one of the coolest SUP companies to work for. My new boss, Randy, has more business knowledge than can ever imagine obtaining myself. Add that to the fact that he's straight up and I get a head honcho that I can't wait to work for. What does that mean for us? Well for me, I get a monthly paycheck that'll make me and my wife happy. And for you... well, I'm now your 'GO TO' guy when it comes to SUP. That means, you're going to get the Manny V treatment and hook up when you're ready to stand up paddle. If you're in southern California, drop in and save cash money by not fronting shipping costs. If you can't come into the warehouse, then use mannyv in the promotional code and knock off $20 off your Creed SUP board when you by online. Again, you're going to save more by coming in and seeing me. Plus, there's more savings on other gear we have in our showroom.

Bodyboarders reading this are probably wondering what's that mean for my commentating gig on the IBA World Tour. Well, never say never. But because this is a real job, I will have to go through the appropriate channels to try to get the time off. Priority is now in the hands of Creed SUP. I will miss all my friends on the tour, the riders that I'm so proud of and the awesome crazy bodyboarding fans out there. Now, I will be watching the race for the title from this side of the camera.

Cabo Freak Fest (August 15-20, 2013) is set in stone. I've already talked to Randy and made sure that I have those dates on lock down. There's no way I'm going to let that slip through my fingers. I will add another one week trip in there but not sure if it's going to an SUP trip or another bodyboarder trip.

It's a new era in the Manny V camp. I will always find a barrel to sneak into on my No. 6 Vargas bodyboard model. I will always bodyboard. I will always SUP. I will always ride waves. But for this time in my life, I will work on getting you on a Creed SUP and a No. 6 Vargas model.

All I ask from you is the same that you've been given me for years... your support.

My new home away from home... the Creed SUP warehouse.

My new ride from No. 6 ready for shredding.

Test Drive

You have to agree, time lapse video is pretty freakin' cool. I've used my Canon 7D and videoed 20 minute clips only to have a massive file then having to bring that footage into a video program to get the time lapse. I have a ton more options using my Canon and I know there are other options. But I wanted something that was quick and easy. Enter Lapse It!

I'm one of those few people in the U.S. that doesn't own an iPhone. I have an HTC One. The camera on this thing is amazing! Lapse It is an app (Android and iPhone) that offers exactly what I was looking for. Easy user interface and fast rendering. A sick time lapse video clip. Best $1.99 spent on an app.

But to get a clean shot, my phone has to be steady. It should be on a tripod. I hunted through the net and found this little bad boy: Grip Tight by Joby. Perfect. It has the 1/4 inch screw fits perfect for all tripods. Epic.

I bolted to Harbor Island this morning in hopes of finally testing my new toys. Twenty minutes of capture time, less than two minutes to render and BOOM! Done! A sick four second time lapse.

I was zoomed in on this clip to get some of the street out of the frame. So sharpness was compromised. Settings: 720hd, one frame every 10 seconds, rendered at 30 fps, added the vidid color effect, mp4 file format. But no bad at all. Check it: