Du Côté de la Côte, Soft Top Surfboards, Finless Surfing, Bar Soap & Upcycled Plastic Bags

Let it just flow, let people just have fun, break it free, walk away, don’t compete, just do jazz. -Derek Hynd

Jun 07, 2024

AGNÈS VARDA IS ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED FIGURES IN CINEMA AND WIDELY REGARDED AS THE MOTHER OF FRENCH NOUVEAU FILM. KNOWN FOR HER ORIGINALITY, INNOVATIVE STYLE, AND ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH THE SUBJECTS OF HER FILMS, VARDA IS CELEBRATED AS A PIONEERING FILMMAKER AND AN INFLUENTIAL CULTURAL FIGURE. AGNÈS VARDA DIED IN 2019 AT THE AGE OF 90, LEAVING BEHIND HER EXTRAORDINARY OEUVRE AND FILMMAKING LEGACY.

DU CÔTÉ DE LA CÔTE (1958) IS A SHORT DOCUMENTARY BY AGNÈS VARGA ABOUT THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. IT’S ONE OF HER LESSER KNOWN FILMS BUT ONE OF MY FAVORITES. PLAYFULLY TAKING THE VIEWER FROM NICE TO SAINT-TROPEZ, DU CÔTÉ DE LA CÔTE CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF THE FRENCH RIVIERA WHILE SHOWCASING VARDA'S SKILL IN BLENDING ENTERTAINMENT WITH SUBTLE SOCIAL THEMES. COMMISSIONED BY THE FRENCH BOARD OF TOURISM, IT FOLLOWED THE SUCCESS OF SAISON Ô CHÂTEAU (1957), ANOTHER TRAVELOGUE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT CHÂTEAUX IN THE LOIRE VALLEY.

I STUMBLED UPON DU CÔTÉ DE LA CÔTE YEARS AGO ON PBS AND HAVE REVISITED IT COUNTLESS TIMES SINCE.

DU CÔTÉ DE LA CÔTE FOCUSES ON THE CROWDS OF TOURISTS THAT INVADE THE SOUTH OF FRANCE EVERY YEAR. TOURIST DOING TOURIST THINGS. THE SCENERY IS INTOXICATING, THE COLORS ARE BRIGHT AND THE SETTINGS ARE SURREAL AND OFTEN HUMOROUS.

A THEME THROUGHOUT DU CÔTÉ DE LA CÔTE IS THE CONCEPT OF EDEN. ON THE SURFACE, EDEN IS A PLACE WHERE TOURISTS BAKE IN THE SUN ON CROWDED BEACHES, WILD OUT AT BARS, AND SPEND MONEY AT LOCAL SHOPS — PROBABLY EXACTLY WHAT EXCITES PROSPECTIVE TOURISTS.

AS THE FILM PROGRESSES, VARDA TRANSPORTS US TO A SEEMINGLY DESERTED ISLAND, INHABITED BY FROLICKING WILD HORSES AND PERHAPS SOME HUMANS WHO’VE RECENTLY MADE LOVE ON THE BEACH. I MAY BE PROJECTING MY LOATHING FOR OBLIVIOUS TOURISTS CROWDING INTO BEAUTIFUL PLACES, BUT I’M CONVINCED VARDA IS SUGGESTING THAT THIS UNTOUCHED NATURAL SETTING IS THE TRUE EDEN, WHILE THE TOURIST TOWNS ARE A FOOL’S PARADISE.

THERE ARE NUMBER OF PLACES TO FIND DU CÔTÉ DE LA CÔTE ONLINE, BUT THE CRITERION CHANNEL IS PROBABLY YOUR BEST BET.

ENJOY!

SOFT TOP SURFBOARDS

TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCE SURFBOARDS ARE MADE OF FOAM CORE WRAPPED IN HARDENED FIBERGLASS. IN CONTRAST, SOFT TOP SURFBOARDS ARE A LITTLE SQUISHY AND MADE OF EPS FOAM.

SOFT TOPS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN CONSIDERED KOOKY OR UNCOOL — THEY ARE CHEAP, BULKY, AND PRIMARILY USED BY NOVICES (COSTCO FAMOUSLY SELLS A BRAND OF FOAM BOARDS CALLED WAVESTORM). BUT A GROWING NUMBER OF COMPETENT SURFERS ARE EMBRACING SOFT TOPS AND THEIR INHERENT KOOKINESS.

88 SURFBOARDS, OUT OF AUSTRALIA, HELPED LEAD THE SOFT TOP REVOLUTION AND POPULARIZED FINLESS SURFING IN THE PROCESS.

CHECK OUT THIS 88 FINLESS SURFING VID BELOW, YOU MIGHT REALLY LIKE IT.

FINLESS SURFING

SURFING SANS FINS MAY NOT SEEM PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE UNTIL YOU REALIZE THAT SURFBOARDS BASICALLY DON’T WORK WITHOUT FINS. IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL A SURFBOARD WITHOUT FINS, LET ALONE MAKE IT LOOK EFFORTLESS AND STYLISH.

IF YOU'RE FROTHING FOR MORE FINLESS SURFING ACTION AND SOME TOP NOTCH SURF PHILOSOPHIZING, CHECK OUT DEREK HYND AND THE VID BELOW.

“LET IT JUST FLOW, LET PEOPLE JUST HAVE FUN, BREAK IT FREE, WALK AWAY, DON’T COMPETE, JUST DO JAZZ.”
DEREK HYND

BAR SOAP

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT HOW I MADE THE SWITCH FROM DR. BRONNERS LIQUID SOAP TO BAR SOAP, BUT I GOT A LITTLE OFF TRACK.

IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THERE AREN’T MANY CONSUMER PRODUCTS THAT HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE THAT IS ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL BUT MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. BAR SOAP IS ONE OF THOSE PRODUCTS — A BAR IS AS EFFECTIVE AS LIQUID SOAP, AND THE ONLY WASTE IS A SMALL PIECE OF RECYCLABLE PAPER, AS OPPOSED TO A FAIRLY LARGE PLASTIC BOTTLE. (REFILLING IS OK BUT NOT MUCH BETTER SINCE IT ADDS MORE PACKAGING TO THE EQUATION).

REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS ARE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE.

CASE STUDY: SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAG BANS (NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT)

DO YOU REMEMBER THE SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAG BANS THAT WERE OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED BY VOTERS IN CALIFORNIA AND OTHER STATES? IT WAS A RELATIVELY EASY AND PAINLESS WAY TO REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE. CONSUMERS AND RETAIL STORES SEEMED HAPPY — BUT BIG PLASTIC WAS MAD.

SO...THOSE TRICKY CORPORATE PLASTIC LAWYERS FOUND A LOOPHOLE IN THE LAW — THEY COULD LEGALLY MAKE THICKER PLASTIC BAGS, CALL THEM REUSABLE, AND CHARGE CUSTOMERS TO BUY THEM.

THE RESULT...MORE PLASTIC BAGS, BY VOLUME, WERE PRODUCED AND SENT TO LANDFILLS IN THE YEAR AFTER THE PLASTIC BAG BAN TOOK EFFECT THAN BEFORE. YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY.

PLASTICS & RECYCLING, ETC.

PLASTIC PRODUCTION IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH AND IS ON TRACK TO TRIPLE BY 2060
ROUGHLY 40% OF ALL PLASTIC PRODUCED IS SINGLE USE
99% OF PLASTIC STARTS AS FOSSIL FUELS
ONLY ABOUT 8% OF PLASTIC IS ACTUALLY RECYCLED
NEW RESEARCH PUBLISHED IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE SUGGESTS THAT WE ARE INGESTING MICRO/NANO PLASTICS, WHICH APPEAR TO BE MAKING THEIR WAY INTO OUR ORGANS, ARTERIES, AND SOFT TISSUES VIA OUR BLOODSTREAM