Blog Address Change!!!!!

Hello all, thanks for visiting.

Please come see me at my new site:

http://tricksyfun.blogspot.com

See you there!

Cougar Town with Courtney Cox

Hi, I hope this finds you well! 

I'm posting to tell you about a super fun experience I had recently! On May 25, I played 'Lisa' in an episode of ABC's "Cougar Town" opposite Courtney Cox. 

It was one of those lucky things. The casting director, a friend of mine, called me last minute to come down to the audition. He knew I'd acted in a bunch of independent films, and said I should come try out for the role. I did. Days passed, and I thought that there was no way I got it. Then I was getting my hair cut, my phone rang and I saw that the caller was from the L.A. area code. I answered, and just about fainted when they told me I got the part. I freaked.

But then suddenly I was nervous. What if I couldn't do it? What if I freaked out acting opposite a big star? Seriously! What if I lost my ability to speak?? 

A few days later, even more nervous now, I drove to the set. It was up on Oahu's North Shore at Turtle Bay resort. They directed me to my trailer to change. Yes, I had a trailer! :) I felt so cool. Of course, it's hard to enjoy all that when you're sweating bullets. I went to hair and makeup, and they made me feel at home and pampered. The day was long. They called us to the set several times, but then changed their minds as shooting was going slowly on the other scenes. Finally our scene came up.

On set, Courtney was extremely professional and nice. I immediately forgot my nerves, which was great, and was somehow magically able to focus on the task at hand. We were all in the water, and it was a lot of fun. I got the feeling the whole crew was enjoying being away from the studio and on a mini-work-vacation in Hawaii.

What was crazy was the amount of paparazzi. Photographers had rented the hotel rooms looking over the pool, and were leaning out every window with huge camera lenses. On set, PA's held up umbrellas to block the flashbulbs from ruining the takes.

The episode was the show's season finale. Entertainment Weekly ran a small bit about it. I couldn't believe it when I saw my picture there, credited and everything! 

An excellent time all around. 

Cougar Town with Courtney Cox

Hi, I hope this finds you well! 

I'm posting to tell you about a super fun experience I had recently! On May 25, I played 'Lisa' in an episode of ABC's "Cougar Town" opposite Courtney Cox. 

It was one of those lucky things. The casting director, a friend of mine, called me last minute to come down to the audition. He knew I'd acted in a bunch of independent films, and said I should come try out for the role. I did. Days passed, and I thought that there was no way I got it. Then I was getting my hair cut, my phone rang and I saw that the caller was from the L.A. area code. I answered, and just about fainted when they told me I got the part. I freaked.

But then suddenly I was nervous. What if I couldn't do it? What if I freaked out acting opposite a big star? Seriously! What if I lost my ability to speak?? 

A few days later, even more nervous now, I drove to the set. It was up on Oahu's North Shore at Turtle Bay resort. They directed me to my trailer to change. Yes, I had a trailer! :) I felt so cool. Of course, it's hard to enjoy all that when you're sweating bullets. I went to hair and makeup, and they made me feel at home and pampered. The day was long. They called us to the set several times, but then changed their minds as shooting was going slowly on the other scenes. Finally our scene came up.

On set, Courtney was extremely professional and nice. I immediately forgot my nerves, which was great, and was somehow magically able to focus on the task at hand. We were all in the water, and it was a lot of fun. I got the feeling the whole crew was enjoying being away from the studio and on a mini-work-vacation in Hawaii.

What was crazy was the amount of paparazzi. Photographers had rented the hotel rooms looking over the pool, and were leaning out every window with huge camera lenses. On set, PA's held up umbrellas to block the flashbulbs from ruining the takes.

The episode was the show's season finale. Entertainment Weekly ran a small bit about it. I couldn't believe it when I saw my picture there, credited and everything! 

An excellent time all around. 

SURFBOARDS DEMYSTIFIED!

What exactly is the difference between all those boards in the surf shop? What kind should I ride? And do I seriously need to know what a stringer is?

It's time to demystify this once and for all!

The Funboard: 

A Funboard is also sometimes called an Egg. As a beginner, this may be your best bet. I believe it is. It’s what I learned on when I started out. Not only are they fun boards to surf (thus the name), and less challenging than other boards, they can also be a great stepping stone. 

A fun board is thick, so it floats well. It is wide in the middle for balance, it’s around 8 feet long and is shaped like an elongated egg. If you decide that you want to move to a short board, it is easy to do so from a funboard. It is much harder to go from a long board to a shortboard. The other great thing about a fun board is that it’s much less threatening than a longboard size wise. You can carry it, it doesn’t have as much momentum in the water, it can be easier to control both for turns and to be able to sense the water dynamics as your riding.

The Shortboard:

Shortboards range in length from 5 feet to around 8 feet or so. They have a pointed nose and various tail shapes. Within the short board realm, there are various forms–the fish, the gun etc.

The reason they’re not recommended for your first day out is that they sink easily, and they require more power to paddle. No question, they are harder to learn on.

However, shortboards are extremely fun and rewarding to ride once mastered!

They are by far my preferred choice. Shortboards provide riders with endless possibilities for tricks--from tight turns to aerials and endless fast maneuvers. Shortboards are the racecars of the surfing world.

Another plus is that they’re easy to carry around, and they can fit in the passenger seat of your car—with a seatbelt on for good measure. How cool is that?

The Longboard:

Longboards range in length from around 9 feet to 12 feet. They can be made of fiberglass, which is hard and probably the most preferred if you plan to surf it a lot. They can also be made of foam, which is great for learning on. However, in the long run a foam board is hard to surf on as you progress. It’s too soft to execute sharp turns and maneuvers. But it doesn’t hurt when you fall on it. A third form is hard plastic. A fourth is epoxy.

A longboard can be good for building confidence and the ability to stand up. You may decide longboard style is the way you want to go permanently. Some tricks that you can do on a longboard, which you cannot do on a short board, are hanging 10, walking the board, tandem surfing, riding a surfboard with your dog, being able to ride in the smallest conditions, laid-back surfing stuff.

Specialty Boards:

Specialty boards include the extremely long Rhino Chaser for big wave surfing, some special tow-in boards that have foot straps, etc.

The Rhino Chaser:

The Tow-in Board:

We'll get to the stringer some other day. In the meantime, I hope this helps next time you decide to try out a board. 

Happy Surfing!

SURFBOARDS DEMYSTIFIED!

What exactly is the difference between all those boards in the surf shop? What kind should I ride? And do I seriously need to know what a stringer is?

It's time to demystify this once and for all!

The Funboard: 

A Funboard is also sometimes called an Egg. As a beginner, this may be your best bet. I believe it is. It’s what I learned on when I started out. Not only are they fun boards to surf (thus the name), and less challenging than other boards, they can also be a great stepping stone. 

A fun board is thick, so it floats well. It is wide in the middle for balance, it’s around 8 feet long and is shaped like an elongated egg. If you decide that you want to move to a short board, it is easy to do so from a funboard. It is much harder to go from a long board to a shortboard. The other great thing about a fun board is that it’s much less threatening than a longboard size wise. You can carry it, it doesn’t have as much momentum in the water, it can be easier to control both for turns and to be able to sense the water dynamics as your riding.

The Shortboard:

Shortboards range in length from 5 feet to around 8 feet or so. They have a pointed nose and various tail shapes. Within the short board realm, there are various forms–the fish, the gun etc.

The reason they’re not recommended for your first day out is that they sink easily, and they require more power to paddle. No question, they are harder to learn on.

However, shortboards are extremely fun and rewarding to ride once mastered!

They are by far my preferred choice. Shortboards provide riders with endless possibilities for tricks--from tight turns to aerials and endless fast maneuvers. Shortboards are the racecars of the surfing world.

Another plus is that they’re easy to carry around, and they can fit in the passenger seat of your car—with a seatbelt on for good measure. How cool is that?

The Longboard:

Longboards range in length from around 9 feet to 12 feet. They can be made of fiberglass, which is hard and probably the most preferred if you plan to surf it a lot. They can also be made of foam, which is great for learning on. However, in the long run a foam board is hard to surf on as you progress. It’s too soft to execute sharp turns and maneuvers. But it doesn’t hurt when you fall on it. A third form is hard plastic. A fourth is epoxy.

A longboard can be good for building confidence and the ability to stand up. You may decide longboard style is the way you want to go permanently. Some tricks that you can do on a longboard, which you cannot do on a short board, are hanging 10, walking the board, tandem surfing, riding a surfboard with your dog, being able to ride in the smallest conditions, laid-back surfing stuff.

Specialty Boards:

Specialty boards include the extremely long Rhino Chaser for big wave surfing, some special tow-in boards that have foot straps, etc.

The Rhino Chaser:

The Tow-in Board:

We'll get to the stringer some other day. In the meantime, I hope this helps next time you decide to try out a board. 

Happy Surfing!

Best Day Ever at the Vans Triple Crown

Thanksgiving turkeys and cold weather are descending on the mainland, but here in Hawaii surfers are flocking to the famous North Shore for the Vans Triple Crown. The event works its way through three separate contests and ramps up to an exciting finish at one of the world's best, heaviest tubes: Pipeline. 

First up on the Vans Triple Crown circuit is Haleiwa, right in the town of Haleiwa. The wave is popular on small days with surfers of all levels. But in winter, watch out! It pumps, and big swells turn it heavy and challenging.

On my first morning off, I headed up to check it out. The women's contest was in full session, the weather was amazingly beautiful, and I was stoked to visit Scotty, Mark Morgan and Lyrl Hailstock, who are all on the film crew.

Mark Morgan & Scotty Lisetor with the camera jib arm.

I guess being in the industry has its advantages! I got to climb a camera scaffold tower and look through the lens. I could hardly believe how powerful the zoom was--I could see the looks on the competitors' faces, all the way out at sea.

me with Lyrl Hailstock up on a camera tower

I also got to drop in on the video trailer, which is a big tractor truck full of people and flashing equipment. It looked as if they were about to launch the space shuttle or something.

Entrance to the flashing video village land

Outside, Vans had a tent with free swag that included stickers, programs, Vans frisbees, and all sorts of other things. Rockstar Energy Drinks, another sponsor, was giving away free cans of their drinks, including new flavors like lemonade and cola. A third tent had hats, shirts and hoodies for sale, and Scott got me a super cute Triple Crown hoodie. Yay!

Best of all, the women surfed really well, and it was exciting to watch. 

To make a virtual visit, check it out here:

http://triplecrownofsurfing.com/

Now I must head to the grocery store in search of a turkey and some cranberries. Happy Thanksgiving and best wishes to all of you :D

Best Day Ever at the Vans Triple Crown

Thanksgiving turkeys and cold weather are descending on the mainland, but here in Hawaii surfers are flocking to the famous North Shore for the Vans Triple Crown. The event works its way through three separate contests and ramps up to an exciting finish at one of the world's best, heaviest tubes: Pipeline. 

First up on the Vans Triple Crown circuit is Haleiwa, right in the town of Haleiwa. The wave is popular on small days with surfers of all levels. But in winter, watch out! It pumps, and big swells turn it heavy and challenging.

On my first morning off, I headed up to check it out. The women's contest was in full session, the weather was amazingly beautiful, and I was stoked to visit Scotty, Mark Morgan and Lyrl Hailstock, who are all on the film crew.

Mark Morgan & Scotty Lisetor with the camera jib arm.

I guess being in the industry has its advantages! I got to climb a camera scaffold tower and look through the lens. I could hardly believe how powerful the zoom was--I could see the looks on the competitors' faces, all the way out at sea.

me with Lyrl Hailstock up on a camera tower

I also got to drop in on the video trailer, which is a big tractor truck full of people and flashing equipment. It looked as if they were about to launch the space shuttle or something.

Entrance to the flashing video village land

Outside, Vans had a tent with free swag that included stickers, programs, Vans frisbees, and all sorts of other things. Rockstar Energy Drinks, another sponsor, was giving away free cans of their drinks, including new flavors like lemonade and cola. A third tent had hats, shirts and hoodies for sale, and Scott got me a super cute Triple Crown hoodie. Yay!

Best of all, the women surfed really well, and it was exciting to watch. 

To make a virtual visit, check it out here:

http://triplecrownofsurfing.com/

Now I must head to the grocery store in search of a turkey and some cranberries. Happy Thanksgiving and best wishes to all of you :D