The Nolan Files – Thanks to My Friends
Late in May 2010, Nolan Collins left us behind and headed south on an epic East-coast journey over about five weeks. He met tons of great people along the way – as any of you using Facebook or Twitter already knows. We posted some of his dispatches here, here, and here but he had so many people to thank, that his long list spilled over below.
There were so many people I met up with during my journey… they all helped make it that much more fun! Thanks to:
Mark at Nor’Easter for being cool with me showing up so late, letting me stay at the shop, and show the boards.
Matt and Jamie at Pump House for my first shower, dinner, putting me up for the night, and just being awesome in general. Matt we’ll have to have a ping pong rematch when you come to Maine (bring Tilly!).
Ryan Schenk (Grain Class of Oct ’09) for being the first confirmation that tweeting was useful and showing up to Pump House with his 5’5” Waka.
Bob Butcher for saving the day and lending me a vent screw so I could take my board out at Coast Guard Beach.
Jerry Johnson for the cool 3D picture of the Spray and me at Coast Guard Beach.
Olaf and family at Sick Days for a great stay in Wellfleet—thanks for lunch and a place to park the pug and shower. Taking the Pug to the drive-in movies was one of the highlights of the trip!
Andy Jacobs for some rad artwork in the Pug! (completed at the drive-in movie)
Bob at Matunuck Surf Shop for letting me set up at the shop and watching the Pug when I went for a surf.
Greg and the Endless Wave crew for taking me out for a surf at Matunuck.
Gary Stoner for coming out surfing and showing me the Grain board he built.
The crew at Air and Speed for letting us set up out front the shop and letting us park out back for the night.
Kai Sturmann for offering to take me out on his sailboat off of Long Island, I’m bummed it never worked out.
Jimmy Buffet for being at the same beach at the same time and coming over to check out the boards, yyeeeah!
Joe Risi for being a great host in Long Beach, NY—showing us the shops, taking us out surfing, and hanging out for the night. Oh yeah, and thanks for the wife-beaters for Jersey.
Mike and Len at Maritime Surf for being so stoked on our boards and having such a cool shop backed by a great mindset. I love my Maritime t-shirt!
Jon and Ann Coen for generously putting Chris and me up while we were in NJ. It was so nice to have a “home” for a few days and to shower and do laundry. Also, I couldn’t have asked for more than a cold beer and comfy bed after a late night drive from Rockaway Beach, NY in the rain.
Odell’s auto shop in LBI, NJ for working on the Pug the same day we brought it in.
Randy Budd for being incredibly friendly and generous—he offered to help me if I broke down within 100 miles of him, luckily when the fan belt broke on the Garden State Parkway I was only about 10 miles away. Randy showed up before the tow truck and took Chris and me back to his house (complete with a ham sandwich) while the Pug was being fixed. Also thanks for showing up at the Farias event and helping out AND thanks to your family for having me over for dinner!
Jonathan Hoover for getting Chris, Jon Coen, and me up at the crack of dawn for a super fun surf session at Wooden Jetty and for taking some really cool photos!
Scott and everybody at Lightly Salted and Pop’s Garage for a great day in Asbury Park. Thanks for the storefront set up space right on the boardwalk, for the tent (we would have melted in that sun), for feeding our parking meter, for the cold beers all day long, for the delicious taco’s for lunch, for having cute waitresses, for coming out surfing, for letting us stay for the fireworks and past closing, and finally for letting us stay at your place. All in all Chris and I had a GREAT day.
Jesse and the crew at Farias for letting me set up out front of the store and for already reppin’ Grain kits!
Tim Clark for shouting at me out his window while driving and inspiring the mid-traffic wax toss.
Mark Carter and Kyle Howard for having dinner with us at the Dogfish Head Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach and hooking up a place for Chris and I to stay the night.
My hometown and high school buddy Phil McNerney for letting us park at his place in Ocean City, MD, for helping out at the Malibu’s event, and for taking Chris and I out for a night on the town.
Chris Anderson for coming along for a couple weeks of the trip, being up for adventure, helping out at the events, and taking some rad photos.
Tim White for putting me up in Virginia Beach, for the vast expanses of the Maroon Lagoon (his big red couch), for letting me work on the Waka in his dining room, for helping out at the Freedom event, for showing me his woodshop, for taking me out for a surf, and for taking me out for a drink in Norfolk. When you come up to Maine I will try to match your hospitality. …and I agree that you should quit the Navy and come work for Grain.
Sam at Freedom for letting me set up in front of the shop and for offering me a place to stay.
Tom Montgomery for swinging by Freedom and bringing his home-grown board.
Brian McMullen and his cousin Justin for the floor space in your hotel room in Kill Devils Hills, for hanging out and surfing for a couple days, and for the Coronitas. Further thanks to Justin for allowing me to hone my hair-styling (or at least mullet-styling) skills.
Jenn Beaumont and her friends for letting me park out front of their place in Nags Head, for the delicious Mexican dinner, the talent show, and the sweet oversized glasses. Also, your driveway was slanted perfectly for loading Brad’s motorcycle into the Pug.
Brad for riding 19 hours on his motorcycle to help me drive back north.
Mike “Doc” for showing me his own wooden surfboard in progress, for letting Brad and I park the Pug in his driveway to work on the brakes, and for being so stoked on wooden surfboards!
The Anderson family in Midlothian, VA (Brad’s brother) for putting us up for the night, a great dinner and breakfast, and some fun conversation.
My friend Soizic, who I met on my semester abroad, for coming down to VA beach to hang out, for bodysurfing with me for a few hours, and for showing us one of her awesome community urban gardens in Richmond—rock on!
Ed, Matt, and the crew at Chesapeake Light Craft for letting us invade the shop for an afternoon. Also big thanks Ed and Heather for putting us up for the night.
Jason at Dogfish Head for hooking Brad and I up with some delicious eats and drinks at the Dogfish Head Rehoboth Beach restaurant.
Sam Calagione at Dogfish Head for coming out for a surf with us, for the awesome time brewing beer, for the amazing lunch of mussels, and for keeping Dogfish Head super cool (or “off-centered” as they call it).
Floris, Katrinka, and Brian at Dogfish Head for letting Brad and me help brew some special beer we’ll get to taste later!
Mark Carter“>Mark Carter at Dogfish Head for the VIP brewery tour, for all the help with the event at the Milton, and for the cases of beer to bring home to the party!
Kyle Howard at Dogfish Head for wanting to see the film 180 South so bad he convinced Mark to drive all the way to Rockland, ME to see it with him at a marathon film fest we helped with.
My college roommates and surf buddies Nick and Hope for putting me up one last night on my drive home.
Caroline for sending me lots of love while she was working on a farm in Vermont.
And finally everyone here at Grain who put in lots of hard work and is just so awesome! Thanks so much to:
Alex for keeping Brad sane when he put in inhumanely long hours working on the Pug, and even joining him a couple nights.
Tyler for working out all the scheduling and being the most awesome headquarters ever!
Johnny for making the speaker covers…is that all you did? No, just kidding John; you’re the man.
Alison (in advance) for dealing with the big wad of receipts I’m going to give to you. Also for liking hip-hop music (I didn’t know until I read your bio). We are going to have to crank the beats more often in the shop!
Mike for coming up with this whole idea, last minute work on the Pug, meeting me in Montauk, and being the man.
Brad for so much work on the Pug, motoring 19 hours down to OBX to share the drive home, for the great company during the long drives, for the help with the events on the way home….but NOT for snoring (thanks to Alex for reminding me to bring earplugs!)
All of our good friends who showed up to welcome me home and share a beautiful afternoon together.
So, once again, thank all y’all (as they say down there south of Cape May) and if I forgot anyone, sorry, just leave an angry message below and I’ll feel bad and (maybe) write a whole post just for you. Gracias, mahalo, gratzie, merci, etc etc etc…over and out.