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Jan 13, 2025 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
Every day, once a day, I think it’s incredibly important to take a moment to tell yourself, “You know what? This is actually, really, quite nice.” It doesn’t have to be anything major. Don't overthink it, don't plan it, just appreciate it. It’s good mental practice. The way the early-afternoon Spring sun feels when it's hitting your skin in the carpark while you’re changing after a long surf.
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Nov 19, 2024 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
The sound someone makes when you call them, as in, like, literally call them, when you go into your contacts, find the name you’re looking for, hit the phone button, and hold it up to your ear without sending a warning text or anything is always: ahh? There is another noise they make too, always right after, that goes like this: (inhaling all the air you possibly can through your nose and then not really releasing it at all, like you’re about to dive into the deep end of the pool) Helleuhr?
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Nov 14, 2024 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
It is often said that The Big Lebowski is the best most rewatchable movie ever made. Fans of Goodfellas, Kristen Dunst’s Bring It On, Star Wars, and more will argue their corner, but I personally think Steven Soderbergh outdid himself with Ocean’s 12. The incredible second instalment to the Ocean’s trilogy was released just three years after Danny and Rusty fleeced Andy Garcia on the first go-around.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
Yeah, so how far ago was that? I remember reading in a very old magazine interview while prepping for this that you had your first interaction with Kelly when you were still at UCSB? You just swam up to him and asked him if he wanted a photo at Rincon and then it went on from there?
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Oct 2, 2024 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
Here’s a thing, and, let’s be honest here, but: how do you feel when musical theatre happens? Like, please, tell me the truth. How do you feel when someone starts, just, singing? Earnestly and theatrically, too. You know how it is with the contorting of the face around each sound and doing slightly too fast dance moves and such while staring directly at you? How do you feel when that happens? Do you not like that?
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Sep 12, 2024 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
So, you can only imagine where my head was at when I was recently meeting with an interview subject over a surf and he pulled out an entire quiver of custom JC decks. We’re in a dirt parking lot somewhere along the Pacific Coast Highway in northern Los Angeles and I was, of course, completely normal about it all. “What the fuck is up with this?” I ask. “I’ve always wanted one of these.” Zac Carper, singer and guitarist of FIDLAR (“Fuck It Dog, Life’s A Risk”) smirks, and nicely brushes it off.
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Jul 21, 2024 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
I’ve been doing this thing recently where I quietly turn on surf movies while I do some work. I have a very specific set of background music conditions that need to be hit for me to actually get work done, is the thing. I will not work in complete silence because that’s beyond psychotic. It helps if it’s not beyond distracting too, however.
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Jul 15, 2024 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
Creed! What are you up to? Honestly did a big food shop too and going to put on a Mexican soup. We’ve got a bit of a rainy day here so just going to slow cook it. But yeah just cruising for now. I’m heading to the Mentawais in the next couple of days so not trying to do too much before I do all that. How was everything with the premiere on Friday? Looked like a very packed, very solid time. It was fun! I just cooked up some sausages and had some beer and everyone said it was nice.
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Jul 7, 2024 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
We really thought we had Eithan Osborne’s whole situation figured out. What can we say? When we meet someone who is just great to be around, consistently sinks four to six beers with us, and is an absolute menace on some fibreglass on the side we get along famously. We like to keep them close. That probably explains why Eithan’s been featured on both our pixelated and printed pages plenty of times now already.
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May 18, 2024 | 
monsterchildren.com | James Royce
For the most part, it's exceptionally mundane. But watch enough of it, like, say, maybe quadruple-digit minute amounts, and you'll start to notice some interesting patterns. Mostly, you’ll learn how there are always four archetypes coming in and out of the water: chillers, tweakers, menaces, and everyone else who is just locked in. Almost every competitive surfer can be defined by these categories. And you really see that during competitions. Contests are the great equaliser.
