I found the readings extremely informative. No surprise there. I took a writing class spring quarter 2013 that revolved around the rhetoric of surf culture. In that class I read many an article about a number of different surfers who have forever changed surf culture. One of my personal favorite articles was on Tom "Pohaku" Stone, the legendary and controversial shaper. That article in particular however focused mainly on his history of shaping traditional, giant boards. I was amazed by his story, so reading "The Transformation of Tom Stone" just got me super stoked. I had no idea just what it was like for this guy growing up. The fact that he grew up with the likes of Blue Makua, Sammy Steamboat, and other old-time Beach Boys (awesome crossover in the readings) blew my mind. Stone's life was a roller coaster ride; having been a member of the black shorts, joining the army and then leaving all of that behind to go back to school study Hawaiian culture and put that into practice by shaping traditional wooden boards is astounding to me. Stone's story is captivating and I am beyond stoked to see this man in the flesh come November.