Summer is here, and we all know how careless we get with keys and wallets, especially when we go swimming (most swimming trunks don’t have pockets). This is now a problem of the past. This summer get a pair of the Stash sandals from reef. Just like the name, you can stash cash, credit cards, and keys among other things in a pullout drawer located in the sole of the sandal. I wonder what happens when you step on water, or is the pull-out drawer waterproof? The sandals are available in brown, black, light grey and taupe. $46.00

besportier

We may breathe in so much smoggy air day after day, but Angelenos tend to bring health-consciousness to a whole new level. Going beyond wheatgrass, power cleanses, and every other stereotypically LaLaLand-ish miracle cure, several L.A.-based ThisNexters have shared their secrets for staying well in these air-polluted but awe-inspiring environs. On her To Live in L.A. list, for instance, Dani Katz recommends a powdered supplement called Pure Synergy. The product has become Dani’s “favorite green powder, because it includes Reishi mushroom and other Chinese herbs that I would otherwise be taking (and paying for) separately,” she says.

Dani’s fondness for all things green extends to her taste in yoga mats, with the “L.A. native and metaphysical enthusiast” selecting the Green Yoga Eco-Yoga Mat for its renewable, eco-positive hemp fibers. And green’s also the magic color in Dani’s beloved kale with spicy peanut sauce from M Cafe de Chaya, the healthy-chic Melrose hotspot where our recent celeb sightings have included Sarah Silverman and Marie Antoinette star Jason Schwartzman. “I love everything at this macrobiotic café, but the kale is especially delicious,” says Dani.

...continued: To Live And Thrive In L.A.

Always thinking way too far ahead, I’ve already come up with a new year’s resolution for 2008: Learn to surf. And although I’ve got a ways to go in terms of getting over my newly acquired and totally irrational fear of shark attacks, it seems that the sport’s not as scary as many might assume: As Starling Fitness points out in a recent post, a new study from Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School has found that surfing is no more dangerous than playing soccer. So, in doing some very early prep work to help me fulfill a near-lifelong dream, I’ve begun checking out the many surfing must-haves recommended on ThisNext (oh, and watching Point Break - aka The Greatest Movie Ever Made - over and over and over). Here’s a look at what our members consider essential in catching killer waves. (Probably I should also brush up on the lingo, as I’m suspecting that no self-respecting surfer actually ever speaks of “catching killer waves” - but maybe not?)

In the world of wetsuits, Alison Copeland’s fave is the Bodyglove Vapor, since it’s “superstretchy for lots of flexibility” and “keeps me toasty warm because it is water repellent.” But according to Alyson, the “warmest wettie ever” is Rip Curl Women’s 3/2 Ultimate F-Bomb GB Steamer Wetsuit. “Fleece lining makes it as toasty as mama’s kitchen,” she adds. “It has the perfect mix of liquid seam sealing and stitching to make it flexible, water tight and durable.”

...continued: 100 percent pure adrenaline

Five years ago, venture capitalist William Tai started kitesurfing, a sport that involves using a power kite to pull a small surfboard on water. Now William blogs at Kiteblog, detailing his adventures in the fastest-growing water sport in the world. In one recent post, William explains how to modify your H20 Audio Headphones and fix what he considers the headset’s shortcomings. Just takes a 3.5mm stereo plug extension cord, some Teflon tape, a little plastic heat shrink tubing, and you’re all set for some maximum iPodding-while-kitesurfing satisfaction.

Having just celebrated my three-year anniversary of living in Southern California, I’ve still yet to accomplish that lifelong dream of learning to surf. Until I finally get my act together - which will happen someday, in the not-incredibly-distant future - I’ll have to live vicariously through bloggers like Chum at Sissy Fish. An L.A.-born, Oregon-raised surfer who now resides in the Pacific Northwest, Chum blogs about his adventures riding waves in Baja, Venice, San Diego, and elsewhere along the West Coast. It’s hella inspiring to soak up his love for the sport, and I’m always psyched to make note of his impeccable taste in post soundtracks (yay for Wolf Parade, Islands, and The Smiths). But sometimes it’s enough to just take in some gorgeous photos of favorite surfing spots, as in this recently snapped shot:

Surfing is an unpredictable sport since it is often really hard to know what surf conditions are going to be like before you get to the break.

I am a very busy guy w/unfortunately limited timie to devote to my athletics. So it is really important to me to get as much info as possible before I commit to surfing in one spot or another (or doing something else altogether).

Once again, the Net has made my life better by enabling some really great surfing sites/blogs. When looking at what is happening in the South Bay in LA, SwellMagnet is a must-check. If you want to surf further North, you have to check both Wetsand and wavewatch. Surfline, clearly, is the grand-daddy of surf-sites, but it has a lot of competition these days.

Of course, for those days when you are being a desk-jockey and really just want to see some good surfing porn, AquaBumps can’t be beat for some great pix of South Pacific swell.