We look to the brightest standouts around us to show us the path… Rootamental is a: SURFtheEARTH & ARTcreatesLIFE lifestyle. We get inspiration from renaissance multi-talented people (surfers in water and on land combined with creating provoking artwork and music). The biggest stars present in the 70’s were Richard Vanderwyk, Davey Miller, Steve Manahan and John Drury.
About Davey
As told by Davey, “When I was a little kid, I was an artist before I ever started surfing. I was a natural drummer and singer. When I started surfing, I just quit everything. It was like tunnel vision. From about 1969-1998 I didn’t think about anything else. All my time was spent visualizing about surfing, and the inspriations that I originally had still stick with me today: Terry Fitzgerald, Barry Kanaiaupuni, Gerry Lopez, Bruce Raymond-the legend, Michael Peterson, Reno Abellira, and especially Michael Ho. Michael in the single-fin days…he’s great now, but on a single fin…just something else. That is my whole school. I think my approach in surfing reflects that.”
Surfing
In 1980, at age 20, Davey Miller arrived on North Shore Oahu and cut himself out a niche as one of its top riders. He placed in the finals at Huge Pipeline and Sunset
Beach, and rode Waimea with only a handful of his peers. Charging with no fear or
thought of bodily harm, Davey surfed solid for 20 years.
At age38 he reclaimed a final at Very Large Pipeline with 19 year-old Andy Irons. He also beat out Kelly Slater at Sunset Beach in the semi-finals.
Davey was mostly noted for being one of the top 10 surfers of all time at Backdoor Pipeline
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http://youtu.be/ojznRSSomB0
Skateboarding
Davey was there in the beginning of Sims skateboards and part of the and best skateboard team at that time. Davey once told me about how Tom Sims was like uncle to him when he was 14 to 17. This was the kind of team and owner that surfed, skateboarded, and did cool stuff together. They were physically gifted and had amazing sessions.
Davey surf-skated everything; charged downhill to go surf and vert pools when it was flat.
Painting
Painting “For Real”
Davey ‘s self described art: “I was a painter before I ever started surfing and I never stopped. I think everybody is an artist. In school, we all draw, and some of us just never stop and some of us have certain abilities to visualize real clearly.
I’m real lucky that I visualize and want to paint subject matter that a lot of people want because they share that same desire with me. I want to see perfect surf with no one around and so that’s what I paint. I paint a selfish subject. I don’t paint people. I don’t paint Woody’s and longboards or beach blankets and bikinis. I’m not knocking that; that’s great for some folks, but that is not what I paint. I do surf art but I do a lot of other art that is more like Pollack, more abstract stuff.”
Wave Paintings
Davey explains, “I call it simplistic, realistic, and kinda mystic. That might sound kinda corny, but I try to make it more like you would really see it. I don’t do eight million different fish, sharks, whales, and dolphins all swimming around in the same piece of art with unrealistic lighting. I go more believable so you can travel through the piece, instead of being overwhelmed with everything in it. That is my approach.”
Music
Davey has performed with many Jazz masters including: Mitch Forman (Stan Gets, Wayne Shorter), John Beasly (Miles Davis, Freddy Hubbard), Ric Fierabracci (Chick Corea, Billy Cobham Spectrum band), Brad Rabuchin (Ray Charles), Doug Webb (Horace Silver).
Listen to Mad Dog Blues from Davey Miller arts . Davey brings the very best cats to the Ventura/Santa Barbara area, contact Davey for more information.
Rootamental 