SLASHY CLAUS CAME TO TOWN
NAVIGATING NORTHSTAR
IN A HOLIDAY MIRACLE, LEGENDARY GUNS N’ ROSES AXMAN AND FRIENDS PLAYED NOTES FOR NOTES BENEFIT AT REDESIGNED LOBERO, P. 34
IF YOU MISS MAZZA’S MISSIVE, REST EASY; WE’VE DEVOTED AN ENTIRE SELF-INDULGENT SPECIAL EDITION TO MATT’S AMAZING SEASONAL VACATION IN TAHOE, SEE INSERT
SANTA BARBARA
WINTER ISSUE 2013
once a week from peak to peak
W W W. S A N TA B A R B A R A S E N T I N E L .CO M
WINTER WANDERLUST
by Matt Mazza
RECLAIMING THE SEASON
I
t’s the same damned thing every December. We invariably have this gorgeous autumn here in town, replete with brilliant sunrises that give way to pale grey-blue skies that pop beautifully against the mountains, crystal clear views of the Channel Islands and majestic coast in either direction, brisk(ish) mornings and evenings with warm sunny days, lots of terrific community gatherings, celebratory dinners with friends and family. Yep. Fall is arguably the single best time to be in and around Santa Barbara, hands down. I sincerely doubt that you’ll find much impassioned argument to the contrary. And yet, even with all of that said, for me, it’s the same damned thing. Every December. I get antsy, I guess, a bit nostalgic, if you will, for my own version of winter. You know, cold, real cold, snow blanketing the ground and frosting the pines. Icicles reaching down from a rain gutter outside a steamy window. A bit of hot cocoa topped with a marshmallow and quiet conversation by a crackling fire in some cabin up far in the mountains, Christmas music playing softy in the background. A fun-filled family game of Uno or Monopoly, maybe watching Frosty the Snowman or A Charlie Brown
SANTA BARBARA
...continued p.4
once a week from pier to peak
VO L U M E 2 | I S S U E 4 8 | D E C E M B E R 1 3 – 2 0 | 2 0 1 3
W W W. S A N TA B A R B A R A S E N T I N E L .CO M
STOP SHOP AND ROLL
IT’S JUST LIKE THE SKATING RINK OF YOUR CHILDHOOD, EXCEPT THERE’S KOMBUCHA INSTEAD OF SODA, FLATBREAD INSTEAD OF PIZZA AND AN ARTISAN MARKET INSTEAD OF AN ARCADE; SO, BASICALLY, IT’S NOTHING LIKE THE SKATING RINK OF YOUR CHILDHOOD
THE ROLLING REVOLUTION
O
by
kay, it’s happening at the Earl Warren Showgrounds from Saturday, December 14 to Sunday, December 22, and it’s called the Holiday Shop n’ Roll. The “shop” because it’s part artisan market, where you can buy handcrafted gifts. And the “roll” because there’s skating – indoors where you can glide around on rented wheels
JEREMY HARBIN
8 DAYS A WEEK PAGE 10
PRESIDIOSPORTS.COM PAGE 16
without getting too chilly. Of course, you have the accompanying food court. There, you can chow down on all sorts of sustainably produced organic grub – no molten cheese sauce nachos or sugary sodas at this rink. It sounds like a concurrent throwback to two separate eras, a remix of retro. One far out: The ‘70s polyurethane heyday of skate – or of recreational rolling in any decade, really. And the other far, far out: The days of yore when shopping and ...continued p.5
TIME & TIDE & SURF PAGE 25
PLAN B PAGE 40