MATSUMOTO SHAVE ICE
Stan Matsumoto knows Hale‘iwa Town. He walks it every morning at 5 a.m. with his dog before he goes into Matsumoto Shaved Ice to cook azuki beans and set up shop, just like his father did. Stan was born in 1951, the same year that Matsumoto General Store was opened by his parents. He grew up working in the store and personifies the current storefront: simple and true to its roots. Read more…

THE ROTHMANS
When you hear the name Rothman, the first thing that pops into your mind is the rough and rugged image of “Fast Eddie” Rothman, thoughts of the “black shorts gang”—thugs who control the lineups of the North Shore with sheer intimidation—and the petroglyph image of a wave slider that accompanies the name. Most of the time, that’s the only thing the surf media focuses on; but they’re more than that. The Rothmans are a loving, North Shore family first and foremost. Read more…

SKATING & BEATS WITH SEAN PAYNE
Sean Payne, 28, is originally from L.A. and first moved to the North Shore in 1996 at the age of 15. Three years before the move, he started skateboarding and was bummed to leave California. At the time, the only thing Sean knew about the skate scene in Hawai‘i was A‘ala Park, Rob Carlyon and Rene Matthyssen. But, as he admits, “When I did move to Hawai‘i, it was sick.” Read more…

THE COMMUNITY
Change is inevitable– a popular, yet controversial adage on the North Shore. Contrast asked our own North Shore resident, Zen Yoshifuku, to step out into the community and talk to the people that surround him about where they came from, why they love The Country, and the evolution of the place that they call home. Read more…

NORTH SHORE PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN BIELMANN
Bielmann. I remember looking at surf magazines and seeing the name on top of amazing images countless times. Aside from surf magazines, the 51-year-old’s images have appeared in such publications as Nylon, Sports Illustrated, and National Geographic to name a few. A couple years ago I went on a trip to Australia with Brian. It was on that trip Down Under that I found out Brian was an amazing person as well. Read more…