Note** Interview done by RXYM's team manager/photographer Matt Byzak on Nov. 1st.
Most people, normal people, eat dinner between the hours of 5-8pm... not RXYM's Ray Machado. Let's just say it's late, way past normal dinner hours but then again this is normal for him. We are no longer on normal time, we are now officially on "Ray time" and if you know Ray at all, you know what I'm talking about. We are driving home from Sammy's Wood Fire Pizza in Carlsbad (Ray's favorite restaurant). He just ordered two meals to go.. one for his late dinner & the other for his lunch the next day. This again is normal for him. His cell is blowing up like it no other with texts from local kids who want to buy clothes, RXYM's team riders, & random's who just want to hang out. "Julian Casablancas is the future of music man, he is so creative." Ray yells to me over the music blasting in his car. "You know his new solo album is coming out next week.. so pumped for it." I nod my head and turn down the music and push start on the recorder. He looks at me and says, "Ohh yeah.. let's do this..."
RXYM: All right, tell us about the film RXYM is making.
RM: (big smile comes across his face) Yeah, the movie is entitled, "This Is The END." We are planning on having it completed & showcased by Nov. 2010. We want to premiere it in a few of the home towns of the team riders & stoke all the little rats out. Maybe in some movie theaters or in a backyard premiere party. Keep it ghetto fabulous.
RXYM: Where did the name "This Is The END" come from? What is the idea behind it?
RM: The end is near! haha I'm kidding. It really has a multiple meaning I guess. It's whatever you interpret it to mean. I will say this though, there are a lot of negative things going on in our world, in our country, in our industry, in our lives, in our minds.. all kinds of stuff. You wanna get deep don't you. Like... I personally... hmmm... I don't want to cause anymore negativity but I feel that there is a lot of dissension going on in our industry. A lot of people not getting along. A lot of negative things going down that need to come to an end. We are one industry. One sport. It's time to end a lot of the BS & let the next generation in. They are already here, they are knocking on the door. It's long over due that we let them in.
RXYM: What can we expect to see in the film?
RM: Obviously our team riders and their different lives are going to be showcased throughout the film... but expect to see us giving props to what came before us & showcasing a bit of the future of American riders. I don't want to give a lot of it away but hopefully it will make you laugh, cry, get amped and want to surf. It's really all about getting the new kids in the water. Ohhh and you can also expect to see a lot of vampires, werewolves, hippies, gangsters, animals, the moon, stars, people, and lots of colors... (laughing)
**We get home, Ray parks his car and we walk up the three flights of stairs into the RXYM head quaters. There are six boxes of new hooded sweatshirts freshly made stacked on the left with a massive TV on the right. "We did a Dream Catcher Zipped Hoody to end our Dreams & Reality Collection this year, it should be in stores by the middle of the month." Ray says pointing to the boxes while putting his chicken alfredo in the fridge. "The 2010 collection will be available in March. We are calling it, The END Collection. The End in 2010!" Ray laughs. We both sit on the couch and I turn the recorder back on:
RXYM: So, talk about the RXYM XRMY (RXYM's team riders). (Ray interupts me, "I'm going to pop in "Fight Club", is that cool?). Yeah of course, so what is the future of the team?
RM: Most of the original guys on the team are my close friends, they just so happen to rip at bodyboarding. Friendships mean a lot to me and when I look back on the team when I am super old I just want to remember all the good times we had. Right now, Rusty is in Australia shooting with Jonesy, Brandon Foster is running the RXYM Rocky Point house in Hawaii, and Jeremy Wright is in Puerto shooting with Chad Stickney. Everyone else is in their home town working, going to school, doing contests, planning their next travels and filming. We are in negotiations with three riders.. three sick riders. We'll post the news when things are completed. But I personally love our team... so many weird personalities. The team will do their part to better the industry in whatever capacity and route they decide to take.
RXYM: Give us one or two words that describe each team rider.
RM: Rusty Friesen-World Title potential, madman . Brandon Foster-the Godfather, SA living legend . Rex Moribe-The Flyin' Hawaiian . Justin Crossman-Free surfer, very underrated . Matt Byzak-Photographer, contest freak . Bob Kithcart-Sickest DK style . Jeremy Wright-New pro threat, role model . Lisah Gonzalez-Creative artist in & out of the water . Christian Deason-Kauai rat, new school . Hunter Smith-Carlsbad rat, new school .
RXYM: Who are your influences in Bodyboarding and how does that effect RXYM?
RM: Influences in bodyboarding are simple... Mike Stewart and Paul Roach. When No Friends came out, I was hypnotized by Spencer Skipper's riding style. To me, it was just perfect and still is. Jono Bruce has amazing riding style now. But when it comes to creativeness, Manny Vargas. He helped me out a lot when I was a grom and I won't ever forget that, but nowadays no one influences me more in the bodyboarding industry than Ross McBride. I don't know if I have matured and grown up a bit and see things differently, but Ross's career as a whole is unmatched. I mean if RXYM can do 20% of what No Friends did I would be stoked. I love No Friends and I appreciate him taking the time to talk to me about RXYM every time he sees me. RXYM wouldn't be here if No Friends wasn't here first. To me they are Quiksilver in our sport.. and I don't even know who we are. We are still so new. All the clothing lines that came before No Friends, I mean I rode for Premiere Clothing America and countless other companies that are no longer here. I remember what happened back then and I don't want to burn out or make the same mistakes they did. I will not isolate RXYM. It's obvious that the other bodyboarding clothing companies in America are hurting from the economy but they wouldn't be if we got behind them and supported them. There are so many bodyboarders in America & especially in the rest of the world and only a handful of bodyboarding clothing companies. It's time to get behind these clothing companies for real and end supporting the other industries. Put our money where our mouth is.. put our money where our heart is.
RXYM: What will be included in THE END Collection in 2010?
RM: Of course short sleeve tees. Really, anyone can make tees but making tees that people actually like and will spend money on is not easy... we are doing more product development to make our stuff better in 2010. Our stuff may cost more but you will feel the difference. Our collection is first and foremost going to be comfortable to wear and unique. I am really into certain major fashion designers and influences and I am looking at what they are doing for 2010 as well. I get my ideas from FIDM (Fashion Institute) and trend forecasting.. and then we put our own spin on it and get it ready for production. Look for two new colors in our denim in June 2010, v necks, tank tops, board shorts, walk shorts, and hoody's both zip and no zip. Also, our women's line is selling quite a bit down here in Carlsbad so I think it's time to re think that part of the company as well.
RXYM: How do you design a Collection of clothes? What goes into the process?
RM: Well, I like to just watch movies and listen to music. Ideas will pop out and I'll think about them for awhile. Like I'll get into a few movies and watch them a lot and listen to the same music as I am designing the clothes. I get ideas and send them off to the graphic artists and we tweak them until they are perfect. You know that movie, "There Will Be Blood," it influenced The END Collection. So did the Godfather Part 1. I just let things swirl in my head, I write them down, and pray about it. I believe in God so that influences me too. When it comes to music, I've actually been listening to a lot of Frank Sinatra. I am into a lot of things at the moment. Oh, and I have to say this too just because it's so weird. Every time I look at a clock it says 1:11 or 2:22 or 4:44 or 12:34, it's been tripping me out. It probably is nothing, but it happens A LOT. Anyhow, I brainstorm, get the graphics, pick colors and show certain people that are really into fashion. My ex girlfriend is the master mind of colors and she'll tell me if thing look wack or not. Justin Crossman, one of our team riders, is another person who overviews designs and graphic placement. That is basically how a collection comes about. More stuff goes into it, but I'm keeping that to myself.
RXYM: Who are your influences in the fashion world?
RM: Fashion is a deep industry and I am a novice. I know more than the average person but if you are into fashion, you are REALLY into fashion. There are a lot of fake fashion people out there, but you can usually figure them out after a few conversations. And just because people have money doesn't mean they know fashion. Things change so fast in that industry and if you are not changing too, you are done. I personally like the thoughts of Marc Jacobs & Karl Lagerfeld. They are in a completely different field than RXYM and are doing things that we will never do, but they still influence me a lot. In the surf world, I really like Globe and what they are doing as a company. 
RXYM: What's next for RXYM?
RM: First, stop by Alternative Surf in Seal Beach and OC Surf & Sport in San Clemente and check our new stuff out. We are available on the web for Internationally shipping at Ebodyboarding.com and at our webstore/website www.RXYMFASHION.com. Our website and webstore are going through changes all the way up until the new year so we apologize that our store was down in October. It is back up and ready to roll. Look for new team rider interviews, commercials, videos, and all kinds of promo stuff for "This Is The END". The RXYM XRMY will be congregating to Hawaii for the PIPE event. If you see Matt Byzak shooting in the water or anyone wearing "This Is THE END" tee shirts, come up to us and introduce yourself. Get out in the water and bust something sick and maybe you'll be in the film. Lastly, I just want to say SUPPORT the INDUSTRY. Buy bodyboarding clothing, buy bodyboarding everything. If you think some of the clothes sucks, don't complain, email the companies and tell them what you want to see in stores. If you see any of our team guys make sure you talk to them and say what's up. Get ready for the END!! The End in 2010!
I turn the recorder off and Ray is quickly lost in one of his favorite movies. "Dude, how crazy is this movie... it all started because this guy had insomnia. What a TRIPPPPPED OUUUT RATTTT." I can't help but laugh to myself and think, (yeah and look what else was created from insomnia). I grab an ice cream drum stick and post up on one of the RXYM couches and watch it with him.
"It was on the tip of everyone's tongue, we just gave it a name." FIGHT CLUB, quote 
GET RADICAL!!
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