Positive Dissonance: Embracing the Beautiful Conflict of Design on the North Shore
In an era of hyper-saturated surf content, it is rare to find a project that stops the clock and forces a recalibration of our senses. Positive Dissonance—the latest cinematic collaboration between the brand Rhythm and shaper Ashton Pickle of A&H Vessels—is exactly that. It is a visual and philosophical exploration of what happens when we step away from the comfortable and into the unknown.
The Philosophy of “Positive Dissonance”
The title isn’t just a catchy phrase; it’s a mission statement. Ashton Pickle views “Positive Dissonance” as the intentional act of putting oneself in a state of discomfort to trigger growth. In the shaping bay, this manifests as experimental asymmetrical designs and radical bottom contours that might look “wrong” to the untrained eye but feel undeniably “right” on the face of a wave.
“This project was about my growth as both a builder and a surfer,” Pickle explains. Rather than hoarding “perfect” footage over several years, he chose to capture the raw, immediate reaction of surfers hopping on his boards for the first time—the moments of awkwardness, adaptation, and eventual breakthrough.
Testing Grounds: The North Shore
The film follows the journey of stylists like Jimmy Thompson and Gunner Day as they take a quiver of A&H Vessels—ranging from 5’10” to 9’4”—to the proving grounds of Hawaii’s North Shore. Away from the rigid constraints of the competitive “thruster” world, they embrace twin-fins and asymmetrical shapes, drawing lines that are fluid, fast, and refreshingly unpredictable.
Working out of the legendary Josh Hall’s shaping bay, Pickle translated the energy of the Pacific into foam and resin. The result is a showcase of how a board can dictate a different rhythm, turning a familiar wave into an entirely new canvas.
The Dialogue Between Shaper and Surfer
The true weight of Positive Dissonance lies in the feedback loop. Pickle isn’t just building boards in a vacuum; he is listening. The ability of surfers to articulate their sensations after a session is the key to refining these “foam monsters.”
It is a constant learning process where the initial friction of a new design eventually gives way to the “flow” that every surfer chases. It proves that sometimes, you need a little discord to find true harmony.
Final Thoughts
Positive Dissonance is a testament to the “mongrel” spirit of freesurfing—one that prizes curiosity over perfection. For those who value the intersection of surf culture and craftsmanship, this film is a reminder to embrace the experimental.
