“Alex Kopps was a genius for having this digital voice recorder with him all the time,” says Mike D of the filmmaker who shot his all-star trip to surf haven Baja California. “Just recording random conversations. There are some hidden treats there. Spike Jonze got a sense of this, captained the recorder and would kind of steer the dialogue.” Full-name Michael Diamond, the Beastie Boy and Brooklynite has been surfing for nearly a decade, since his son Davis became surf-obsessed at the age of two. When asked to guest edit the art, surf and skateboarding quarterly Monster Children, he set about commissioning the trip: in addition to director Jonze he was joined by professional wave-breakers Kassia Meador, Ford Archbold, Alex Knost, Tanner Rozunko and Rob Machado. The plan was to ride Mexico’s Baja Peninsula—but the weather had different ideas, and strong seasonal winds all but killed the swell. Determined, the clan hit the beach well before sunrise each morning, and passed a blissful week fueled by new friendships, sweet rides, cool beers and a whole lot of peanut butter and jelly.—Timothée Verrecchia

Monster Children #43 is on shelves now.