Erik "Smelly" Sandin (born July 29, 1966), is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the punk rock band NOFX, and former member of punk rock band Caustic Cause. He was a founding member of NOFX when they formed in Hollywood, California, in 1983, and has been with the band for a majority of their run until their retirement in 2024.
Sandin's primary drumming style has consistently fallen within the characteristics of skate punk rock, indicating an energetic, fast paced way of playing. Outside of NOFX, Sandin has been running his own surfboard shaping business, Pickle Stix, since 2020.
The other members of NOFX did not address the matter until Sandin's drug use began affecting the band and their workflow. Before the recording of the 1992 album White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean, NOFX frontman Fat Mike gave Sandin an ultimatum. He had to quit heroin or be replaced. After realizing that NOFX was the most important thing in his life and with assistance of Brett Gurewitz and Lynn Strait, Sandin entered rehab at The Ranch in Desert Hot Springs, California for treatment of heroin addiction. Sandin has not used the drug since.
Sandin began shaping surfboards in 2008, which spurred out of a desire to contribute to surfing's art form, similar to his desire to contribute to music's art form. The second board he ever shaped was finished with a shade of green reminiscent of a pickle. Sandin's friend, Curly, began calling it his pickle stick, hence the title Sandin would eventually decide upon for the business.
Before the establishment of Pickle Stix, Sandin claims to have shaped a couple hundred boards in his free time for the purpose of riding some himself, selling on craigslist, and gifting to friends.
Equipment
Since 1992, Sandin has frequented the Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple Kit as his drum kit of choice, in which he prefers a 22" x 18" kick drum, 14" x 6" snare drum, 12" rack tom, and 16" floor tom. Regarding snare drums, Sandin specifically frequents the AMS1460 and RRS1455.
Sandin has also been known to play Yamaha's Stage Custom Birch drum kit.