Here I am with this month’s Pro Shaper Profile and I’m proud to say we have a video interview with Jason Hoffman. We are highlighting the artisan board builder which Jason and business partner Casey McCrystal truly define. Like many other shapers over the past five years, Jason has been building his boards from start to finish in house. He used to shape out of a room he rented at Foam E-Z and just crank them out and then drop them off at a glass shop. Since times are tough he made the move and bought the glass shop next door to the old Foam E-Z location and has been building his business even during this crazy time. As I mentioned before he has teamed up with Casey McCrystal to form a company called Ricochet. They are hands on and build each board from start to finish, that’s right, they take your order, shape it, glass it, and even hand it off to you when it’s done.
It’s been great knowing and working with Jason over the years so take a second to check out the conversation I had with him on this video. Check out their websites for more information.
Jeremy is a local HB guy, home board builder (Foam E-Z customer), artist, and film director. He is going to be featured at an art opening this Friday night November 13th from 7-10pm. The location is LeBasse Projects, 6032 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA.
Here's what he's been up to:
"I just finished the first installment of a new videos series we are doing at Modus Films.
It is gonna be a short abstract series called, "A Fly on the Wall". In this series we are taking a voyeuristic approach to the everyday life of people we know and are influenced by.
The first video is on me as I prepare for my show this Friday. I have 6 new pieces in the show!"
The show is open to the public, hope to see you there!
Ride shotgun with Dan Malloy and Dane Reynolds as they cruise from their Ventura homes to Emma Wood State Beach for a quiver swap. This insider look at their modes of surfing comes to a head as they trade—and ride—everything from homemade hunks to foiled Fryes.
This is a great viewing of legendary Hobie shaper Terry Martin shaping up a traditional longboard. He starts with a US Blanks9-3Y as his canvas and works his Skil 100 planer over the blank. Those old planers just eat up the foam like no other.
Having started shaping wood as a lad in '50s San Diego, on through to shaping sleek Phil Edwards Models, to the now - where he finds himself an in-demand builder of boards of all denominations for Hobie- Terry Martin is the consummate craftsman. In this short video, Terry shapes a perfect traditional noserider, talking us through his philosophy and technique as he works.
Enjoy the video, we hope it provides some insight to your shaping experience.
Ever needed a legitimate excuse to go surfing? Well, on June 20, 2009 you finally have it, International Surfing Day. Created by Surfing Magazine five years ago, this unofficial, official surfers' holiday gives us a chance to promote and celebrate the sport while bringing awareness to the state of our oceans and beaches. The goal is simple, take the day off or at least part of the day to go out and catch a wave or three and... while you're at it...help cleanup your favorite beach. In conjunction with the Surfrider Foundation,Surfing Magazinewill be organizing a a handful of official beach cleanups. If there isn't an official beach cleanup in your neighborhood don't let it stop you from beautifying your own stretch of sand!
What are you doing tomorrow for International Surfing DaySaturday 2009? We'll be down in Huntington State Beach (North Side of River Jetties) from 8am to 1pm, along with a number of other surfing enthusiasts! Come down and join us there will be plenty of swag given away, refreshments, surf music, sun, and fun.
Some of the participants setting up tomorrow are: Foam E-Z, Future Fins, Harbour Surfboards, Van's Shoes, Katin Surf Shop, Greek Surfboards, Surfline, Monster Energy Drinks, Surfing Magazine, The Sierra Club, and many more. So as you can see it will be a great day to kick off the summer.
We're now stocking the UV Cure Resin Lam/Sanding in quarts and pints and will soon have it available in gallons. The keys to this resin is that it has an unlimited working time therefore making it easy to conserve resin. Basically you apply indoors and when you've worked out all the bubbles or what have you just walk the board outside. It will harden in a matter of minutes!
Check out this short video for an example of a board being lammed with UV Cure Resin:
There are a few tricks so don't treat it exactly like the traditional MEKP catalyzed resin. Use a small amount of MEKP catalyst when applying your logo to the board. "Flash it" when hotcoating, this means to walk it out side for a minute then bring it back for the wax to rise, then bring it back outside to fully harden. This resin can be used directly from the can since UV resin hardens when exposed to sunlight therefore it doesn't need to be mixed. If no UV source is available MEKP Catalyst must be used to cure the resin. There more tips and full directions on the back of each can.
This stuff is the best for ding repair, you just can't beat the speed in which you can do a repair correctly.
We put this video together to try to give everyone a better idea of what our shop looks and feels like. In addition, we wanted to put some faces with the voices and emails for the Guys at the shop (Grant and RadRob). Foam E-Z is housed in a 1200sq foot retail shop/warehouse here in North Orange County, Southern California.
Aloha Glassing is a large professional glass shop just adjacent to our shop that can meet all your glassing needs, if that's what you desire. There are a number of professional shapers (Minchinton, Bettis, Stamps, and more) making surfboards in our business complex and they are always more than courteous to give advice or answer some shaping questions. Ding Repair is another service available at our location.
So as you can see we are full service providing all the tools, materials, knowledge, and a professional shaping room to build your own board (B.Y.O.B.) all under one roof. For more information on the EZ Shaping Box view the video in the blog. If you decide that you only want to shape your own board (S.Y.O.B.) and want it professionally glassed we can provide that service for you right next door.
If you haven't been to our shop and are in the area please stop by and check us out. For all of you that haven't visited Foam E-Z, we hope the video tour gives you a good picture of our committment to providing the best in board building supplies that are available.
$30.00/board up to 3 hours * $6.00 each additional 30 minutes * $55.00 for entire day 11am-5pm (6 hours) *
*Starter Tool Kit included (David Top Plane, Spokeshave, 10.5" Surform, 5.5" Surform, Fred Tool, Hand Saw, HD Foam Shaping Block, C-Caliper, Tape Measure, Goggles)
Bring Your Own Tools or rent our Tool Kits! Rent the tools before you buy!
Available hours: Monday thru Friday 11am-5pm
Buy or Bring: Dust Mask Sand Screen Sand Paper
Call 714.896.8233 or email Support@FoamEZ.com for for additional information or details.
We’re happy to announce that Foam E-Z is now offering a shaping facility to rent.
About two months ago, we purchased a 20ft high cube container with a shaping bay built inside of it.We completely refurbished the shape room with new electrical, paint, and added a Clark Foam Vacuum System that sits outside the bay.The room is equipped with 8ft fluorescent lights, shelves, vacuum system, fan ventilation, and professional style E-Z Shaping Racks (fixed to the floor).The room dimensions are 15'-5"long x 7’ wide x 8’ high.The Foam E-Z Shaping Box is a fully functional and professional shaping bay located directly behind Foam E-Z.It is completely insulated and ventilated helping it remain comfortable during your shaping experience.
We wanted to give the E-Z Shaping Box a good once over, so we invited Tim Stamps of www.SurfboardsbyStamps.com to give it a test drive.His goal was to hand shape RadRob, Foam E-Z star employee, a new 5-8 Quantum Quad Fish.“It’s the classic Twin Keel revved up a bit. I added more nose rocker, pulled the nose in, thinned out the rails, and of course added a Quad fin set up. Slight concave through the center with subtle double concaves running through the fins. This all adds up to a super fast, very positive board.”
Tim brought a few of his “special” tools and used some of ours in his attempt to make the room feel like home.He plugged his Skil 100 into our vacuum system and started mowing into a 6-2A US Blank (new red foam).After 2 hours of shaping and a 20 minute pizza break (thanks to Kiri at Perry’s Pizza) RadRob’s board was finished.Check out the video for the full experience.
Stamps says: “It was the next best thing to home!I give it a 5 out of 5 shakas.”
The shaping box is now available for anyone to rent. So if you’re sick of shaping in your garage, using your trash cans as racks, or if you’ve wanted to start shaping but don’t have a place to do it, we now have the answer for you.The “Box” is for rent by the board or by the day (Monday thru Friday 11-5pm) and comes complete with all the tools necessary to Shape Your Own Board (S.Y.O.B.).***Additional tools available for rent. This is your chance to test out the tools before you buy them. Call 714.896.8233 or email Support@FoamEZ.com for more information.“Shape in the Box to think out of the box!”
Here's the rates for renting "The BOX":
$30.00/board up to 3 hours *
$6.00 each additional 30 minutes *
$55.00 for entire day 11am-5pm (6 hours) *
*Starter Tool Kit included (David Top Plane, Spokeshave, 10.5" Surform, 5.5" Surform, Fred Tool, Hand Saw, HD Foam Shaping Block, C-Caliper, Tape Measure, Goggles)
Bring Your Own Tools or rent our Tool Kits! Rent the tools before you buy!
Pretty cool stuff that Mike Sheldrake's up to. He's created a computer program that designs the surfboard cores out of cardboard. The CNC machine cuts the cardboard and it's all numbered and put together like a jigsaw puzzle. The trick now is to glass the board so the cloth doesn't droop between the hexagonal holes. Resin Research Epoxy has been used in the prototyping of these boards. We're stoked Mike purchases his resin and supplies from Foam E-Z. It's cool to be involved in such cutting edge technology. Check out his site for more cool information http://www.sheldrake.net/cardboards/ .
Can you believe this? A model airplane shooting an aerial assault on the famous surf spot San-O. The video footage was shot by the aerial genius known as Warz earlier this week. The surf was pretty small, the conditions were nice, and the crowd was at a minimum. This gives a great view of the lay of the land and the water that makes up San Onofre. Check out Church's and Lowers in the distance to the north. If you look close you can see the nuke plant south of Dogpatch. Stay tuned for more views in the near future.
We just got the Fusion Plugs in and they seem to be a nice alternative to the usual FCS Plugs. The Fusion Install Kit makes it extra easy to install teh plugs the correct way. Here is a link to the FCS Fusion Install Manualhttp://www.foamez.com/pdfs/Fusion_Manual_Final_Rev3.pdf
FCS created the Fusion because of a need for a high quality, easy to install system, that can be installed under the fiberglass (as preferred by boards using new technologies such as EPS). This also provides the consumer a higher performing fin system that fits the worlds largest range of premium fins.
The insert provides a base of high density foam. This helps disperse any forces on the plug. It provides a solid base so the plug does not rotate or sink into the foam. This is especially evident in EPS blanks of low densities.
The slots in the Fusion plugs are slightly elongated which allows slight fore and aft movement of the fins, this is great for fine tuning the performance of the board.
The FCS Fusion offers 3 different cant angles (0º, 5º, 9º): This makes the system easy to install and minimizes the chance of error in fin angles.
We appreciate any feedback you can give us on new products.
Elected Officials and Save San Onofre Coalition Voice Strong Opposition To Toll Road Through San Onofre State Beach
DEL MAR, Calif., Sept 22, 2008 In an eight-plus hour event and with more than 3,000 toll road opponents in attendance, state and local elected officials and members of the Save San Onofre Coalition spoke before three Bush Administration officials overseeing a Commerce Department hearing on the Foothill-South Toll Road.
"The people of Orange and San Diego Counties reject this road," commented Bobby Shriver, Santa Monica Councilman and former president of the California State Park and Recreation Commission. "They have proved that by showing up in huge numbers at the Parks Commission hearings, at the Coastal Commission hearing and again today at the Commerce Department hearing."
Testimony focused on how the toll road fails to meet the Commerce Department's specific criteria to overturn the California Coastal Commission's Feb. 2008 decision against the project. Some notables testifying included: California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer; State Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego); Santa Monica Councilman Bobby Shriver; Irvine Councilman Larry Agran, who as a TCA board member cast a vote against the proposed toll road alignment; and San Diego Councilwoman Donna Frye.
"There is no compelling national interest to over-ride the California Coastal Commission, the toll road fails to meet the criteria for an override, and the proposed toll road's adverse impacts outweigh the purported and questionable benefits of this project," Lockyer stated in his testimony at today's hearing. "Reasonable alternatives exist that both TCA and the Federal Highway Administration have refused to explore adequately."
"No credible basis exists to believe the TCA's 11th hour claim that its project is essential to national security. The Marine Corps has publicly rejected the claim, presumably because running a toll road through Camp Pendleton would inevitably impede, not improve, our military readiness," added Lockyer.
"The TCA and the politicians comprising its board provided no new information that supports a Bush Administration override of the State of California," stated Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the California State Parks Foundation and member of the Save San Onofre Coalition. "For the TCA, a single-purpose agency focused solely on building and operating toll roads, to select a route through the 5th most popular state park in California is a bad idea...one that must be stopped."
Big Props to all those who went to the hearing!!!
.
Please go to the Commerce Dept. Hearing on the Toll Road - You are Needed
Where : Del Mar Fairgrounds
When: TODAY September 22, 2008 ~10:30 A.M. - 8:30 P.M.
WHAT: A public hearing regarding the toll road through San Onofre State Beach. Throngs of toll road opponents gathering to ensure the Federal Government upholds the decision made by the California Coastal Commission--no toll roads through state parks!
WHEN: Monday September 22, 2008. The hearing is from 10:30am-8:30pm. Of course, we would like everyone to attend all day (take a sick day, like the rest of us: ) or come for at least a few hours.
WHERE: O'Brien Hall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. Del Mar, CA 92014. Just off the I-5 in Del Mar at Via de la Valle exit.Do you have friends who are out of state and can't come? They can stay updated throughout the day. http://twitter.com/savetrestles
Agenda for Hearing:
Surfrider, and our partners, will be providing supporters with tee shirts and other goodies (first come, first served). We will have food coupons to distribute to those who sign in at the welcome booth. Since we are a nonprofit, it's hard to feed everyone huge meals, but we do want to make sure that our supporters are taken care of and have sustained energy to be at the hearing all day. Upon arriving, please check in at the welcome booth to receive your tee shirts and food coupons. Please note the following agenda is a rough estimate.
• 10:30am-1:30pm: Testimony from Elected Officials. There are several outstanding elected officials speaking on our behalf including Bobby Shriver, Donna Frye, Bill Lockyer and others.
• 1:30pm-2pm: Testimony from Organizations. Surfrider Foundation and other interesting organizations will be heard during the next few hours.
• 2:00-2:30: Official Hearing Break. We are having a rally in the pavilion area behind O'Brien hallcome and learn more about how the day will go and what to expect.
• 2:30-5:00: Continued Testimony from Organizations and Native American Tribes.
• 5:00-5:30: Official Hearing Break. Please be sure to visit our letter writing station during the break. We want to fill the drop boxes with letters opposing the toll road.
• 5:30-8:30: During this time, organizations will finish speaking and the general public will begin testimony. It's challenging to say exactly what time the general public will speak. As you know, not everyone from the public will be able to speak since the meeting ends exactly at 8:30pm. See the list of speakers below.
• 8:30pm-9pm: Meet us outside of the O'Brien hall as we gather to celebrate our efforts, enjoy acoustic music, and listen to special guest speakers. Recognized singer-songwriter Steve Ybarra will play music which has been featured on radio and television across the country. Shaun Tomson, World Champion Surfer, will be our featured guest speaker. Upon listening to Shaun, we will hear from prominent environmental leaders. As you know, there will not be a decision made at the hearing, so it's important that we come together to ‘celebrate our efforts of the day' and begin to look forward! We expect the Federal Government will make their decision by then end of the fall/early winter.
View list of speakers: click here If you plan to drive yourself please note that the Del Mar Fairgrounds charges $9 for parking. Check out carpool belwo. Please pass this around to everyone who cares about protecting our State Parks! We need thousands of people to attend!
Also, please review guidelines for the hearing. click here Attending hearing is much like being in a court room; we need to be calm, cool and collected. We can't cheer, hold our signs above our heads, or be distracting. Read the rules--they are long, but they say it all! See you on Monday Sept 22 at Del Mar…
Check these polyurethane blanks from US Blanks. This is just a small idea of the possibilities for your next custom surfboard blank. Most custom blanks take only one week to arrive! Let us know if you'd like to customize your next blank.
If you're looking for ProBox fins, boxes, install kits etc... we now have it all in stock and can be found on our website under Fins & Fin Systems. If you can't find the fins you're looking for call or email us and we can have them here for you usually within two days.
ProBox addresses many of the shortcomings of existing systems in the surfboard marketplace. Adjustments can be made to the fin position forward and backward and the cant [fin angle]. These adjustments allow the performance of a surfboard to be tuned to the conditions, type of surfboard or rider. The fin cant is adjusted through a revolutionary patented insert mechanism that provides controlled angles, initially 4 different inserts are provided 0°, 4°, 6°, and 8°.
This fin system is very easy to install with a minimum of tooling. A single reusable jig is used to handle the alignment, routing, and anchoring of the box during the installation process. No fin is required to install the box as the jig correctly locates the box on the board while suspending it over the routed hole. These jigs are extremely inexpensive and reusable!
Check out some footage of Dave from Revchem glassing this polyurethane surfboard blank. The board was glassed with UV cure polyester resin. It went from a shaped blank to ready for sanding in one hour. Thanks to Dave and the sun for the awesome demo!
Stay posted for more video and pics from the event.
Just a reminder that our Party/Event is tomorrow Saturday May 31st. It's gonna be a doozy! So many giveaways it's hard to mention them all. Let's just say there will be at least five (5) complete board kits that include PU foam (US Blanks) with UV Resin and Hexel cloth (Composite Resources), EPS Parabolics (US Blanks and Marko) with Resin Research Epoxy and BGF Cloth (Graphite Master/Greg Loehr) and more. Of course there will be plenty of free food and refreshments. Make the drive it will be worth your while.
For all the info about the event check out previous blogs below.
This week, from Sunday May 26th thru Saturday May 31st, the sale category is GRAPHIC SUPPLIES. Customers save 15% and can either come into the shop to make the purchase or can purchase online with the redemption code 15YRGRAPH4. Stay tuned, it's gonna be a great month!
Don't forget our 15 Year Anniversary Party Event THIS SATURDAY (May 31st) from 11-3pm. It will take place behind our shop and will include: Giveaways, Raffles, Food/Drinks, Board Building Demos, Live Music, and a Storewide 15% off Sale.
In celebration of our 15 years in business we are having a month long sale! Each week a different product category will be highlighted and all customers will be able to save fifteen percent (15%) on that category. This week, from Sunday May 18th thru Saturday May 24th, the sale category is GLASSING SUPPLIES. Customers can either come into the shop to make the purchase or you can purchase online with the redemption code 15YRGLASS3. Look for a new category and redemption code next Sunday May 18th. Stay tuned, it’s gonna be a great month!
Don't forget our 15 Year Anniversary Party Event from 11-3pm on Saturday May 31st. It will take place behind our shop and will include: Giveaways, Raffles, Food/Drinks, Board Building Demos, and a Storewide 15% off Sale.
The Guys at www.FoamEZ.com THE ORIGINAL ONE-STOP SURFBOARD SUPPLY SHOP! www.FoamEZ.com Foam E-Z, Inc. ph.714.896.8233 fax.714.896.0001 Support@FoamEZ.com
In celebration of our 15 years in business we are having a month long sale! Each week a different product category will be highlighted and all customers will be able to save fifteen percent (15%) on that category. This week, from Sunday May 11th thru Saturday May 17th, the sale category is SHAPING SUPPLIES. Customers can either come into the shop to make the purchase or you can purchase online with the redemption code 15YRSHAPE2. Look for a new category and redemption code next Sunday May 18th. Stay tuned, it’s gonna be a great month!
In celebration of our 15 years in business we are having a month long sale! Each week a different product category will be highlighted and all customers will be able to save fifteen percent (15%) on that category. This week, from Sunday May 4th thru Saturday May 10th, the sale category is Blanks.Customers can either come into the shop to make the purchase or you can purchase online with the redemption code 15YRBLANK1. Look for a new category and redemption code next Sunday May 11th. Stay tuned, it’s gonna be a great month!
Come join us at our 15 Year Anniversary Party Event from 11-3pm on Saturday May 31st. It will take place behind our shop and will include: Giveaways, Raffles, Food/Drinks, Board Building Demos, and a Storewide 15% off Sale. All of our vendors will be present to answer questions and chat about anything you have in mind. Future Fins will be installing boxes into a shaped blank which then will be glassed with Composite Resource UV Polyester Resin and the board will ready to sand with in an hour and a half. Ocean & Earth will be raffling off pads, leashes, and more. US Blanks will have a van full of Seconds (blanks) for sale at a reduced price. Sol Sunguard will be giving away lots of killer sunscreen and lip balm. Many “pro” shapers will be present including Tim Stamps (Stamps Surfboards). ProBox Larry has graciously donated a variety of fin and box setups for the raffle. The raffle will also include Epoxy donated from Resin Research. This list will be growing as the month goes on so stay tuned.
You won’t want to miss this. It will be a great opportunity to talk shop, get some free shwag, and eat some free grub.
This past Saturday April 5th marked the opening of the "SOS" SURFIN' U$A art show, presented by Gato Heroi Surrfboards. Robin Kegal did a wonderful job of telling a story of the rise and fall of surfers through his original surf art. Robin (a regular customer at Foam E-Z), is known for his unique style of turning surfboards and surfboard material into great artwork. The evening also had live music performed by Mattson 2, and lead singer Alex Knost's band capped off the night. The art will continue to be displayed for the month of April at Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana. Reported by RadRob
Great footage of a Biofoam blank being shaped by Tom Nielson! This quote from www.phoresia.org explains why the video was created. Phoresia.org is an organization to provide a consumer resource about environmentally and socially responsible surf related products and lifestyle choices."As part of the initial Biofoam project ideas we wanted to show some video footage of one of the blanks being shaped. Partly because it’s cool to see a shaper at work and partly because a visual of a Biofoam blank coming to life under a the planer of a skilled craftsman speaks volumes about the viability of the product."
Huell spends some time at Trestles getting a run down of the history of the area, the geography of the San Mateo wetland, and more! He discusses the toll road issue and it's impact on watershed. It's good to have Huell on our side.
Enjoy this clip of the Epoxy Shaping 101 with Greg Loehr. It has great insight into shaping EPS foam. Greg goes through the process and shows all the tricks you need to work with the beaded foam. The actual DVD is 97 minutes in length which can be purchased at http://www.foamez.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7_53 .
Enjoy this clip of the newest film by Carl Ackerman (maker of Shaping 101), Epoxy 101 Glassing. This has been the missing link in the "how to" videos for board building. The glassing is done by Epoxy guru Greg Loehr, inventor of Resin Research Epoxy Systems. In this video clip he glasses a fish with yellow resin color. The actual DVD is 120 minutes in length which can be purchased at http://www.foamez.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7_53 .
While traveling through ASR on Friday September 7th NeoN and I ran into a old time Foam E-Z customer. We found him working in the Dick Brewer Surfboards booth, if you look close you can see Dick in the background. This guy has been building Guns since the first day he came in our shop way back in 1996! He's been surfing big waves since he was kid in Huntington Beach but now resides in San Francisco and become a regular at Mavericks. He has spent extended periods on the North Shore of Hawaii and has done Tow-Ins at Jaws on Maui.
In his rant he is bascially talking about the old Clark Foam Blanks that don't exist anymore, the 10-9B and 12-2B. These were old Brewer plugs that he made for Grubby
Here we are getting a demo from one of the new surfboard blank companies showing at the 2007 Action Sports Retailer ASR Tradeshow. This was not staged, it really happened!
This video is really well done. It has some awesome footage of Guy Okazaki (one of Foam E-Z's long time customers) shaping a polyurethane foam blank. Check out his website http://www.guyokazaki.com/ for more info about him. You'll also find some fun looking surf in Hawaii and quality music to cap it off.
This is our chance to hammer a silver spike into the heart of the 241 Toll Road extension: California Assembly Bill 1457proposes to ban the building of roads throughState Parks. If this bill passes, The Transportation Corridor authorities degradation of San Mateo campground (itself a mitigation for the San Onofre nuclear plant), San Mateo watershed, and the Trestles wave complex will be stopped. Under normal circumstances in the Sacramento dynamic, a bill of this nature would fail due to business-as-usual, political process that grinds on behind the scenes. Unless the unusual happens and the surfing community collectively rises up and mobilizes to pass this bill, it to will fail and likely Trestles along with it. As a member of our surfing community no matter what party you support or where you sit on or in the state of California (Or the nation) please work hard to support this bill the survival of Trestles (San Onofre and San Mateo) as we know it is at stake. Your break (or campsite) will be next. Contact your local state government representatives and request that they support assembly Bill 1457 banning new roads through state parks!-- S. P.
What happens to the backcountry, happens to the beach, contact your California State Representative to keep the link between trestles and the wilderness corridor of San Mateo Creek untrammeled... .
Here are great short descriptions and historys of the various styles of surfboards by Dave Parmenter:
LONGBOARDS: The garden-variety longboard shape is indisputably the most resilient design in surfing history. A lot of people forget that if the Polynesians hadn't finally migrated to an island with big enough trees to make their olo boards, we'd probably all still be riding prone on paipo boards. The ancient Hawaiian longboards literally created the sport we know today. The papa nui went on to bridge the ancient and modern eras, and is the only design archetype to have been built with every conceivable material, from koa to redwood to balsa, foam and even sponge. Today, the longboard is back in a big way and more versatile than ever. Often debunked for its "old guy" stigma or "unfair" paddling superiority, the longboard has endured for a millennia for the same reason we all surf - we love the "glide."
BIG-WAVE GUNS: The big-wave gun is the "warbird" of the surfboard design kingdom. Let the other boards strut down the catwalk with their garish frills and fashions -- the gun is as lethal and purely functional as the rhino-stoppers they're named for. The big-wave gun has changed the least over the years of any type of surfboard because the mission has never changed: build up a head of steam with three strokes, bust through the ledge, skitter down the face, reconnect and worry about the rest later. You really want to learn about surfboard design? Look at a gun. Its design components are the simplest and purest of any board because they're not made for Quasimodos, roundhouses or 540-to-out-of-its. They're shaped strictly for two things: paddle-power and survival.
SHORTBOARDS: We call them "shortboards," but today's state-of-the-art high-performance surfing isn't happening because the boards are "short." The ultra-radical surfing you see on shortboards is more due to an amazingly deft balancing of design features that seem contradictory. Curves and flats, torque and drag are all combined into the most complex, temperamental and volatile surfboard design ever built, then fused to the power plant of the power-hungry Thruster fin array - and heaven help you if you're a sloth-foot or over 30.
THE HYBRID: Since all forward motion in surfboard design stems from combining established ideas into new combinations, then technically the "hybrid" surfboard should be granted the status of being the most progressive surfboard type of them all. What?! You mean those bulbous, hideous "funboards" are more progressive than my Merrick, dude? Well, take a fresh peek into the "hybrid" skunkworks: these aren't yuppie-doofus eggs anymore. The hybrid design family is burgeoning into fresh new fields and is robbing the shortboard blind of its edges, flats and rockers. Now, they're faster, more forgiving and more versatile than anything the "hotties" are riding - why else would all the pros consider riding them in contests as "cheating"?
Now you know the background behind the board you're riding, even if you've built it or want to build it.
In upcoming posts we will be showing examples of each type of board with detailed descriptions and dimensions. Keep an eye out for this cool and informative content.
Here is a short video showing the basic technique of laminating a polyurethane surfboard with polyester resin. You can get all the tools and supplies to glass your surfboard at www.foamez.com .
Shaped This documentary film pays tribute to the men and women of the surf world that were there in the 1960s, working in the trenches, creating and un-knowingly shaping the future of surfing as we know it today.This handful of influential innovators had no idea at the time how their work would change the lives of millions of people through their innovative thinking and commitment to their craft. Internationally known world class surfer Robert Weaver "Wingnut" will interview these men and women candidly at the beach, at work and in their homes. This film will also feature interviews with people whose lives have been touched and forever changed by the sport of surfing...
