The Blank Slate

Painters have an empty canvas, writers have the unwritten page, and sculptures have a block of clay.  Shapers, however, have the untouched blank.  Inside of it rests a surfboard waiting to be used, but the excess material must be removed, refined, then made more permanent with a resin shell.  The process is called deductive sculpture, where material must be subtracted to create a final piece.  This is the exhilarating moment, seeing the crude outline of a surfboard sitting on the stand patiently waiting to become something else.

This is How the Party Stops

Jack Frost

Shaping in sub-freezing temperatures is painful, but starring at a frozen lake that has no intention of thawing soon hurts worse.  6'2" long and 22.5" wide, it's a mix of a thruster and a fish.  I was introduced to a similar shape in Florida and it was a true quiver killer.

The War on Drugs - Red Eyes

Old Dutch finds an Empty Pocket

Rusty is in the curl with a Burly Old Dutch he won from Lakefront Brewery this summer.  I have heard about this board ripping it up in Shelter Bay and now here in Sheboygan, WI.  It's about 15 degrees outside, but there is something about this open shoulder that warms my heart. 

More to celebrate!

Draw a Line (finished board)

Finished board, ready for waves.  I have no idea who Steve is, but apparently he isn't a very likeable guy.  Some bum wrote that on the outside of my studio with toothpaste.