Lost at Sea

6'0" mini simmons glass job

An interesting board deserves an interesting glass job.

10'6" Ghost Knife Outline

This board is for one of the most stoked surfers I know. After I drew the outline to this board, I realized it looked a lot like an aquarium fish I had as a kid, called a Ghost Knife. The blank has been skinned and the outline cut. Time to start shaping in the rocker and the rails.

6'6" Secret Outline

This board is loosely based on the Firewire Dominator. Full nose, round tail, five fin box, quiver killer. It's been donned The Secret.

Tribute

To a childhood hero who instilled fascination and wonder, cheers.

Funshape Finished

Buffed out the funshape this morning and she is ready for the water. I put Probox Fins in, thanks Larry for the custom Blue Fiberglass thruster setup. I really like the versatility of this fin system, it makes it super fun to play with. This should be a great all-around board.

Hydrodynamic Hull

I'm a believer, so a surfboard with any amount of mysticism attached to it, piques my interest. The mini-simmons oringinated back in the late 40's by a guy named Bob Simmons. He referred to the board as a hydrodynamic hull which took design aspects from an airplane wing to create lift and drive. The board is characterized by it's short, yet wide stature, S-deck, planning hull bottom which transitions from convex to flat to concave, and twin fin configuration. It is an excellent exercise in shaping to construct one of these surfboards. There are many subtleties and shaping transitions packed into a small board. Shaping this board has been an absolute pleasure, and I suspect that the ride will be just as satisfying.

Home Stretch

The funshape is so close to being finished, ProBox fin boxes are going in and the hotcoat needs to be sanded. The big question is, can I have it finished for Thursday's swell?

Cut Laps Away

Finished laminating the 7'6" funshape last night. Decided on a blue resin tint bottom, and light orange deck. I cut lap between the two with 6 oz. glass and epoxy resin, then went with another full 6 oz. over the deck. It should be bullet proof (at least as much as surfboards can be). I will put a black pin line down between the laps to cover up any inconsistencies in the edge. It's coming together nicely. This is a duplicate from a board that I made for my friend Topper on the east coast. He says it rides wicked good, and I wanted to give it a go. Bottoms up.

deep sea creatures

7'6" Funshape Outline

The shaping bay is busy again, this time with a good old funshape. Sure it is considered the Nancy Boy of surfboards. Go long, or go short, which is to say karate yes, or karate no. But on the lakes a funshape can be your best friend for those gutless days. More progress to come...

wonderment

Surfing is amazing. Surfing a board that you have meticulously shaped or that was personally shaped for you is even better. Many technical aspects come together to produce a board that performs and has an aesthetic to it. Combine that with the particular details that come together to make a surf session and you have a unique experience, that is impossible to replicate, and is wholly and completely yours. I like to think of it as a culmination of perfection, which organizes itself into a moment for you to enjoy. This blog is all about the moments and the details, presented through the eyes of a surfboard shaper. Here we are.